Back in the upper Sanctuary, the bustle is more so as people continue to pour in from Pantheon. I stretch up on my toes searching for Jethro's familiar face.

And as if by some force of fate, my eyes meet his in this dense sea of human turbulence.

He pushes toward me, his face carrying the look of irritation that unnerves me somewhat, "Where have you been?" There is a snap in his voice.

I ignore his question and snap back, "Where were you?"

"Looking for you." 

I soften somewhat, "And I was looking for you."

He shakes his head, "No Blue, I watched you emerge from over there, if you were truly looking for me you would know that our prison chambers is not the place for my search," he says, with an accusatorial tone.

Nodding my head, I explain, "In my search for you; I was informed of Petra's incarceration, and I wanted to give her a piece of my mind."

He takes my arm and guides me back towards the prison chambers, "Return with me, for I would like to talk with her also," he says, with controlled anger.

I jolt back, "No Jethro – it is you and I who need to talk first." 

###

We find an alcove that offers a little respite from the hustle and bustle of the Sanctuary reception.

"What is it Blue?" 

"We need to talk about how Armina became with child."

His eyes roll around in their sockets, a gesture that irks me greatly, "Do not give me your condescending eyes when I have concerns." 

He looks as irked as I, "I have told you, I do not know how Armina became thus," he snaps.

Trying to control my mood from spilling into anger, I ensure my words are delivered with calm, "Yes, you have informed me thus, but what I am asking is, WHO has impregnated Armina?"

Jethro's face registers shock, and I see him searching his mind. He doesn't immediately answer; instead he stands still, processing my question. Eventually he looks at me, "Blue, you do not think for a second that it is I who has caused Armina's state, do you?" 

Looking him in the eye, I ask firmly, "Did you impregnate Armina?"

He stands and chants, "No, no, no!" 

In his reaction and response to my question, I know he speaks the truth, and I feel a wave of guilt, "I am sorry Jethro, but I had to ask in order to dismiss you from the thoughts that were crowding my head." 

He puts his hand on mine, "It is I who should be saying sorry." He looks at me in earnest, "My head has been caught up in all that is happening that I neglected to allow this mystery my mind space. His eyes lock mine, "We need to solve this with haste!"

I shake my head and explain, "Petra disarmed me when she said a boy 'infiltrates the Sanctuary' in order to curtail Armina's disorder."

Jethro's face , like mine, is deep with thoughts and questions, "Armina would not allow any boy near her in that way, nor would any Sanctuary boy go near her thus," he says.

"My thoughts concur, exactly," I say.

He takes my hand, "Come Blue, we must return to Sheroa and check on Armina's fate, for it is she who must surely have the answer," he says, pulling me out of the alcove and into the bustling Sanctuary reception.

###

People are scurrying to and throw, through the carved walkways of the Sanctuary. I see signs of awe on Jethro's face, "We are in the midst of great change, Blue," he says, as we walk towards the Freedom Tunnel.

###

In the Freedom Tunnel, Jethro stops and looks around him with his arms spread wide, "This is all I know, this is my world." He stops and looks towards the great cutter, which has ceased for a moment, offering us respite from its roar, "And soon the world out there will be revealed to thee." He focuses on me, "To all of thee – but we have a more pressing revelation to attend to first – come Blue, it is paramount that we discover who impregnated Armina; for whilst the culprit still infiltrates, our freedom remains in jeapordy," he says, guiding me through the Freedom Tunnel.

###

As Jethro and I walk and talk, I repeat Petra's parting words aloud – "Do not underestimate Petra and Petros – our power will prevail." He shakes his head, dismissively, "The power is now with our people. And with the alliance of Pantheons we have power in numbers." 

I do not share his optimism, but I do not say so; instead I refer to his earlier emotion, "I felt your great anger towards Petra."

His retort is resolute, "NO! My anger is all for Carola, I loved her like a sister."

"I understand, it is most difficult to reconcile our love for someone, with the revelation they have betrayed thee." 

He takes my hand, "Yes, that is one of the many conundrums crowding my head – you are most wise, Blue."

###

When I see the gangplank that leads into the mighty vessel, Sheroa, my chest tightens and my heart thumps. Jethro feels my anxiety, "We have to be prepared to face a possible negative outcome, Blue," he says, realistically.

"Yes, I know, but I cannot stop my heart from pounding and my head hurting."

He clasps my hand tighter, "Nor I – but we face this together," he says, stepping onto the gangplank.

