After the Second Fall Pt. 02.2

Lilith's improved attitude carried on the following day, and it was immediately apparent to those around her. Whereas indecision had begun to creep into her demeanor, she was once again focused. Lilith started with her idea for expanding the Adam program to include females, and was pleased that Geo had already won over Director Baker -- truth be told, it wasn't a particularly hard sell: as the Head of Special Projects, this was exactly the kind of long-shot idea Baker loved. Rachel deferred to Lilith's expertise in the matter, and the vote was unanimous.

With the full Council behind her, Lilith knew she could push the concept forward, but there was still one likely source of opposition she wanted to address first.

Walking through the city brought up strong emotions, as she had expected -- it was the primary reason Lilith hadn't left the Complex since the attack. With her improved outlook, however, it wasn't quite as awful as she had expected. She even stopped at the park where John had been savaged by a group of pre-pubescents, the memory making her smile, despite the sad undercurrent she was feeling. A couple of kids waved at her, maybe because they recognizer her from the previous visit -- or maybe they just saw a well-dressed woman smiling at them -- either way was okay with her so she waved back and continued on.

After a short wait, she was ushered into Cassidy's office. The Meister seemed pleased to see her, and after reassuring Cassidy that she was doing better, the two were able to get to the reason for Lilith's visit.

Cassidy was silent during the explanation, not even asking for clarification. When Lilith was done, the big woman sat back in her chair, crossing her arms, looking anything other than convinced. "I'm not even sure where to start, Lilith."

Lilith sat with her hands in her lap, waiting patiently, but she didn't look away, meeting Cassidy's gaze straight on.

After more than a hundred beats, Cassidy's mouth turned up and she nodded. "I'm not going to change your mind on this, am I?"

"It's possible," said Lilith carefully, "but not very likely. What is your main concern?"

A full smile formed on Cassidy's face and she chuckled. "All of my arguments would have been based on moral or ethical grounds, not technical or strategic ones. The idea itself is good, and one we should have come up with a long time ago.

"But you do know we're talking about making a new race of people, right?"

Lilith stood and walked around the huge desk while the Meister's eyes followed her. Stopping next to the seated woman, Lilith said, "Cassidy, even with me standing, you're still taller than me. Is it really so different? What about the community North of the city?"

Cassidy bowed her head in acknowledgement, still smiling. "Right on both points." She turned more serious. "It's worth thinking about the mid and long-term consequences, though. For example, when Adams start procreating on their own, the population won't be controlled by the Complex anymore, so it will grow. Can there be too many Adams? Will they be integrated into the city? What will the other residents think, especially if we're not talking about a bunch of docile washouts?"

"You're bringing up things I didn't think about, which is why I came to you. On the other hand, I would say that we're fortunate that our current Meister happens to be uniquely suited to planning for these eventualities."

Cassidy gawped, then grinned appreciatively. "You've thoroughly outmaneuvered me, Lilith. When did you get so good at this?" Lilith held out her hands, but Cassidy waved the defensive gesture away. "Again, you're absolutely correct. I need to think on it some, but I can put together a task force to begin working toward an integrated solution. The good news, I guess, is that we have plenty of time to prepare -- what, twenty-five or thirty years?"

"Actually, I'm thinking a bit sooner," said Lilith sheepishly. Cassidy's eyebrows raised, but she held her peace, waiting for Lilith to explain. The smaller woman took a deep breath, then recounted what Rosie had told her about Pip's emotional simplicity.

"Your plan?"

"Only half formed," admitted Lilith, returning to her seat. "I know the Adams need to spend the bulk of their time training, but I can't help think they would benefit from more social interaction. Pip's a pleasure to be around -- I really mean that -- but what Rosie said makes sense to me, and it's put all of my interactions with him in a different light."

Cassidy was thoughtful for a moment before responding. "How would him having a higher degree of emotional intelligence help win fights?" she asked rhetorically. "Everything has to be focused on the Arena. The margin between winning and losing is so small -- or at least it was before Pip -- that you can't lose sight of that fact. In this case, giving the Adams more space, more freedom, could be counterproductive. What if they become reluctant to fight because they have too much to lose?"

