I share my world with no one.

At least… that's what it feels like most of the time. I'm a science freak. I studied biology at Harvard and was immediately drafted (based on a paper I submitted) into an organization called the 'Avatar' program. My name is Clara, frequently abbreviated Clay. It was through my own interest in this program that I met my dearest friend, Jeffry. We were both bound to love one another, our fascination with anatomy and biological studies unmatched by any of our peers.

Working as a team, we carefully worked on resumes to be hand-selected to 'drive' our own Avatar bodies on a distant orbital called Pandora. Pandora's excavation had been an idea at economic stimulus put into place by the government as a harsh recession settled in. There was some kind of mineral on the planet (Unobtainium, go figure) that was malleable enough to be used for almost anything. Needless to say it was an architectural commodity, the newest part in the zeitgeist of ideas proposed to boost our economic status in the world. The military, for the most part, inhabited the planetoid and whoever wasn't with the military was part of the RDA Corporation that funded the mission. They felt no need to chart the place or learn from it, they simply aimed for the 'cheddar' that the U.S. government demanded.

That's where the Avatar scientists came in. We were tempted by nothing more than the opportunity for knowledge that was stewing from the land's surface. It was a biological gold mine. The planet was said to have been a tropical paradise full of creatures. Humanoids had even been sighted around digging sites. I was enthralled. I could think of nothing else but Pandora ever since they had discovered the place when I was 16. I leapt at the opportunity to be sent as a part of the new program designed to map and explore and discover. It was the chance of a lifetime.

The night that Jeffry and I were supposed to be notified of our resume's final status, we holed up in my dorm room, grabbed some red wine and sat on futons until we received a phone call. My eyes immediately shot to his, wide, anxious. I lifted a quivering hand and took the phone from its station. I put it precariously to my ear.

"Ehm, hullo?" I murmured.

"Yes, is this Clara Burke?" Came a female's voice.

"Yes, this is she."

"My name is Grace Augustine. Do you know who I am?" I knew. I beamed over to Jeffry who had been fiddling nervously with his red velvet slippers. He stopped immediately, a smile coiling slowly onto his face.

"Y-Yes ma'am, I do. It's an honour! I-"

"Nevermind that. You know then why I've called?" She interrupted.

"Why, yes! I mean, I certainly hope I do…"

"Right, then. You seem like a sharp pup. I expect you to be at the D.C. army recruiting station tomorrow at 6 a.m. SHARP. Don't you dare be late, Ms. Clara. I've heard great things of you. You'd hate to ruin your shot with this excursion." Dial tone. I stood gaping at the floor. Could this really be happening? My lifelong dream was finally unraveling before me. I was to be going to Pandora for God only knew what, but who cared? All I knew at the time was that a fascinating new endeavour awaited me, its beginnings in a frigid star-streamed abyss.