Unknown --- Complete [ adding some things ]

Part 4

Robert ran his left hand hard against his forehead. The heat, smoke and dust was inescapable inside the caverns. Each at their section with a bucket scraping the earth for the treasure underneath. Here raw material for metals to use on Earth. Savannah sang and chirped hopeful to discover gold like so many others have before them.

Unlike Earth diamonds and gold was truly rare and people considered it valuable. Location mainly the reason because no matter what they claimed to Robert it looked like the stuff on their planet.

"If you are finished with today, I'll gladly take your share" Dean said with a still face. Robert shook his head and stood back up.

"Maybe he is realizing that a degree isn't worth it." Greg commented.

"Oh? And, the reason you are here?' Savannah chastised.

"Children. Got three." he smiled the largest toothiest smile Robert was witness to.

"Vacation then?' Laura teased. Greg gave her a look that that possibly would never cross his mind.

"Twins medical. In the west coast medical and living costs are too high. I get money here we move south to better air."

"Well, while you all chat." Robert shook his bucket.

As the sun set the drones swooped in to collect their buckets. An estimation for the price for the day rang up on the top. Robert had three others through the day. It's good money but he felt it could be better but it was what it was.

They climbed up out using an old fashioned rope ladder. The sky painted in beautiful green and oranges as they walked home.

"We start growing our garden in the morning." Laura announced from the main building. They received the OK to do so as the company had that sort of thing scheduled for them.

"How fast is it?"

"Plants will start producing food in twenty to forty hours. According to Z everything is nutrition packed and delicious."

"You sound like an ad" Savannah stated as she dug into the pre made packets they were given. They would supplement when needed through the year as they built their gardens.

The packets of food only looked like actual delicious meal. After being heated up with a dab of butter and salt, it crumbled. More like flavorless clump of sand that each of them struggled to consume.

There was only the noises of them trying to eat. They had to eat to survive but even a long work day they struggled.

Greg tossed the last half of his out toward the ocean. Laura finished hers quickly chugging water afterwards. Savannah stared emotionally at the last part of hers.

"I thought Dean was just lagging behind?" Robert asked after awhile.

"He was like this during training." Greg answered, " they advised not to be even threatened to shelf him. But secretly I think they liked having him bustling onwards."

"So how does he bring what he finds.?"

The drones that carried away their buckets stopped after twelve hours of being activated.

"The old fashion way." Laura tossed the packaging into the fire bringing more warmth. Slowly they all headed to sleep.

"Staying awake until he gets back doesn't benefit you or him." Greg said walking back out of the house. The fire gently dwindling giving Greg a more ominous look standing there. "This has always been his plan."

"To work himself to death?"

"All of us are here working for someone else. Except you. I understand academic life is highly sought. It's cherished as any avenue of choices should be. But it may be harder for you to understand working for other than yourself."

"What or who is he working for then? Help me understand."

He worked to ignore the insult. Just because he was there to better himself doesn't mean had lacked the ability to understand others motive.

Greg didn't answer, a gentle wave but he headed to his house. Robert sat by the fire for a few more minutes before dashing it. The housing he had was with Laura and Dean. Savannah was friendly enough but she kept to Greg. From what Laura explained they weren't together, just share something but she never said what that something was.

Laura was on top of her blankets only in her underwear reading the screen on her lap.

"Have you read your mail yet?" She asked as he pulled off his shirt and pants, falling onto his bed. With a few grunts and noises he flung off the false leg and worked to get under the covers. His muscles weren't in agreement and wanted to quit. "Did you hear me?"

"It was all I wanted to do when we first arrived. But now? I would need to tell what happened to me. It's just --"

"Lie."

"What? I couldn't do that."

"You can tell them everything or nothing in writing. Sure, you could record videos but Z charges for that. Tell them you want to save every penny you get from this job -- tell them anything."

"But when I get back?"

"We're here for three years, Robert. You just give yourself time to adjust to the new you. That's all I'm fucking saying. Don't be dense." She snorted then went back to her reading.

"What do you do with your family?"

"Lie. I am telling them, especially, my sisters that I am having the time of my life. That I've found a man that is interested in more than friendship."

"Huh?" Robert sat up slightly, "We're not supposed to --"

"Yeah, I know they often pick people from the gay community for these not to produce children up here. But someone who is bisexual is still in the community -- I answered truthfully." She winked, "Besides Greg definitely lied on his paperwork."

"They told us they thoroughly check our backgrounds --"

"If you pass every health test and do everything they want you to do with flying colors they don't." She turned the page on what she was reading, "I am surprised you didn't ask who my fictional boyfriend was."

"Why would I?"

She angled her screen, a loud rubber duck squeak interrupted several times.

"Stop!" He blocked his face from the photographs. She laughed, genuine, when she agreed to put it down he could see she was still laughing.

"Don't worry we'll spiral out of control and it'll end by the time we get home."

"You've done this before?"

"In college."

"You went to school -- I thought --"

"Just because I didn't pipe up that you're not the only one with academic aspirations didn't mean I haven't. It's easier to get along with them if you just slide into whatever persona they want you to have."

"Why not be yourself?"

"We're going to show our true selves eventually, I'm sure. But I want to be able to start as friendly as ever." She raised the device closer to her face, "What do you want your name to be?"

"Why not just use my name?"

"It's easier to break up if you're not you."

"Whatever you want, it's your fantasy." He rolled over looking in the opposite direction.