Life On This Planet

Chapter 4

I shake off his arm and give him a massive eye roll before I walk off. He's outrageous and irritating. Honestly, who behaves that dramatically? Danger. As if. There hasn't been a single person in danger on this planet in three hundred years. As I leave, TL Cole comes up to me.

'I noticed NR03 bothering you. Just say the word and I'll add a reprimand to his file.' He towers over me with a sneer.

'I'm fine. It was just a misunderstanding.' I quickly reply and head out.

Golden Ocean attaches herself to me as I walk back.

'Oh my god, Cole actually talked to you! He's so cute!'

'Ocean, I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to get involved with team leaders. Besides, don't you have a boyfriend back home?'

She shrugs and says, 'So what?'

As I shower and prepare for bed, I think about Dace and what he said. It must be a test. Perhaps, a security test, to see if I'll break the rules and protocol of PDS before I can get security clearance. Maybe he's trying to get me kicked out. Recruits can get pretty competitive with each other, maybe he's just trying to psych me out. Well, I'm not going to fall for it.

The girls stay up talking late into the night and it's nice hanging out with the others. We eat spicy seaweed snacks that Coral One has snuck in and look up ancient human sleepwear from the 21st century. Everyone screams with laughter as the Archives load pictures onto the dorm workstation screen.

'Can you imagine wearing that?' Coral Two, who likes to be called Coco; points to a picture of a flimsy pink shirt with odd symbols on the front. 'It's not even thermo-insulated. How did they even keep warm in the winter?'

The bossy, tall Coral, whom I call Coral Three, rolls her eyes.

'You're so lame Coco. It's obviously meant to be worn in the summer.' She's supposed to be Coco's best friend, yet it seems like she always bullies her.

'Listen to this...' It's Azure, the short, muscular girl with light brown eyes. 'There was an entire industry called the fashion. According to the Archives, it was one of the most wasteful industries in the world, contributing to ninety per cent of what went into dump sites.'

'Those crazy ancient humans. Honestly, fashion. What a total waste.' I agree. We spend an hour looking up clothing and putting versions of what we find on our holographic avatars. I think I look pretty good in something called jeans.

When we do sleep, I have a restless night. I have the same dream that I had the morning of my birthday. Green haze and a strange walled city with tall buildings. I can smell fuel burning. Wait, is that a green sun? I shield my eyes and I hear a voice. It says my name. Tap! Tap! I wake with a start and relax. Phew. Only a dream. Tap! It sounds almost like...oh no! I jump out of bed and head over to the window panel. I see that it is Fox Two! How did he get here? He's very excited to see me and see that I'm awake.

'Ooh, is that a giant squid? Cool!' Coral One is suddenly standing right next to me. For someone who talks all the time she sure knows how to sneak up on a person. 'He looks just like your toy stuffed squid.'

'Interesting.' A low, mellifluous voice from behind us remarks.

We both whirl around. It's Team Leader Atlas, and she looks intrigued. She continues to stare at Fox Two. 'NR13, it looks like your pet has decided to join you.' But then she gives a ghost of a smile as though amused.

'Pet!' squeals Coral One, waking about half the dorm. 'Ooh, what's its name?' She ignores the groans and moans from the rest of the girls waking up too early. Someone flings a shoe in our direction.