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Eva Stratt, Director of the Petrova Task Force, (and World Dictator, don’t forget that part….Yes, thank you, Ryland. I won’t be using that) could feel the vein throbbing in her forehead in the hand she had it rested in.
Dr. Ryland Grace was the biggest asset the Petrova Task Force had. He was also her biggest headache. He stood in front of her desk, unapologetic for whatever chaos was causing her stress at that moment.
”Please explain what you were thinking, Dr. Grace. Again.” The blond American shruggled, exchanged a look with the dark haired man standing to his right, and began again.
“Simon and I began tracking the abductions and abduction attempts from the last few months to see if we could find a pattern and potentially see if there are any situations we could head off going forward. But there wasn’t a good place for us to collaborate on it, so we started tapping different identifying factors to the wall to see what would stick.” He shrugged, folding his arms in a motion so nonchalant that he appeared for all the world to be completely unbothered by her questions. And by her glare. (Which is the more impressive feat….Yes, thank you Engineer Anguilla-Fiesher, could we please stay on topic.)
“Once we got started, we realized we couldn’t track the attempts by motive or anything like that since we didn’t know why these particular people were trying or who they were working for specifically. So, we started having fun with it. I mean, talking about the stressful situations wasn’t as helpful as we were hoping. So we started rating why ….”
“Dr. Grace.” Eva interrupted the Molecular Biologist before he could continue. He looked up at her, mischief in his eyes, smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
”Yes, Director Stratt?” Cheeky rotzakje.
”Please don’t insult my intellegence. Why are you mentally torturing your department, Dr. Grace?” She sent him a half amused glare when his smirk morphed into an innocent, if cheeky, grin.
”But, Director Stratt, I have no idea what you mean. Torturing the biology department? Where did you get an idea like that?” He was going to drive her crazy long before the ship would launch, she was sure. Either his unwavering optimism was going to rub off on her, or his antics would cause her to snap. Either way, she kind of wanted a drink.
She raised an eyebrow at her second, unamused by his show of innocence. He seemed entirely unaffected by the whole exchange. The dark haired man beside the biologist was watching the exchange with uneasy amusement. Like he was watching the climax of an interesting soap opera. Stratt had a feeling once Ryland’s attitude rubbed off on this engineer, nothing would stop the two from taking control of the Gansu within hours.
(She almost wished they would. If they were in charge of the ship, the scientists and building of the Hail Mary, she could concentrate on the endless government idiots. They would flip a coin on the financial department. Whoever did the stupider thing would do it that week. Carl would be the judge of who won.)
”Dr. Grac…” He didn’t let her continue.
”Seriously, Director. I was just working through the trauma…”
“Grac….”
”We didn’t mean…”
“RYLAND!” Her second in command’s jaw snapped shut with a soft click. “I don’t care why you did it. I would have liked some heads up before I received a dozen requests for you to receive a psych eval. What exactly did you hope to achieve with this?”
Ryland’s nervous tick made a reemergence as he rubbed the back of his neck, eyes locked on the window over her head before he met her eyes again, eyes much more serious. Engineer Anguilla-Fiesher patted the scientist's shoulder supportingly before moving a step back, giving the man space.
”I want you to know the full story, and take all sides into account on this. Before we start, you need to make sure no whispers of favoritism survive this. I will not have this weaken your leadership, not when we need this project to succeed so badly. Can I trust that you will follow through with that?”
The unusually serious nature of his tone had her nodding before Stratt could question it. Ryland let out the breath that seemed to have been caught in his chest, the air slipping out of him in cracked puffs. Then he began.
”When you first came to me, you brought my post doctoral paper and knowledge of my actions at the UNESCO Conference in Denmark.” He paused as she nodded. “I don’t think you were fully aware until Dr. Lokken met with us exactly what that meant in terms of other scientists. Dr. Lokken’s reaction was tame in comparison to some of the Biologists and Chemists I have interacted with after I published that paper.”
He ran his left hand down his face, motioning to one of the chairs in Eva’s office and sitting when she nodded. Engineer Anguilla-Fiesher stood just behind the American, arms crossed over his check, shoulders straight, face unreadable.
Grace took a steady breath before continuing.
”Since I arrived, most of the Biologists have been….” His hesitation to continue startled her. Ryland was never one to lack something to say. His new engineer didn’t seem to have the same issue as it was his deeper voice that continued when Grace didn’t immediately continue.
”They have been bullying him, Director.” She looked at the man, eyes widening slightly.
”What?” Her tone could have dripped icicles.
