The Unsound Theory (STAR Academy Book 1)

by Emilia Zeeland

  She felt herself rise and walk toward the stage. Yalena wasn’t sure what she was going to say, but she would not keep quiet. She would not let the whole world play right into Felix’s hands.

  Cooper appeared in front of Yalena, his arm blocking her way to the stage. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “The world deserves to know what really happened down there.” It was a flat statement, but one she wouldn’t be swayed from.

  “Oh, no, no, no.” He forced her back, and Yalena realized how strong he really was. “Don’t you see what’s going on here? This is a strategy to avoid public unrest. We’re giving people a lot to process right now.”

  Cooper was firm, and deep down, Yalena knew she should listen to him, but she twisted on the inside, seeing the smiles, the applause, the cheers. The room was swimming with reporters who broke down the speech and rehashed its contents ecstatically. It sickened her. Yalena tuned into what the nearest reporter was saying, only to find herself frowning.

  “This announcement follows the shocking revelation that this year’s STAR Academy freshmen hijacked their yearly mission and turned it into a trip through a wormhole they’d discovered themselves. This action, defined by the public as both genius and outrageous, sparked a debate about the extent of team leader responsibilities, as well as the psychological challenges of functioning in a highly competitive environment,” the reporter concluded thoughtfully, making Yalena scoff. Psychological challenges? Really?

  “Yalena Russo, how would you comment on the suggestions for making a movie based on your big discovery and the preceding authority-undermining activities at STAR Academy? Richard Berg has announced he is already working on a script with the title ‘If You’re Crazy Like Us.’”

  “We’d best get you out of the spotlight,” Cooper whispered in Yalena’s ear, while she stood frozen after hearing the reporter’s question.

  O’Donnell had gotten to the stage and was trying to silence the reporters. He seemed tired, but ready to deliver a final piece of information to the press.

  Cooper dragged Yalena with him and signaled to Chris and Katarzyna to lead the rest of the freshmen out the back. “Come on.”

  Yalena couldn’t help the feeling that something strange and unexpected was yet to come. “What’s going on?”

  “Trust me, you don’t want to be here for the announcement.”

  The room had fallen into silence again, and the commander welcomed the press and expressed the need for patience from their side in light of all the burning questions they might have. After that, he eyed Cooper and the freshmen cautiously and continued.

  “Here at STAR Academy, we are responsible for the education and the well-being of our students. They are held to the highest academic standards and entrusted with great responsibility early on. This does not mean, however, that we will accept or encourage the abuse of the freedom we give to our students.

  “Pursuing a self-imposed mission, crossing the wormhole, and landing on an alien world are all extremely dangerous actions and, therefore, there shall be consequences for our freshmen. Every student who participated in this endeavor will be placed on probation, pending expulsion from the Academy at the slightest offense. Additionally, it pains me to say that, for their obstruction of the authority rules at the Academy, Eric O’Donnell and Yalena Russo will be officially demoted from their team leader positions, effective immediately.”

  Yalena stared in front of her, unseeing. Leadership was something she’d started to take for granted, perhaps because it felt right; it flowed. Without it, she felt numb, lost. Even though her career plans paled in comparison to the newest discoveries in her world, she couldn’t help but feel a sting in her heart. It was more than just a job to her.

  “That’s not fair,” Yalena said with a hoarse voice.

  “I’m sorry,” Cooper said, and he led her to the door, but before it sealed, hiding the freshmen from the eager reporters, Yalena heard one last thing.

  “Who is going to replace them as crew leaders, commander?”

  “The temporary class leaders will be Alec Rado and Natalia Khanna,” he announced, and Yalena’s mind fogged.

  An odd feeling swooshed inside her—empty and inadequate. The second-years led the freshmen out into the corridor, but Yalena’s feet were glued to the floor.

  “Shake it off, champ,” Heidi said, while Jen hugged her.

  After she didn’t react, the pair walked out with the last of the freshmen, leaving Yalena still rooted in place.

