Page 16 of Across The Stars
Penny continued asking simple questions as the elevator moved through a cylindrical, vertical track. The walls were a smooth silver with one light panel near the sliding doors that counted the levels as we moved. When it reached 17, the doors slid apart and Penny led us off the lift and into a wide hallway with an arched ceiling made of thick glass. I looked up and saw pure, white-speckled black above me and the glints of spacecrafts in the distance. Beyond them, one of the Nexus rings.
“Helluva thing, isn’t it?” Omar muttered.
I couldn’t even take my eyes off of it. “Yeah,” I breathed.
When I could finally focus on walking again, I was surprised to see how much space there was in the passage. I was used to pushing and shoving people out of my way to get places, despite proximity mandates. With at least two strides between everyone, I felt like I could do cartwheels.
“As you know, the Nexus is the largest and most populated space station in Earth’s orbit,” Penny said, walking with a quick and pointed pace. “There are over 150,000 people on the Nexus and you are now part of that population. We consider you essential for the skills stated on your applications, however, each new recruit is required three months of dock work, warehousehours, or maintenance in order to acclimatize to the new situation. Not all recruits can handle space,” she said, turning just to raise a brow at me and Omar as if doubtful. “And even when the three months is up, demand fluctuates, so don’t expect a quick promotion.”
I nodded, but inside I was sighing with relief. I was hoping for some grunt work just to get situated. Maybe after a few months, I could bullshit my way into some generic job for the rest of my stay. I just needed to get a feel for things first. And with luck, I wouldn’t be promoted at all. Like… ever.
The hall widened after a while and I noticed more hover crafts moving through the passage, only they had people on them. I assumed it was a way of transportation through the giant space city and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. My legs were already a little wobbly. Walking up a few flights of stairs was nothing compared to the hike I was enduring now. A workout routine was definitely in my future because the Nexus wasn’t just a walk around a block on Earth. Even the air felt different.
Turning down a narrower passage, I readLevel 17 Quartersabove an open door and followed Penny through. There were other doors on either side of the hall, most of them open. I peered inside a few of them to see that they were like little apartments. They had beds, shelves, dressers, desks, and even little showers in the far corners.
“These are the dorms you’ll be staying in until you’re promoted,” Penny explained. She stopped, turning toward a closed door, and slid a little metal key chit through a reader on the lock panel. The panel turned green with a beep and the door slid open to reveal another room with two beds, a little shower, and a closet. “You two are the only recruits in this section today, so you’ll room together.” She shot us both a glare. “Don’t get into trouble. Uniforms are inside. Get dressed and then head to the mess hall for food. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
Penny left us no time to ask questions. I watched her leave and then gulped, looking up at Omar. His mouth was open like he wanted to say something, too, but Penny was gone already. We both smiled shyly at each other and for a moment, I thought I’d have to set some ground rules. Then again, who was I kidding? He was from Earth just like I was. Proximity rules were ingrained in his mind. I didn’t have to say shit to keep him off of me. In theory.
“Whelp,” Omar shrugged, gesturing for me to enter first.
I stepped into the room and tossed my bag onto one of the beds. The room was plain. White walls. One small window looking out into space. Well, not really a window. I was aware most “windows” were live feeds of the outside. It had something to do with the radiation in space and all. My father taught me that through our messages. The toilet was divided by a sliding, circular wall and the shower was separated in a similar way. Not that I was one for privacy. I’d made a living taking off my clothes.
“Can’t say this is worse than my place on my Earth base,” Omar said.
I turned to him as he opened up the closet to explore. Uniforms were lined up inside, separated by sizes. I was partly hoping for some sleek, white suits, but instead, we got gray jumpsuits to match Penny’s. I walked over to touch one, still trying to convince myself it was all real.
“So, you were on a base?” I asked, trying to make conversation with my new bunkmate.
“Yeah,” Omar said, pulling out a jumpsuit to change. He wasn’t shy either. I didn’t expect a military boy to be self-conscious. He stripped out of his shirt and fatigues without hesitation and slipped on his jumpsuit as he spoke. “I enlisted when I was seventeen.”
“What did you do for the military?”
“Piloting, mostly,” he said, zipping up his suit. He wore the thing well. His body was athletic and when he slipped on his boots again, he looked like he fit right in. “I drove the tanks now and then, but I’m good with things that fly. Once all the automated stuff came out, I put myself in classes to come here.”
“I was next to a drone programmer on the shuttle,” I said.
“Yeah, that was another option, but I like being in the shit, I guess. None of that video game stuff.”
I took a deep breath. Part of me wanted to ask him to teach me some things and another part of me thought he’d probably turn me in if he knew I wasn’t really essential.
“What about you?” Omar asked.
I’m a stripper.
“I’m a pilot, too,” I said. The lie tasted sour. “With a major in language.”
“Really? Where’d you learn to fly?”
“Um... Cooper Space Training.”
“No shit! That place is top of the list. No wonder you’re here. I heard that the Nexus usually approaches students there rather than the other way around. So did they ask you or did you apply?”
“I applied. I’m not good enough to be noticed on my own.”
I felt my hands shaking. I only said Cooper because it was where my father went and I didn’t really know any other training centers. Turning to look away from Omar’s impressed stare, I pulled out a jumpsuit and stripped off my clothes to get changed. Omar whistled and I glanced at him with surprise as I pulled up the zipper. His eyes scanned down my body and he raised his dark brows.
“I definitely don’t have a problem with co-ed dorms,” he said.
