Mothership (Invasion Survivor Book 4)

by Hayley Lawson

  Naturally, thinking about her lack of orientation skills made her think of Dave. He’d always helped her in that department, and she wished he was by her side, too.

  Thinking about Dave reminded her of Peter. Once Genesis docked, she needed to find a way to sneak back and find him. Paige knew that was much easier said than done since she had eyes on her constantly. Still, that was what she planned to do, and hopefully, with AJ's help. She was worried sick about Peter and Tilley, so she wanted to reunite with them.

  While lost in her head again, Paige almost missed that the woman leading them came to a halt in front of one of the doors. Paige almost smacked right into her, but AJ pulled her back. She staggered a little, but that was one crisis averted, and Paige sent a grateful look to AJ.

  Paige could only imagine the hissy fit the woman would throw if a mere stowaway touched her. On the other hand, Paige wondered if she’d judged her too harshly. The woman had mentioned she’d had a bad day. They’d all had a bad day—or a series of bad days in Paige's case.

  It was a mystery how the woman knew when to stop because, to Paige, every door looked exactly the same, and there were no marks on them to indicate what was on the other side.

  “Now, enter that room,” the woman directed in a bossy tone that Paige found irritating.

  Regardless of how grating their small group found the woman, they each entered the room. They needed to pick their battles. They needed to know when to stand up for themselves and when to lay low. At first, it seemed like an ordinary classroom. There were desks and benches in rows, and people sat at them with papers in front of them. It looked like they might take an exam. That felt strange to Paige since they were in space after a massive evacuation from Earth and all that.

  All of them wore green uniforms, just like Paige, Angela, and AJ.

  Another woman stood at the front of the room beside a board like a teacher. She turned to watch Paige, her mother, and AJ as they entered.

  “I’ve brought three more stowaways for you,” their guide informed the other.

  Paige looked at the ‘teacher’ at the front of the classroom and watched her face contort in annoyance. It was obvious she wasn’t too pleased by the turn of events.

  Everyone on this ship seemed to be pissed off, Paige thought to herself without actual humor as she walked into the room. Maybe there’s something fishy in the water supply making them like that.

  “Go and sit down,” the woman at the front ordered without preamble.

  Paige wondered what happened to good manners on the ship. Yes, they had to abandon Earth, but did that mean common courtesy, good manners, and kindness were also abandoned?

  Being a bit of a troublemaker, as Kwan called her once, Paige couldn't help but speak up.

  “Hello, I’m Paige,” she said with a small smile to the teacher. Deciding to test her theory, she waved to the rest of the people seated, but the other woman ignored her.

  “Okay,” Paige mumbled to herself, shifting her focus.

  AJ smiled at the exchange, but Angela looked oblivious to everything.

  All those already seated turned to look at them as they walked farther into the classroom to find empty seats. A few offered waves, nods, or small smiles in her direction, but most of them looked at the papers in front of them. There was a distinct haunted look on their faces. Paige couldn't help but wonder what put it there.

  We all endured a lot to be here.

  That was the most important thing—they were still alive.

  Paige continued to look all around the room, scanning the area and trying to see if she could spot her dad or willow, but they weren’t there.

  She had no high hopes they would be there, but she wanted to look, anyway.

  “Hurry up,” the woman suddenly and angrily said, making Paige jerk a little.

  She turned to look at the woman and was met with a nasty scowl.

  “I’m not starting all over again because of you three. I have neither the time nor the patience. You will have to get the information from the other stowaways when I’m done,” she said with finality, flipping her hair.

  What is happening to these people? Paige asked herself and not for the first time.

  “We didn't ask to be here,” AJ countered, clearly fed up with the situation as well.

  “Whatever,” the teacher replied, giving a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’ve already told them everything, and you can learn by asking. Now, I don’t want any single voice to be heard. I demand silence.”

  Paige couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Someone is riding hard on a weird ego trip.

  Exchanging a look with AJ, it was clear he thought the very same thing.

  Paige, Angela, and AJ finally sat next to one another on a long bench in front of one of the desks in the back of the classroom. Instantly, Paige raised her hand to catch the teacher’s attention. The teacher’s eyebrow twitched as she looked at Paige coldly in return. “What is it?” the teacher demanded, frowning at Paige.

  Paige ignored the bitchy tone and smiled in return, knowing she could break every bone in the weaker woman’s body without breaking a sweat.

  Wow, where did that come from?

  To say she was surprised by her violent trail of thought would be an understatement, considering she was a pacifist. Well, usually.

  “Excuse me for bothering you,” Paige started politely. “But I just wanted to know how we can find out if others have left Earth. If you have the list of the stowaways, it would be ...”

  “Know your place, girl!” she hissed angrily, completely taking Paige by surprise. “I told you I wanted silence in this room. Just shut up until you finish the test, or else…”

  “We’ll be floated out,” Paige, Angela, and AJ finished the sentence for her. They already knew what the punishment was on this spaceship. The teacher nodded.