Lilith sat back in her chair, hands now clasped in front of her. Cassidy could see that the mental gears were turning, processing the line of reasoning. At last, Lilith responded, "Do you think Pip understands there is more to life than the Arena?" Cassidy thought for just a moment before nodding. "Me, too: John always said he was the most complicated Adam he had ever known. I always took that to mean he was more aware of his place in the world. Do you think he's better or worse because he has three girls that love and take care of him?"

Sitting forward, Lilith continued without waiting for an answer. "Cassidy, I could not have more respect for you, but in this case, I think you're rationalizing to support your personal bias." Cassidy's mouth dropped open as if she had been slapped; Lilith stood. "It's probably best if I go. I can tell I hurt your feelings, and I think we both need to think about this more. Let's talk in a couple days. Will that work for you?"

Cassidy nodded, having gotten herself back in control, then stood and moved to stand beside Lilith, looking down at her from far above. The Meister was accustomed to using her height to intimate rivals, so even though they were on good terms, she was a little surprised Lilith didn't flinch. Instead, the Executive Director smirked, obviously understanding the game.

Lilith closed the distance between the two and took hold of the other's blouse, urging the redhead to bend forward. The brief kiss from Lilith left Cassidy stunned, again, which seemed to suit the smaller woman just fine.

"You'll think about what I said?" Lilith asked softly, still holding onto the blouse. Cassidy nodded, and Lilith's smirk turned into a smile. "Thank you for hearing me out. I really do think the world of you." With a wink, she turned and strode purposefully from the office, exaggerating her hip sway as much as her tight black skirt would allow.

Two days later, as she stepped into Lilith's office, Cassidy was still struggling with her thoughts on the matter to be discussed. After briefly exchanging pleasantries, Cassidy quickly got to the crux of her concerns. "I don't like being told that I'm biased, and even less that my biases are affecting my decision making." The redhead was still on her feet, pacing around the room, much like John had done when he was agitated. "The worst, though, is that I think you might be right." She sat down heavily in the chair directly in front of Lilith's desk. "Tell me, please, why you said that."

Lilith reached out and touched Cassidy's hand sympathetically, nodding. "I will, but I want to say something else first. Okay?" Cassidy gave Lilith a skeptical look, but didn't speak, so Lilith continued. "We all have biases: they're the lenses through which we look at life. Yes?"

Cassidy pulled her hand away and folded her arms as she considered the statement; finally, she accepted Lilith's premise with a clenched jaw nod.

"So, if we take that as a given, we can look out for our own biases. For me personally, one of the things that worries me the most is that I have a blind spot." Lilith paused for a moment. "The worst fight John and I ever had was because I said some really... insensitive things about Adams, which hurt him a lot. Once he pointed it out to me, it seemed obvious, and I could see how some of my decisions had been driven by those ideas.

"My bias is still there, and what happened to John certainly didn't help, but I'm working to get past it; until I do, at least I can consider those feelings when I'm going through options. It doesn't mean I get everything right, but at least I'm making a more informed decision."

Cassidy's posture relaxed some, but she still looked unhappy. Slowly, her frown relaxed into a more neutral expression and she took a calming breath, nodding.

"Do you still want me to tell you what I was thinking, or would you rather talk it out yourself?"

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "Turning my own technique against me, I see," she said without rancor. After another deep breath, Cassidy spoke, her voice more tentative than Lilith had ever heard. "I'm worried that if I start seeing Adams as people, I won't be able to deal with what we do here."

The admission seemed to take a lot out of Cassidy, and her entire body sagged while her eyes closed, as if she was ashamed to meet Lilith's gaze, so she didn't see that Lilith was nodding.

"I agree, but I'll go a step further. When I mentioned a bias, I was thinking about the Adam that was your father," said the smaller woman.

The redhead's blue eyes opened, but it was a hundred beats before she broke the silence. "You're probably right that it's not just about trying to stay detached. It's easier for me to think of my father as a mindless, emotionless fighting machine than to admit that he could have cared for me, maybe even loved me."

"Did you know him?"

"No. My mother died as a result of my birth, and my father was gone by the time I was old enough to understand."

"The Arena?"

