Chapter Three (B): Eric & Alice

[Akirapryde]

Alice saw the ring as surprised washed over her. "We had heard that Lyran Intelligence was asking questions, but we never knew how close you had gotten to us" she admitted. She paused for a moment and raised her hand to stop Eric, "There is more to the meaning then you might understand. Please let me explain."

She turned towards the desk and leaned on it. She looked at the little ring for a moment before continuing, "I am sure that you have heard about Clan Warriors and their rituals. Bloodnames, rites of passage, and duty above all things. Clan Scientists are not much different. Just like True Born Warriors, there are genetically create Clan Scientists" she explained then sighed. "We are raised in family units unlike the Clan Warriors and their SibCo's. For us, we are taught at a very young age a duty to Science. There is no national pride or personal loyalty. For those like my parents, only the Science matters. Which is why they were so willing to help Professor Angsoft. When I met him, I thought it was foolish. I was a Clan Scientist, I was above this petty thing called love. Sure I had seen its effects first hand on other Inner Sphere Scientists I was working around. To my surprise I found myself making up reasons to see him. Each reason was more silly then the one before it. Luckily for me, Professor Angsoft had a passion for General Alexander Kerensky. A passion that he insisted I shared. So those silly reasons were easy to explain away. The night he gave me this ring, I was going to leave the project. But he, the man I loved, asked me to follow through with the project. That I shouldn't abandon the project at this stage. We agreed to marry" she said with a bit of disbelief in her voice. "Me, marry. Even now it sounds so completely unreasonable. A unnecessary distraction from science. But now, I can't forgive myself for walking away from him that night."

She turned her head to look at him, "You are right, my ring does represent a commitment to something that is larger than myself. No not a people, an idea or a nation, but to a single thing. Love. I loved him so much that I was willing to walk away from everything just to spent an entire life with only him."

"Your ring represents a loyalty to your people. But my ring also represents a betrayal of everything I was raised to hold dear. I will help you in what you wish, but I have to ask. Would you be able betray all that that ring represents for something greater than who you are?"