While peering blurry-eyed at the digital clock on the corner of his desk, Tom yawned, stretching his arms above his head. 4:00 a.m. Too early. The thought left him shaking his head as if disapproving would somehow change the fact. But then he smiled. At least the long-awaited launch day had finally arrived, and as usual, the night before an important mission, sleep remained the ever elusive quarry. Now, it was as much of a universal constant as the passing of time.
As he brushed the thought aside, he looked around for something to occupy his mind, and his eyes settled on a tattered handbook resting in the centre of his desk. Stretching forward, he took it and opened the front cover. The Anti-Gravity Unit. Or AGU as the bold summary defined
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That's what I was sure you'd be the minute I laid eyes on you," he said smiling back at Moira.
"I'm glad you noticed. Took you long enough."
"Oh, I saw. However, I have a complicated history, and I shy away from people."
"I know. When I spoke to Michael, he hinted at something similar, and referred to someone called Susannah but didn't go into any details."
The smile faded from Tom's lips as his mind strayed to distant memories.
"It wasn't my intention to pry," Moira said. "Sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It's OK. Besides, I refuse to believe you came here to talk about my sordid past, so tell me, what can I do for you on this early morning?"
"You're right. There's a problem I should discuss with you, although I don't know how."
"Should I worry?"
"To be frank, I couldn't say. Could I show you something? It will make me sound insane, and I do not want the rest to find out, so I need you to promise you'll keep it between us."
With his anxiety mounting, Tom offered her a strained smile of encouragement.
"OK. I can't answer for sure, but if it's not mission sensitive, it doesn't leave this room."
"It's good enough for
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I've never heard the name Lycia!"
Her expression was a volatile mix of shock and outrage, and her infuriated response left Tom's mind racing with questions. His own confused and disparate feelings over the last several days had caused a similar but more fearful reaction within himself. He wanted to explain. But even so, the words failed him and instead, he slipped into an unsettling calm.
"I'm not sure if your silence is making matters better or worse," Moira said as they stared across the crowded desk at each other.
"Sorry. Something else crossed my mind. You're not the only one experiencing unusual events during the past couple of days."
Eager for him to continue, Moira looked on with interest.
"After the briefing, this strange, unnerving sensation swept over me. It's happened a few times. Although it's unlike anything I've ever experienced. Not like this," Tom gestured towards the paper, "but it felt as if my whole world was caving in around me, and it paralysed me, leaving me helpless and unable to do a thing about it."
"Has anyone else encountered the same or reported strange things happening to them?"
"No. The others have mentioned nothing. Besides, I won't ask. There are enough crazy notions between us to put off the