Page 3 of Thawed Gladiator: Cassius

“I told you how we found the gladiators off the coast of Norway. They were thawed and brought back to life in a Swiss facility, but I thought they would be better off in a private sanctuary here in the States. Here, we can pretty much keep them out of the public eye until they’re more comfortable with their… circumstances.”

Her gaze flicks to a photo on her credenza. It’s of her and Varro. I’ve crawled through the Internet enough to know him on sight. He’s the only gladiator whose picture has been released to the public.

“We have fourteen men here,” Laura continues. “Most are still in a state of shock, trying to adapt to a world that’s utterly foreign to them. It’s not just the technology that’s overwhelming—it’s everything. Imagine the time they came from—no electricity, no plastic, nothing was made by machines. Hell, they didn’t know the earth was round, didn’t have soap; they thought their pantheon of gods managed the weather. We’ve come a long way, especially in how we treat each other.”

I nod, imagining how terrifying it must be to have everything you’ve ever believed disproved right before your eyes.

“How do you communicate with them?”

Laura taps her ear. “We’ve developed a real-time translation device. Because of my studies and all the Latin texts I read tracking down theFortuna, I’m fluent in Latin. But you’ll need to wear one at all times when interacting with the gladiators. It’s not perfect, but it works, and Skye, Thrax’s partner, is constantly improving the software.”

She leans forward, her expression earnest. “Diana, in full disclosure, you need to know that these men may sometimes act in ways that seem… inappropriate by our standards. They don’t know our social norms. They might stare, or stand too close, or say things that sound offensive. It’s not out of malice—they’re learning, but it’s a slow process.”

“I understand.” My mind is already whirling with the implications. “I’ve worked with people from all walks of life and ability levels. I know how to be patient.”

She smiles approvingly. “That’s exactly the attitude we need. Now, about the horses, you’ll have to tell me how many we’ll n—”

“Wait,” I interrupt, my heart pounding. “Does this mean… do I have the job?” Am I reading too much into this? Have I overstepped? It couldn’t be this easy, right?

Laura’s smile widens. “Yes, Diana. If you want it, the position is yours. I think you’ll be a perfect fit for our unique situation here.”

I’d figured landing this job was a longshot, so for a moment, I’m speechless. Then a grin spreads across my face. “Yes! Absolutely, yes. Thank you so much, Ms. Turner. I won’t let you down.”

“I’m sure you won’t,” Laura says warmly, “and call me Laura. There will be non-disclosure agreements to sign. As you know, the world is interested in everything about these men, from their measurements to what toothpaste they use.”

I put up my hand as I shake my head. “Wait, please.” I place my hand on my chest as I try to gather my racing thoughts. “I haven’t quite caught up with the news that I just landed my dream job.”

She smiles and takes a sip of her coffee while I calm my racing thoughts.

“Okay, Laura. Full speed ahead.” Now that I’m thinking clearly, I’m totally embarrassed.

“You’re going to do well here, Diana. It’s that type of enthusiasm I was hoping for.”

She launches into explaining how easy it would be to exploit these men with a little “harmless” interview with a gossip magazine, how it would erode the trust and privacy that these men desperately need.

“I understand.”

“And to underscore how serious this is, Diana, I’ll tell you that one of our men was kidnapped before we left Switzerland to come to the States.”

My mouth drops open in surprise. They’ve managed to keep this news top secret. There wasn’t even a whisper about it on the Internet.

“Victor was stolen out of our hospital facility under our noses by our head of security. We’ve got private security teams searching for him and Interpol is on it, but the trail is cold.”

She pauses, perhaps to let me imagine how horrible it would be to wake up two thousand years in the future in the hands of criminals who want to use you—maybe worse.

“That’s awful.”

“Yes, we’re all broken up about it. The news is, of course, top secret. I tell you so you know just how much is at stake here.”

As I let this information sink in, she steps out for a moment, brings a plate of home-baked cookies, and sets them next to me.

“Now that you know what you’ll be dealing with, what kind of program would you envision here?”

As I launch into my ideas—a mix of therapeutic riding techniques and more traditional horsemanship—I feel the last ofmy nerves melting away. This is what I know. This is where I shine.

“…and of course, we’ll need to start with the right horses,” I finish, realizing I’ve been talking for several minutes straight. “Sorry, I got a bit carried away there.”

“Don’t apologize,” Laura says, her eyes twinkling. “Passion is exactly what we’re looking for. In fact, I’d like you to help choose our first two horses. We have connections with some excellent breeders, but I want someone who knows what we need for this program.”

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