Just like that.
Twenty-Six
NAOMI
THE WORLD STOPS WHEN I HEAR MY NAME. THE SOUNDS around me distort, the scene freezes, and I can’t hold myself up—
A guard grabs me by the shoulders, tearing me away from Leo. Leo. I take one look at his devastated face, and my heart crumbles. There’s no way I can leave him. This is all one giant mistake—it has to be.
The security guard pushes me up front with the other five, and I am forced to stand beside Beckett in front of the cameras. Beckett, who looks at me with a knowing smirk that makes my insides recoil.
The band bursts into “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” and the crowd breaks into a chant. “Na-o-mi! Be-ckett!” But it’s all happening in slow motion, and I can’t make any sense of the faces around me. They cheer right in the face of my agony.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Anytime I ever imagined being named one of the Final Six, I always pictured Leo beside me. And now, the thought of leaving this world and spending the rest of my life with the loathsome Beckett and four near strangers has me on the verge of hysteria.
General Sokolov joins Dr. Takumi at the microphone, and the two begin waxing on about the journey ahead of us and all that’s to come starting tomorrow—but I can’t listen. All I can do is try not to cry, to avoid Leo’s eyes.
It was heartbreaking enough when the draft meant leaving my family. Now, to be leaving my first and only love on top of it . . . is a whole new level of pain.
As the speeches draw to an end, the guards close in around us, ushering the Final Six, the faculty, and eliminated finalists out of the fray, back inside space camp. But instead of falling in line with the others, I break away and sprint to Dr. Takumi before he reaches the door, grabbing his arm with the force of my emotions.
“Excuse me?” He peers down his nose at me, shaking his arm loose.
“Why?” I burst out. “Why me, why Beckett—and not Leo?”
Dr. Takumi pauses, and then he gives me a cold smile. “You were an obvious choice. None of the others here can come close to your skill set and knowledge.”
The way he emphasizes the word makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“After seeing what you are capable of, it was clear,” he continues. “You are far more useful to us on Europa than on Earth.” Dr. Takumi lowers his voice, and something fearsome flashes in his eyes. “You didn’t really think you got away with everything, did you? The stunt you pulled in the robotics lab, what you did to Dot—of course I knew it was you. But it only proved you more indispensible to me and to the mission. After all . . . who else has shown themselves to be such a skilled tech specialist?”
I can’t speak as I stare up at him. His words have knocked the wind out of me. My mind struggles to comprehend the fact that he knows, that he was a step ahead of me this entire time. And now it’s all the more clear why I was given a coveted spot on the Final Six instead of being thrown in a jail cell. Because I have something they need.
I’m more beneficial to the mission as one of the guinea pigs sent to Europa than as an eliminated finalist running her mouth about what she discovered. Even from jail, my story could get out. But now, Dr. Takumi knows I won’t say a word. I can’t. I owe him for not turning me in to the government—and I have to play this perfectly if I’m going to keep the six of us safe.
My voice shakes as I shift the subject away from me. “Why not Leo? He beat Beckett in every underwater challenge. It makes no sense—”
“We couldn’t have both of you,” Dr. Takumi interrupts, with an impervious shrug. “On a mission as crucial as this, we can’t afford to have any of our astronauts distracted by romance. Beckett will provide a sufficient replacement for Leo’s underwater skills—and he has already proven himself to be an invaluable resource.”
Romance. And here I actually thought Leo and I were doing a decent job of keeping our relationship under wraps. Once again I was wrong, I miscalculated everything—and now I’m the reason Leo lost his spot.
Dr. Takumi saunters off, leaving me reeling from his words. I see him signal someone, jerking his neck in my direction, and then Lark appears. She wraps her arm around my shoulder, steering me inside, as I search the crowd for Leo.
“He’s already upstairs,” Lark says, following my gaze.
As soon as we’re through the doors, I feel a crack in my chest, a sob breaking loose. Lark folds her arms around me, letting down her tough exterior, as my tears fall.
