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"Different from what? How you imagined us?"
I shrug uncomfortably.
"Yes."
Of course that isn't it. They're different from how they were with me at the beginning. Will doesn't listen like he used to, and he pretends he never heard all I told him. It hurts to know that he's lying to me.
"You're all pretending," I blurt out. My filter seems to have gone. No, this is bad. I need to hide. Run, Louise. Run before he makes you say even more.
Han studies me closely.
"Pretending how?"
I don't want to tell him, but my mouth moves before I can stop it.
"You're pretending you don't know me."
This time, I can feel the tears running down my cheeks. I shouldn't be crying. It's not my fault, it's theirs.
Han looks a bit at a loss, like he's not sure what I mean.
What a bastard. He can't even admit to it.
"I'm not sure what you mean," he finally says. "We've only known you for three weeks, and we've all been busy during that time. There should have been more time to get to know each other, to have some proper chats, but for now, the priorities had to be on other things. And some of us haven't been in the common areas a lot."
He means me, I know he does. It's true, I've been keeping away from them once I realised that they were different from their usual selves. It scares me how they changed without even realising it themselves.
"How about we get together every evening from now on?" he suggests. "Even if it's just half an hour. All seven of us around one table, talking about what's going on in our lives and how we can improve our situation. How does that sound?"
He's clutching at straws and we both know it. This isn't going to solve anything. A bit of talking won't change the fact that they're all pretending. It might even make things worse.
"Just stop pretending," I say tiredly. I'm suddenly feeling very exhausted. I want a corner to curl up in and ignore the world around me. Maybe if I pretend that the men aren't here, everything will be back to normal. Just me and the planet. The only human on Mars. It wasn't all that bad. At least I knew where I stood back then.
"You told me that you'd always tell me the truth," I remind him. "Please do that now."
He frowns even more.
"When did I say that?"
I huff in frustration. Is he stupid as well as annoying?
"Back when you were still in your pod. Week four, maybe, or week five? Not long before I woke you."
His eyes widen.
"Louise, think about what you just said. You're a incredibly intelligent woman, you wouldn't be here otherwise. There's something wrong with what you said, and I want you to tell me what it is."
What kind of mind games is he playing now?
I sigh deeply. I told him that I said it when he was in his lifepod, four or five weeks ago. What's the problem with that? Did I get the date wrong? Maybe it was six weeks... no, I'm pretty sure it was before I injected Toby with the fateful vaccination.
When Han was in the pod... the pod... wait.
No.
Wait.
That's strange.
