Preordained Diagnosis

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|text="Ugh," Hana said, rolling her eyes. "Group projects. Who did you pair me with?" "I think you'll be happy with it," Heather said, winking.]]
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+ Preordained Diagnosis
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-----
"So do you have everything you need? I'm not sure they've sent someone back through this before, so you may be stuck there until we can figure out how to pull you out."

Hana Thompson usually enjoyed Adams' attempts at humor, though there was something unsettling about being teleported into the void to be lost forever. Her father's love of Star Trek had only reinforced that a transporter room should be sleek, flashy, with buttons and monitors everywhere.

The Foundation, however, prided itself on practicality. Hana and Adams stood in a tiny, bland room with only a stiff chair to decorate the space. The room itself was hardly large enough for the two of them, what with Hana's duffel and backpack and Adams' imposing figure.

"I should have everything, yeah. I don't plan on getting lost but-- you know my luck." Adams placed a hand on Hana's shoulder.

"I've worked out everything with Garrison ahead of time, kid. Don't worry. Just focus on your work and try to have some fun this summer, yeah?" She removed her hand. "And don't forget to call! Kondraki will probably be bored to tears without you around to bother him."

The pair shared a laugh, as Adams began to make her way out of the room.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Catch."

Hana dropped her duffel in an attempt to catch a small, baby blue gift box with her name on it. Inside was a thick silver cuff, slightly larger than her wrist, with instructions that simply read '//Put me on and sit down//'. Hana inspected it for a moment before sitting down, placing her bags on her lap, and put the band around her wrist.

The metal felt cool against her skin as she waited, not knowing what should happen next. As she continued inspecting it, she felt a sharp pinch as the band grew tighter and tighter, shrinking to snugly conform to her skin. "//Fuck!//" She shook her wrist, attempting to loosen it, but found herself swallowed by a feeling of vertigo. Overwhelmed, she closed her eyes, and leaned forward, placing her face in her bag.

//Do not throw up. Do not throw u--//

"You alright in there, Hana?"

Hana looked up, finding herself still within the room; despite that, she was greeted by Heather, laughing at her misfortune.

"Wait," Hana said, "what's going on? How did I--"

"Oh right, first time. Sorry. Welcome to SITE, you should be feeling better shortly."

Hana nodded, grabbing onto the back of the chair for support, shakily standing upright; as she did, she noticed that the chair did not budge; it was bolted to the floor.

"Heather, what the fuck did you do?"

"//Me//?" Heather held up a hand, faux offended. "How could you accuse me of being responsib--"

"Heather," Hana said, scowling as much as she could muster between the wooziness.

"Okay, fine, fine. You are one of the first staff members to use a Spoke Room, so congratulations on that."

"Thanks." Hana gagged. "I feel great."

"Yeah, well," Heather said, laughing, "That's the price of conceptual transportation."

"What?"

"Come on, let's start walking and I can explain it as we go."

Hana nodded, finally letting go of the chair. She wobbled, for a second, but stabilized, grabbing her duffel bag and slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"Lead the way, //Director//."

Heather held the door open, as Hana walked into a lengthy corridor; it was simple, almost liminally so. On either side of the hall were doors, each the same dull grey shade, each with a label. Turning back, Hana read the sign on the door she had just left.

//Site-19.//

"Well this isn't creepy," Hana deadpanned, gesturing at the monotony. "I'm guessing you still have to finish decorating?"

"Ha, funny." Heather began to walk down the hallway, to a large set of double doors at the end. "No, that's on purpose. High level, the room you entered at Site-19, and the room you just walked out of at SITE are the same room. Conceptually, they are the exact same thing -- to ensure that, they are all uniform, and built to exactly match blueprints. One loose bolt and--"

"And what? It wouldn't work?"

"No, more like 'potentially causing a cascading reality break'," Heather said, nonchalantly, as if she hadn't casually brushed over the potential dangers of what Hana assumed to be an idea Heather and Lillian had cooked up together.

"Oh. Fun."

Heather smiled, pretending to not hear the sarcasm in Hana's voice as they made their way down the hall.

Heather paused at the double doors, turning around to look at Hana. With her letterman jacket and ratty bags, she looked like the epitome of moving into a college dorm.

"Okay. Are you ready to enter SITE proper?"

"Yeah, I guess. Actually, wait -- where are we? I know you said I 'teleported', but, where is SITE actually located? Are we at Site-43?"

"Oh," Heather said, a wicked smile creeping in. "Great question, we're in the Noosphere."

Hana stared blankly for a half-second, before her eyes widened. "I'm sorry, did you just say--"

Heather spun, dramatically throwing the double doors open.

"Welcome to The Hub!"

-----

Heather was not used to being a Director, and she most definitely was not used to SITE -- for that matter, nobody was. Her and Lillian had only moved in a few weeks prior, and things had been eerily quiet. But now, bit by bit, she watched as SITE was coming alive.

The double doors opened into a large, open rotunda -- the ceiling was far above, almost out of sight, while the plain concrete walls made it feel like a brutalist version of a skate park. In the center of The Hub was a single structure.

A glass cylinder stood eight feet high, a metal frame holding it together. It was an elevator, but, there was no elevator shaft. Nor mechanisms. Nor anything, really.

//I fucking love this place,// Heather thought, as she let Hana take it all in. When she and Lillian were planning SITE, they kept having new ideas -- it was almost like her site was a test case. Each part, unproven science. Each room, a new way of thinking. Every detail of SITE was impossible, and that was exactly what Heather wanted.

"Heather, just how big is SITE?" Hana asked, looking up.

"Well, there's five different floors, but also, only a single floor?"

Hana stared at Heather with an exasperated look.

"Fine, fine," Heather continued, "SITE is fucking big, conceptually. Physically? It's a single floor."

"Right," Hana said, nodding. "Sure, fuck it. I'm going to have to be okay with a bunch of weird science, aren't I?

"Yeah," Heather said, "A bit. The thing is that SITE is conceptual, and to be within SITE, we too are conceptual versions of ourselves -- ish. The bracelet helps with that, actually -- you'll have to keep that on the entire time you're here."

Hana was rubbing her wrist. "Can it be any looser?"

"Do you want to get failsafed back into reality, thrown into the physical version of SITE, unconscious and half-stable? If so, feel free to take it off."

"Noted," Hana said, her face white as she slowly pulled her hand away from the bracelet, as if it would bite her at any second. Heather looked down at her own wrist, where she wore a matching bracelet. It was uncomfortable at first, but the feeling faded after a day or two. //The price of conceptual science,// she thought, as she gestured towards the elevator-like structure.

"There are five floors to SITE," Heather continued, "Well, five floors, not counting The Hub. We have the CEA--"

"The sea?"

"C-E-A. Conceptual Exclusion Area, it's a part of SITE that is isolated from the rest of the Noosphere, useful for conceptual fuckery. One of my favorite floors--"

"Really?" Hana said sarcastically. "How shocking! Heather Garrison, enjoying a floor dedicated to anomalous ideas, I would neve--"

"Shut up," Heather said through a smile, gently pushing Hana. "Then there's Defenses and Diversions, Containment and Research, The Nest and The Burrow. Containment and Research is exactly what it sounds like, so that's easy. Think of The Nest like a central command center, and The Burrow is where we have all the dormitories, recreation rooms and general SITE utilities."

