“You don’t have to thank me,” Alfie replied, putting the warm duvet over her aching body. “So long as you’re aboard my ship you’ll never have to worry about a thing. You’re safe now.”
There was a moment’s pause as he stared into the distance.
“You should remember that I said that,” he advised her mysteriously, turning on his heel and walking from the room, his arms folded behind his back.
Elsie lay in the dark for a moment, letting the silence swallow her up. She looked over at William’s peaceful face, his mouth hanging open as he slept deeply. She had done it. She had saved him. She was victorious in her quest, yet the strangest feeling of emptiness engulfed her as the Mayfly’s engines burst into life, shaking the room from floor to ceiling. Unable to cling on any longer, she succumbed to the lull of sleep, knowing that by the time she awoke, they would be deep in Space. Life on Earth was over.
3.
Thirteen Years Later
Will opened his eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the light in his bedroom. Reluctantly, he kicked off his duvet and sat up, swinging himself out of bed. Feeling groggy, he walked across the room to his wardrobe, his bare feet padding across the dark blue carpet. He opened the doors and picked out a maroon jumper and pair of sleek black trousers to wear. Even though he was thirteen years old, his mother still chose his clothes for him. She had them specially made by an upmarket designer who lived alongside them on Floor One. He shrugged out of his pyjamas, the light grey material crumpling into a pile at his feet. Once he was dressed, he folded his nightclothes carefully and put them in pride of place in his top drawer. They were adorned with images of his favourite Rocket Racer, Pablo Pianthus and his famous Solo Rocket XR2. Last year, he had broken the record for the fastest ever journey undertaken in a one-man rocket. When Will grew up he wanted to be just like him, though he hadn’t told anyone about this particular dream. He was certain that his friends would make fun of him and that his mother would panic at the thought of him catapulting through space at top speed in a small metal rocket. She wasn’t the biggest fan of flying, mostly due to the fact that Will’s father had died in some sort of spacecraft explosion before he was born. He had never been told the full story, but he knew enough to be sure that his mother wouldn’t be cheering him on should he choose racing as his career.
After he had finished getting ready, Will headed over to the computer screen fitted securely into the wall above his desk. He sat down and turned on the display, which told him the date – 1st of September 2113. A large dialogue box popped up, flashing to announce a message of some sort.
“Good morning Will, this is a reminder to inform you that you will be departing for The Space Academy today at 11.11 A.M”,” the robotic voice notified him.
Will swiped the notice off the screen. As if he could have forgotten! He suspected that Marie, his private tutor, had logged the event into his computer’s diary. He brought up another screen and checked his inbox. A small, speech bubble icon informed him that he had one new message from Spencer Hullington, his friend who lived across the hall. He opened the message and began to read:
“Hello Will,
Just letting you know that my father has pulled some strings and managed to arrange for our rooms to be on the same floor at the Academy, just like here! He designed a lot of the school’s architecture and they owe him a few favours. Anyway, I’ll see you later on the Shuttle. It leaves at 11.11 exactly so don’t be late! I’ll try to save you a seat.
From Spencer.
P.S Have you packed yet? I think I’m going to ask Anita, our maid, to do mine. She’s so much better at folding than I am!”
Will frowned as he finished reading. He supposed that he should be excited that he and Spencer would be living near each other at the Academy, but instead he felt a thud of disappointment. He had looked forward to making a fresh start and experiencing something different, finally free from the confines of his life on Floor One.
Spencer’s message had reminded him about packing. He had promised his mum that he would finish it before he went to bed the night before and yet he hadn’t managed to pack a single thing. He had spent the evening playing his favourite virtual reality game “Earth Wars” instead and had been so absorbed in it that he had completely lost track of time. He had been in the middle of killing the last evil General, jumping about his room with his virtual sword and fighting the holograms that were spawning around him, when he had suddenly noticed the time and realised it was far too late for him to be awake. He had shut the game down and scrambled into bed, shutting his eyes and willing himself to sleep before he was caught still awake in the small hours of the morning.
