Reality Check

(The Empire’s Corps VII)

Series Listing

Book One: The Empire’s Corps
Book Two: No Worse Enemy
Book Three: When The Bough Breaks
Book Four: Semper Fi
Book Five: The Outcast
Book Six: To The Shores
Book Seven: Reality Check

Christopher G. Nuttall

http://www.chrishanger.net
http://chrishanger.wordpress.com/
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All Comments Welcome!

Cover Blurb

None of them wanted to leave Earth.  It might have been nightmarish, but it was all they knew.

Gary wanted to concentrate on his exams, in hopes of leaving the CityBlock and its bullies far behind.  Kailee wanted to become an actress.  Darrin merely wanted to live.  But when the three teenagers win a competition, they find themselves taking the trip of a lifetime, a voyage to a colony world where they can see how the colonists live.

Meridian is very different from the dark and dismal cityblocks, a place where they can make a new beginning.  But it also houses dangers, dangers that their education on Earth didn't even begin to prepare them to face, dangers governed by the cold equations of survival.  

And when disaster strikes, they find themselves forced to fight for their lives – or die, alone and unloved, thousands of light years from home.

[As always, my ebooks are DRM-free.  You can do anything you like with them that you can do with a normal paperback book.  Download a large sample from my website (www.chrishanger.net)  before you buy.]

Author’s Note

As an odd-numbered book in the series, Reality Check is stand-alone.  I believe that you should be able to read it without reference to the earlier books in the series.  However, if you wish to read about the Fall of Earth, you may refer to When The Bough Breaks, Book III in the series.  The next mainstream book, Retreat Hell, should come along within 2-3 months of Reality Check.

Chronologically speaking, Reality Check takes place at the same time as The Empire’s Corps.

If you enjoyed this book, please review on Amazon and consider joining either my mailing list or facebook page (or both).  I post regular updates on my facebook, along with free snippets, political commentary and other stuff.  (And the more followers I have, the more impressive it seems to potential publishers.)

As always, if you spot any spelling errors and suchlike, drop me a note.  I offer cameos!  Please let me know about any problems in context, however.  Kindle locations aren't always helpful, sadly.

Thank you for your attention.

Christopher G. Nuttall

Disclaimer

I am not a survival expert.  Some of the actions taken by the characters in this book can be dangerous if not done properly.  If you want proper advice, please consult a survival manual or ask someone with genuine experience.

CGN.

Chapter One

It may seem absurd or unnecessary to point out that the core purpose of education is education, teaching children what they need to know.  Indeed, there are people who would argue with that definition, or point out that education rarely ends when a child becomes an adult.  But it is largely true.
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

“Settle down,” Miss Simpson said.  “Please, settle down.”

Darrin Pearson rolled his eyes as he moved towards his seat, neither fast enough to mark him as one of the nerds who actually liked learning nor slow enough to pose as one of the thugs who preferred being rough and violent to actually being in school.  Coming to think of it, he was definitely closer to the latter than the former, but he actually enjoyed playing sports and the schoolyard was the only place they were allowed to play without being harassed by the Civil Guard.

He took his seat and pretended to study the blank screen.  Miss Simpson was younger than the last teacher Form 11B had had, a man who had left three months after he had arrived.  Rumour had it that he’d been caught in the closet with a schoolgirl, but Darrin suspected that he’d actually been defeated by the teenage boys and girls he’d been supposed to teach.  Few teachers actually lasted longer than a year, if they were lucky.  He’d seen pranks where teachers and students had been badly injured, even killed.

Miss Simpson was young, too young.  With her long brown hair, tight top and pale face she looked barely older than the kids she was meant to teach, which made it impossible for her to maintain discipline.  Not that age or even physical bulk mattered, Darrin knew; a teacher who laid a hand on a student, or even raised his or her voice too high, would be off to the nearest penal world as soon as an official complaint could be filed.  It hadn't taken him – or most of the other children – long to realise that there was little the teachers could actually do to them.  The only children they could threaten with meaningful consequences were the ones least likely to cause trouble.

He caught Judy’s eye as she sat at the next desk and winked at her.  She smiled back at him, rather nervously.  The last time they’d gone to a party together, they’d wound up having sex in a private room ... and, since then, they’d barely talked.  Darrin had merely noted her as another conquest and suspected that she felt the same way too.  It wasn't as if there was room for real love in his life, no matter how the girls might swoon at bad romantic flicks.  No one in the Cityblocks had time for real romance.

“Please, sit down,” Miss Simpson pleaded.  “The test will begin shortly.”

Darrin snorted to himself.  There were one hundred and fifty children in the classroom – few of them were allowed to skive off, not when their parents were paid by the government for sending their children to school – and there was no way that even the most effective teacher could pay attention to all of them.  He glanced around and saw a dozen conversations taking place, even when the teacher stared at them desperately.

Judy leaned across to whisper to him.  Darrin stared in admiration as he saw her breasts pressed against her tight shirt.  She hadn't bothered with a bra, he saw, and the memory of touching those breasts in a loveless night of passion sent heat surging through his groin.  He could reach out and touch them, he knew ... 

“This test,” Judy hissed.  “Do you think it is actually important?”

Darrin shrugged.  They were tested every three days, as far as he could tell; the tests ranged from important to completely pointless.  If the test was important, the teachers would have worked over the previous two days to teach them how to pass the test; Miss Simpson hadn't, so logically the test was unimportant.  It was just another wasted day in a whole series of wasted days.  He couldn't wait for his next birthday.

One more year and I will be out of here, he thought.  The nerds and geeks might stay in the system until they were twenty-one, but Darrin had no intention of remaining in school one second longer than he had to.  At seventeen, he could leave school and have all that time to himself.  One more year ...

“I don’t think so,” he said, out loud.  Behind him, a sudden fracas broke out between two boys, neither of which seemed to care about Miss Simpson’s tearful pleas.  “They didn't tell us much about it in advance.”

Judy let out a sigh of relief.  “Glad to hear it,” she said.  “I don’t want to be grounded again.”

Darrin smiled as she sat back and stretched, a movement that automatically drew his attention to her breasts.  Judy’s parents were odd; they believed that their daughter should actually try her hardest in school and grounded her if she didn't perform to their standards.  In her place, Darrin would have filed a motion for emancipation from his parents; he didn't need that sort of pressure in his life, not when he was trying to drift through life with as little effort as possible.  But Judy seemed to actually like her parents.  Darrin couldn't have said that about his stepfather.  The bastard had made it clear that he would be kicked out of the family apartment when he turned seventeen.

He briefly considered asking her out again, but he’d already had her one way and he didn't want her as a girlfriend.  It wasn't something people did, not at his age.  The folk in the CityBlock might not care about casual sex, but they would talk if they formed a proper relationship.  Not that they wouldn't talk anyway – if there was one lesson Darrin had learned, it was that everyone lied about sex – yet it would bother him.  Having a girlfriend was the first step towards having a wife ... and the dreary mundane life endured by the older residents of the CityBlock.

“The test will now begin,” Miss Simpson said.  “This test is crucial to your future, so please answer each question carefully.  Very carefully.”

Darrin smiled to himself as the screen in front of him lit up, showing the name of the school - Rowdy Yates Centre of Educational Excellence Forty-Two – and the logo of the company that had designed the test.  He’d heard that schoolchildren stalked the halls of the Cityblocks looking for the test companies, intending to vandalise their premises, but none had actually found them.  Rumour suggested that the teachers themselves actually came up with the tests, a rumour Darrin personally doubted.  Very few teachers he’d met actually wanted to make their lives harder.

“There will be an important announcement at the end of the class,” Miss Simpson said, desperately.  “Please, take your seats and prepare for the test.”

The class settled down, just long enough for the first question to appear on the screen.  Miss Simpson flinched at the groan that ran through the room, then sat down at her desk.  Darrin smirked to himself at her defeated expression, then looked at the question.  It looked impossibly difficult, as always.

Person A gets into his aircar and travels at a speed of 30mph.  Person B gets into his aircar and travels at a speed of 60mph.  They pass each other after 10 minutes.  How far apart were they when they started?

Darrin gritted his teeth.  Below the question itself, there were a set of possible answers.  He skimmed them quickly, then took a guess, stabbing his finger at the first solution.  The screen changed, revealing the second question, which demanded to know why the solution was the correct one.  Darrin rubbed his forehead as he examined the handful of possible answers, feeling his head starting to pound.  Why did they expect him to answer such questions?

Desperately, he picked another answer at random and then moved on to the third question.

***
Gary Seaman felt sweat trickling down his back as he kept his eyes on the screen, carefully not glancing either left or right.  To the right, there was Moe; to the left, there was Barry ... both of them obnoxious bastards who delighted in tormenting the weak and powerless.  Gary knew himself to be smarter than both of the assholes put together, but somehow that wasn't enough to keep them from picking on him.  And he already knew from bitter experience that complaining about it to the teachers didn't help.  Barry and Moe were so strong and fearsome that even the teachers were scared of them.

The coldly logical part of his mind suggested that the teachers were right to be scared.  He knew that teachers had been injured or killed by their pupils before.  And yet it still gnawed at him that they would permit some of their charges to harm or even kill their other charges.  

One more year, he told himself, as the first question appeared on the screen.  He’d worked hard to build up his grades, working towards the moment when he could get into Imperial University and leave the CityBlock far behind.  One more year and I can get out of this death trap.

His family had been CityBlock residents for centuries, according to his father.  They'd moved in somewhere in the dim mists of prehistory, then stayed there ... but Gary intended to be the first to leave.  He had the brains, he had the grades; all he had to do was stay alive long enough to make his escape.  Besides, it wasn't as if there was anything tying him to the block that might induce him to stay.  He had no friends, not when anyone who talked to him might be picked on by the bastards.  And he certainly had no girlfriend.  He was a virgin and, in a class where almost everyone had lost their virginity already, it rankled.

He looked down at the question.  It was surprisingly simple for their age, which confirmed his suspicion that the test wasn't actually important.  God alone knew what the tests were actually intended to measure, but the students were barely allowed any time for self-improvement.

Person A travels three miles in ten minutes, he thought.  It was logical; Person A would travel thirty miles in one hour, so he would travel ...

No, that was wrong.  Person A would travel five miles in ten minutes; Person B would travel ten miles in the same space of time.  Logically, therefore, they were fifteen miles apart.  But that assumed that they were travelling directly towards one another, or that there was nothing in the way.  He knew better than to assume that the simple answer, no matter how logical, was the correct one.  There were times when he’d seen the marking sheets give the wrong answer to questions, as if no one bothered to check them before they were sent to the schools.  

He reread the question, looking for hidden surprises, then skimmed through the list of possible answers.  There was one marked fifteen.  He pushed down on it and jumped to the next question, which demanded to know why that was the correct answer.  Again, there were five possible answers, so he picked the one closest to his line of thought and then moved on to the next question.  It was something completely different, nothing to do with maths at all.

Snorting inwardly, he answered the question as best as he could.  It was important, desperately so, for him to keep his grades up.  The person who graduated with the highest ranking would win a scholarship to Imperial University, he knew, and that person had to be him.  His family wouldn't make any investment in his future, certainly when they didn't think he had a future.  But then ... he looked over at Barry and shuddered.  The over-muscled buffoon – the nasty part of Gary’s mind wondered if his ugly appearance was due to incest – was perfectly suited to live in the Undercity.  Gary had other ambitions.

Barry looked up and leered at him.  Gary shuddered at the expression, knowing that he would have to run when class ended or face yet another beating.  At first, they'd demanded money, but after Gary’s father had stopped giving him pocket money they’d just settled for beating him up at every opportunity.  And there was nowhere he could be safe, after all.  They were forbidden to leave the schoolyard during the day – the electronic wristband he wore would alert the teachers if he left – and there was nowhere he could hide.  

Just one more year, he told himself.  And then I can be gone.

***
Kailee Singh didn't bother to try to answer any of the questions on the screen.  She could barely read, let alone write; for her, sounding out a single question would take more time than she had to complete the entire test.  Instead, she studied her appearance in the screen and smiled to herself.  She looked perfect.  Long black hair framed a pert face and fell down to her shirt, which exposed just enough cleavage to make the boys stare.  Good enough, she told herself, to pass through the early auditions to become an actress.  Good enough, she prayed, to get her out of the CityBlock once and for all.

She knew that staying in the Cityblocks was effectively a death sentence.  If she were lucky, she might marry and start pumping out children, just like many of her peers.  God knew that a third of the girls in the class had had kids of their own – and that there were girls in the CityBlock who were grandmothers at thirty.  And if she wasn't lucky, she would wind up raped and murdered, her corpse abandoned in a dumpster and left to rot.  Or married to someone who beat her on a regular basis.  Her father wasn't a bad guy, as fathers went, but she knew that he had hit her stepmother more than once.  She didn't want to wind up in the same boat.

Miss Simpson might have been admirable, under other circumstances.  But Kailee could see the predatory glances from some of the boys and knew just what they were thinking.  A young teacher – a young sexy teacher – who knew just how far they could go?  And, if the poor bitch dared to complain, Kailee knew that her attackers could simply claim that she led them on.  A teacher was always presumed guilty, particularly when challenged by her students.  

Kailee allowed herself to slip into a daydream of life as an actress.  She knew it would be hard, but it would also be something worthwhile.  The very best actresses earned millions of credits in a year; by the time she retired, she would have enough money to ensure that she never had to go back to the CityBlock.  A home in an upmarket part of Earth, maybe even one of the luxury orbital apartments she’d seen so often on the entertainment flicks ... who knew how far she could go?

“Wake up,” Dawn muttered to her.  “The test’s over.”

Kailee made a face, but sat upright.  Dawn was the closest thing she had to a friend, although she kept trying to convince Kailee to come out with her and Judy.  Kailee, who had no intention of allowing anything to damage her looks, generally refused to go anywhere unless it was in a large group.  But she didn't really trust her friend’s boyfriend and his friends either ...

“There is a competition coming up,” Miss Simpson said.  “It has been decided that a handful of students from Earth will be sent to a colony world to see how the colonials live their lives.  You are all invited to submit an essay of five hundred words explaining why you would like to go to the colony world; the best-written pieces of work will be rewarded with a free trip.”

There was a brief buzz of excitement as the news sank in.  Kailee rolled her eyes at Miss Simpson’s expression.  For the first time in her life, she had the undivided attention of almost the entire class.  But Kailee found it hard to care.  Everyone knew that the colonies were poor worlds, populated by criminals and those who couldn't get a job on Earth; she certainly had no intention of submitting an essay.  And besides, given that there were over ten thousand pupils in the school, who was going to read them all?

“Class dismissed,” Miss Simpson said.  “I ...”

Her next words were drowned out as half of the class fled.  Kailee saw Gary running for his life, with his two tormentors walking after him in a calculated manner they’d learned from countless bad entertainment flicks.  Gary wasn't bad-looking, she knew – his short brown hair gave him a kind look - and he was nicer than most of the boys in the class, but he couldn't have hoped to protect her.  Pity, really.

But given the way he stared when she was near him, perhaps it was for the best.

The girls waited until they were all ready, then left the room and towards the canteen as a body.  Kailee glanced back, just in time to see Miss Simpson slump into the chair and cover her eyes with her hands.  She felt a moment of sympathy, which was washed away in a flood of cynicism.  Miss Simpson would have been through the same school system as Kailee and the others, hadn't she?  What had she been thinking when she'd applied to become a teacher?

Maybe she thought it could be better if she was in charge, Kailee thought.  And she was wrong.

She scowled, bitterly.  As always, she felt hopelessly vulnerable while at school ...

Because she knew that, whoever was in charge, it wasn't the teachers.  