  “I do hope you enjoyed your fifteen minutes in the spotlight.” Natalia’s comment opened a fresh wound. “It looks like you won’t have that chance again.” The Moonie had stayed behind, surely delighted at the opportunity to gloat.

  “I am so not in the mood for your mean girl act,” Yalena croaked.

  “Oh, but wait. I have to thank you for all of those little stunts of yours. You really showed me what not to do as a leader,” Natalia said. “Still, I had to go along with everything you did. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t have missed out on that mission for anything. You got that right.” She winked quickly. “But I knew you were bound to screw up in some major way. I just had to wait you out. I was beginning to worry that I’d never see you fall, but then I saw you reaching for that butterfly on Nova Fia, and I realized something.”

  “What?” Yalena’s face felt warm.

  “You’re reckless. You put yourself and others in danger without even realizing it, and that will be your downfall.” Her tone had gotten a little more philosophical, but Yalena was positive that Natalia was still enjoying every bit of the conversation. “Then, I only needed to make sure the commander didn’t skip over this humongous blunder in your leadership profile. Not that I think anyone could have, really.”

  “What’s the purpose of this little speech of yours, exactly? Do you want me to say game on?” Yalena’s eyes were cold, evaluating Natalia’s expression.

  “Oh, girlie, it was never off.” She paused for a moment, as if to fully appreciate her victory. “I should be going now. Your previous fans, who just so happen to be my current fans, are waiting for me.” And she turned on her heel, flipping the blanket of her thick, black hair back.

  Trying to manage her suppressed anger, Yalena caught herself shaking her hands much like Alec did before he hit someone. As she turned around, she saw Eric was the only one waiting for her in the corridor. He shrugged and waved her over before lowering himself to sit on the floor, back against the wall and hands on his knees.

  “Don’t pay attention to her,” he said.

  He seemed lost and defeated, but in a much less rebellious way than Yalena. Perhaps it was because he knew the politics of space better than she did, and he must have come to terms with their situation. Their sentence was in. Yalena let out a deep breath, realizing she probably should just follow his example. She moved closer and sat down next to Eric, assuming the same position.

  “I guess she needed to go out of her way to own the narrative of that psychotic panic attack of hers,” Eric said. “She must really fear it, her weakness, while my dad is using it to make sure whoever is in charge next won’t be as daring as us.”

  Yalena swallowed, and despite the itchy feeling Natalia’s image evoked in her, she deflated. It wasn’t exactly pity, but some other feeling that made its way in, something only Eric had been insightful enough to spot. Sitting like that with him felt peaceful and calming, and once in this new state, Yalena remembered she had a question.

  “Eric, why did Cooper mention your mom yesterday? He said I’m not her...” her voice trailed off. She had meant to ask it softly, but she had to know.

  Eric’s lips moved into a small and sad smile. “Because in a lot of ways, she was like you...and me. Restless, stubborn, always marching to the beat of her own drum, always off on a mission. At least that’s what I hear. Cooper was a kid when he knew her, but he’s said that much. He said she was working extra hard around the time she had me. According to my
dad, her endless projects were the reason she couldn’t handle the birth in the end. She left herself no time to recover. She went straight back to work and she passed away soon after.”

  Eric’s voice died out, leaving Yalena desperate to fill the silence, yet unable to say a single word. Even though she realized that, unlike her, Eric had long ago made peace with his story, Yalena knew it did not hurt him any less to say this out loud.

  “I guess my dad sees that same drive in you and me, and he worries.”

  Yalena sighed and nodded. She scolded herself mentally for always searching for people’s ulterior motives. Sometimes, the people in her life truly cared, and it was important to remember and cherish that.

  “Eric,” she said with a timid smile, “you know I am your family, too, right?” She referred to what he had said the day they got back, because those words were certainly going to stay with her forever.

  He smiled and pulled her closer, so her head could rest on his shoulder. They remained like that for a long moment before Yalena interrupted the silence.