”It’s the softest word I have for it, Ma’am. They lock him out of his lab whenever they can. Refuse to share the equipment with him when they can get away from it. Move his notes, or outright throw them away. Hide his things, and look for every reason they can to bump into him when around.” He shrugged, arms still crossed, a slightly bored look on his face. “Ask Dr. Komorov and Carl for more specific incidents, I think they have a list.”
She would be doing that, immediately.
”They don’t do anything to sabotage his work or experiments. Or, they haven’t yet. Carl, Dimitri and I have been working on discouraging them from trying. Some, Dr. Grace has won over fairly quickly and they’ve cut it out. One hasn’t…” Grace’s voice continued when Engineer Anguilla-Fiesher’s voice began to taper off.
”I can’t believe you hired Dr. SWoC, Eva! I swear, I can’t leave him to his own devices. He’s constantly making errors, requiring excessive supervision, and I have had to redo more of his work and experiments than I have time for or care to do. I’ve had Cassandra and Mathieu look over his work several times and they’ve caught more math errors in one lab reporting sequence than either think should possible. He constantly pits the other Biologists and Chemists against each other. Those who are not pitted against each other are encouraged to disregard my instructions whenever possible.” When he finally paused for breath, his face was red. He threw himself to his feet, pacing the space by her desk, hands raking through his hair in agitation as he continued.
”Eva, I’m serious. If you do not fire him, I will throw him overboard. He has no place in my lab, let alone around something as volatile as Astrophage. He’s going to do something monumentally stupid and get everyone on board this ship killed.”
Stratt felt a chill settle over her mind. One of the scientists was behaving like this? Towards her scientist?
She had crossed the room to the door before she realized what she was doing. The other two watched her before exchanging a look and following her.
They almost struggled to keep pace as she stormed down to the Biology lab, the men scrambling in her wake.
They reached the door and, when she tried the knob, she found it was indeed locked.
Stratt raised a hand and slammed it into the space above the knob before turning to Carl, who had seen the group pass and now stood behind Grace. Stratt spoke loudly enough that anyone in the lab would be able to hear her.
”If that door isn’t unlocked in the next minute, shoot the lock out.” Her voice was icy, even in her own mouth.
Carl nodded, reaching for his weapon.
There was some movement heard behind the door but no click of the lock being manipulated.
”Shoot it.” The bang of the discharging weapon seemed almost quiet compared to the roar of her blood in her ears.
She threw the door open when the guard nodded. The idiots in the lab were cowering behind several of the benches, papers in disarray, hands thrown in the air, yelling echoing into the hallway.
She stared them down for a moment. Nothing happened.
Grace, having followed her into the room, raised his voice.
”My Hand is UP.” The silence that ensued almost made her dizzy from the sudden drop in noise.
Stratt stared at the scientists for a moment longer before she spoke.
”Who locked the lab door?” Her voice was quiet. No one moved.
”I will not ask again. Who locked the door?” The raise in volume caused several to jump. Finally, a middle aged woman stepped forward, eyes darting between Grace and Stratt before motioning towards Dr. Peterson.
”Dr. Peterson locked the door soon after Dr. Grace and Engineer Anguilla-Fiesher left the lab to meet with you, Ma’am.” Grace stepped forward.
”Thank you, Cassandra.”
”Dr. Peterson,” Stratt’s voice was almost calm now, causing Grace to stiffen noticably at her side, head whipping around to look at her. “My office, now.”
She turned on her heel, leaving the stunned scientists in the lab, door lock shot out, papers still all over the floor.
****************
As much as Stratt had enjoyed throwing the idiot man who had been messing with her scientist off the project and into a collaborative blackhole, if Grace could stop raising her blood pressure, that would be phenominal, thank you.
The reports of what was now being called “The Kidnap Board” were making rounds through the gossip circles on the Gansu. The number of incidents being tracked had increased since the last round of complaints.
The board was also now an actual whiteboard, instead of a chart of sticky notes on a wall. Apparently, four incidents were rated and explained on a whiteboard next to a tally.
And now there would be a minimum of three more added by the time Grace, Carl and the Hail Mary crew returned from the Astrophage Keynote Conference she had been backed into approving the attendance for.
And Dr. Grace had been reported as missing the day after he made his keynote speech. (That the attendees had rallied and loved his call to action was wonderful. If they could have waited to act on those feelings of action until her people were safely back on the ship, she would appreciate it.)
Carl had called her when he arrived at the conference site and made contact with Dr. Dubois. The guard that had been assigned to Ryland had seen him head off, presumably to the toilet, and not found his lack of return worrying until he went to check that the World’s Leading Astrophage Specialist was in his hotel room.
The man had been fired before he finished the word ‘missing’.
Carl had been on the next helicopter off the vat.
The group had confirmed the head of securities arrival a few hours later. Dr. Grace was still nowhere to be found for another two days.