Cassidy shook her head. "He lost his leg as the result of a bad training injury: a compound fracture here," she said, pointing at her upper thigh. "Last I heard, he was living North of the city with the others, but that was years and years ago."

"You haven't seen him since?" Lilith asked, stunned at the revelation. Cassidy shook her head.

Seeing her friend upset -- yes, Cassidy was another friend -- Lilith quickly moved around the desk and hugged the bigger woman from behind. "You know we're going to go there, you and I?"

"Shit," Cassidy replied meekly.

"Yeah, I know," Lilith said with an extra squeeze. Rather than going back to her chair, Lilith motioned to the door and the pair were soon walking through complicated corridors, winding pathways, and oddly shaped open spaces, the result of decades of expansion.

"Do you still have any objections to changing how we raise the Adams?"

Cassidy stopped, reaching down to pick a rogue flower growing up through a crack in the concrete. Spinning it between her forefinger and thumb, she shook her head and started walking again. "I think you're right that the risk is low, and the upside is pretty high. You can start trying different things here in the Complex, like putting the Adam kids together with the other kids and seeing how it goes -- that will help our integration efforts later.

"Maybe you're right that more well rounded Adams will help, too, although I don't know how. It's possible they'll train harder, or think faster, or... something."

Lilith nodded, taking the flower from Cassidy's hand and starting off again. "Could be.

"Do you remember Emily, Pip's new assistant? She came to see me this week, asking about changing the educational approach for the children in the program. I had no idea, but Pip can barely read, and Mars doesn't even know the alphabet."

Cassidy nodded, not surprised.

"What if we went even further than I was thinking before? We could put all of the children together from when they're four or five years old. Obviously, the Adams aren't going to become engineers or doctors, but reading, writing, math, history -- plus the obvious social benefits from interacting with others on a daily basis -- it seems like we can certainly help them understand the world a little better."

"I think your own prejudices are creeping in."

"What -- how?" asked a shocked Lilith.

"Why couldn't an Adam be a doctor?"

Lilith had no answer, so after a moment, she nodded with a grin. "Guilty, as charged: it didn't take long for you to turn my words back on me."

Cassidy shrugged. "So how are you going to field enough Adams to keep the program running if some of them want to be accountants instead of fighters? If we're lucky, we have four Adams survive to join the pool in a given year; most cycles it's three, or even two. It's not like we can just make more Adams -- we have limited resources, and we already run at the edge of what can be supported. In twenty years, when the first naturally born Adams are reaching maturity, maybe, but that's a long way off."

"Well..." stalled Lilith, "why do so many die during training?"

"Training is difficult, dangerous -- it is what it is."

"What if it didn't have to be?" ventured Lilith with a faraway look in her eyes.

Cassidy stopped again, eyes narrowing. "You're about to challenge my preconceived notions again, aren't you?"

"I guess I am, and I know the person to talk to about it," said Lilith distractedly. Cassidy's face showed she wanted to know more, but Lilith was already walking again, her mind running ahead.

Most of the Complex's inhabitants would have been intimidated to have either Lilith or Cassidy show up unannounced at their door; Casper Carson had the honor of receiving both simultaneously and acted like it was an everyday occurrence. "Yes?" he inquired, his gravelly voice giving away just the smallest clue that he was surprised.

"Hello, Mr. Carson -- my apology for intruding on your time, but I would like to speak with you about an important topic. Will you take a walk with us?" Cap knew the question wasn't really a question, so after the slightest hesitation he nodded, chancing a glance up at Cassidy, whose face was neutral. He stepped back into his suite and said something softly to another occupant before emerging again.

"Thank you," Lilith said. "We have one more stop, then I'll explain."

The trio were soon standing outside Director Humbolt's office, and after a quick discussion, had collected him as well. None of them spoke further until they reached the Courtyard, where Lilith led them off to one side. "Mr. Carson, we barely know each other, but my impression is that you're a straightforward man who likes to keep things as plain as possible. Am I correct in this?"

Even more wary than he had been before, it was a few beats before Cap nodded. "As much as possible."

"Good. Do you know the Meister?"

Cap addressed Cassidy in response, "I know of you, ma'am, but we've only met in passing," he said, reaching out his hand.