Rummaging under his bed, he found the brand-new suitcase his mum had got him from the lobby the week before and pulled it out, yanking his clothes from their hangers and throwing them inside in a haphazard manner. He wasn’t sure how many outfits he would need, and so decided to pack his entire collection. He left his Pablo Pianthus pyjamas in their drawer, selecting a few pairs of plainer nightwear that he felt were less likely to embarrass him.
He scanned his room carefully for anything else he would need. His Personal Device that would allow him to send and receive messages was already attached to his wrist after he had fallen asleep wearing it. Other than that, he didn’t have many possessions that he treasured, save for a photograph of himself and his mother that had been taken when he was a baby. He was sat on her lap, wearing a pair of green dungarees over a stripy T-shirt, beaming at the camera with very little teeth. He picked up the frame and wrapped it in his dressing gown, placing it in his suitcase with the rest of his things.
When he had finished packing, he pulled the zip on the case to ensure it was secure and positioned it in the middle of his room, making sure it would be immediately noticeable should his mum come in to check on him. He stepped out of his bedroom, the doors sliding apart automatically, and walked down the hallway into the dining area. His mother, Elsie, was sitting at the long glass table, drinking a cup of hot coffee whilst reading her day’s schedule from the tablet in her hand. When Will entered the room, she looked up and smiled.
"Good morning, darling," she said, motioning to the chair beside her. "Come and sit down".
Will went and sat where she had gestured and began delving into the breakfast spread that the family’s assistant, Derek, had laid out for them. Derek insisted on being referred to as an ‘assistant’ and not a ‘maid’, ‘butler’ or ‘cleaner’, or else he refused to do any work. Will could hear him in the background as he ate, cleaning the bathroom and muttering curses under his breath. He stifled a laugh as he heard something heavy drop and smash, causing a string of obscenities to pour from Derek’s mouth, forcing Will to take a long swig of orange juice to stop him from choking with amusement.
"Well, today's the day," Elsie said, leaning on her hand and looking at him wistfully. She was smiling, but her voice was choked with emotion. In all his life, Will had never seen his mother cry. However, he had learnt to look for the sadness in her eyes, which often gave her away.
"I know," Will answered, suddenly becoming fascinated with his breakfast muffin.
"How do you feel?" she asked, folding her arms and leaning back, as though he were one of her counselling clients.
"I don't really know," Will answered with a shrug, devouring the rest of his breakfast.
“School was very different back on Earth, you know” Elsie began. Will tried to fix his face into an expression of interest as he prepared himself for another ‘Earth’ story.
“We didn’t learn nearly as many interesting things as they teach at The Academy,” she continued. “Only College was really exciting, and people were lucky to be able to get a place there. That’s where I met the Captain, you know.”
“And Dad,” Will said casually. As soon the words had escaped his mouth he regretted them. He scrunched up his face and cringed at his unfortunate mistake. Elsie swallowed and looked away. Composing herself, she turned bac
k and continued chattering brightly.
“I’ve cleared all of my appointments this morning so I can take you to the Shuttle,” she informed him. “We haven’t got long until we have to get going.”
“Already?” Will asked incredulously. He felt as though he had only just got up. He glanced out of the large windows that hung along the right-hand wall, but it was impossible to tell the time of day by looking through them. Special UV lights had been installed across Floor One to give the impression of sunlight flooding through from outside. However, the illusion could easily be broken by sitting in the same room for a long period of time. The lights were set to a timer, coming on with a sudden burst at eight in the morning and disappearing again abruptly at eight p.m. From what he had been told by old Earth dwellers, this had nothing on the real beauty of a brightening sunrise and faltering sunset.
“Get your coat on,” Elsie’s voice interrupted his reverie. “We’ll be meeting Alfie and Lois soon. Have you packed?”
