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~ Aerospace Station Nieznane
Początki, Poland ~

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Tori became promoted to CEO position shortly after her discovery of how to turn humans into Iredescents. One way or another, during her scheduled times off work and her productive work days, she was able to work effectively both at the Aerospace Station Nieznane and at her secret lab.

She put aside her secret research for now as she returned to her work duties and began attending to new work responsibilities, stepping fully into the role of CEO. The stolen ship had been replaced by a newly built one called Meteora. The perpetrator, to no surprise, was still unfound, the incident somewhat forgotten now that Tori oversaw the entire aerospace center as well as space operations.

A young, fresh addition to the leaders of the aerospace station, Tori quickly excelled in success and became everyone's favorite CEO. She allowed lesser-paid employees free vacations for an entire two weeks at her own expense, gifting them each a substantial amount to cover travel costs. She often ate in the cafeteria with the other employees instead of dining at five star restaurants every lunch break like other executives and higherups. She gave her mother a McLaren for her birthday and put fresh roses over her father's grave, watching the latest spaceship launch in his memory.

In between scheduled board meetings and important aerospace station decision-making, Tori kept at her secret study of Iredescent while living her established CEO life. It wasn't much different from being a CES, but even with more responsibilities being thrown out at her, Tori kept her cool and was very calm and poised, an influence to others as her magnetic personality attracted those around her.

With the discoveries fresh in her mind, Tori headed for the cafeteria during lunch time one partly cloudy day. She sat down with her tray of food, the usual mashed potatoes and steak with a side of carrots and broccoli. She pushed her chair in as she moved closer to the simple utilitarian table, propping her chin in one hand as she absently picked at her food.

The TV was turned on to the latest news. Tori glanced at it with disinterest. She did a double take and looked at it again when she caught a glimpse of a young man in handcuffs being led to a police van. The news cast droned, "....has been charged with robbery at the BP Tankstelle Karst Gabriele gas station in Linz, Austria. Nathan Shaw has been taken to custody after breaking in and threatening the cashier with a gun, a Smith & Wesson he personally owned. The chief deputy stated this wasn't his first robbery. The cashier was clearly – "

Tori tuned out the news report, focusing on the young man in handcuffs. She frowned, wondering why he attempted the robbery in the first place. What was his motive? Does he not have something better to do with his time than rob a gas station cash register? He looks young enough to be in college.

The young man had close-cropped brown hair, brown eyes, and a lean athletic build. He was wearing all black, his hair messy from being in a ski mask, which a police officer now held. He seemed to comply with the police, allowing them to take him to the van and shut the door.

It looks like it wasn't his first time being involved with the cops, Tori thought as she studied him. Sipping her milk carton, she listened and watched the news go on about putting the guy in prison since "he just doesn't seem to know when to stop." He's too cute to go to prison, Tori thought, looking away from the TV as she pondered.

A coworker named Selvester interrupted her thoughts when he slid his lunch tray across from her and sat down. Tori jumped and saw him smile dorkily at her. "Spooked you?" he said in amusement.

Tori chuckled. "How's it going in aero mechanics?" she asked, resuming her lunch. She didn't look at the TV anymore, the young man's name and location already engraved in her mind.

"Lots of repairs. Usual stuff," Selvester replied, picking up a forkful of curled macaroni with beef sauce.

"I see." Tori tossed her empty milk carton in the trash, hardly interested in anything Selvester had to say. She already made up her mind, deciding the young man would be instrumental in what she wanted so much to accomplish.

She used satellite data to locate the whereabouts of the young felon, Nathan Shaw. He was being held in a prison near his hometown in Winchester, Austria. It would take approximately nine hours to drive from Poland to Austria, and seven hours to drive from Austria to her new mansion in Germany.

Hope soared as high as her dreams, her heart beating in anticipation the more she thought about him. This could be the guy who turns me into an Iredescent, Tori thought excitedly. The guy who'll help make all my dreams come true.

