My foot is kicked out from under me, and my leg falls straight. I look up and find myself surrounded by Josh and his group. I quickly stand and fall into a defensive posture, my feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and my hands curled up into fists.
“What do you want, Josh?”
“Is that one of your boyfriends in the sim? How nice of you to wait for him like a puppy.”
I tilt my head, my pulse quickening. “Do you think so little of yourself that you have to pick on others to feel better?”
The look on Josh’s face is a mixture of shock and hate. His eyes furtively glance to his friends. “What?” He clears his throat. “You don’t talk to me like that.” He steps forward, so that we’re practically nose to nose.
I bat my eyelashes at him. “You know we start self-defense classes soon, right?”
He smirks. “That’ll give me a real reason to hurt you and your boyfriends.”
I look at him with the most innocent expression I can muster. All the while hoping Kai isn’t hearing any of this.
“Oh, Josh. You haven’t heard?” I say sweetly.
He snorts. “What haven’t I heard?”
Before he’s finished with his last word, I grab his arm, at the same time step forward to place my leg between his and take him to the ground.
He lands with a satisfying “oomph.”
I keep his arm twisted and place my knee on his chest. Then I lean my face down close to his, still keeping his friends in my peripheral vision. They’ve wisely backed away.
“You haven’t heard yet that I hold the top score in mixed martial arts nationwide in the space academy tests. You won’t mess with me again.” I twist his arm farther. “As a black belt I know several hundred spots on the human body that will cause extreme pain or death.” I draw out the last word for emphasis.
His eyes go wide and he stops fighting.
I let go of him and step back. As he slowly gets up, rubbing his arm, I study the crowd gathered. Katrina is in the back, a small smile playing on her lips. Sam is still stony-faced as ever. Alex’s face matches his red hair, but he doesn’t move.
Josh steps back into the crowd and glares at me.
“Not only are you a bully, Josh, you seem to need others,” I wave my hand at the crowd, “to help fight your childish battles.”
“I can take you on by myself,” Josh spits out.
I laugh. “I doubt that. I’ve already taken you down twice. But Josh, look around. You’re not on whatever rich school playground you grew up on anymore. This is serious stuff. We’re going to be responsible for the most high-tech, important, amazing spaceships, orbitals, and space stations ever made. Do you really think you’ll pass the psych exams if you’re constantly picking on other students?”
His face darkens with anger. But everyone else around him looks at me in awe. Like they hadn’t thought that far ahead. Or maybe some of them hadn’t realized we had psych exams at all. Good, maybe I planted a seed of doubt. Even if just a small one.
9
Greenhouse
The door to the sim opens, and I step sideways before it clips me. Kai’s grin fades as he sees the crowd surrounding the simulator. He studies me. “What’s going on?”
I raise an eyebrow and look over at Josh. His jaw flexes as he grinds his teeth. He turns and pushes his way through the crowd. They all follow in his wake except for Katrina.
Gazing at the others leaving, she slowly steps toward me. “That was pretty cool, Anja. I don’t think Josh is going to try that again.” She smiles at me.
“Try what?” Kai interrupts, placing a hand on my arm.
I hesitate, wondering how much to tell him.
In my silence Katrina leaps in, grinning. “You should’ve seen her. Josh tried to intimidate her, and this girl took him to the ground in seconds. He couldn’t move or breath. The expression on his face was priceless.”
I look sideways at Kai. “I’m fine before you ask. I just needed him to know he couldn’t keep trying to corner me like that. Again.”
“I know very well you can take care of yourself.” Kai grins, but it doesn’t reach to his eyes.
“But?”
He sighs. “But, if he’s going to come at you with a large group like this,” he waves at the students disappearing into the lift, “then who knows what else he’s capable of?”
Katrina nods. “You’re right to be wary of him, Kai.”
I think this is the first time I’ve heard any of our classmates call Kai by his name. Usually, they avoid both of us altogether. I wasn’t sure Katrina even knew what his name was.
Kai studies her.
“Ah. Kai, this is Katrina. She’s in my dorm.”
“And you’re friends with Josh?” he asks. There’s no venom in his voice, but he sounds wary.
Her crystal blue eyes turn toward the lift. “I grew up with him and most of that group. We went to the same grade school, and then the space prep school. He really wasn’t always this bad.”
I laugh. “Sorry, but I have a hard time imagining that.”
She looks back at me, a sorrowful expression on her face. “He struggled at prep school. And with Alex’s father being commander of the SIA, Josh felt he had a lot to prove the last few years.”
“There are better ways of doing that then picking fights with his own classmates.”
She sighs. “I know. I don’t know how to help him.”
“When you say he struggled in prep school. Was it with his studies? Or the sims?”
Her shoulders stiffen, and she looks away.
“I’m not asking you to betray him. I’m just wondering, if it’s academics then maybe he just needs some help to be more confident. His anger feels like it comes from trying to cover weakness.” I remember in biology class it looked like he was struggling to understand the basics.
