This is a Test

Ch. 8 - Part I - New Friends

The next morning, as the group took their seats for the daily meeting, an alert popped up.

A new launch has taken off and will be arriving within a week with fresh supplies, new projects, and the next group of inhabitants. The materials will be used for the experiments being sent. Also, please make sure everything is satisfactory for your new teammates.

Several tabs appeared listing SUPPLIES, PROJECTS, and MEMBERS. Despite wanting to know his next task, he was curious about who his possible competition might be, and he touched the section that would show the next group arriving. Looking up to the others, it seemed as if they were all doing the same thing, as smiles evaporated into frowns or scowls. Silence reigned, save for the sound of fingers tapping on tablets. The quiet was interrupted as Roger snorted hard through one nostril and stood.

"At least I'm safe," he said before wandering to the Kitchen, scratching his chest as he left.

And there it was. Out of the mouths of baboons...

Every one of their positions were getting a duplicate, save for geology. Checking over the roster, Cashe recognized none of the names, but he had to acknowledge that their credentials were impressive, and if he were honest, far better than all of theirs. He waved away a rogue bee as he read.

Compared to himself, Dr. William Cramer appeared an exceptional choice for the project. His resume was impressive to the point where there was no question that if Cashe were a hiring manager, he would have chosen the man over himself, having three doctorates from MIT and being a guest lecturer at various universities. He also had been a speaker at those video intellectual yapfests where a person stood in front of a crowd to ramble about something the audience couldn't understand while the session would garner millions of likes.

There were some detriments to the man, which Cashe held against him, though he didn't think Anoptica would. He was older with salt-and-pepper hair, but his age did not seem to be a setback to his stated passion for running marathons. Also, he spent a lot of his free time building housing and facilities in under-privileged countries, but Cashe was now thinking it was a resume enhancer, as he did know that other people were easily impressed by that. It did make him think. Perhaps by performing some negative-gain charity work, it could bolster his resume, leading to more lucrative opportunities in the future. He would have to research charitable organizations for the one with the most pitiable name, like Arms for Orphans or some such thing, and cross-reference this with the ones that required the least effort and time.

Cashe looked up. While the others seemed to be experiencing some level of discomfort or nausea, Lia's head whipped back and forth as she read, and she gained a more robotic pose as she evaluated the competition. Cashe checked her competitor, another doctor called Nicolas Bourbaki, who seemed to be a noted French mathematician. Having graduated from several Parisian universities by fourteen, he was a computer programmer in several languages, but specialized in astrophysics, where he invented an entire field called space star ordering, which was now used to track the universe as one mathematical body with patterns to where all celestial objects should be placed. His theories led to discovering some planets that would be strong candidates to find intelligent life or for future human colonization. A winner of a bevy of French awards, he was a former nominee for the Nobel prize. He just turned nineteen.

"Has anyone ever heard of any of these people?" Karina demurred softly.

"Oh, sure" Dante piped up. "Everyone in chemistry has heard of Abdul Al-Hazred. Really notable. If you see in his resume, he has been going through ancient alchemical tomes and religious texts to find valid scientific discoveries that were unearthed centuries ago, but were disregarded because people assumed they were hoaxes or mysticism. They list several of his books. I know I read one or two, but it was so long ago, I couldn't elaborate on the details, but really interesting. It's going to be a great privilege to meet him. I can't wait."

"I also know of Dr. Dunbar," Miranda mentioned. "The research into whether friendships are based on liking another person, or whether its sole goal is so others like the subject are well known. The argument is whether friendships are based on altruism or self-serving psychological need. It is fascinating research. Wonderful work. It will also be an honor to be in their esteemed company for this trip."

Cashe checked to see Karina's competition. Camille Nous seemed to have been the most prosperous of the bunch, another French scientist, having paid her ways through college by a lucrative career in the fashion world. Her profile included the phrase, "she decided to forgo the worldwide travels as a supermodel to spending her life in the lab, studying botany and developing new agricultural methods." At this mention, Cashe noticed that in comparison, all the incoming scientists were objectively more attractive than those present, with credentials outshining each of them.

Miranda prattled on about how lovely it would be to have new people arriving, but it felt more forced than her usual fake pleasantries. With Dante, they discussed with the others about preparing a small party for their arrival, and Roger suggested they should break out some of the beer and chocolates as a welcome. Cashe nodded along and assented to whatever they said, and noticed that when one of the two wasn't speaking, the other would drift off to some inner reflection. Cashe was with them in that.

Despite all the fake joviality, he knew all had to be thinking what he was considering. Before, each could shine because there was no one to compare themselves to, no one to point out mistakes or perform tasks better. Now, with a fresh load of more qualified contemporaries, would gaps in their knowledge appear? Would one show themselves to be smarter than the others? Was Cashe's group only there to set up the habitat for the real settlers to take their places?

He hardly noted the meeting ending until people started standing. Lia strode out, feet stomping louder than usual, and Miranda and Dante wandered away, still chirping with strained smiles. Only Karina remained, but she eventually rose. Her path went around the table to Cashe's side, not a route she would normally take to exit, but on reaching him, she leaned over and whispered, "Are we the B-team?"

Word Count - 1089

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