Conrad and Thomas moved without hesitation, slipping back into the practiced rhythm of their roles.
Conrad took his position at the central control platform, fingers gliding over the console's surface, bringing the primary containment fields online. The faint hum of the massive generators below the facility resonated through the floor.
Meanwhile Thomas strode to the observation wall and began linking the live biometric feeds from all twenty candidates into a single master display. His face lit by a soft blue glow from the screens.
Though Conrad's hands worked with the mechanical equipment with focus, Erend's gaze lingered on him.
The man's history wasn't something easily ignored. He was a former special forces operative. Conrad had once been involved in the biggest problem this country, or even this world, has ever faced. All because the Elf woman he loved.
