"These are your new training partners. For the next 12 weeks you will eat, sleep, and train with them and with no one else. Though you 4 were not born in the cause, everyone has the ability within them to serve humanity. Give everything to the group. Trust in the process. Trust in each other. For all mankind" Anders says, his voice calm but unwavering, carrying across the training hall like a drumbeat.

"For all mankind" they echoed.

"We'll start with some simple sparring. Please choose a partner." He instructs

I step forward, eyes locked on someone across from me. Heart thundering. Ready.

"You may begin." Anders said

And then- chaos. Bodies blur. Feet hit the mat in a synchronized storm.

Echo, Diyoza, Hope, Octavia and I, all had our man down on the floor in two seconds.

"I was trained by a level 12. What else you got?" Hope fired. Smirking as she said it.

"Orlando taught you well. It's not surprising- I was his mentor." Anders remarks

Hopes eyes narrowed.
"Huh, it's a shame he had to die." She said

"It is, a loss to the cause. He was one of our best, but I believe Dev had a hand in your training as well... answer me trainee. Wasn't dev your surrogate father?" Anders asks

Hope jaw tightened.
"I'm not going to talk about him with you" she spat

"Well then, perhaps you're not ready." He counters

"Are we here to talk or fight, sir?" I interject, stepping between them.

Anders glances at me, then Levitt.
"Have you made a note of these responses Mr. Levitt?" He asks

"Yes sir... may I speak with you sir? They've given me an idea." he replied

"Of course. Octavia and Zora, slower." Anders orders.

I stay back, watching Anders and Levitt confer in hushed tones. Octavia claims her victory, but the two men lean close, whispering over papers and strategy. What could they be plotting?

We gather in the observation room, eyes wide at the sterile brilliance around us.

"No morning sickness. Sign me up." Diyoza mutters

"No negative effects on a woman's health in any way, and we can monitor the embryos and the extracorporeal gestational systems for birth defects and correct them before they are born." Anders explains

"Please. She had a heart defect?" Levitt asked the man working.

"Yes." He nods

"But it was surgically corrected three weeks ago. Now she's perfect and about ready to be birthed. Let's give her some privacy. I know it must seem strange but the fact that you gestated in your mother's body is equally as bizarre to us" Levitt tells us

"You did kick the hell out of my kidneys." Diyoza says, smirking.

"Exactly. In our method none of our people are laid up for extended periods of time. Do you want to know how many embryos we have? 25, the same numbers of disciples that you have murdered." Anders says

Octavia scoffs.
"If you need as many as warriors as possible then why don't you just hatch a lager army?" She says

"Recourses. It's a limited world." He answered

Hope adds quietly.
"And you can only mind control so many at a time" she said

Diyoza eyes narrowed.
"And these kids, they don't have any parents to take care of them after they're deglopped." She says

"A team to raise the children until they're ready for the creche, and then it's everyone's job." Anders nods

"So they don't form selfish bonds" Diyoza says, realization dawning.

"Exactly. You're learning." He says

Later, we sit among a group of children. Anders crouches slightly, warm authority in his eyes.

"I understand you have learned a lot about the Shepard's journey. Who can tell me about Ethera?" Anders asks

A tiny girl raised her hand.
"The mountain was very tall and very scary, but the Shepard was brave and wise." She answers 

"Excellent. Who else can tell me something about the Shepards journey to enlightenment? What passage do we have in our books about it? Sean." Anders says, eyes on a little boy.

"I-I don't know." He stumbles

"Sometimes when new things happen we get nervous. We have feelings we need to learn to control. Otherwise-" the teacher starts

"They control us" a little girl finished

"But we feel out of control we know what to do. Perhaps we'll have the honor of Mr. Anders leading us in our exercise." The teacher says

"My pleasure. Close your eyes. Everyone. Now, take a deep breath. Hold it in, and let it out slowly on a count of three" he says

I hesitate, then close mine.
"The Shepard brings us calm, the Shepard brings us wisdom. The Shepard brings us love for all mankind. Now, open your eyes and breathe. Excellent. Miss Haggerman thank you for your time. Continue to work hard, for all mankind" Anders says, walking away

"Oh, this is some serious brainwashing." Hope mumbles

I shrug.
"These kids had it better than I ever did." I say

In our room later, I turn to hope, voice low.
We all sat in our room and I look over at Hope.
"They are watching us all of the time. You've got to try harder." I say

"She's right. Diana's the only one who passed the fear simulation, but you're the only one who almost killed Anders." Diyoza adds, a shiver runs down my spine.

"Yeah, wish it was real." Hope mutters

Octavia steps closer, voice sharp.
"Stop. Get your anger under control, or do you want to go to penance alone?" She says

Hope scoffs.
"What do they want with us anyway? We can already kick the disciples asses." She says

"Not the point" echo says

"Single minded devotion. Screw your friends, family. You've got to bury your love and your anger and everything else so deep that they'll never find it." Diyoza says softly

"It's not that hard" I mutter

"Yeah, for you. You know, you just like having someone give you orders again so you don't have to make choices on your own." Hope says, eyes cold.

I glance at her.
"I think it's time for me to go to bed. Damn yourself if you want to, but I believe in what they're teaching, and I will not let you take me down with you. That good enough for making my own choices?" I ask, then walk out.

The next training room is harsher, industrial. Machines hum and hiss, the smell of ozone sharp in the air.

"They're like trainers for the suits. They work with muscle contractions. Not as cool as swords but still pretty effective." Levitt says

"We get to play with those?" O asks, eyes wide.

"You'll be crossed trained on all of them eventually." He answers

"What is this?" Hope asks

"That's a flamethrower. It'll make you smoky and crispy." Diyoza answers

"We don't know what we'll be fighting. We have to be prepared for everything." Levitt adds, and I glance at a door.

"What's in here?" I ask

"Only level 11's and above allowed" Levitt replied

"Bioweapons?" Diyoza pressed

"Not a weapon, at least not anything that we would never use." He says

"If we're gonna go all in, you're gonna have to trust us." Octavia says, eyes sharp.

"After years of study we've managed to is isolate the substance that wiped out the former inhabitants of this planet." He says

"Those crystal creatures we saw outside?" Hope asks

"Yes. We call it gem9. And the little bit we have would wipe out everyone on bardo..... now it's time to train." He says, and I glance at the door one last time.