The Final Six (The Final Six #1) - Alexandra Monir Page 0,33

I love, what I’m best at. For a second I can almost imagine that I’m home, that Angelica and my parents are there in the stands, whistling and cheering my name just like they used to at all my swim meets. But then I feel the heat of Beckett’s glare and am returned to the present moment.

Something tells me he won’t take this embarrassment lightly.

Eight

NAOMI

WITH THE MORNING WE’VE HAD, I’M EXPECTING OUR AFTERNOON training to be a little more sedate—maybe even in an actual classroom, so we can sit and catch our breath after the past few hours of crawling through space capsules and diving into freezing water. But of course, my wishful thinking is way off base. It turns out that our most action-packed hour is still ahead of us.

Our first clue is when Lark escorts us down to the first floor and through the main entrance doors, leaving the ISTC campus behind. A tram shuttle is waiting outside, and that’s when she reveals what’s in store.

“Today wasn’t just about diving underwater. Get ready, because you guys are about to experience an in-air, parabolic dive!”

Lark’s voice is brimming with enthusiasm, but her words fill me with dread.

“The Vomit Comet,” I murmur.

“That’s right!” Lark grins at me, clearly missing the trepidation in my voice. “We’re going to take a parabolic flight around Houston on a special A500 Zero-G plane. Once the plane reaches an altitude of twenty-four thousand feet and an angle of forty-five degrees, it will free-fall in the air—which simulates the effect of being in orbit. So today, each of you will discover just what it feels like to be weightless in space.”

“Awesome!” Asher exclaims, fist-bumping Leo and Katerina. Suki gives a rare smile, and even the First Nephew looks cheered out of his dark mood from the past hour. Are my teammates all adrenaline junkies or something? How am I the only one here freaked out by the thought of nose-diving in a plane? My hands are already sweating, my pulse accelerating. I never could stand the feeling of my stomach dropping out from underneath me—it’s the reason why I’ve sworn off thrill rides since I was a little girl, after a particularly hairy experience on the Pirate Ship at the Santa Monica Pier. Exhibit A for why I’m not cut out to be an astronaut.

I keep my clammy hands pressed to my knees during the tram ride to the Space Center heliport, blocking out the snippets of conversation around me as I try to pretend I’m back with Sam and my parents, that I’m relating the story of “this crazy thing we did at space camp!” from the safety of home.

A gleaming plane with the Zero-G logo painted in blue lettering waits for us on the heliport, its cabin door open and air stairs unfurled. My breath turns shallow as the tram skids to a stop and Lark directs us to the aircraft.

“Let’s go!”

My teammates race up the steps and into the plane, free of the panic that holds me in its grip. I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do this, I don’t—

“Come on.” Lark nudges me forward. “I’ll be in there with you.”

I swallow hard and force one foot in front of the other until I’m inside the cabin. There are only a few rows of seats in the back while an empty, white-painted chamber takes up the rest of the space. I slide into an empty seat next to Suki as Lark starts passing out barf bags to store in our pockets.

“This is known as the Vomit Comet for a reason, so don’t be too embarrassed if you throw up. One of NASA’s medical officers is standing by in case any of you need extra attention, but most likely you’ll experience only mild airsickness. And don’t worry—the more you practice, the more your body will adjust. That’s why in the days leading up to launch, astronauts will often complete up to forty parabolas at a time.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, my stomach already roiling at the thought of the rapid ascent and plummeting drop ahead of us. It’s nerve-racking enough that we have to do this once—I can’t even contemplate the idea of “practicing” forty times in a row, as if free-falling in a plane is some kind of sport.

“We’re about ready for takeoff, so sit tight and wait for the signal. Once we reach altitude, remove your shoes and follow me to the Float Zone,” Lark says, gesturing to