The dark haired man woke slowly. His eyes seemed reluctant to open. The rest of his body forced him upwards into a half sitting position and his hands wiped sleepy dust from his eyes.

"Oi, lazy bones, are you up yet?" an American drawl muttered from beside the dark haired man.

"As if we have anything to get up for," the dark haired man replied.

"You have a full schedule."

"As if anyone can tell me off for not doing it," the dark haired man muttered. "Just you watch me, I'll sit here and watch some of your crappy TV all day."

"Gene, get out of bed and I'll make you breakfast."

Gene's eyes opened at that and he laughed.

"Blimey," Gene said. "You'll put my food in the microwave for me? How kind of you Blake."

Blake laughed and left the small sleeping area. Gene forced himself out of bed, slipped into his clothes and followed after Blake. He sunk into a chair and waited for Blake to dump a tray of food in front of him.

"Cheers," Gene mumbled. "Don't suppose the communication dish is working this morning?"

"Just as broken as it was yesterday," another softer voice replied. Perhaps only because Gene had known the short brunette so long that he could just hear the hint of a French accent in Marie's speech.

"We should have had a German make it," Adolf muttered. A short, stern looking woman had followed Adolf in and muttered something to him in German which caused him to laugh.

"Nein! Kein Deutsch," Gene muttered. "It's too early in the morning for jokes in German."

"Germans don't make jokes," Marie said. "Unlike the French."

"Yes, the French are ripe for taking the piss out of," Blake teased. "What was it you British call them?" he asked Gene.

"Cheese-eating surrender monkeys," Gene said between mouthfuls of rehydrated porridge.

The two Germans laughed.

"I do miss cheese," Marie admitted. "I would not mind some Brie right now."

"Well maybe in ten months' time or so, the next supply mission might bring you some," Gene said.

"Dix mois," Marie whispered to herself. "They will still send a rover to this base, right?"

"Of course," Adolf replied. "There is too much equipment here for them to abandon it when it's so close to the main base."

"Someone will come for us," Gene agreed.

"So let me get this straight," Mai began. "You've known me for what? A week?"

"Yes," Oliver said.

"And you want me to agree to go on what I'm guessing is a one way trip to a barren planet so you can save your brother?"

"Yes," Oliver repeated.

"When someone else could go and rescue him anyway?"

"Yes."

"That's ridiculous," Mai said finally. She stood up. "This has to be a joke."

"A joke?"

"Yes," Mai said. "Who put you up to this? That Shogo guy? My friends? Who?" she demanded. Oliver only frowned. "Or are you just a bored rich guy who likes screwing with girls' heads?"

"I don't understand," Oliver said. Mai rolled her eyes and began walking to the door. "Where are you going?"

"Home," Mai stated. "I don't have to put up with this."

"So you will not help me?" Oliver asked. His frown disappeared as his face regained its usual blank expression.

"Look, even if this wasn't some massive joke," Mai began. "I have a degree to finish! I'm afraid I can't just up roots and bugger off to Mars!" She tried not to let her anger seep too much into her voice, but Mai was not very successful.

"I could have it arranged that your lectures were podcasted and set to the ship," Oliver replied, as if her concern was genuine. "You could complete your degree remotely. The university would agree to it. You could be the first person to graduate on another planet."

Mai blinked.

"You're ridiculous," she said. "Utterly ridiculous."

And she stormed out. Out of his apartment and into the lift. She tapped her foot as it lowered her to ground level. Her mind was buzzing. Mars? Really?

"Ridiculous," she repeated again as the lift doors open.

Five minutes later, she sunk onto a park bench. A single tear ran down her cheek as she stared at the pond. For a whole weekend, she had believed someone had wanted to be with her. Mai knew it was ridiculous to base her self-worth on whether or not some boy liked her, but she couldn't help but be jealous of the string of boyfriends both of her friends had had.

"What's wrong with me…?" she whispered as a second tear joined the first.

And then her phone began vibrating. Mai pulled her mobile from her pocket, prepared for it to be Oliver. She did not know in that instant if she would answer or not if it was.

But it wasn't. It was a private number. Normally, she would just ignore it.

"Hello?" she whispered as she held the phone to her ear.

"Taniyama-san?" It was a male voice that sounded vaguely familiar.

"Yes?"

"Taniyama Mai-san?" the voice clarified.

"Yes, who is speaking?" Mai wiped the stray tears from her face and awaited a reply.

"My name is Yasuhara, Yasuhara Osamu."

Mai spluttered. She blinked several times and tried to form words.

"Could you repeat that?"

"Yasuhara Osamu."

"As in Yasuhara the annoying fourth year law student that used to tease me rotten in second year?" Mai asked.

"The very one!" Mai could picture the smug git grinning in her mind.

"How did you get my number and what do you want?"

"That's no way to treat your old friend," Yasuhara replied.

"Seriously Yasuhara, I have had a crappy evening and am in no mood for you to be a jerk," Mai said. Then an idea occurred to her. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you! You put that guy up to it!"

