Chapter Text
Keith walks out of the Garrison and into the desert on a gut feeling.
But Katie is a Holt. She doesn’t deal in the inclinations of the gut or the heart or anything that isn’t her mind. She knows the Garrison was lying about Kerberos. It is not just a feeling, not desperation and, she all but spits out, "it's not grief."
She pours over Garrison procedures, goes over those nights spent studying the mission with Matt and dad, she's looks into behaviors of liars and studies stories on blogs and she knows they are lying.
Her mother doesn't see it.
It’s been a month since Kerberos. Katie is standing with her bag on her shoulder, a photo in her pocket and a handful of cash hidden in her socks. She's been saving up for some upgrades to her laptop, but none of those matters now. Her hands curl around the railing of their front porch, the old paint peeling off under her fingers and all she can think of is a week ago today.
Sitting in her room eating breakfast. An idea beginning to take root in her mind. A flurry of well I could - maybe I can - and she stands to find her mom.
Half thought out plans and words stumbling from her lips, "I'm leaving."
She tightens her grip on the railing. Her mom's tears are an unwanted sight in her memory and she closes her eyes to will them away.
Her mom thinks Katie is going to a school that is a few days train ride from home. Some place renowned for its research on supercomputers; a safe place where she would be firmly and forever on Earth and lost into the endless void of space.
Lost, Katie tells herself as she draws in a deep breath, the cool air settling into her lungs. Not dead.
Katie lets go of the railing. Her mom will be back soon from work and will see her off on a train headed in the opposite direction of the Galaxy Garrison.
The whole facade makes the trip to the Garrison a little longer, but Katie won't be deterred.
She knows they are lying and she will not stop until she finds the truth.