Spectator

Chapter Twenty-two: Then

The name of the girl who died was Iram, in a similar stampede in the dark where Ainsley was injured. A quick trip to the infirmary and she was back to normal, save for the fact that Kali could still catch her touching her temple from time to time, a hint of pain crossing her features. Still, she would recover - unlike Iram. The funeral was a mute affair, ceremonial and brief. The body was incinerated and shot out through one of the vents; Iram had been from Exodus, and they apparently hadn't asked for a keepsake.

No-one knew who exactly had landed the killing blow either, just speculation. There was speculation about everything, including the whole blackout. But whether it had been one of the pupils or just another training session, it was all a mystery. So too was the killer. An accident? On purpose? And who? Kali only knew who it was not, and that was a short list. There were more than a couple of students that had been pulled from juvenile detention centers due to high technical scores or physical ability, making this essentially their last chance at something better than slums, prison, or working in the mines. The more dangerous ones. Only two of the group were known for sure, but there always could be more in the mix. But whether or not the faculty knew, no-one was hauled off in the middle of the night for either murder or sabotage. The shock of Iram's death passed too - these were the stakes. People could die, for real, and this was the first example. Another student resigned immediately after Iram's death, their number dropping further, although it remained somewhat steady for the next couple of months.

Unfortunately, that was when Kali became a target. Not by the students - she could have managed that - but General Grouch had singled her out. If she had thought staying in the middle numbers would leave her relatively inconspicuous, she was wrong; the General had noticed. Kali had suspected he was fond of neither her mother (she couldn't entirely blame him for that one) or spoiled Marisians, so she already had two strikes against her.

He was determined to see her suffer. In fitness class, whenever the laps were assigned, she had the most. She wasn't the only one harassed in this way, but it was little comfort when her sides were heaving and lungs burning, even if Hona was nearly passed out beside her, Ainsley shooting her a sympathetic look from where she had long finished her run. The General hadn't been fond that Hona's talents were more in intellect and less physical: his bottom line was no excuses. Even though some of them would join the government or become a scientist, as far as he was concerned, they were all here to be pressed into perfect little military moulds, and he wasn't happy with anyone who didn't fit the shape.

Kali wasn't sure if it was connected, but she'd been in Gasquet's and Zakariah's squads more often than anyone else's. Annoying, but mostly manageable. The worst part of it were the shipside simulations. Kali didn't know how exactly they had found out - she hadn't told anyone, and she'd kept herself from having full blown panic attacks - but whether it was that they had access to her heart rate or just shitty luck, they knew of her issue with going out into space. Some combination of the big bulky space suit, even in the simulations, and the expansive nothingness around her was enough to get her heart racing. It was the nothing solid beneath her feet and only a small tether keeping her from floating away. She'd done the practice exercises like everyone else, always relieved that it was over.

Until it had been her assignment, over and over again. And then it stopped being in the simulator. Time to practice flying in actual space, where mistakes or malfunctions could cost lives. The starfighters had been fine, small and cramped, but with a distinct lack of spacewalking. Now they were graduating through the shuttles. This model was AD-340, not exactly top of the line, but standard for about a crew of 8-12. They were small research vessels, and most large spaceships had a couple for investigating anomalies, squeezing into tighter, closer spaces. The hull was thick, designed to resist increased temperature, though it wasn't the most maneuverable of vessels. It was shaped like a block, with a tapered front, and small wings on each side that held thrusters. It wasn't meant for speed and flashy gambits; it was also often converted into a rescue or evacuation vehicle as the need arose, though those sounded like particularly cramped ventures.