She purses her lips together and it strikes me just how beautiful she is. I really just clumped their whole group together in my head as an ugly mass to be avoided. Wonder why she’s so loyal to someone like Josh. Classmates or not.
“We’ve tried tutors before. He works really hard, but when it comes to the tests he freezes up.”
I glance at Kai. He meets my gaze. Kai had the same issue at our prep school.
Before I can say anything, the lights dim to warn us it’s dinner time.
“I better get going. It was nice talking to you.” She smiles at both of us and hurries off to the lifts.
“We’d better get something to eat too.”
I nod as I feel a vibration in my backpack. I frown and close my eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I just got another message. I don’t think I can handle any more from Anonymous right now.”
“Don’t look then. After dinner we can find someplace quiet and call Cam from my tablet like the commander suggested.”
I smile. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
We run into Rand right outside the cafeteria.
“Thank goodness I found you guys. I really didn’t want to face that crowd myself.”
I smile. “Wait until I fill you in on our run in with them just now.”
Rand’s expression falls.
“It’s not as bad as all that. Come on, load up. You’re going to need the energy to beat me on the track later.”
Rand gets in line and we follow, loading our plates. In line I go over what happened with Josh. Rand’s face is stormy throughout my story, but he stays quiet. When we turn around to find a table it seems everyone has settled into the same familiar cliques. We head to the table we sat at last night. The only table left again.
I drop my tray down and sit. This time I’m too exhausted to get angry at how divided our class is. I eat without really tasting anything.
“And then my father rented a shuttle to the moon and never came back.”
I look over at Rand and raise an eyebrow. “What?”
He laughs. “Just trying to get your attention. Where we
re you?”
“Sorry. Before we came down here, I got another ping on my tablet. I haven’t looked at it yet.”
“Why not?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I’m just tired of everything today, you know?”
“Want me to read it for you?”
Another vibration comes from my backpack, which is beside me. I look at Kai. “Maybe so. I just got another one.” I dig my tablet out and hand it to Rand. Kai is next to him, so he leans over.
I watch both of their faces. Kai keeps his steeled neutral, but Rand has never been able to hide his emotions. His expression gets darker than before. He looks up at me. “Apparently, this guy doesn’t take kindly to being ignored.”
“Why?”
“He says if he doesn’t hear from you, he’ll start tracking down Cam on his own,” Kai says darkly.
My stomach tightens and my vision blurs. It’s one thing to mess with me, but it’s the last straw to go after my brother. “Crap,” I say between clenched teeth.
Rand hands me back my tablet. I take a few deep breaths, remembering what the general said. Don’t give him any details.
And don’t piss him off, I add for good measure.
I stare at my food tray for a bit before I type “Sorry, we were busy with a fire drill.” I hit send.
When no response comes back right away, I lean back in my chair. I sigh. “Let’s go find the greenhouse. I could use some grounding.”
Kai smiles. “I’ve only been here two days and I actually miss running in the dusty desert.”
“We’ll have to get used to not being on Earth,” says Rand. “I mean we will be living in space.” He grins and actually raises one eyebrow and then the other, making both Kai and me laugh.
“Yes, but most stations and ships have a greenhouse,” I say after my giggles subside.
We drop our trays at the san station and head toward the lifts. I try to push the whole anonymous thing to the back of my mind.
Rand leans against the back of the lift as we ascend. “Our professor gave you permission to get into the greenhouse, so are we all allowed to go too?”
“I think that was just for during non-class hours. The Year Two that did our orientation said we could go to the greenhouse anytime during school hours.” I elbow Rand. “Or weren’t you listening because you were too focused on her looks.”
He gives me an evil grin. “She was drop-dead gorgeous.”
I roll my eyes. “Great. I’m surprised you haven’t gotten lost around here a dozen times already, then.”
He laughs. “Maybe I just haven’t told you when I’ve gotten lost.”
I cast a look at him. “I’m not sure if you’re being serious or not.” I look to Kai.
He shrugs. “I’m betting he’s serious.”
The lift opens then to the top floor. It’s the same level as the zero-G track. We walk along the outside corridor, glass on either side of us. On the track, several groups of students are running. Something catches my eye, and I stop and look toward the middle of the glass dome. Inside the track there are several students using the blocks and railings to pull themselves along after each other, like they’re playing tag.
“Helps with speed and agility when doing space walks,” Rand comments.
I narrow my eyes. “I don’t recognize those students.”
“They’re probably Year Twos,” says Rand. “One thing I do remember in orientation is that we won’t get to practice that until near the end of the year. We have to pass eighty percent of the sims first.”
I look at Kai. We both grin at the same time. “Looks like fun,” I say for both of us.
We continue on around the curved corridor. I know in my mind we’re in a building on Earth, but the height of the building and only seeing stars at this angle makes it seem like we’re up above the atmosphere in a space station.
Probably designed that way on purpose to get us used to it.
We get to the far side of the dome and walk across a narrow glass bridge parallel to the skybridge to the auditorium.