Tori had all the materials ready, but she needed someone to turn the levers and press the start button to power it up so that she could be transformed in the cylinder. That someone had to be someone she could trust with her secret. Another reason why I need to bail Nathan out, she thought, intending for him to be the one to turn her. True, she could've picked anyone then killed them soon as she turned, but she had no idea how long the transformation would take and didn't want anyone to uncover what she discovered. It would be a huge risk to trust someone, and she figured that someone would be a person she would be very close and intimate with.

It was a complexity of sorts; Tori felt excitement at the prospect of becoming a superhuman, tantamount to that of becoming someone like out of a superhero movie, but she also felt the deep need to be recognized. She wanted more than to live and die someday; she wanted to become a legacy. By being the first human to become an Iredescent, she would forever change the world.

That discovery had already changed her life and the way she lived. Soon as Tori left work, she headed home and continued reading/studying the n-r element while trying to find out more about Iredescents, their body structure, the way they lived, and hopefully their origins.

The two dead Iredescents, Adrezo and Evana, had been placed in two separate golden caskets with a glass top so that they could still be seen. They were carefully preserved with special technology that prevented their bodies from decaying. They were placed in the basement part of the glass building, hidden there after Tori had thoroughly researched them.

Tori set her glasses on the table, sighing as she finished her cup of apricot tea. Her thoughts drifted again towards the felon, Nathan Shaw. It wouldn't be just another fling; she wanted a future with this one even though she hardly knew him.

After finding out his exact location and pinpointing where the detention center/prison was, Tori packed a few clothes and accessories, taking personal time off for "another vacay." She took the Bugatti Chiron and drove, enjoying the long road ahead.

Her father's car garage held a wide collection of vehicles, but after his death, Tori sold all but three: the blue/black Bugatti Chiron, the white Corvette, and a red Hyundai Genesis. Why her father had a Hyundai Genesis, Tori didn't know, but she kept it for whenever she wanted to drive a normal car that didn't stand out like the Bugatti.

The drive from Początki, Poland to Winchester, Austria filled her with much anticipation and hope. It proved to be a success convincing the officers to allow a rich stranger to pay for a criminal's bail. Fifty grand worth of Euros also proved to be a success in shutting their mouths for them to stop asking questions.

The doors to the Tacoma County prison building opened before her, putting less space between her and the young man she had unexpectedly become interested in. Tori followed the puzzled police officers to Nathan's prison cell. The young man was sitting on a cot. He looked up when he saw them approach.

"This young woman paid your bail. You're free," Officer Mcgwen said to him, opening the door. Officer Adenauer remained standing near Tori.

Nathan glanced at them in bewilderment. "Wait, what?" he said, as if trying to wake himself from a dream.

Tori stepped forward, staring at the young man with intensity. He looked up at her in a mix of surprise and confusion.

"Who are you?" he asked, clearly confused. "Is this for real?"

A low smile curved at Tori's lips. "I am Tori Nichok, CEO of the Aerospace Station Nieznane in Początki, Poland. You're coming with me, Nathan Shaw."

Nathan stood and faced her for the first time, standing just centimeters away from her. He looked at her for a long time, then turned to the police officers and said, "So you're telling me a complete stranger just bailed me out of prison?"

Officer nodded. "Yup."

"For what reason?" Nathan asked, turning back to Tori.

She gave a small shrug, her eyes studying him. "Just a random act of kindness," she said with a tone of innocence. "I'm rich enough to do pretty much anything I want, so I decided to turn your life around. Like me, you're still young, but look at where we are in life. I'm successful and have my own career with enough money to keep me set even for forty years after I die. You, on the other hand, already have a criminal record and you barely finished your college sophomore year. You attended the Slovak Medical University in Bratislava and was doing fine for a while, then you dropped out when you started hanging with the wrong crowd and getting in trouble."

Tori looked deep into his eyes, secretly admiring them, though she kept her expression formal and serious, not revealing her true emotions. "I want to change your life, Nathan Shaw. You will live with me, go back to college, and start over in life."

