The Final Six (The Final Six #1) - Alexandra Monir Page 0,22
carrying with her two decades’ worth of preserved food and resources. By including a Mars rendezvous on your trajectory to Europa, we’re able to not only salvage some of the billions invested in the Athena mission, but more importantly, provide for all of your needs on Jupiter’s moon. There’s just one problem.” She lets out a long exhale. “Based on this week’s images and data from SatCon, we have reason to suspect a fuel leak.”
My eyebrows shoot up. That would mean—
“Without a human crew to patch the leak, the supply ship will eventually run out of fuel—and tidal forces will pull her out of orbit.” The general’s voice echoes my grim thoughts. “Luckily, that process takes time . . . but not long enough for us to have the luxury of four months of training.”
“That’s why we’re moving up the Europa launch to one month from now,” Dr. Takumi announces, to the sound of our gasps. “Likewise, your training will be compressed into a more rigorous four-week course. It may sound daunting, but with Cyb and Dot joining you on the mission, that amount of training should be sufficient. You won’t be entirely alone up there.”
I feel my throat closing up in panic, as the shock of his words reverberates through the room. One month? How can anyone be ready that quickly? To have to leave Earth so soon—
“Meanwhile,” he adds, “half of you will be eliminated from the draft in two weeks’ time.”
Judging by the aghast expressions I see all around me, most of my fellow finalists have zero desire to go home so early—but the thought sends hope flooding through my chest. While the others are busy trying to impress the robots, I can make a point of falling below their radar, presenting myself as a perfectly average, elimination-worthy candidate. And then I’d be safe from Europa. In just two weeks I could be on my way home.
Except . . . there’s the not-so-small matter of the promise I made to my brother, and to myself. I have a theory to prove first, and succeeding would mean that I can ensure all of us get to return safely to our families. Pulling this off before the first elimination will be a major stretch—but I have to at least try.
“Now, let me address the elephant in the room.” Dr. Takumi’s voice takes on a warning tone, pulling me out of my thoughts and back into the present. “We are well aware that some of you might be tempted to sabotage or diminish your cofinalists, in order to advance your own standing in the draft. The ISTC has a zero-tolerance policy where this is concerned, and anyone who attempts it will face severe punishment.”
I stifle a laugh. They certainly don’t need to worry about that with me.
“Others among you may have the opposite aim. Some of you might try to play down your abilities, to sabotage your own chances.” Dr. Takumi’s eyes move across the room, studying each one of us, and my face turns hot.
“You should know that we can see right through any of these attempts,” he continues. “The twenty-four of you will be closely monitored, both during training and in regular psychological evaluations. If we find you guilty of self-sabotage or attempting to thwart one of your teammates, you will be punished accordingly. Lesser infractions will require you and your family to pay a steep fine, while larger crimes carry the same sentence as resisting the draft: long-term imprisonment.”
The room is dead silent now. Fear churns in my stomach as I realize the risks I’ll be taking with my plan. But it’s not impossible, a voice in my head whispers. I can still investigate and expose the mission from the inside—I’ll just have to outsmart a bunch of brilliant adults and two AIs in order to do it. Great.
“And now, without further ado, let’s assign your teams!” Dr. Takumi smiles broadly, a jarring transition from his talk of crimes and jail time. “First up is Team Lark.”
A young woman bounds to the front of the stage, tall and willowy, with dark skin and braided black hair. She must be in her twenties, unusually young for a retired astronaut, and I find myself wondering what her story is.
“When I call your name, please come up to the stage and form a line behind Lark,” Dr. Takumi instructs. “First on the team is . . . Asher Levin from Israel.”