"We can't be out here too long," Mimi cautioned.

She stood at the back door of the Science Center, holding a multiphase scanner at the level of her hips. She turned a half-circle, sweeping the nearby grounds and analyzing every direction. The campus, of course, was clear. No predators. No surprises. Mimi had anticipated as much. An electrical current and audio pitch at the perimeter of the grounds had ensured that. And yet, a brief sunset windchill made Mimi shudder. She stopped and glanced at her wristcom.

"It's getting late," she said.

"I understand," Elliott replied. He shifted his stance inside the small exitway, awaiting the clearance to move. His chest tightened. He clenched his jaw, and glanced back at his friend Alessandro, who was following close behind.

"It's not an ideal time to do this," Mimi fretted. "It took you nom-nuts too long to prepare! There are curfew limits! With only a half-day's notice, at least you should have been ready to go!"

Elliot stared at his feet as he squirmed in his boots.

Generally, supervision was a simple task, but monitoring Elliot and Alessandro was like babysitting two children, Mimi thought. It was a miracle the pair could organize themselves enough to go outside.

"I'm sorry, Mimi," Elliot said. "I know you're taking a risk -- "

"It's not like we're going off-campus or anything," the female officer cut in, "but the outer defense is not without its weaknesses."

"I understand."

"You can't take this stuff lightly, Elliot. People get killed out here, okay? Don't screw around. Otherwise, I'm gonna end this little tea party of yours."

With that, the female HP officer stepped out into the open, followed by her two male counterparts.

Alessandro raised his eyebrows.

"Whoa!"

Compared to the dull scenery inside, the Outside World was a kaleidoscope of lively colors. The sky was a bright combination of orange and red, the sun setting over the western horizon. In its place, a pale yellow moon shone brightly above; a subtle nightlight to the local range. Behind it, a sea of stars flowed in a swell of nighttime darkness.

Alessandro gasped.

The panoramic surroundings extended far beyond his forgotten memories -- long, golden prairie fields, a majestic evergreen forest, and a series of snow-capped mountains in the distance. Even in the twilight hours, it wasn't difficult to appreciate the beautiful scenery. Glorious. So lovely, its natural allure was rivaled only by its actual danger.

Alessandro closed his eyes and threw his head back. He stretched out his arms and thrust out his chest. "Ha-ha!" he exclaimed. He glanced back at Elliot and Mimi, and smiled widely. He looked to his hands and fingers. "I feel tingly all over!"

On the ground, at his right foot, the strange boy noticed something else. Something bright-colored. A single yellow flower, blossoming near his great toe. He bent down and ran his fingertips over the delicate petals.

"When we see the miracle of a flower, our whole lives change," Alessandro recited.

Mimi flashed a look at Elliot, but he too, seemed preoccupied with the tapestry of the land. Mimi stepped closer, but Elliot did not notice the pretty flower standing next to him.

"Your friend acts like he's never seen the world before," Mimi spoke up.

"Uh yeah, you could probably say that," Elliot replied.

"Which county is he from, again?"

"Umm, south, I think? I'm not sure."

Mimi shook her head. "You know, Elliot, you're a terrible liar."

Elliot's mouth slacked, and his pace stuttered.

"I'm sorry, Mimi, w-what -- "

"Stop, Elliot, just stop. Stop lying. Own up to whatever it is you think you're doing out here, okay?"

"What? I-I do -- "

"No, you don't."

"W-what're you trying to say?"

Mimi rolled her eyes. "Forget it. Forget I ever do anything for you. Whenever you're ready to tell me what's going on, you know how to find me, okay?"

Elliot's face became sullen.

Mimi looked back at Alessandro. "Whoever your friend is, though, he seems to be adjusting."

"Adjusting?" Elliot repeated, distracted in thought.

"He's different from the last time I saw him. He looks bigger than what I remember. And, he's walking and talking now. That's not too much to ask for in a guy, right?"

"What? Uh, yeah, he's been attending classes now, meeting new people -- "

"I noticed he's not stalking me anymore," Mimi cut in. "Did something change? Did you say something to him?"

"Uh, no," Elliot frowned. "What would I say?"

"Oh, I don't know," Mimi said with avoidance. "Did you say anything... about me?"

"Like what?"

Mimi studied Elliot with repudiation.

"Elliot, sometimes I don't know if you can't find the words, or if you just don't have any feelings."

A crease developed at Elliot's forehead. "What? What should I be feeling?"

Mimi's jaw dropped as she stared intently. "Tell me again -- why are we out here at this time of night?"

"Oh! I wanted to show Aless around the Center," Elliot explained, "but I told him it wasn't safe to be outside without a consort."

Mimi wrinkled her nose. "Had you gone out earlier in the day, you probably wouldn't have needed me to watch over you two."

"What? No, Mimi. You don't understand. It wasn't just about going outside. It was about being with you."

"With me?"

"I wanted it to be with you."

"You did?"

"I mean, I really wanted Aless to meet you."

"Oh... "

"He said he wanted to meet other people, and I didn't know who else to introduce."

"... of course."

"I've known you like, forever, Mimi. We're practically brother and sister."

Mimi was briefly quiet. "Where is that idiot going?"

"What?"

Like a giddy child, Alessandro skipped away from the building.

The grassy plains were large and inviting, and seemed to call out to the foreign boy.

"Look at the size of these trees!" Alessandro pointed. He jumped and looked back excitedly at Elliot and Mimi.

The two long-time friends followed the strange boy down an unfinished, rocky pathway.

Alessandro quick-stepped for a better vantage point of the monstrous trees. As he made his way, the forest grew more and more dramatic, endless in its far reaches. Closer up, the evergreens stood with utter power and magnitude. Awe-inspiring.

"Okay, hey! That's as far as we go," Mimi called out.

Alessandro was bug-eyed, and he stopped to explore everything around him. He ran his hand through the long tall grass, scattering a trove of hidden insects. Looking up, he followed the flight of the fleeing insects, next catching an overwhelming quaff of sticky, smelly pine trees. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He soon found himself drifting on a thatch mattress of pine cones and needles. He opened his eyes and searched for another adventure. It was as if he had never experienced such things before.

Elliot wondered what the world had been like in Alessandro's day. Could it have been so different?

Alessandro discovered a shiny black rock on the ground and examined it. He ran his fingers over its glossy surface, rubbing off the residual dirt. He scratched and struck it against a larger boulder half-buried in the ground. He looked around for other similar stones, and as he searched, he playfully flipped the rock in the air and caught it, over and again.

All at once, Alessandro froze. He straightened his back and looked to the air around him. He felt something. No, he heard something. Then he looked off in a different direction to confirm his senses.

"We're being observed... " he announced.

Mimi stepped closer to his side. "Where?" Her scanner hadn't detected anything.

Alessandro looked to Elliot.

"Mongrels... "