Days became a bit peaceful after the siren-head incidence. Peaceful maybe because there was no missions, or maybe due to the fact that I have gotten used to Colonel Einze's killer fitness regimen. Since there was no network in the surface, the only way to get to know news was through workplace gossip. News was spread around that the mission was successful without majot casualties and we got the samples.

On the other hand, it was quite a good thing that they didn't drag the specimen with them, Lee Seeyoun explained to me when we visited, since there were some who seemed quite sensitive about capturing live beings on the internet. For some reason, Lee Seeyoun is able to get an internet connection. It must be important for her line of work.

Every since she managed to move with her clutches, she has been sitting at our table for lunch with her cameramen. I have seen her interview some personal here and there, and once even Doctor Greg's. She interviewed Katya about the rumour of her following her husband to join to army.

Katya ... Simple narrowed her eyes and said in her signature Russian accent, "It's none of your business", flipped her beautiful golden hair and left leaving the poor hostess speechless.

But everyone else seems to adore Lee Seeyoun. She was the definition of cute. She seemed so cheerful, sunny and she was beautiful. Her red brown hair was always combed and either flowed down on a side or on a pony tail. There was never a time where she didn't seem petite and delicate. It surely comes natural to her since she was a public figure.

Also, her crush to the bastard colonel seemed very obvious. She would try to get an interview with Colonel Einze whenever she was as our table, but he simply ignored her.

He didn't seem to ignore her on other matters.

I once found my self in an abandoned med lab in search of a collection of microscopic specimen board Doctor Stone adviced me to check out when I heard a surprised yell.

It sounded like Lee Seeyoun and I was suddenly reminded of the fact that she was walking around with clutches still, so I found the room where her scream came from thinking that she might have fallen off or sprained her ankle again when I got caught of a sight my eyes didn't need to see.

For one thing, she didn't fall. She was... Yelling for other reasons.

Colonel Einze raised his brow as if asking, "Do you mind? I am busy."

"S-sorry for the uh... Interruption. I eh- thought... Nevermind-bye-and-be-carefull-of-her-leg."

I ran.

My interuption didn't seem to bother them since I heard some undescribable sounds soon after I left.

That day, I couldn't look both Lee Seeyoun and Colonel Einze in the eyes.

Cullen seemed to notice and asked what was wrong. I shifted my gaze between the two parties involved.

"Yeah. So?"

"I saw it."

Cullen raised his eyes. "Does... It bother you?" He asked it as if it shouldn't bother me!

"Whould't you be bothered?"

"How much did you see?"

"The last stage of human copulation."

Cullen was silent. Dead silent. He put his hand on my shoulder with his head down before saying in the most sympathetic voice he could probably muster, "My condolences. It must be hard."

I nodded. Finally finding another human being to share my pain. "If only bleaching my eyes and memory were possible."

The both of us was silent for a minute out of respect for the damage I received that day.

Our next mission... Was to explore an unknown location discovered by the drones that fly around the perimeters. It seems that there is an underground seemingly man made structure not recorded in the past architectural plans before the fall of human civilization.

It seemed like a big thing. The job would have gone to Alpha One if they weren't in a long mission already. And so it fell on us.

The mission was to simply to set up equipment and to send a drone inside.

In other words, we needed to gaurd some techies.

The moment I heard "explore new unknown location" and being reminded how dangerous a "known location" was, I knew I was going to die. You couldn't imagine the relief I felt when it turned out to be to just to guard some tech experts who were going to send some spying equipment down.

Lee Seeyoun and her team was given permission to follow us. Although her team included her makeup artists, managers and all, only her and the camera crew was allowed.

Colonel Einze and the team, wasn't so pleased. I guess it's understandable. No guy would want his girlfriend to get hurt and protecting extra people was more work, seeing how they consider the medical officer of their team to be a major burden all the time.

Anyways, Colonel Einze stopped personally supervising my training how that I bot a hang of it. I never understood why there were people desperate to feel fit. Now I do. Yphr body feels alive and free when you have extra muscles to support their weight and less extra weight hold you to gravity. I could run almost three rounds without gasping for my breath and felt that I was more flexible than before.

Working out does have it's advantages. And it does makes you feel good at the end of the day.

So back the mission, Alpha Two was displeased enough that they had to escort some sciencetists, but that's their job so they can't complain, but having a camera crew and a hostess.... Not so much.

"We refuse," Colonel Einze said at the briefing. I looked up, interested all of a sudden. I looked over at the researchers/techies/sciencetists who were going. There were three of them. One was a man in his fifties, the other was a lady in her thirties and the last was a small nervous looking man in his late twenties trying to shrink into himself. Surprisingly, the last person's face was quite familiar.

Was it Professor Bill Nye? No... Bryan...

Then I saw his name tag.

Prof. Bryan Neil.

The tiny little guy who rode with me in the silovator. He caught my gaze and gave a nervous smile. Cullen, who was next to me, nudged my elbow.

"You know him?"

"Uh... What?"

"That guy with the specs. You know him?"

In the background, the Brigadier General Karl Finland was trying to explain the advantages the military and the institute would get my having media coverage and public support.

"I don't really know him," I replied to Cullen. "We just rode the silovator together."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"Nothing."

He then proceeded to stare intently at the poor professor.

"Does he, owe you something?"

"What? No. Just forget it."

Weird. Well. All of the individuals in Alpha Two were weirdos.

As Lee Seeyoun was in the same meeting room as us, she was giving puppy dog eyes to Colonel Einze. Then the moment she realized he was adament on his decision, she stood up from her chair.

She stood up with such force that her chair scraped away from her with a loud screech.

"The work we do might seen like nonsense to you, colonel, but what we do is informing the public of what they should know. We are not risking our lives here only for the sake of popularity. We are journalists, not mere reality TV."

