"Stop tugging on it."

"But they are so tight. I feel so stupid."

"You ARE stupid, so the pants change nothing."

"Ha, ha you are hilarious, but seriously though, did guys actually wear these back in the day, its covering nothing."

"Come on Ramirez, I didn't peg you as someone who had issues showing people his body."

"Well no, but there is just something rather wrong with these pants."

They were a little tight around the crotch area, but that had sort of been the fashion back in the day. While the 21st century had been into muscular athletic bodies kind of like the romans, some of the earlier human societies had praised.... Manhood

Adam adjusted his frock coat and touched the brim of his hat to a passing lady who blushed and curtseyed to him before passing on. Ramirez turned sharply to watch her go before turning around. The two of them looked up to stare at the large mansion looming over them against the yellow sky. The mansion sat at the edge of a large grey cliff-face and looked out over a lush alien landscape. The sky was a strange huge of butterscotch yellow, and the plants around them flickered a gentle blue in the breeze. The house itself was built in old Victorian fashion with many windows and jutting spires that made it look rather more like a palace than it did like a mansion.

The road leading up to the doorway was gravel, and they had been brought here on carriages drawn by strange beasts. Adam knew for sure that this strange moon had not yet produced life sufficient for those size of creature, so he assumed they were imported pack animals.

Lanterns of some sort had been lit to the sides of them as more carriages began to arrive. People were beginning to filter towards the doors, from which emanated the lilting waver of a string quartet already past the point of rehearsing and ready to greet the incoming crowd. Adam was caught in the arm by a familiar face in the crowd.

Captain Kelly took him by the arm.

He had to blink at least once to recognize that it was her. She had her hair done up in tight black braids, and wore a rather voluminous ball dress likely complete with hoop skirt and tight bodice in a deep sort of blue color. He had to pause for a moment and rethink what he knew about her. Not once in the time they had worked together had he ever seen her dress outside of anything that wasn't strictly UNSC professional.

IN fact he was coming close to the assumption that she had just bee born in her uniform.

Despite all that she kept her head held high and looked rather elegant and comfortable in the gown.

"Admiral."

She offered her arm, he tilted his hat again and took her arm.

"Sargent, Pick your jaw off the floor will you."

Ramirez scrambled to do as Admiral Kelly said as the three of them walked towards the open doors of the mansion. Peering through the doors they could see polished white black and white marble floors nearly concealed from end to end by dancing bodies and swishing hoop skirts as men and women danced to the music.

"So, Admiral, did you find anything on the scans?"

Adam shook his head as they passed through the doors handing their cards to the waiting butler.

"Admrial Adam Vir, Admiral Tala Kelly, and Guest!"

Ramirez frowned as two of them bowed low, one of them curtseyed, and they headed out onto the open ballroom floor.

He leaned in close to whisper in her ear as they excused their way past a group of men laughing loudly at some profane joke at the expense of one of the other young men who looked rather uncomfortable. In all of their hands they carried yellow classes of champaign gently bubbling towards the top.

"Nothing on the scans. I did a full top to bottom sweep of the mansion and it's grounds. The scans indicated no evidence of military grade weapons, biological agents, and no life signs outside that of what the patron said there would be. The mansion has a few sub basements, but there is a pool of water in one of them and some other odds and ends that didn't seem all that threatening."

Admiral Kelly nodded her head as two servers rushed up and offered them drinks.

The trey only had two drinks on it, and Ramirez and Kelly were offered theirs first as another servant scurried away to find more drinks.

A few seconds later they produced a similar drink.

When he took a sip it seemed, strange?

He sniffed at it.

"Does this champaign seem weird to you?"

Admiral Kelly shook her head, "No, its pretty good actually, not that I tend to drink champaign."

He paused nervously, and surreptitiously pulling a multi tool from the inside pocket of his coat and placing the biological testing strip into the drink. It beeped once but indicated that there were no toxins that he should be aware of, so he put it back in his pocket with some relief as they continued on.

"odd maybe its just my tastebuds.

Ramirez nudged him, "I'm going to head over to the desert table."

He snorted and shook his head, "Go on, and try not to hook up with too many people tonight. We are trying to act civilized."

Ramirez waved a hand at him but continued on towards the desert table where a large spread of fruit and cream treats had been laid out. All of them were human made though plenty of the ingredients were of alien origin including the, ever popular, Adin Bulb fruit. Some of it had been imported to earth, and was being grown there in controlled environments since its growth on actual farms was prohibited. But it was becoming a popular commodity on earth, and a staple of rich households. It would go for around five hundred credits a bulb which was insane for a fruit.