Chapter Two

The secondary purpose of education is to imbue the child with the values, ideals and social mores of the surrounding society.  No man (or child) is an island; sooner or later the child will have to leave the family home and interact with outsiders.  When he or she does so, education provides the training to navigate such a potentially hostile minefield successfully.  
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

Another fucking essay, Gary thought, as he stepped into the canteen.  Another goddamned fucking essay.

Swearing in his head didn't do much for his feelings.  He had too much work to do already, starting with the standard coursework and moving on to the extra credit materials he did in a desperate attempt to boost his grades.  Thankfully, the essay didn't seem too complicated ... but there was a nasty sting in the tale.  The sensible answer might not be the one they were looking for.

He considered, briefly, just refusing to enter the competition.  Most of his fellow pupils would do just that, he was sure.  Few of them had the determination or the drive to leave the cityblocks where their parents and grandparents had lived out their lives; they knew, as clearly as Gary himself, that it was possible to live without good grades.    After all, there were no real consequences for bad grades, unless it was remaining in the towering cityblocks.  But if one wanted to leave, one had to have near-perfect grades.  Gary didn't dare get a black mark on his record, not now.  And not entering the competition might well earn him a markdown from whoever was in charge of collecting the essays.

There was no sign of Moe or Barry as he joined the line of students waiting to be served their food.  Gary let out a sigh of relief, although he knew that the two bullies were probably on their way.  It was forbidden to bring food in from outside the school and parents could be fined if their children were caught with non-school food, something that was surprisingly effective in keeping it out of the compound.  Gary could only wonder why the authorities didn't use similar methods to keep the worst pupils under control.  After all, some of them picked on tutors and teachers as well as their fellow students.

He took a plate of food and eyed it doubtfully.  It was little more than a plate of algae-based stew, which they had been told provided everything that a growing child needed to stay healthy.  After twelve years in the school system, Gary knew that it was almost completely tasteless, even though it would have been easy to add a flavour to the gruel.  He'd once tried to find out why the food was never flavoured, only to draw a complete blank.  The only answer he could think of that made sense was that there was no money in flavouring school food.  If the people in charge – whoever they were – thought nothing of allowing bullying to run rampant through the school, they probably didn't care about making the food tasty as well as healthy.

If it is healthy, he thought, as he took a bite.  It was lukewarm and felt unpleasant against his tongue, so he washed it down with water.  He remembered all too clearly the first time he had been introduced to school food.  Swallowing it as a boy of four had been a thoroughly unpleasant experience.  I wouldn't put money on it.

He placed his reader on the table beside him and started to think, hoping to distract himself from the tasteless food.  The essay would have to be completed as soon as possible, perhaps in the afterschool classes that were compulsory for all students.  But what answer were they actually looking for?  The truth – that he didn't want to go to a colony world, even for a few short months – wouldn't go down well with whoever was marking the essays.  But what answer did they actually want?

Why would they want me to go to a colony world?  The question buzzed through his head, he turned it around and around.  They’d want me to show the locals how to live.

It seemed a plausible answer, he decided.  They hadn't been told much about the colony worlds, but what they had been told wasn't very encouraging.  The colonies were founded by settlers from Earth, yet they lacked the true civilisation that made Earth such a wonderful place to live.  Gary, who knew perfectly well that Earth was not a decent place to live, found it hard to imagine anywhere worse.  And yet the images they’d been shown had told them of men scrabbling to pull foodstuffs out of the soil and women desperately trying to survive the pangs of childbirth.  Earth’s vast social security network was simply not present on the colonies.

Carefully, he shaped the answer in his mind.  He would like to go so that he could show the value of living on Earth.  It was toadying, he knew, but there were quite a few teachers and professors who appreciated it when the student recited official dogma back at them.  He made a mental note to look up the textbooks on the colonies, then add quotes to suggest how Earth’s solutions would fit the colonies and solve all of their problems.  It would be completely absurd, he suspected, but that wouldn't matter.  If there was one thing he had learned after years of schooling, it was that the right answer was the answer they wanted, not the one that made the most sense.

The only danger, he decided, as he stood up and carried his tray over to the waste disposal tube, was that he might actually win the competition.  But it seemed unlikely.  Assuming that only ten students could go – and Miss Simpson hadn't been precise about the exact number – and only a third of the school entered the competition, there would still be hundreds of thousands of possible winners.  The odds of not going were in his favour.  Somehow, he doubted that the teachers would actually read the essays and mark them, not when the poor bastards barely had the time to handle their classes.  They used the readers and examination machines to save time ...

Shaking his head, he walked out of the canteen and down towards the history classroom.  If he were lucky, he would be able to get inside and wait for the teacher there.  Neither Barry nor Moe were likely to go to the classroom a moment before they absolutely had to go, not when their parents would probably be fined too.  Gary had occasionally wondered why the teachers simply didn't let them skive off from school – everyone would win – but it wasn't the teachers who monitored the students.  That was the job of yet another department.

He slipped inside the classroom and sat down, pulling his reader out of his pocket.  All he could do now was wait – and, perhaps, start working on the essay.

***
 “A trip to the colonies,” Sally proclaimed, as the girls picked at their food.  “Can you imagine it?”

Kailee could.  A week or two away from civilisation, away from sophisticated medical treatments that helped keep her face flawless and her body slim.  None of the images she’d seen of the colony worlds had suggested that they were good places to live, although they’d all shared a giggle at the sight of topless men in the fields, bringing in the crops.  She took another bite of her food, then pushed the rest of the tray towards one of her friends.  She’d be hungry for the rest of the day, but it was better than overeating.  Dangerously slim was in at the moment and she didn't dare put on weight.

“Just enter a blank piece of paper,” Joanne suggested.  “They never bother to read these essays anyway.”

“But then they wouldn't know who deserved to win,” Sally objected, with mock horror.  “Imagine going out there and breaking a nail.”

Kailee tuned them out and started to daydream about her future career.  One more year of schooling, then she could start applying to talent scouts and casting agencies.  She knew, without false modesty, that she was beautiful, very much like the current crop of celebrities who dominated the entertainment channels.  All she would have to do was impress the scouts and she would be on her way.  It was a shame that they weren't allowed to act in school, but the one time she'd asked about putting on a school play she'd been told that they were elitist and threatened with having her grades marked down when she'd asked why.  After that, she’d given up and practiced her acting at home.

She could easily see herself in a dozen different roles.  Stellar Star, Queen of the Spaceways; there were over a hundred entertainment flicks based around those stories, starring twenty different actresses in the lead role.  Or galactic super-spy Jonny Barracuda ... maybe she couldn't take the lead role in that franchise, but she could play the incredibly hot female agent who was assigned to him whenever he landed on a new world.  She’d be reluctant to take part in a soap opera – she had always found them boring – yet one of them might launch her career into high orbit.  Or ...

The daydreaming kept her occupied as the girls finished their meals and dumped the remainder in the disposal tubes.  At first, they’d been lectured on not wasting food, even though they had struggled to finish their meals.   Later, they’d discovered that there were no real consequences for throwing away half their trays and just carried on – or given the food to the handful of students who actually liked it.  In theory, that too was forbidden, but the teachers tended to turn a blind eye.  Whenever Kailee bothered to think about it, the dull illogic of the school puzzled her.  But she had long since chosen her own course, one taking her well away from her CityBlock.

She walked with the other girls down towards the history classroom, keeping one eye out for trouble.  It just wasn't safe, even in what was meant to be a supervised environment.  She still recalled the shock of a gang of boys invading the girls toilet, four years ago.  The immature little brats had run in, catcalled at the girls and then fled before anyone could catch them, although she knew that they would probably have escaped punishment.  If pupils could get away with harming their teachers, they could get away with being creepy and invading toilets.

Inside, they sat down and chatted about nothing.  Kailee tuned them out effortlessly and went back to daydreaming.  It was so much better than reality.

***
Darrin hadn't bothered to give the question of why he would want to go to the colonies much thought.  The truth was that he couldn't decide if he actually wanted to go or not.  Part of him thought that it would be an adventure, just like those he saw on the entertainment channels, but the rest of him suspected that the teachers would find a way to suck all the interesting parts out and leave them with dry dust and boredom.  It was astonishing just how subjects that might have been interesting had been drained of life by the schools.

“Class, be seated,” Mr. Rogers said.  “We shall resume our study of the Unification Treaties that ended the wars.”

He went on without waiting for the class to quiet down.  “In 80EE, the third set of treaties were signed between the Empire and various interested parties.  Those treaties ensured that the Empire would remain unchallenged in the sectors surrounding Sol and laid the groundwork for the assimilation of those parties into the Empire ...”

Darrin rolled his eyes.  The Unification Treaties – and the importance of Unification – were probably important, but he knew almost nothing about them.  Who had been fighting the Empire – and why had they been fighting?  The lectures were vague, almost completely imprecise, until he could regurgitate facts without having any idea of their context.   And when he'd asked about the Unification Wars, as a young child, he'd been sent to a counsellor for an examination.  The wars were largely a forbidden subject, barely touched about and almost always in passing.

He would have liked to know the truth behind the entertainment videos.  There was no shortage of war movies freely available on the planetary datanet.  But the schools refused to talk about the whole issue, leaving him bored out of his mind.  Who gave a damn about the treaties anyway?  Surely the wars before them were much more exciting.

“These treaties were important because they established a framework of law that they used to build the Empire,” Mr. Rogers continued.  “For the first time in thousands of years, there was a unified code of law.  This was important because previously there were many different codes of law; what was permitted on one planet might be forbidden on others.  This led to problems when someone committed, all unknowing, a crime that caused a diplomatic incident.  Now, those problems were eliminated at the stroke of a pen.”

Darrin snorted to himself.  The boredom was threatening to overwhelm him.  He glanced around and saw that several students were taking advantage of the class to catch up on their sleep, placing their heads on the desk and closing their eyes.  Judy was sitting with the other girls, sadly; Darrin tried to catch her eye, but she either missed his glance or ignored it completely.   He briefly considered trying to get some sleep himself, before deciding that he needed some other entertainment.  Carefully leaning forward, he kicked the back of Gary’s chair.  The nerd let out a surprisingly loud yelp.

“Yes, Mr. Seaman?”  Mr. Rogers asked.  “Is there a problem?”

The back of Gary’s neck turned red as the class tittered.  Darrin smiled; it was just the nerd’s rotten luck that he had a name that could be turned into an object of easy mockery.  But if he would only stand up for himself once or twice ... not that he could.  Gary wasn't strong or tough or determined to hurt his enemies even if he were to be hurt worse.  He was just a wimp and the cityblocks had no place for wimps.

“No, sir,” Gary said.  He shuffled forwards, although with the chairs bolted to the floor it was impossible to move out of Darrin’s reach.  “No problem.”

Darrin saw Barry and Moe smirking and grinned to himself, then sobered.  If there was one lesson that everyone learned quickly in the cityblocks, it was that you had to look after yourself or submit yourself to someone else who would look after you.  It was why Darrin’s mother had married his stepfather, trading the occasional beating from him for safety from everyone else.  The man was a sadist – Darrin wanted to kill him one day – but he did manage to protect his wife from everyone else.  Gary ... had no such protection, nor did he have any friends who might help him defend himself.

“Glad to hear it,” Mr. Rogers said.  He exercised his sarcasm on the students who didn't have the nerve to fight back, either directly or indirectly.  “Please be quiet while we resume our study of history.”

He clasped his hands behind his back as he addressed the class.  “These treaties also gave the Empire the legitimacy to unify the remaining inhabited worlds, even if their inhabitants objected to becoming part of the Empire.  In addition, vast numbers of people who wished their own colony worlds were shipped to new places where they could live, subject only to the Empire.  The First Emperor ...”

Darrin rolled his eyes as the teacher droned on.  He’d actually read several biographies of the First Emperor after watching an entertainment flick about his life, but it hadn’t taken him long to realise that each biography had contradicted the others.  The man’s life was more myth than reality, with some books claiming that he had been born on Earth and others that he was a superior being who had descended from the heavens to rule the human race.  If he had so much as stubbed his toe, it hadn't made it into any of the biographies.  Maybe Darrin was just cynical, but he couldn't help wondering if the First Emperor had really existed.  How did they know he’d lived?

“For homework,” Mr. Rogers concluded, “you will write an outline of the basic treaties and submit it at the end of the week, then log into the school datanet and answer the questions on the test.  Class dismissed.”

Darrin rose to his feet, hastily.  He hadn't been paying attention, but Mr. Rogers was one of the teachers who rarely bothered to collect homework; if it wasn't handed in, he just didn't care.  Nerds like Gary would hand it in, he was sure, but nothing seemed to happen to the children who didn't give a shit.  Besides, there were more important matters than homework, particularly history homework.  His name was down for playing basketball after class, during the mandatory afterschool classes.  It was about the only thing they did at school that interested him, even though none of them were actually allowed to win.  

And we keep the scores in our head, he said, turning so he could see Judy as she stood up.  He could ask her out for the weekend, if he moved quickly.  She would be willing, he was sure ... or maybe he should ask one of the other girls.  Perhaps a real challenge, like Kailee.  There was no shortage of bragging among the boys over their conquests, but Kailee had never been lured into bed by anyone.  Maybe he could try ...

Grinning at the thought, he followed the other pupils out of the room, towards their next class.

Chapter Three

In addition, the child must learn how to interact with his or her peers.  This is not easy; children are, by nature, selfish.  They must learn to come to terms with the fact that they are not unique and that society does not, must not, put them first.
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

Gary let out a sigh of relief as he made his way into the classroom that was reserved for afterschool studies.  Few of his fellow pupils would willingly come into the classroom, not when they bitterly resented having to remain in school for an additional two hours.  Gary himself resented it; he could work just as easily at home, without having to worry that Barry or Moe would come after him.  Even they would hesitate before breaking into an apartment complex.  

Only because dad pays off the gangs, Gary thought, bitterly.  The gangs that controlled the CityBlock took payments from the residents, in exchange for leaving them alone and even providing protection from unauthorised thieves.  No doubt Barry and Moe would go straight into the gangs as soon as they left school, if they weren't gang members already.  They were always bragging about their connections, about how they could get anything their fellow students wanted – for a price, of course.  

He pushed the thought aside.  The day’s humiliation had been bad enough, but he knew that there was worse to come, unless he managed to dodge Barry and Moe on the way home.  Not that he was surprised that Darrin had attacked him; when this classmates were bored, Gary was often their favourite target for mischief.  His schoolwork could be deleted at any moment, his few possessions stolen and hidden – if he was lucky.  If not ... he remembered, his cheeks flushing with shame, the day he’d had to walk home naked.  They’d stolen his clothes, then left him alone.  

Bitterly, he pulled out the reader, cursing the person who had come up with the whole idea of the competition.  They didn't care, did they, that the students might have other work to do?  Or that there were some students who were so desperate to escape that they were working frantically to earn the highest marks?  No, all they cared about was ... what?  No matter how much he considered the question, he honestly couldn't think of how they benefited.  Unless they actually wanted a group of students to go to the colonies ... but even that made no sense as far as he could tell.

One more year, he told himself, firmly.  As long as he kept his grades up, entry to Imperial University should be a snap.  And then he could leave Barry and Moe and all of Rowdy Yates CityBlock behind, for good.  Wherever he ended up had to be better than spending the rest of his life in a tiny apartment, hiding from the gangs.  One more year and then I can be gone.

He accessed the datanet, downloaded a copy of the formal instructions, then started to work on his reader.  At least he could write, unlike the students who had to dictate their work to the computers, which would then transcribe it into something legible.  There wasn't a specific word count, thankfully, but he knew that meant they wanted at least a thousand words.  Piece by piece, he put the essay together, reread it for obvious mistakes – although he’d never noticed anyone get marked down for poor spelling or grammar – then tapped the submit button.  

And then he got back to real work.