Hana nodded. "What's Defenses and Diversions?"

"DaD?" Heather replied, smiling. "You'll be assigned to there for the summer. That floor has all of the defenses SITE maintains against Noospheric influences, as well as the support systems that keep SITE conceptually intact. It also houses an armory, of sorts, and the main base of operations for our CTF."

"CTF?" Hana asked, as the two reached the elevator.

"Right! You don't even know what your assignment is in full, do you?"

Hana shrugged. "Not a clue."

"Well congratulations, Hana. You are the first member of SITE's CTF, the Conceptual Task Force. This summer, you are going to be running missions within conceptual space, testing both your tactical skills, as well as your ability to adapt to conceptual situations influenced by latent contextual memories."

"And I have such a //great// track record with memories," Hana said, ignoring Heather's standard conceptual babbling. "Who do I report to?"

"Well, for now, I'm the temporary CTF Captain until we can find a better fit; so you'll be reporting to me."

"Is anybody else in the task force? Or will it just be me, running your errands?"

"Missions, Hana. //Missions//!" Heather said, emphasizing her point for comedy. "You'll be working with a partner the entire tim--"

"Ugh," Hana said, rolling her eyes. "Group projects. Who did you pair me with?"

"I think you'll be happy with it," Heather said, winking.

//Why tell her more? That would ruin the surprise.//

Hana just looked back at Heather, a slight smile on her face. "I just... thank you again, Heather. For... this. For helping me come here, for--"

"Hey," Heather interrupted. "You earned it. I just wanted to give you the chance to prove yourself to everybody else."

Heather held her cuffed wrist out, and the glass doors slid open. The pair walked inside; it was equally minimalist on the inside, with a small panel of 5 buttons. From top to bottom, it read: The Nest, DaD, CEA, C&R and The Burrow.

"Let's get you settled in, huh?"

Heather pressed the button for The Burrow, and nothing happened.

-----

Heather and Hana stood in the unchanged elevator -- a beat later, Hana noticed that their surroundings had changed completely. Where once was the concrete fishbowl, there was now a wide hallways, a warm taupe textured wallpaper covering the walls. It was immediately more welcoming than anything else so far, and Hana soon realized she had wandered out of the elevator, unintentionally.

"Oh," Heather said in a teasing manner. "So //now// you know where to go. Feel free, Hana, lead the way!"

"Funny," Hana said, "Sorry, I just got pulled into the space, I didn't even--"

"Yeah, that's The Burrow," Heather said nodding. "Ontologically welcoming, meant to be a place to foster community and camaraderie between employees. We're still working on a few finishing touches, but this section is mostly finished."

Heather walked out and joined Hana, standing beside her. She continued, "So, are you going to do it?"

"Do what?" Hana asked, unable to mask the continued confusion she felt. //Heather is acting like this is normal, but... she knows that this isn't what other Sites are like, right?//

"Lead the way to your dorm, Hana."

"Right, because obviously I know exactly where--"

"Actually," Heather corrected her, "you probably do."

"Huh?"

"Okay look. SITE isn't like other sites, because it is a concept. As we exist in SITE, we actively change the meaning of it, and it changes to conform to us. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a swimming pool kicking around down here somewhere, now that you're here."

"So," Hana said, "you don't know all of the rooms in SITE?"

"Nope!" Heather said, a little too eagerly. "Arachne keeps an ontological map up to date, and I'm pretty sure that's somewhere around here? But, to be honest, Hana, it's going to keep changing, and isn't that so cool?"

"Heather, //I// need to be honest," Hana said, smiling and shaking her head. "This is fucking insane, you know that?"

"Thank you!" Heather beamed back. "So, now that you understand SITE a bit better, do you think you can find your room?"

Hana didn't fully understand it yet, but somehow, she had a hunch.

-----

A hunch that was right. Hana had started walking with purpose immediately, having gone down a series of twisting hallways, passing recreation rooms, common areas, cafés and more -- each was empty, waiting for life to fill it; SITE was barely open, and Hana was one of the first residents.

As she walked through the hallways, she trailed her hand against the wall. It felt warm to the touch, and almost seemed to vibrate or purr under her hand. Heather followed behind, nonchalant, humming a tune to herself as she let Hana take her time. At a split, Hana trusted the impulse, and turned right; just a few steps later, she stood in front of a door. It had no sign, no decoration, and no information; still, Hana knew that this was her room.

"Here we are," Hana said. "At least, I think."

"Your guess is better than mine," Heather said, sounding more and more the part of a Site Director.

After a moment of hesitation, Hana grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. The dormitory within wasn't spacious, but it was bigger than her cell -- the lack of locks on the exterior of the door was a welcome addition Hana was quick to revel in. There was everything you could need to survive; a bed, desk, small kitchenette with a mini fridge, microwave and sink. There was an open door further in, leading to a small en-suite bathroom, complete with both a toilet //and// a shower.

//Holy shit. This is mine?//

"I know," Heather said, following her in. "It's a bit bare bones, SITE should have slightly shifted the room to fit your personality a bit more, I'm not sure--"

"No," Hana said. "This is... This is perfect. Seriously. This is incredible!"

Hana dropped her bags to the ground, practically skipping as she ran to the bed, throwing herself into it. It was plush, nothing like the antique she slept on at Site-19; the pillows were like clouds, and the blanket threatened to engulf her in comfort.

Heather, watching from the doorway, laughed as she saw Hana's display of youth.

"How about I give you a bit of time to settle in?"

"Sure, okay," Hana said, still taking her space in. "I don't have that much to unpack, so I shouldn't be too long."

Heather just waved her off.

"No, no, it's fine. There's no rush. I'll let your CTF partner know that you've arrived, they got in a week ago themselves. They'll probably come by to say hey, and then I'll find you two for your first mission. Sound good to you?"

"Sounds great!" Hana was bouncing now. "Who is my partner, by the way? You never mentioned."

"Yeah, that's //absolutely// correct," Heather said with a signature smile.

Hana's eye twitched.

"You'll get along, I'm sure of it," Heather continued, her grin only slightly foreboding. "Anyways, I'll see you later, Han."

Heather left, and Hana was finally alone.

//In my own room. Without cameras. Without locks. I wonder what Meri would think of this...//

Hana began to slowly settle in, dreaming of what the next few months might be like.

-----

If anything, the room was //too// big.

Truthfully, Hana was still getting used to what she jokingly referred to as her 'nomadic lifestyle'. Her parents had set down their roots by the time she was born, but they taught her to pack light for their vacations or day trips. Adams had repeated this advice to her in training; //An agent needs to travel light. They can't be weighed down in the field by excess gear.// It bled into her college life as well, and though the space she had at school //was// hers, she was either among friends or at class or running missions, never bringing more than a light backpack along with her.

Hana, atop her bed, looked up at the ceiling, and wondered what it would be like to set down roots, what that would even look like in the context of her life. She was certain she would thrive if she just had enough time to stay in one place, if she was able to just, settle down with someone to rest. She closed her eyes, and began to dream what that would look like; maybe SITE would shift to make it a reality.