Adam felt pleased that he could just go to Anin and pick it himself.

The patron was clearly wealthy and more than willing to show it off.

Adam glanced over at Admiral Kelly and offered his hand, "May I have this dance."

She snorted at him but took his hand and allowed him to walk her out onto the floor where the other guests were swishing and whirling in time with a waltz. Adam was a surprisingly comfortable and competent dancer, and Kelly was pleased. She had learned how to dance due to her attendance at multiple military balls in her youth, but she was a poor dancer, and having him lead the way as cleanly as he did helped to ease some of her tension.

"So what do we know about the patron." He asked cutting them quickly left past another dancing couple.

"Not much, all we know is we received an anonymous donation of about 500 billion credits to the UNSC protection fund , and an invitation to this party. Of course based on their patronage it made sense though we were obviously worried that it was going to be some sort of trap to get all the major human leaders in place at once and eliminate them before anything could be done."

Adam swung her around with a swishing of cloth, "That it?"

"As far as we can tell."

"And how do we know for sure that this isn't a trap?"

"Well for starters it seems they have been making multiple smaller donations to all the major protection agencies all over the universe and including the GA. This has been doing on for years, even before humans showed up, so we are just assuming that whoever it is just doing what they have always done."

"But that is a sudden jump in funding."

"it is, and it worries me."

"Not enough to make any of us leave it seems."

"No, or so it seems."

The dance ended and Adam bowed. "Nice dress b the way, who made it/"

"You should know." She said smiling.

He grinned, "I thought that stitching looked familiar. "My mother does pretty good work doesn't she."

"Yes she is a talented woman." She gestured to him, "I am assuming she made everything here."

"Down to the last button."

They walked off the dance floor and towards the refreshment tables where more drinks were being served. A few servants hurried forward to hand them another glass one filling Adam's cup and the other filling kelly's cup. It would probably take him a few more to feel buzzed so he wasn't concerned as he took a drink and walked over to score a bulb fruit which appeared to be at their peak ripeness.

He looked around to see that Ramirez was chatting up some other young woman on the other side of the room, and by the way she was blushing made ti pretty clear that Ramirez was not likely to heed his warning.

Oh well.

Perhaps he should have thought to brin Maverick along to reign him in, but the time for that decision was long past. A younger woman he didn't know and came up to ask him to dance, to which he agreed. She was a pilot like him and had been invited as a guest of one of the other high ranking members. He was pleased to make her acquaintance though he unintentionally shot down all of her romantic advances having no idea that she was even giving them.

He just thought she was being friendly.

That done he was roped into a conversation with some of the older men where he was forced to listen to outdated opinions on new technology and try not to open his mouth and say something stupid that would make him enemies. Eventually he stepped away and scooted into the nearest hallway hoping to find a bathroom. He hurried around the corner as the music faded behind him and found himself standing in a long dark hallway with red carpeted floor and large marble pillars atop which sat sculpted busts of famous human figures throughout history.

He was surprised to see them there.

Julius Cesar, Confucius, Cleopatra, Sun Tzu, Martin Luther King Jr. George Washington, Stalin, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Joan of arc, Dr. Bernthal, and hundreds more. Eyes wide with shock and curiosity he continued down the line of busts and names. Most of the names he recognized some of them he did not. Humans from all over earth from increasing time periods. Around the turn of BCE to CE he saw a bust of Jesus, and further up on the row he saw a bust of Hitler himself. He had a sudden and abiding urge to tip it over on accident but refrained not wanting to insult their patron.

Then again its not like Stalin was a paragon of virtue either, and it didn't seem to matter what these humans had done just that they had done SOMETHING noteworthy in history. He turned the corner only to see that the busts continued all the way down the hall. There was Elvis, so it wasn't all down to political leaders.

Beyonce, should have expected that.

All of the Beetles.

Bon Jovi.

Keeping on numerous presidents and leaders Kim Jong- Un.

Going through a few more that is where he found Bernthal, and eventually, to his surprise, Admiral Kelly depicted in marble. She was staring glassily ahead staring out of the marble. Whoever had made her bust had been pretty good and the ringlets of her hair seemed unnervingly lifelike? He inched forward towards where the last bust sat and was shocked to find his own face staring back at him.

He had to step back for a moment to try and clear his head as he stared, but it was real. He was really seeing what he thought he was seeing.

He shook his head in shock and stared at himself.

Was his jaw really that sharp?

And why would they have added him into the collection. He wouldn't have considered himself as important as half of these people. Maybe even less important than Elvis, though he would have liked to think that he was more important than the Beetles. Someone could argue with him on the subject, but he kind of low key hated their music.

