I tapped nervously at the desk in my office, trying to figure out what I should be doing with myself while I waited. It really wasn't much of an office, just a full-sized desk and a couple of chairs. I didn't have any degrees to hang from the wall or additional research papers to show off. I did at least have a full computer, which had its advantages over my tablet and screen keyboard. Pulled up currently was Brent's list of things to remember and a cheat sheet of questions to ignore.

The rain outside was fairly heavy and honestly, I was half surprised the AP reporter still wanted to do a face-to-face interview. But nobody had cancelled with Tasha, so on it went.

"You OK?" Danny poked his head in, wearing a blazer to be dressed up a bit himself. "It's still an hour until your part of the interview and you're already keyed up." He came in and sat down.

"The AP is a much better source to be interviewed by." Danny said. "And I'm fairly certain since Brent and Tasha set it up, they've got much better ground rules to play by instead of ambushing you."

I nodded, taking a deep breath before blowing it out. "Yeah, yeah. But since all I've got to go off of is the last crazy, it's hard."

Danny nodded but didn't say anything.

"And I know it's better set up. Just jitters. So, what are you expecting to be interviewed on?"

"Why I set the Seekers up, what we're doing in general and maybe planning on doing in the future. Answer some of the hits they're throwing at us from Fox and the other sources. Do we have any idea on what the alien did, or plans to do in the future." Danny listed off. "You'll probably get a lot of the same questions minus the creation of the Seekers."

I made a face. "Fun."

"We'll deal with it. I'm going first, so hopefully I get the black eyes instead of you." Danny answered. "That's supposed to be part of my job, right?"

"And hiring people." I joked.

"Yeah, yeah." Danny sighed. "I actually had a few people I was supposed to interview myself, but the seeming end of the world had them blow me off. I'm still trying, I promise."

We chatted for a few more minutes before an alert popped up on both my computer and my tablet, and I heard a ping coming from Danny's pocket as well.

"Guess they showed up early to get set up." Danny gave me a smile. "Shall we?"

Brent was waiting for us at the stairs and gave us both an easy smile before we continued. Downstairs, there were two people I didn't recognize chatting with Tasha. There were a couple of wet bags near them.

"Good morning." Danny said and I echoed him.

"Good morning." The woman said, smiling at Danny. She had short brown hair that somehow was still bouncy even with all the rain outside and stood about the same height at Danny, which put her several inches taller than me still. She was dressed in a grey powersuit while the guy was dressed in jeans and a jacket. "I'm Aida Messina with the Associated Press, and this is my cameraman slash partner Keith Sanders." The taller man nodded his head. "Thanks for having us."

"Thanks for coming out. I'm Danny Sidre, head of the Dantian Seekers and this is Nicole Firen our primary researcher." Danny answered. "Has everyone been on pins and needles where you're from?"

"Like I wish you wouldn't believe." Aida answered to a sad laugh from Keith. "We've actually got field kits for food in the car because shipping is already hit or miss."

"I'm just happy there's still working charging stations for the car." Keith added.

I blinked, having to take a second to put that together. "That bad?"

"The west coast is basically gone, the east coast shorelines pulled back, and Florida about doubled its peninsula size." Aida explained and I got yet another sinking feeling. "Thankfully you all are closer to the major sources of food and processing so you may end up better off. But that's an entirely different story that I can point you all to." She gave a sharp smile. "Today, we get to talk about you all."

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Where are we setting up?" Keith asked.

"Upstairs, in my office then Nicole's."

Back upstairs, it only took Keith a few minutes to pull out equipment from the bags and get them set up and then set himself off to a side to monitor it and make a few adjustments as Danny sat at his desk. I listened for a moment as Aida tested the equipment before getting up myself. "I'm gonna go."

"You OK?" Danny called to me as I was already almost out the door.

I took a deep breath. I was doing that a lot today. "Yeah, just going to go work on something until it's my turn."

I went back and sat down in my office, just staring at the screen for moment before pulling up the notes system attached to the Seeker app that everyone was still using. Hadn't Karen put a request in for me to do something?

I fiddled around for a few minutes before there was a knock on the doorframe and I looked up. The camera guy Keith was standing there, holding a laptop. "Got a moment?"