//Knock. Knock knock. Knock.//

Hana opened her eyes, pulled from her short-lived reverie, and sat up. //This must be my partner. I wonder who else Heather dragged into this insanity.// She stood up from her bed, and slowly stepped over to the door, relishing how each step was absent of the cold tile she had grown used to. When she finally made it to the handle, the //click// of the disengaging lock was a victory in itself, and she slowly opened the door to reveal--

"No way. Billie? What are you doing here?"

The pale girl, Billie Forsythe, whom Hana had met months earlier and didn't believe she would ever see again, stood on the other side of the door. She nearly swam in her dark clothes and tall boots that almost brought the pair to the same height, and Hana could still hear the steady, yet chaotic rhythm of bass and guitar through the headphones that rest around her neck. Billie's expression was neutral, somewhat out of place for such a small reunion.

"Hi, Hana. Good to see you too."

Hana stepped to the side, motioning for Billie to enter.

"Please, come in. Make yourself comfortable." Hana exclaimed, almost giddy at the words she thought she would never speak in a Foundation site.

Billie entered, and Hana closed the door behind her before walking over to the mini fridge. Billie watched her with a quizzical look.

"Did you want a water or anything? I think these fridges stock whatever you want, but I have no clue if I have to be the one to think about it or you."

Billie kicked off her boots by the door, and planted herself at Hana's desk, slouching slightly.

"Hana, what the fuck are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know!" Hana said panicking to save face. "Like, how SITE is changing and all that? Heather said something like..."

//That's not what normal people sound like, Hana,// she thought, sitting down onto her bed, fighting the urge to lay down and sink into it. //Maybe she didn't notice it?//

She peeked over at Billie, who was now tilting her chair back, gently rocking and trying to keep it balanced. As Hana watched, she couldn't help but smile seeing a familiar face. //We didn't have a lot of time to ourselves before. Maybe we can get to know each other now. Take two.//

"So how do you feel about SITE so far? I'm surprised you made it here with--"

"Without my mom breathing down my neck? Yeah. I am too," Billie said forcing a snort out of her round nose, staring at Hana in deadpan.

A tense silence hung over the pair.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Hana paused, struggling to finish her sentence.

"No," Billie said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, that was a cunty thing to say."

Hana dropped her jaw in mock horror, covering her mouth while gasping. "That's quite a way to put it!"

Billie started back, silently. A smile gently crept onto her face, as she relaxed her shoulders, slouching back down into her ocean of black, layered clothing.

"Sorry, I... it's weird," Billie said, having leaned forward and paused her music. "I have lived in the shadow of my mother and a week ago was the first time I went to bed and woke up without a 'nurse' to check on me."

Billie laughed awkwardly, seemingly trying to defuse things. She continued, "I just don't know how to be..."

"Not a teenager?" Hana offered, giggling.

"Yeah," Billie said enthusiastically, chair rocking forward and slamming into the floor. "For real, how the fuck are you supposed to do that?"

"Don't look at me," Hana offered in return. "My last memory before the Foundation locked me up was prom night, so your guess is as good as mine."

The two laughed lightly, each relaxing a bit more into their nests. Hana loosened the fist that she didn't know she had made, and Billie pulled her legs up and sat like a ball.

"You got here a week ago?" Hana asked lazily. "How did that happen?"

"So this one day, my mom came back to the dorm and told me that Lillian's new thing had dropped by--"

"Heather, obviously," Hana added.

"Oh, absolutely," Billie nodded. "I asked her what about, she didn't say. Next morning, she tells me to pack my bags and go find Heather. I guess... I don't know what Heather did, but I don't discount brainwashing."

Billie smiled at her own joke, catching Hana off guard. //So she can smile. Good to know.//

"What about you?" Billie said, picking at her nail polish. "How did she get you away from 19 for the summer?"

"Well," Hana leaned back, looking at the ceiling in recollection, "Adams said we were going to spend this summer learning about how to survive in the wilderness, but then, a few days ago, she told me that a 'special assignment' came in for me." She motioned to the space around her. "And now I'm here."

The two exchanged a look.

"Heather?"

"Who else?"

The two girls burst into shared laughter that seemed to warm the room up directly.

Billie arched her back, while running a hand through her buzzed fade, pushing her hair to the side. In the time it took for her to push the loose strands from left to right, her face had changed from glee, and returned to a neutral composition. "Looks like Heather saved you too, huh?" Billie said, as monotonous as before.

"Yeah, from sunburn and mosquito bites maybe." Hana laughed, as Billie let out the smallest glimmer of a smile.

"Does it... feel good, to get away from that? I mean, you spend a lot of time at college too, right?"

Hana thought for a moment. "Adams can be a bit... overbearing sometimes. She cares a lot, but she tends to go from fun uncle to drill sergeant without warning." She took a sip of her water. "Even when you're at school you never really escape them, not like here anyways. Assuming Heather doesn't put eyes in the walls to watch our every move or something."

"Can never escape them, huh?"

"God no. How about you? How are you getting used to being here?"

Billie paused for a moment, thinking of a response before shrugging. "To be honest, I've been bored as fuck for this past week. Heather and Lillian have been running through SITE, doing... whatever it is that they do, and otherwise it was just me. So, you know, about the same?"

Hana laughed, sitting up and nodding, a mental mission lodged.

"Maybe this will be a change of pace for both of us then," Hana said. "Plus... I've heard I'm pretty good company."

Billie crossed her arms, looked away and looking like she was going to ignore Hana -- if not for the mumbled "maybe" Hana caught the tail end of.

Before she could say anything, someone knocked on the door.

"Hey, you two. Put your clothes back on and meet me out here, we've got work to do!"

The girls looked at each other, and spoke in unison.

"Heather."

-----

Heather Garrison couldn't stop smirking as she looked at her reflection in the glass of the pseudoelevator at SITE. //They were both so upset with me, it was so easy too.// Heather laughed to herself, and leaned closer to the impromptu mirror.

//Is this what being a Director is like? Getting to make jokes and just do whatever you want?// Heather hoped so, as she checked her eyeliner for touch-ups -- a voice chimed from behind.

"For the record," Hana said quietly. "Our clothes were on. Who do you think we are, you and Lillian?"

"Oh my god," Billie said in false horror, "Heather and Lillian are //dating//?"

"Ha ha," Heather said, rolling her eyes. Satisfied with her makeup for now, she turned to the elevator buttons and pressed the one marked 'The Nest'.

"Were we just... Sitting in an elevator," Billie began, "while you were checking your makeup?"

"One of you could have pushed the buttons," Heather said, teasing. "Hold on."

Heather watched out of the corner of her eye, as both Hana and Billie shuddered at the same time, still not used to all of SITE's many new and unproven technologies. That were perfectly safe. //Probably. Good enough, right?//

The trick was to watch the corner of your eye; Heather didn't know why, but that kept her stable as the elevator moved through conceptual space. A half-second later, they were in The Nest.

The elevator opened out into a massive round command center -- in the middle was a raised dais, surrounded by computer stations. In the center of the platform was a large table, seeming to glow, projections floating in the air.

//Not projections,// Heather reminded herself, //those are floating concepts.//

Hanging from the ceiling above the table were a number of large monitors; many were powered off, with a single few displaying data printouts; nothing looked off, so Heather paid them little mind. Arranged around the center stage were more stations, arranged in concentric circles, throughout the room.

