The War Satellite

Chapter Twenty-Five

Miles

Something hit my ear. I mumbled and tried to go back to sleep, but it hit me again.

"Daniel, so help me if you throw that pen at me one more time." I growled.

I heard Daniel and Audrey laugh and I opened my eyes so I could properly glare at them. They ignored my glares and instead turned back to whispering with each other. I turned back to the front of the room and Ethan still stood pointing at various points on a map.

I checked my watch, three hours later and he's still lecturing. At least I had managed to skip some of it. I turned back to Daniel and Audrey, who were now using the pen to doodle on a map. I flicked my own pen at them. Audey caught it without looking and flicked it back towards me. I shook my head, her stupid ability.

"I say we jump him, and get out of this room," Daniel said.

"At this point I'm willing to try anything," Audey said. Ethan turned around and we all straightened in our chairs trying to act enthused. Ethan turned back to the map and I stooped back over to whisper again.

"Well, I was fine until you woke me up." I grumbled. Audrey smiled.

"I had to wake you up."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, you were drooling."

Audrey pointed towards the map I had fallen asleep on. A puddle had formed right over the pacific ocean.

"I just wanted the map to be more realistic."

Audrey snorted and Ethan whipped around. He glared at us, "Are you three even paying attention?"

"Can you define 'paying attention'?" Daniel asked. Ethan rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead. I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him, we had been getting increasingly more and more disruptive. Even Archer and Skye had given up on listening. Archer was out cold in the corner behind me. Skye had been twirling her pen for the past three hours as she stared off in the distance.

We had gone over the maps and plans so many times. I had started to memorize Ethan's lectures. They always consisted of, "We're the only ones who can do this! We are the heroes these people need." And a lot of flowery adjectives.

Ethan wasn't even the worst of them. As if to prove my point Ben stood up from his chair.

"I can't believe you. Are you even taking this mission seriously?"

Daniel stood and I held my breath. Daniel and Ben had become increasingly more and more short with each other. But it did cause a steady stream of entertainment.

"Define 'seriously'," Daniel said.

"Here we go again, go ahead, hide behind your jokes. See if I care. I should have known you couldn't be serious about having a straight conversation."

Daniel's fists clenched and he took a step forward, eyes locked in a battle with Ben. I turned towards Audrey, she looked worried. This was becoming heated faster than usual.

"You want a straight conversation? Fine, you don't belong here. Get off your high horse. What are you expecting when we get to the colony? Are you expecting to save the day? You can barely fight. All you have is your fancy little alias and a knack for kissing up to superiors. Are you going to try to flatter your way to Hornet?"

Ben's face reddened and he stepped closer to Daniel, his fists shaking in his jacket pockets. The rest of us just watched speechless. "At least I know what respect is. What will you do after the war? All you're good for is punching. I'd like to see you raise a revolution using fisticuffs. You-"