"Don't they need you in there?" Thankfully, Danny's office was on the other side of the conference room so I couldn't hear their interview, but still.

"Ninety-five percent of it's automated, and I've got the little bits from here. Most of the non-live stuff we do I'm the editor for as well." He waved the laptop in one hand. "But yeah, do you have a minute before Aida gets done in there?"

I tensed, then sighed. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Have a seat." I waved at the chair. "If you start in on me though, I'm throwing you out." Maybe physically.

He sat, putting the laptop in the other chair. I noticed it was showing the interview in the other room, but silent. "Fair." He answered. "I saw Bisley's piece on your research, so I completely understand. That's actually what I wanted to ask about if you don't mind."

"The reporter or my research? I haven't seen his piece." I answered.

"That's a problem. You don't know what you're fighting unless you know what they're saying." Keith shook his head at me. "So, the first claim is releasing your paper caused the alien to try to kill everyone with what just happened. What's your answer to that?"

I looked at him. "He's already making it to where we can't fly and the Gasp. If he wanted us dead, I'm certain he wouldn't need to be that indirect."

Keith smiled. "Good answer. What about the fact that your research is freely available, letting criminals and adversarial countries gain access to this power?" He asked.

"Did you light your dantian using my research?" I countered his question.

"Actually, yes."

"So you know how easy it actually ends up being. Short of knowing to hold in the energy, a yoga instructor or other relaxation guru could probably figure it out. I just put it out there without any weird trappings someone else would have." I gave him his answer. "And a simple, easy way to light it is in everyone's benefit if we can get to the point of removing the alien one way or another."

"One way or another, which leads into the last point that was used to attack you. Why do you believe the alien's words?" Keith prompted me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Same reason about killing us all. Either we don't use this power and he finishes whatever he's doing and takes this Heavenly Realm, or we use this power and hope he follows through on what he said and leaves us be if we beat him there. Considering what else is happening to the earth, I'd rather have power to possibly survive some the insanity we're being inflicted with."

"So your belief is that we're better off with this power, regardless of the ends it gets put to?" Keith asked.

"Yes. It's possible to get power, so it's better we know everyone has it than run into someone with it when lots of people don't."

"That's definitely one way to look at it." Keith nodded to me. "So, your research and the Seekers here then. What are you expecting out of it?"

I paused, thinking. And then had a separate thought. "I thought Aida was doing the interviews?" I questioned him.

Keith grinned widely. "I'm her partner and camera guy. I'm just as capable as asking questions as she is. Besides, I gave you an even shake to defend yourself rather that just push you to answer questions the way I want you to. But that's the reason you have to pay attention to questions anyone asks you. Pretty much everyone has an agenda."

"And yours?" I sighed.

"Doing a favor for a friend, but also doing this interview. You want to continue? I promise we'll go over everything and give you a chance to expound on any of it." Keith gave me an easy smile.

"Fine." I scowled for a moment before collecting myself again, flipping my own computer screen back to the list Brent had left me. "You wanted to know what I want to do with this research, right?"

"And the Seekers as a whole, yes." Keith added.

I paused, thinking for a long moment. "Assuming what we're doing is the beginning stages of what the alien does, I think we're on a long path. The alien says the earth cleared the first block of the Initiate's Realm. If that matches to what we're doing, then I don't think finishing whatever is happening with the rings around the dantian is the end of this. You wouldn't be an initiate and finish something, right? So I want to figure that out. I want everyone to know what that takes to get through the Initiate's Realm, to whatever is beyond."

I paused again. "Because it may take everyone. We keep getting hit with this shit like the Gasp, like the earth literally revolting around us. For all I know, the second block for the earth is going to play Noah and the flood. There's billions of us. Someone's got to have a chance. Even if it's not me or Danny or you. What's the saying? We won't go quietly into the night?"

Keith nodded quietly. "Rage, rage, against the dying of the light."

"I'm not the light. Everyone is. Hell, the dantian is. I don't know. But we're racing the earth to the Heavenly Realm and I told Danny, I want to pack the race. I'll be someone else's stepping stone instead of a crab in a bucket if it comes down to it."