//Enough for twenty pairs,// Heather thought, nodding to herself. Yes, everything was in the correct place. //Perfect.//

She gestured to the room with her arms, and in her best ringmistress' voice proclaimed, "welcome to The Nest, our central overwatch at SITE."

"Is it... Is it not ready yet?" Hana asked, eyeing the powerless terminals, and empty space.

"What? Why would you think that?" Heather turned on her heel, coat whipping around as she stared at Hana in confusion.

"I don't know?" Hana said, raising her hands in protest. "I just figured, you know... like at 19, there would be..."

"There would be what?" Heather said, cocking her hip.

"People?" Billie asked, cutting through the back and forth.

Hana nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Where the fuck is everybody else?"

//Oh. This is what being a Director is like.// Heather screamed internally, and then continued. "Well, //technically// we are still testing SITE, and making sure that it's... you know."

"We know?" Hana asked, snorting.

"You know like... stable?" Heather replied quietly.

"Stable?" Billie asked, a tone of fear evident. "What the //fuck// do you mean stable? I could have died this entire past fucking week?"

"Oh get over it," a woman yelled from across the round, drifting in from an attached hallway leading to the 'Director's Wing'. "Forsythe, you could have died every day of your entire life, this isn't a big deal."

Heather watched as her girlfriend walked through The Nest in slight, impromptu lust. Lillian had knee-high leather boots on, pulled high over her jeans, each step echoing through the space. She wore a black and white dazzlecoat, and a plain shirt that fit just right. Maybe it was the boots, or maybe it was the giddiness of their new adventure, but Heather practically skipped over to meet her halfway -- Lillian immediately grabbed her arm, pulled her close, and the two kissed.

-----

Billie watched the scene unfolding in front of her in disbelief. "This is a joke, right?" she said, turning to Hana.

"I wish," Hana said, shaking her head. "I mean, yeah, I think they definitely play it up a bit when they have an audience, but..."

Heather laughed, walking back over with Lillian. "Sorry about that, girls, I got distracted. Where was I?"

"I had a mission, right?" Hana answered, trying to get back on track. "About that, actually -- when am I going to meet my partner?"

//Oh fuck, did I not tell her?// Billie realized, a wicked thought occurring. //Oh no.//

This would be much funnier.

"What?" Heather said, clearly confused.

"Where's my partner? You know, for the CTF thing? You said they got here last week?"

//Should I cut in?// Billie wondered, making eye contact with Lillian -- who shot her a look clearly saying 'don't say shit, this is fucking hilarious'. Growing up around Lillian, Billie would know that look from a mile away; after all, Lillian was always right about how funny it would be.

"Your handler?" Heather asked, the confusion slightly changed.

//She's faking it,// Billie realized, a laugh escaping her inadvertently.

"What?" Hana said, turning around to face her. "Am I being stupid? Who else moved in last week with you, Billie?"

Billie saw how genuine Hana was, and couldn't keep the charade up any longer.

"Nobody? It's... it's me. I'm your handler."

"Oh."

Hana's face was a burning red, like boiled lobster. It was almost cute.

//Almost.//

"I'm sorry," Billie said. "I really did mean to mention it earlier, but well, you know we were talking and then there really just wasn't a good time to bring it up?"

"Don't apologize, Billie," Lillian said, laughing like a hyena. "It was fucking funny."

As Hana's face turned redder, Billie stepped forward, grabbing her arm and getting Heather's attention with a look.

"Heather, can you tell us what we're going to be doing?" Billie asked. //Change the subject. Please, change the subject.//

"Yes, right!" Heather said, letting go of her girlfriend and waving. "I'll see you back in the dorms later, Lils. Come on girls, let's go get you set up."

//Yeah,// Billie repeated to herself like a wish, while she looked down her arm, to where she was pulling Hana along, seeing the girl's rosy cheeks looking away in embarrassment. //Almost cute. Almost.//

-----

"Sorry, you're telling you want me to retrieve //what// exactly?"

Hana sat on a cushioned chair for a moment, leaning forward. Her hands worked to collect the loose strands of her short hair, tying them into a snug, short ponytail. She looked at Heather with a sense of bewilderment.

"The [[[SCP-6342|crab]]], Hana." Heather plucked a file from the station Billie's boots were comfortably rested atop. "The one that got bigger if you were afraid of it."

"Yes, I remember the crab, Heather. Isn't that neutralized? Why are you sending me to retrieve it? Couldn't you just wish for a seafood dinner and have SITE //poof// one into existence?"

Billie snickered, though Hana couldn't tell if it was because of her quip or the contents of the folder lazily held in her hand.

"Hana. It's not about crab. Yeah, if I wanted crab, I could have had crab! Well, no. Not actually. Like... I could definitely get a crustacean. Where was I?"

"//The// crab?" Hana said, crossing her arms.

"Right. It's about proving a point."

"What point?"

"That I'm right."

Hana rolled her eyes. A glint of worry was present in her eyes, and she let out a deep //sigh// as she stood up. She pulled her baby blue jacket tighter around her.

"Alright, so how does this work exactly? Are you going to knock me out with some drugs, or are you going to have me wear some special helmet that reads my brain waves?" Hana steadily tapped her foot.

"No, not at all. You're just going to go for a walk." Heather took a few steps to the side, stopping before a rather elaborate and ornate door, much larger than the others. She pushed open the door, and the uniform floors of SITE ended abruptly at the shores of grey nothingness. Billie sat up in her chair, leaning forward. Hana took a step back, hesitating.

"What the fuck is--" Hana squeaked out, before Billie jumped in, excited.

"Holy shit, does SITE just open up into the void?" Billie said, bouncing. She paused, shaking her head. "Sorry, I mean -- what is that?"

//Nice save,// Hana thought, smiling.

"It's the Noosphere, guys," Heather said, looking at the two in confusion. "You know that it's a conceptual si--"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. It's made up, all of this -- are you telling me we can //walk// through the Noosphere? That's a //thing//?" Billie asked, while Hana stared out the empty doorway.

It was grey, flat -- there was a surface that extended as far as Hana could see. In the distance, she saw vague shadowy shapes, vibrant hazes clouding the air, and up above -- the lights of the Noosphere danced, flashing images of memories, ideas and more. And it was just that, everywhere Hana looked; there was nothing outside of SITE.

"I'm going to be honest, girls," Heather said, closing the door and sitting back down. "If every time I show you something new, you stop me and make sure it's real -- I am absolutely going to fire you both."

Seeing the nervous glances Hana and Billie shared, Heather laughed.

"Look, think about it like this. It's not really the Noosphere, just in the way that this isn't //really// SITE. It's a representation of the abstract concepts, that we, as people wearing the cuffs, can interpret without losing our minds."

Billie nodded, while Hana stared at the door, nervously fidgeting with a zipper.

//If that's the Noosphere,// Hana wondered, //are my memories somewhere in... that?//

"Okay, wait," Billie said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. "So how do you navigate it? Is there a map? Does Hana just have to walk to--"

Billie paused, and turned to Hana. "Where did you meet //the// crab?"

"Huh?" Hana asked, pulled out of her introspection. "Oh, the crab? Providence."

"Thanks," Billie said, nodding, as she turned back to Heather. "Does Hana have to walk all the fucking way to New England?"