“You’re going to be a hero, Naomi. You just might save us all,” she says gently. “If we live to see future generations of humans, it’ll be thanks to you—you and Beckett, Jian and Sydney, Dev and Minka. I promise, you’re making the most worthy sacrifice. I would do it myself if I could.”
I nod, but there is no dulling the ache in my heart as the faces of the four people I love most in the world flash in my mind.
Sam. Mom. Dad. Leo . . .
It’s hours before I get to see Leo again. While the eliminated finalists pack and prepare for tomorrow’s journey home in a haze of shock, the Final Six are ushered into a series of all-day briefings with the heads of the space agencies and the secretary-general of the United Nations. The others around me, even the previously hesitant Sydney, are brimming with excitement as we’re given the rundown of tomorrow’s rocket launch, an event expected to “blow the Apollo moon landings out of the water.” But my mind is miles away.
When we’re finally escorted back to our dorm rooms, long after dinner has come and gone, I find Lark on the staircase.
“Can you get a message to Leo for me?” I whisper, pleading to her with my eyes.
She nods, and I hand her the note I scrawled during one of the long briefing meetings. And then I hurry to my dorm room to wait.
Minutes later, he is at my door. Relief mixes with misery as I fly into his arms, wondering how I will ever live without this.
“I’m sorry—so sorry,” I sob as he holds me close, kissing me through my tears. “If I hadn’t—”
“Don’t apologize,” he whispers into my hair. And as I look up at him, I see tears in his eyes too.
“Stay with me tonight.” I lace my fingers in his. “All night. Lark will cover for us if anyone suspects you’re not in your room, but even if she doesn’t, I don’t care. Dr. Takumi can’t punish us any more than he already has.”
Leo nods, and lifts me into his arms. He lays me down on the bed, his lips moving over mine until I forget where we are, forget the good-bye tomorrow will bring. And then suddenly, he pulls away.
“What is it?” I ask, taken aback.
“On Europa, they’ll expect you to . . . to eventually have a partner, and procreate,” Leo says, his voice catching on the words. “I don’t know how to face it.”
“I won’t,” I promise. “I don’t care what they expect, I won’t do it. But . . . but I wouldn’t blame you if you end up with someone—someone on Earth.” Leo shakes his head no, and I press my finger to his lips. “That’s why . . . that’s why I need you to be my first. I need you—this—to hold on to, for the rest of my life.”
“Are you sure?” Leo whispers.
“More sure than I’ve ever been about anything.”
He lowers toward me, nestling his forehead against mine.
“Ti amo, Naomi.”
My heart swells at his words. It’s the moment I’ve dreamed of . . . but I never expected it to happen the night before we are forced to separate forever.
“Ti amo.” I tighten my arms around him, closing my eyes as I memorize the feel of his touch. “I love you, too.”
Twenty-Seven
LEO
I WAKE UP WITH HER SKIN AGAINST MINE, HER HAIR TICKLING my neck. It’s like a dream I didn’t dare hope for, and I smile at the sight of her sleeping face pressed against my shoulder.
And then I hear the rapping at the door.
“One hour till departure!” someone shouts as yesterday’s heartbreak comes slamming back
to the fore. I feel the blow in my chest, in my stomach, and I sit up, head in my hands. Naomi stirs as I move, and I reach for her hand.
“It’s—it’s time,” I say as she wakes, my voice coming out thick, unlike my own.
She sits up in panic. “I can’t say good-bye to you. I can’t.”
I take a deep breath, realizing I need to be strong for her. I’ll have plenty of time later, the rest of my life, to give in to my emotions. But not now. Not in front of her.
“You don’t have to say good-bye,” I say, tracing her collarbone with my finger. “I’ll send you video messages and emails every day, and maybe—maybe when Europa is ready for more settlers from Earth, I can be one of them. It’ll be a long time to wait, but I—I’ll wait for you.”
Naomi doesn’t answer, and I know why. I know what she’s thinking. What if they don’t even make it to Europa? What if the extraterrestrial life is intelligent enough to slaughter them as soon as they arrive? What if while she’s on the months-long journey through space, another natural disaster happens on Earth, and this time I don’t make it?
