by Amy DuBoff
* * *
After the short introduction meeting with her father and Michael, Raena returned to the Primus Elite quarters with the other new Trainees. In contrast to having only three people in the space for the last several days, she could already tell it was going to get crowded really fast.
Behind her, a group of three girls had already started to form a clique. They were whispering amongst themselves just below intelligible volume a meter back, much to Raena’s irritation. She could feel their eyes on her.
Someone tapped on Raena’s shoulder. She spun around to see that it was one of the girls.
“Sorry,” the girl said, “but are you the High Commander’s daughter?”
“Yes,” Raena replied.
“So you’re Sietinen?” one of the other girls breathed.
Raena shrugged. “It’s really not that big of a deal. Don’t treat me any differently.”
A young man walking next to Raena, who’d been identified by her father as Hank during the introduction, perked up when he heard the conversation. “Was he serious about us leaving behind who we were on the outside?”
Raena gave him a sidelong glance. “Yeah. That’s sort of a key thing with the TSS.”
Hank scoffed. “You can’t walk away from an upbringing like that—especially when genetics talk. Some of us are just naturally more refined.”
“We’re all in this group because of our aptitude and potential,” Jason pointed out from the other side of Raena. “We’ve been screened and are worthy, regardless of where we came from.”
“Easy for you to say as a Sietinen—and son of the High Commander. But some of the others here,” Hank’s gaze flitted to one of the girls who’d introduced herself as being from a mining colony, “will never be up to our standard.”
“What standard is that? You mean a dynastic bloodline?” Jason shook his head. “If you want to look at things in those strict terms, then you and I are as far apart as you are from the ‘commoners’ you seem so intent on putting down. Or maybe we can just think of people as people and forget about class distinctions.”
Hank shook his head. “Yeah, whatever you say.” He pushed past them and went to the front of the group.
He better change his attitude or he won’t last long around here. Raena looked back at the girls behind her and their eyes were wide. The one in the middle whispered something to the others.
“If you have some commentary, you can say it to my face,” Raena stated.
The girls flushed.
“Sorry,” the middle one said. “It’s just that we’ve never met anyone highborn before.”
Raena smiled. “I grew up on Earth. I wouldn’t know how to act highborn and fancy if my life depended on it.”
The girls relaxed.
“Well good,” said the one on the left, “because I grew up on a salvage ship where they swear like their foking lives depend on it, so I’d rather not have to watch what I say.”
“It’s all good, no worries,” Raena said through a grin. “Call me Raena.”
“I’m Tiff,” the girl on the left replied.
“Susan,” said the middle girl.
“Nora,” said the girl on the right.
“Nice to meet all of you,” Raena told them. “Watch out for my brother, Jason,” she gave him a shove, “and that’s Ryan,” she pointed to where he was walking two people over in an attempt to downplay their relationship for the time being.
“Hey,” the girls greeted in unison.
The group arrived at the Primus Elite quarters and filed inside. A pile of luggage occupied the center of the common room, and the Trainees dove in to locate their possessions. Raena immediately dashed to her bed to defend her claim. The three girls she’d met in the hall wandered in after her carrying their bags.
“Are these beds taken?” Nora asked.
“Help yourself.” Raena flopped back on her bed.
Nora claimed the middle bed next to Raena, Tiff on the far bed of the back wall, and Susan took the bed on the left side of the door across from Raena.
After a minute, a slightly older young woman with red hair and ice blue eyes appeared in the doorway. “I guess I get last pick.” She ventured a smile.
“You lucked out, cuz you get the cool room,” Raena said.
“I’m Adaline.” She grinned and placed her bag on the remaining bed.
Everyone introduced themselves.
Tiff looked around the room with wonder. “Shite, I’m really in the foking TSS.”
“Not just the TSS, but the Primus Elites,” Raena added.
Nora grinned. “Oh yeah. This is going to be good.”
* * *
It took Ryan all of thirty seconds to decide he preferred having a room to himself, but at least his roommates seemed good natured enough. To his relief, the uptight dynastic heir who’d spoken up in the hallway had elected to room with Jason after muttering something about the dynasties sticking together.
A brawny blond with dark brown eyes who’d introduced himself as Ned plopped down on the bed next to Ryan. “So, when do classes start?”
“In three days, I think,” Ryan replied. “Or as soon as the course schedule can be set based on interests.”
“You were here when we arrived,” Steve said from across the room. “When did you get in?”
“A few days ago.” I don’t need them digging to deeply into my life.
“Where you from?” Ned asked.
Ryan hesitated. He’d been instructed to be transparent with the history of the persona he’d been his whole life, but he wished he could shed that anchor that had been holding him back his whole life. “I grew up as a Ward on Tararia,” he said at last.
“Oh man, sorry,” Jared said from the bed across from him.
“It wasn’t all bad,” Ryan shrugged.
“With which family?” questioned Steve.
“Sietinen,” Ryan admitted. “I came back here with them.”
“Hanging with the right crowd. Nice!” Leon exclaimed from two beds over.