"I mean, kind of?" Heather answered vaguely. Seeing Hana and Billie's unimpressed stares, she expanded. "Yeah, Hana, you have to walk, but like... fuck it, you know what?"

//Oh no,// Hana worried. //I know that tone of voice.//

Heather stood up, nodding at Billie. "Forsythe, come with me, we're headed back to the Nest. Hana, gear up, and wait for us to talk to you, okay?"

Billie nodded, standing and moving to follow. Hana, for her part, was finally doing something routine. Like clockwork, she went through the motions of preparing for her mission: checking the bag provided to her for supplies and throwing on a pair of coveralls, making sure she layered her jacket on top. All the while, she stared at that door, wondering what might be hiding out in the emptiness.

-----

Billie sat in front of a bank of monitors, each powering on, text scrolling rapidly. A monitor on the left showed what looked like a massive web, each intersection demarcated by a single node. To the right was what looked like a seismometer -- a single line was being drawn, light fluctuations moving the line up or down. The main screen, the largest in the center, showed the room that Hana, Billie, and Heather were just in, framing the door out to the Noosphere.

To put it lightly, she was overwhelmed.

"Heather," Billie said quietly, "are you sure that I should be doing this? I have no fucking clue what's going on, and if Hana's going out into the Noosphere, then she should really have somebody more--"

"Hey," Heather said, gently putting her hand on Billie's arm. "One, I will be right here the entire time, in case anything goes wrong. Two--"

Heather paused, leaning in conspiratorially. "Hana trusts you. I think you might be starting to trust her too. You two are partners for the summer, so I need you to be able to take care of Hana. You need to keep her safe, okay? Can you do that?"

"Of course I can keep Hana safe," Billie scoffed in a poor attempt at covering her emotions. "I'm basically a nurse."

Heather laughed warmly, filling the empty hall with a joyful resonance.

"Okay, so -- should I explain what these are to you now? Feeling more confident?"

"Fuck it, I guess so," Billie said, nodding. "So what the fuck is all this?"

"It's pretty simple," Heather began.

//I doubt that,// Billie thought, rolling her eyes. Hana had told her that Heather would be like this.

"On the left, the web thing -- that's your map of the Noosphere, kind of."

//Yep,// Billie nodded. //Hana nailed it.//

"Kind of?" Billie said, staring blankly.

"Yeah, whatever. Here's how it works: each of those dots is a concept. The branches that lead away from a single concept node are contextual connections, semantic relations, or--"

"So Hana has to use the lines to move between the nodes?"

Heather paused.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "I'm impressed. And to think, just seconds ago you were--"

"Yeah, yeah," Billie said, having leaned into the monitor to better examine the Noospheric map. "So how does she actually do that?"

"You help Hana by telling her the next concept she needs to find -- in the noosphere, there will be something that represents the concept. Like, a mug for a cafe, an oasis, a rock, anything -- those will appear in the Noosphere, based on the a couple of factors, but--"

"Heather," Billie said, holding up her hand. Heather paused, grinning sheepishly and brushing her hair out of her face.

"Sorry, right. You'll figure it out, let me just--"

"I think," Billie said, leaning back into the chair and turning to Heather. "I think I get it? So the Noospheric map shows the nodes, and I'm going to help Hana find her way from Node A to Node Z, by going from idea to idea."

Heather nodded, and Billie continued, turning to the screen on the right.

"This one looks a lot like a patient monitor, but I don't think these are Hana's vitals, or she'd be dead," Billie joked, pointing to the flat line. "Is this some reading from the Noosphere?"

Heather nodded again. "Yeah, relative local conceptual stability. Basically--"

"If something is going wrong," Billie continued smoothly, "this is going to freak the fuck out?"

"Yep, pretty much!"

//Okay,// Billie thought to herself. //I think I can do this, except for...//

She pointed to the main monitor in the center, showing the door.

"What the fuck is this one?" Billie asked, bewildered. "This just looks like a photo of the door?"

"It's not a picture," Heather corrected, pausing to tilt her head. "But, wow, that is weirdly still. Uhh well, it's //supposed// to be a reconstructed representation of what Hana is seeing?"

"Noosphere bullshit?" Billie asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yep," Heather said. "But it should be live -- can you get your earpiece in and ask Hana what's going on?"

//Is Heather worried? I didn't think Directors did that.// Billie placed an earpiece snugly in her ear, feeling the cool material slowly expand to fill the space. She yawned, her ears popping -- and she began to hear somebody breathing.

"Ha--Hana?" Billie asked hesitantly, speaking aloud. "Hana, can you hear me?"

As Billie asked, the middle feed finally moved, looking up towards the ceiling. //Was... was she just sitting still? That entire time?//

"Hello?" Hana said, her voice disembodied, but crystal clear -- at both times in the same room and worlds apart. "Billie?"

"Yep! Is everything good down there? Ready for the mission?"

//That sounded right,// Billie thought. //That sounds like somebody who is prepared.//

"Ready to roll," Hana said, the discipline from Adams leaking through. "On your command."

"Oh," Billie said, laughing. "You're going to listen to me exactly?"

"Yes, sir," Hana said proudly. Billie could hear the smirk in her voice, though that was quickly replaced with hesitation. "S-sorry, I mean ma'am. Force of habit."

"Cute. Okay, let me get you mapped, and we'll set on out."

Hana nodded, the screen moving up and down. Billie opened the file she had been handed earlier, scanned the page, and typed in a few reference numbers on the left console. A few seconds later, two nodes lit up, and a path between the two was highlighted -- SITE, and what Billie presumed was the crab.

//I can do this,// Billie reaffirmed to herself. //I have to, for Hana.//

Billie didn't know why she felt that way, but didn't have the time to think about it -- she had to focus.

-----

//There's nothing out here,// Hana thought as she walked through the empty expanse. Her initial assessment was correct -- this was a massive flat surface, extending forever, probably. Sure, there were some variations, sometimes the ground would start to look like grass, or sand, but--

//Everything is just more nothing.//

"How far away am I?" Hana asked, blinking and desperately hoping she would suddenly see a crab.

"Uhhhh," Billie's voice said in her ear, much softer than the voice she was used to. It was a strange kind of intimacy. "Not that far."

"Awesome. What am I looking for, again?"

It had been a few hours since Hana had departed SITE, walking out the door and into the Noosphere -- and so far, all she had done was walk around, look for trees, rocks, objects and anything else Billie told her to find. Once she found the object, she would touch it -- things would change around her.

Not a lot, mind you -- it was still a whole lot of nothing, but Heather had explained earlier that the more powerful the idea, the bigger the 'area of influence' was. Hana translated that to how much the grey changed around an idea -- that seemed to be close enough.

"Sorry about that," Billie said, "Heather was yelling at Lillian about-- it doesn't matter, she ran off anyways. You're looking for sand, like a beach, or like a sandbox, or like--"

Hana saw it in the distance. "How about a... big sandcastle?"

"Yeah," Billie said, "That sounds right. Head there next."

"Yes, ma'am," Hana said, giggling.

"Oh," Billie responded. "Are you having fun with that one, //Agent Thompson//?"

Hana cringed. "Eww, don't call me that! It's bad enough when people use my number, but 'Agent Thompson' makes me sound like some Bond villain -- what about just Hana?"