***
Darrin caught the ball Hamish tossed to him, then passed it to Sadat before Charlie could try to snatch the ball out of his hands.  Sadat threw his ball at the hoop and, after a brief heart-stopping moment, scored for the team.  The PE teacher blew a whistle, acknowledging the point, then waved cheerfully as Charlie grabbed the ball and threw it back towards the far end of the court.  One of his teammates caught it, then lost possession as he was tackled by another player.  The ball bounced towards the edge of the court; Darrin gave chase, trying to get his hands on it before the ball could strike the wall.  That would have given the other side a free shot.

He grinned as he snatched up the ball a moment before it could strike the wall and threw it over Charlie’s head, towards Gavin.  Gavin fumbled the catch – there was a groan from Darrin’s team – and lost the ball to Yoda, who threw it back towards the other end of the court.  There might be no official scorekeeper – for some reason, scoring was officially forbidden in school – but his team were definitely in the lead.  Sweat trickled down his back as he followed the rest of the team after the ball.  As long as they held the ball in their possession, they were in the lead.

The PE teacher blew his whistle again, tapping his wrist meaningfully.  Darrin shared a disappointed look with the rest of the team, but they filed off the court anyway.  Mr. Howarth was the only teacher most of the pupils respected, if only because he skirted the rules on scoring and rewarding the better players as much as possible.  Darrin couldn't understand why team captains weren't allowed to make their own decisions – or why they couldn't actually have a declared winner and loser – even though the games were obviously set up to allow just that.  But Mr. Howarth bent the rules in their favour and Darrin was grateful for that, sometimes.  

“Have to play outside the school tonight,” Joe muttered, as they lined up outside the protective bars.  The boys were sweaty and smelt horrid, but few of them would willingly refuse to watch the girls playing afterwards.  “See who actually wins.”

Darrin nodded.  There were no sports centres for young teenagers that allowed them to play properly, but they’d located quite a few abandoned storage compartments that were large enough for a full – and sometime quite violent – game.  They had to pay a bribe to the gangs, of course, yet apart from that it was perfect.  Hell, the gang members sometimes came to watch – or shout advice from the sidelines.  And they did a roaring trade in illegal alcohol, drugs and VR flicks too.

He allowed his smile to grow wider as the girls began to play.  Whoever had designed their outfits was an absolute genius; the girls who wore shorts showed off the shape of their buttocks, while the ones who wore skirts flashed their panties from time to time.  The boys catcalled, leered and jeered whenever they saw something interesting, until Mr. Howarth finally told them to get lost.  Darrin was the first to leave when the PE teacher started bellowing orders at them; Mr. Howarth might have as little disciplinary power as the rest of the teachers, but he was capable of banning someone from the sports field if he felt like it ... and no one would dare complain.  After all, if they got Mr. Howarth sacked, his replacement might well be worse.

The showers were smelly and unpleasant, but he was used to it by now.  He stripped off his shorts and shirt, dumped them in the basket to be washed, then stepped under the water and allowed it to wash him clean.  As always, it was lukewarm and there was never enough of it for anyone.  The one time he’d asked, he’d been told that water was carefully rationed and given a lecture on the importance of conserving resources.  It hadn’t been until much later that he’d realised that every drop of water that was flushed into the waste disposal system was recycled, cleansed and fed right back into the distribution network.  There wasn't any waste at all.

He dried himself under a gust of hot air – once again, there wasn't enough air to dry him completely – and stepped out into the changing room, where his clothes were waiting for him.  The bracelet he wore opened the locker, allowing him to remove his clothes and dress quickly.  It was irritating to have to secure everything, wherever he went, but even the toughest kids were not immune to having their possessions stolen.  He glanced in the mirror, decided he looked reasonably clean, and then walked out of the changing room.  Kailee wasn't a sporty girl, not like some of the others.  She valued her good looks too much to play sports.

Darrin paused as he walked back through the viewing gallery.  A girl was sitting there, crying.  She was chubby, chubby enough to make playing games or attracting a boy difficult, if not impossible.  And she hadn't seen him ... Darrin hesitate, held in place by an impulse he didn't fully understand.  Part of him wanted to go to her, to comfort her ... and the rest of him knew that it was a waste of time.  Helping a social outcast was a good way to become a social outcast yourself.  

The girl’s shirt had been torn, he saw, and there was a nasty bruise on her face.  She had to have been pushed into the railings, he decided; he’d seen similar injuries on boys, when the struggle for the ball had turned into a shoving contest.  He’d been told, time and time again, that girls were no different from boys.  When it came to bullying, he’d seen, it was perfectly true.  The strong girls picked on the weak girls and everyone in the middle supported the strong, for fear of being made a target themselves.

And the girl still hadn't see him ...

Shaking his head, he walked away.  There was nothing he could do for her.

***
Alone in the classroom, Kailee sat in her chair, staring down at the images on her reader.  The latest models were strutting their stuff on the catwalks, each one wearing a dress that was worth more than the combined yearly income of everyone on her apartment floor.  They all looked completely perfect, their faces free of any blemishes that might mar their careers.  Kailee felt envy swelling in her heart, even as she worked out how best to approach the talent scouts.  For one reason or another, they were rarely permitted to come to school and recruit openly.

She made a face as she downloaded yet another page of advice, then listened as her reader read the words to her.  Everyone seemed to have different ideas of what to do; one suggested merely sending a photograph and contact details, others suggested full videos and even nude shots.  Kailee wasn't sure she wanted to do that.  If it was a requirement, she would do it, yet she wasn't comfortable with it at all.  And yet she knew that many models were required to wear skimpy clothes ... or no clothes at all.

Stellar Star had plenty of nude scenes, she knew; she’d watched every flick religiously, searching for the secret behind the actress’s success.  The famous starship commander had slept with so many people that it was hard to understand how she had managed to get command of a starship at all, unless it was through the goodwill of the senior officers she'd allowed into her bed.  And then there was the famous Stellar Star XXVI: In Enemy Chains, where Stellar Star had fallen into enemy hands and endured a long BDSM session which had ended with the torturer falling in love with her and helping her to escape.

Maybe I will have to do it, she thought, but I want to put it off as long as possible.

Mentally, she composed the letter she intended to use to approach the agents.  She was young, attractive, willing to do whatever it took to succeed ... surely, they would appreciate someone like her.  And there were no shortage of agents; if one refused her, she would just go to the next one and the next, until she found someone willing to take her on.  

She clicked off the images as someone stepped into the classroom.  Her plans for the future were hers and hers alone; she knew, all too well, just how easy it would be for one of her classmates to sabotage her dreams.  Those who let their dreams become public knowledge made themselves vulnerable.  Instead, she flicked the reader to the instructions for the colony essay and turned around.  Darrin was standing there, admiring her back.

Kailee shivered, inwardly.  Darrin wasn't one of the truly bad or dangerous boys – although the girls knew that every boy could be dangerous, given the right situation – but she still didn't trust him any further than she could throw the entire school.  Maybe he didn't cop a feel when he had a chance, yet that meant nothing.  He’d been quick enough to get into bed with Judy when she’d offered – and equally quick to refuse to become her official boyfriend.  But then, that would have forced him to protect her.

“Darrin,” she said, as coolly as she could.  A hint of invitation would have him in her face before she knew what was happening.  “What can I do for you?”

Darrin smiled.  “I was merely wondering why you were here,” he said, unconvincingly.  “Are you all right?”

Kailee didn't smile.  “I'm working,” she lied, turning the reader so he could see the essay instructions.  “I need to have this finished before tonight.”

“Oh?”  Darrin asked.  “What’s tonight?”

“Flicks I want to watch,” Kailee said, cursing her own mistake.  She wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible, but she’d given him a hook to keep it going.  “And my parents won’t be happy if I don’t get good grades.”

“Sucks to have parents like that,” Darrin said.  He gave her a look that was probably meant to be sympathetic.  “Do your grades really matter?”

Kailee shrugged.  Her parents, in truth, didn't really care what she did; they’d long since lost interest in their extended family.  If she was kicked out of school – which almost never happened  - they were unlikely to say anything to her.  And besides, good grades weren't important in the acting world.  All that mattered, as far as she could tell, were good looks and a determination to work hard to get the best roles.

“I was wondering,” Darrin said.  “Would you like to come to the party with me this weekend?”

No, Kailee thought.  But would he accept it if she just refused?  Some of the boys would, she knew, but others believed that if they asked again and again the girl would eventually give in.  And then there were the ones who thought that ‘no’ actually meant ‘yes’ or that being firm with the girl would be enough to make her submit and open her legs.  She braced herself as best as she could, hoping that she could hurt him if he tried anything.  There would be no help from anyone if he tried to force himself on her right there and then.

“I’m going to be busy this weekend,” she said, untruthfully.  Her only real plans had been to spend more time studying the famous models and actresses and working out how they rose to such dizzying heights.  “I won’t have time, I’m sorry.”

Darrin gave her a toothy grin.  “Come on,” he wheedled.  “You’ll have a good time.”

Kailee shook her head, trying to look regretful.  She knew from other girls how those parties generally went; there would be some dancing, some alcohol ... and then the boy would start trying to get into their date’s panties.  Sometimes the girl welcomed it; sometimes she was too drunk to care – or offer resistance.  It wasn't as if anyone else would help her, even if she was trying to fight.  The whole idea was laughable.

“I have to work,” she said, firmly.  “Sorry.”

Darrin smiled at her.  “Maybe next week?”

Kailee gritted her teeth.  She wanted to say no directly, but who knew how he would react to that?  Would he accept it or attack her?  There was no way to know.

“Ask me nearer the time,” she temporised.  “My parents are being quite demanding this year.”

Darrin looked disappointed, but nodded and walked off.  Kailee rolled her eyes at his back; he was walking in a manner deliberately calculated to show off his ass and leg muscles.  He looked thoroughly ridiculous, although she knew better than to say it out loud.  Being alone, even long enough to indulge her dreaming, was foolish.  She picked up the reader, followed him out of the room and headed down to where she knew the other girls were chatting.  Even their brainless chatter would be better than a conversational minefield with a boy.

She caught sight of Joanne’s bruised face as she entered the common room and winced inwardly, keeping her reaction hidden.  Joanne shouldn't be playing basketball or anything else, but her parents had insisted that she play with the other girls ... which was nothing more than a hellish experience for the chubby girl.  She might look better if she lost some weight, but she wouldn't lose anything through playing games.  And someone had torn her shirt.

Feeling an odd moment of pity, Kailee removed her bag from the locker and produced her spare shirt, tossing it over to Joanne.  The chubby girl stared; Kailee tapped her lips hastily, before Joanne could say a word.  Helping someone, no matter how badly they needed help, was often taken as a sign of weakness.  It wasn't something she could afford.

Sitting down, she produced her reader and submitted a blank essay.  Really, what did it matter if the essay was blank or not?  It wasn't as if she was going to a colony world, not when they would have no place for her ...

And he had her own life to think about, on Earth.  Who cared about the colonies, really?

Chapter Four

But, most importantly of all, the educational process must teach a child how to think and solve problems.  Most skills can be mastered through practice, once the purpose behind them is reasoned out.  
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

Gary stepped into the security gate, cursing the designer under his breath.  They were so obsessed with school safety ... and yet they cared nothing for his safety.  The child who brought a knife or even a pen to school might face hours of questioning from the teachers, security officers and even the Civil Guard, but they didn't take away fists, did they?  He could never defend himself against bare fists, not without a weapon.  And weapons were banned, while they did nothing to keep out the attitudes that caused violence.

There was a buzz as the scanner swept his body.  “Place your reader in the drawer,” a toneless voice ordered.  Gary sighed and obeyed, passing the reader over for safekeeping.  It was better, he supposed, than having it stolen, but it still grated on him.  “Place your bracelet against the scanner.”

There was a click as the bracelet unlocked, falling away from his wrist.  Gary dropped it in the basket, then braced himself to run.  The other gate opened, allowing him to escape; he ran, passing a handful of other students as he fled towards the stairs leading to the upper levels.  If he was lucky, he might just manage to put a space between himself and his tormentors before they made it through the gate.  He was rarely grateful for the security precautions, which he knew to be completely ineffective, but they did slow down Barry and Moe.  The idiots had a habit of trying to steal from the school.

But the whole process was just annoying.  They were meant to be in school from nine to three, then two more hours of mandatory afterschool care.  In reality, they had to arrive at the school early enough to pass through the security gates, then wasted more time in the evening waiting to pass through the in reverse.  Pushing the thought aside, he reached the stairs and sprinted up them as fast as he could, then into the long overpass that led to his apartment block.  There was hardly anyone else about, not when they knew that the school pupils were coming out of school.  They wouldn’t want to be mugged or molested by angry students.

“Hey, Semen,” a voice called.

Gary skidded to a halt as Barry stepped out of the shadows, ahead of him.  For a moment, his mind refused to process what he was seeing.  How the hell had the bastard managed to get ahead of him?  It should have been impossible ... maybe he’d just sprinted the long way around.  Gary didn't need to look behind him to know that Moe was standing there, just waiting for him to try to run.  The two bullies worked as a team.

“We are truly sorry to call on you,” Barry said, with mocking politeness.  He’d taken the act from a flick they’d had to watch in school, one where the villain had been chillingly polite and the heroes had been ridiculously rude.  “But I’m afraid you have to pay the toll if you wish to proceed.”

Gary took a step backwards as Barry advanced, threateningly.  The overpasses were neutral ground as far as the gangs were concerned; they served as useful barriers between their areas of influence.  No one was likely to come help him, as Barry and Moe knew very well.  He took another step backwards and crashed into a solid form, who grabbed his arms and twisted them behind his back.  Barry walked up to him, coming so close that Gary could smell something unpleasant on his breath, and started to go through Gary’s pockets.  There was nothing, apart from a sheet of paper with a handful of notes he'd made for himself.

“Trying to show off, are you?”  Barry demanded, as he waved the paper in front of Gary’s eyes.  “Trying to prove yourself better than us?”

Gary kept his mouth shut.  Learning to read had been difficult, but once he’d mastered the skill he’d discovered a whole new world of literature and entertainment that would be forever closed to those without the ability to read.  Barry, Moe and two-thirds of the class had never learned how to read a book.  They were completely dependent upon the readers.  In a fair world, that should have put Gary at the top and them at the bottom.  But the world was far from fair.

“And you didn't even bring anything for us,” Barry said.  “Why not?”

Gary glared at him, mutely.  He was too frightened to move, but he was damned if he was going to give Barry the satisfaction of admitting that his father had stopped giving him his allowance – even if it was mandated by law – so it wouldn’t be stolen by the bullies.  Barry didn't wait for an answer, he merely punched Gary in the stomach, hard enough to leave him choking helplessly.  Moe let go of him a moment later; Gary crumpled to the ground, gasping in pain.  No matter how often they hit him – and it was a rare day that he wasn't hurt by someone – he never quite got used to it.

“Leave him,” Barry said.  He bent down to speak directly to Gary.  “And you’d better have something for us next time, you little shit.”

Gary barely heard him through the pain.  It took all of his determination to stand upright on bendy legs, then stagger through the overpass.  Barry and Moe seemed to have vanished completely; Garry silently cursed them, wishing that someone – anyone – would come to his aid.  But no one would help a stranger, not on Earth.  There was no profit in getting involved and a great deal of risk.  

Somehow, he managed to make it though the overpass and into the apartment block.  It was safer than the rest of the CityBlock, even if they did have to pay off the gangs.  Even Barry and Moe would hesitate to start something there, or to break gang law when they left school and joined the gangs.  From what Gary had learned, mainly by listening and keeping his mouth shut, the gangs knew better than to push their victims too far.  There was no point in killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

“Hey,” Sammie called.  “Are you all right?”

