Rating – PG-13
Disclaimer – I don't own Dark Angel and its associated characters and themes. I created Shauna, Christopher and probably one or two others.
Notes – Rewritten Chapter. Please R&R.

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Christopher was waiting for Shauna outside Lydecker's office. He took one look at her face and said, smirking, "You seem to be doing well with first impressions – interview with the Colonel go all right?"

She glared her best 'I'm a killer and you're my next victim' glare, but it only served to make him grin even more. Most people took the hint and stopped what they were doing. It bothered her that he could so clearly see through the bluff. Maybe he was just stupid. "Brilliant. Fantastic. Whatever."

"Don't worry, he kinda has that impression on most people." Christopher indicated she should follow him, and he led her out of the block of offices, to another one – a slab of grey concrete. She could see no other personnel about, and wondered how many people lived in here.

"Your charges number in two," he carried on without a break. "Theresa Fleming and Zara Smith. Theresa's five weeks pregnant, we're still waiting on confirmation on Zara. Next surrogate, Tia Aitken, arrives in ten days."

Shauna lifted an eyebrow, "You are well informed."

"I'm in charge of administration for the surrogate mother programme. I have to be well informed. Do you realize you're the only civilian to be living here on base? Even the doctors live in town. I live in town." Ah, so apart from a bunch of pregnant woman and soldiers she was the only one living here.

"Fascinating. Except I'm not really a civilian." Shauna wasn't really anything – that was the whole point. If you didn't belong anywhere you were supposedly neutral and capable of focusing more clearly on the task at hand, but that had never explained the number who went rogue to fight their own battles. Once on a training assignment Shauna had come across a bitter old woman – one of the lost, as they were called – and she had said to the young girl that sometimes you needed something to believe. The old woman's bitter laughter still haunted Shauna and the madness had simmered in her eyes.

"I read your credentials. Despite never having been on an assignment, or whatever it is that you call it, you're supposed to the best." He sounded sceptical.

Shauna shrugged, she had never liked talking about what she was, not least because it was supposed to be a secret. "I didn't give myself that title. And correction – first official assignment." Now, it was her turn to smirk, but there was something cruel and cold about it, an edge that went deeper than amusement.

Christopher's eyebrows shot up as he realized her implications, but she just kept smiling. This time there was something in his eyes – fear maybe? He seemed to be trying to think of something to say in reply, but she could tell he was having trouble. Finally, he seemed to give up.

"Your file says you're from California." When in doubt, go to neutral ground – state the obvious.

"Mhm." And suddenly she was tired, she felt as if she had been fighting her way up hill. It was like all the energy just drained out of her. She had been gearing to get here and get everything done and now she was here, she just wanted to sleep. It could also have something to do with the fact she had not slept in over 24 hours. She regretted that she was not feeling more conversational though. Christopher seemed nice. More than nice, she thought with a sideways glance. Her guide seemed to sense her tiredness and they walked quietly until he stopped and opened her door with a swipe card.

"Here you go. And here's your keycard. It gives you access to everywhere you need. Including the X4 training rooms, since I understand you like to work out. You can use it from 7:30pm until 10:30 pm. As the other times that it is unoccupied are the depths of the night and when you're working… what?"

"I prefer to work out in the mornings."

He shrugged. "X4 gets up before you. And they use it in the mornings. All your stuff's been brought in, so make yourself right at home."

As there appeared to be little either of them could do about it, she smiled her thanks and went in. Her new home had a main room, with a small kitchenette to one side. A door off the main room led to a small bedroom, with a door off that leading to a bathroom. Well, no bath, but a shower, basin and toilet. A mirror hung above the basin, small and barely functional.

She was glad to see that both the main room and the bedroom had windows. Shauna did not like inner rooms. They made her feel trapped and cut off. This way she would not wake in the middle of the night feeling claustrophobic. The world was much less likely to completely re-order itself without your knowledge if you had a window.

Once her meagre possessions had been unpacked she fell into bed and asleep.

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The next day Shauna was startled awake at 5:45 am, by a loud wail. Groaning, she wondered if the world was coming to an end, but no, it was just the radio station her alarm clock had been set to. She had slept for over sixteen hours, waking only briefly the previous evening to eat and set the damned alarm clock. Never before had she slept this long and now she felt groggy and off-centre. It was wonder she had not woken sometime in the middle of the night, ready to start the as yet non-existent new day. But here she was at almost six in the goddamned morning.

Shauna stumbled out of her bed to be greeted by the cold air. Ugh, she hated winter. The shower was nice though, the hot stream of water bringing her a little closer to consciousness. As did the coffee she fixed herself once she had dressed – adding an extra layer or two. She would wear no uniform, but her clothes tended to be black or dark in colour, pants and a shirt. Simple and easy to move around in. A uniform in her own way.

At 6:20am, just as she was finishing her coffee, there was a knock at her door, and she opened it to find Christopher waiting on her stoop. He looking far too cheerful for the time of day, but she was getting the feeling that he was one of those people who were far too cheerful at any time of the day. Strange that he would choose a place like this to work. She had a feeling that Manticore did not look good on a résumé, provided you could put it on your résumé.

"Morning!" He grinned at her, and taking in her clothing. "You look like you are about to be dumped in the middle of a frozen wilderness."

"This is a frozen wilderness." Had he been outside recently?

"Just wait. It gets colder. Ready to go?"

Definitelyamorning person. Obediently, she followed him, trying to contemplate it being colder. Once she had spent a month in Siberia, and had not liked the weather there anymore than she did here. Although, she had to admit it had been colder. Just.

As she walked along beside Christopher, she wondered exactly what it was she was supposed to be doing, besides the obvious. No one had come out and told her precisely yet. Guarding pregnant women from attack certainly, and she gathered, on the grounds, but what would they be doing? Manticore did not seem the kind of place where you lounged around by a pool.

Well, she supposed, she would find out soon enough.

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A/N: Please review.