It turned out that Orion followed the group back to the warehouse. When Terrell asked him if he had his own place to stay, Orion simply replied that he didn't see a point living somewhere else if he was to join the crew. Terrell didn't put up much of a fight, especially when Orion volunteered to pay rent and brought along his own mattress.

Everyone went to bed without much talking. Terrell had gotten another mattress. There was some arguing over who would get it. In the end Sahara, Alegra, and Naomi shared the two mattresses. They withdrew to a corner to one end. Reagan and Arden squeezed onto the couch, and after a few minutes of shoving each other, they finally drifted off. Orion withdrew to another corner on his mattress.

However, no one got much sleep. For Naomi released her whale three times. Each time the room was filled with a large hologram of a whale, which took up the entire warehouse. The hologram wasn't as much the problem as the fact that the whale would begin to sing its whale song. Even after Alegra finally managed to get Naomi to stop releasing the hologram, sounds would still ever so often emit from the bracelet.

The next morning, no one was in a particularly good mood, especially Terrell.

"Get rid of that thing or I will," he told Alegra in a low voice so that Naomi couldn't hear.

"Hey, you bought it for her," Alegra hissed back.

"And how I wish I hadn't," Terrell muttered.

In the end, the twins were the ones to find the solution to their problem. They dragged Sahara along as they took Naomi to the bathroom with her new bracelet, which was currently singing.

Now, they were all gathered around a toilet bowl, watching as Arden dropped the bracelet into it. A few sparks emitted, but the singing continued.

"No!" Naomi made a lunge for it. "You'll kill Blue!" It was the name she had given the whale the night before.

"No it won't, he's a whale," Arden told her.

Reagan nodded. "We're setting him free. He'll be happier this way."

"Really?" Naomi asked. She calmed down somewhat.

"Yup. He'll get to join all his fellow whales in...the pipes," Arden told her.

Naomi leaned back against Sahara. "There are more whales down there?"

"Uh..." Sahara wasn't sure how to reply.

"Oh, if they're anything near as noisy as Blue I'm sure there are," Reagan grinned. "Now, how about we say bye bye and set him free?"

Naomi nodded. She was even the one to flush the toilet. And then they headed back to join the others for breakfast. Naomi scrambled over to Alegra.

Sahara sat down beside Terrell.

"Did you know there are whales in the pipes?" Naomi asked Alegra.

"Really?"

"Finally...it's gone," Terrell sounded exasperated. He leaned his head on the table. "Sleep," he murmured longingly.

Alegra didn't comment. Sahara did see her shoot Orion a look thought, but she couldn't place what it was. Somehow, Alegra hadn't talked to him once, and neither had he to her. It was as if the two were somewhat trying to avoid each other.

"So, Orion, is there anything you specialize in?" Arden asked him curiously.

Orion, who had calmly been sitting and watching everything until that point, leaned back in his chair. "I'm a strategist."

"Ohhhh," both twins exclaimed at the same time.

"What's that?" Sahara asked.

Orion looked at her in surprise.

 "Basically he plans a strategy ahead of time. He finds out what he can about the other teams before races and informs his own team of their strengths and weaknesses," Terrell spoke without looking up. "It's helpful, but not a position required to form a crew."

"In my experience it's been vital," Orion replied calmly. "Crews with a strategist have proven to do better than those without."

"Great," Arden groaned. "That means we still need either a tower or a scout."

"Why?" Orion looked around. "The way I see it you already have one for every position."

Reagan shook his head. "Terrell isn't part of the crew. He's our manager."

Orion raised his eyebrows.

"Well, at least we have enough members to register," Alegra murmured. "We can also do one on one challengers, so let's take things from there."

At that moment, Reagan's bracelet began to beep. He leaped up.

"Work!" he exclaimed wide eyed.

Arden got up at once. "We're going to be late!"

"Hey!" Alegra yelled after them as they sprinted from the room. "We're having an important discussion here!"

They were already gone.

"Just great," Alegra muttered. "Come on Sahara. Let's go." She turned to Naomi and held her hand out. "You too."

Naomi took her hand.

"You're not leaving her here today?" Terrell looked up, hope on his face.

"So that you can buy her another pet whale?" Alegra glared at him.

"She does have a point," Sahara murmured.

Terrell looked as though he had won the lottery. "I'm free!" he sounded in shock.

"Where are you going?" Orion asked Sahara as she walked by.

"To work at the café," Sahara replied as she picked up her board.

"I think I'll tag along," Orion announced.

Alegra looked like she wanted to argue, however, she said nothing.

"It sounds interesting," Orion explained.

Terrell looked like he couldn't believe his luck at having the warehouse to himself.

"See you later," Sahara told him before she left with the others.

They arrived at the café not long after.

"You're all here," Jack sounded pleased. Yet, when he saw Orion walk in with them, he scowled. "I'm not hiring another one."

"He just came along," Sahara assured him as she put on her apron. Alegra went to the door to switch the sign to 'open'.

"Huh," Jack grunted.

"You the owner?" Orion asked.