Gary shuddered.  Sammie, his nine-year-old sister ... and, just like him, a victim at school and everywhere else.  She was pretty enough to be noticed; he dreaded the day when she grew into a young woman, for he knew that she would be picked on by her fellow classmates.  Or she would have to put out for someone who could protect her ... he’d seen it happen, more than once, but it always ended badly.  The protector got bored or annoyed; if bored, he moved on to the next woman; if annoyed, he took it out on his former girlfriend first.

“No,” he muttered.  “Piss off.”

Her face paled; Gary felt a twinge of guilt for snapping at her, which he pushed aside as he stumbled into his room and sat down in front of the computer.  It was mandatory for every schoolchild to have a computer, which were supplied free of charge by the government; naturally, it hadn't taken Gary long to realise that the government-issued computers came with special limiting software built in.  Cracking the codes that allowed him unfettered access to the planetary datanet had been surprisingly simple, once he’d learned how to break into the computer codes.  And it really was astonishing just how much was buried in the system, hidden from casual view.

Turning the computer on, he opened the game he’d been playing with hundreds of other players – all online.  It was a relatively simple combat game, but with human players it rapidly became more complicated.  And Gary knew, without false modesty, that he was damn good at it.  There, online, he was a hero, he was respected.  It almost made up for the time he had to endure Barry and Moe – and what they considered funny.

Bastards, he thought.  Thankfully, neither of them played computer and datanet games, at least as far as he knew.  He often fantasized that they were the players he slaughtered, one by one, in the computer network.  Or that the maidens he had to rescue wore the faces of his female classmates.  An hour of playing and then I will get on with my homework.

Three hours later, he was still playing.  It was so easy to lose himself in the fantasy world, where he was far more than a helpless nerd picked on by everyone and his brother.  There, he was big and strong – and no one dared to mess with him.  He could do whatever he liked, free of worries.

It was so much better than the real world.

***
Darrin slipped into his apartment carefully, keeping a wary eye out for Fitz.  His stepfather’s work – whatever it was – gave him variable hours, something that made it difficult for Darrin to be sure of when he would be in or out of the apartment.  He scowled as he caught sight of the empty bottles on one of the tables, knowing that meant that Fitz was home ... and probably halfway to drunkenness by now.  There was no sign of his mother.

He stepped into the kitchen and  saw a bottle of processed milk, just waiting for him.  Darrin poured himself a glass, then stepped back into the living room.  The bottles looked to have been recently emptied, he decided, as he sat down on the sofa.  A moment later, Fitz lurched into the room and stumbled to a halt in front of Darrin, who backed away carefully.  The last thing he wanted was another fight with the older man.  His mother would suffer for it.

“So you’re home, boy,” Fitz slurred.  “What are you doing here?”

“I just got back from school,” Darrin said.  It was impossible to tell what would set his stepfather off.  There were days when he was almost tolerable and days when Darrin had to fight down the urge to take one of his damn bottles and bust his head with it.  “I’m having a rest.”

“Well, you can fuck off and have your rest somewhere else,” Fitz told him, turning and sitting down so close to him that Darrin leapt up at once.  A centimetre to the left and Darrin would have been squashed under his bulk.  “I’m busy here.”

Darrin watched as Fitz picked up the remote control, then hurried out of the room as soon as he saw the channel Fitz was planning to watch.  It showed sexual scenes that would have disgusted even Barry and Moe, scenes that made Darrin sick to even contemplate.  He hesitated as soon as he had closed the door, then stepped into the bedroom his mother shared with Fitz.  His mother lay on the bed, drunk out of her mind.  Darrin winced in sympathy, then closed the door and walked down to his own bedroom.  Inside, he locked the door – it was a right for every child to have a lockable room – and lay down on the bed.  There was nothing he could do, he knew, for his mother.  Even if he had been strong enough to beat hell out of Fitz – and Fitz had thrashed him once or twice, just to show him who was boss – Fitz would still make their lives hell.  All he could do was wait, get an apartment of his own as soon as he was seventeen ...

... And then what?

There was college, of course, and a bigger Student Living Allowance from the government, but what would he do after that?  Of course, he could join the gangs.  He could fight, if he had to, and he could run gambling games ... and yet, he knew that joining the gangs was a ticket to a violent death.  Most gangsters didn't last past their thirtieth year, if they were lucky.  

And there were jobs ... but the truth was that nothing really interested him enough to try to turn it into a career.  He didn't have the skills or connections to become a sports star, he didn't have the intelligence or patience to operate a computer all day and everyone knew that the military was a pool for losers.  There were some advantages, he knew, to joining the Civil Guard – he knew how much fun they had, harassing people – but it might not last very long.  And there was no guarantee that he would be stationed on Earth ...

He leaned back on his bed and closed his eyes.  If nothing else, he could get a few hours of sleep before he slipped out to join the illegal basketball games.  He could work off some steam there, then try to talk one of the girls into bed.  It might help him forget his problems for a while, if she was good enough.  Kailee might have rejected him, but there were plenty of other fish in the sea.

Judy puts out, he thought.  He knew that from personal experience.  So does Karen and Rose and Sharon.  All I have to do is get to them before someone else takes them away.

***
Kailee walked with the other girls through the overpass, trying to sound brash and completely fearless as they made their way into the apartment block.  No girl with a lick of common sense would go anywhere alone, certainly in the giant cityblocks.  Everyone knew that robbery, rape and murder was constantly on the rise, no matter how much the news broadcasts tried to downplay it.  There was no shortage of people who had lost a daughter, girlfriend, wife or relative to a rapist who killed after he had had his fun. Safety in numbers was the only way to get around, at least outside the apartment themselves.

She didn't relax as they walked into the apartment block, for the gangsters were waiting.  The bribes they had been paid kept them from touching the girls, but they didn't stop the gangsters from watching, whistling or calling out crude invitations.  Many of the invitations even sounded good, yet Kailee had heard the stories.  A gangster boyfriend would be kind and loving for a month, then start gently pushing the girl into prostitution and eventually abandon her to one of the cheap and nasty brothels at the very lowest level of the CityBlock.  If, of course, she lasted that long.  There were occasional skirmishes between the gangs that ended in girls being kidnapped and put to work elsewhere, without even a fig-leaf of justification.

“Hey, baby,” one of the gangsters called, thrusting his pelvis forward.  “Light my fire?”

Kailee ignored him, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the floor until they were past the checkpoint and heading into the residential area.  Even simple eye contact could be interpreted badly – and she knew better than to think that anyone would come to her rescue, if the gangster snatched her.  It was a relief when she finally reached her apartment and pressed her fingertips against the sensor, allowing her to step inside.  

Her family must have annoyed someone in the bureaucracy, she knew, for the twenty-seven of them were crammed into one relatively small apartment.  Kailee’s father had two sisters and a brother, all of whom had a partner of their own and several children.  She had to share her bedroom – despite the law – with four other girls, all younger than her and terribly irritating.  No matter how much she begged and pleaded, her father had refused to emancipate her ahead of schedule, pointing out that she was really too young to apply for her own apartment.  It wouldn't be safe.

“Kailee,” her aunt said.  As always with Aunt Lillian, there was no break, nothing but demands, demands and demands.  At least her parents left her alone most of the time, although in such a cramped apartment it was hard to be really alone.  “Come help with the washing.”

Kailee shook her head, muttered something about needing to rest and then fled into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.  She dropped her bag on the bed and scowled at the mess.  The little monsters had been in her makeup kit again, applying the expensive products – she’d saved for months to buy them – to their faces in hopes of making themselves look better.  Swearing out loud, she picked up what remained and stuffed them under her bed, knowing that it would only delay them the next time around.  There was no point in complaining to her father and his siblings, not when they didn't have the money to replace what their kids had damaged, nor the nerve to actually punish them.  But then, a kid’s complaint against his or her parents might easily be upheld.

Unless it comes from me, she thought, sourly.  She was almost sure that her uncle had peeked at her two weeks ago, when she’d been in the shower.  But she didn't know ...

Bitterly, she lay down on the bed and forced herself to concentrate, plotting the email she planned to send to the agents as soon as she turned seventeen.  The sooner she was out of the apartment, the better.  Her success would leave her roots so far behind that no one would ever connect her to Rowdy Yates CityBlock or a cramped apartment, filled with too many people for any privacy. 

Because she knew if she stayed, she was going to go mad ... or worse.

There was an angry rap on the door.  “Kailee,” Aunt Lillian snapped.  “Come here!”

Kailee sighed, knowing that her aunt wouldn't hesitate to open the door.  “Coming,” she said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing up.  Couldn't her aunt take a break, just once in a while?  “I’m on my way.”

Chapter Five

However, creating a flexible mind requires flexibility.  A person who can reason can move from skill to skill, a person who cannot understand the background can only learn by rote.  Memorising and understanding, put bluntly, are not the same.
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

Seven days later, Darrin had almost forgotten about the essay – and the whole competition.  It was just another piece of pointless schoolwork that would lead to nothing, he knew, and thus was barely worth worrying about, not when he could try to lure girls into bed or play games outside school, where they could actually keep score.  He was surprised when, after lunch, they were told to assemble in the main hall for an important announcement.  Tired and bored, he followed the other boys into their section of the giant room.  It looked as though almost all of the students had gathered for the announcement.

He rolled his eyes as he took his seat.  The last ‘important’ announcement had consisted of a statement that the nutrient value of school lunches had been improved, thanks to the enlightened polices of the Grand Senate.  None of them had tasted any improvement, Darrin remembered; if anything, the food had managed the impossible and gone further downhill.  It was not surprising that students tried to smuggle in food from outside the school, he knew; the only real surprise was that the teachers ate with the students.  In their place, Darrin would have brought in food from their homes and eaten it in private.  But there was very little privacy for anyone in the school.

The sound of chatter grew louder as the students relaxed.  Few of them would actually pay attention, Darrin knew; there was little point.  The only assembly he could remember looking forward to was the annual prize-giving – and he’d changed his mind after realising that the prizes were not allocated on any basis that actually made sense.  And besides, no awards were given out for either academic or sporting achievement.  The whole system seemed thoroughly absurd to him.

Judy sat down next to him, her hand reaching for his.  Darrin hesitated – he wasn't sure that he wanted people to think she was his girlfriend – and then took her hand, feeling her shifting until she was actually leaning against him.  She felt warm to the touch, so warm that he had to fight down the urge to kiss and cuddle her in public.  All around them, other couples were doing the same.  If nothing else, the assembly could serve as make-out time.  He kissed her gently, then stopped as he saw someone come to the stand.  It wasn't the principal; it was someone in a dark suit, someone he didn't know.  And that meant that he might be powerful ...

“Greetings, students,” the man said.  He was tall and thin, his face twisted in a sneer that suggested he knew he was far more powerful than the students.  The condescending tone in his voice made it very clear.  “Last week, you all submitted essays on why you would like to visit a colony world.  It is my pleasure to announce that four winners have come from this school.”

Darrin blinked in surprise.  He knew how to play the numbers – gambling was the sole skill Fitz had taught him – and the odds were staggeringly against four winners coming from the same school.  Unless, of course, there was only one school ... or hundreds of possible winners.  He’d only glanced at the instructions, but he was sure that they'd said that the competition was taking place all over the world.  Or maybe the whole system was fixed.  The school board might have determined the winners in advance, granting four slots to Rowdy Yates Centre of Educational Excellence.

There are ten thousand pupils in this school, he thought.  The odds of any given person being the winner are one in two thousand, five hundred.

“Those lucky winners entered well-written essays,” the man continued, gathering steam.  “It was my pleasure to read such pieces of work.  The school has good reason to be proud of those who have entered the competition.”

Darrin snorted to himself and hugged Judy as the man droned on.  He doubted that more than a thousand students, if that, had entered the competition.  Darrin himself had only entered a handful of sentences, more to ensure that he wasn't nagged than anything else.  It wasn't as if he had much of a hope of winning ...

Besides, even if there were no entries from outside the school, the judges would still have to read through over a thousand different essays.  It was probably fixed.

“I will now read the names of those four lucky winners,” the man concluded.  “Once I have read out the names, those winners will come up on stage and receive their congratulations from me personally.”

And get jeered at by the rest of the school, Darrin thought.  No doubt all four slots had gone to the swots, the ones who had actually bothered to write a proper essay.  Who is this asshole?

“The names are as follows,” the man said, dragging the whole affair out as much as possible.  “Gary Seaman ...”

A dull chuckle ran through the class.  Darrin wasn’t too surprised; Gary was a swot, someone who wouldn't hesitate to complete the essay even though he knew it was probably pointless.  Gary looked terrified; the teacher standing near him urged the young man to his feet, even though he clearly wanted to run and hide.  

“Come on,” the man said, his voice echoing around the hall.  “Don’t be shy.”

Darrin joined in the laughter as Gary somehow walked towards the stage.  A number of students, seeing weakness, jeered and catcalled as Garry passed them, the back of his neck glowing red.  Luckily for him, he didn't have to pick his way out of the rows of seats or he would probably have been kicked a hundred times before he even reached the aisle.  The hall settled down, slightly, as Gary took a seat on the stage and waited, his head in his hands.

“The second lucky winner,” the man said, “is Kailee Singh.”

The hall erupted into wolf-whistles as Kailee was pushed to her feet.  Darrin saw the shocked expression on her face and knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she hadn't even entered the competition.  Whatever her goals in life happened to be – and he was sure that she had goals, or she would have put out for him – they probably didn't include a trip away from Earth.  Kailee’s long dark hair fell around her ass as she walked up to the stage, drawing the attention of every boy and not a few of the girls in the room.  But she didn't look happy as she sat down next to Gary.  

“The third lucky winner,” the man announced, “is Darrin Person.”

Darrin stared at him in absolute shock.  For a moment, he didn't even believe his ears.  How the hell had he won?  His essay had been nothing more than a handful of sentences!  The whole system was fixed, but why had it been fixed in his favour?  It wasn't as if he was a prize student or even someone the teachers wanted to get rid of for a few months ... no, he just tried to get through the day with a minimal amount of actual work, then play sports until he was sent home.

Judy untangled herself from him, her face a strange mixture of awe and shock.  She seemed to have decided to make him her boyfriend – and protector.  Having him go away for several months would put a crimp in that plan.  But, at the same time, if he had been so lucky ... Darrin had to force his legs into cooperating as he stood and started to move towards the stage.  The entire school seemed to be staring at him, some cat-calling from the safety of the crowds, others cheering loudly.  After all, he wasn't as unpopular as some other students ...

Kailee gave him a weak smile as he sat down on the other side of her, but her face was pinched and wan.  She hadn't wanted to go, Darrin saw; Gary, sitting next to her, hardly looked any more enthusiastic.  Now the shock was fading away, Darrin could see some advantages in spending a few months away from Fitz.  It wasn't as if he could do anything to help his mother ... and, by the time he returned, he might be old enough to apply for premature emancipation and get his own apartment.  

And at least it isn't school, he thought, although he had no idea what a trip to the colonies actually entailed.  He made a mental note to read the essay instructions more carefully; somehow, he doubted they were going however many light years just to sit behind desks in a colonial school.  What did a colonial school even look like?  He honestly didn't know.

“The fourth lucky winner is Barry Sycamore,” the man concluded.  “Come up here, young man, and join us on the stage.”

Yep, Darrin decided, it was definitely a fix.  If Barry had entered the competition at all, Darrin would be very surprised.  He heard Gary let out a groan as the oversized student made his way up to the stage and sat down next to Darrin, grinning inanely at the students in the audience.  In all honestly, Darrin tended to agree.  Being close to Barry was like being close to a savage dog, with the added disadvantage that the dog had a certain animal cunning.

He scowled as the man droned on, extolling their virtues to the skies.  Agreeing with Gary was painful – he didn't want to agree with a nerd on anything – but he had to agree that while the trip might have been tolerable without Barry, it would be a nightmare with him.

But at least Fitz won’t be there, he thought.  Look on the bright side.

