Chapter 2-Grace's Complaints.

"I followed the marine." I said, when I got back up to Selfridge. "He's making friends with Spellman."

"The other one? The Xenoanthropologist?" Selfridge asked.

"What the hells that?"

"What the Avatar's are." Selfridge explained "Do you think Sully'll be with us?"

"I don't know-from what I heard, the Avatar was meant to be his brothers-"

"Tom Sully, yeah." Selfridge nodded "He got killed weeks before his departure. We took up Jake because we didn't want to lose 20 million. Just luck that he was a marine."

The door burst open, and Grace entered, looking furious. "Parker, I used to think it was benign neglect, but now I see you're intentionally screwing us."

Selfridge smiled. "Grace. You know I enjoy our little talks."

"I need a research assistant. Not some jarhead dropout." She complained. So she heard about Jake-and sure as hell, she wasn't happy about it.

Selfridge sighed. "Actually, I think we got lucky with him."

"Lucky?" Grace "How is this in anyway Lucky?"

"Well-" Selfridge said "Lucky your guy had a twin brother, and lucky the brother wasn't an oral hygienist or something. A marine we can use. I'm assigning him to your team as a security escort."

He smiled again. "The last thing I need is another trigger happy asshole out there!" Grace snapped back.

"Look, you're supposed to be winning the hearts and minds of the natives." Selfridge sighed "Isn't that the whole point of this whole little puppet show? If you look like them? If you talk like them? They'll trust you?"

Grace huffed. Selfridge continued "But after how many years-relations with the indigenous are only getting worse."

"They tends to happen when you use machine guns on them." Grace said, sarcastically.

Selfridge sighed, and snatched up the piece of ubontanium that floated on the magnetic base. He held it up, and showed it to Grace.

"This is why we are here." he said "Ubontanium. Because this little grey rock sells for twenty million a kilo. No other reason. This is what pays for the party. And this is what pays for your science. Comprendo?" He put the rock back on the Magnetic base. "Those savages are threatening are whole operation. We're on the brink of war, and you're supposed to be finding me, a diplomatic solution. So use what you've got, and get me some results."

"I take it this is a no-He's staying and joining us?" She said.

Selfridge nodded.

She huffed again, and left the room furious.

"Keep an eye on her." Selfridge ordered.

"Always do." I said.

"And talk to Jake-that spy idea of yours is good." He said "You say he made a log?"

I nodded. Selfridge pressed a few things on the touch screen computer, and then turned it so we could both see Jake's first log.

"The whole idea is every driver is matched to his own Avatar. The drivers own DNA-mixed with that of the natives" Jake said "Or something. Which is why they offered me this gig. Because I can link with Tommy's avatar, which was insanely expensive."

"He's right there." I noted.

"Is this right?" He looked off camera to where Norm and max were stood "I just say whatever in these videologs?"

"Yeah, you just need to get into the habit of documenting everything." Norm said "What you see-what you feel-Good science starts with good observation."

"Corrupting him already." I said, disapprovingly.

"Right." he said "So here I am doing science. Never been in a lab before."

"Log off." Max said "It's time to meet your boss for the next five years."

Jake pressed a button offscreen, and it went black.

"So that's that." Selfridge said. "Talk to Jake...Get him on our side."

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