“Of course I have mum what do you take me for?” he replied. His mum narrowed her eyes but said nothing. She called for Derek and asked him to fetch Will’s suitcase from his room. He nodded and repeated the word “certainly” several times before balling up his fists and storming pointedly into Will’s bedroom. He returned with the black suitcase, wheeling it to the front doors before stepping away, heading off to continue with the day’s chores. Seconds later, there was a loud knock on the door. Will pressed the sensor pad with his finger, opening the door to reveal Alfie and his daughter, Lois, standing out in the atrium. Alfie was stood behind Lois, his large hands fixed on her shoulders as he grinned in a bemused sort of way. Lois stood stony-faced, not seeming to have inherited her father’s cheerful nature. Her long, blonde hair was scraped back into a high ponytail, fastened with an over-sized black hair band. She wore a green tartan dress with a black shawl, bright white tights and a pair of brown, clunky shoes. Will thought she looked like one of the frightening china dolls available to purchase in the toy store. She was clasping a large, pink travelling bag between her hands and had three more suitcases on a golden luggage rack behind them, currently being manned by one of their many staff.
“Hello Elsie, hello Will,” Alfie greeted them each with a nod of his head. “Are we all ready to go then?”
Lois frowned as though even standing in the doorway was causing her a huge inconvenience.
"Yes, we’re all ready here," Elsie beamed.
"Great!" Alfie grinned. "Lois is really excited, aren't you Lois?"
Lois could not have looked less excited if she was being chased by a ten-legged alien. She continued to scowl furiously into the distance, refusing to look any of them in the eye. An involuntary laugh burst out of Will before he could stifle it, causing Elsie, Alfie and Lois to stare at him strangely.
"Sorry. I just... remembered something funny," he stammered in a feeble attempt to cover himself.
With Will’s suitcase added to the luggage rack, the group set off through the atrium, their footsteps echoing across the walls as they walked. They reached the lift and climbed in, Elsie tapping the screen on the glass to key in their destination. There was a sudden lurch to the left, causing them all to lose their balance as they began whizzing away from Floor One. They whooshed up and down and side to side, hurtling in all different directions until finally the lift slowed and turned a corner, it’s mechanisms clicking as it shuddered to a halt.
They stepped out, blinking as their eyes adjusted to the sudden stillness of their surroundings. Will didn’t recognise this part of the Mayfly. The carpet was a worn beige and the walls were painted in a dull shade of grey. There were several heavy-looking brown doors running down the hallway, which appeared to open manually with a handle instead of by the touch of a sensor pad. A small sign stuck to the wall informed them that “Loading Deck E” was to the left, a helpful arrow pointing them in the right direction. Alfie took the lead, guiding them to a set of thick steel doors. He turned around to face the rest of the group.
“Well this is it,” he announced. “Are you two ready?”
William and Lois exchanged a nervous glance, the first time they had properly interacted on their journey so far.
Will nodded, a sudden surge of nerves passing through him as Alfie opened the doors. The group stepped forwards and found themselves on a large loading platform, usually used for the purpose of transporting goods between the Mayfly and other spaceships. That morning, however, it was bustling with hundreds of people. Mothers and fathers were saying goodbye to their children, brothers and sisters were chattering with excitement and friends separated by the long school holiday were gleefully calling out and waving fervently when they recognised eachother. The biggest transporter ship that Will had ever seen was sitting stationary on tracks that ran across the shiny white floor. The ship sat calmly, unmoved by the gathering hordes of Space Academy students and their families. There were five doors along its side, which, as Will watched, opened to reveal comfortable blue leather seating inside the ships belly. Crowds of students began moving towards the doors, hugging their parents and siblings goodbye and then hustling forwards. Will and Lois looked at Alfie and Elsie, unsure what they should do next, only to discover their own dumbfounded expressions reflected on the adults faces. Their uncertainty was addressed a few minutes later when the sound of a strong, female voice carried across the platform.
"All new students this way!" the voice called.
