AN: For anyone new to this story, I do have a regular upload schedule on Fridays. I post a chapter a week (provided nothing disastrous happens), and as of now (1/8), the story is more than halfway complete! With that, do read on and enjoy!

Prologue

"Take a deep breath, Alex."

She did as she was told, breathing in deeply, exhaling in a rush of warm breath. The soft cotton of her dress was bunched between her fingers as she entered the chamber. A rush of chilled air—normal as far as the laboratories' indoor climate was concerned—blew across her forehead, disturbing some of the loose hairs dangling around her face. The rest were trapped in two clumsy but effective French braids. Restrictive, yes, but today was a day for taking care.

"—Her—"

"—prepare to fire up—"

"—get Alexandria hooked up—"

Alex breathed in again, letting the familiar hum of a thousand background systems flood her mind. It was familiar, comforting. Several scientists approached. She could hear their shuffling feet and their scattered, muttered worries.

"Hey, Alex?" She turned, instinctively, to her giant friend's voice and she reached out her hand. He met her hand with one of his own, bony and jittery but warm and friendly. She squeezed, and he began to ramble as he liked to do when he was nervous.

"You know, this might be a bit, just a bit scary—but that's why you haven't got to worry! Because I'll be right here, right here just, ah, next to you, er—on the floor yeah, I'll just sit there, alright? And I'll be right here for you, if, if maybe you need just a little bit of help or you know, anything at all really. I mean, I can't really well go get you a-a bagel or anything, but you know, it's the thought that counts."

She sat in the chair they provided, and something cold and clammy swiped across her temples, her forehead.

"Alcohol rub." One of the scientists muttered. She didn't mind. She was used to the sudden cold and wet; it came right before shots, and she had been given many of those.

Next came the little electrodes on her temples. They were cold too, but not quite as much, so she didn't mind. It was the sharpening of the buzz all around her that took some getting used to.

"Now," a sweet voice—too sweet—sounded not far from her ear and made her flinch, "just remember, Alexandria, She's just very sick. And you're here to help Her get better. If She gets cranky with you, it's just because She isn't feeling well, okay?"

Alex hated that woman's voice. The voice of the Child Test Subject Coordinator. It made her insides twist. Perhaps it was the falseness of her voice. Or perhaps it was the fact that her blunt mental voice poked holes so easily in her paper-thin lies spoken aloud. You'll get to go outside today, if you're good! Yeah right, brat. Perhaps we can arrange for some leisure time today. The day you get leisure time is the day I get a paid vacation. Of course I love you, Alexandria, I spend time with you, don't I? What would it take for second of gratitude from you?

"I remember." Alex could hardly forget. It was all they had talked of for months. You're going to help somebody. You're going to help a lot of people. Don't forget. It's imperative you remember.

"Readying systems check." Someone called from across the room.

"You ready?" Her giant friend asked again, and she squeezed tighter on his hand. She shook her head, ever so slightly.

"Here we go again." A man's voice, cranky, sounded not far from her, followed by a slurp of coffee.

"Don't worry," her giant friend's bright voice filled her ear, and she relaxed just a fraction, "you trained for this for years! You'll do great!"

"I hope so, Mr. Wheatley." Her voice had shrunken somewhere along the line, and she couldn't muster any more volume. There wasn't any time left anyhow.

"Starting Her up. 3…2…1…"