  Paige felt like giggling despite the gravity of the situation or precisely because of it. She wasn’t sure which.

  “Good, you do have some common sense,” the teacher snapped.

  “Yeah, you can't treat us like that,” AJ exploded. “She only tried to ask you one simple question.”

  “AJ.” Paige tried to calm him.

  He looked at her, and she shook her head. Her message was clear. That woman wasn't worth the effort, and taking a deep breath, he nodded in return.

  “Are we done with all the interruptions?” the teacher asked haughtily, and they all ignored her.

  “Good,” she continued. “Don't interrupt me again, or there will be severe consequences for all of you.”

  “What is wrong with all these people?” Paige grumbled under her breath. “Are they not getting enough proteins or something?”

  Everyone in the hearing distance snickered, AJ included.

  The teacher sent them all a dirty look, but Paige ignored it, pretending to be interested in the paper that was in front of her.

  “Everyone turn over the paper and start the test,” she instructed as she looked directly at Paige. “You have only one hour to finish it, so don't waste any time.”

  Paige looked at the paper, unable to understand why she had to do this in the first place. They’d only just arrived for crying out loud, and immediately they put them in a classroom to do a freaking test.

  Paige sighed. Unfortunately for her, that was still too much noise. The teacher singled her out—again.

  “Why are you so surprised? You’re a stowaway!” the teacher said, clearly annoyed. “The test is to see what job you’re most suitable for.” For once, she explained something.

  They’d been told as much before entering the room, but she’d expected something else. She’d expected to be physically tested. That’s the only way to tell if someone knew how to turn a wrench or fix a computer.

  A written test didn’t seem like it would tell anyone much in that situation, so she didn’t understand what it was for. She was so grateful the woman had given her a real explanation that she’d almost thanked her.

&n
bsp; Despite her true feelings on the matter, Paige nodded as she tried to avoid any more conflict. She turned over her paper and wrote her name on it.

  Then she took a closer look at the test which was only a few pages long.

  Let's see, what do we have here?

  At first glance, everything seemed easy. It was as though Paige knew the answers to each question.

  That really surprised her yet boosted her confidence at the same time. She could never imagine that such an important test would be so easy.

  Ok, I got this, she thought to herself with glee.

  Wasting no additional time—since the teacher watched her as if looking for even the tiniest excuse to float her out—Paige took the pen and scribbled her answers.

  Once she started, she never missed a beat. Her pen practically flew across the paper. Without pause or time to ponder, she meticulously wrote the answers to all the questions.

  This is too easy, she realized quickly but continued writing, anyway.

  The answers practically jumped at her as she wrote. It seemed like she’d learned all the answers by heart before coming to the classroom which wasn't true, of course.

  Paige went through each page in less than a few seconds, and she was so engrossed and enjoying such an easy test that she didn’t even look around to see how the others were doing. She was too focused and completely in the zone. She wanted to do her best as if her life depended on it. For all she knew, it might.

  Not too long after she started, Paige turned the last page and realized that she’d completed it all, the whole test. She couldn’t believe it.

  Glancing about, she looked for more. Is this really it? she couldn't help but wonder. It felt like only a minute had passed since she started, and now it was all finished.

  If she was completely honest, she felt proud of herself.

  I will definitely get an A, she joked privately and barely stopped herself from grinning.

  Then it hit her.

  Is this the Black Mass acting out again instead of me?

  After a few seconds of panic, she let it go.

  Who cares if it was? She completed the stupid test in no time, and that was the only thing that mattered. Besides, maybe I get a better job because of it, she concluded.

  So, Paige stood and took her papers to the teacher, putting them on her table.

  The other woman was so engrossed in the book she was reading, she didn't even notice Paige. Paige felt the urge to check herself in the mirror simply to make sure she was still visible.

  After a few heartbeats of standing there like a houseplant, Paige cleared her throat to get the teacher’s attention. “I’ve completed the test. Can I know now where the list of the other people is?”

  The teacher looked up at Paige from where she sat. The shock in her expression told Paige the woman was surprised anyone would bother her so soon.

  The look on her face made Paige feel slightly self-conscious.

  Why is she staring at me like that? Did I speak in a foreign language or something?

  The woman continued to stare at Paige for a few moments before she turned and looked at the other people in the classroom to see everyone looking at Paige in bemusement.

  If this was a normal day at school, she would wonder if she had some ketchup on her face from lunch, but there was nothing normal about this situation.

  What did I do now? she asked in exasperation, resisting the urge to wipe her face, just in case.

  As Paige became worried about why they all stared at her like she was a ghost, she noticed that most of the people were still on page one.

  Crap! You’re such an idiot, Paige, she chastised herself for not being more careful.

  Checking the time, she wanted to smack herself and hard.

  She had been so excited about finishing she hadn’t realized she did complete the whole thing in a freaking minute!

  Well, that happened, she told herself, Deciding to own it like a champ, she flashed a confident smile to everyone.