  “And,” she said, “please, the next time you take my best friend out, make it a movie date, rather than a trip to an alien morgue.”

  Eric snickered. “I can’t make any promises. After all, I’m broke.”

  THE NEXT THREE WEEKS went by in a frenzy. Yalena tried to avoid the nagging teachers, the curious glares from other students, and the company of pretty much everyone who wasn’t Jen, Eric, Nico, Alec, or Heidi. Stuck in a row of exams before they could go back to their respective planets for summer break, Yalena and her friends took a moment to appreciate being tucked away from the public eye. Something in the way the commander’s announcement about Nova Fia had gone gave way to the belief that summer would be far from quiet. Thus, even the guilt-heavy air at STAR Academy was preferable.

  Yalena made the necessary arrangements with Adeline to practically barricade herself away in their Alps country house for the summer, and there was even hope that Jen could come visit for a week or two. Heidi was going on a family trip she hoped would run under the press’ radar, while all the boys planned to stay on Unifier a while longer. Nico had mumbled something about fortifying the intercom systems again, but Yalena thought he was looking for an excuse to keep Eric company. And Alec was under observation for his injuries, and it seemed he had no intention of leaving Dana alone until she could confirm he was going to be able to use his piloting hand like before.

  On the day they had to leave for Earth, Yalena could hardly stuff the extravagant dresses Adeline had sent her throughout the year into one suitcase. She was the last one to leave the freshman floor, and as she arrived at the gate, she could see her Earthling classmates already boarding the rocket.

  Walking toward them, Yalena heard Alec calling from behind her. “Lenly.” She realized it was the first time she’d ever heard him call her by name—not quite the right name, though.

  “It’s Yalena, you know. And honestly, it’s been a year” she teased him, turning around.

  “Yeah, that’s too bothersome,” Alec said light-heartedly, obviously enjoying how he made her blush. “Plus, I figured you would’ve lightened up since you went to the most far-away inhabited planet and puked your guts all over it.” Two dimples accompanied the smile on his lips.

  Alec walked up a little closer to Yalena, and she suddenly felt warmer. She looked down to hide the tremble inside her, but he gently touched her chin, making her gaze up into his eyes again.

  “So, is it time to say have a good summer?” The air seemed to drain out of her lungs as her attention remained on his full lips.

  “Yes, and try to stay out of trouble,” Yalena barely managed to say.

  “Me? I’m trouble-free. You’re the one that seems to attract it.” Time stood still for a moment as they locked eyes on each other.

  “Try not to punch people for a while,” she said, while Alec gently squeezed her waist with his unbroken hand.

  “And you try not to toss your cookies everywhere, Lenly,” he added emphasis on the name.

  “Don’t ever call me that again.” Yalena wanted to threaten, but her voice came out giggly, and she mentally wanted to slap herself.

  The side elevator doors opened, and Eric and Nico came to say goodbye. Yalena still felt jittery, even though Alec’s hand had quickly left her waist, and she had trouble gathering her thoughts while greeting Nico. Jen, who had already put her luggage inside the rocket, jumped out again and rushed to meet Eric. Yalena made Nico promise to cut down on the time he would spend as a watchful bird during the summer, for his own good and her peace of mind, and he laughed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eric and Jen locking lips.

  What do you know? She snickered at the thought. An alien morgue first date seems to work just fine for some people.

  On last call for boarding, she and Jen were the only passengers for Earth still in the corridor, and Yalena had to almost drag her friend by the hand to make sure they wouldn’t miss take-off because of last-minute kisses. When they had waved a final goodbye to the guys, she pulled Jen into a hug. She felt she had to say something before she left Unifier, before she returned to Earth in this new normal.

  “I can’t believe that’s my story, Jen. I always somehow thought...there was more, you know,” she said, unable to keep up any pretense. “I always thought that I would find out the whole truth one day.”

