I gave him a nod. He looked at me silently for a second that stretched for a long, long time. He didn't nod back, just stared. One of those moments.
He started speaking to the group once again. "In just a few moments, we will file out and down the hall. We are StarTech. We are elite. We do not so much as look at the staff of this hospital. We march to the elevator and take it down to the transport. We get in. We sit. We ignore any press. We keep going. We are unbreakable. We are StarTech. We are elite." As he spoke his voice got harder and harder and I could feel the resolve of the group strengthen. Whatever he was doing was working. We are StarTech. We are elite. "We enter their building. We parade past their press. We keep our heads high and our pride on our faces. We will stand before their council and answer their questions and we will know the whole time we do it that we are StarTech! That we are elite! That we are the future! We are the guardians of a knowledge that humanity is finally ready to embrace! We are StarTech!"
The others were charged. It was like lightning through the crowd. I was ready to pick up a gun and follow Christophe into battle. One moment he was fixing our uniforms and changing our shoes and the next he had full command of everyone and everything. It was right at that moment that I fully understood how Christophe had worked his way to the top. There was no way to ignore him. Even Marlon looked pumped up by Christophe's words.
"We are StarTech!" Said Reginald, entering the room. He thumped Christophe on the back. "Epic speech. Remind me to have you record a holo to play at our next investors meeting." He was grinning. He was excited. He was happy for this day and looking forward to it. He wasn't scared like Christophe. Interesting. I wondered if he didn't understand the potential of the day, or if he just convinced himself it would work and didn't give any thought to the "what ifs".
He walked over to me. "My don't you look...boring." He was grinning, though. "Are you sure we want him looking so plain?"
"Yes," said Christophe and Jillian together.
Reginald sighed. "I suppose we can put up with it for this one meeting. But after, we'll get you fixed up in grand style, eh?" He winked and grinned at me. I thought I'd probably just prefer to be plain.
"So we're going to meet up in New York."
"Not Washington?"
Reginald shook his head at Christophe. "No. Change of plans. IOC got grumbling about fairness so it was taken out of the capitol. Still, doesn't change the plans from our end."
Christophe's jaw twitched. "Washington is Cosworth central."
"And that's probably why they really changed their minds." He gave a shrug. "What's done is done. We're not really in a position to barter."
"Yes, we are. They are dying to hear..."
"Let it go, Chris," Reginald said quietly. The two exchanged a look, then Christophe agreed.
Reginald's holo buzzed and he glanced at it. "Time to board. Now, everyone have a travel buddy?" He grinned at the crowd. Everyone but me got the joke and laughed. I shook my head and followed the group.
Laughter died as soon as we hit the hallway. Hospital staff lined the corridors. Some smiled, some ogled, some snickered, and one glared. Hard. I felt my stomach sink. If we got this much attention just in the hospital, what was it going to be like...out?
We did as Christophe instructed and filed silently into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Christophe swore. "I thought I told you to keep this quiet?"
Reginald sighed and shook his head. "And I keep telling you the more the better."
"After!" Christophe almost lost his perfect composure. "After, Reggie. After they see he's..."
"What? Utterly bland? Plain? Not even worth mentioning in the papers?"
"Yes."
"No. He's got to have some mystery. Don't you get it? If he's completely boring, no one will care."
"And that's just what we want."
"No. We want speculation. We want publicity. We want press."
"After!"
It was two sides to one coin, as Ralph would say. I could see the benefits in both. Later, that is. At the moment, I felt like a ball being tossed back and forth. "I'm standing right here, you know."
Lynette gave me a sympathetic look. Ralph rolled his eyes. Christophe and Reginald ignored me.
"You set up this change, didn't you?"
Reginald sighed. "You planned things too neatly, Chris." He glanced around suddenly. "Let's discuss this later."
Christophe was fuming. Silently, almost imperceptibly. But he was fuming. "Fine." He looked to the rest of us. "The plan stays. You march. You keep your mouths shut. You look ahead. You will be elite."
Reginald knew when not to argue. Isn't Reginald the head of the corporation? And yet, I'd put all the money I have on the fact that in that moment, Reginald was truly scared he'd gone too far. The elevator opened directly in front of our transport, a long shuttle that looked similar to the old trains I found fascinating when my HuTA taught me mechanical history. We boarded and strapped in and spent the next hour under "full throttle", as Christophe ordered. The pressure of speed on our chests didn't let up until we tipped forward and landed. And then we stopped all at once and everything was silent for a minute.
Christophe waited for the automatic straps to release us, then stood. He was much more calm. "Now, take a moment to get yourselves together. Once we walk out that door, all hell is going to break loose." He shot Reginald a look. Reginald gave a little nod without the least bit of guilt in his expression. We straightened our uniforms and patted our gooey hair, as if any of it could have come out of place through the junk. When we were all set, Reginald and Christophe got in line behind us. I wondered at that, but was too nervous to ask any questions.
And then the door opened.
And then I was actually in a city, a human city, on the streets and part of it like everyone else. The sun was shining down and I could feel the air and the weight and the road as I stepped out. For a second, I could feel the planet. The first step. The first breath of real air, not the canned air from the ventilation of some air processing machinery. The warmth of the sun unfiltered by the tinted glass of a window. The smell, that was the most shocking. One deep breath and I was assaulted by the odors of a city I would learn to identify, but never "appreciate", "like", or "miss," as Ralph went on about later. For just a moment, a split second, my senses took in the planet I am supposed to be from.
And then, just like that, Christophe was right. All hell broke loose.
Lights. Flashes. Shouting. The noise...oh the noise! People pushing, people calling someone. Cosworth, Me? Ralph, right next to me suddenly, out of order, his hand on my back guiding me forward. Guards of some sort, wearing StarTech uniforms, stood arm to arm creating a pathway for us that opened as we walked. Shouting, always with the shouting.
"Head up, keep walking," came Ralph's voice. He could see me starting to panic with the overwhelming situation.
"Smile," said Reginald right in my ear. I turned my head and he was on the other side of me, smiling and waving to all the people.
All. The. People. It felt like a sea of them. I had never seen so many humans at once, and it suddenly felt like they all came out to see me, each and every one. See and yell and push and try to get my attention. Ralph's hand on my back kept me walking. I could feel Christophe staring at me from behind. That anchored me, too. We pushed forward. I put my eyes on the back of Marlon's head in front of me. Concentrate on that, I told myself. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. It really was a ridiculous hair cut they gave him. I wondered what Lynette was thinking. I couldn't see her. She would be in front of Marlon, with Jillian right by her side. In front of them would be the doctor. It was determined he'd lead because he really was a true scientist and as such was oblivious to the crowd and the hubbub. I could picture him in my head just walking like a bot. We had somewhere to be and he'd lead us there.