The New Frontier

Chapter 4

"Holy shit"
I stutter through quick breaths.

"Yep, holy shit indeed"
Luke says calmly behind me.

"I thought you two deserved a surprise, considering all you've been through today."

Dr Derek gestured to the colossal rocket ship suspended in air. It looked like it weighed an average of ten school buses.

"Sweet ride dude, lets take it for a spin."
Luke said casually walking up to the massive missile of mettle. He slowly reached a hand out to run his hand along the base of the rocket, but before his fingertips could even get close he was stopped by a furious Dr Derik.

"Don't you even think about it boy! This vessel costs more than your life, if you even get a scratch on it your dead!"

A switch was flicked. Dr Derik went from kind hearted sweet old man, to red faced with fury. Luke stepped back red faced and embarrassed, he was trying to hide his shame behind the hood of his black sweater that he had leant me during the car ride.
Luke had the same image plastered on his face as he did when we were shoved into the cop car together, the look of sadness, anger, embarrassment all at the same time. He was probably thinking about his mother again I guessed.

Dr Derik turned from Luke to me. He was staring at my forehead and for a moment I didn't know why, and then I remembered at I felt my cheeks flush.

"Alice Fletcher why do you have a plaster on you forehead?" The elderly man asked.

"Oh. I um, hit my head when I was being pushed into the police car." I stuttered.

"Really? Who pushed you? That is not how you should be treated at all. I must take you to the medical bay at once!"
He was being rather over dramatic over my small scrape.

"Oh that's fine, how about first you tell me what I am actually doing here instead of distracting me with your fancy rocket toys." I was actually surprised how forward I was being, I was usually the polite girl who did what she was told.

"I'm sorry, I thought you would enjoy having a look at the vessel that will be taking you up into space in a weeks time." Dr Derik said generally upset.

Luke had been very quiet until now.

"Wait what? You can't be serious!" Luke said staggering forward.

"I am deadly serious."
Said Dr Derik. And I could tell he was.
"I know this is a lot to take in at the moment, but I will just let you know we start training tomorrow at seven."

"Training for what?"
I ask.

"You don't think I'm going to send you up into space straight away did you?" The white haired man chuckled as if the answer was obvious.
"You must undergo several health and fitness test before you exit this earth."

I turned to look at Luke who was already looking at me. His shaggy brown hair was hanging low in front of his eyes. He was truly gorgeous, it was a shame he would never go for a girl like me. I was short, with dorky green glasses and I wasn't stick thin like most of the girls I new. Luke gave me a crooked reassuring smile with his blue and mgreen eyes lighting up, I returned the gesture and looked back at Dr Derik.

"Your parents will be notified of your whereabouts so you don't have to worry, but now it is time to head into the dining hall for dinner. It is almost time for the plague report.