***
Gary felt too stunned to move – or to listen to the stranger telling the entire school just how wonderful he was, even though he knew it would just make him more of a target.  How the hell had he won?  The essay hadn't been that good, had it?  But then, the instructions had claimed that the competition was global; it was unlikely that someone had even bothered to read the essays.  It was much more likely that they’d picked at random and he'd simply been unlucky.  And Barry ... Gary tried not to look at the hulking student sitting next to Darrin and grinning like a loon.  If there was one thing guaranteed to ruin the trip, it was having to share it with one of his worst tormentors.  

He couldn't take nine months away from Earth, not with the really important exams coming up.  If he missed them, he would have to retake the entire year, forcing him to spend more time in the goddamned school.  And he hadn't even wanted to go!  Somewhere in the school, he was sure that there were students who wanted to spend some time on a colony world.  Why couldn't they go and not him?

Beside him, Kailee looked as irked as Gary felt.  For once, he was sitting next to a truly hot girl and he couldn't even enjoy it.  He wondered, absently, what she’d written on her essay, before deciding that it didn't matter.  Barry had probably submitted a blank sheet of paper, if he’d bothered to submit anything at all.  Maybe one of the teachers had entered him in the hopes of getting the bastard out of their hair for a few months.  If so, Gary decided, they'd done very well indeed.

The man finally stopped droning and the principal dismissed the students back to their classes, then told Gary and the other winners to remain behind where they were.  Gary sighed, inwardly; he would have to speak to the principal in private to ask if he could decline the honour.  Perhaps he could give his slot to Moe and the two bullies could spend six months away from the school ... he tried to form a mental image of their starship being boarded by pirates and the assholes being sold into slavery, but it refused to form properly.  It was much more likely that the pirates would recruit Barry and Moe into their ranks.

“The departure date is one week from today,” the man informed them.  They still didn’t know his name.  “Instead of your standard afterschool classes, you will be expected to attend lectures on Meridian , your destination.  I strongly suggest that you listen carefully, read around the subject and remember everything.  It could come in handy when you’re on the planet’s surface.”

Gary snorted to himself.  He could read, but he doubted that Barry or even Darrin could read very well.  Could Kailee read?  He had no idea.  But it hardly mattered; the readers could read the textbooks out to the students, if necessary.  They even provided explanations for the most difficult words.  Sighing inwardly, Gary stood when dismissed and headed directly towards the principal’s office.  He could wait there for the man all day, even though it was a technical breach of school rules.  

And then, if he were lucky, he could get out of the whole trip.

***
Kailee knew that she should be used to attention.  After all, when she became an actress, she would have to perform on stage in front of gawking crowds.  But facing the entire school was difficult – and not just because of the wolf-whistles and other harassment.  She hadn't expected to win the contest, not really.  How the hell had she won?

She walked through the deserted corridors in a daze, barely aware of her surroundings until she reached the classroom door.  Kailee hesitated for a long moment, then opened the door and stepped into the classroom.  The girls looked up at her as she sat down next to them, the teacher saying nothing about her lateness.  But then, he would have been at the assembly too; he knew that she’d won the competition.  He wouldn't penalise her for that, would he?

But there were always rumours, stories of teachers who had abused their charges – or taken advantage of them.  Kailee knew that she was relatively immune – it wasn't as if she cared about her grades – but she knew better than to lower her guard.  And yet, she’d walked alone through the school’s corridors ... she shook her head, then pulled the reader from her pocket and placed it on the desk.

“You won,” Sally muttered to her, as soon as the teacher’s back was turned.  He was droning on about something called the verb-noun infinity.  “Well done!”

“Thank you,” Kailee said, sourly.  

She gritted her teeth.  A few months on a colony world would completely ruin her looks.  Someone had heard that she planned to enter the acting world and deliberately set out to ruin her chances.  There could be no other explanation.  Gary might have won the competition fairly – the little nerd was smart – but Kailee had entered a blank sheet of paper, satisfying the basic requirements.

“You’ll get to spend time with hunks, like in Farmer’s World: This Time We’re Sowing,” Gayle put in, from the other side of the desk.  “I think it would be great fun.”

Kailee scowled at her.  Farmer’s World was a pornographic flick, shared on the datanet and watched by countless students.  It was set on a farm; Kailee knew nothing about farming, but surely the farmers didn't spend all their time making love.  Besides, the scene where the heroine had been taken by four men in the middle of the pigpen had been thoroughly disconcerting.

“It's going to be boring,” she predicted, crossly.  “And I don't want to go.”

“But you’d be able to introduce them to Earth’s fashions,” Sally pointed out.  “Get a set of new outfits before you leave, take them with you and wear them on the farm.”

“If there is a farm,” Gayle said.  “It might be more like Rumble In The Jungle ...”

“Oh, shut up,” Kailee said.  She couldn't afford even one new outfit.  There were ways to get loans from the gangs, but she knew she couldn't meet their payment schedules.  She’d end up indentured and working in a brothel, if she was lucky.  “I don’t think it’s going to be like a movie at all.”

“Crabby Bitch III,” Gayle offered.  “Or Break the Cutie.”

“Shut up,” Kailee snapped.  Gayle’s porn addiction was an open secret, as was her desire to sleep with as many boys and girls as possible.  “Please!”

Dismissing the thought of actually trying to catch up with whatever the teacher was saying, she activated her reader and downloaded the instructions, reading through them quickly.  It wasn't too clear on just how long the lucky winners would spend away from Earth; the figure given was six months, but there were plenty of weasel words written into the instructions to make her think that it might be longer.  She had to admit that the thought of spending time away from the cramped apartment was a good one, but what would happen to her career?

The average actress started work at seventeen, she’d discovered, unless they had a special permit to act at a younger age.  Assuming she returned before her seventeenth birthday, she should still have a chance ... but if she returned later, she would already have burnt up some of her time.  If she failed to get in at seventeen, it wasn’t too likely that she would get in when she was older.  Youth was in at the moment too.

But her family would be pleased ...

Of course they will be pleased, she thought, bitterly.  The thought was not a pleasant one.  They'd get the bedroom for themselves while I am gone.

Chapter Six

On a wider scale, the educational process also trains and equips the next generation to take their place in society as adults.  Even the basic skills of reading and writing are almost mandatory in jobs, while additional skills like operating a computer and suchlike are strongly preferable.  
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

Gary didn't really like Principal Rico and he suspected that the feeling was mutual.  Rico was short, stout and smiled too much – and he was a completely ineffective disciplinarian.  Gary had gone to his office once before, after he’d been advised to report bullying behaviour to the principal, only to discover that the principal could do nothing more than ask him to stop whatever he was doing to incite them.  The fact that Barry and Moe and their ilk would have picked on Gary whatever he was doing seemed to have passed him by.

“I can’t go on the trip,” he said, as soon as the door was closed.  “Please can you give my slot to someone else?”

“I’m afraid not,” Principal Rico said.  He didn't sound as though he cared.  “The selections were made well above my station, Mr. Seaman.  I cannot change them at a whim.”

“But I didn't mean to win,” Gary pleaded.  “I cannot go.”

Principal Rico eyed him, suspiciously.  “And why, if you didn't want to win, did you even enter the competition?”

Gary stared at him, fighting the urge to burst into tears.  He’d entered the competition because he'd believed that not entering the competition would blight his academic career.  And then he'd won ... and winning the competition would also blight his career.  Having to retake a year of schooling would automatically downgrade him when it came to entering Imperial University.  He might not even make it in at all.  The thought was so horrifying that he refused to face it.  Where else could he go?

“This is an important initiative that was mandated by senior authority,” Principal Rico said.  His eyes met Gary’s, as if he were trying to say something important without being able to come right out and say it.  “I do not believe that anyone in this school has the authority to change the winner, no matter how ... unhappy the winner has become.”

His eyes hardened.  “And there will be consequences for not going.”

Gary closed his eyes, trying to recall some of the courage he felt online.  “There are students who have done nothing in class and do not face consequences ...”

Principal Rico looked, for a long moment, bitter and helpless.  “You do not understand,” he said.  “Who do you think is in charge of the school system?”

Gary blinked in surprise.  Principal Rico had never talked to him as though he were an adult before, not ever.  He’d normally talked down to all of his students, no matter how old they were.

“You,” he said, finally.  “You’re the boss ...”

“I wish that were true,” Principal Rico said.  His gaze never left Gary’s eyes.  “Do you realise just how little authority I actually have?  Of course you don’t.  I have to follow orders issued by someone much higher in the hierarchy than myself.  Those people are the ones who set the exam question, who set up the entire competition.  And it was those people, those truly powerful people, who picked the winners.”

Gary hesitated.  “But ...”

“But nothing,” Principal Rico interrupted.  “Those people don't care about your concerns, young man, or about why you entered the competition.  All they care about is making sure the entire process runs smoothly – or as smoothly as possible.  And if you anger them, you can be sure that they will definitely take it out on you.”

His voice hardened.  “Do you understand me?”

Gary shuddered.  He’d heard stories – they’d all heard stories – of what happened to those who pissed off the bureaucrats.  Their support allowances were delayed or cut completely, their requests for new apartments were ignored, they were put at the bottom of the list for receiving medical aid ... and that was just the tip of the iceberg.  If he angered someone much higher up the food chain, his life – and that of his family – would not be worth living.

“Yes, sir,” he said, reluctantly.  Damned if he did, damned if he didn’t.  “I understand.”

“Good,” Principal Rico said.  “I’ll expect you to attend all of the orientation classes, Mr. Seaman.  You are going to need them.”

With that, he motioned for Gary to walk out the door.

***
Darrin had spent the day in a daze, despite the vast number of students who wanted to congratulate him or try to pick a fight.  It didn't seem possible that he'd won; it just didn't seem real.  And he honestly couldn't decide if he wanted to go or not.  But he knew that there was no point in trying to argue with the system.  If it said he’d won, he'd won.  By the end of the formal hours of schooling, he couldn't wait to tell Fitz that he was going to be away for several months.  

He was still contemplating it when he entered the classroom that had been put aside for orientation lessons.  A man was standing at the head of the room, wearing a uniform that seemed strikingly military and a cloth hat that cast a shadow over his eyes.  He was tall, muscular and wore a neatly-clipped beard that gave him an untidy air.  But his sharp blue eyes followed Darrin as he sat down and looked back at the newcomer.  Moments later, Barry swaggered in and took the seat at the end of the room.

“Sit at the front,” the newcomer ordered.  There was something in his tone that suggested that disobedience would be a very bad idea.  “Now.”

Barry stood up and reluctantly moved to sit beside Darrin.  The newcomer eyed him, then lifted an eyebrow as Kailee slipped into the room, followed by a reluctant-looking Gary.  Darrin concealed a smile; the nerd was behind one of the best asses in the school, yet he wasn't even looking at her.  But then, Gary would have been targeted too ... and everyone knew that he couldn't defend himself.  He’d probably spent the day trying to hide.

“Close that door,” the newcomer ordered.  Gary obeyed, then sat down next to Kailee, as far from Barry as he could.  “My name is Yates, Mathew Yates.  For my sins, I have been charged with serving as your guide, supervisor and teacher while you are on Meridian.  This is not a task I welcome, so I suggest – very strongly – that you listen carefully to me, because I hate having to repeat myself.”

Darrin blinked in surprise.  Teachers were rarely firm with their students, if only because they knew they could do nothing to back it up.  But Yates looked tough, tougher than Mr. Howarth ... and used to obedience.  Even Barry, who looked muscled enough to pass for a primate in the holographic zoo, said nothing.  He just stared at the newcomer.

“I have been told to assume that you know absolutely nothing about Meridian,” Yates said, when that had sunk in.  “This strikes me as a very reasonable statement, given the general quality of information available on Earth about the outermost worlds.  We shall start, therefore, with a video presentation prepared by the Meridian Development Consortium, which began settling the planet ninety years ago.”

He picked up a remote and pushed a switch, then moved over to sit next to Barry.  The lights dimmed, then the screen activated, displaying a logo that looked like a planet surrounded by a golden ring.  Words, too small for Darrin to read, appeared beneath the logo and hung there for a long moment, before fading away into the darkness.

“Welcome to Meridian,” a soft female voice said.  “Where a new world is waiting for you.”

The screen glowed with light, showing a montage of images; the planet from orbit, shuttles landing at the spaceport, small homes built out of wood, giant boats making their way up the river into the hinterlands ... Darrin found himself fascinated by the people, particularly the young women.  They all looked bright, enthusiastic and healthy, very different from the pallid women he knew on Earth.  Several of them rode large four-legged animals; horses, if he recalled correctly.  He’d never seen any of them on Earth.

“Meridian,” the voice said, as the images started to repeat themselves.  “A place to live, a place to spread out, a place to grow, a place to ...”

Darrin found himself tuning the woman out as she kept talking, extolling Meridian and his virtues in glowing terms.  If there was anything bad about the colony world, she didn't say anything about it.  Instead, she talked about how new settlers would have first pick of the land, guaranteed loans from the development consortium and free access to indentured labour.  There were special discounts for families, particularly ones who intended to have more children; in short, Meridian was a pretty good place to live.  Darrin wasn't sure that he believed a word of it.

The presentation came to an end and Yates turned it off.  “Any questions?”

“Yeah,” Darrin said, before he could stop himself.  “How much of that is true?”

Yates might have smiled.  It was hard to tell under the beard.  “I would say that it is true, but incomplete,” he said, after a moment.  “The images they showed you are those farms and settlements that were developed over the past ninety years, the ones that were the most successful.  It will take years of work, even with the assistance of indentured labour, to produce a properly functioning farm.  But many settlers have succeeded.”

He stood and walked to the front of the room.  “Meridian is not Earth.  You know, I believe, most of the dangers on Earth’s surface.  Meridian, however, has other dangers.  Like every other settled world, the ecosystem throws up its own set of surprises as it reacts to the terraforming packages.  There are poisonous plants, dangerous animals and other nasty problems for the settlers to encounter.  You have to be prepared to encounter them too.”

Darrin shivered.  Dangerous animals?  He’d heard the rumours about creatures that had escaped from the Arena and were hiding out in the Undercity, but he’d never actually seen anything larger than a cockroach.  He had seen images, of course, in the holographic zoo, yet apparently that wasn't quite the same.  

And dangerous plants?

Kailee leaned forward.  “Are you saying that the settlers ... actually grow their own crops?  In the wild?”

“Of course,” Yates said.  “There are no algae farms on the colony worlds, just crops and animals they raise themselves for the table.”

Darrin concealed a smile at Kailee’s expression.  They’d been told, ever since they were old enough to understand, that algae-farms and vat-grown foodstuffs were far healthier than anything grown naturally.  Indeed, they’d been told it so often that most people had a phobia about eating naturally-produced food and drinking unprocessed water.  Darrin himself wasn't so sure – it struck him that nothing could taste worse than school food – but it hardly mattered.  Fitz was hardly going to waste money on expensive food from odd-world when he could spend it on alcohol instead.  

“The first problem, however, is the starship you will take to the colonies,” Yates said.  “Normally, you would be placed in a stasis tube and the journey would seem to take no time at all.  Unfortunately, there is a new requirement for those tubes, which means that you will be expected to spend the journey awake and aware.  You may well enjoy it.”

Barry snorted, rudely.  “What’s there to do on the ship?”

“Education and games, mainly,” Yates said.  “I suggest that you spend some time reading the ship’s database.  Quite apart from useful information on Meridian, it will tell you more about the state of the galaxy than you might find in any database on Earth.”

He paused, then launched into a long lecture on safety.  Darrin found himself struggling to take in all the details; wear a shipsuit at all times, stay in the civilian parts of the ship and don’t touch anything unless they knew what it did.  He had no idea how they were meant to keep all those rules straight in their head, unless they were meant to write them all down and memorise them later.  Gary, the little swot, had set his reader to record the entire lecture for later replaying.  Darrin made a mental note to get a copy off him and listen to it again himself.

