Following the meeting, Jannette felt a ripple of unease she couldn’t shake. Chase’s almost childlike demeanor clashed sharply with her own meticulously curated record. She had finished high school by twelve and sped through MIT, earning a PhD in computer science and a master’s in astronomy. Years of deliberate training had honed her into the living embodiment of disciplined ambition—every step measured, every outcome anticipated. Chase stood at the opposite extreme. He dismissed diplomas and textbooks, building a criminal empire with nothing but raw instinct and audacity. His casino heists were legendary until one reckless gamble unleashed a fatal hotel inferno and prompted the government to execute his entire crew. The chasm between their worlds left Jannette quietly reflective, torn between respect for his fearless ingenuity and wariness of the chaos it carried in its wake.
They were all gathered here now, a motley crew that only intensified her inner conflict. For one dark, fleeting moment, Jannette’s thoughts veered dangerously off course; she even considered the unthinkable: retrieving a knife from the kitchen and sparing Earth further suffering by executing him herself. Kaya’s declaration that she was meant solely for Commander Chase only fanned the flames of her fury, a violent anger that threatened to upend her carefully maintained self-control. In that instant, beneath the shock and seething wrath, she reaffirmed a core truth: she would outthink and outwork everyone; she would win.
Yet even as this storm of emotion raged within her, the boy before her proved to be an anomaly in every sense. Everyone spoke of his super-intelligence as if his existence elevated them all, and in that comparison, she felt distinctly ordinary. His relentless calm quietly irked her, especially in moments when any sane person might have crumbled, save for that irredeemable incident of confiscating her computer access, an act she vowed never to forgive. Even after waking on Mars, when panic should have taken hold, he maintained an almost disconcerting composure that left her both baffled and begrudgingly impressed.
As she observed the rest of his crew, Jannette couldn’t help but note the surreal calm that enveloped them too. These people had awakened on an alien planet, resurrected from a presumed death, yet amidst a palpable undercurrent of anger and raw emotion, panic was curiously absent. Perhaps it was the hardened mindset of seasoned criminals who had long danced with death, or maybe this new life presented a strange kind of reprieve from the chaos of their former exploits. The puzzle was as maddening as it was fascinating, highlighting the stark incongruity between their infamous pasts and the poised determination they now exhibited.
Even more unsettling than the turbulence within her mind was the crew's unwavering loyalty toward Chase. The glowing reports on Robbie, Kaya, and Luke, each celebrated for exceptional intellects, only magnified the paradox: if they held Chase in such high esteem, he must be concealing some hidden brilliance. Yet deep down, Janette wrestled with a gnawing doubt: was he truly ingenious, or was his reputation fueled by a veneer of effortless charm over a foundation of indolence? That uncertainty churned within her, blending reluctant admiration with an ever-present skepticism.
Janette was no stranger to brilliance herself, a mind that had lit up the halls of MIT, outworking even those naturally gifted individuals who once towered above her. Graduating at the top of every class, her fusion of raw intelligence and tireless work ethic set a standard she trusted implicitly. And yet, when it came to Chase, she couldn’t help but feel that the accolades bestowed upon him might be misplaced. If he truly were as extraordinary as they believed, then inertia may be a trait he’d exhibit, she had seen it so many times before. With steely resolve, she decided that she would put his capabilities to the test, she had no intention of following a leader whose true merit remained murky, especially one who had never experienced the rigors of formal education.
-----
That afternoon felt strangely weighted for Jannette. As the designated initiator of one-on-one conversations, she assumed the duty of meeting everyone, even though the ritual of building a team brought her little genuine pleasure. Deep down, she acknowledged that true connection and collaboration were essential for a well-oiled unit; yet she had never craved close friendships. The few bonds she’d forged in childhood remained at a measured distance, and despite her sociable veneer, she reserved her authentic self only for conversations tethered to the mission at hand.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
After poring over everyone’s dossiers with clinical precision, Jannette concluded that she now possessed enough background to take the plunge. Her first scheduled encounter was with Kaya, a deliberate choice to confront fear head-on. Over the preceding hours, Kaya had so naturally stepped into a leadership role, boldly defending the youth Chase.
