Jade kicked her feet off the table as the staff surrounded the table. Her stomach immediately began to rumble against the smell of the food. Anything was better than the freeze dried rations she had on the dig sites. A properly cooked meal was only ever used to celebrate a successful excavation, which came about every couple of years at least. The waiter that came to her hesitated for a moment. He eyed the dirt she had left on the fine cloth with disgust. She glared and at him and pointed to the table. He gave a heavy sigh and gently placed her plate in front of her. No way she was missing out on this meal.

"Sorry I'm late. We had a mix up in the lab."

"I'm glad to see you are all enjoying the meal." Jade tried to catch the potatoes she had been shoveling into her mouth when she looked up. Two men had entered the dining room. One was a military man. He was in well-pressed uniform with quite a few medals on it. He was probably in his late forties and his hair was starting to gray. He was rather tall and well-built for his age. Next to him was a more familiar face. "My name is Colonel Van Pelt and I will be your host and commanding officer for your time on the project. Of course, you all know Dr. Frank."

Dr. Frank was just as he looked in all the media articles about him. He was the famous scientist that created time travel. His face was well known. Jade hadn't expected that they'd get to work directly with him. He actually reminded her of her own grandfather. In the way that he looked as though he would babble nonsense from time to time. She gave them a curt nod when they made eye contact and went back to eating. She figured the others would kiss their butts and be all gracious enough for her. There would be plenty of time for introductions and questions as the meal went on.