They had finally found him in a room registered to a ‘Mr. Carmichael’. He was up to his elbows in filled notebook pages and early schematics, different trays of room service in various levels of empty, a half manic look in his eye.
They’d handed him Carl’s phone as soon as he’d demanded one (which was almost immediately.)
His words to her when the phone connected a few moments later brought forth a stillness she had grown unfamiliar with. They echoed around her office, a hopeful chant she wasn’t ready to join yet.
”Eva! I think I have it! I know how to get them home!” - his voice was giddy, shaky, and wet with tears. “I have a design to breed the astrophage on the journey to Tau Ceti and back! The Crew can come home, Eva! They can live.”
She closed her eyes to hear his voice one more time before she allowed herself 5 minutes to believe, for once, in Ryland Grace’s optimism.
Her astronauts could come home.
And for 5 minutes, that would be enough.
*************
If Dr. Ryland Grace had any more unruly siblings, Eva Stratt would throw him, his Engineer, and every single one of his (almost) identical siblings off of her aircraft carrier. One at a time.
She almost wished she was one for a drink. She could certainly use one right now.
Instead, she was staring at the men filling the conference room Grace had insisted on, and feeling herself praying for a patience she wasn’t sure she wanted. Patience she had been praying for since arriving at this hotel to meet her group.
“Explain, now, Dr. Grace.” Her voice stayed level. (It didn’t, but Simon wasn’t going to be the one to point it out. He was many things, and suicidal was not one of them.)
The sheepish smile that lit his face did not fill Eva with confidence on his account of things.
”Well, you see….” Stratt turned her full attention to her scientist, hoping it would get him to cut to the chase. It marginally worked. “It was not my fault this time! Nor did it have anything to do with the project. At least as far as I can tell.”
”Director Stratt, perhaps, I can explain the situation more fully.” The Grace look-alike (another brother, older or more world weary? She would find out how he had been missed on Grace’s background check after they were done with this.) spoke in a deep, calm voice that was so reminiscent of Ryland it made her chest ache. Imagining Ryland learning to speak to his students calmly from the example this man had set for him settled warmly behind her sternum. It felt right.
”Mr..” The look-alike’s lips quirked up slightly. The half smile suited his otherwise stoic face perfectly.
”Courtland Gentry. Sierra Six. Retired.” Carl’s intake of breath gave her pause for a moment before nodding at Gentry.
”Mr. Gentry, please, explain to me how my Lead Scientist was amidst a ninth abduction attempt.” Gentry’s gaze jerked over to his sibling.
”Ninth! Ryland!” His voice was sharper than Stratt thought he would make it. He turned his eyes back to Stratt and she felt the shiver that worked down form. “Director Stratt, why, exactly, have abduction attempts been so successful that 9 have been made?”
Somehow, she met his gaze in some semblance of steadiness.
”Very few guards have proven to both understand the weight of what their assignment is and are skilled enough to match their conviction. Carl has so far been the only one who has had any success at keeping your brother any form of safe. Though,” Stratt motioned to Engineer Anguilla-Fiesher, “he has come close to it.”
”Not anymore. I will require a room with at least two beds, and it must be near Rylands. I can’t protect him if he’s halfway across the ship from me.” Stratt wasn’t sure when she offered this man a job, but in all honesty, she didn’t feel like arguing the point. (Because NINE TIMES, RYLAND!)
”Two beds, Mr. Gentry? The offer is only open to you.” She may as well as own the job offer. Having his work contract pulled under the Petrova Task Force would be simple.
”Oh, that’s understandable.” She watched him as he nodded agreeably, waiting. “It’s for my daughter.”
Ryland shot to his feet from where he had been sitting quietly, just taking his brother in.
”You have a daughter?!?!” Gentry’s smile turned soft at the edges. He nodded, content in himself in a way she hadn’t seen yet.
”Yes, Claire. I worked for her uncle and took her in when he passed.” His entire attention was on his brother. “I’ll tell you the full story later. When we’re together and safe.”
Something shy entered his eyes. If Stratt hadn’t been watching him so closely, she wouldn’t have seen it at all.
”Maybe with Colt, too.” Ryland’s smile was warm, and lit the conference room with it’s intensity.
”I’m sure he’d love that! But,” Ryland stood, rocking on his heels, too excited to stand still, “right now I need to meet my niece!"
Gentry smiled and stood as well.
He turned back to Stratt and Carl.
”I’ll have us ready in an hour. Meet you in the lobby?” He looked between the two for confirmation, before shifting his attention to his brother when the two nodded to him.
He followed Grace and Simon to the door, the image of a perfect guard as he followed after his brother.
