Rhea awoke drenched in sweat, thankful she had only grunted instead of shouting. Sitting up, she discovered her legs were numb. It was nearly midnight; several more hours stretched before her, fueling her frustration.

It was absurd that everyone knew about the R10 experiment, yet the detailed procedure remained a secret. Rhea knew how much the experiment meant to Fred, and its highly classified nature. Even the "boss," responsible for research and development of the drug, knew only a portion of it, and never discussed the organization's intended use. Rhea initially assumed this was because another group handled the later phases, but she now realized otherwise. While she understood the need for secrecy, she felt Fred should at least brief them on the procedure; otherwise, they would be completely unprepared for tomorrow.

Rising, she approached the door, where a guard halted her. Frowning, she declared, "I need to see His Grace. I have something important to tell him." The guard refused, "You can tell him tomorrow." He wouldn't even relay her message.

After a moment's reflection, Rhea insisted, "It's about the R10 experiment. If I don't tell him now, it will be too late!"

The man remained impassive.

"If anything goes wrong tomorrow, I'll tell Fred it's your fault!" she stated firmly.

Hesitantly, the guard finally relented, instructing Rhea to wait before leaving. He returned after a short time, conferring with another guard before addressing Rhea. "Come with me."

Sighing, Rhea followed. After several turns, he led her into the office she and Fred had visited earlier. "Wait here a moment," he said before departing.

The simple room contained only a desk, several chairs, and sparsely stocked bookcases. A computer sat on the desk.