The Final Six (The Final Six #1) - Alexandra Monir Page 0,16
tight-knit group hug, and I bury my head in his shoulder, hiding my face.
“Naomi, azizam, we’re going to miss you more than we can bear,” he says in my ear, his voice choked with tears. “But . . . we know you weren’t born for this planet. You were meant for something bigger.”
“He’s right.” Mom cradles my chin in her hands. “As much as I want you beside me, you have too much to offer to stay in a world that’s failing you. Go out there and—and change the universe.”
“I—I would if I could, but . . .” My words falter as I watch my little brother wipe his eyes on his sleeve. Maybe in another life I would have leaped at this opportunity, but not now, not with my heart pulling me toward home. As if reading my thoughts, Mom adds, “Don’t forget—if you make the Final Six and the mission succeeds, then the three of us are guaranteed a seat on the first human settlement spacecraft to Europa.” She gives me a shaky smile. “So you see, we can all be together again . . . but in a better place.”
I meet Sam’s eyes, and I know we’re both thinking the same thing. Mom is an eternal optimist, but whether the mission will succeed is a gigantic if—and even if it does, my brother’s heart could never withstand a rocket launch into space. And there’s no way anyone else is leaving him behind. So, no—there won’t be a fairy-tale reunion for the four of us on Europa. Not a chance. Still, I force myself to nod along with her words, to let her hold on to hope. But then Sam is in front of me and I can’t say good-bye to him, I can’t; I choke on the words.
“I love you, Sis. It’s—it’s going to be okay.” He lowers his voice. “You’re going to go to Houston and show everyone what’s possible . . . what’s really out there. And then you’ll come home.” He looks at me hopefully. “Right?”
“Right,” I whisper back.
I reach into the pocket of my Mission: Europa jacket and hand him a folded square of paper. “To read when you need me.”
Sam smiles at me through his tears. “Our telepathy game remains strong.”
My eyes well up all over again as he reaches into his coat pocket and hands me an envelope of his own. But instead of just a letter, I feel something small and bulky inside.
“Keep it safe.” Sam gives me a warning look and I nod, stashing the envelope in the front pocket of my backpack.
“Naomi? Let’s go.”
I turn sharply at the sound of Dr. Anderson’s voice. It’s too soon; I’m not ready—but now the army officers are approaching, the jet doors are sliding open, the plane’s engine is revving. I’m running out of time. I reach for my parents once more.
“Take care of my brother. Take care of each other. I love you all so much.”
I get in one last hug with Sam before Dr. Anderson and Major Lewis’s hands are on my shoulders, pulling me away from my family—and ushering me into a new life.
I peer through the jet window, watching as an island of concrete materializes below. This must be it: Space City, Houston. The land that gave us the Apollo missions and the International Space Station, that launched a million childhood daydreams—including mine.
When my mom showed a six-year-old me the historic video of Anousheh Ansari climbing inside the Soyuz rocket, becoming the first Iranian-American woman in space, I remember instantly picturing myself in her place. “That’s what I want to do,” I told Mom then, brimming with confidence. “Me and Sam can be the first brother-sister duo in orbit!” Even then, I never wanted to leave him. So once I learned the truth about Sam’s condition, that it would preclude him from ever venturing beyond our Earth, I dropped the astronaut dream like a bad habit. And now the childhood wish is coming true . . . in spite of me.
“We’ll be touching down any minute,” Dr. Anderson says from her seat beside me. “Do you want to freshen up for the cameras?”
I shrug. “Not really.”
At this point, looking attractive for strangers is the very last item on my priority list.
Dr. Anderson gives me a hint of a smile. “You might want to tighten your seat belt for this. The changing topography and climate in Texas have made landing extra turbulent here.”