The building itself isn't that impressive. It's two stories, made of brick, and if it weren't for the huge satellite and telescope protruding from the flat roof, it looks like my school more than an alien lab. Callie glances back at Mom and me, and I give her a small smile. Mom squeezes her shoulder.

Joe stops the van at the front and opens the back door for us. Callie slides out first and stumbles towards the doors. "Here we are," she breathes.

I clamor out after Dad and join Callie. "You excited?" I ask, bouncing on my toes.

"I feel sick," she admits.

Joe unlocks the door and holds it open for us. Inside is a small hallway. For a moment, I think the lights are off, then I realize the walls are painted black. On the opposite wall is a single, metal door. We all step in, and Callie whispers, "I don't like this."

"It's claustrophobic in here, isn't it?" Joe comments, crossing the room to unlock the other door.

"Clausto-what?" Callie whispers to me.

"It feels very small in here," I explain.

Joe opens the metal door. "Callie first," he instructs. "Once she's in the all clear, then I'll send in Mr. Everett."

Callie clenches her fists and takes a deep breath before trooping into the room beyond the metal door. Joe shuts it behind her.

It must be the most agonizing wait I've ever had. It takes fifteen minutes for Callie to be in the "all clear", and it takes Mom and Dad just as long. As a result, it takes me 45 minutes to get past that metal door. I'm bored, restless, and have to pee when Joe finally opens the door and waves me through. I practically fly into the next room and groan when I see an even smaller- albeit brighter-room. A wide mirror-I'm pretty sure it's two way-takes up one wall. "Is your name Mark Leo Everett?" a disembodied female asks me over a speaker.

"Um, yes?"

"Your birthday is September 26th, 2002?"

"Yeah."

The questions go on and on. My address, medical history, etc. Finally, I'm instructed to place my thumb against a scanner next to the "mirror". A green light emits around the pad of my thumb, but I don't remove my thumb until it goes away. Then I'm allowed into the next room, where a bunch of security guards do a very thorough search on me. Then a bunch of lab-coat-wearing dudes do a full vital assessment on me. After they draw my blood, they finally allow me out of the room.

I come out into a huge room, filled with rushing scientists, crowded desks, huge computer monitors, and everything sci-fi. A scientist comes up to me and asks, "Are you one of the Everetts?"

I nod, and without another word, she grabs my arm and pulls me halfway across the room. All around, I hear whispers of Callie. I guess this is what they've all been waiting for- an honest-to-God alien encounter. There's more buzz here than that time a senior got caught with drugs at my school.

The scientist leads me to my parents, who are standing by a huge desk occupied by an even larger man in a business suit. Mom immediately hugs me, and Dad asks, "You okay, kid?"

I nod, feeling very shy and uncomfortable all of a sudden. The man eyes me. "So you're Callie's foster brother?" he asks.

I nod again and find my voice. "Where's Callie?"

"In an interrogation room," the man answers. He notices our hard looks and hastens to explain. "Oh, she's in no trouble. In fact-" he turns his laptop so we can see the screen- "she's doing very well. She's cooperative, and once she's done talking, you can see her."

On the screen, Callie paces and gesticulates wildly, occasionally running her hand through her hair or pausing to rub her forehead in concentration. At one point, she bangs her fist against the wall and leans against it. Next to the surveillance footage, a long stream of words scrolls up the screen, clearly transcribing every spoken word.

Interviewer: LET'S GO BACK TO SIMON'S IMPENDING ARRIVAL. YOU SAY YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS?

Callie: I FOUND OUT YESTERDAY.

Interviewer: BY FLASHBACK?

Callie: I THOUGHT THAT WE WENT OVER THIS.

Interviewer: YOU'RE RIGHT. WE DID. I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM. ONE LAST THING, AND THEN I'LL LET YOUR FAMILY SEE YOU. ARE THERE ANY PHYSIOLOGY DIFFERENCES THAT YOU KNOW OF?