  So, Paige finished the test far sooner than anyone else.

  What now?

  She made eye contact with her mother, who shook her head at her daughter in return. Angela was wide-eyed and appeared annoyed. Paige didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that.

  Paige became aware that her little slip would make her stick out, and that wasn’t a good thing. There was nothing she could do about it now. A time machine wasn't available, unfortunately.

  She needed to blend in, but she was afraid that ship sailed the minute she submitted her test. “Is there a problem?” the teacher asked, finally finding her voice.

  “I finished my test,” Paige repeated slowly as if speaking to a small child.

  The woman snorted as if she didn't believe her. She took the papers into her hands.

  Prepare to be amazed, Paige thought as she smiled.

  The teacher looked through her test instantly, and with every page she turned, her expression became more and more surprised.

  Paige had to remind herself to stay cool and composed.

  “Well, all your answers are correct,” she said, and Paige could hear the amazement in her voice.

  There was never any doubt in Paige's mind that the outcome would be any different.

  Ha! Take that, you snob!

  That thought made her pause. Once again, Paige had to wonder if it was really her who wrote the answers or if it was an effect of the Black Mass.

  Paige remembered AJ telling her Francis had upgraded his stuff, but this was the first time Paige had the opportunity to test it. Then again, maybe it wasn’t the Black Mass’ influence at all. After all, she was a straight-A student all her life, so with no false modesty, she couldn’t help but think that maybe she was smart enough to get all the answers correct.

  “So?” Paige said loudly. “Now that I’ve completed my test—and with flying colors—is it possible for me to see the full list of other people who have made it here from Earth?” She refused to be derailed from her quest. She needed to see with her own eyes if her family made it here.

  “Yes, yes,” the teacher blurted out, her eyes still passing over her test paper in wonder. “It’s on the notice board in the common room.”

  She actually answered me. Paige was stunned for a second. Focus! she snapped at herself to keep going.

  “The common room? Where is that?” Paige pressed.

  The teacher stood and went to open the door. “It’s right there, through the second door,” she explained as she pointed out the door with her hand to another door in the corridor.

  This lady can be nice when she wants to. It still felt weird Paige didn't know the woman’s name, not that she planned to make any efforts to change that.

  Mumbling a ‘thank you,’ Paige walked towards the exit.

  Chapter Four

  What are you doing? Francis snapped at AJ.

  I'm doing my test, the good little boy I am, AJ answered instantly, stating the obvious.

  You can't, Francis warned.

  What do you mean, I can't? I have to.

  No, you need to stop! Francis insisted.

  Is there something wrong with you? Did you malfunction or something?

  AJ needed to the test so they would leave him alone. As far as he could tell, it was just that plain and simple. Listen to me. Don't do this.

  I will, and I am, AJ replied sternly. He needed to finish, and apparently, he could to do it with flying colors.

  When he glanced at Paige, he saw her concentrated on the pages. She blew through the answers like they were first-grade stuff.

  It wasn’t much different from him. The test was a joke as far as he was concerned. He suspected the Black Mass had something to do with it because he knew his own potential and limitations, but he didn't care.

  All done, he announced in his mind.

  He finished his test the same time Paige finished hers.

  Check us out, the dynamic duo.

  AJ was about to follow suit whe
n the not-so-small voice inside his head stopped him.

  Don't do this, AJ. Francis panicked.

  Why not? It's just a stupid test.

  No, it's not, Francis countered. It's a test of skills. Do you really want to flaunt yours? Do you really want to show them what you’re capable of?

  His words made AJ pause, and Francis used that moment of his insecurity to continue.

  Think about it. You could end up on the radar of whoever is in charge. They could find out about me.

  He hadn’t thought about it in those terms. Maybe he needed to strategize a little and not show all his cards at once.

  Exactly, Francis agreed. You can't submit your test.

  Things weren’t so easy, however. It wasn't like AJ had a choice in the matter. If he didn't, they would float him off.

  Oh, I forgot about that, Francis said glumly.

  So, what do you think I should do? AJ asked for advice.

  Rewrite some of your answers, Francis offered.

  AJ thought about that for a second and decided that wasn't such a bad idea. And while Paige had a short exchange with the teacher, AJ erased some of his correct answers and wrote wrong answers instead.

  I really hope this works, AJ admitted.

  Me, too.

  It felt weird to do that, but Francis was right. AJ needed to lie low, especially since Paige already claimed the spotlight.

  He was sure it was unintentional, that she’d made a mistake as AJ nearly did. Unlike her, however, he was saved by a little help from a friend.

  You would be doomed without me, Francis announced. Despite AJ wanting to roll his eyes at Francis' theatrics, he couldn't say the alien was wrong.

  Paige walked toward the exit, and AJ followed suit.

  * * *

  Angela and AJ obviously had no intention of staying in the classroom. They walked up to the confused teacher and handed in their tests before leaving the classroom with Paige.

  Yes, we are that good, Paige wanted to throw back but knew it would be too childish and petty.