The Final Six (The Final Six #1) - Alexandra Monir Page 0,77

will be training together for your remaining days here, with General Sokolov taking the lead on most of your instruction.”

I exchange a look with Leo. I think we all know what this means. With the teams disbanded, it’s going to be every finalist against the others—and out for themselves.

After breakfast, General Sokolov leads the twelve of us to the Mission Floor for our first training session of the day. I fall into step with Leo, noticing the looks of steely determination on my fellow finalists’ faces as they pass me by.

“Are you feeling more competitive toward everyone else now, too?” I ask Leo. “Especially with Asher gone?”

He shakes his head slightly. “I wouldn’t say more. I mean, the competition has been stiff enough since the beginning.” He lowers his voice. “I still haven’t told you what happened during the bungee-jumping challenge, have I?”

“No. What?”

Leo glances around to make sure no one is listening before he continues. “Beckett tried to mess with my harness while we were in the air. He was—I think—trying to get me killed. It would have been the perfect accident, but the pickup plane showed up just in time.”

I stop in my tracks, feeling as though I’ve just been socked in the chest. “What? That actually happened, and you didn’t—didn’t tell anyone?”

“What was I supposed to say? ‘Hi, Dr. Takumi, I think my teammate tried to push me ten thousand feet to my death, but I have no proof and I’m still here, so no damage done’?” He gives me a wry look. “It would have seemed like I was just trying to get him in trouble. Remember that talk he gave us about sabotage?”

“Yeah—exactly what Beckett was trying to do to you,” I point out. My pulse quickens. “We could get him kicked out for this!”

Leo places his hand over mine, and I’m momentarily distracted by his touch.

“I want him gone more than anyone. But not like that,” he says. “Not by weakening myself . . . especially if I was wrong about what I saw. It’s not like he’s tried anything since.”

With a flash, I remember the way Beckett looked at Leo after his showstopping performance in the diving pool. “You weren’t wrong. I can feel it.”

But there’s no more time to talk, as we catch up to General Sokolov and the others, following them through the opening in the wall and onto the Mission Floor. The general stops before one of the space capsules.

“Today you’ll be performing a flight simulation that takes you through the Europa Mission’s spaceflight path in accelerated time. We’ll start with the initial launch into space on a trajectory to Mars orbit, where you’ll rendezvous with the Athena’s supply ship, followed by the gravity slingshot to Jupiter orbit. And of course, you’ll end with the lunar landing on Europa. As you know, while Cyb will be piloting the spacecraft, one of you will serve as copilot—and each of the Final Six will be needed at crucial points along the journey, especially when it comes to in-flight troubleshooting.”

I glance at Leo, and I can tell we’re both thinking the same thing: If only Asher had been here for this one.

“And that is the purpose of today’s simulation,” the general continues. “To prepare you for the journey, test our copilot candidates . . . and, most importantly, gauge your reactions when the unexpected occcurs and your mission and lives are at stake.

“You’ll be completing the sim in pairs, so go ahead and choose a partner. During the downtime while waiting your turn, each of you will be measured for Europa space suits.”

Leo nudges me. “Be my partner?”

I turn to him, feeling a sudden rush of gratitude that he is still here. “Of course.”

We don’t get any hints as to what’s unfolding in the simulations, but we can hear the screams clearly from outside. The first four pairs emerge from the space capsule looking a combination of dazed, nauseous, and exhilarated, which only ramps up my anticipation. What, exactly, is waiting for us in there?

Leo and I are the fifth pair up, and when our names are called, General Sokolov hands us each a virtual reality headset and ushers us inside the capsule. It looks identical to the mock cockpit we entered on our first training day, but with two key differences: the electronic sensors dotting the floor and blinking wires suspended from the ceiling.

“Take your acceleration seats and prepare for liftoff,” the general commands, before climbing out of the capsule to plug