The next morning, I wake up really late. My chest flitters and panic begins to set in. I brush my teeth, wash my face, clean up quickly and slip into the freshly cleaned jumpers. When I step out, I find the hallway empty and my panic increases. I have lost track of time, thanks to Austin who himself has not slept in late.

  Thankfully, I find everyone still having breakfast at the cafeteria, not in class. I sit beside Akio, guilt written on my face, although I am not exactly sure why. I expect a robot to call me up at any moment and chastise me in front of everyone.

  "You look terrible." Akio says and nudges his glasses up to take a better look at me.

  I roll my eyes.

  "Didn't get much sleep, eh?"

  My face turns red. "How do you know?"

  Akio takes his time. He chews, swallows, and jabs the air with his fork. "It is quite obvious, actually. I'm guessing you didn't look in the mirror this morning. Your eyes have dark circles, you didn't tuck all of your hair into the band, and above all, Emma, you are wearing the back of your jumper."

  "Shit!" I exclaim as I look down to see the horrid detail I had over looked. The jumper is turned inside out.

  "Consider me a true friend for telling you this."

  "Is there a restroom here?" I ask him.

  "Yes. I also have a trick to help you avoid everyone's gaze. Although you've been seen by a few. Where is Austin and Zuri by the way?"

  "Please, Akio. Where is the restroom?"

  "Oh, that. Yea, yea. I get carried away sometimes."

  A part of me wants to punch Akio for not understanding the urgency of this situation although, I know he isn't being mean or caustic.

  "Walk behind the servers, take your left, a few paces in, you'll see the restroom."

  "Thanks."

  I walk as quickly as my legs can carry me. When I return, Akio is still sitting there.

  "Looking so much better now."

  Just then, Austin comes around, smelling of mint and lavender. There is not a single thing amiss on his body. His jumper is not inside out, and his hair is neatly brushed. So is his teeth which gleams and which he dies not hesitate to flash.

  "What's popping guys?"

  He says as he maneuvers his way to my side.

  "Emma slept in late." Akio says, Hus eyes beaming with more secret.

  Austin laughs. "Is that so?"

  I roll my eyes. "Yes, that is so. I wonder why?"

  Austin gets the sarcasm and his eyes twinkle.

  "Are you mad about the fact that you slept in late and your strict schedule has been messed with?"

  I roll my eyes again.

  "Remember what I said about nonconformity?"

  "We need to leave for classes now." Akio cuts in as he glances at his smart watch. "There was an announcement earlier today, Emma. Today is the grouping day. Apparently, it only took them a day of class and closely watching us to discover our strengths and know what sectors to group us into."

  I glance at Austin, them back at Akio. "Do you have any clue where you would be?"

  Akio shrugs. "No. What I do know is some of us will be going back home today as well."

  "Whelp. That hurts." Austin says.

  I feel dreadful but I try not to show it. "Thanks, Akio. Was anything else mentioned?"

  "Yes. We have one more week of specialized classes, then we would be deployed to the rocket pod."

  "The rocket pod?"

  Just then, the sound system announces that all students of 2140 should assemble at the field.

  "Well, it's prejudgment time!" Akio says, and we all leave the table. Of course, not without packing our trays and handing them to the robots.

  ***

  We are all gathered on a lush green field. Again, Scarlett is officiating. Her lips are red as usual, and her hair is made up in a chignon. I half expect Thompson to appear beside her, but she is alone this time.

  "Welcome, everyone. As you can all attest to, yesterday's classes were really stressful, albeit long. That is because our space mission date is drawing nearer, and we do not want to waste any time." She pauses and looks at all of us.

  "In light of that, we have now come to a conclusion. I will call out a list of names and group you into the section specially curated for you. But before that, I have something very important to say. Someone among us is going home."

  There is a rush going through the crowd. The apprehension is almost palpable.

  Scarlett stands regal in the midst of it all. Her back is straight, shoulders thrown back, and chin jutting forward. She looks at her palm, on which I am certain is projected the name of the student to be let off. Tablets and phones were abandoned a long time ago. What use were they when we could open up our palms and use them for even more functions?

