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participants near and dear to his heart. I think it’s just to impress the American guests, show we too can have some backbone. It’s in a few weeks still; it’ll take that long just to figure out the logistics. It could be fun though.”
    “You want to go?”
    Stiar smiled. “I could be convinced.”
    Lena felt her wrist pad hum as it announced an incoming vid-com message. She sent the message to the room’s vid-screen, sitting down as her father’s worried face appeared. Stiar nodded and left the room for the women’s quarters.
    “Hi Dad,” Lena said cautiously. “How have you been?”
    “You never got back to me. I waited for two weeks. I thought you might have been dead, killed. No one would get in touch with me. Do they even know to tell me if you’re dead or dying? Do any of them care?”
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to wake you.”
    “You’re my child. You are always allowed to wake me.”
    “I’m sorry, Dad.”
    Her father sighed, his hand running through his graying hair, “This isn’t why I called. I wanted to say that I’m sorry. Everything I said before you left… I love you, girl. I always will. I know you will do great things with your life. I’m sorry I wasn’t more supportive. If this is what you want, then this is what I want.”
    Lena felt tears coming to her eyes. “I love you, Dad.”
    “I love you too. I know you probably have to go. Just call me when you have the chance. Day or night. I miss you.”
    “I miss you too.”
    “Are you happy?”
    Lena admitted softly, “I’m trying, Dad.”
    “Then that’s all I can ask. Be well, Lena.”
    The screen turned to black.
    Stiar walked back to Lena’s side and she glanced up at her friend. Stiar sat down beside her and asked, “You alright?”
    “I will be,” Lena smiled sadly. “What woman these days doesn’t have daddy issues of some kind or another?”
    “The ones with two mothers.”
    Lena laughed and Stiar gave her an affectionate punch in the shoulder.
    “Come on,” Stiar said. “It’s time for our workout. Now I tell you, I’m going to wipe the floor with you this time.”
    “Shut up.”
    *
    “Just fifteen more minutes,” Kozol called out, glancing at his wrist screen. “Get your asses in gear. Go, go, go.”
    Lena grumbled as she picked up her speed on the treadmill. She drank from her bottle and glanced at Martin easily jogging as the tread started to go faster. Lena had never been a sprinter. She was told that this was necessary, but like French so many years before, she was almost entirely sure she never would have to use these forced skills.
    The power cut out and she lost her footing in surprise. Lena was thrown against the wall and landed painfully on her side. She looked up at the others, seeing Calvin stand as the vid-screen flickered on. A garbled voice came through, shouting an incoherent message that clicked and shrilled. Lena covered her ears as the high-pitched whine went through her body.
    The flash of an exo-suited figure flickered on and off. The message looped twice and then ended. They all looked at each other for answers as the power came back on.
    “Practice is over,” Kozol said, “Get back to the barracks. Staff meeting at 14:00. Go.”

Chapter Seven
    The six of them sat in front of the vid-screen watching the message over and over as the local news and government tried to dissect the meaning. It gradually grew less hard on the ears, and Lena was finding it much easier to listen to after a few hours. She thought she might even be able to recognize some of the sounds.
    They had shared their own theories at first, their own speculations, but all had grown quiet. Lena thought of Haida Gwaii and the delusional man promising that a conspiracy was brewing. For the first time, she questioned her judgment of the situation.
    Kozol came into the room and turned the vid-screen off.
    “Stop watching this garbage,” he ordered. “We are continuing our schedule this week as planned.