The four of them began following in the direction of the voice, bustling their way through the crowd, Alfie’s member of staff trailing behind them, the wheels of the luggage rack squeaking on the cold, hard floor. They edged their way past a family of mousy-brown haired children. The mother had her hands around the youngest boy’s face and was talking to him in a soft voice, her eyes full of tears. An older boy and girl were stood to the side, their arms folded around their chests as they rolled their eyes and huffed in the direction of their mother. There was a younger girl too, clutching her mother's hand. The little girl was looking around apprehensively, craning her neck to see into the faces of everyone who was passing by. When Will’s group drew level with the family, the girl’s eyes widened and she let out a gasp, tugging on her mother's coat and pointing at them with her mouth open.
"Mummy, mummy it's the Captain! Look! It's the Captain!" she shouted. Her mother turned and stared at Alfie, as did the rest of the family.
They all stood perfectly still, gawking as though they had never seen another human being before. As they stood in their strange, fascinated unison, Will couldn’t help but notice the tatty and worn state of their clothing. The mothers canary yellow coat was fraying at the edges and the younger boy, who looked to be about the same age as Will, was wearing trousers that were slightly too big for him, their hem dragging across the floor. The older girl and boy’s clothes looked as if they had been hand stitched together by somebody who wasn't very skilled and the youngest girls flowery dress and navy coat were clearly hand-me-downs, their once richer colours faded with time and use. Will knew these sorts of clothes were not produced by the designers on Floor One and he had never seen a family dressed in such a dishevelled manner before. He pulled at his own jumper self-consciously, suddenly embarrassed by the rich quality of its material.
"They must be from a very low floor" Lois whispered to no one in particular, as if this hadn’t already been clear. The family stood out vividly against the sea of smooth fabrics and dark colours that swarmed the platform, making it hard not to notice them. Alfie smiled diplomatically in their direction and then continued steering Lois through the crowd of people. However, it soon became evident that the little girl’s shouts had attracted the attention of more than just her family. A ripple had started to spread across the platform and a tide of faces turned to watch as they passed.
Lois' cheeks flushed a dark shade of magenta as she tried desperately not to meet the eyes of their onlookers. Will saw her face visibly flood with relief as they caught sight
of their old tutor group from Floor One. She moved with haste, settling herself in the midst of the other girls, while Will went to stand quietly between Spencer and their friend Alasdair. The tutor group was stood amongst a crowd of about ninety other students their age, every single pair of eyes fixed on a young woman who was stood at the head of the gathering.
The woman’s arms were folded behind her back as she waited somewhat impatiently, scanning the crowd for anyone new approaching the group. Her dyed-blonde hair was scraped back tightly against her head and her lips were fixed in a permanent pursed position. Will turned to follow her gaze, which was currently patrolling over the perimeter of the platform, and wondered how much longer it would be until everybody else arrived. Whilst looking for other students, he was pleased to see his mother and Alfie standing close behind them in a small congregation with the other parents, relieved he hadn’t missed his chance to say goodbye.
After a few more minutes, the severe woman began to count heads, whispering to herself as she did so. When she finished, she clapped her hands together and immediately commanded the attention of everyone around her.
"Hello," she boomed, more as an announcement than as a greeting. She flashed a brilliant white smile in the direction of the parents, seeming to direct her speech over the student’s heads and straight to them.
"My name is Miss Fortem. I am a teacher at the Space Academy and it will be part of my job this year to look after all of the first years and make sure your transition to life at the Academy is smooth," she explained with a carefully inflected tone of voice.
“As you can see, we are standing next to a large transporter ship, aptly named the ‘Shuttle’ which will be taking us to the Academy shortly. For many of you, this will more than likely be your first ever journey through outer-space and you may be feeling quite anxious about the experience. Rest assured that the Shuttle has been tested by both the Academy and officials aboard the Mayfly over one hundred times and is among one of the safest built spacecrafts we have. Despite knowing this, the first time flying can still be nerve-wracking and so I urge any of you who are feeling scared once we are aboard to approach me without hesitation and I will do all I can to ensure the rest of your journey is more comfortable.”
The Split (The Mayfly Series Book 1) Page 3