Mark wants to study for the Terra Nova recruitment exams, not because it is a way to support his family, not because it is what Emily wants, but because he wants to do. He wants to get to Terra Nova; that is his goal in life. Not grow old, keep entering into the lottery for a miracle, and bring children into a dying world. He wants to give his siblings a chance at a real life. He wants a chance at a real life.
So it is Foster's encouraging speech and Mark's lack of sound judgement that leads him to knocking on Shannon's door at eight that night. Ken isn't outside of it, probably having gone on a walk around the building to stretch his legs. Reilly answers the door with her gun. "It's me!" Mark says quickly.
Reilly immediately lowers her weapon. "What the hell Reynolds?" she asks. "Why didn't you call first? You freaked us out!" Marks apologizes as he walks into the apartment. The soft strum of a guitar can be heard from up in the loft. Elisabeth hovers behind Reilly and Maddy sits up straight at the kitchen table with her Plex, staring at the door.
"Don't worry about it," Elisabeth says. "All's well that ends well."
"Why are you even over here?" Reilly asks. "This one of the only nights this week that you are technically off shift."
Mark suddenly feels really stupid. "I … I wanted a favor," he says, his eyes flickering toward Maddy. He makes eye contact with her and tries to ignore Reilly breathing down his neck. She is very job-oriented. You don't ask questions, you don't get attached, you get the job done, and you don't ask your employers for favors. Mark is usually like that. "Could I borrow your Plex?" he asks quickly.
Maddy smiles and holds the device up, beckoning him over. Elisabeth eyes him curiously, and Reilly hisses, "Mark."
"It's cool," Maddy tells Reilly, though she glances at her mom as an afterthought.
"I don't mind if he's over here," Elisabeth says with a small smile. "I was just about to get ready for bed."
"Thanks, Dr. Shannon," Mark says.
Elisabeth smiles, "Thank Maddy, and it's just Elisabeth."
Maddy plugs in the data card and a military history textbook comes up. "You really don't mind if I study?" Mark asks.
"Of course not!" Maddy says. "I can help if you'd like. I was just doing some light reading anyway, nothing really important." Mark is pretty sure that Maddy's definition of light reading is incredibly different – and significantly more complex – that anyone else's, so he really is sure that she doesn't mind the change of topic.
They both read the overviews of dozens of different wars for a while, until they come to a video link. "Josh," Maddy calls. "Can you stop playing for the night? I want to watch a video."
"Use earbuds," Josh calls down indifferently.
"I can't," Maddy complains, "I'm watching it with Mark."
"Then go watch it somewhere else. I was here first."
"No you weren't!" Maddy argues. "I've been here all afternoon. You were at Kara's earlier; you didn't get back until this evening."
Josh stops strumming for a moment to retort, "I was born first."
Maddy sighs in frustration. "Mom!" she calls.
Elisabeth pulls back the curtain and looks at her daughter poignantly. Her expression communicates what she can't with words; Zoe is sleeping in the back. "Watch your video tomorrow," she says gently.
"I'm not tired!" Maddy chooses to be difficult. She is really interested in the material so far; she doesn't want to stop now. "Besides, I have school tomorrow. And I actually have to go back at some point."
Elisabeth doesn't budge in her stance, and as much as Mark doesn't want to admit it, he can see that she has a point. A guitar will, at the best, help put Zoe to sleep. A short movie about war however, would almost definitely wake her back up.
"Wait," Maddy says quickly as Elisabeth turns to go back to bed. "Why don't we just go over to the other apartment," she asks. "The one next door."
Elisabeth hesitates, as does Mark. It isn't like Mark and Maddy have never been alone together, but, not that she doesn't trust Mark, Elisabeth doesn't see a real reason for it now and it's getting late. Internally, Mark also doesn't know how he feels about taking her back to the room where he's been staying, given that he has made up his mind to tell her how he feels at some point before she leaves for Terra Nova. If Jim were here, the answer would have been no hands down. Elisabeth on the other hand simply yawns and glances at the clock. "Be back by ten, Maddy," she says sternly before going to bed.
Maddy jumps up, and Mark finds it cute how excited she gets about learning. She practically flies next door, Mark following her. As Mark exits, Reilly grabs his attention. She looks at him disapprovingly. "What are you doing, Reynolds?" she asks quietly.
