"What was that? Do you know what that was? How did you feel it? What was it?" Effie shot off questions one after the other, not pausing long enough for Anne to have answered had she even wanted to. Instead she ignored them and turned off her monitor.

"What are you doing? Wait a minute, where are you going?" Anne had stood up and pushed her chair back under her desk, then fiddled with the few papers she had accumulated. She pulled a half page report on her progress out of the stack, set it to the side, then carefully straightened the rest of the pile. This she placed in the dead center of her desk, then picked up the report and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" demanded Effie, blocking the door.

"I have to go."

"Why? Where? I don't understand what's going on."

"I'm not surprised. You don't want to know what's going on. Now move, please."

"No. Tell me what just happened."

"Someone is in trouble."

"How do you know that?"

"The same way you do."

"I don't know anything."

"I don't have the time to sit and argue with you."

"I'm not moving. Tell me what is going on." Her voice nearly broke, but Anne didn't have the time that she would need to explain what had happened, assuming Effie would even listen.

"Please move."

"No."

Anne sighed, set the report down, the turned and grabbed Effie at the waist, lifted her up, and set her down on the desk. She gaped at Anne, unable to believe that she could have possibly done such a thing, then squealed in outrage. Anne merely smiled at her sadly as she beat on the desk with her fists.

"What the hell was that? Girl, I have questions and you will answer them."

"I don't have time."

"What is so important that you can't just explain this to me," she wailed, on the verge of tears. "You're the only person I've ever met who ever felt something like that when I did and I just want to know what that was and why I felt it and why you felt it and if you can make it go away because I hate it and it makes me feel like a freak and I just want to be normal and where are you going?"

Anne had picked up her report and left. Effie saw the door closing, scooted off the desk, and caught up with her as she was handing the report to the boss.

"There's been a bit of a family emergency, and I'm not sure when I'll make it back in. I know this is a bad time," she said.

"It's a horrible time," her boss interrupted.

"But I have to go see what I can do. I'll be back as soon as I can."

The boss sighed. "Fine. Go. Try not to take too long, but if you have to go, you have to go. It's not like you take much time off; I can hardly deny you now, can I?"

"Thanks." Anne nodded, then walked out the door, Effie following close behind.

"Where are you going now?"

"Over there," she gestured, waving her hand in the general direction the feeling had come from.

"But… that's where the plant research goes on. Went on."

"I know."

"What could possibly be there?"

"Trouble. I have a feeling it's going to be trouble."

"Fine. I'm going with you."

"Don't get in the way."

"Get in what way?"

"My way. I have a feeling things aren't going to go smoothly."

"What things."

"You'll see."

"Tell me."

"You'll see in a few minutes."

"But I want to know now."

"I'm sorry."

Effie badgered at her for a few minutes, but fell silent as they approached the empty labs. Plant research had been curtailed in favor of researching alternate sources of energy, and the rooms had a sad, somber air to them. Dust cloths covered what equipment remained after the scavenging to set up the new project. The vague shapes huddled meaninglessly on the floor, some in groups, some scattered singly over wide spaces. Near the back of the room two men stood guard outside a room.

"I'm sorry ladies," called the man on the left. "I'm afraid the lab is closed at the moment."

Anne walked slowly closer, Effie following behind.

"What are you doing, Cassius?" asked Effie.

"Oh, it's you. We caught some, uh," he shot a look at Anne, and obviously revised what he was going to say. "There were some people where they shouldn't be. We're supposed to hold them here until someone decides what to do with them."

"Oh. That's good, I guess." She and Anne had reached the guards, Anne staring at the two of them intently. Both guards looked at her a bit quizzically. The one on the right recognized her.

"Aren't you that smart lady in the ASOP lab?"

Anne nodded.

"Why are you here? Do you guys need some more machinery?" He waved at the room, indicating the shrouded figures.

"No. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to let those women go."

"Let them go? There is no way we're going to do that."

I'm sorry," she said gently, then quickly hit the man on the left in the side of the neck. He crumpled to the ground. The man on the right fumbled with the rifle in his hands, but Anne merely reached over it as he swung it around and jabbed him in the diaphragm. He doubled over as the breath was forced from his lungs, and was easy to finish off as he was straining to breathe around the temporary paralysis. She balled her hands together and hit him at the base of the skull, knocking him out and to the ground. She fished in Cassius' pockets until she found the keys to the door as Effie looked at her, dumbfounded.

"How did you do that," she asked as Anne tried the various keys in the door.

"Training."

"Where?"

Anne didn't respond, but pushed open the newly unlocked door. Her hand shot up and caught the arm that was descending rapidly towards her head. She opened the door the rest of the way and looked at who she had caught.

"Hello, Meryl," she said conversationally. "How have you been?"