Rembrandt was understandably shaken after his experience, but was soon over it when he was offered proper food for the first time in what was years. The pleasantries were soon over however, and we were brought down to business. Kristina soon took over the interrogation however and took us into her office.
After a proper introduction, Kristina asked me why I had returned. It was fair to say she was shocked by the state of affairs over our Earth Prime, but she soon coolly asked us why we had returned and what our intentions were, if we had the Consortiums aid. I will not bore you over the course of what exactly happened during the course of the negations, but for the most part we struck out.
The virus in Rembrandt's blood-stream was of great interest to the Consortiums biological division; even to my double who resided here, and the value that they considered it worth was quickly put into an estimate of what technology we would gain for more samples. Rembrandt was a little wary of giving them the virus, but I managed to calm him down enough to agree to give more samples. I myself was a little concerned, but I was still bitter and angry over what that creatures species had done to my home and so I left the memory behind.
Over the course of a month, San Francisco received regular deliveries of grain, food, genetically engineered fertilizer, live-stock, air and water cleansers, Geiger counters, and other such bounties. If such a thing as a garden of Eden construction kit existed, then we would have been handed ten of them. As much as we had received however, it soon was not enough. It covered the majority of the city, but ideally we would want to start to expand outward; even though Rembrandt had mention it had gone to Hell outside, it would be worth going outside and talking to other communities to have the extra man-power. Also, the electro-magnetic pulse that had crippled our technology before still lingered in the background, and although the goods we received had shielding to prevent them frying, we would ideally had not had to put up with it at all. A physicist I had met briefly before decided to take it as a project. But after the samples had been taken and Rembrandt muttered "never again" for the hundredth time, we needed to have a new bargaining chip.
So Kristina offered us a new one.
Out of everyone the Consortium had encountered, we were the most experienced sliders. The subject was still of interest to them, but they were too fearful what was out there. Even Kristina, a past slider herself, refused to slide again. She never mentioned what she saw, but I was sure that my own encounters were nothing compared to hers. Rembrandt, not sure of his place any more except as a new messiah, readily took up the offer. He was still wanting to find the others. Don't get me wrong, I would have jumped at the chance if it wasn't for the fact that I felt I was too old for the task in hand. Even with the new lease of life I had been offered, I wanted my old life back. Teaching was something I was good at, and ideally I would have gone back to that. Also, I was offered again a position with the Consortium. Stability would be good. But I also remembered that Rembrandt would need me. If anything, someone who could create a new timer if need be would be required.
And so I agreed. Contracted work does have it's benefits after all.