"Here's the deal," Billie said, as Hana continued her approach to the towering structure. "You never call me 'ma'am' again, and I'll never call you 'Agent Thompson' ever again. Deal?"

"What about my number?" Hana added hesitantly. //I didn't want to say anything but--//

"Hana," Billie replied. "You're a person, not a number. I would never call you that, okay?"

//God I feel like an idiot,// Hana thought, glad that Billie could not see her blushing.

"Tha-- Thanks."

"Anytime, Hana."

The sandcastle was right in front of Hana now. Spires rose up to the multicolor sky, each towering overhead. The gate was down, and everything was made of same beige grains, grains that were not beholden to gravity.

"This is--" Hana began.

"--so fucking cool?" Billie finished.

"Yeah." Hana walked into the structure confidently. "Where to next, Billie?"

-----

As it turned out, Hana was just a few nodes away. From the sandcastle, there was a tower, and then, finally, she arrived at a lighthouse, where Billie told her to wait. She looked around, before realizing where she was.

"I've... been here before," Hana said, looking around. "When I first dealt with the crab."

"That makes sense," Billie replied. "The concept of the crab should just be outside the lighthouse, somewhere nearby. Are there any clues?"

Hana looked around, to no avail. She attempted to retrace the same steps she took almost a year ago, but she found it increasingly hard to concentrate. If there was anything special about this lighthouse, she didn't know. Not that she was highly focused at the moment, unfortunately.

//Breathe,// Hana tried to repeat to herself mentally. She paused, leaning against a wall that didn't bring her the physical sensation she was hoping for. //Everything is fine. I already dealt with the crab, remember? Why am I freaking out?//

Hana was having trouble controlling her breathing, slowly beginning to hyperventilate, as the panic began to set in.

//Vesper isn't here to save me this time. No one's here to save me this time. I can't do this on my own! What the fuck was Heather thinking, sending me out on my first mission for this?// Hana braced herself against the wall, slightly doubling over.

"What's going on, Hana? Talk to me."

//Breathe,// Hana thought, trying to slow her breathing, while trying to hype herself up. //Focus on something and figure your shit out. Come on, you can do this.//

"I just--" Hana paused. She closed her eyes, trying to fight the steady white pulses in her vision, and the lighthouse began falling away. She was alone, in her mind. Anxiety coursed through her blood with each and every heartbeat -- but she tried to focus. She started to think about her life back at Site-19 and at college, her training, the time spent with Vesper, with Meri on the island, but...

//I can't do this,// Hana yelled internally. //This is... this is insane! This was a mistake, I should go home, I could be sa--//

"Hana, listen to my voice."

//Billie,// Hana thought, struggling to catch her breath. //Just focus on Billie.//

"Hana, you are okay. Everything is going to be okay, I won't let anything happen to you."

Hana tried to focus -- she thought about Billie, tried to picture her face, the way she scrunched her nose, every little detail Hana had noticed. She saw her, clearly in her mind, her new partner, smiling back, like she had just told Hana a secret.

"But I-- I can't do this, Billie, I'm not ready ye--"

"Hana, yes you can. I know this, because you //literally did this before//. In case you forgot, you killed the crab."

"I know, I know, but--"

"Hey, slow down," Billie said calmly, the smooth timbre of her voice echoing through Hana's mind like honey. "You've been having a panic attack, I think -- I need you to slow down your breathing and just focus on me, alright? Can you do that?"

"Yeah." Hana kept picturing Billie, sitting in Hana's new room, her black clothes swarming around her. Everything slowly began to fade away, the walls, the furniture -- everything but Billie. "I can do that," Hana said, more steadily.

"That sounds better," Billie replied warmly. "Where did all this anxiety come from?"

That opened the floodgates.

"I just-- look, the first time I fought the crab, I almost died, right? The only reason I survived was because my friend Vesper was there to bail me out. I can't do anything by myself, I always end up in danger, with somebody else having to come and rescue me. How the hell am I supposed to do this, again, by myself?"

"You're not alone," Billie said firmly. "I'm here. I'm here with you, right?"

"Yeah, right," Hana said, "I just-- Billie, I'm freaking the fuck out."

"I can tell," she replied, laughing. "So let's talk about details, okay? That helps me calm down. So, this crab, right? What was so special about it?"

"It was--" Hana said, focusing harder than she had in weeks, trying to remember everything she could about the crab. "It changed sizes."

"That's fucked up," Billie chimed in. "What made it change sizes?"

"It--"

"Hey, it's okay. Slow down. Breathe in and out, just like you do every day."

"Is there even air in the Noosphere? Do I need to breathe?"

The two girls froze, realizing that neither had the answer; after a second, they started laughing, Billie warmly, and Hana through nervous breathing.

"I think," Billie began, "if you had to worry about air, that would have been a bigger concern when you walked into that lake, remember?"

//Oh right,// Hana thought. //I did just walk along the bottom of the lake earlier today.//

"Sorry," Hana said aloud, "I just feel like an idiot, I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me, I just--"

"You're anxious. It's fine. Everybody gets scared sometimes." Billie paused. "Well, not me. But that's just because I'm that cool."

//Does she know how lame that sounds,// Hana thought, her breathing slowing as she found her center. A beat later, it struck her.

"Fuck!" Hana shouted, before clapping her hand over her mouth. "Shit! Sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"Are you okay?" Billie asked in a hurried panic. "I can get... I don't know, I can get somebody out there but I don--"

"Now," Hana said, interrupting Billie, "I think you're the one freaking out."

Billie laughed. It was a sound that Hana would remember for a long time -- one that filled her with warmth, happiness, and... something else she hadn't quite placed yet. She could breathe, she //could// do this.

"You're right, sorry." Billie typed on the other end. "So why scream fuck? Good sex?"

"Why, curious?" Hana smirked, a split second before the words replayed in her head. "Haha, sorry. But, for real, I think I figured out what's going on."

//Yeah. This is just like the crab.//

"Oh?"

"The crab grew and shrunk based on fear. The more scared you were, the bigger it became."

"So, do you think--"

"That the anxiety is from the idea of the crab?"

"I mean," Billie said, riffling through pages. "That //sounds// right? Heather's not here, but -- I guess some ideas can do that? Probably?"

"Honestly," Hana said, having steadied herself slightly. "I think her answer would have been //less// helpful, if anything."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Billie giggled. "Okay, so, you've found the 'objective'?"

"Not yet," Hana replied, moving with purpose to the door of the lighthouse. "But, I'm not anxious anymore -- thank you for that, by the way."

"Anytime. That's what a partner is for, right?"

//Right,// Hana reminded herself, //We're partners. We're in this together.//

She opened the doors of the lighthouse without hesitation, the grey expanse revealed as the flashes of lights overhead streamed in. On the step, sitting like a discarded wrapper, was a familiar, small, scarlet crab.

"Found you," Hana said victoriously. "This is it, Billie."

"Awesome."

There was a moment of silence.

"Wait," Billie asked, "how are you meant to bring that back?"

Hana reached into her pocket, smiling. Looking down at her hand, she pulled out two rubber bands.

"Don't worry," Hana said, bending down to wrap the elastics around the crab's claws. "I learned my mistake from last time."

Hana picked up the restrained crab, which briefly tried to fight and grab at her -- realizing it was pointless, it settled in enough that Hana could place it into her transport bag.