I know what she’s thinking, because these are the same questions playing on a never-ending loop in my own mind.
The six of us also-rans tail the Final Six in a motorcade to the Ellington Field, where we’ll be flown home immediately following their departure to the Europa launch site. Whatever hopes I had about staying in America have been swiftly nipped in the bud. As Dr. Takumi informed me yesterday, my time in the United States has come to a close. I have no choice but to go from one setting of heartbreak to another.
As our tram approaches the airfield, the crowds return in full force, waving flags and hoisting up signs bearing the names of the Final Six. It hurts to remember the last time I witnessed this patriotism and celebration . . . when I was still a part of it.
Our tram stops in front of the runway, where Air Force One waits to escort the Final Six. A searing fury runs through me at the thought of Beckett smirking alongside his uncle as he takes my place. It should be me on the jet, it should be me in the rocket launch beside Naomi. How could Dr. Takumi make such a huge mistake?
The security guards lead us to a roped-off section of the runway, away from the clamoring crowds, but not nearly close enough to the Final Six—to Naomi. I watch from afar as she stands with her new crewmates, Cyb, and the new backup robot, the eight of them lined up alongside Dr. Takumi, General Sokolov, and President Wolfe. All of them smile proudly, posing for what’s sure to be the most legendary photo in human history—all but Naomi. I watch as she searches the crowd, her expression panicked. I raise my hand in a forlorn wave, letting her know I’m here. And suddenly, she darts away from the others.
I hold my breath as she pushes her way toward me, ignoring the shocked murmurs of the crowd. And then she’s in my arms, her lips on mine, her tears against my cheeks.
“I love you so much,” I whisper.
Two guards break in, pulling her away from me—but not before before I slip my Danieli signet ring off my finger and slide it onto hers. She looks from me to the ring, her voice breaking as she says, “I love you, too.”
I am forced to watch as she climbs into the jet behind the others, leaving me forever. She presses her face to the window, gazing down at me. I blow her a final kiss. And as the plane soars up into the sky, I double over in pain.
Ana Martinez approaches me, patting my shoulder awkwardly.
“I know. This sucks. But it’ll be okay. . . . You’ll feel better once you’re home.” She looks up. “Our rides will be here any minute.”
I know Ana is trying to be nice, but her words only make me feel worse. I don’t have anyone or anything to go home to—only ghosts.
“To the eliminated six, we thank you for your service,” Dr. Takumi’s voice booms from the microphone. “You’ve been a pride to your countries, and you will be welcomed home with open arms.”
I glance around for Lark. Before I go, I want to say good-bye to the only other person here who really knew Naomi . . . who knew us. But I don’t see her anywhere. She’s not with the rest of the faculty, so—where is she?
But before I can ask anyone, the engine of the first return jet roars. We watch as it swoops down from the sky, bearing the French flag, and Henri gives the five of us a friendly salute.
“Au revoir, mes amis,” he calls before stepping into his homebound jet.
I brace myself, knowing my plane from Italy is likely to follow France. Sure enough, when the next jet circles, I can spot the green, white, and red of the Italian flag from high in the sky.
The plane skids to a stop on the runway, and the security guard pushes me forward. I turn around for one last look at Johnson Space Center, the place that changed my life, that brought me painfully close to my dreams—and then I force myself to move forward.
I sense something is wrong as soon as I step into the plane. This isn’t the same basic military jet I flew in on—it only looks identical from the outside. This one is surprisingly spacious inside, filled with plush furniture and an array of computer screens, consoles, and blinking sensors. What’s more, no one is here to greet me—not Dr. Schroder or anyone else from ESA, not even a flight attendant.
My eyes catch on one of the computer screens. I blink and lean in for a second look, to make sure my eyes aren’t deceiving me. But there it is on the screen, the Space Conspirator home page—the same website whose theories Naomi talked so much about. And right there, in the top corner, is the telltale text: LOGGED IN: ADMINISTRATOR.