"Studying," Mark says, raising an eyebrow.
Reilly shakes her head and takes to the couch. Mark leaves before he can be interrogated more.
In the apartment next door, Mark finds that Maddy is already sitting on the couch with her legs crisscross-applesauce style. "Come on," she says as she waves her Plex in the air.
"You know, maybe you should just take the recruitment test for me," Mark says. "You seem more excited than I am to learn the material."
"You are just being pessimistic," Maddy says. Mark doesn't say anything, just sits down beside her. Maddy keeps her eyes trained on him. "You're scared," she understands.
Mark snaps his head up. "Excuse me?" he asks. "Look what I do for a living, Maddy! I don't do scared," he tries to joke.
Maddy shakes her head slowly. "No," she says. "I'm right. I'm usually right, but this time I'm really sure I'm right. Well, I'm actually a little less than usually right when it comes to the whole reading people thing. If you ask Josh that's because I'm actually a robot incapable of being a normal human, but-"
"Uh, Maddy?" Mark cuts her off, trying to understand her point.
"Sorry!" she says, raising her eyebrows. "Right. Main point. You are worried about taking the test. Again? Have you taken it before?" Mark glances away. How does he tell the smartest girl on the planet that he's failed a test? "How many times?" Maddy asks softly.
Mark glances back to find Maddy's beautiful brown eyes looking at him understandingly. How can someone who has obviously never failed seem so empathetic? Mark wonders. "Four," he finally answers. "And I obviously still haven't been recruited."
"Mark!" Maddy rolls her eyes. "Just because you weren't recruited yet, doesn't mean you failed. It just means that there was someone more qualified than you that they chose," she says sincerely.
Mark eyes Maddy curiously, wondering if she realizes that her sympathetic statement didn't really come out as encouraging as she seemed to think. "Which means I failed," he says shortly.
"Which means," Maddy corrects, "you just didn't have luck on your side that time. Okay, failing means that you didn't get any answers correct. And I know that they don't release scores on any type of recruitment exam, but I seriously doubt that you failed, Mark. You are too smart for that. You could have gotten a one hundred percent on the multiple choice section, but they just liked someone else's essay answers better."
Seeing that Mark still appears doubtful, Maddy continues, "The TNSREs, Terra Nova Security Recruitment Exams, consist of one hundred multiple choice questions about war history, dinosaur species, about Pangea's terrain. There are also ten essay questions about military strategy and hypothetical situations, and you have to pass a physical exam and test. Now, say a few thousand people apply for the half a dozen to a dozen spots, depending on the pilgrimage. Weed out those who are insane, unfit, don't have any security or military experience, and you are left with a few hundred people at most. If you keep trying, odds are you will make it eventually."
Mark looks at Maddy speechless. "How … why, why do you know so much about the TNSREs?"
Maddy shrugs. "I told you," she says playfully, "that I've read literally everything possible about Terra Nova."
Mark shakes his head and mutters a no kidding.
"My point is," Maddy says, "just because you haven't gotten accepted doesn't mean you failed the test. And the odds are in your favor considering you are getting more experience in the work field, you are studying more and more. Focus on your weakest instead of trying to memorize everything. You are obviously fine with the physical," Maddy seems to realize what she's saying as she glances at Mark's very toned muscles; she blushes profusely. Mark smiles slightly and tries not to laugh. "so … I mean …" Maddy stutters as she struggles to remember what she was saying. "Just study for the essay. Okay?" she concludes. "That's the section where you can get the most extra points."
"Thanks."
Maddy nods, still red in the face, and messes with her Plex, turning the video on. She props her Plex up on the coffee table and turns out the lights in the apartment so that they can better see the screen. The video is interesting enough, really cool in the fact that is has footage from real battles, some so old that they are just pictures in black and white.
At one point, Maddy glances up to find Mark looking at her. She smiles. Mark is so great, but Maddy is sure he only notices her to the extent that no one murders her and he can borrow her Plex to study. Though he's said before that the likes hanging out with her …
Maddy looks back at the screen. She knows she has an overactive imagination. But then again there is this one part of her that is wondering what it would be like for Mark to get recruited for the eleventh, and for them to see each other again in a world so pure they can walk outside without dying. That may just be a dream, but it is a truly beautiful one.