"Nate, please. Call me Nate." He locked eyes with her, the question why written all over him like a neon sign. "Why? Just why?"

"Nobody does that kind of stuff, so why not be the first?" Tori wrapped a chrome silver-black bracelet cuff around his wrist, touching him for the first time. "If you act up or try to get in trouble again, this will knock you out. My favorite toy out of many." She smiled coyly, making Nate give her a weird look. She turned towards the officer, saying, "Thank you, Officer Adenauer."

He nodded and said, "Of course, miss. I'll walk you out."

Tori and Nate followed him down the hallway and out the door. Nate kept throwing confused glances at Tori, who kept looking straight ahead, all emotion wiped from her face for the moment. The cuff she put on his wrist had an electronic beep that activated a Taser-like electroshock should Nate try to move a certain distance away from the precinct, the precinct being Tori.

When they got outside, Nate's eyes widened at the blue/black Bugatti Chiron in the front row of the parking lot. Who is this woman? he found himself wondering as they got inside, feeling as though he were in a dream. The interior was as luxurious as the exterior. White leather seats, a glass roof, luxurious aesthetics, seven-speed automatic gearbox, and a paddle-driven computer-controlled shifting system. This was a supercar Nate never thought he'd ever see in real life. German electropop music played soon as Tori started it up. Nate kept glancing at the two seats and the control panel, and at the driver.

Tori was wearing gold pants, an expensive cream jacket over a ballerina pink top, a Citizen watch, a gold bangle, and black-rimmed glasses. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail. Her brown eyes glanced at Nate, catching him in her gaze.

Nate looked back at her, the incredulous look still on his face. "You can afford a Bugatti?" he asked in astonishment. It was just too over the moon to be driving in a Bugatti, let alone seeing a real one in person.

Tori nodded, turning back to the road. "I'm a CEO," she told him. "I could afford the moon if I wanted." She was joking about the moon, but she did come really close to it.

Nate was too astounded to fully process this strange sudden turn of events. He had gone from being a criminal on the run, sentenced to nine years in prison, to sitting next to a stunning rich young woman in a Bugatti. A Bugatti.

She's really fine-looking, he thought, allowing a few moments to regard the driver, before flickering his eyes back to the vehicle. "I reckon you're like a female Bruce Wayne," he said, sitting up in his seat and resting his arm on the armrest near the window.

Tori continued driving for some time before Nate was prompted to ask, "Hey, where are we going?" They had been on the road for over an hour now without any bathroom breaks or rest stops.

"To Stattfinden, Germany," Tori answered.

Nate was astonished. "From Austria?!"

Tori was unmoved. "Sometimes I like to take long drives," she said.

"And sometimes I'd like to know the truth," Nate said in kind, as if being smart with her. "Seriously, why would you go through the trouble of bailing a random criminal out of prison? We're complete strangers. We never met. Fuck, you drove all the way to Austria just to come get me?"

"Yes," Tori said tautly, her lips firm and her eyes trained on the road.

"Why?" His questions became more demanding in trying to figure out her motives.

Tori gave him a look of sheer elegance and grace. "Because I can." She turned back to the road, pushing up her glasses a little.

"Unbelievable." Nate slumped back in his seat, folding his arms across his chest. "So I'm the lucky one, huh?"

"That you are," Tori said in a mysterious voice, looking at him just then. For the first time that day, Nate felt that there was something dangerous about Tori, something deep and dark she was hiding. Like she could be more of a criminal than he was, but could get away with it because of her wealth. He didn't like that uneasy feeling and decided he didn't trust her at all.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I wish you would've thought about getting to my place first. I need clothes and I want my stuff. And quite frankly, I'm not thrilled with the idea of living in a stranger's house. I don't care if it's a fancy mansion or the Tsarina of Russia's palace; I don't like it. I want to be in my own room in my own apartment."

"Better become acquainted with me if you don't want to be strangers," said Tori, her mouth curving up in a smile. She cranked up the volume, saying, "First thing you should know about me is that I love dance club music."