###

We walk the wooden walkways in silence; both dealing with our worry in our own ways: me, silently muttering prayer, whilst Jethro wiggles the fingers of his right hand, as though he were casting some kind of magical spell.

###

I slow my pace, and as I enter the walkway with the ocean etchings, I notice Jethro is quite a distance ahead of me. He turns and holds out his hand, his fingers ceasing their wiggle, "Come Blue, your slowing only increases your anxiety; we must face the facts."

###

We hesitate outside the door to the medical cabin. My mutterings increase along with the wiggle of Jethros's fingers. Eventually his wiggling stops, he lifts the back of his hand to his lips, kisses it and transfers his kiss to my cheek with a gentle caress, "What will be, will be," he says, before rapping the door.

The medics voice calls, "Who is it?" 

We swap nervous glances, "It is Blue and I, Jethro."

"Come in," she says. In her voice, I hear no hint of what is the outcome of our friend's procedures.

###

Jethro tentatively pushes the door and we peer inside. A swathe of canvas is draped from the ceiling to the floor, obscuring the space where Armina and Ali lay.

We enter, "Hello," I call out.

The medic approaches from the back of the cabin; her face registers no discernible emotion. In fact, she is a blank canvas, causing my heart to drop and my knees to shake.

I stare at her face, "Well?" I say, my lips quivering.

"Well, what?" she answers, as though irked by my enquiry.

My lips twitch causing my words to shake, "Have you completed the blood transferal from Ali to Armina?" 

"Yes." She says, infuriatingly adding no further information.

Jethro is forthright, "Has it been a success?" 

Her reply is equally blunt, "Thus far – yes."

I feel a great weight fall from me, "May we see them?" 

To my delight, I detect the hint of a smile on her face, "You may, but Armina is sedated, whilst Ali is quite weakened from her donation," she says, walking towards the canvas curtain.

###

I bend and kiss Ali on the cheek, "All will be well my dearest, your strength will soon return," I whisper, encouragingly.

She returns a weak smile, "Thank you Blue, I love you as the sister I never had."

I squeeze her hand, "Our bond is stronger than sisters, we are survivors, and shall continue to be thus."

Her eyelids are heavy and she struggles to keep them open.

I am distracted by an animated conversation between Jethro and the medic; I lean in to Ali, "Rest sister, I will return to you and Armina soon," I say, gently sliding my hand over her eyes. Within moments she is in a deep, replenishing sleep.

###

I have left Ali's side in relative haste, for I fear I hear discord between Jethro and the medic.

The medic's face is strained, tight, and carries an expression of deep concern. Conversely, Jethro appears guarded and defensive, "I have told you all I know, Lea – I implore you not to throw me words with such an accusatorial tone."

On seeing me, she hurls words my way, "Is it true, Petra talked of a 'boy who infiltrates, who is not impotent' – she uttered this phrase to you?" 

"Yes!" I reply, shaken by the invasion of her question.

She swivels back to Jethro, "And you say 'we have power in our numbers' this is your belief?"

"Yes!" he answers.

She shoots back at me, "And Petra said to you 'their power will prevail'  those were her actual words?"

"Yes!" I say, trying to shake the possibility that I may have committed a grave and unknowing error.

At this, the medic steps away from us and places a hand over her mouth, lowering her head in deep ponder.

Jethro and I swap glances, before he interjects, "Lea, what is your concern? You are making Blue and I feel that we have committed some kind of traitorous crime." 

Eventually, she snaps from her thoughts, and her demeanour softens, "Forgive me please, I know my manner can be misconstrued, especially when I have the grave feeling that a most horrendous atrocity has been inflicted upon our society!"

She walks far from Armina and Ali's bed, and sits on a chair near the exit of the cabin, gesturing for Jethro and I to join her.

###

She speaks barely above a whisper, "Are all of the Cutter Collective #2 currently in captivity?" she asks.

"Affirmative," answers Jethro.

She leans forward, "In the last few months, girls from the Cutter Collective #2 have come to me complaining of great sickness in the mornings."

"And did you discover the cause?" asks Jethro.

"I assumed it to be the result of consuming rancid meat, a common complaint in the Sanctuary."

She stares ahead, "It is now my belief that every one of those girls, and even more so, are in various stages of pregnancy," she pauses, to allow Jethro and I time to process her insight.

It is me who asks the obvious, "And who do you believe has impregnated them?"

She does not hesitate – "Petra has conspired to grow her bloodline: she desires power in numbers, the power of increased progeny, the power of genetic infiltration."

Her eyes flit from Jethro to me – "A progeny that can only be created by her son – Petros!"