”Carl, I want everything on Courtland Gentry, Sierra Six, and his relationship to Grace by the time we’re back on the Vat.” She hated that stupid nickname for the Gansu. She supposed that was why Grace encouraged people to continue using it.
The pair moved down to the lobby, both already dreading having the three brothers aboard a ship with highly volatile experiments happening. It was asking for trouble.
Though, Stratt mused as Carl settled into her shadow, maybe this would be the right kind of trouble. The kind that would mean everyone would survive.
*************
Ryland was hyper aware that Court was standing in his shadow. He didn’t like it. After so long, he wanted his big brother to stand where he could see him. So he could convince himself the other was alright.
He felt himself sigh, drawing Simon’s attention.
”Ry?” The other man was always so gentle. It was one of the things Grace liked about him most. Watching Simon with his plants was a gift Ryland would treasure always.
”I’m alright, Simon.” Grace turned back to his brother and just took in his form. The older man smiled as he watched his baby brother make sure Courtland was actually alive.
”I’m right here, Ryland. We’re ok.” Courtland moved before Ryland could track the movement. Arms pulled the scientist to a strong chest, arms tight around his back, holding his body firmly. “We’ll talk when we get to the aircraft carrier. Let’s get your niece and get you both packed up.”
Simon shot his friend a smile and moved back a step. Ryland looked over at him, worried for a moment.
”I’ll get us packed up, Ryland, and meet you three in the lobby in a bit.” Courtland nodded at the dark haired engineer in thanks. “Text me your coffee or drink orders and I’ll have them waiting when you head down.”
The blonds nodded at him as he headed off, leaving the brothers alone.
Courtland didn’t let go of Ryland completely when he pulled out of the hug. He held onto one hand and directed them to a room a ways down the hall. The older blond knocked on the door in a pattern before stepping back for the occupant to open the door.
A teenage girl, maybe 14 or so, opened the door a crack until she saw Courtland and pulled the door open more fully.
”You’re late, Six. Where have you been?” She reminded Ryland so strongly of Colt, the scientist barely contained his snort, though his shoulders shook with his laughter.
Court directed her back into the room and pulled Ryland in after him.
”We’re packing up, Claire. I’ve got a new job.” She nodded, heading over to the small pile of things by one of the hotel room beds.
”Who is that?” She asked as she worked through her things.
”Your uncle.” She whipped around to face him, eyes wide before she could school her face.
”What?” She scanned Ryland up and down, intelligent eyes tracing the shape of his face, the bridge of his nose, the color of his eyes and comparing them to Courtland.
”Claire Fitroy, this is my baby brother, Ryland Grace. Ry, this is my daughter in every way that matters, Claire.”
Ryland smiled at the teenager, chest aching. Man, he missed his kids.
”Hi, Claire. It’s great to meet you.” He held out his hand, opening his body language to welcome her. “I hope you don’t mind that my boss hired your dad and offered you both to come with us?”
His newly claimed niece watched him for another moment before hugging him, choking the air from his lungs. His arms settled around her and he squeezed her gently.
He met his brother’s eyes over the teenager's head.
He finally had his brother back. His family.
Now, they just needed Colt.
**************
(”So you live on an aircraft carrier? Why?” Claire stared at the men as they packed up the hotel room.
”The project I’m working on is top secret. And has people from all over the world. It’s easier for us to work if we’re in international waters versus one country's territory.” Ryland explained briefly. “Your dad took a position to protect me while I work on this for the next couple years. You’ll both have the full breakdown once we’re on the Gansu. Once the first part is done, I’ll probably still need his protection as we complete the next few pieces we’re working on. I hope you don’t mind me sticking around for, oh, the next 10 years or so.”
Claire beamed at the man, shaking her head.
”Maybe you can teach Dad how to lighten up, Mr. Grace.” Ryland’s head snapped up in horror.
”Oh, no. Absolutely not.” He turned to Claire dramatically, hand clutching his chest. He staggered exaggeratedly at the teenager. “You have wounded me! Killed by my own niece! Oh, what a horrible way to go. ‘Mr’ by my own niece!!!”
He staggered a bit more before falling to the floor with a flurish.
”Court, what have you been teaching my darling niece?! To disrespect her poor uncle? For shame!”
Claire could not have laughed harder if she tried. Between Ryland’s dramatics and Courtland’s unimpressed eyes and straight face, she couldn’t calm down.
”Uncle Ryland! I promise, Dad’s awesome!” She giggled out, grin so wide her cheeks hurt.
The answering smile from the scientist still on the floor by her feet lifted a weight she hadn’t been aware she was carrying.
She couldn’t wait to see what other shinanigan’s her new family would bring her into in the future. She loved them, so much.)