The two shook and Cassidy's mouth ticked up. "I wonder how it is that's the case when you were one of my group leaders for so long..."

"I try to stay away from attention, or at least I did. The Executive Director can fill you in, if she likes." Cap looked back to Lilith. "What can I do for you, ma'am?"

Lilith felt like she was being handled by the trainer, which she found simultaneously annoying and mildly humorous. Pushing her feelings down, she remained as impassive as she could manage. "There are some ideas that that Meister and I are discussing, things that could fundamentally change how the Complex runs. We would like your input."

"Why me?" Cap asked with an unsettled frown.

Since she had been expecting the question, Lilith answered without delay. "Because Pip trusts you, and more importantly, because you know the history of our Adam program."

As he looked on, Geo was feeling unsettled at what was to come, but Cap's face relaxed and the man nodded. "Pip told me you would come to see me, to hear the old horror stories. That's what this is about?" Cassidy's eyes showed her surprise, but Cap didn't notice.

"Not exactly," answered Lilith, "but it could be related. I would like to know if you think it's possible to train the Adams in a less... lethal fashion."

"Of course," Cap replied simply; Geo was now frowning, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Then why don't we?" asked Lilith.

Cassidy interjected before Cap could respond. "Because the Adams wouldn't be as effective." The old handler nodded his agreement, tipping his head to the Meister for the assist.

"Are we certain?" Lilith challenged, looking back and forth between the others.

"Sure," Cap replied. "It was before my time, but we didn't always have so much full contact sparring; then again, we lost in the Arena more, too."

"How long are we talking, Mr. Carson?"

"Probably fifty years."

Lilith's eyes shot open. "So the first years after we started altering their genetics?"

Cap nodded. "The success rate back then was a lot lower, so we couldn't afford so many training losses; at least, that's what I've pieced together."

"And as survival rates improved, the training got more aggressive?"

"Yes. Better training leads to better results: we won more fights."

"Or maybe..." Lilith said tentatively, "maybe the Council at that time didn't want so many Adams surviving to maturity." Cap shook his head vigorously, his face flushing red, but Cassidy was feeling a building sense of unease; next to her, the color had drained from Geo's face.

Cap was now arguing passionately, but neither woman was paying attention to him any longer as they held a silent conversation with their eyes. Cassidy placed her hand on the handler's shoulder, shocking him to silence. "Wait, please. Director Collins, when did you figure this out?"

"Just now," the smaller woman replied, "but it fits, doesn't it?"

"It might," Cassidy replied, feeling cold despite the sunshine. "Director Humbolt?"

Geo's hand made a gesture that indicated he was uncertain how to answer.

"Mr. Carson, I know this is upsetting -- I feel it, too," Cassidy said, taking a breath and letting it out slowly. "I have a few questions that might help us work through the Executive Director's thinking."

Cap looked irate, his face now a deep shade of red, but he haltingly nodded his head.

"I know the winning percentages for the largest cities in the Arena going back several years. As a broad generalization, the largest programs are evenly matched, meaning each fight is what they used to call a 'coin flip'. Is that right, Director Humbolt?" Geo nodded, so Cassidy continued. "Is the same true for our Adams in training, or are some clearly better than others?"

Back on safer footing, Cap was still tense, but at least his color was moving toward normal. "Keeping in mind that I haven't been closely involved in a couple decades, my recollection is that almost all of the trainees that didn't belong in the program washed out by the time they reached fourteen or so, before the intensity really picks up. At sixteen and seventeen, it was always hard to tell them apart, because they came from the same stock."

"It's similar now," Geo volunteered without much enthusiasm, "except that we typically use three genetic workups each year: it mitigates the risk of having a bad batch."

Cassidy nodded. "So by the time they're mature, you don't know which Adam is going to win the training fights?"

"That's right, but so what?" Cap said defensively, sensing a trap.

Geo answered, although the challenge had not been addressed at him. "So if it's really fifty-fifty, there isn't necessarily a benefit to having them go at each other full tilt." There was silence as the ramifications were considered. "So what's the alternative?" Geo asked eventually, having been unable to find the answer himself.