"You don't strike me as the kind of girl who goes to clubs and stuff like that," said Nate, giving her a double take as the music station played a rather suggestive song about sex.

"No, but I like the music," Tori replied, taking a sharp turn.

When the lyrics got too raunchy, Nate switched the station to classical music. Now it was Tori's turn to give him a double take.

"You like classical music?" she asked, surprised.

"Yup," Nate replied, feeling proud of himself. "You should listen to it more often."

"I have a feeling I will," said Tori, casting a look at him.

They kept driving until they needed to stop at a gas station for gas. Nate stayed in the car while Tori refueled, ignoring the wowed looks bystanders gave when they took note of her car. She was well used to it and secretly loved the attention it gave her.

Nate thought about taking off, but didn't. Without Tori, he was just a fugitive on the run. Even though she bailed him, he still had a bad prison record that marked him as a felon. He didn't like this situation, but he didn't like being in jail either. He had more of a chance by staying with Tori than risk going back to prison again, this time without bail so Tori wouldn't be able to break him out again, whatever the reason why.

When another hour rolled by, Tori stopped and paid for a nice fancy hotel room. It was a one-bedroom with two beds, a bathroom, and a nice kitchen area.

Nate turned to Tori and said, "You really trust a stranger to share a hotel room with you? What is this, some kind of kinky – "

"Oh, no no no no," said Tori, giggling. "I don't want to sleep with you just yet."

"Just yet?" Nate's voice raised a pitch or two. "What – ?!"

Tori interrupted him before he could get worked up, saying, "I'm just teasing you. C'mon, a hot guy like you with a rich girl like me? I'd say we're Jack and Rose from the Titanic."

"How do you know that I'm not gonna murder you in your sleep? Or vice versa?" Nate's arms bristled, his voice firm. "I don't trust you."

Tori looked right at him. "And I'm not afraid of you," she said in a tone that was almost as if she were daring him to make her afraid of him.

Nate looked hard at her. "Who are you?" he asked, wondering why this woman was being so carefree with him, even flirting with him. Despite her gorgeous beauty, he wasn't in the mood to get with anyone. He wanted to be free and out of prison, but was forced to stay with this stranger. It unsettled him and put him in a spot where he wasn't sure how to feel about this other than to proceed with extreme caution, being alert of every of Tori's movements and actions.

Tori took her ponytail holder off and shook her loose hair, flipping it in a bold flirtatious way. "Someone who intends to no longer be a stranger to you." She reapplied her lipstick, looking at herself in the mirror while doing so. She chose a red shade that looked really good with her blonde hair.

Nate stood uncomfortably to the side. "How long am I to be stuck with you?" he asked, hoping to get back to his old life as soon as possible. Though Tori was strikingly beautiful, there was something about her that made him uneasy. There was a hidden danger element to her that he couldn't ignore. It was like a magnet drawing him closer, making him nervous.

"For as long as I want," said Tori, turning from the mirror. "Could be a few months, could be years. The way I see it, looks like it'll be years." Her eyelashes lowered a little, making her look wistful. "Maybe forever."

Nate gave her a petulant look. "I'm not some new plaything for your rich girl sort of entertainment. I appreciate you bailing me out of prison, but I want to go back to my own apartment. I want to be alone. I need time to process things."

"I'll give you space, but you're living with me," Tori said without compromise. "I bailed you out, so that makes me your salvation. Like it or not, you're staying with me for as long as I decide."

"I disagree with that arrangement," Nate said in response.

Tori walked up to him, her face just a breath away from his. "You're in no place to make the arrangements; I do," she told him, giving him a flirty smirk before heading towards her sparkly red suitcase on the bed.

Nate eyed her warily, searching for a way out, but there was none; the cuffs threatened to electroshock him if he strayed from a certain radius of Tori. Sighing, Nate reluctantly resigned to Tori's arrangement of staying the night with her.

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Music:

"I'm Coming After You"
by Owl City

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