"You're from the center?"
Seris gave a small, knowing smile. "Born and bred," she said, stepping out from behind the desk. "Which means I know things the rest of this universe only whispers about."
"What do you want from me?" he asked.
She stopped in front of him, close enough that he could smell her—sweet, and fresh.
"I want your loyalty," she paused, tilting her head just slightly. "But before that… I want to see for myself if you have the ability to be useful to me."
"You mean a test."
"I mean a crucible," she replied. "The mission briefing I gave the others? It wasn't complete. There's a secondary objective—covert, dangerous, and perfect for someone like you that has affinity with space."
"You're already gambling on me?"
"I'm not gambling. I wont lost anything if you fail." She stepped even closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "There's a difference."
"And if I pass?"
