Kellan put four blank cards on the clinic table.
“One each,” he said. “Write why you’re going.”
Eli took a card. The team’s sponsorship agreement had been signed, and the application was ready for its final attachments. The new Tower selection round would begin sooner than the organizers’ earlier projection. They had enough time to apply, but not enough to pretend every decision would be easy once they entered.
Tessa wrote first. Sera turned her card sideways to fit a longer sentence. Kellan used the back of his when the first line was not enough. Eli stared at the blank card until Tessa finished.
“Is this a test?” he asked.
“No,” Kellan said. “It’s so we don’t act surprised when the trial offers one of us something the others don’t need.”
Eli wrote: ACCESS TO THE TOWER BEFORE AEGIS CONTROLS THE INFORMATION AROUND IT.
Tessa’s card said she wanted research resources and better field treatment. Kellan wanted stable care for Theo, though the sponsorship did not cover his brother’s treatment. Sera wanted an independent scout license that would make her findings harder to dismiss.
