She could have traveled with the other PPDC employees, but there had to be a nurse with the new cadets during their trip to the Shatterdome. Despite the possibility of emergencies happening mid-transit, Cherche is a bit distraught over having Minerva, her monitor lizard, in a cage throughout her travels. And then there's having to leave a teenage son behind in France, though he should be used to it by now. And there's the heat. Her hand embroidered handkerchiefs can only mop up so much sweat from her brow. So she didn't have the initial energy to initiate a conversation with the boy sitting next to her.

"It's alright," she says with a tired smile on her face. Now that she takes a better look at him, he looks just about the same age as the son she left in France. Or is this boy older? It's hard to tell with Asians sometimes. "Is this your first time in Chile?"