  Suddenly, she closes her palms back. It is as though something has ministered to her and she chose to heed the voice. She refuses to call the name out loud.

  "I will it to the person privately at the end of the day, including our reasons."

  After that, she began to divide everyone into sections. It felt ironical. How could she carry on as though everything were normal while the rest of us suffered as anxiety bubbled beneath our skin? I had a clue but I kept my mouth shut.

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  Austin, Jason, and Mikael got into the security section. Akio and I, Intelligence section that felt with engineering, basic system control. Zuri got into the sector that handled the chemical components, storage and preservation of the Medusa Merger specimens.

  We went about our classed and the next day, nobody saw Khalid anymore.

  ***

  The next week, we were reassigned to the rocket pod. It was an oval structure made a thick metal frame on the outside, but the inside was quite spacious. There were double bunks, mobile wardrobes and cupboards. Still, we terribly missed our old personal space. There was a slight tussle and bustle at the entrance. Everyone wanted the best space. Austin was ahead of me with my luggage and his, forging a space for me in the mi I had women up early and snuck off to the bathroom

  Waking up extra early gives you the privilege of being ahead of others and having a separate privacy from all that chaos. I later discovered that the scramble was for them to get the best double decked bunks and a good spot.

  Austin got one for us. He look the lower bed, and let me stay in the upper one because he needed to watch over me. I was glad I had him by my side. W

  What completely grossed me out was the fact that we all had to share a common bathroom, separated only by the ten doors of which five were indicated for females, and the others, male. I asked Austin if non-binaries could not be catered for, and he shrugged and said the establishment made a wrong move with that one. There was a little privacy, yes. But there was also what I considered a walk of shame. The hallway linking the bathrooms were liked with mirrors and sinks. Therefore, when you were done bathing, your body silk with heat and water, a towel wrapped around your body, you would walk all the way down to the room area looking like that. It freaked me out so I began to take everything I needed to the bathroom, doing my best to keep them away from the shower.

  One day, it back fired.

  It was a normal morning like all others. If anything in the camp was normal. It was also the third day of staying in the rocket pod structure, and most of us had already begun to find our feet. I woke up early and snuck off to the bathroom. Waking up early would put me ahead of others and also allow me the chance to buy myself a little privacy. I lived it. Also, the rocket pod had a dawn simulation that hung on the ceiling. It would be streaked with purple and red like dawn on a beachside.

  I went into the bathroom, hung my clothes where they were meant to be, and began to scrub my body. My bath water was infused with Lavender essential oil which I snuck off from my former room. Like I said, everything was provided for us based on the data they harvested. They knew I loved lavender too.

  When I was done, I dried off and looked to my left, only to find that my jumpers were suddenly missing. In its place was a pristine white tile that seemed to mock the futility of my efforts. It snickered at my modesty, my inability to dress up in the main dorm like a normal person.

  I draped my towel tightly around my body. I could not open the door yet. I had just finished showering, but my palms were already sweaty. My anxiety was skyrocketing through the roofs.

  "Hello, is anyone there?" I called out. I was greeted BT a stiff silence.

  "Hello? If this is a prank, please stop it this instant." I tried to sound tough but failed. My voice shook. And I realized you didn't have to add a 'please' if you wanted something done by the sheer force of your authority. When I called out the third time, someone responded.

  "Come on out." It was Mikael's voice. I could not mistake that predatory bass growl.

  "Hand me my dress." I said shakily.

  "Why don't you come get it? What are you afraid of? We don't bite." Jason said, and the two boys began to laugh. I felt humiliated but I swallowed and kept my calm.

  "We see you're always hanging out with that Austin dude. What is he, your boyfriend?" Jason snickered.

  "He's not my boyfriend." I replied firmly.

  "He's not my boyfriend." Mikael mimicked me in a tiny weeny voice. The two boys laughed.

  "Hey, if you want your jumper, come out and get it now. Otherwise, we'd be taking it all the way and you'll have to walk to the dorm. We've been watching you, you know. We know you hate it so much and try to avoid it. Why? Is your body malformed?"

  Jason laughed.