“Yeah, well, I don’t expect the special favors to go beyond getting me into the TSS,” Ryan stated, already hating that he needed to lie to the very people whose trust he was supposed to earn.
“That heiress is super fine,” Jared commented
“Oh yeah, I’d totally move in on that,” Steve agreed.
Ryan didn’t bother to overtly shut them down because he knew Raena would have no trouble doing so herself. “We should probably not talk about our fellow trainees in such objectified terms.”
“Dude, unless you don’t swing that way, you can’t disagree,” Jared countered. “Objectively speaking.”
“No argument. But be careful—her brother will end you if you look at her wrong,” Ryan warned. Or I will.
Steve tossed up his hands. “Fok! None of us stand a chance, anyway.”
Ned stroked his chin. “Didn’t Wil marry someone from Earth?”
“Yeah! The absent heir, that’s right,” Jared said.
Ryan got up from his bed. “Romantic prospects or not, we should probably meet the others.”
“Good call,” Steve agreed. He and the others followed Ryan out into the common room.
Within two minutes, the other Primus Elite Trainees had migrated into the central space. As a matter of efficiency, they decided to gather around the table at the back of the room and make introductions one-by-one, including name, age, and a brief statement about where they were from.
When Ryan finished his introduction, other Trainees nodded and smiled in greeting like they had with the previous students, but Hank shook his head with a thinly masked expression of disgust. What’s his problem?
Raena must have noticed, as well, because she glared in Hank’s direction.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan told her.
Her gaze flitted to him and she gave a slight nod.
As soon as they’d made it all the way around the table with the introductions, Jason held up his ha
nd. “Hey, I just got a message from Scott that we’re supposed to meet up in the mess hall. Early lunch before physical assessments this afternoon.”
“Good, I’m starving!” Ned exclaimed.
The group headed for the door.
Seeing the other Trainees eyeing Raena as they walked through the hall, Ryan wished he could go up and take her hand. There was no way they’d be able to keep their relationship secret for as long as Wil and Saera had reportedly done, but trying to explain a High Dynasty heiress dating a Ward on Day One was probably not the best way to start out. Over the coming weeks and months, a relationship could naturally emerge in public, mirroring their private feelings as they continued to grow.
For the time being, he kept a respectable distance while he offered meager insights into TSS operations for the newcomers based on his few days in Headquarters.
On their final approach to the mess hall, though, Raena turned around from her conversation with her new roommates and said louder, “…and that’s how Ryan ended up joining us here.”
Shite! What did she just say about me? He complied with her gesture to come join in their conversation.
As he jogged up to Raena and her new friends, Ryan caught Ned’s and Steve’s shocked expressions.
“Uh oh. What have you been saying about me?” Ryan asked with a lighthearted smile.
“Only good things,” Raena replied with a wry grin. “You have a knack for electronics repair.”
“Is that so? Could have used you on the salvage ship!” Tiff said.
“He’s been good moral support, too.” Raena nudged him with her shoulder.
“Well, now you can have some more appropriate company,” Hank interjected from behind them.
Ryan rolled his eyes and turned around to face the other Trainee. “Oh, do elaborate.”
“I saw the way you look at her. Do you really think you have a chance?”
Fine, he wants a fight? Let’s do this. “I think Raena can befriend whomever she wants.”
Hank chuckled. “Oh, the Ward thinks just because he’s in the TSS now he can forget his place!”
Ryan glared at the other teen. “Actually, that’s exactly what it means to be in the TSS.”
“No, people like you will always serve people like me. Leaving your home doesn’t change who you are.”
Raena opened her mouth, but Ryan brushed her hand and she stepped back.
“You have no idea who I am.” Ryan rounded on him.
“You’re a Ward,” Hank spat. “Not even your own parents wanted you. Why should the TSS take you on?”
“And what, you think you’re special just because you belittle others?”
“I have the right name and connections. You have nothing.”
Ryan glared at him. “You really consider yourself to be a better person than me when you can talk to another individual like that? You’re pathetic.”
“At least I’m someone. Do you honestly think you’d be able to get with someone like her?” Hank nodded toward Raena.
“Our relationship is none of your business,” Ryan shot back.
Hank scoffed. “Stars, you do! Unbelievable.”
“And you think I’d rather be with a grade-A asshole like you?” Raena finally interjected.
“Have a little self-respect and stick with your own kind,” Hank told her.
Jason stepped in front of Raena. “You want to deal with someone on your level, then take it from me. You’re out of line.”
“Me? I’m just telling it like it is. We need to stop polluting our bloodlines. Your family has already done a good enough job at that.”
In one motion, Jason slammed Hank up against the wall. “If that was a crack about my mom, you just made a very grave mistake.”
“Jason, let it go,” Ryan said, but only half-heartedly. Secretly, he was hoping to see the smug sneer wiped off Hank’s face by a fist.
“At least I’m not tainted by those defective human genetics—”
Jason’s fist connected with Hanks face in a more spectacular punch than Ryan could have imagined, knocking Hank’s head back against the wall and causing him to lose his balance. He stumbled to the side, clutching his face.
