Satisfied, Fred took the phone and said, "Didn't I ask you to tell Mike his son is dead?"

Rhea grew alarmed. Although Fred sounded casual, she felt he blamed her for disobeying his orders. "I... I'm worried the news would be too much for him," Rhea said nervously, "and cause brainwave fluctuations that could affect my control. I won't lose him, but I don't want to cause trouble at this crucial moment. I plan to tell him after the experiment."

Fred caught on and nodded. "Oh, I see. Relax. I only wanted Mike to leave you alone. Since you know how to handle him, I'll leave it to you."

However, Rhea remained worried. "I'll tell him about his son's death after we complete the experiment tomorrow," she said.

Fred smiled. "I know I can count on you. I'm putting you in charge of the experiment tomorrow, then. You won't let me down, right?" His gentle look belied the pressure he exerted.

She nodded, unable to refuse. "I'll do my best!" she managed, though she dared not promise anything. She lacked confidence in the experiment's success; she even suspected it would fail, but dared not voice her concerns.

"All right, get some rest. I'm going back to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day!" Fred smiled, stretching.

Mike looked to his left after hanging up. He hadn't just gotten out of bed, as he'd led Rhea to believe. He'd been sitting in the living room the entire time, and he wasn't alone. Alexander, Ross, Austin, and Cameron were there, gathered with tea, coffee, and various fruits and snacks, as if with no intention of retiring for the night.

After looking at everyone, Mike asked, "What do you guys think?"

"Why didn't she let you go over tomorrow during the day?" Austin asked, a question he'd been wanting to pose.

"Are they planning on doing something important tomorrow?"