"Mission accomplished," Billie said, beaming. "Now let's get you home to SITE, okay?"

Hana stood still, unsure of where to go. A moment later, it hit Billie too.

"Oh shit," Billie exclaimed. "Fuck, right, I have to direct you back."

"I mean, yeah, that would be nice," Hana teased.

"Sorry, one sec."

She had a long trip ahead of her, but, as Billie began to chat in her ear about music, food and anything else that caught her attention, Hana grinned. At least she would have some good company along the way.

-----

Heather looked through the window, into the linked containment chamber, and watched a little red crab scuttle around aimlessly, bumping into the walls, and trying to pinch them with its restricted claws.

//Okay little guy, are you ready for this?// Heather thought, smiling and turning around to face Billie and Hana -- who were waiting for her, impatiently.

"Did you hear what we asked?" Hana said, cocking her hip to the side.

"No," Heather answered truthfully, "I was just looking at the crab you killed."

"Hey!" Billie shouted in protest, "She probably didn't mean to kill it-- You didn't mean to kill it, right Hana?"

"I failed my class because it died," Hana answered, deadpan. "So no."

"See! Anyways, can you answer our question?"

"Sure!" Heather said. "Just as soon as you remind me what the question was."

//I wonder if Lillian wants to come and wat--//

"--to happen?" Billie finished, Heather realizing that she hadn't listened. Again.

//Shit, Heath. Remember what Scout said, Directors need to listen to people. You can't just keep getting lost in your own mind, distracted b--//

"Heather!" Hana shouted, getting her attention.

"What?" Heather shouted back, jokingly -- but the two were a tough audience.

"You zoned out, again," Hana said. "I get it, you're tired--"

"Fucking exhausted," Heather confirmed.

"Yeah, exactly," Billie continued. "So, if we can get this done, we can //all// clock out and get some rest. Again, let me ask -- what's going to happen here? Why did we need to get the crab? As a mascot?"

//Hmm, I hadn't considered a mascot. Do sites need one?// Heather shook her head. //Focus. It's time to be right, again.//

"Sorry, let me explain," Heather said, finally finding her groove. "This is a linked containment chamber. They're a //bit// like Spoke Links, but instead of being connected to another site somewhere else, there is a mirror version of this room in the physical SITE building."

"Okay," Hana said, eyebrow quirked. "But... so what? We put the conceptual crab in there, but the physical crab is still, you know..."

"Dead?" Heather answered.

"Yeah," Hana nodded. "Unless you got it back from the seagulls or picked up some necromancy?"

"Eh, I dabble," Heather said, waving her off. "But great segue, let me explain: about a month ago, I made a bet with Dr. Blank -- I said that a neutralized anomaly could be un-neutralized, as long as you had the concept. He said I was insane; not entirely wrong, but uncalled for in that moment."

"So," Billie began, "you had Hana go back and face her traumatic experience just so that--"

"So that I could win a bet?" Heather grinned like a cat. "You fucking bet I did. Well, I mean, this was also good training for you two, so it's a win-win -- but yeah, it was mostly the bet."

"Wait," Hana said, moving to look through the window. "Are you telling me that the crab is alive now? That, just because we put it in that room, my mistake is... undone?"

"Well, probably. Again, this is the first test, so we need to check the real world and find out."

Hana nodded. "That makes sense. How do we leave SITE and go to the physical one? Is there a button on the elevator, or--"

"Actually," Heather said. "I think this is the perfect time for another important detail about SITE. Billie, Hana, could I get you to both stand in front of me and hold out your cuffed wrists?"

Billie and Hana shared a look, as Heather watched the two. It was subtle, but -- //There,// Heather noted, seeing the slight movements and facial expressions. //They've already started to have a shared language, I knew they'd get along.//

"Okay," Hana said for the both of them, as they hesitantly approached.

"It's fine, girls, don't worry. I won't bite, at least, not //you//."

As the girls extended their arms, Heather reached out, grabbing just under the cuff, holding it still.

"Now, quick review. Can either of you tell me why you have to keep your cuffs on the entire time you're here?"

"Uhh..." the pair said, trailing off as they tried to remember the minor detail in Heather's firehose of information today.

Heather just smirked.

"Perfect."

"Heather, what are you--"

"See you two in a bit."

Heather deftly pushed in a part of the cuff, twisting the release; the cuffs came off instantly.

The second they did, Billie and Hana disappeared.

//God, I really hope that worked the way I planned,// Heather briefly worried, before reassuring herself. //Worst case I can fix it. Probably.//

-----

The first sensation Hana had was a throbbing headache, which was shortly followed by a strange taste in her mouth. //Is that... what the fuck is that taste?//

"What the fuck," she heard Billie say from beside her. "What the fuck just happened?"

"I think," Hana said, speaking slowly to not hurt her ears. "I think Heather just pranked us."

"Is that... do you taste motor oil?"

"Is that what the taste is?"

"I don--"

"It's blood, probably," Heather said, casually leaning against the doorframe.

Hana spat red, looking at her reflection in the blood. Her heart tightened in her chest, and she looked hollowly at Heather.

"Why does my blood taste like fucking //motor oil//?" Billie asked, having recovered faster than Hana. "I know my blood! It doesn't taste like--"

"Yeah," Heather interrupted. "All of your senses are going to be a little fucked up for... a couple of hours? But then you'll go back to normal, it's just part of being conceptual, and then suddenly being physical again."

"Great," Hana said through gritted teeth. "And why are you so... normal?"

"Oh, simple," Heather said. "I took the easy way, we have a chamber for quick detox and conceptual stabilization."

"Then why," Billie said, advancing on Heather, "did you fucking do that to us?"

Heather laughed, nearly doubling over.

"It was fucking funny."

//God,// Hana thought, //sometimes she really needs to read the room.//

"Anyways," Heather said, walking into the room purposefully. "Do you girls want to see if it worked?"

Before either could answer, Heather threw open the door to the Linked Containment Chamber -- at first, Hana thought fog was pouring out dramatically, but blinked, and realized it was just the bright lights.

Slowly, out of the chamber, emerged a small, red crab. //It looks exactly like the Crimson Pincer,// Hana realized.

"Wait," Billie asked, blinking rapidly. "Are its claws..."

"Sealed together?" Heather asked, turning around. "Yeah, looks like it -- we should probably take the conceptual elastic bands off, remind me to do that when we get back to SITE."

The crab scuttled over to Hana, bumping into her repeatedly. She slowly put her hand out, and it crawled up her arm, stopping to rest on her shoulder.

"Aww, he likes you!" Heather said, laughing at the sight -- Billie joined in too.

"Shut up!" Hana said, feeling the crab bump into her cheek, in what she assumed was affection. "Can we just get back to SITE now?"

The crab, for its part, seemed to bubble and froth in agreement.

-----

After Billie and Hana had finally returned to their equilibrium, the trio returned to SITE -- the conceptual crab bubbled in excitement when it saw Hana, refusing to sit still as she removed the rubber bands. Heather, having been proven right, departed without another word; presumably to find Lillian, so that they could go harass Harry together.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Billie asked Hana, hopefully. "I'm not sure what there is to do at SITE, but..."