What the hell? How did I end up on this plane?
“Hello?” I call out, stumbling as the jet lifts off. “What is this? What’s going on?”
“Thank you, Lark,” I hear an unfamiliar female voice say. “He’s here.”
And then a silver-haired woman steps out of the cockpit—the same woman from the photo on Naomi’s desk.
“Greta Wagner?” I whisper.
She hangs up the phone and flashes me a smile.
“Hello, Leonardo. Have a seat. We have much to discuss.”
Twenty-Eight
NAOMI
MY CREWMATES ARE WILD WITH EXCITEMENT AS AIR FORCE One descends toward the Gulf of Mexico, where we will launch from sea to space. They whoop and cheer; they pose for selfies with the president and ask the Europa Mission flight director traveling with us a million and one questions. But not me. I spend the first half of the flight with my eyes closed, my head bent against my knees, trying to block out the noise and pretend none of this is happening. But now I look up, staring at Beckett Wolfe in hushed conversation with his uncle as my thoughts swirl together. I watch as President Wolfe murmurs something in Beckett’s ear and Beckett nods, a strange expression crossing his face. And then the president rises to his feet, moving toward his private cabin at the front of the plane, while Beckett crosses the aisle back to his seat opposite me. He catches me staring.
“What are you looking at?” he scoffs.
“You told Dr. Takumi what you saw that night, didn’t you?” I say slowly, as the pieces fall into place. “You told him a lot of things. That’s what he meant when he said you proved yourself invaluable. You took Leo’s spot by being a spy.”
Beckett laughs, but it’s a false, hollow sound. And as I meet his gaze, I know my hunch is right.
“You’ll pay for it.”
His eyes narrow into slits.
“Oh, really? Are you actually dumb enough to threaten me, right here on my uncle’s plane?”
“Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not afraid of your uncle,” I retort.
He leans forward, his hot breath on my cheek.
“You should be. Dr. Takumi put me in charge.”
“What?” I can’t have heard that right.
“It’s true. He told me and my family today.” Beckett wraps his hands behind his head, a smug look on his face. And then his smile distorts into a sneer. “So don’t even think about threatening me again. As soon as we reach space, you’ll be answerin
g to me.”
For once in my life, I am without a comeback.
Air Force One touches down to a massive crowd at South Texas Spaceport, a swarm of bodies large enough to swallow the throng we just left in Houston. I can see the SpaceInc Jupiter rocket waiting on the launchpad above the Gulf of Mexico, its thousands of tons gleaming in the sunlight while its vapor rises in preparation for liftoff. As I stare at the rocket, it seems impossible that we’ll soon be strapped inside. This is insane.
Moments after the wheels hit the ground, we are ushered from Air Force One into the astronaut crew quarters, a hangar near the runway, where a flurry of NASA officials help us into our blue space suits built for liftoff and landing. But I’m barely conscious of the action around me, my legs aching to run to where I know my family waits.
Finally, once we’re suited up, the flight director and security guards escort us to the VIP area, reserved for President Wolfe and the Final Six families. I whip my head around wildly, searching for them, until I hear—
“Naomi!”
Sam’s voice shouts above the din. I break into a sprint, tears blurring my vision as I run toward my family. I don’t care that two guards are right behind me, that the whole world is watching our reunion turned good-bye—all I see are my brother, my parents. They hold out their arms to me, and I fly straight into them, the four of us colliding in a tangle of hugs, kisses, and tears.
“I’m sorry,” I cry onto Sam’s shoulder. “I was supposed to come back for you. It was supposed to be us against the world, for life, and now—”
Sam interrupts, holding me by the shoulders. “It is us against the world, Sis. You’re going out to find us a better one.” His voice cracks with emotion, but he forces a smile. “I told you before, you were born for this. And I’ll be okay.”
“We are so proud of you, azizam.” Dad wraps me in a tight hug, and tears spill from his eyes as he touches my space suit. “We’ll talk every day, okay? Email, video-chatting, whatever you can do—we’ll be there.”