  "No, no. This is pretty serious. Do you have some kind of medical condition or you believe in some religious bullshit about modesty, virginity, all that crap from centuries ago?"

  I swallow. "Please...just give it back."

  "No."

  I recalculate and recalibrate. What did I have to lose? Was it possible that I could be assaulted in such a vast, public space? I shivered to think about it. I had never been in such a situation before, and my heart had a lot to say about it with the way it was beating loudly.

  "Okay, I'm coming out now." I said, shocking even myself. It was such a great risk because I did not know what I was going to face. What if they jumped me?

  "That's what I'm talking about." Mikael said. "This isn't bullying, you know. We are teaching you how to be comfortable in your own skin."

  As I was about to push the button that would open the door, I heard a voice.

  "Well, I don't suppose that is how you teach someone." It was Austin. I signed in relief but still did not open the door. I hovered around the button, listening and waiting.

  "The boyfriend is here!" I heard Mikael say. He clapped his hands and his tone was full of mockery.

  "What are you doing, you perv?" Austin barked.

  "Getting your tiny girlfriend to come out and stop being such a freak. You see..."

  I heard someone get slap. I gasped. Then, another impact was made, and another, until I heard a couple of feet scurrying away.

  "Emma?" Austin called softly, "You can come out now."

  He slipped my jumper back to me and I dressed up quickly, burying the slight humiliation I felt. I felt exposed, vulnerable and unsafe. I made a note to let the management know that I did not feel safe here, but Austin would later dissuade me against it. "They need to know you can hold your forte, defend yourself, roar when you need to." He would said.

  I stepped out of the bathroom and found him, backing me to afford me a little shred of dignity.

  "You ready?"

  "Yes. Thank you so much, Austin."

  He shrugged and waved his hands dismissively. "It was nothing. Those dudes had to be taught a lesson."

  "Did you..." I asked, fearfully.

  Austin laughed. "Did I give them a good beating? Well, I would say, not enough. I did not draw blood but it was enough to send them running like the rats they are."

  I controlled my breathing and we both left the pod together for class.

  ***

  We were both assigned to Major Santorez who was the head of the military training facility of which Austin was a part of. Major Santorez was going to be the head of the mission, and we had already heard so many stories about him.

  We were assembled, taught a few salutation routines, and given a lecture on discipline and proper conduction of ourselves. Austin kept staring daggers at Jason and Mikael while this was being said. They squirmed.

  Major Santorez was a huge, grey haired man with a rolling gait and a penchant for keeping his hands on his buckle. His face was square and intimidating, etched with lines and something dangerous. Rumor had it that nobody had ever seen him smile, even in the most hilarious of situations. People found this hard to understand but I could relate to it. Mother smiled at most once in a year.

  Major Santorez paced about, taught us how to load and unload a gun. This was unlike anything I had never seen. It was lightweight, transparent and could he compressed into your palm. It was as silent as it was lethal. It also had different compartments for whatever you wanted. It was both a Taser, a sedater, and a reservoir for deadly metal bullets or capsules full of poison. For the mission, we would mostly be using the sedating compartment because it was illegal to shoot and kill an extraterrestrial being. They were all to be communicated with, and if impossible, sedated. Austin and I learnt. Alyonna turned out to be extremely good and handy with the ammunitions. Her shots were meat and precise, and Major Santorez couldn't he prouder. Still, we wondered if he would let her into the line of action. We had learned by observation that he was an uncooperative major who never took the advice or ever listened to people assigned under him. He looked really full if himself, almost bordering a point of blatant narcissism. Austin and I disliked him immediately, but we had to learn, so we did.

  At night, when we were back to the double bunk and secure under our duvets, we began to talk about our families. Austin told me about his little sister who was back home with his Grandma Choi. She was a sweet little girl who had an intense love for pancakes and maple syrups. She loved the color purple and was interested in arts. It felt good to hear such a pleasant, moving story, after the horrors of the day instructions. It was tender, and I wanted to meet her. We stayed up talking until we heard Major Santorez, talking into his tower transmitting device and making his night rounds around the pod. Like little kids, we giggled, shut our eyes tightly and eased into a comfortable sleep.