Within two weeks, Dzambul had established a team to start work on 'project Double D', dividing the members into a 'home base' that would cover the hard coding and programming and an 'away team' that would be regularly sent into the field for gathering information on whichever environment they were working on at the time. KaibaCorp programmers from Korea and Singapore arrived the evening before, as did the fiber optics specialist and new graphic designer, both from the US. A handful of other internationals mingled with the Domino residents at a sort of meet-and-greet before the project formally began the next Monday.
Due to a lengthy (and suspiciously timed) conference call, Seto was the last of the group of thirty or so to arrive at the conference room in the KC headquarters. Amid the throng of new faces, he spotted Yugi Muoto and greeted him first.
"The guy you sent me really knew his stuff," he commented as they shook hands, "I feel like I can rest easy while I'm gone knowing my shop is in such good hands."
"I stole him from Industrial Illusions a few years back. He seemed eager to be out of a cubicle for a little while," Seto commented, "So it works out well for all three of us."
"Also," Yugi leaned in and lowered his voice, "That Sabrina Harrison woman looks exactly like Kisara. It's…it's uncanny."
Kaiba furrowed his brow. "When did you meet her?"
Yugi pointed at the refreshment table where Sabrina was conversing with Karin Kurosaki, the storyboard director.
"How did she get assigned to this?" Kaiba asked casually, despite internally scrambling for answers as to how this factoid had eluded him until now and how he was going to handle having her in such close quarters until the product launch. "She's not on the Egypt team, is she?" The look on Yugi's face told him she was. "I wonder how she managed that."
"So what exactly are we looking for when we get to Thebes?" the SME asked, trying change the subject. "I mean, archaeologists and unearthed all there is to see. What do you expect to find?"
"Hopefuly we can find out why she," he nodded at Kisara's double, "is here at all if her soul is bound inside a stone etching and if anything else is prophesied about her or us being reunited for some reason. I've downloaded all of the records from Maximillian Pegasus' digs and am sifting through them a little each day hoping to find something. Perhaps your grandfather and his partner found something. Do you have access to their research?"
"I can try," Yugi offered weakly, "Some university in California has all of their archives since they're the ones that sponsored that specific dig. I don't know if those records are digitized or even open to the public."
"Just let me know by Monday. If we need to, we can call in a few favors, but let's try without them first."
The meet-and-greet was officially over at 2:30. One by one, the workers filed out, cramming the elevators going down, either to their offices or to their respective hotel rooms. It was Friday and everyone wanted to finish with their daily tasks and get on the move before heavy traffic hit. Yugi and Seto were the last ones to leave the conference room noticing from behind that Kisara was hanging back as the others piled into the elevator. 'Not Kisara,' Seto had to mentally correct himself. 'Sabrina.'
"There's room for one more," Honda, the textures specialist said as he held the door open, leaving a chance for her to get on.
Sabrina held up a palm apologetically. "Oh, no. I need to go up. I have to swing by accounting to change my address."
"I need to clear something up," Kaiba said under his breath as he saw an opportunity, "If you'll excuse me," was all the farewell he gave his old schoolmate.
"Got it." He nodded. "Just remember, office relationships are against company policy." He then quickened his step calling: "Hold the door!" to ensure a ride down. As the doors closed, Yugi stood front and center giving Kaiba thumbs up and winking.
Kaiba rolled his eyes in disgust at the gesture. "Same old Yugi," he muttered to himself as the lobby emptied, leaving he and Sabrina alone.
"He seems quite chummy with you," she commented on Yugi's behavior. "Are you two friends?"
"He would say we're friends, but no. We just went to high school together," Kaiba replied coldly, "Did I hear you say you needed to go to accounting?"
"Yeah," she replied without facing him directly, "I found an apartment here in Domino and I need to change my address."
"I'm heading that way, you can ride with me." He led her to the far elevator and used his keycard to call the lift up. His elevator was blissfully lacking the Muzak as they began ascending in silence.
"I take it you're going to see your brother since Legal is on the same floor," Sabrina said, trying to make casual conversation.
Instead of replying, he pressed the emergency stop button on the side console. The elevator jolted and stopped; the lights switching to the emergency LED's casting stark shadows in the tiny carriage. It wasn't the first time Kaiba had used his personal elevator to isolate someone for a private conversation. He and Mokuba reserved all of their serious disagreements for this exact venue, away from prying eyes and ears. He'd also used this tactic to intimidate business partners and clients that needed to be persuaded to see things from KaibaCorp's perspective. The tight space and bad lighting was meant to be disarming at the least.
Sabrina pulled her shoulders in and took a step back to steady herself. "What is this?" she snarled indignantly.
Kaiba turned to face her. "You're going to tell me how the devil you managed to get on this project." He demanded.
"Is this how you have business meetings?" she growled. She reached for the emergency stop button only to have Kaiba seize her by the wrist and hold it away.
"We are not going anywhere until I get answers." He remained, as ever, perfectly detached, each statement coming across as if he treated everyone else with this little regard.