Determined to clear the fog of overthinking clouding her mind, Jannette pushed aside the tumultuous doubts and searched for Kaya. Entering the crew module frequented by Chase’s team, she found an unexpected scene: the space was nearly empty except for Kaya, resting on her bunk with an unexpected weariness for only 1 p.m. In that quiet moment, as the vulnerability in the crew's routine was laid bare. “Kaya, I would like to begin our one-on-one session. Where did you grow up?” Jannette asked.
Kaya looked up with a slight smirk as Janette approached. “I should have guessed it would be you,” she teased, her tone light yet deliberately challenging. “I half-expected Sam this time.” Tapping the bed beside her, Kaya silently invited Janette to join the conversation.
“I’m originally from Wisconsin; I spent my first fifteen years growing up in that beautiful state. Now, I need to ask you a question I’ve been wrestling with; growing up in Wisconsin, Bible country, brings up some curious thoughts. Now that I’m on Mars, do you think God will notice if we’re suddenly plucked and relocated to a new planet? It’s not like I intentionally moved planets.” Kaya noted Jannette’s confident posture gradually shifting into uncomfortable rigidity as she spoke. Not one to back down, she leaned in, her voice taking on an added edge. “Tell me, do you believe in a God exclusive to Earth, or one who watches over every planet? And if His domain is Earth alone, then what of Mars? Does Mars warrant a different god, or perhaps none at all? Would that, by default, make me an atheist?”
The rapid-fire questions caught Jannette off guard; she stammered an incoherent response before practically bolting from the room. Watching Jannette’s swift departure, Kaya couldn’t help but feel a small surge of satisfaction. In her eyes, Janette’s relentless rigidity marked her as far too wound-up for her own good; she desperately needed to loosen her grip and let herself breathe.
Later, alone on her own bunk in the quiet confines of the crew module, Kaya let her thoughts spiral freely. She had told Chase with biting candor that she despised how he effortlessly shouldered all the blame, as if it were his lone burden to bear. She remembered clearly that her crew had been forged long before Chase ever arrived; her vision had assembled them, a team of uniquely skilled individuals who had pulled off lucrative heists together. True, once Chase’s intelligence and natural charisma had propelled him into the role of leader, the jobs had become bigger, riskier, inevitably drawing them all into a higher-stakes game. Now, sitting on Mars after what felt like an emotional execution, Kaya was left questioning whether placing total trust in him was nothing short of a mistake. To her, power must have limits, and even the might of intellect and ambition could be dangerously unchecked.
Kaya had to determine her own future rather than leaving everything to Chase. If she were to live, and possibly die, on Mars, it needed to be on her terms. She also had to decide quickly whether to challenge Chase for command. She suspected she was capable of taking over, at least for a time. Kaya was a strong woman with a dangerous blend of intelligence, resourcefulness, and looks. She had used that combination to climb to the top of a sophisticated criminal hierarchy.
Jannette was second in command, and though brilliant, she obviously didn’t possess high emotional intelligence. Should Kaya challenge Jannette? She doubted it would be difficult. But what would she gain by just becoming second in command? No, she needed the crew to trust her and turn to her for support. That would be the only way to hold Chase accountable without triggering a mutiny. She needed to build power from within the crew while never directly undercutting his authority. She resolved that Chase would answer to her, a check to make sure he didn’t lose track of what was important.
Determined to hold Chase accountable, Kaya knew that mere strength wasn’t enough—she had to command the room with the authority of a queen. More than being a steadfast rock, she resolved to project a calm, unshakable influence that set a standard above all others. Her poised demeanor would serve as the anchor for the team, guiding every member and holding their fractured minds together when chaos threatened to break them apart.
Kaya also recognized that as commander, Chase bore an unimaginable weight, the burden of keeping every one of them alive. Refusing to let that responsibility fall solely on his shoulders, she decided to share the load. In her mind, the true mark of leadership was to protect every soul under one’s care. While Chase could command their actions, it was Kaya who would provide the steady, queenly guidance needed to ensure his decisions always charted a course for unity and strength.
