<div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: courier;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Introduction</strong></span></span></div><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Location</strong>: ADAMS Headquarters (First Haven, Watcher’s Island). The Pilot’s Barracks - Cleansing Station<br/><strong>Date</strong>: 5 January 2099. Monday<br/><strong>Time</strong>: 6:25 am<br/><strong>Who</strong>: David Shepherd and Allen Shepherd<br/><br/><hr/><br/><em>How</em>?<br/><br/>David pulled the corners of his mouth up into a gentle smile, but he wasn’t pleased with the face he saw in the mirror.<br/><br/>One of the very first life lessons that David had been taught was to smile. Like most important things his older brother, his Allen, had been the one to teach him how it was done. At first Allen’s lessons in smiling had been unintentional. Allen always seemed to be smiling and in David’s youth there had been no site more familiar than the upward curve of his brother’s lips. David had simply copied the movement in childish mimicry.<br/><br/>It wasn’t until David had been a little older that he’d realized the importance of smiling. That it was not just a game or a natural reaction, but an act that was subscribed rules and expectations. While Allen had taught him how to smile it was his parents who provided the why and ultimate reason for smiles. David had been an ornery child, easily frightened and unable to soothe himself. After the ease of raising Allen his parents had not been prepared to deal with such fussiness when all their knowledge of children garnered from books and lectures had proven ineffective in dealing with David.<br/><br/>His mother had enjoyed the title of mother but had disdained the act of mothering. If he was not calm and quiet in her presence she was unable to abide him. When he fussed he suddenly stopped being her child and temporarily became someone else’s. Unlike his mother his father had, in his own way, actually practiced parenthood. He’d never passed up an opportunity to berate frowns and tears. You should realize how lucky you are, his father would say. You should feel blessed for this life and be thankful to be my son, his father had said.<br/><br/>His father had only ever addressed their privileges when it could be used to scold them.<br/><br/>David thought of his father as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He stopped smiling. The noise of the locker room and showers swirled into a steady, easily ignored background noise as he brushed his teeth. It was lively that morning. All of the pilots tended to get up early, too many years of intense training had rewired their sleeping patterns into a militant cycle, but there was an excited instead of a sluggish energy in the air. He guessed everyone was looking forward to the press conference. David spat a mouthful of fizzy toothpaste into the sink and wiped his lips as he glanced over at the clock. Its glowing orange numbers indicated that the press conference would happen soon.<br/><br/>He wasn’t excited. David was just relieved that the Public Relations department hadn’t selected him to help field questions concerning the big upcoming mission. Though he didn’t understand why they hadn’t asked for Allen. Maybe they had, but Administration had told them no. Both of them had been assigned for routine synchronization rating tests to help out with preparations for the mission. David didn’t know for sure though. There was so much that ADAMS never told them.<br/><br/>“You look gloomy.” The smile Allen gave him as he took a sink right next to David sapped all of the grey and blue out of the word.<br/><br/>“Oh? No, I was just...thinking,” David murmured as he turned on the facet and cupped his hands to take a mouthful of water. He swished it around his mouth and spat again to clear the taste of mint from his tongue.<br/><br/>Allen made a soft noise that was neither agreement or disagreement with what David had said as he focused on preening himself. David liked and understood the importance of soap and toothpaste, but he’d never understand Allen’s attachment to facial scrubs, lotions, and concealer. Sometimes he wondered if Allen bothered with all of it because Public Relations wanted him to look handsome for photographs and interviews. It wasn’t like Allen had a girlfriend or boyfriend that he needed to look good for.<br/><br/>It was quiet between them for a while. David squinted at his face in the mirror and tossed a few searching glances over in his brother’s direction as he brushed his hair. He was going to need to dye it again soon. The brown roots were beginning to show in a few places.<br/><br/>“What were you thinking about?” Allen finally asked. He didn’t tilt his head in David’s direction and just kept looking at himself in the large mirror. A group of female pilots who were using the row of sinks behind them burst into a chorus of laughter as one of woman began to recount an embarrassing story about one of the trainees from last week. David used the sudden influx of noise as an opportunity to think over how he wanted to answer Allen’s question.<br/><br/>“Last night,” he started and then stopped. David pressed his lips together and swallowed before he continued talking. He frowned as he looked over at his brother. The concealer hid the dark circles that should have been under Allen’s eyes. David framed it as a question even though he already knew the answer. “You didn’t sleep again, did you?”<br/><br/>“No,” Allen denied smoothly. “I slept as much as I needed.”<br/><br/>“But-” David started again, but was interrupted by the pleasant good morning greetings of a man and woman who passed by them. They were both wrapped in their own towels and each carrying a toiletry bag. For a moment it seemed like pair had only stopped to be polite, though it quickly became obvious they wanted to talk with Allen.<br/><br/>“Shepherd, you’ve heard the newest news, right?” the dark haired man asked.<br/><br/>“Ah, no. I don’t believe I have. Would you mind telling me?” Allen said with an easy and apologetic smile that had the man and woman reacting like they’d just won something.<br/><br/>“One of the trainees is going to be granted piloting clearance later today,” the woman said. She didn’t seem to mind telling Allen at all. “We think it’s gonna be the third González or - what’s Wallflower’s name?”<br/><br/>Silence settled over the group for a few seconds though Allen was quick to break it by offering up the correct answer. “Tanaka.”<br/><br/>“Shepherd, how do you keep track of them all? I can remember all of us, but there’s just too many of the trainees coming and going to remember all their names. How do you do it?”<br/><br/>David turned his gaze to the floor and tuned out the conversation at that point. He didn’t need to look up to know that Allen would still be smiling.<em>How</em>? Allen would pull up the corners of his mouth, flash his teeth, and there’d be a light in his brown eyes. David had never learned to smile with his teeth. When they’d been younger Allen had used to tease him for it. He used to press the pads of his thumbs hard against David’s cheek and ask him where his teeth were hiding. Brotherly love could never offset the casual cruelty of siblings during childhood.<br/><br/>“See you later, little Shep.”<br/><br/>"Later," David repeated out of reflex. He blinked as he drew his gaze back up and watched the man and woman walk off towards the showers together. They were chuckling about something and Allen's smile was still glued onto his face even though their backs were turned. He opened his mouth to try and bring back their conversation.<br/><br/>“Allen-”<br/><br/>“We need to report to central command before we suit up for synchronization testing.”<br/><br/>David obediently closed his mouth and nodded. He zipped up his own tolietry bag and walked by Allen's side as they left the cleansing changing. Out of the corner of his eye he could still see Allen's smile. His brother nodded and greeted good morning to the other pilots and trainees that they passed on their way there. Just watching Allen smile so much made David's mouth ache with sympathy. But it also sparked confusion in him and made him a little sick.<br/><br/><em>How does he do it?</em><br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: courier;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>End of Introduction</strong></span></span></div>