  “Maybe it’s all for the best,” Jen said. She tugged a soft, cholocatey curl behind Yalena’s ear. “Imagine if you’d found out you were Natalia’s long-lost twin. I mean, would you really want to know the truth in that case? I wouldn’t.”

  “And what about Felix and the Fians? Whatever the commander says, there is something more to what happened there. There simply has to be.”

  Jen smiled. “I don’t know about you, but I think we need to take a break from playing space detectives.”

  Yalena forced a deep breath in and out. She remembered the day she’d first set foot on board Unifier space station like it had been yesterday—stepping through a connection gate just like the one she and Jen were headed to now. She’d only wanted to survive freshman year back then.

  After everything that STAR Academy and her self-imposed task had taught her, though, she couldn’t even attempt to keep her head down like before. She couldn’t go back, not after having seen in the eye of the wormhole. Her hunch may have been mad, but she’d been right to follow it. That was a lesson not to be forgotten. Whatever people said now, they’d never manage to silence the crisp voice of intuition inside Yalena’s mind.

  With a whisper, she couldn’t help but vow, “I think the Fians know who I really am, Jen, and I’m going to prove it, even if the whole world thinks I’m crazy.”

  Thank You

  YOU COULD HAVE PICKED any number of books to read, but you chose The Unsound Theory. For that I feel blessed. My dream has always been for the crazy stories that swirl inside my head to find their way out into the hands of readers. By reading my work, you’ve helped make that dream come true. Thank you!

  Before you go on to your next adventure, could you take a moment to post a review on Amazon?

  Your feedback and support will help other readers to find this book and decide if they want to read it.

  No idea what to include in a review? Never fear! It doesn’t have to recap the entire book (in fact, it’s better if it’s spoiler-free). Why don’t you just let the world know if you enjoyed the book, whether you’re looking forward to the next one, and fans of what other books or genres might enjoy this read? That’s all; no complicated crazy business.

  It would mean the world to me. Read on to the next page to see what special FREE gift I have for you!

  You're the best!

  Emilia

  The Candidates

  AS THE SON OF THE FAMOUS Unifier space station commander, Eric is used to being mixed up in STAR Academy business. When a secret of his dad's pushes a second agenda in the regular candidates selection meeting, though,
he has to do his best to bring a special recruit on board.

  Get an exclusive sneak-peek at Eric's life before STAR Academy and find out how the Class of 2208 came to be!

  You can get this FREE short story prequel to The Unsound Theory by visiting my website.

  The Truth Hunters

  YALENA RUSSO, PEACE was never an option.

  Pushed out of the spotlight and into obedience, Yalena returns to a STAR Academy that has changed. In fact, the near worlds have changed, forcing her to walk the thin line between politics and mayhem.

  Determined to find out why the Fians claim to be connected to her, Yalena has to track down whoever gave her up as a baby. But the truth can be elusive. Yalena must employ her friends' talents—and her own—on a shadow quest to hunt down the answers. And all the while, she weaves herself deeper into the web of Fian lies. But what if some of them aren’t lies at all?

  Throw in some grueling training, a few inconvenient affections, as well as a class of mischievous freshmen, and second year at the Academy just got tricky.

  The Truth Hunters

  (STAR Academy Book 2)

  GET IT NOW!

  Contributors

  Cover by KimGDesigns

  Copy Editing by Leah Brown

  Proofread by Coral Coons (Authors Talk About It)

  Formatting with Draft2Digital template Hard Line

  About the Author

  Emilia Zeeland is a Young Adult sci-fi writer and author of The STAR Academy Series. Even though she holds an international business degree and two Masters, Zeeland’s heart is full of love for speculative fiction.

  Her own stories include coming-of-age tales, detailed worlds, unimaginable consequences, deep friendships, and romances that sneak up on you. She’s not afraid to push her characters to their limits and give them a depth that firmly plants them in readers’ hearts. In Zeeland’s writing, readers will be transported to another world, where they are not alone, but part of a tightly-knit, perfectly imperfect family.