Jack nodded; suspicion in his eyes at Orion's intention.

"It's a nice place," Orion told him politely.

Sahara began to set up with Alegra.

"Founded thirty years ago by your father?" Orion asked. Sahara shot a glance over. She was surprised to see that on Orion's glasses words were scrolling across. He was reading the information off to Jack. "Looks like you're sales dropped quite a bit already before the virus."

Jack grunted.

"You know..." there was a shrewd glint in Orion's eyes. "If you saved some money here and there and added in a few special products, those sales could go right back up."

"Really?" Jack still sounded suspicious. However, there was a sudden look of interest in his eyes.

Orion nodded. He pulled out something that looked like two small rods of metal, about the length and thickness of a pencil. When he pulled them apart, a screen appeared between the two. In the next few moments Jack hung over his every word as Orion explained how he could boost his sales. Sahara and Alegra had already served five customers when the two were done.

Jack's eyes were wide with wonder as he turned to Orion. "Tell you what, how would you like to be hired as an assistant manager?"

Orion's smile told Sahara that he had been aiming for this all along.

The morning went by as usual. Orion spent most of it exploring the store with Jack trailing behind him and listening to every word. Alegra and Sahara took orders and served, and the twins were taking full advantage of the lack of Jack's attention. They were having a competition with the customers to see who could guess which dish they made didn't had a supper hot pepper mixed into it. They set it up Russian Roulette style, where the customers had to pick a dish and eat it. If they got it right, the meal was free. If they had it wrong, they had to pay double.

Sahara wondered at how many took part in the game. After the fifth customer in a row was gulping down water like a fish, Sahara had the suspicion that there wasn't a dish without the peppers in it. Seeming to finally realize something was up, Jack headed on over and put a stop to the game. He sent both Arden and Reagan back to the kitchen with threats ranging from stringing them up to firing them.

It was a little while later when Alegra paused by Sahara. "I'm going to grab some air out back," she told her. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Sahara nodded. However, Alegra had barely left when Jack came up to Sahara. "You seen Alegra?" he asked.

"She went to get some air," Sahara replied.

Jack grunted. "Go tell her she can do that later. We'll be needing her help right now."

Sahara looked up. Seeing that a whole group of customers had entered she realized what Jack meant.

"I'll get her," she assured him. Putting the rag she was using to the side, Sahara hurried to the back door. There was a small courtyard outside that was walled in. Alegra had most likely gone there so that she would be alone. However, when Sahara's hand touched the door handle and she began to push it open, she heard voices talking. Her reaction was to freeze.

"Why?" it was Alegra's voice.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're trying to say." Sahara felt surprise. The second voice belonged to Orion.

"Why'd you join?" Alegra clarified.

There was a pause in which Sahara could only guess Orion shrugged.

"Look..." Alegra paused. "We'll find another member. As for you...I think it's best you lea–"

"What's your problem?" Orion asked.

Sahara suddenly got the feeling that this wasn't a conversation she was meant to hear.

"Are you scared they'll find out?" Orion asked.

"Well, if they're two of us, it'll be more likely. You know we both came on..."

Sahara leaned closer against the door, she couldn't help it.

"You don't have anything to hide, do you?"

"No," Alegra was quick to answer.

"Then what's the big deal?"

"People...people like us aren't welcome in Regona," Alegra said. "You know how suspicious they'll be if they know."

"Look. You don't say anything on your end and I won't say anything on mine." Orion sounded calm.

Alegra was silent.

"Relax. There's no way they'll find out that we were on the last shuttle to enter Regona. And even if they did...you said you don't have anything to hide."

"I just don't want any trouble," Alegra muttered. "You probably heard what happened to the last lot they found."

Sahara wrinkled her forehead. She remembered Terrell saying something about some shuttles arriving before the virus hit. Her eyes widened. He said anyone not from Regona is a suspect. That's why I can't let anyone know.

"Speaking of which...why did you come to Regona?"

"None of your business," Alegra snapped.

"Hey, just curious here."

Sahara heard footsteps. Realizing she had to act or she would be caught, she threw the door open.

"Alegra?" Sahara tried to look as innocent as possible.

Alegra had frozen and Orion turned to face her, his eyebrows raised.

"Jack wanted me to call you back in," as Sahara said those words, Alegra's face relaxed.

She shot Orion a meaningful look before she walked up to Sahara. "Let's go then," she told her.

Sahara didn't say a word as she followed her. So they came on the last shuttles? She watched the back of Alegra's head. I know Terrell said it's best not to let anyone know if you're not from Regona...but is that really such a big deal that they have to keep it secret? Her mind ran wild as she remembered what Alegra had said moments before: You probably heard what happened to the last lot they found.

"Looks like we got a whole group at once," Alegra's words snapped Sahara from her thoughts.

She looked up to see the café filled. Voices rang across the room.

"You ready to get to work?" Alegra asked her.

Sahara put a smile on her face and nodded. As Alegra turned away, she watched her. It's probably best I forget the whole conversation, Sahara thought, Besides, I'm hiding something too. She grabbed a notebook and pencil and went back to work.