//Why is this so awkward?// Billie worried, biting her lip. She looked at Hana, who was kneeling beside the Crimson Pincer, trying to corral it back into it's containment chamber. She tried to look away, but -- in her uniform, with the way that Hana's hair fell, loosely hanging in her face as she talked quietly to the crab -- Billie couldn't stop staring.

//She's... fuck, she's kind of really cute.// Billie could feel how flush her cheeks were getting, and tossed her hood up, to try and hide it.

With the crab secured, Hana walked to Billie, nonchalantly.

//Maybe she didn't notice me staring?//

"Want to wander SITE and find like... a hangout room?"

"Su-- Sure!" Billie stuttered, swallowing hard. Hana, the polite young woman she had been raised to be, held out her arm and proffered her elbow to Billie.

"Shall we, then?" Hana said, a bright smile on her face.

Billie never managed to say yes -- she simply grabbed on, and Hana began to lead the way.

-----

The pair headed down to The Burrows, and began to walk in an arbitrary direction. Billie had, somehow, found her cool again, and had walked casually beside Hana, without any issues.

At least, she hoped it had come across as casual.

After a couple minutes of walking, instead of the standard doors that lined the halls of the Burrows, presumably leading to dormitories, utilities or storage rooms -- they had found a large archway, leading into a large communal space.

The room was wide, and placed throughout were mid-century modern style couches, loungers and more -- the warm woods and bright colors contrasted with the dark walls and moody lighting offered by lamps, string lights and slightly glowing walk decorations. It was cozy, filled with a soft, ambient music that seemed to change as the pair walked in, as if tuning itself to their preferences.

Nestled in a corner, set into the ground of the room, was a small conversation pit, filled with seats, pillows, blankets and more. Hana, having made a bee-line towards it as soon as they had entered, spun around in excitement, nearly bouncing.

"Billie let's hang out over here!" she called from the corner. "I've always wanted to sit in a comfy hole!"

Billie laughed, making her way across the room.

"Sure, why not?" she said, walking down the few steps and into their own little space -- Hana, barely wasting any time, was right on her heels. She could feel Hana's breath on the back of her neck, lightly dancing through her buzzed fade, her skin prickling.

Billie shivered uncontrollably, before sitting down. //It's fine, just be cool! You're hanging out, with a friend. Remember that? Hana is a friend. I just hope she didn't notice--//

The look in Hana's eyes said that she had. "Are you cold?" she asked, looking for where she would sit down.

"Yeah!" Billie said quickly, jumping at the excuse. "I just-- oh, yeah, you know, with my condition, I have some circulation things and--"

"I get it," Hana said, sitting down directly beside Billie with a soft thump. Hana turned, facing Billie, while grabbing around for some blankets. "My mom is a nurse, and my grandma had arthritis, at least, I think? So helping out somebody cold is pretty routine for me."

"That's cool," Billie said, only //slightly// panicking on the inside, seeing how close Hana chose to sit. "I'm just so used to being cold in my hands, that I don't really--"

"No, no," Hana said, waving off Billie's protestations. "Please. Let me take care of you."

//Oh god,// Billie thought, blood rushing to her face. "Su-- sure. Only if you really want to."

"You made sure I was safe earlier," Hana said softly. "You... you talked me through something terrifying. You were calming, caring, comforting, and I just... I want to do the same back. Is that... is that okay?"

Hana looked at Billie, worry written on her face. Billie melted.

"Yeah, okay," Billie managed to say, nodding. Hana began to reach around, looking for something -- a second later, she pulled up a large blanket, fuzzy and big enough to cover three people. Hana threw the blanket over both of them, shuffling along the pit's couch to be nestled up closer beside Billie.

//How did I get here?// Billie screamed internally. //Oh my god, she knows. I'm so obvious, I'm--//

"Is the blanket alright?" Hana asked, having shifted and preened it to perfection. "I run warm, so I figured you could share my body heat."

Hana smiled softly, and if there had been any doubt left in Billie's mind before, it was now absent; she was falling for her, bad.

"So, uhh," Billie began, her brain racing to find a new topic as she found herself hyperaware of each part of her body that was touching Hana. "Did Heather really send us after the crab, for a bet?"

"For a bet? Not exclusively," Hana said, lips pursed. "I think she was trying to help in her very... //Heather// way of helping."

"She calls that helping?"

"Well," Hana said, smirking. "Don't you feel better, somehow?"

"...a bit," Billie admitted begrudgingly.

"Yeah, exactly," Hana responded, stretching her arms and invading Billie's personal space. "With Heather, you never really know how something is going to end, or why it's happening. There's always a reason, she just... doesn't share it unless she needs to."

"Well," Billie said, smirking. "At least the crab seems to like you now?"

"It so does!" Hana said, laughing. "I was worried, you know? On account of--"

"You killing it?" Billie replied, laughing.

"I mean, yeah! Would you be happy to see me if I killed you?"

//Maybe,// Billie thought, before trying to cover for herself. "I guess not?" she said.

"Yeah, right? So I just don't get why it likes me so much?" Hana looked off into the rest of the room, and Billie watched as her thin, long eyelashes fluttered. Hana looked back, and the two locked eyes. "I'm nothing special, I'm... I'm just me."

"I think you're pretty cool," Billie said, the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them. "I mean like... you know, today, during the mission, you were really cool! You just went out there, without any idea of the danger or what to expect, and then you just... figured it out? I... I feel like I'm too scared to go places sometimes, you know?"

Hana nodded.

"I think it's just like," Billie continued, looking at the pillows resting in the center of the pit. "I've spent so long being told that I'm this porcelain doll, and how I'm fragile -- and yeah, I mean, I get it, my disease is serious."

Billie looked up, and realized Hana was right there. Beside her. A foot, maybe less away, her hair falling softly to the side.

"It's not contagious, or anything," Billie clarified, worried.

"Oh, that's good," Hana said, "I was worried that we wouldn't be able to get this close."

Billie swallowed hard, continuing.

"I just wish that I could be out there, like you are! I know that I can't do the same things, but..."

"Billie," Hana said, interrupting softly, her plump lips curling up into a soft smile. "This summer, do you think... do you think I can help you figure that out, a bit?"

"Figure what out?" Billie said, her mouth hanging loosely apart. Hana seemed to be even closer now.

"Will you let me help you be brave? Like... like you did for me, today?" Hana smelled like caramel syrup and irises. A loose strand of hair fell in front of Hana's face, as she tilted her head to one side.

Without thinking, Billie reached out and brushed the hair behind Hana's ear, gently tracing from the top, down to the lobe. For a second, neither girl spoke.

Billie's heart was racing.

"Oh my god," Hana exclaimed softly, in mock offense. "Your hands are //literal// ice, how are you okay with this?"

"I'm just--" Billie couldn't get any more words out; Hana had taken both of her hands into hers, pulling them under the blanket, and closer together. Their fingers gently interlaced, as the warm radiated from both girls.

"There," Hana said quietly, leaning her head back against the couch as she warmed Billie's frozen fingers. "Isn't this nicer?" she asked, closing her eyes and sighing in comfort.

"Yeah," Billie said quietly, mentally tracing the lines of Hana's face, taking in her quiet beauty. "Yeah, this is nicer."

//It's going to be a long summer, isn't it?// Billie thought, in a mixture of hope, and anxiety.

But for now, things were just beginning.

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