Spectator

Chapter Four: Then

"Are you nervous?" Ainsley asked, picking at her food. Everyone had the same nutritious mush, BioVin, which had been created a couple decades back, able to grow on the harsher environment of Mars. They were genetically engineered to be stuffed full of necessary nutrients. Red BioVin had more protein, Blue BioVin had more vitamins... all part of a healthy lifestyle. It could be dried in a bar or eaten as a mushy stew, and it had done better after certain flavours had been programmed into each dish, but the higher families of Mars would splurge for the actual food. Blueberry flavoured BioVin was never as good as the real thing. She didn't care what anyone said.

"Not really," Kali said, her bowl already empty. The best way to deal with BioVin was to eat it as fast as possible.

"Oh," Ainsley said. She stirred her mush again without taking another bite. "But it's the first Game of the semester. Don't you want to do well?"

They had been further divided into their squad after reaching their room, and Kali had been glad to see that Ainsley was her designated squad leader. Ainsley was a lot less conceited than the other high numbers would be, Kali was sure of that. The scrawny boy, Archibald, who everyone just called Archie, and Kadent was their last. No-one knew what the Game today would be, even those who knew previous Academia. The name of the Game would always be a surprise. After lunch, they'd have some more classes, and then it was time to find out for themselves.

But worrying about it wouldn't make it go any better.

Kali just shrugged. "Probably don't want to be last," she admitted.

"We won't be last," Ainsley assured her quickly. Hopefully.

They were sitting at one of the tables in the mess. Each year had their own level—probably so there wouldn't be any information leak from the older pupils. They were completely segregated. The students had staked out their groups pretty quickly. Terrans and Marisians were the most obvious divide, but there were other groups to consider: those who had come here by nepotism, those by intelligence and hard work on a sponsorship, or those who could buy their way in. Otherwise known as legacies, the brainers, and the wealthers. Kali had the former to thank for her admission, but Ainsley had gotten in on her own. Legacies were almost entirely from Mars, just as the brainers were primarily from Earth. Wealthers were more of a mix - there were still some rich families on Earth - why anyone would choose to stay there when they had the ability to move was beyond Kali, but she supposed some preferred to be the head of a small pond rather than the bottom of a big one. Numbers also had a way of splitting the teenagers, as anyone in the fifties or sixties were avoided by those in a better rank. Last was simply the squads and roommates; Kali could tell from Ainsley's amicable and fair behaviour that she would make friends quickly enough, but for now, they were staying together. At least for this week.

Most of the legacies were sitting together, but Kali could see Zakariah glancing at her a few times. As expected, as soon as the meal ended, he came to her.

"Zha-Neri," he said. His tone was friendly, but his gaze was not.

"Alineri," Kali replied, not bothering to make her tone anything but flat.

Ainsley looked between the two of them, then gave Kali a hesitant smile. "I'll see you in our next class."

Zakariah fell in step with her. Kali thought about being difficult and slipping into the gap ahead of her, but that would be giving him the satisfaction of seeing her run away.

"Number 29, huh? Your mom must have been disappointed."

Kali had a feeling the general knew already, but that didn't stop her from claiming she had slept through her mother's vid-call yesterday evening. A positive was that her mother wouldn't be able to call every day, so Kali was probably safe for the rest of the week.