“Don’t you think I know that?!” Sophie fired back.

Emanuel sat down next to her and placed his hand on her bare thigh. “Sophie, these dreams, they aren’t real. You know they aren’t; you’ve said it yourself.”

She pulled away, her eyes widening in disbelief. “They mean something. And it’s not just because of anxiety,” she said, shooting Holly an angry look.

Holly pulled a metal chair up to the bed and took a seat, crossing her legs. “You’re right. They do mean something. Nightmares have a way of spilling into our everyday lives and can negatively affect our work performance, family, relationships, et cetera. What you’re going through is common. You told me a while ago you have two sides to your brain—the scientific side and the creative, illogical side. What you need to do is simple. You have to convince your brain the scientific side is correct. Be logical. Dreams aren’t real.”

Emanuel scooted closer to Sophie. “She’s right. You’re a brilliant scientist, one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met. And right now we need you to be strong. The team needs a leader, and you are that person.”

Sophie nodded. “You’re both right. I’m sorry. What time is it?”

Holly looked at the blue mission clock above the doorway. “0600.”

“Then it’s time for a meeting. I have an idea to run past the team,” Sophie replied, rising to change into her lab suit. She donned her clothes quickly and squeezed past Holly and Emanuel, who waited at the edge of the doorway.

“I think I need to do more,” Holly whispered to him as Sophie’s footsteps faded down the hallway. “Maybe it’s time I set up individual counseling sessions with everyone.”

“Not a bad idea,” Emanuel replied. “If I were you, I’d start with Sophie.”

CHAPTER 9

WE have two options. One is to live off these packaged meals and wait for the seeds to sprout in the hope that the failed emergency communication line and radiation outside is just a test by NTC,” Sophie said, tossing one of the meals onto the metal table. “Or we can have Alexia open the doors so we can figure out what’s happened out there.”

Silence washed over the mess hall. Even Timothy remained mute. Sophie studied her team’s faces. She knew they were scared and, more than anything, disappointed. The mission was over. There was no salvaging it.

Sophie leaned over the table. “That wasn’t a rhetorical question, guys. I want opinions.”

Emanuel crossed his arms, watching the fearless leader reemerge in front of them. This was the Sophie he knew, the Sophie he had fallen in love with years ago—the Sophie he still loved.

“No way in hell am I going out there!” Timothy said.

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea, either,” Saafi said quickly. “If this is a test, then we’ll fail the mission.”

“It is not a test,” another voice said.

The team turned to see Alexia’s hologram hovering above the corner console. “The radiation sensors cannot be tampered with without my knowledge. Furthermore, the animals could not have been poisoned without my detection. Whatever has happened, NTC is not the culprit. I am 99.9 percent sure. This would warrant Section 19.1 of the contract null and void and justify opening the doors.”