Zoe Pierce and the others had no idea what was happening in the control room.

Zoe Pierce had already returned to her personal cabin.

"She’s acting a little strange today." Seeing she was out of sight, Erin Xavier reluctantly pulled his gaze back.

The moment he turned his head, he saw Nathan Lockwood’s pensive expression.

Erin Xavier immediately raised an eyebrow.

While he wasn’t as sharp as Nathan Lockwood, he had gotten good at reading his expressions.

Just like now, Nathan’s expression was quite intriguing.

Considering how Nathan had been staring at Zoe Pierce, Erin massaged his neck and twisted it a few times. "Nathan, did you... notice something again?"

After all, he was the one who’d first noticed the thing with Zoe, Miles, and Chase.

Nathan Lockwood leaned against the Starship’s metal wall, his gaze still fixed on the empty spot where she had been.

His brow furrowed. "Is it possible... that Zoe Pierce has sensed our feelings?"

Those words silenced all three men present.

Even Chase Shaw, who hadn’t been paying attention to Erin’s conversation with him, now turned to look at Nathan Lockwood, his face expressionless.

’How is that possible?’

That was Erin’s first thought.

’But the one who said it was Nathan Lockwood.’

Past experience had proven time and again that the man was never wrong in his judgments.

Nathan Lockwood straightened up. "Perhaps I’m overthinking it."

"I’m heading back."

’Seriously, man?’

’You drop a bombshell like that and just walk away?’

Erin’s body moved faster than his brain. The next second, he stretched out an arm to block Nathan Lockwood’s path, flashing him a smile. "Nathan, say a little more. What’s going on?"

’How could Zoe Pierce have figured out what they were feeling?’

Erin felt conflicted. On one hand, he wanted Zoe Pierce to finally get a clue. On the other, he was afraid that a clued-in Zoe would choose someone else instead of him.

This was why the few of them had tacitly maintained the current peace.

None of them could be truly certain of Zoe Pierce’s feelings.

’What if she really rejects you and falls for someone else on the team? What then?’

Nathan Lockwood gave him a cool glance and brushed aside Erin’s blocking arm. "There’s no point in discussing something uncertain."

’The sample size is too small for an accurate analysis. I need to observe for a few more days.’

Erin watched Nathan Lockwood leave, frustrated.

He just dropped a bomb on them and then casually walked away.

His gaze now fell on Miles Sherman. Compared to Chase, maybe Miles had also noticed something.

But Erin only saw Miles frowning as well.

’Alright, then.’ Seeing this, Erin decided not to ask.

’Looks like only Nathan Lockwood really knows what’s going on.’

...

Zoe Pierce didn’t know that her subconscious attempt to create distance had been enough for Nathan Lockwood to spot something was amiss.

Right now, she was just thinking about how to get through the next few days. Once training started, another half-month or so would pass, and she wouldn’t have to face this problem.

’Running away might be shameful, but it’s useful.’

But Zoe also knew this was a temporary fix, not a cure. She would still have to see Chase and the others eventually, and she couldn’t use this kind of excuse every time.

Standing in front of the mirror, Zoe cupped her hands and splashed cold water on her face.

’Calm down, Zoe.’ 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

She lifted her head, watching the face in the mirror as water droplets trickled down her cheeks. ’The most important part of acting is a steady mindset. I’m playing myself, not someone else.’

’So there shouldn’t be any other difficulties.’

’Steady your mind.’ Zoe let out a breath and wiped her face with a tissue.

「Two days passed in a flash, without any incident.」

Zoe Pierce’s behavior over these two days had made Nathan Lockwood uncertain again.

Just as Zoe was observing them, Miles and the others were also silently observing her.

The group was sitting in the cabin, chatting idly as usual, when Erin saw Ryan Jacobs walk over from the control room, his expression grave.

Normally, Ryan Jacobs was always joking around.

’Just like me.’

Erin sat up a little straighter. He heard Ryan glance at them and say, "Miles Sherman, Erin Xavier, Chase Shaw. The three of you, follow me to the external mecha bay."

Miles and the others immediately stood up.

Erin asked, "What’s going on?"

Using the external mecha bay meant they would be deploying Mechas in outer space. This usually didn’t happen in non-combat situations.

"We’ve encountered a medium-sized escape pod up ahead that sent out a distress signal." For these ejected, drifting escape pods, if the people inside aren’t rescued before the oxygen runs out, they all die.

The route we’re on happens to be a less-traveled, somewhat remote one. If we miss them, it could very well cost lives.

Erin understood. ’A rescue mission.’

Now, only Nathan Lockwood was left with her. He sat on one side of the sofa, flipping through a book in his hands.

Seeing the book, Zoe inexplicably recalled how hard she had studied for the joint entrance exams. The comparison made her feel a little ashamed.

She hadn’t even opened a book since the exams.

"Nathan Lockwood, how many people can a medium-sized escape pod usually hold?" Seeing that Nathan had already looked up at her, Zoe decided to ask.

Nathan Lockwood said, "Five people at most."

The two of them watched through the specialized window. They could only see Erin’s and the others’ Mechas streak past. It was a full fifteen minutes before they saw them return, towing a huge, sealed escape pod.

Oxygen was pumped in. After the others had disembarked from their Mechas, Zoe and Nathan Lockwood made their way to the external bay.

Though it was called an escape pod, it looked more like a giant coffin.

Nathan Lockwood walked over to the escape pod and explained to Zoe, "Anyone who enters an escape pod inhales a gas that induces sleep. It only wears off after the pod is opened."

His finger pressed the release button on the side of the pod.

With a HISS of compressed air, the lid of the escape pod opened.

Inside lay four people: one girl and three boys. One of the boys was younger, only about five or six years old. The other three were older and looked like young adults, around fifteen or sixteen.

When Ryan Jacobs saw the ages of the people in the escape pod, his expression soured. The fact that it was children who had escaped, not adults, spoke volumes about the gravity and complexity of the situation.

Even Director Quinn came down from the control room.

They all had to wait for the sleeping occupants to wake up and explain what had happened.

The Federation doesn’t permit children to leave a planet by themselves; they must be accompanied by a guardian.

The question now was, where were the guardians? What had happened to make these children flee? No other escape pods had been detected nearby.

Zoe watched the time. About ten minutes later, the teenager lying on the very edge was the first to stir, groaning and pushing himself up.

He blinked a few times before he registered his situation. The color drained from his face, and he whipped his head around to look at the people gathered there.

His gaze flinched back when he saw Director Quinn and Mr. Jacobs, but when he spotted Nathan Lockwood, Miles, and the others, his shoulders visibly relaxed.