"But we only have one life, Mr. Roberts," Jupiter said. "It has to count for something-"
"Yes, it has to count for something or it is worth nothing," Ansen said, cutting her off. "Well, carry on Jupiter. I am hoping for the best. Staroam-5 is it, at least for this generation."
Ansen walked out of Jupiter's office, leaving a slightly perplexed Jupiter. Before she could get back to her reports, Praeston rushed into the office and motioned the door to close behind him.
"You know, you are so his pet, it's disgusting," he said as he motioned a magnet chair from the far corner wall and slid it smoothly towards the front of Jupiter's table. "It's like he fancies you, Jupe."
Jupiter shook her head as Praeston took a seat in front of her.
"Whatever you say Praeston," she said and started working on the report, completely ignoring him.
"You know what? I hate that he acts like he knows everything. You know Ansen was born here right? But he talks to us like he had actually lived on Earth before, like with the whole morning and night thing..." Praeston reached out his right hand and scooped out a bunch of chocolate minis from Jupiter's candy bowl before putting them in his mouth to munch on one at a time.
"You've been eavesdropping on us again? What is wrong with you anyway, Ansen's a good guy." Jupiter was still staring at the screen with her fingers moving fast on top of the touch board. "So what that he was born here, he works with a bunch of Earth-origins, what do you expect?"
"But that's what makes him so fake, Jupe." Praeston said. "He's so fucking fake."
"And how many times do I have to hear this from you?" She asked. "I know you are sexually attracted to him but you got to stop this nonsense. It's probably why he doesn't talk to you much, you know?"
"Ouch... Well, that's a new one," Praeston got quiet all of a sudden. "So, what are you working on?" He said after a brief, uncomfortable silence.
"It's the LF report," she finally turned to look at Praeston. "Have you seen this thing?"
"No, I haven't. Is it as bad as everyone is saying it is?" He asked.
"Yes, it is," she said and sighed. She turned off the touch board, knowing that she won't be getting much work done with Praeston in the office.
"It's that bad? Is it a batch problem? Or just a design flaw?" Praeston pulled out his LinkScreen from his shirt pocket and scanned the Data Sensor on Jupiter's desk.
"I don't know," she said. "They haven't started on the reconstruction. You know how that goes."
"Politics, yup," Praeston started to read the document that had been replicated onto his LinkScreen. "They rather spent up all the resources on the botanic."
"What they don't understand is that if you destroy the neurons of the brain, then you get yourself an empty vessel and everything else will collapse," Jupiter said and she noticed that Praeston's face looked a lot grimmer than when he first stepped into her office.
"Fuck, this is awful. Glad I didn't get assigned to summarize this report. I take it that you are going to add in the motion to expedite?" He said, lifting his face up briefly to look at Jupiter. "How could there be a fast deterioration in such a short period of time?"
"Beats me, Praeston. They haven't done a single test on it too, which is odd, but they said that the stocks are still intact," she said. "So it has to have something to do with the environs. Otherwise, unless we expect foul play..."
"Your boyfriend doesn't know about this? Have you discussed it with him?" He quickly asked. "He must have noticed something?"
"No, and it's not something that we can share with the public," she said.
"Jupe, I didn't mean to imply..." Praeston said in a panic. "What I meant was if he had mentioned anything weird with the fibers because he works on them every day."
"If that were the case, you know we would know about it even before he could share that information with me and you should definitely know that very well," she said, shaking her head. "You know what, I want to give you a piece of advice, Praeston. Put that LS down."
"O-kay..." He said and complied with Jupiter's request.
"Let's talk off the records, as friends for a moment if you don't mind," she said.
"Jupe, I'm sorry, I really wasn't trying to question your professionalism-"
"But you did, Praeston and I don't appreciate it," she said sternly. Praeston started to look a little pale.
"I said I'm sorry..." He said. "I really am."
"Look, Praeston, I think you are a great colleague and a cool guy. As a friend, I think you should take some time off for yourself. I know what you are going through and you know what I am talking about."
"I... really don't," he replied.
"Praeston, you have been complaining about Ansen to everyone ever since he joined our team about a revolution ago-"
"Don't get all-Roamy on me, Jupiter," he said.
"No, Praeston, listen to me," she placed her arms on the desk and leaned her body forward. "This is for your own good, professionally and personally."
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