“You broke my foking nose!”
“Maybe you should have considered that possibility before picking a fight with me.”
“I’ll ge—” Hank froze mid-stride.
“What’s going on?” Wil demanded from down the hall, running over to them.
Hank was released from the telekinetic hold and took an awkward step forward. “He attacked me!”
“After he insulted Ryan for being a Ward and then proceeded to trash-talk anyone from Earth,” Jason clarified.
Wil tilted his head. “Really?”
Hank flew against the opposite wall, paralyzed under Wil’s gaze.
“People like you are precisely why we insist no one’s life outside the TSS be factored into decisions. We define people by their own merits, not holding anyone back by whatever status they were born into. All of them deserve to be here. It’s you—with your narrow-minded ways and bigoted attitude—that’s not worthy of being in the TSS.”
Hank tried to squirm but his arms and legs were pinned. “You’re crazy! You’d choose them over someone like me with all my connections? No wonder Sietinen is faltering.”
“I’d rather live with a convalescent peasant than someone who doesn’t know a good heart when he sees one. I don’t know what they taught you while you were growing up—or if you got your special brand of stupid all on your own—but you will never be a TSS officer and you can sure as fok bet that Sietinen will never be doing any further business with the Guilin Dynasty. Congratulations.” Wil released the hold and Hank dropped to his knees on the ground.
“You can’t do that!” Hank protested, shakily finding his feet.
“You’re right—I can’t control with whom the Sietinen Dynasty does business as I don’t sit on the board, but I happen to be pretty close with the Chairman, so I can put in a recommendation. When it comes to the TSS, however, I have complete and final authority to terminate the training contracts of any student. Consider yourself expelled. You have ten minutes to be on the elevator up to the surface or you can expect an armed Militia guard to forcibly remove you.” Wil looked around at the other students in the hallway. “Is there anyone else who’d like to say something about their fellow Trainees?”
“That was so badass,” Tiff whispered.
Wil cracked a smile. “That’s an acceptable reaction. Now, why don’t you see Hank on his way?”
Two Junior Agents stepped over to Hank.
“Whatever.” He stormed down the hall back toward the Primus Elite quarters.
“So… uh,” Jared began, “are we going to get a replacement?”
“Yes, there were a number of prospective candidates,” Wil replied. “You can expect someone new to arrive this afternoon. Carry on,” he strode into the Mess Hall like nothing had happened.
Ryan smiled to himself. Yeah, I think I’ll be able to get used to life around here.
* * *
Cris leaned forward in the head seat at the SiNavTech board table. The men and women around the table were the brightest minds in business but he couldn’t help feeling like they had no experience. They’ve spent their whole lives in conference rooms. Do they even know what life is like for most Tarans?
Kate, seated to his right, would at least offer another voice representing an outside perspective. “We’ll show them the new way,” she said in his mind.
Cris looked around the table at the board members’ faces. They’re not going to like this. “The first order of business regards the TSS. I’m issuing an executive order to allow the TSS free and unrestricted use of the SiNavTech network.”
Ronald scoffed. “Give up our third-largest contract? You can’t be serious.”
“The TSS is a public service organization. They should never have been paying usage fees.”
“You may
be a Sietinen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t replace you on the board if you don’t act in the best interest of the company,” Ronald replied.
Cris folded his hands on the tabletop. “That’s absolutely right. So let me tell you why I’m an asset. It’s because I don’t give a fok about pleasing the shareholders and making the company books look good.”
Everyone’s eyes widened around the table.
“That’s not helping your argument,” Ronald stated.
“Let me finish. I don’t care about those things because people count on us to get them safely to their destination. SiNavTech focusing only on the bottom line is what caused the TSS to reduce patrols, and as soon as that happened, piracy rose to the highest levels in two generations. By allowing the TSS free travel, we gain built-in security at all the ports, which encourages recreational travel.
“I’ve been out there, but you rarely see beyond the walls of a conference room. I know what life is like in the outer colonies. They need us to stay connected to the rest of the worlds—to get deliveries of their essentials. We shouldn’t be charging people for something they need. Instead, we should be focusing on those with disposable income, because that’s where there’s growth potential. Don’t charge higher usage fees, but rather invest in the overall travel experience for higher-end travelers, promote ad placement opportunities to offset reduced fees through sponsorships. As a result, our investment sponsors better connect with the right people to grow their own businesses and we, in turn, gain reliable revenue from the deepest accounts—the other corporations.”
Marina raised an eyebrow and leaned back slightly in her chair. “We’d never looked at it that way before.”
“I intend to make a lot of changes around here,” Cris said. “I want to make this company a model for all others in our position—trusted, reliable, enduring. We offer an essential, core service. That means we have a responsibility to uphold. Not to shareholders, but to society.”
“Anyone who isn’t interested in exploring that new perspective is welcome to step away with full compensation,” Kate added. “But we have plans and some of it might sound a little unconventional at first.”
The board sat in silence for a full minute.