She tried to wretch her arm free, but he tightened his grip. After two tries, she raised her free hand to punch him.
"I wouldn't advise assaulting the CEO of one of the largest and most lucrative corporations in the world. That would not look good on your resume."
"What do you want from me?" she tried pulling away. There was a strain in her voice, perhaps panic.
He leaned forward to captivate her eye contact. "The truth. Why are you even here at all? Why did you want to work for KaibCorp so desperately you'd try to work it into the inheritance settlement? Why leave behind your widowed mother and established life in your home country to move here? What are you trying to accomplish?"
"Because I wanted to prove Gozaburo wrong!" she defiantly locked eyes with him.
"What does that even mean? He didn't even know you and he can't know you now."
"When I was ten, my mother wrote Gozaburo Kaiba a letter explaining that I was his daughter and while she would never pursue any kind of compensation, it might be good for me if he could be involved in my life some way. He wrote back saying I was a mistake and he neither needed nor wanted a daughter. He had two promising sons that a girl could never compete with and never to contact him again on the matter." Her eyes teared up in frustration, her muscles relaxing as she stopped resisting the grip on her arm, resigned to the fact she was at his mercy. "When you're 18, and you find out that your real father wasn't the man that raised you, but the man that did sire you didn't think you were enough because you were a girl and a mistake, it's really crushing. Sometimes you even start to believe it. I'm here to prove to myself that I can start out with what you started out with and still be a success."
As she spoke, Kaiba saw her icy blue eyes soften and convey true pain. He knew all too well what Gozaburo's rejection felt like and secretly, he empathized. He narrowed his eyes, shifting his focus back to the topic at hand. "And this project?" he asked, his voice less accusatory, but maintaining his apathetic façade.
"I assumed you put me on it to keep an eye on me, in case I tried stealing company secrets."
He raised an eyebrow. "You didn't pull any strings or strike any deals?" He was still skeptical. Surely someone with more tenure would have been assigned.
"I swear on my two percent of KaibaCorp, I had nothing to do with being placed on Project Double D." She raised her free hand as if being sworn into the witness stand, pursing her lips, clearly irritated he didn't believe her the first time. "Satisfied?"
"So long as you meet expectations." He released her hand. "If you can't keep up with the rest of the team, I'll have you pulled."
Sabrina crossed her arms. "Fine."
He smirked. "I know it's fine, I own the company." Without taking his eyes off her, he extended his arm and restarted the elevator.
The carriage jolted upward, causing Kaiba to lurch forward. She instinctively put her hands on his chest to break his fall as he instinctively gripped her shoulders to regain his balance. There was a moment of panicked eye contact to confirm neither were hurt and to acknowledge the awkwardness of the situation before both stammered quick apologies and moved to opposite corners of the lift. Sabrina blushed, her ivory skin flaring red all the way down her neck and back to her ears. Kaiba both concealed his embarrassment better and recovered faster. B the time the silver doors opened, his composure had returned to its typical stony exterior. Sabrina scuffled out, looking over her shoulder when she realized he wasn't behind her.
"I thought you said we were going to the same floor."
Kaiba pushed a button to take him up to his office. "I lied."
The doors closed on her astonished face leaving the CEO with his thoughts. Finally, he'd gotten her alone and was able to see some of her true nature. She wasn't entirely cold and heartless as her sire, but she definitely had his drive and attitude.
But how did she get on the project?
There was definitely a spark of Kisara in her: sad, beautiful, insecure but with inner strength. But unlike Yami's memories, she was more than an image within a memory, she was flesh and blood; her skin was soft and she smelled like coconut. She was feminine, she was stunning and he found himself admiring her despite his initial impression.
But who put her on the Egypt team.
He could also tell she wasn't aware of her reincarnation, she would surely have approached him about it if they were alone together.
But why was she assigned to Project Double D?
"We have got to change the name of the project." He said aloud to his empty office. He paged Yui into his office to discuss personal business affairs while he was out of the office. Most of it was routine for whenever he was out of the country, but it didn't hurt refreshing protocol.
Pay all bills, say no to all invitations and requests. Schedule no meetings. Forward all emails, but no calls. Delay all major rennovations, inspections, maintenance work, and evaluations. In case of an emergency, the CFO, Ami Mizuno could make decisions up to $500 million USD. Also, change all internal references to the new project from 'Project Double D' to 'Project Dawn' and reprimand anyone who refuses the new name.
When Yui had returned to her reception desk, he pulled up an internal contact list to call the head of the graphics department. He had to know what possessed him to select Miss Harrison, but he couldn't make it sound like anything accusatory; it might arouse undue attention to Gozaburo's daughter or get her removed, neither of which he wanted. He decided to approach it as a boss with a concern: choosing someone so new to the company.
'I can do this,' he told himself, 'I can sound casual. I just have to ask him if he's sure she's right for the job and see if he gives up any information. He's an easy-going guy. He's friends with Mokuba.'
Mokuba.
"I'm going to kill him."