But, that reality came with the realization that I was miles away from Amber, and that I probably would be for a long time.
I expected the usual grief, but all I felt inside of me was a bubbling, burning heat. No one could take my sister away from me; someday, I would see her again.
The hazy, dusty planet behind me faded. I shifted my view to the quickly appearing shape of Alpha, its silver edges reflecting starlight brighter than morning sunshine.
CONFIDENTIAL
Audio Log
Recorded on May 15, 2148 at 7:43 AM
All is well, for the time being. All is as it has been.
Yet, I foresee a dangerous possibility.
I have been thorough, and I have been patient, and I will be patient a while longer. But, when the time comes, I will destroy her. She cannot ascend. She is not worthy to ascend.
I must destroy her, or she will destroy everything I’ve created.
After all, hasn’t she destroyed enough?
Chapter 4
I knew there would be no escape from the relentless cameras on the day of Rowan's arrival, so I made no attempt to avoid them. I could only hope that Sal’s crew found me before Maurice did.
The corridors between the student accommodations and the shuttle bays were eerily quiet, but I assumed that the usual chaos hadn’t actually disappeared and had simply moved to Hangar 27, Shuttle Bay 8. There certainly was an unusual air of excitement surrounding the arrival of my new classmate.
I wondered what was so unique about the new student to merit such attention. Perhaps his family was well-known in the sciences or in the arts on another station, or maybe he’d achieved an unusually high result on his neural scan. Maybe he just had a winning personality.
Chuckling to myself, I hopped onto a moving sidewalk, debating whether or not I could feasibly make it to the shuttle bay before the great arrival.
The walkway turned a corner.
"And here, before this momentous occasion, we'd like to speak with you, Miss Breaker."
I smiled at the cameras, turning to greet the familiar voice. "Good morning, Sal!"
Sure enough, Sal's salt-and-pepper hair waved in the breeze generated by the moving walkways. His entire crew had packed themselves onto one small section of the sidewalk, which was quite a sight to see, and erratic microphones bobbed above my head as they adjusted their sound and lighting equipment.
"And to you. So, Jada, our question of the hour: what do you think of the transfer student?"
I laughed. "I think I'll decide that when I actually meet him."
So, I hadn't seen his interviews. Sal was aware that I rarely watched newscasts, but that wasn't something I needed to share with the public. Letting out his typical hearty, bellowing laugh, he helped me glide across that topic.
"Fair enough, Jada, fair enough. Although I suppose we only have a few minutes left before that moment comes, don’t we? Speaking of, do you mind if we escort you to the shuttle bay?"
"Not at all." We exited the moving sidewalk. I became very aware of the cameras following me as we walked. Newscasters were always eager to detect anxiety or excitement in an interviewee’s steps, an excuse to further psychoanalyze us during evening broadcasts.
While I didn't allow emotion to creep into my gait, my anticipation grew internally. I understood that we weren’t in an ideal position to become friends, but I looked forward to meeting the transfer student regardless, the same way I looked forward to reading a new book or trying out a new restaurant.
"Another question I've personally been wondering about, Jada."
"Yes?"
"How does the thought of competing with this impressive young man from Earth make you feel?
Earth. I nearly stopped in my tracks, barely remembering to put one foot in front of the other. Suffocating grief washed over me, intrusive memories pressing in.
"I'm so sorry, Max. I- I don't know what to do."
"Jada, don't do anything. I'll be fine. And I will find a way back to you, I promise."
I hugged him, leaning into his compact form and breathing in his familiar scent. "Don't waste promises like that on me."
He took my shoulders softly and turned me to face him. His strong, commanding eyes caught mine, and I found I couldn't shift my gaze. "I'm not wasting anything. You're worth it, Jada, and I mean that."
I nodded, and he gave me a light, curious look. Just as I began to wonder why he was smiling, he leaned down and kissed my forehead gently. "You're the best friend I've ever had. I'll miss you."
It took a moment to register that he had just kissed me. I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, at the unfairness of it all.
"I'll miss you too."
He took my hand, squeezed it, and flashed me his signature smile. "Be brave, Jada Breaker."
"You too." My voice cracked unintentionally. It was getting harder and harder to swallow, and I felt my face heating up.
"Maxwell Reed, please report to Shuttle Bay 14. Maxwell Reed to Shuttle Bay 14."
He gave me a final, tight hug before walking away.
I had to stand behind velvet ropes, just like everyone else, to watch him board and depart.
The headmaster's voice, usually loud and clear, was quiet, full of sorrow, even breaking every so often. "Maxwell Reed, you have failed to meet the requirements for continued residence on Station Alpha. Prepare to be deported."
Max turned around to wink at me, then gave the crowds a two-fingered tap to the forehead, a halfhearted salute. The shuttle doors stole my last glimpse of his light hair and mischievous eyes.
As soon as his shuttle was ejected from the bay, I started crying. I ran out of the bay, sprinting all the way back to my dorm. Thankfully, no one followed me. Honestly, I didn't even care what others thought of me at that moment. My worries were with Max.
Outside my window, I had a perfect view of his shuttle, en route to Earth.
It all happened so quickly. A blue shuttle approached his white one and fired a shot. His shuttle began to smoke, lightly at first, gradually building to plumes. The world turned to slow motion, and I couldn't even react. I stood, watching, as his ship blossomed into flame, then disappeared.
Nothing felt real. It couldn't be real, nothing was real . . .
"Interface?" I asked after a long time.
"Yes, Miss Breaker?"
"What is the biological status of Maxwell Reed?"
It took a moment to respond. "Deceased."
"As of what time?"
"10:37 AM, today."
"Why?"
"Altercation with Terra Shuttle L-518."
"Oh," I said.
I stood for hours, numb and disbelieving, before I realized that my prism was bleeping. I had a new message.
From Maxwell Reed at 10:37 AM
I love you
I contained a shiver. I missed Max, my Max, so much, and I hated reliving that day.
Earth. The media attention surrounding the transfer suddenly made sense to me. How had a seventeen-year-old from Earth managed to qualify for a transfer to Alpha?
I realized that I had paused for too long, and needed to give Sal a quick answer. "I’m curious.”
I felt my eyes getting hot. I couldn't cry, not there, not then. I almost cringed at how shaky my voice sounded in my ears.