Delilah believed in being fashionably late. When you were late the boring preparations had been done, the party had started and no one expected more than a casual nod to the usual formalities. And besides, one had to be late to make an entrance. No one ever impressed an empty room. She did not know what it was like to arrive first and wait side by side with their hosts for other visitors, but she didn’t think it’d be much fun. No, she preferred running late and crashing the party at its peak, rising to new heights with the flow of laughter and clever banter.<br/><br/>Up until this morning she’d had every intention of being late for the crucible meeting as well. Except that last night’s party had lasted till the wee hours and sleep had eluded her afterwards. Her thoughts had dwelled on the mission and on the team. Had it been only two weeks since their first introduction? She remembered shaking hands, polite conversations and, oh that magical moment, the first shared laughter.<br/><br/>She liked to think they connected. Oh, they weren’t a team. Not yet, but she thought the possibility was there. Between their flirting, the chats and small talk Delilah had gotten the impression of a group of clever professionals. She just hoped they wouldn’t change into stuck up jackasses once the fun started. She had lengthened her body in a lazy stretch and curled that feline, self-indulgent smile as she crossed her arms over her head and smiled at the ceiling.<i>Play time</i>, she had thought, tossing the bed sheets to one side.<br/><br/>As always she dressed with care. It didn’t matter to her how she’d look once the cradle had been closed; she had no control over the outcome. But whatever she could control, she did and she looked vibrant and more alive than the living when she reported at the sleeper’s section fifteen minutes early. “Yeah yeah, won’t happen again.” She mock grumbled, raising a hand to the screens where the operators were undoubtedly working their magic, indicating she was ready. When the lid closed, she shut her eyes and counted backwards from a hundred until she felt the fading sensation of her slowing heart. The transition was seamless. One moment she was counting, and hovering over the cradle the next. Delilah didn’t look back at her body; she never did. It wasn’t quite superstition but she did consider it bad luck to see herself when dead. Or frigging close to it.<br/><br/>She flitted down towards the meeting room, hopped up on an out-of-the-way seat and rested her chin upon folded hands, disappointed to find only Ms Cho there. The woman, for all her merits, simply didn’t offer the type of fun Delilah was after. On the contrary, this was business time and Delilah reluctantly settled down into a semi-calm state. Golden hues sparkled from a frail globe of light as she showed Ms Cho her otherworldly form. She was there. Time to party!<br/>