“We will be going over the planet’s history in greater detail on the ship,” Yates said.  He produced a set of datachips, dropping one in front of each of them.  “However, I expect you to read this before you come back tomorrow.  These are copies of the standard ecological assessment, safety reports and several other documents you need to read.  In particular, I suggest that you pay close attention to what is edible and what isn't.”

Gary stuck up a nervous hand.  “Are we going to have to pick crops?”

“Maybe,” Yates said.  He gave Gary a toothy grin.  “But quite a few settlers have landed on the planet, bitten into a leaf ... and ended up in the hospital, if they were lucky.  They watched the wrong videos on Earth and concluded that anything could be eaten, as long as it looked green.  And I would prefer not to have to tell your parents that you died because you ate the wrong thing.”

Kailee’s head jerked up.  “This place isn't safe?  Don’t the settlers sue?”

Yates chuckled, unpleasantly.  “Sue who?”

He tapped the datachip on Kailee’s desk.  “That chip lists every edible plant on the planet’s surface,” he said.  “You can eat one of the ones not listed if you like ... and you might get lucky ... but if you got ill, it would be your own stupid fault.  You could sue the consortium, I suppose, if you found a lawyer willing to take your case.”

“It wouldn’t work,” Gary said.  “Would it?”

Yates shook his head, wordlessly.

“But why?”  Kailee asked.  “Why wouldn't it work?”

“Because you were told, quite clearly, what plants are safe to eat,” Yates said.  He reached out, picked up the datachip and held it in front of her eyes.  “The consortium has done its best to prepare the settlers – and you – for Meridian, but if you’re stupid enough to ignore what you’re told ... well, it’s your own stupid fault.”

His voice hardened as he looked around the room, his eyes moving from face to face.  “You have been spoiled on Earth,” he explained.  “The tasteless slop they feed you is safe, the water they pump into the pipes is processed so thoroughly that there isn't any risk of infection ... and there is always someone to blame if something goes wrong.  But on the colonies ... well, if you fuck up, you take the blame yourself.  There isn't anyone willing to hold your hand, clean up after you or do anything else that you can do for yourself.  I suggest you bear that in mind at all times.”

“No one to help?”  Kailee asked, bleakly.  “No one at all.”

“There are more people in this CityBlock,” Yates said, “than there are on the entire surface of Meridian.  The settlers, particularly those living away from the towns, are often miles away from anyone who might be able to help them.  They have to learn to rely on themselves, not on the government and not on their neighbours.  Often, neither the government nor their neighbours can help them.”

Yates stepped backwards, then smiled openly.  “This trip is the opportunity of a lifetime,” he concluded.  “But you have to bear in mind that you’re not going to a carbon copy of Earth.”

Darrin swallowed – and saw Gary swallow too.  Kailee still seemed stunned, while Barry was merely grinning inanely.  It looked as though he hadn't listened to a word Yates had said.  

“As a special treat,” Yates said, “the four of you can go home early and tell your families.  I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

Gary hastened out the room, followed rapidly by Barry.  Kailee eyed Darrin for a moment – he wondered if she were going to ask him to escort her home – before she left the classroom and headed down towards the common room.  She could wait there for the other girls, Darrin knew; she wouldn't want to walk home with him, even if he hadn't asked her out earlier.  He wondered, briefly, what Judy was doing – and if she’d already started looking for another boyfriend.  She would need a protector while he was gone.

“Good luck,” Yates said, as he walked towards the door.  Darrin watched him go – and was surprised to note that Yates was walking with a faint limp.  Yates stopped at the door and turned around.  “Or is there something else you wished to ask me?”

“No, sir,” Darrin said.  There was something about the older man that brought out the respect, respect Darrin rarely showed to anyone else.  “But ...”

He shook his head.  His half-formed thoughts were unlikely to be of interest to anyone – and, somehow, he didn't want to disappoint Yates.  Instead, he walked down towards the security gates and left the school, then walked towards his apartment block.  Fitz would be pleased at the thought of never seeing him again, he was sure.  And his mother ...

Maybe I could stay on the world, he thought.  The video had made it look an enticing possibility, very different from the information they'd been given at school.  No one would miss me.

But he knew, deep in his heart, that wasn't a possibility.  If the system was prepared to ensure that he went to school and attended his classes, it would never let him go.  There was no point in daydreaming of a future that would never be, no point at all.

Chapter Seven

And education can provide a way to monitor and qualify a child’s progress.  If one must prove competence in a certain field, one can point to a degree handed out after a test or an exam.  It saves employers from having to run tests of their own – although, as most employers rapidly learn, experience on paper is not the same as experience in the field.
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

“So,” Aunt Lillian said, “is that all you're taking?”

Kailee bit her lip to keep her face from scowling.  Her packing would have been done by now if Aunt Lillian hadn't kept sticking her long nose into the room and insisting on inspecting Kailee’s bag.  Did she really think that Kailee was going to walk off with the family jewels, such as they were, or did she intend to insist that Kailee leave behind some of her makeup for her younger relatives?  Either way, it was just a nuisance, one Kailee would happily have foregone. 

“Yes,” she said, crossly.  Yates had provided them with a list of recommended items, starting with clothes and ending with any medical supplies they might need.  She’d packed enough to last her for a week or two without washing, she hoped.  And then she’d put her handful of truly expensive clothes and cosmetics into the bag too.  “That’s everything.”

Her aunt picked up the bag, opened it up and tipped the contents onto the floor.  Kailee swallowed a word that would probably have earned her a slap as her aunt picked though the clothes, then started to pack properly.  By the time she’d finished, the clothes all fitted neatly, the cosmetics were wrapped up in plastic and there was some space left at the top, enough room for some additional clothes.  Her aunt had actually been helpful.

“I’d suggest you take Jake’s reader, if he will let you,” Aunt Lillian said.  “Load it up with enough videos and textbooks to keep you going, when you're hundreds of light years from Earth.”

This time, Kailee couldn't keep herself from glaring at her aunt.  She’d taken Kailee’s enforced departure in her stride, barely even bothering to conceal her relief at having one less mouth to feed for a few months.  Her children had even gloated over having the bedroom to themselves; by the time she got back, she suspected that everything she left behind would have been thoroughly ruined.  

“They promised a reader on the ship,” she said, tightly.  She didn't want to ask Uncle Jake for anything, not when he'd been the one to take a peek at her while she was in the shower.  “I should be fine.”

“Make sure you are,” her aunt grated.  She hesitated, then reached into her pocket and produced a credit coin.  “Press your thumb against the reader.”

Kailee obeyed.  There was a faint bleep as the coin registered her fingerprint, locking itself to her.  The tiny screen on the top displayed a balance of seven thousand credits, more money than she'd had in her entire life.  She stared at it, then looked up at her aunt.  For once, Aunt Lillian’s face had softened into something resembling a smile.

“You may run into trouble,” she said, softly.  “If you do ... that may help you get out of it.”

“Oh,” Kailee said.  She didn't want to ask, but she knew she had to.  “Where ... where did you get the money?”

“Never you mind,” her aunt snapped, returning to her normal form of communication.  “If you bring it all back to me, I won't mind at all.  But if you need to use it, use it.”

“I will,” Kailee said, genuinely touched.  Her parents had never done anything like it for her, nor had anyone else.  “And thank you.”

Her aunt leaned forward and gave her a hug.  “Think of this whole trip as a story you can tell your grandkids,” she said, dryly.  “And enjoy yourself.”

Kailee shook her head, wearily.  Her plans might have been slightly derailed – although Yates had informed her that they would be away for nine months at most, which would still give her time to try to catch an agent’s attention – but she still had no intention of remaining in the CityBlock for the rest of her life.  She didn't want to be trapped there indefinitely, just like her aunt and uncle.  Or the rest of her classmates, for that matter.  

“I’ll do my best,” she promised.  “And thanks again.”

“Thank me when you get home,” Aunt Lillian said.  “I have no idea what that chip is going to be worth on the outer planets.”

Kailee’s puzzlement must have shown on her face, for her aunt explained.

“The value of money is going down, even as our income is going up,” she admitted.  It made no sense to Kailee, but she knew that her aunt was generally right about everything, no matter how irritating.  “I honestly don't know when it will end.”

***
Judy tasted of strawberries and cream, Darrin decided, as he kissed her on the lips.  They’d gone out dancing on the final night, then moved to a tiny room that young couples could hire for the hour.  Darrin knew that Fitz would be annoyed at how much of his Student Living Allowance he’d spent over the last two days, but for once he didn't care.  If he was going to be forced to go to a colony world for nine months, he was going to have some fun first, even if he was saving up trouble for later.

She kissed him back for a long moment, then broke contact and looked him in the eye.  “Are you going to come back?”

Darrin hesitated.  Part of him just wanted to finish undoing her shirt and allow her tantalisingly large breasts to bob free, part of him wanted to try to reassure her.  But reassure her about what?  He was going to be away for at least six months, six months during which time Judy would be horrendously vulnerable.  She was going to look for another protector, he knew.  The thought gnawed at him, even as he knew she had no choice.  He wasn't going to be around to look after her.

“I think so,” he said.  He reached for her shirt and undid the remaining buttons, then unclipped her bra.  Her breasts caught his attention and held it firmly.  “But let’s make the most of this night.”

Judy shifted, allowing him to push her down and lift up her skirt.  She wasn't wearing any panties.  Darrin felt his cock stiffen as he mounted her and pushed his way into her.  His hands caught her breasts, kneading them against her skin.  Judy grunted and clutched at him as he started to move inside her.  Moments later, it was all over.

Afterwards, they cleaned themselves up and dressed quickly.  It was funny, Darrin had often wondered, how he loved looking at her before sex, but afterwards he found himself largely indifferent to her.  He watched, dispassionately, as she buttoned up her shirt, hiding her breasts once again.  It was hard to believe that, five minutes ago, he’d been licking and sucking at those very breasts.

“Thank you,” Judy said.  “Will ... will you walk me home?”

“Of course,” Darrin said.  The gangs might have taken their bribes, but it was late at night and there were plenty of drunkards and druggies wandering the lower levels.  “I’ll be glad to take you home.”

Outside, he could hear music drifting down the corridors as they walked back towards the stairs.  A handful of revellers ran past them, singing the words of a bawdy song loudly enough to make Darrin’s ears hurt, and vanished into the distance.  Half of them were naked, he saw, their bare buttocks winking at him.  Judging by the faint scent in the air, they'd overdosed on Sparkle Dust and would be highly suggestible for the next few hours.  He shook his head, wondering at their idiocy.  He’d experimented with drugs before – everyone had – but he knew better than to mess with Sparkle Dust.  It was too dangerous even for him.

Judy clung to his arm as they reached the stairs and began to make their way up to the apartment block, trying to remain in the shadows.  The precise lines between the different gangs grew blurred down in the lower levels, where thousands of youngsters came to drink, dance and forget that they were trapped in the towering Cityblocks.  He heard someone shouting and half-turned, peering into the darkened corridor.  Someone bigger and nastier than Barry had shoved someone small into the wall and was busy tearing at their victim’s clothes.  Darrin couldn't tell if the victim was male or female.

He winced, then pulled Judy further up the stairs.  There was no point in trying to intervene, no matter what he thought was going on.  The victim wouldn't thank him, while the gangs – if the victimiser was a gang member – might take it out on his family.  He took Judy the rest of the way without incident, then paused outside her door for a quick kissing session.  His cock stiffened, urging him to try to talk her into bed for a second round, but he knew it would be futile.  Judy’s parents were stricter than his own, with good reason.

“Goodbye,” he muttered.

He strode away before she could say anything, if she had anything to say.  Behind him, he heard her door opening and the voice of Judy’s mother demanding to know where she’d been all night.  The woman had a voice like a fucking cat, Darrin had decided when he’d first met the bitch, one of the women who liked keeping up appearances even in the CityBlock.  And, sure as his name was Darrin, she had a whole series of embarrassing secrets in her past.  It explained why she was so damn strident.

Fitz was staggering against the wall when Darrin reached his own apartment, his fingers jabbing at the concrete as if he expected it to magically become a door.  Darrin smirked, realising that his stepfather was so drunk he couldn't see the fingerprint sensor clearly, then slipped past him and opened the door.  He half-hoped it would close before Fitz managed to bumble in, but no such luck.  The bastard lurched in, collapsed on the floor, then staggered back to his feet and advanced on Darrin.

“You bastard,” he said, his words slurred together.  “You should have told me.”

It took Darrin a moment to realise what Fitz meant.  The results of the competition hadn't been announced publically until a day after Darrin and the other winners had been told, leaving the gamblers in the CityBlock a chance to lay their bets on the sure thing.  Darrin could have told Fitz, but he'd kept it to himself.  For someone who spent most of his days drunk off his ass, Fitz had realised that he'd missed the opportunity to make some easy money very quickly.

“You should have told me that people were gambling on it,” Darrin countered, quickly.  He honestly hadn't known, although if he had he might have placed a bet on Gary.  The nerd had had the best chance of winning fairly ... but then, the competition wasn't fair.  How else did one explain Barry and Darrin winning too?  “I didn't know.”

“Of course you did, you little bastard,” Fitz slurred.  He pointed towards the sofa.  “Get bent over, now!  And get your trousers down!”

Darrin shook his head, taking a step backwards.  He’d been thrashed bent over the sofa once and the bruises had lasted for days afterwards.  And besides, he was younger and weaker then, without the strength that came from exercising regularly.  He told himself, desperately, that Fitz didn't have the right to touch him, even as his stepfather ambled towards him, murder in his eye.  His fists suddenly looked as big as planets ...

Fitz took a drunken swing at him.  Darrin moved to one side, then threw a punch back, right into his stepfather’s nose.  There was a satisfying crunching sound as the nose broke under the blow, but – drunk as he was – Fitz barely seemed to notice.  Instead, blood dripping from his smashed nose, he took another swing at Darrin.  Darrin jumped backwards .... and crashed into the wall.  He'd been backed right up against it.

“Gotcha, you little bastard,” Fitz said.  “I bring you up, I pay for your schooling, I put food on the table ...”

“That’s a damn lie,” Darrin snapped, anger overriding fear.  “You take the SLA from me and use it for yourself ...”

Fitz threw a punch.  Darrin managed to dodge it and Fitz’s fist hit the wall.  He let out a howl – that had to have hurt, even though the drink – and Darrin brought up his knee, hitting him in the groin.  Fitz bent double, screaming in agony; Darrin kicked him in the head as hard as he could.  The drunkard fell to the ground, stunned.

For an awful moment, Darrin thought he’d killed his stepfather.  The man had been a bastard – and it wasn't as if getting away with it would be hard – but losing him would affect his mother quite badly.  And yet, when he checked, Fitz was still breathing ... Darrin hesitated, utterly unsure of what to do.  Part of his mind suggested, quite urgently, cutting the man’s throat while he was helpless.  The rest of him just screamed for him to run.

Quickly, he walked back to his room, picked up his bag ... then paused, outside his mother’s bedroom.  He peeked inside and swore, grimly.  She was lying on the bed, drunk out of her mind.  Darrin silently bid her farewell, then walked past Fitz’s body to the door.  Maybe his stepfather wouldn't recover, maybe he would ... but Darrin knew that he could never go home.  He might as well stay on the colony world.  Yates had said that there was always work for those willing to work hard.

He took one last look at the apartment, realising just how little personality had been stamped into the walls over the years.  And then he stepped out into the corridor, closing the door behind him.

***
It was eight in the morning.

Gary tore himself away from the computer, then activated a special program he’d traded with several online contacts to obtain.  All evidence of his non-scholarly activities – the hacked computer codes, the game programs and the porn stash – were wiped within seconds, leaving the computer returned to normal.  He would have to re-hack the system when he came back, if he had time to play games while studying frantically for his exams.  It was irritating to know that all of his high scores were gone, but he would have to live with it.  If nothing else, he could take pride in having an unbroken string of victories.