Since the corridor and bridge are made with glass walls and ceiling, we can see that the greenhouse is actually on the top of the twin building next to us.
Rand puts his forehead to the glass and looks down into the dark. “We’re up pretty high.”
“You afraid it won’t hold the weight of all your muscles?” I tease.
“Maybe?” squeaks Rand.
I shake my head. “We’re just one level up from the auditorium we were in yesterday.”
Kai grabs my hand and we step across the short bridge. Although enclosed with glass like the skybridge, this one has a solid floor. So at least we don’t have to look down if we don’t want to.
I look over my shoulder. “Coming?”
Rand hesitates, but then quickly follows us. There’s a small glass lift at the end, and we step into it.
“Push the button already.” His face is pale and drawn.
“Working on it.” I hold the tablet up to the command pad inside the lift. A small green light glows around the sensor and we go up.
When the door opens again, Rand pushes through us.
I can’t help but laugh. As he bends over, his hands on his knees, I clap him on the back. “You know it’ll be much worse up on the stations or even on space walks.”
“I can handle that. There are safeties there. This,” he points down at the glass bridge, “is Earth created, bound by gravity and no safeties.”
I clamp my mouth shut and look away until my urge to giggle dries up. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t laugh.” I look back at Rand. “I had issues with climbing the metal ladders in the lava tunnels for the same reason. They were flimsy. I don’t have issues with the sims, or with the few times I’ve been in a shuttle up to the stations.”
“You’ve been up to the stations?” Kai asks.
I nod. “Yes, when I was little. Before Cam was born, Mom took me up with her when she retired from the station. I don’t remember much of what we did that trip, but I do remember being fascinated with the shuttle and the view once we got up out of the atmosphere.” I grin.
“Well you’re one up on me, then.” Rand starts down the corridor following the green lights along the floor. “How about you, Kai?”
I look at Kai. I can’t remember the last time Rand asked anyone a direct personal question.
Kai’s eyebrows go up as he answers. “We took one of the low atmospheric spaceships from the mainland. It wasn’t quite high enough to be near any space stations, but we could see the stars and the lights from the stations. It was amazing.” He looks over at me. “That trip was also what made me change my focus from medical to engineering and piloting. My father was so mad.”
“I bet. Isn’t it popular for sons to follow in their father’s career paths in Beijing?”
Kai scoffs. “Not just popular but expected. At least among my father’s peers. That’s why I still volunteered at the hospital.” He looks sideways at me, grinning. “Father expected that to help change my mind. What it did was give me a chance to help you and your friends.”
I love that grin of his. My body flushes warm and I force myself to look forward.
Rand stops at a set of sealed doors. They’re not quite like the hatches in the building or on a space station. Around the edge there’s a visible seal. I hold my tablet over the lock to the right of the door. Lights around the whole door glow green and the door opens slowly.
“That’s amazing,” Rand says smiling as he inhales deeply.
The humidity hits me as well and the three of us step in. The door closes more quickly than it opened and we stare around at the colorful, living mini forest.
“I love greenhouses,” I sigh. I step onto the rock path and follow it. Rand and Kai’s footsteps crunch behind me.
We soon come to a small clearing where there are benches, fabricated to look like they’re made from stone, encircling a small pond. I immediately sit down and lean back to look up.<
br />
The benches seem to be in the very center of the small greenhouse. The trees around us are the tallest and almost touch the peak of the glass dome. Above the trees, stars sparkle in the darkness.
“I could stay here forever,” Kai says.
I look over at him, realizing I really don’t know much about his life back in Beijing. “Did you grow up in the city or country?”
Kai settles on his back on the bench next to mine. “City. We had to be close to the research hospital. But we made excursions several times a year into a small village nearby to visit relatives.”
“You have relatives back in China? I thought they picked New China residents that didn’t have extended family.”
He sighs. “They just made sure we knew we would no longer be able to contact them again.”
“That’s awful,” I say.
He shrugs, still looking up at the stars. “Maybe we can now,” he says softly.
I look over at Rand, and he’s gazing into the pond. As I relax, we all lapse into a comfortable silence.
A ping from my tablet ruins the peaceful moment, and I groan as I sit back up. My backpack is on the ground next to the bench, and I just glare at it.
“Ours pinged too,” Kai offers as he sits up.
“Good,” I say, truly relieved.
I take my tablet out reluctantly and swipe to wake it up. My tension eases as I see it’s a message from Commander Svell. I look over at Rand and Kai who are reading theirs. “Looks like everyone needs to head to the school shop?” I don’t remember where that is since we haven’t been there for any of our classes yet.
Rand stands up. “Yep. I’ve been waiting to finally have a reason to go there.”
“You know where it’s at then?” asks Kai.
He and I strap our packs on and head after Rand who’s already halfway down the path.
“Of course,” he says over his shoulder. “It’s where we’re going to be doing our class projects.”
My stomach cramps. “I was looking forward to that part of our curriculum until we had so many run-ins with Josh and his friends.”
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