Rachel hadn’t known what to expect coming into the experiment, but she felt that the way she had been introduced put her at a disadvantage.  She was the one who had replaced an original member of their party, which she knew had an effect on the others.  The only question was what kind of effect.  She could tell that Mike was confused and agitated as he led her into the house, and it only became more evident when they reached the other two members of the experiment.<br/><br/>She smiled her own greeting as she took the seat Beth indicated, but held her peace as Mike looked through the folder he’d been given.  “I appreciate that, Beth.  I’m sure I’ll settle in alright…”<br/><br/>“It’s alright, I can understand why you’d be upset.  I’m sorry for what it’s worth,” she said.  “I didn’t realize I would be replacing someone until a couple of hours ago.”<br/><br/>Rachel forced a smile of her own as she tried to hide her nervousness. She took Sean’s hand readily and murmured an inane greeting of her own.  She had to do a better job than this and she knew it.  She’d been thrown into a bad situation, but she could make something out of it if she remembered to be herself.  By the time she released his hand her smile was more natural.  “Thank you, I’m famished.  I didn’t have time to eat before they bustled me onto the helicopter.  I think they wanted me nervous and on edge, now that I’m thinking about it…” she wrinkled her nose slightly.<br/><br/>“Vegetarian is fine under the circumstances, and probably healthier than I’m used to,” she smiled.<br/><br/>“There’s really not much to tell,” she hedged as she took a bite of the eggs, which she had to admit were excellent. She definitely wasn’t the best cook on the island, which wasn’t that surprising.  “I’m twenty-nine years old.  I’m a navy brat, moved from base to base until I was well into my teens.  I’m a Marine Biologist… well, I have the degree for it anyway.  I’m obviously between jobs at the moment.  I like to think I’m fairly laid back, but that’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself I guess… I practice Aikido, though I’m only a blue belt… I’ve also just discovered that I get embarrassed talking about myself…” she added the last with a small laugh.<br/>