Rhea approached the computer, noting it was still running. She hesitated, however, and dared not touch it.

A while later, Fred entered, clad in his robe. Yawning, he looked slightly perturbed. "What's so important you had to see me in the middle of the night? Do you think you can do whatever you want just because I praised you recently?"

"No, Your Grace. It's about something crucial," Rhea explained quickly. "We're scheduled to proceed with R10 tomorrow, but no one has briefed us on the procedure. I fear we'll make irreversible mistakes and compromise the experiment's outcome."

Fred impatiently sat down behind his desk. "That's it? Someone will provide each of you with a handbook tomorrow. Now, get some rest."

"But…" Rhea noticed him preparing to leave and hastened to add, "But we might not be prepared then."

"The experiment isn't as complicated as you imagine," Fred dismissed her concerns. "With your abilities, I'm sure you'll manage."

Rhea reasoned, "Though I didn't create R10, I know its composition. Even a slight dosage error could harm, even kill, the subjects. Your Grace, you've planned this experiment for so long; surely you don't want it to fail? While we could start over, finding suitable replacements won't be easy."

She spoke with desperate but reasoned urgency.

Fred fell silent, seemingly pondering her words.

Rhea continued, "I know you care about this experiment, so I've given it considerable thought. I don't know how much the others know about R10, but I believe no one understands it better than I do. I was there from beginning to end when Lily created it, and I think she's hiding something from us."

"What do you mean?" Fred sat up straight, his inquiry solemn. He was unaware of this; Lily had never mentioned it.

"I secretly read her notes once. I believe there's something wrong with the lab data. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but there seems to be a missing link—the data is inaccurate," Rhea recounted. "If R10 is problematic, no matter how careful we are tomorrow, I'm afraid the experiment will…"

She trailed off, the implication clear.

Fred frowned grimly. "Are you telling the truth?"

"I have no reason to lie to you, Your Grace," Rhea stated earnestly.

Fred studied her expression, concluding she had no reason to deceive him. "Why are you only telling me this now?" After all, they were to proceed with the experiment tomorrow.

Rhea’s nervousness was palpable. "I… I just remembered."