Callie: FIZZY WHAT?

Interviewer: LIKE, YOUR INSIDES. YOUR ORGANS.

Callie: I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH HUMAN ORGANS, SO I DON'T KNOW.

Interviewer: THAT'S QUITE ALRIGHT.

Callie: IS IT?

On the screen, Callie wears the little smirk that lets you know she's about to press your buttons. WHAT ABOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN GUTS? DO YOU HAVE ANY?

Interviewer: YES.

Callie: SO YOU'VE GOT ALL THAT STUFF, LIKE A HEART?

Interviewer: I THINK I'LL LET YOUR FAMILY SEE YOU NOW.

"What an ass," Dad says admirably.

I'm pacing nervously in the interview room when they let my family in. Emily and Leo hug me immediately, and Mark asks, "How you doin'?"

I shrug. "I'm okay," I respond, my voice muffled by my smothering foster parents. I shoulder my way out of their hugs. "I...I think I made the right choice."

"Well, that's good," Emily says, but I can hear doubt in her voice.

"So what's next, Cal?" Mark asks.

I shrug again. "Testing, I guess."

"Do you have a plan for when this Simon guy arrives?" Leo asks.

I purse my lips grimly. "Knowing him, we go into battle."

Emily and Leo share glances, but Mark stares at me with wide eyes. I realize then, for all the human wars that have ever happened, there are many who've never been affected by it. And I sympathize with them, because even as a soldier in training, I know what's like. The idea of experiencing a battle for the first time. It's terrifying. And I know what they'll say next.

"'We?'" Leo repeats harshly. "Define 'we.' You are not going to fight. You're gonna prevent a fight. Right?"

I look my foster father in the eye. "I'm not a leader, Leo. I'm not in charge of a battle. But I know Simon. He ruined my home to get to me. He killed my father and my guardian. My best friend. I don't know what will happen to you. I never planned to come here, or to endanger you. I'm sorry."

"Then why did you come here?"

I flinch at the tone in his voice. The harshness, the suspicion. I had to come to know Leo as being protective of his family. And for a while, I was under that protection. Even though I wasn't his daughter, I had assumed that, no matter what, he'd be there to shield me. But in the end, I'm the outsider who brought danger to his family.

"I had a gun to my back," I say defensively. "It was either come here or endanger an entire dimension with an entire humanoid species and give Simon what he wanted. I don't even understand how I got here!"

"You don't seem to know a lot," Leo snarls.

"You try being kept underground your whole damn life! You try finding out that you're a freaking key to another freaking universe, and there's a war over you! You try watching people you love get blown up, or shot down, having the father figure in your life die in your arms!" I scream at him.

"You've brought war to my family!" Leo bellows.

"Well, I'm sorry! But I'm not going to let some stupid, powerless human blame me!" I get up on my tip-toes to yell in his face. I barely make it to his chin, which ruins the threatening image I was going for. "It ruined my family, too. I lost those I love. But you think I'm going to let you stand in my way-you're just asking to watch your planet fall. Like Azera."

"Leo, Leo, let it go," Emily begs, tugging on her husband's arm. "She's trying to protect us, don't you see? This isn't her fault."

Emily's words get through a little. Leo looks at her. "I don't want a fight. And I don't want my family involved."

"Neither do I," I say. "But I watched him plow down everyone who protected me. You don't have to trust me. But you have to believe me."

Leo seems to struggle internally. "Fine," he finally says. "Fine. I'll wait it out. But if my family gets so much as a scratch, you get the hell away."

"I can't promise nothing will happen. But you know I'd rather take that scratch for them," I say just as another scientist knocks and sticks their head into the room. "We're ready for testing. Calypso, if you'll follow me."

I look at my foster dad once last time. "Hey, I'm gonna get my ass probed to protect your family. How much more convincing do you need?"

"Aliens probe asses, not humans," Leo mutters, but I see a hint of a smile.