There was a moment of silence. I really had a urge to clap and go, "That's my girl!" out loud. You should have seen the bastard Colonel's face.

"If you want footage, we can get you footage. You are risking both your and our lives here my wandering around on the surface without a clue on what should be and shouldn't be done. None one in my team is except from ensuring their own survival. Even that scrawny doctor over there."

Everyone turned to me.

"Even she is receiving her own military training now despite being an academic. I can't allow you to follow us even without the bare minimum of fitness, when we have to protect three of the greatest minds human civilization has to offer."

I felt a bit of warmt seep into me. At least he was willing to acknowledge the fact that I was trying not to be a burden. But then again, his words left people something to think about.

"I am fit enough to manage," Lee Seeyoun replied.

"What about your crew?"

There was silence.

"W-we can manage," one of the camer amen sneered.

"And when you get killed we will get blamed for not protecting you enough."

"Then add more people," Lee Seeyoun said.

The team looked at each other. From their faces, I just knew that there was no one actually willing to work with them from the other teams.

"I heard Alpha Two is the most daring and insane team from the whole facility. I guess the rumours are  false," Lee Seeyoun said with a condicenting smirk.

"We don't take unnecessary risks," Colonel Einze said.

They both simply stared at each other. It seemed more like a lover's spat.

"Fine," Lee Seeyoun said, "What about just me? I can handle my own camera work. What about that?"

Everyone looked at each other.

You could feel Colonel Einze seeth in anger from the other corner of the room, but it was settled. The crew was reduced to just one cameraman and Lee Seeyoun.

Seven insane daredevils to protect five people. Sorry, Six. Raajitis is still in a wheelchair. 

Colonel Einze clearly left the meeting pissed off. I even saw him and Lee Seeyoun sort of arguing in the hallway at one point in the evening. She didn't come for dinner with us that day.

"It's just two more people," poor boyish Jeremy said, "Besides. She's your girlfriend, we'll me sure to look after her."

The table became silent. Only someone sweet and innocent like young Jeremy Hawk could address the big elephant in the room.

"You... And her?" Cheng Lin said making some... R18 gestures at the Colonel.

"So what?" Colonel Einze replied.

"We get you are worried _"

"She will be a burden. That's all. It's nothing personal."

No one believed him.

"You do realize that if she heard you talked about you like a scumbag in front of the national television you will be the most hates human being on earth right?" I said.

"I am too good looking for that."

I felt my jaw drop. Huh he just hear himself!

"Don't bother," Katya said as she spooned her soup, "He is broken somewhere in his head." Brandon Lee nodded in agreement.

Cullen gave Colonel Einze a look.

"What?"

"You are going to get your ass whipped my a woman one day so much that you will regret it."

"Yeah right."

"Well," Jeremy said, "It's just letting some techies deal with some equip right? There won't be much to worry about. It's just two more extra people. We will seriously look after her. Me personally if you hand."

Everyone at the table except Einze turned to Jeremy.

"I didn't mean it that way!"

Poor Jeremy.

And so, the date was set. This time, the administration decided that the first aid kit was too much heavy and a burden for the medical officer's to carry during missions and it was replaced with a small box like kit with straps that seemed to have everything inside.

I learnt later that it was a prototype and that it was considered best to test out new products in front of national television.

Eleven people were divided into two
jeeps. I somehow found myself sitting with Professor Neil and Lee Seeyoun besides me. There were seven in the jeep I was it because the one ahead of us was quite small, fitting enough only for five. And of course, from besides me Lee Seeyoun didn't miss the opportunity to talk to the poor nervous professor.

Lee Seeyoun was a professional at her work. She knew how to communicate in such a was that even the greatest of social outcasts would be willing to talk to you.

It didn't take long for Professional Neil to spill the beans.

"The scans shows that it's man made, but it necessary doesn't need to be man made. It's just that the shapes doesn't indicate that it's a natural formation," Professor Neil explained. "Our guess that it's with a structure we never discovered pre apocalypse or it is made by an intelligent being."

The first thing that came to mind was the pale skinned bald humanoids that screeched.

Wonderful.

I almost wanted to ask.

"Do you mean those_"

"You mean the ones the rangers have code names Siren Head?" Lee Seeyoun asked.

Professor Neil furrowed his eyebrows, "I think you refer to Homo sapien accomodata?"

"Intelligent humas which adapt?" I asked, deciphering some latin which I can pretty much guess now from all the latic medical terms use.

"Yea. It was that or mutatio," Professor Neil Shrugged. "We call them New Sapiens."

"So you believe this might be a structure made by New Sapiens?" Lee Seeyoun asked.

"Or by the remaining humna survivors who couldn't go underground."

There was alot of conspiracy regarding those who were left on the surface during the apocalypse.

And so the jeep drove off, surprisingly me stuck in a middle of some intellectual conversation in the background. I learnt that Professor Neil was a biologist socialized on studying evolution and human anthropology. He came with his senior professor who is specialized in biomolecular genetic and the middle ages guy was the geologist who discovered the anomaly.

Behind us were the camera men whi were recording everything. The moment I realized that everything was recorded, I kept my mouth shut. I don't know about you, but the internet picks anything on everything from a celebrity to a random stranger. I don't want to find a video dedicated to criticizing me if I survive and turn fifty.

Professor Neil didn't seem to mind. I guess he was the type of nerd that couldn't stop speaking if there was someone willing to listen about the subject he lived the most. From the passenger seat two seat rows ahead, I saw Cullen look at the back through the side view mirror.

He was clearly looking at Professor Neil. The poor professor's cheeks were flushed as he spoke. It kind of looked cute. Then I was reminded of Cullen's strong gaze and everything made sense.

I went like "ohhhhhh...  I see....."

I have never been enlightened so much in my life.