I'm the most popular person in the gaming network, he thought, recalling a joke that was so old no one had any idea where it actually came from.  That makes me number billion on the datanet as a whole, behind all the porn stars.

He checked his bag carefully, making sure that his reader and small computer terminal were carefully stowed away.  Yates had advised them to be careful what they brought, pointing out that Meridian couldn't produce everything they might want.  Gary had actually looked up investment opportunities, downloading a number of flicks and musical tracks that might not have reached Meridian yet, but there wasn’t much they could actually carry.  It was annoying to realise that the starship they were taking was huge, yet relatively small when it came to cargo capacity.  But then, most of its hold carried colony gear.

Undressing, he inspected the bruise on his chest where Moe had hit him.  Barry had been keeping his distance over the last few days, much to his surprise, but Moe seemed to be under no obligation to leave him in peace.  Nor was anyone else; the last two days had been hellish, with almost everyone playing jokes and pranks on him.  But he'd soon be gone.  If Barry hadn’t been coming along, he might almost have welcomed the trip ...

There was a tap on the door.  “One moment,” he called, reaching for his dressing gown and buckling it on.  “Come in.”

The door opened, revealing Sammie.  She looked wide-eyed and innocent, only slightly married by the mark on her face.  Gary knew what that meant; someone had hit her, deliberately.  But she was only nine ...

He shook his head.  What did age matter?  They’d started getting at him as soon as he’d entered school for the first time.

“I wish I could come with you,” Sammie said.  “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too,” Gary said, although he knew that he could do nothing to protect his sister.  What good was he when he couldn't even stand up to a pack of nine-year-olds?  But then, those nine-year-old brats had older siblings, siblings who shared his classes at school.  They would get at him if he got at them.  “Take care of mum and dad, ok?”

Sammie nodded.  Gary picked up his bag, checked it one last time, then slung it over his back.  Yates had told them that they wouldn't be going to school, but the aircar pad on top of the CityBlock.  He gave his sister a tight hug, then walked out of his bedroom and said goodbye to his parents.  Both of them muttered something, then turned their attention back o the big screen in front of the sofa.  They preferred fantasy worlds to reality.

Gary’s lips twitched.  How could he complain?  He spent most of his time playing in VR environments as it was.

Waving goodbye to Sammie, he stepped out of the door and headed for the lifts.

Chapter Eight

In short, the educational ideal is to fill young children with knowledge and awaken their intelligence, making them fit to discharge the duties of citizenship in an enlightened and independent manner.
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

There was a bleep as someone tapped the buzzer on the far side of the door.

Kailee opened it, then smiled in relief as she saw Yates.  He’d offered to escort her to the aircar pad – the rest of the girls wouldn't be going, naturally – but she hadn't been sure he would keep his word.  It was hard to get any sense of personality out of him; there were times when she thought he approved of her and times when she had the impression that he hated all four of his charges.  And she had never caught him looking at her breasts when he had the chance.

“Thank you,” she said, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.  Yates moved to take it, but she shook her head.  Boys had a habit of assuming that doing favours for a girl automatically gave them rights over the girl or access to her body – and it was easier to refuse the offer than tell them otherwise, after the fact.  “Are we going now?”

Yates nodded, gravely.  Kailee flushed, then turned to say goodbye to her family.  Her mother and father made a brief appearance to wish her well, then returned to sit in front of the display scene and lose themselves in the latest soap opera.  One day, Kailee promised herself, they would watch in awe as their daughter took the starring role.  Aunt Lillian gave her a hug, inspected Yates with a thoughtful expression, then stepped backwards.  The kids were already invading Kailee’s room and exploring what she’d left behind.

“Goodbye,” Kailee said.  She felt conflicted; it was good to get out of the apartment, but she really didn't want to go millions of light years from Earth.  “Let’s go.”

Yates smiled.  She followed him out of the apartment, then down a long corridor towards the central elevators.  The gangsters seemed to keep their distance from the two of them, although she couldn't whether they found Yates intimidating or someone had bought them off beforehand.  Once they reached the elevators – the block was slowly coming to life around them, now the teenagers were in school – Yates tapped a code into the control panel and called the emergency elevator.  Kailee lifted her eyebrows; the only people who were permitted to use the emergency elevator were the emergency services and the bureaucrats.  But when the elevator arrived and opened its doors, it was clear that it was nothing special at all, merely another metal box.

“Inside,” Yates said, shortly.  Kailee obeyed, then watched as he keyed another set of commands into the panel inside the elevator.  The doors hissed closed; the elevator lurched into life, heading upwards.  “This may take some time.”

Kailee scowled in understanding.  The CityBlock had a thousand levels, divided between residential, shopping, entertainment and storage blocks.  She had never left the CityBlock; as far as she knew, only a handful of her fellow students had ever gone to the uppermost levels and seen the sky overhead.  Hundreds of thousands of millions of people were born, lived and died in the cityblocks without ever leaving.  Their CityBlock was their home.

And she was leaving.  The thought made her feel strange, even though she’d planned to leave ever since she’d decided that acting offered her the best chance of escape.  If there was one advantage to living in a CityBlock, it was that she knew most of the people near her apartment – although she knew that only went so far.  People might be friendly, but they wouldn't help her if she got into trouble.  No one wanted to help for fear it would splash over them.  

It took nearly thirty minutes for the elevator to reach its destination.  Kailee half-expected Yates to try something – he was a man, wasn't he? – but he seemed inclined to just lean against the wall and relax.  Kailee watched him, puzzled; he seemed very different from most of the boys she knew, even the ones who played sports almost constantly.  There was something about him she found dangerous ... but at the same time, she found it reassuring.  It made no sense to her.  What sort of man was he?

When the elevator doors hissed open, she found herself looking out through a large set of windows at a darkening sky.  She checked her watch automatically; surely it wasn't still dark outside?  But when she stepped closer, she saw ominous dark clouds hovering around the towering cityblocks.  Strange flickers of light seemed to dance among the clouds, making her take a step backwards in shock.  She knew about the weather, of course, but she’d never seen it for herself.  There was no weather deep inside the cityblocks.

“Now, we wait,” Yates said.  He sounded irritated.  The others were late.  Kailee wasn't too surprised; if they were coming on their own, they would have to convince the security guards that they were allowed up to the uppermost levels.  And besides, being on time for anything official just wasn't cool.  “Have you reviewed the files I gave you?”

“Yes,” Kailee said, feeling everything she’d learnt drain out of her mind.  She hoped he wasn’t planning a pop quiz.  There were teachers who questioned their pupils from time to time.  They rarely lasted long – someone would issue a complaint after the first day – but they were always irritating.  “I reviewed them all.”

Yates gave her a faint smile that suggested he knew what she really meant.  “You’ll be tested, all right,” he warned.  “And if you fail, you won't get a second chance.”

Kailee bit her lip.  “What ... what does that mean?”

“Wait and see,” Yates said.  His smile grew wider.  “Just you wait and see.”

***
Darrin had spent an uncomfortable night in one of the entertainment compartments, watching a couple of flicks and trying to forget the last sight he’d had of Fitz, crumpled on the floor.  It bothered him badly that he’d left his stepfather in such a place, no matter how badly the bastard had deserved a beating.  Part of him wanted to go back to the apartment and make sure that Fitz was alright, part of him knew perfectly well that Fitz would never show him the same consideration.  By the time morning rolled around, Darrin was tired, irritable and headachy.  He drew a painkiller from the compartment’s stores – headaches were a frequent side-effect of VR simulations – and started to walk towards the stairs.

Fitz will just have to take care of himself, he thought.  It still gnawed at him.  And damn the bastard.

He kept his expression carefully blank as he stepped aside to allow a pair of Civil Guardsmen to walk past him.  They paid him no special attention, but he couldn't help worrying that they’d been sent to arrest him.  Maybe Fitz had lodged an official complaint ... no, somehow Darrin doubted that was true.  The man might have bragged endlessly of his connections, but if he’d had real connections he wouldn't be living with Darrin’s mother.  And if the authorities didn't care about the gangs or the prostitution, rape or murder that took place in the CityBlock on a daily basis, they were unlikely to care about Fitz either.  Seeing the Guardsmen still unnerved him, though.

There was no point in trying to talk his way past the security guards at the elevators.  They were unlikely to believe him, whatever he said; few people from his level were ever given permission to travel freely to the higher levels.  Instead, he found the stairwell and started to walk upwards.  It took nearly an hour, but he finally reached the top, sweating like a pig.  Yates tossed him a sardonic look as he staggered out of the door; Kailee merely looked amused ... and disgustingly sweat-free.  No doubt she’d talked the guards into letting her ride the elevator.

The nearest pair of doors opened, revealing Gary.  Darrin glared at the nerd, who stopped and took a step backwards.  How had he managed to get on the elevators?  Gary gave him a nervous look, then walked towards the windows and stared outside.  Darrin was too busy catching his breath to care about what was going on outside the CityBlock.

“Take some water from the dispenser,” Yates advised, dryly.  “And next time, just show the guards your papers.”

Darrin flushed, angry at himself.  They could have told him that their papers included permits to use the elevators!  But clearly they’d assumed that the lucky winners could work it out for themselves.  Gary certainly had ... it gave Darrin no pleasure when Barry stumbled out of the stairwell, clearly the worse for drink.  Darrin gulped as much water as he could, then stepped aside to allow Barry a chance at the dispenser.  Yates watched them with a sardonic eye, then cleared his throat loudly.

“Now that we are finally all here,” he said, “you can follow me.”

Kailee and Gary trotted after him at once.  Darrin and Barry followed, a little more reluctantly.  It helped that Kailee was wearing something tight enough to show the shape of her ass.  If she knew she was encouraging them, she didn't show any sign of it – but then, she had always been an ice princess.  There were stories shared among the guys of each and every girl in the school, yet none of the ones about Kailee had ever been verified.  As far as Darrin knew, she was still a virgin.  That made her almost unique in their class.

They reached the end of the corridor and looked out into a small hanger.  An aircar sat on its landing struts, waiting for them.  It was smaller than Darrin had expected – most of the flicks he’d seen had made aircars out to be big bulky things – but it was large enough to take all five of them.  Yates pulled a small device out of his pocket and clicked it, opening the doors, then motioned for Kailee to take the front seat.  Darrin, who had been hoping to sit next to her, rolled his eyes.  Clearly, Yates was interested in her too.  She wasn't that much younger than him.

Gary sat at one of the window seats, Darrin sat in the middle, separating Gary and Barry.  It was practical, he told himself; he didn't want to be disturbed by Barry picking on Gary – and he would, he knew.  Barry delighted in picking on everyone, even if the hangover he was clearly nursing seemed to have sapped his energy.  The doors hissed closed a moment later, then locked.  A faint hum echoed through the aircar as the hatch ahead of the vehicle opened, then the craft lurched into the air and raced forward.  Darrin barely had time to draw in a breath before they were in the open air and heading out, away from the CityBlock.

The aircar shuddered and bounced like it was a living thing.  Something – gusts of wind, perhaps – seemed to be battering at its hull, shaking the entire vehicle.  He heard Gary let out a yelp as the vehicle tilted, as if it were on the verge of flipping over completely, then stabilised.  Craning his head behind them, be beheld the CityBlock in all its glory.  

He’d seen pictures, of course, but they didn't compare to the real thing.  Rowdy Yates was a towering structure, growing out of the Undercity and clawing upwards towards the sky.  It was staggeringly ugly, utterly solid.  He couldn't imagine anything that would damage the giant building, let alone destroy it.  The ominous clouds around the very highest levels seemed harmless, compared to the towering CityBlock.  

And it wasn't alone.  As the aircar rose higher, he saw hundreds – no, thousands – of similar structures, reaching towards the sky.  If Rowdy Yates held upwards of a million inhabitants – they’d never been given any precise figures, if they existed – he couldn't imagine just how many people lived in the surrounding blocks.  He’d certainly never left his CityBlock in his entire life, even the handful of field trips had been done through VR simulations.  Who knew what it would be like in the next CityBlock?  

It would be just the same, he thought.  Block residents had a tendency to focus on their own block, completely disregarding the rest of the planet.  There was near-constant warfare between the gangs over access routes and tolls, but most of them remained locked in their separate blocks.  Nothing he'd seen, however, had suggested that there were real differences between the blocks, at least those close to one another.  They'd be just like us.

He looked towards Yates and blinked in surprise as he realised the older man was actually flying the aircar personally.  Darrin had never been on an aircar before, but he’d had endless lectures on how safe the automatic command and control network actually was ... and how fallible humans weren't allowed to fly their own vehicles.  Now, he couldn't help wondering why they'd been taught that in the first place.  It wasn't as if it was any use to them.

But what have we been taught that is useful?

The thought nagged at his mind.  He'd learned more about playing the numbers from Fitz than he'd learned at school.  His mother had taught him more about taking care of himself than school, largely through having as little to do with her son as possible.  But school ... what good was everything they’d learned, really?  All it seemed to do was keep the kids busy eight till six, including the time necessary to pass through the security gates.  Maybe that was all the teachers wanted ...

He shook his head.  If they’d been shown the towering cityblocks, what would they have made of them?  But that had never been an option.

***
Gary had never expected to feel pathetically grateful to Darrin, but in taking the middle seat – and sparing him from Barry – he had good reason to be thankful for the other boy.  It was hard enough being on the aircar; every time the vehicle lurched or shuddered, Gary had to fight down a rising tide of panic.  He’d flown in vehicles before, in the VR worlds he’d fought in online, but it wasn't quite the same.  Here, he could die if the vehicle fell out of the sky.  The black clouds, seemingly bare metres above their heads, looked solid.  He knew that was an illusion, that they would just pass through the clouds if they rose higher, but he couldn't escape the conviction that they were all going to die.

He fixed his gaze on the back of Kailee’s neck, trying to keep his mind occupied with something else.  Fantasizing about the girls in his class had always seemed pointless – besides, he could download enough porn to keep himself occupied for hours – but there was little else to distract him.  He was just grateful that he wasn't sitting next to Barry.  The bastard would probably have pushed him towards the window, threatening to break through the glass – or whatever it was – and send him falling down towards the ground.  Cold logic suggested that it would be impossible, but cold logic had little to do with his life.

Somehow, he managed to look down.  The endless waves of cityblocks had come to a brief halt.  Instead, there was a black liquid; it took him a moment to realise that he was staring down at the dangerously-polluted ocean, the same ocean that served as an excuse for the endless recycling and other government initiatives to save what remained of the planet’s environment.  Looking down at the heaving mass, Gary couldn't help thinking that it was far too late – and besides, no one bothered to recycle anything anyway.  There was just too much nagging and too little positive reinforcement.  They didn't even bother with negative reinforcement.

If there are fish down there, they’re all dead, he thought.  According to their one trip to the holographic zoo, millions of different animals now only existed off-world – or in zoos.  That liquid is poisonous.

In the distance, he caught sight of ... something reaching up towards the sky.  It looked like a needle, thin and barely strong enough to survive, but as they flew closer it grew larger and larger until it dominated the horizon.  The building was larger – far larger – than any of the cityblocks they’d passed over; unlike them, it punched right through the clouds as if they weren't there.  And it was still growing larger ... just how big was it?  

“That’s Orbital Tower One,” Yates said, when Kailee asked.  “It’s base is massive, over a hundred kilometres wide, set firmly in the planet’s crust.  They say it took decades to build the tower and the other three, but once they were built humanity could really start expanding across the universe.  Those towers are the gateway to the stars.”

The aircar dropped down towards the lower levels, finally coming into land on a small pad that dropped into the ground as soon as they touched down.  Overhead, a hatch slid closed, blocking out the dark sky – and the first drops of rain.  The lights came on, revealing a large hanger.  All around them, there were dozens of other aircars.

