IRINA
I just ask you to listen to me!
NANDA
We are done listening to you!
IRINA
You cannot be done! We have to agree!
NANDA
We are never going to reach an agreement.
Nanda stated, his emotionless voice echoing in the common room. Everyone was there, but they might just as well been back home, such was the distance among them. They were stuck exactly where they had been most of the time for the past month, trying to achieve a compromise which was out of reach.
NANDA
You have no credibility left.
He felt in need to add.
JUNIOR
Credibility?! How can you not understand?!
NANDA
The same thing goes for you by the way...
MARINA
Exactly! How can you, out of all of us, be the one to side with her?
JUNIOR
Why shouldn't I? We're all part of the same team!
MARINA
We know! Alright? We know!
JUNIOR
You know what?!
MARINA
Barkhado told us...
CLARA
What did she tell you?
Barkhado didn't intervene, but kept looking straight at Marina.
JUNIOR
C'mon let's hear it...
LWAZI
I wouldn't be so smug if I were you...
JUNIOR
You too Lwazi! We've been through so much together, I thought we were...
LWAZI
You are so pathetic! You're on her side just because you like her!
Marina smiled viciously.
MARINA
You really do believe her bullshit! She's just a backstabbing witch!
IRINA
What are you...
MARINA
Irina was planning to kill you!
Marina cried at Junior. Her words hung in the air for an eternity, but then she immediately continued
MARINA
She was just waiting for the right moment, isn't that right Barkhado?
She answered softly.
BARKHADO
Yes, I believe so.
SUN LI
You believe so?! You must have something more than that to make such grave accusations.
BARKHADO
Ask Clara, she knows too...
Everyone turned to look at Clara.
CLARA
You LIAR! I know nothing, NOTHING!
BARKHADO
Of course you don't! She never said it out loud, but we always knew that's what she meant to say... that's what she wanted to do!
IRINA
I never wanted to do anything!
SUN LI
That is not proof enough!
PAAYE
Yes, I agree with Sun Li.
MEKDEM
We cannot trust her, she could kill all of us!
KUMIKO
No way!!! She would never do that! And please focus on the task! It is something we must do together! All of us! Don't let your feelings towards Irina poison your judgement!
MEKDEM
We wouldn't be safe on the starship with her... Once she gets a spot, who knows what she'll do!
Irina was staring intently at the floor now, tears streaming from her eyes, unwilling to look up.
JUNIOR
What if it's true?
Asked Junior, earnestly. Everyone turned towards him now.
JUNIOR
What if she did want to kill me?
He wasn't looking for an answer, and nobody gave him one.
JUNIOR
To be honest, I would understand that, I mean, my country tried to kill her before. That's also what I was encouraged to do...
Everybody was silent now.
JUNIOR
Miss Roberts and those above her have proven they want this alien technology for themselves so badly that they are not going to stop at anything to achieve that...
He walked over to Irina.
JUNIOR
They have tried to force me to do what they wanted, and I can only imagine what it must be like for you...
Irina kept staring down, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
JUNIOR
I don't care what you were told to do, what you were planning to do or what you would have done if... You are not like that, you are different because you choose to be different. I don't care if you were planning to kill me, I care that you, on your own decided not to do it, decided that working together was more important.
Junior now turned around and addressed the room.
JUNIOR
I also believe that we must all work together if we want to be worthy of a place in Konos' starship, and believe me when I say that Irina won't harm any of us.
He looked at all of them straight in the eyes, but saw that nothing had changed. There were no more bridges to be built, no more words left unspoken. They were broken beyond repair.
Suddenly, with a heavy clunk and a high pitched clang, the door that connected the compound to the outside world swung open. The cold air hit them hard, but X-466's voice was even sharper.
X-466
Well, well, well... You couldn't even last for the entire test... How predictable...
