The Final Six (The Final Six #1) - Alexandra Monir Page 0,60

worry as I study her, wondering how far she’ll go. It’s tempting to get swept up in the intrigue of her theory—but I’m the one with something to lose.

“Listen, I . . . I won’t stand in your way, and I’m here if you need me. But you have to know that I still want this—still need to be one of the Final Six. I know that might seem crazy to you after all you just told me, but what you’re saying is still speculation. None of us can know for sure what Suki meant, or what really happened to her and Callum. But what I do know for sure is that Europa is the only future I have.” I crack a smile. “Plus, if anything, your hypothesis just made it that much more interesting. Who wouldn’t want to see aliens up close? I mean, if you didn’t have a family waiting for you at home . . . wouldn’t you want to go?”

Naomi looks at me for a long moment.

“I get it. I won’t blow your chance at this, Leo. But I will try to keep you safe—and that means continuing to dig for the truth. I’ll just be . . . careful.”

Be careful. The memory returns to me in a flash, of someone else’s voice saying the same words. My skin prickles as Elena’s warning from before I left comes rushing back to me. They see you as some kind of weapon.

Is it possible . . . that what Elena overheard that night at the Palazzo has something to do with Naomi’s theory? Should I say something?

But the thought of being forced to return to the emptiness of my old life is worse than any unconfirmed danger on Europa. I keep my mouth shut.

The next day’s training finds us back in the Vomit Comet for the first time since our weightless flight. This time, General Sokolov joins us on the Zero-G plane along with Lark, and as we step inside, I see a stack of body harnesses lined up on one of the front-row seats. A long, sturdy rope that wasn’t there before is now attached to the door of the plane, running the length of the aircraft.

“Please tell me we’re not using those,” Naomi says, staring at the body harnesses.

“All right, finalists!” General Sokolov claps her hands together. “Who here knows what will be required of the Final Six when they dock with the supply ship in Mars orbit and prepare for a gravity slingshot to Europa?”

Asher raises his hand.

“While Cyb and the copilot fly the Pontus, two people will need to perform a spacewalk outside—first to patch the fuel leak on the supply ship and run diagnostics, and then to supervise and guide the docking mechanism.”

“Correct,” General Sokolov says. “So for any of you who may have a fear of heights, now is the time to overcome it. When you’re spacewalking in Mars orbit, you will be higher up in the universe than your mind can grasp—and you cannot, must not, lose your cool. EVA Height Vertigo can pose a real problem for astronauts, and our goal today is to combat this.” She pauses, watching our reactions. “The virtual reality sim helped us get there mentally, but now, in order to physically replicate the sensation of floating among the stars while performing a spacewalk—we’ll be bungee jumping off of this plane at ten thousand feet, and landing on another.”

I hear Naomi gulp beside me, and I’m tempted to squeeze her hand or wrap my arm around her. But I hold myself back.

“You will be tandem jumping, and paired according to your weight. Meanwhile, the harness and rope you’re using today will perform a similar function to the tether you’ll be using in space.”

The general consults her tablet, and the thumping in my chest speeds up.

“The skydiving pairs are Naomi and Katerina, Asher and me, and Leo and Beckett.”

My stomach drops. I should have known it would be him and me.

As the plane’s wheels drive forward and we lift off, my adrenaline thankfully takes over. I sit next to Naomi, my body thrumming with anticipation, as the general prepares us for what’s to come. She and Asher will be going first, and I watch as Lark helps fasten them into their full-body harnesses, then straps them together. The plane slows to a hover, and as Lark presses a button, the cabin door blows open.

“Oh, God.” Naomi grips the armrest with white knuckles, and this time, I don’t