Trash.

Anyone who disagreed could fight him.

He stared at himself for a long moment. Whoever had made this had used a younger picture of him. Probably one of his old UNSC photos.

"I see you have come to admire my little collection."

Adam jumped on the spot and turned sharply surprised to come face to face with an old Rundi leaning on a rather expensive looking walking stick. Adam frowned at the odd creature's appearance. He was about five feet nine inches, wearing a top hat and an attached monocle. He didn't walk like a Rundi typically did, on all four legs, and so leaned against the cane to support himself upright as he walked. He was wearing a tailored frock coat and silk tie with a strange little top hat balanced atop his inhuman head.

It was

Strange.

"I uh, yes.... It is rather......"

"Extensive?"

The Rundi limped over to stand next to him, "What do you think of the bust. I had it commissioned a few months ago, brand new."

'It is..... well made." He said nervously shifting from one foot to the other, "Though I do have to ask why you decided to include me in all this."

The Rundi barked something similar to amusement, "I have Neil Armstrong and Yuri Gagarin, so of course I would add the first man to meet aliens and the Admiral of the GA fleet."

"I suppose..... So I am assuming you are the anonymous donor."

"Indeed I am. Quite so."

This guy was a bit wacked out, but he was going to have to go with it.

"I see. And Why the sudden fascination with humans."

"Oh I have always found other societies fascinating. When I showed no proclivity for government work, and a rather greater interest in the diversity of alien species, I found myself estranged from others like myself and so have begun my collection." He raised his hand and motioned down the hallway.

"No governmental proclivity. That is odd for a Rundi."

"yes and not a trait that is smiled upon it seems."

He motioned with a hand, "Please come to my office. I would delight at the ability to chat for a little longer."

Nervously Adam followed after.

The Rundi continued to babble on about the architecture and the statues and the silks and the history. He seemed to have done extensive research on all the subjects related to humanity though he did have a fondness for baroque and Victorian time periods.

He was a strange creature.

"So, why don't you join your own party, get the full experience."

"Oh I couldn't!" I wouldn't want to ruin the aesthetic, the glorious atmosphere. If I were to walk in there like this I would disrupt the merriment. No best to watch and enjoy from the loft above or the cameras within my office.

They reached a heavy oak door and a set of two human butlers pulled the doors opened for him and bowed as the two of them walked in.

"I see."

Inside it was dark and comfortable the walls lined with shelves and books. A rich red carpet was placed on a wooden floor and a large oak desk sat just to the side of a massive marble fireplace, already burning, there were man pictures on the wall and small sculptures. One of the additions to the office was a replica of Starry night and the Scream.

There was a replicated globe of earth sitting on one of the sleeves carved out of black marble inlayed with gold leaf. Old framed maps behind glass sat on the wall their edges singed making them either masterful replications or the real deal, which was shocking considering that moving human historical objects from earth was very difficult if not impossible with the influence of the Terran Historical and Cultural Society.

The Rundi sat down in one of the high backed chairs by the fire and Adam was offered a seat next to him, "May I offer you something to drink?"

"I thought Rundi couldn't have water."

"I cannot, but If I am to have human guests I should have drinks on hand. Here I insist."

He handed Adam a wine glass of red liquid, which Adam assumed to be wine, but was rather sweet and tasted sort of like grape juice to him. He wasn't entirely sure of wine was supposed to taste like grape juice or maybe the old Rundi had simply given him grape juice, but either way he took a sip.

"Are you in good health admiral?"

He shifted and held his cup closer, "Why.... Uh yes I am thank you for asking."

"Good , good, no recent injuries?"

"No sir"

"And have you eaten recently?"

"Yes at the party and a few meals before coming here, why?"

"Oh no reason just wanted to make sure you are in good condition. As a host it is my obligation to inquire after the health of my guests."

"Of course. I... if I may ask one question?"

"Of course!"

"Why the sudden interest in helping humans. The large donation, this party? We know that you have donated to other agencies, but it seems not so much."

"No? Well perhaps I see humans as the biggest and best asset that the universe has and I want to keep it that way."

"What about the Celzex?"

"those little psychopaths. I think not. I foresee a future where we will likely have to fight them, and humans as our best bet."

"I see."

"Do you ?"

"I think."

"Mmmm. Either way I plan on doing my own little research. Finding out what humans can do. I want to see It with my own eyes. Experience it with my own hands, that sort of thing."

"What are you talking about?"

"it is nothing personal of course Admiral. It's just by now I would think you are used to this sort of thing since it seems to happen to you so often."

"Wha-"

The floor dropped out from underneath him and he plunged into blackness.