"What guy?"

"Oliver!"

"I didn't put anyone up to anything," Yasuhara said calmly.

"Then why are you calling me?"

"It's about Dr Davis," Yasuhara admitted with a wince. Mai audibly growled. "Just hear me out!"

"You have one minute."

"When I graduated, I joined the international organisation known as IMM," Yasuhara said. "This organisation has currently put about twenty people on Mars with no recorded deaths."

"Goodbye," Mai muttered. She hung up.

If anyone else even so much as thought the word 'Mars' in her presence…

Mai stood up from the bench and continued home. If she ever found which cruel bastard who decided to play this trick on her…

When she finally arrived home, Mai flopped onto her bed and ignored her buzzing phone. She knew it would be Yasuhara or Oliver. She couldn't believe how far they were going to play such a lame joke on her.

Unless they were calling to apologise?

She put the thought out of her mind. Who cared?

Mai dragged her laptop onto her bed and opened it up. She ignored the several PMs she'd received from her friends asking about her date. A date… She was doomed to single-dom forever.

Her email inbox contained only one unread email.

Subject: IMM information

Mai scowled and clicked it so that she could delete it. But a few words caught her attention and she found herself reading the email.

Dear Taniyama-san,

Please log onto your online account to fill out your details before your primary interview. You will be required to bring proof of your identity to the primary interview.

Log-on:

Password: Taniyama0306

Please note that passwords are case sensitive. Please change your password after first use.

Please do not reply to this email.

The administration team.

"This is…" Mai mumbled. Curiosity filled her as she clicked on the link to the website. How far had her pranksters gone? She logged on to the secure site as the email instructed.

The website was well made, offered in a variety of languages and it even had an F.A.Q.

Mai clicked on it and began reading the available questions. There was not a 'is this a joke?' question, but others such as 'will I ever be able to return?' and 'what if my designated mate dies?'.

"What the hell…" Mai whispered. "Designated mate? As in breeding? That creep wanted to breed with me?!" It was only after she said this that she realised that she was assuming the whole thing was real.

Mai ignored this thought and scrambled for her phone. She held it to her ear as it rang.

"You want to breed with me?" she demanded as soon as Oliver picked up. She did not give him time to answer. "You realise how creepy that is? Right?"

"That was not my primary concern," Oliver replied.

"What? You don't want to breed with me? What's wrong with me?" Mai asked forcefully.

"I did not say that either, that would be an issue for a later date," Oliver said. "My primary concern is my brother's safety."

"An issue for a later date?" Mai repeated incredulously. "You were going to drag me halfway across the solar system to save your brother and then what? Then what if you don't want to breed with me then?" Her question was ludicrous, but so was this entire situation.

"Artificial insemination is an option."

"That's disgusting. I am not a cow up for insemination!"

Mai hung up.

She rolled off her bed and began pacing angrily around her room.

"Preposterous."

"You said what to her?" Yasuhara asked. He had just arrived in Tokyo that afternoon and now he was already trying to clear up someone else's mess.

"That artificial insemination is an option," Oliver said.

Yasuhara let his head fall into his palms.

"Do you understand why that upset her?"

Oliver stared blankly.

"I would have thought it was a more preferable option," he said finally.

"Of course you would," Yasuhara muttered. "Look, Mai is a lovely girl. Nicer than you deserve-"

"You know her?"

"Yes, long story," Yasuhara answered. "Surely you got the vibe that she hadn't had much luck with guys?"

"Yes," Oliver said.

"And now you come along, and show interest and then tell her that…" Yasuhara trailed off, trying to think how to explain this to Oliver. "I want you on that mission as much as you want to go. One of the things Mai wants is to feel wanted by a man. She wants a romantic relationship."

Oliver fidgeted.

"I cannot do that," he said. His mouth twitched in annoyance. "I tried that. If I am to pass the psychological tests-"

"Those aren't the only tests you need to pass," Yasuhara interrupted. "If they do not believe you compatible with Mai, they won't bring her. She hasn't even graduated. You are a catch for them, or at least, you would be had you not got an identical twin already there. Mai is no one."

"Mai is not 'no one'," Oliver objected quietly. Unseen by Oliver, Yasuhara smiled.

"I may not have suffered as you have, but I understand your problems Noll," Yasuhara said quietly. "But if you want to save Gene, you've are going to have to get past them." He picked up his briefcase. "Or learn how to fake it better."

Oliver nodded.

"Did you send her the email?"

"Yes," Yasuhara said. "I'll update you if anything happens."

And he left.

Oliver watched his associate go and then he sunk into a chair.

"Get past them," he repeated. "But how…?"

Author's note: I looked forward to this chapter! The bit was Gene was included on a whim. I felt like writing a little Gene so voila! Apologies for my lame attempts at other languages! And talking of other languages, I am starting my attempt at Japanese fanfiction tonight! So please keep an eye out!

Please review :)