An 'all-expenses-paid vacation' to New Mexico might have seemed like a dream come true at first. It was unlikely, however, that many peoples' idea of a dream vacation involved long hours outside in the arid wilderness, using mist-nets to collect and count the resident population of bats. For Celia Ward, however, this trip wasn't simply a means of getting course credit. Her university's zoology department was known for its efforts in providing their graduate students with internships and work opportunities, and she had been excited to join up with this research team. If all went well, it could open doors for her in the future, and she had been determined to do her best.<br/><br/>Not far from the campsite the team had set up was a massive natural cave system, which by their estimates was home to anywhere from two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand free-tailed bats. The camp itself was located by a large pond, and it was here their thin nets would catch bats as they stooped to drink, entangling them without harming them whatsoever so they could be collected, measured, banded, and released. The work was important for tracking migration routes and population fluctuation, although the bats themselves were often less than enthused about their roles in the study, however brief their captivity actually was. Some people might have found their ghoulish faces and needle-teeth offputting, but Celia had always thought they were cute, like fuzzy little aliens, and their role in the ecosystem was crucial as both pollinators and pest control.<br/><br/>Their work had begun at dusk and carried on long into the night. Like the bats themselves, the team had had to become nocturnal in order to study them, and now the faintest hints of light were beginning to appear in the east. They were far enough away from the city that there was little light pollution to sully the absolutely breathtaking night sky, and even now a few stars could still be glimpsed. Though she was exhausted, she couldn't resist going out to spend a little time by herself before turning in for the night (or day, as it would soon be). She had found a little spot away from camp, atop a small hill, and after<i>thoroughly</i>inspecting the ground for scorpions and snakes, she laid a dusty blanket on the ground and lay back on it with her arms behind her head, looking up at the night sky. Predawn was a strange and almost dreamlike time, when everything felt absolutely still and serene, as if preparing to witness the coming day. She let her thoughts wander, as her eyes di the same across the sky. Overhead, a darting shadow--maybe one of the bats they had just banded--briefly crossed her field of vision, before being gone once more.