The Final Six (The Final Six #1) - Alexandra Monir Page 0,14

the job that SETI never got to do. I’ll conduct my own search for extraterrestrial intelligence—focused solely on Europa.”

Sam turns around in his seat, watching me with raised eyebrows.

“If I can prove the theory that there is a high probability of intelligent life waiting for us, that would completely turn public opinion of the mission on its head.” I take a deep breath. “There is just no way world leaders would send us if they believed what I do. Especially when the president’s own nephew is involved.”

A slow smile spreads across my brother’s face.

“So you’re going to sabotage the mission from the inside?”

“I prefer the term ‘enlighten the public.’ But yeah.” I grin. “Certain people might call it sabotage.”

Sam reaches over to give me a fist bump.

“I like this plan. Go get ’em, Sis.”

Five

LEO

“LEO, LEO, FORZA LEO!”

I pull back the curtains of the guest bedroom with a smile. It’s just past eight in the morning on Departure Day, but my neighbors are already here, waiting on the docks to see me off. The sight fills me with warmth, and I can’t resist cranking open the window.

“Vi amo tutti!” I call, waving at the faces below. And it’s true—right now I love every last one of them standing there in the cold, cheering my name. My appearance at the window sends their cheers into overdrive, and I laugh to myself as I imagine what my sister would say. They do know it’s you, right?

Just then, a knock sounds at my door.

“Leo, it’s Dr. Schroder. Are you up?”

“Come in,” I call, and he steps inside, carrying a small trunk.

“I have something you’ll need for the trip. The Europa Mission leaders requested that all finalists arrive at International Space Training Camp already in uniform.”

He hands me the trunk, and as I lift the lid, my pulse begins to race.

The first thing I see is a dark blue flight jacket lined with wool, warmer and softer than any of the threadbare clothes I’ve been wearing since the flood. The jacket is adorned with military-style patches: one bearing the ISTC logo, another with the logo of ESA, and a third patch emblazoned with my own name. The back of the jacket reads Mission: Europa in striking bold letters, and for a moment I can’t speak. This is really happening.

Beneath the jacket is a pair of khakis, some high-tech sneakers, and a blue ISTC polo shirt glinting with a flash of gold. I take a second look—it’s a golden pin of the Italian flag. My breath catches. I won’t be leaving my country behind, after all. I’ll be wearing our colors proudly against my chest.

I look up to meet Dr. Schroder’s eyes.

“It’s perfect. Thank you.”

He grins.

“Glad you approve. See you downstairs in twenty minutes?”

I nod, adrenaline working its way through my body as the countdown begins. Stepping into the ISTC uniform and leaving Europe for the first time in my life seems almost like assuming a new identity. It’s the second chance I never expected, even though a part of me still clings to who I used to be—when I was with my parents and with Angelica.

I pull the polo shirt over my head and step into the khakis and sneakers, which are as comfortable as they look. I drape the Mission: Europa jacket over my shoulders, and now I look the part. I am ready.

The guards escort the Vincentis, Dr. Schroder, and me to the Palazzo boat dock, where the crowd of onlookers breaks into a chorus of hurrahs at our arrival. I turn to Elena with a grin, and though she returns my smile, it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. I can tell she’s still preoccupied with last night’s discovery, and I wish I could reassure her that it doesn’t faze me. What matters isn’t how I got picked—it’s that I was chosen at all.

“There it is.” The prime minister points straight ahead, where the boat’s mast breaks the monotonous stretch of water. My heart lifts at the return of the vessel that saved—and changed—my life.

“Are you ready, Leo?” Dr. Schroder asks.

I take one last look around me, at the sunken new face of Rome. Even in its wrecked state, there is still something beautiful about my homeland. I know I’ll never forget the way it looks right now, the morning sun gleaming against the waves.

“Arrivederci, Roma,” I murmur. And then I glance at Dr. Schroder. “Let’s go.”

I’ve already said my good-byes to the Vincentis inside, but just before I step onto the boat,