It appears you and I are not in competition here.’ I watch her silently for a moment. ‘Appears. Yes. Shall we find out what the test actually is?�...� ‘Certainly.’ We look around the room. As the proctor had claimed, there were two portals, the one we entered, and the one we were expected to leave through, which was bracketed by the scanners, one to a side. The only other feature in the room was the bright lights, and a black dome in the middle of the ceiling, from which cameras presumably recorded. Not something I felt I needed to worry about, but then Dr. Starr Teck didn’t seem worried, gobbling them up as he had.I thought ‘send a memo having him send samples of those two metal sheets to Martin Strong for analysis for any unusual properties.’Not having given specific instructions as to where I wanted to go. I just assumed I would be taken to wherever they planned to stash me for the night or to an airport they hadn’t yet mentioned. So, I wasn’t paying attention as to where we were. He was exactly like his father, only worse and pretty soon I not only had Gerald to contend with, but I had Parker too, only he was a bit bolder. He would reach out and touch me when ever I seemed to pass him and I don’t think I need to explain what he was grabbing at. I had told Richard about it, but I didn’t think he really believed me, so I let it go and just did my best to avoid the two of them.’ ‘Sounds like you had a pretty bad childhood, I’m sorry…’ he whispered, comforting her. ‘It. There are still some who can remember, some who understand. No matter how much you try to make them forget, no matter how much of the past you try to destroy, it will always be there and there are some who know that. Those are the people in rotting houses only a story or two high struggling through life with no resources and no ‘modern technology’. These are the people who know how beautiful life can be, how soft a birds chirp can sound, just how green Spring grass is and how aromatic budding.