“Stay inside the designated footpaths,” Yates ordered, as the doors opened.  “You can get seriously hurt here if you stand in the wrong place.”

Gary climbed out of the aircar and hastened to stand in the safe zone.  Kailee followed him a moment later, Darrin and Barry took longer.  Yates ended up barking at them to hurry, then led them down the pathway as soon as they were both out of the vehicle.  Gary and Kailee exchanged glances – she’d been just as scared as Gary, he realised – and followed him, allowing the other two to bring up the rear.

Despite himself, he felt a twinge of excitement.  No one in his school had ever been to the orbital towers.  The four of them would have a real story to tell when they got home ...

Not that it would help his social position, he knew.  He would always be on the very lowest level of the social order.  And there was nothing he could do about that.

Chapter Nine

Needless to say, public education within the Empire did not live up to these lofty goals.  It did not even come close to living up to those goals.  And the fact that each successive generation of children were worse-educated than the last played a large role in the eventual collapse of the Empire.  As I have noted in my prior textbooks, towards the end the Empire was not even able to maintain – let alone expand – the society it had developed.
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

“These are your ID bracelets,” Yates said, once they had passed through an airlock into a thoroughfare.  “Put them on, do not remove them until I tell you to take them off.  At best, there’s a stiff fine for replacing them.”

Kailee took hers and examined it briefly.  It didn't look any different to the bracelet she had to wear every day at school, at least on the outside.  They were specifically forbidden to try to open them and, as far as she knew, no one had ever actually succeeded.  Hell, none of the kids had ever even been able to take them off while they were in school.  She wrapped it around her wrist, then followed Yates as he led them down towards a large crowd forming in front of a pair of gates.  

She couldn't help glancing around with interest as she saw the thousands of people milling through the hall.  Some of them were dressed just like her parents, others wore colourful costumes or uniforms she hadn't seen outside the entertainment flicks.  One woman, wearing the navy blue uniform of the Imperial Navy, caught and held her attention for a long moment, before she walked away arm-in-arm with another uniformed man.  Kailee couldn't help noticing that her uniform was carefully tailored to show off her curves to best advantage; absently, she wondered if that was a regulation uniform or if the woman was sleeping her way to the top.  Stellar Star had never shared her body in exchange for promotion, but given her sheer number of conquests it was easy to believe that she might have benefited from the goodwill of her sexual partners.

A handful of men and women wearing long black robes that covered every inch of their bodies walked past them, even their faces hidden from prying eyes.  Kailee had heard of the Faceless Ones, a religious sect that believed in hiding themselves, but she’d never met one before.  In fact, looking at them, it was hard to tell which of them were male and which were female.  If they weren't allowed to undress in public, even amongst their own kind, how would they know how to tell the difference?  Coming to think of it, how did they even procreate?

They reached the front of the line and stopped outside a counter.  The bored looking woman at the desk scanned their bracelets, then fired off a series of increasingly stupid and inane questions.  No, they hadn't been off-Earth before; no, they didn't have any infectious diseases; no, they already had clearance to leave the planet ... by the time the woman was finished, Kailee was wondering if this was the sort of job most of her classmates could expect when they graduated.  It didn't seem to require any skills apart from a high tolerance for boredom, which was the one useful skill taught in school.

“Give her your bags,” Yates ordered.  “They will be shipped to the starship separately.”

Kailee scowled – if there was one thing she’d learned living in a CityBlock, it was that one should never leave one’s property unattended – but obeyed, handing over her bag.  The woman took it, attached a bracelet to the straps, then dumped it on a moving line that whisked it away into the bowels of the tower.  Gary looked ready to protest as his bag was dropped down hard enough to break anything fragile, but a warning look from Yates told him to keep his mouth shut.  Once the final two bags were handed over, the gate hissed open, allowing them to proceed.

“Just to remind you that you are responsible for the content of your bags,” Yates said, once they were through the gates and heading towards the next checkpoint.  “Should you happen to be carrying anything forbidden, they’ll ship you over to the holding pens and add you to the next batch of indents.”

You could have told us that earlier, Kailee thought, sourly.  She'd actually read the instructions – there were a long list of things that they were forbidden to bring, starting with any form of weapon or explosives – but she doubted that either Darrin or Barry had bothered to read the list or have it read to them.  Makeshift weapons were common in the lower levels of the CityBlock, despite endless laws against possession.  Kailee honestly didn't know why the authorities bothered.

Gary had a different question.  “What’s an indent?”

“An indentured colonist,” Yates explained.  “They’re generally petty criminals from Earth, snatched up by the Civil Guard and sentenced to exile.  Most of them spend five to twenty years on the outermost colony worlds, helping to prepare them for settlement.”

“That sounds bad,” Kailee said.

“It can be,” Yates agreed.  “But a surprising number of indents have made something of themselves in the colonies.  I knew a successful businessman who was shipped to his new homeworld after being caught purse-snatching in East-Meg One.  He started as grunt labour in a farm, but soon realised how he could make a profit for himself.”

Gary looked appalled.  “The criminal became an important man?”

“The colonies generally don’t care what someone did on Earth, as long as they are willing to work,” Yates said.  “There are some who never learn, who spend the rest of their days in chains, but the ones who work hard can make something of themselves.  And their children are considered proper colonists.”

He paused as they reached the second set of gates.  “I suggest that you cooperate with the guards here, no matter what happens,” he added.  “There was an ... incident two days ago and security has been tightened extensively.”

Kailee saw what he meant as soon as they stepped through the gates.  Grim-faced Civil Guardsmen, carrying stunners and plastic ties on their belts, were watching the lines of people as they made their way through the security gates.  She gritted her teeth as she realised that each and every person had to pass through the check alone.  It was just like being at school, apart from the weapons and the clear aroma of fear in the air.  Whatever had happened two days ago, it had been bad.  

But I heard nothing on the news about it, she thought.  She rarely watched the news, but Aunt Lillian watched it whenever she had a spare moment.  Surely, her aunt would have told her if something had gone wrong.  What happened?

Yates motioned for Barry to go first when they reached the second set of gates.  The gate opened, then closed behind him with an air of stunning finality.  Kailee discovered that her mouth was dry, even though she’d passed through similar gates every day she’d gone to school.  When her time came around, Yates had to push her through the gate and into the small compartment.  It was barely large enough for her to swing a cat.

“Hold out your arms,” a toneless voice ordered.  “Spread your legs as far as they will go.”

Kailee hesitated, then obeyed.  A dull buzzing sound echoed through the compartment, then nothing.  She started to straighten up, then stopped when the voice spoke again, ordering her to turn around and bend over.  Irritated, Kailee did as she was told.  There was another buzzing sound, then the other door opened up.  Kailee straightened up, stepped through and came face-to-face with a Civil Guardsman who leered at her.  Had he been watching through a hidden sensor?  How much could the sensors see?

“Show me your bracelet,” he ordered, holding a scanner in one hand.  He pressed it against the bracelet when she held it up for him, then nodded down at the result.  “You have a slot on Elevator Seventeen, departing in one hour.  Do not be late or you will have to go through the whole procedure again.”

He nodded towards a door at the far end of the compartment, which opened.  Kailee started to step through, then jumped forward as he aimed a slap at her buttocks.  She heard him snickering behind her as she practically ran through the door; there was no point, she knew, in complaining about that sort of harassment.  Civil Guardsmen were immune to lawsuits, even assuming that she had been able to put together the money to file suit.  Outside, she saw Barry and Darrin sitting on comfortable chairs, waiting for her.  The atmosphere seemed a great deal more relaxed now that they were through the security precautions.  There were even readers placed on the tables, waiting for users.

“This is your one chance to explore the departure lounge, but we cannot miss the elevator,” Yates informed them.  Kailee jumped; she hadn't heard him coming through the gates.  “I want you to meet me over there” – he pointed to a large painting of the Childe Roland – “in forty minutes.  Do not be late.”

Kailee nodded.  Darrin and Barry took off at once.  Gary hesitated, then sat down next to Yates and picked up one of the readers.  After a moment, Kailee joined him.  Despite the safety precautions, she didn't feel safe at all.

She looked over at Yates, who had found a reader of his own.  “What happened two days ago?”

“The Nihilists attacked Enid Blyton CityBlock and took thousands of hostages,” Yates said, grimly.  “You won’t have heard anything about it because the news was largely blacked out by the Government.  The Civil Guard proved unable to quell the uprising and the Marines had to be sent in.  You won’t have heard anything about that either.”

Kailee blinked in surprise.  She'd heard of the Nihilists, of course; they believed that life was completely worthless, encouraging their followers to commit suicide.  But she’d never realised that they would attack others ... 

“They don't care about anything, apart from their beliefs,” Yates explained.  “And that makes them deadly dangerous.  I shudder to think about what might happen if one of them got onto the orbital tower with enough explosive to do real damage.  Billions of people might be killed.”

***
Darrin had mixed feelings about spending time with Barry.  One on hand, Barry could actually be fun; on the other hand, spending time with him was like living next to one of the man-eating monsters from the Arena.  One never knew when the monster might turn on him when it next needed some amusement.  But for the moment, walking through the departure lounge was a strange experience.  Many of the people he saw, he realised, were actually leaving Earth permanently.

He looked at the stalls and smiled as he realised that the prices were actually cheaper than the prices in the CityBlock.  There were even fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as the more common algae-based ration bars.  The smell of freshly cooked meat drew him forwards and he found himself staring at a burger bar, before he remembered that he didn't have any money to buy anything.  He considered, briefly, asking Yates for money, before dismissing the thought.  They’d be fed on the elevator, they’d been told.  

They walked back to the meeting point, then followed Yates through another set of gates and into a large room, crammed with comfortable chairs.  A large display screen dominated one wall, other held a handful of automated food stalls.  Yates motioned for them to find seats and sit down, leaving Darrin puzzled.  Where was the elevator?  The doors hissed closed and the entire room lurched, then there was a faint feeling of acceleration.  Darrin shook his head in disbelief as the screen came to life; the entire room was the elevator.  Outside, he saw the endless cities of Earth falling away as the elevator rose up into the air.

“It isn't real,” Yates commented, quietly.  “The elevator isn't on the outside of the tower at all.”

Darrin nodded, feeling a strange sense of disappointment as he saw the other problems with the image.  The weather had been dark and overcast when they’d landed – the orbital tower seemed to attract clouds – but the screen was showing a bright sunny day.  There was no hint of the pollution they’d seen as they flew over towards the orbital tower.  As they moved higher, the curve of the Earth’s surface started to appear and the cityblocks started to merge into an omnipresent greyness.

Kailee, who had been scanning the crowd, let out a gasp.  Darrin turned, just in time to see her pointing towards a handful of young men.  “Who ... who are they?”

“Soldiers from the Imperial Army,” Yates said.  He sounded oddly irked by her question, although Darrin couldn't see why.  “I think they’re from the First Horse Regiment, judging by their uniform badges.  One of the better regiments out there.”

Darrin studied the soldiers with undisguised fascination.  They wore green uniforms and looked ... tough.  He couldn't tell which of them was in charge; the golden stripes on their uniforms made no sense to him.  And they kept their distance from the civilians, sometimes throwing them glances of barely considered disdain.  The civilians seemed eager to return the favour.

“They shouldn't be here,” Kailee said.  “It isn't safe.”

Yates gave her a look that made her shut up, sharply.  “They’re better men than you or I,” he snapped.  “And they put their lives on the line, daily, so you can enjoy the lives you do.  Be grateful.”

Darrin wondered, absently, if Yates had been a soldier himself.  He certainly had the right attitude.  Dismissing the thought, he turned away to look at the screen.  They were passing through the clouds now; the atmosphere had become a hazy wisp surrounding the orbital tower, clinging to it as if the tower had its own gravity field.  There was no way to know if the representation was accurate; right now, it looked as though Earth was growing smaller and smaller, while the tower was growing larger.  It made his head hurt to think about the possible implications.

One by one, the pieces of Earth’s giant network of orbital settlements and industrial nodes came into view.  Darrin had learned about them in school, but seeing them now – so close to him – was something else.  Earth had the largest industrial sector in the galaxy, he’d been taught, as befitted the planet’s role as the font of all civilisation.  Each day, the planet produced enough goods to keep the entire galaxy going.  Or so they had been taught.  It was evident that some of what they had been taught was far from accurate.

“There’s nothing permitted anywhere near the orbital towers,” Yates said, dryly.  “Most of the orbital settlements are actually higher than the uppermost edge of the tower.  You don't have to worry about an asteroid slamming into the building.”

Gary looked disappointed.  “So it’s all fiction?”

“Not ...fiction,” Yates said, “just a misrepresentation.”

Darrin nodded as the first starships came into view.  Most of them were bulky, surprisingly crude; dull boxy shapes that suggested that their designers had focused on practicalities over aesthetics.  A handful looked thoroughly nasty, bristling with weapons and sensor nodes; he recognised one design of battleship from watching Stellar Star strutting her stuff over the datanet.  Somehow, he doubted that they would be travelling on one of those.

He looked down, towards Earth.  The planet was a blue-green sphere, hanging in the darkness of interplanetary space.  It seemed suddenly small and fragile to him; he couldn't make out the towering cityblocks at all.  But surely he should have been able to see the megacities ... something tore at his heart as he realised that the entire planet was nothing more than an idealised depiction of what Earth should have been.  Now, the planet was so badly polluted that it was dying.

The elevator jerked slightly, then slowed to a halt.  There was a long pause – the floor shuddered slightly under their feet – then the doors opened, revealing another lounge.  This one was barren, with chairs and little else; there was no form of entertainment apart from a single display screen showing what looked like a series of cartoons.  Darrin hesitated as he caught sight of a group of men and women wearing bright orange overalls sitting in one corner, their hands and legs chained to make it hard for them to walk or escape.  They had to be indents.

“We have to wait again,” Yates said, after exchanging a few words with a uniformed man.  “Sit down and be patient.”

Sighing, Darrin obeyed.  He took his seat, then looked around.  The soldiers marched past them and headed into a door, which closed behind them as soon as the last one was through the gap.  A handful of young children were running around, chasing one another with seemingly limitless energy; a older girl, around the same age as Kailee, seemed depressed as she sat beside her parents.  Darrin guessed that she didn't want to leave Earth either.

Surprisingly, Barry was quiet as he sat down next to Darrin.  He seemed to be staring at the indents, perhaps wondering just how close he'd come to joining them.  Darrin wondered the same thing himself; he’d never seen anyone punished for anything in the lower levels, but people did vanish all the time.  What if they’d been arrested, sentenced and evicted from Earth, leaving their families behind to come up with a story to explain their departure?  But surely the authorities would want to tell everyone that there was punishment ...?

He shook his head.  There was no telling what seemed logical to the authorities.  After all, if they could fix a competition and give seats on a starship to four teenagers who didn't really want to go, surely keeping quiet would seem logical to them too.  Or maybe they were just insane.

It seemed as good a theory as anything else.

Chapter Ten

Unfortunately, when operated on a large scale, education tends to put other matters before educating children.  This becomes all the more apparent when the decision-makers are separated from the actual educational process.  Lacking any real understanding of what is going on in the classrooms, educational bureaucrats found themselves looking for ways to measure progress that could actually be quantified.
- Professor Leo Caesius.  Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

Gary had seen enough flicks, he thought, to know what it was like when someone left Earth.  There was a walk through a near-transparent tube, where the starship could be seen in all its glory, then a jump through an airlock into the ship.  It was a disappointment, when the time finally came to board the starship, to discover that it was nothing more than walking down a corridor, passing their bracelets to a pair of uniformed guards, then stepping through an airlock into the ship.  The only sign that they had actually boarded a real starship was a faint quiver in the gravity field, where the tower’s gravity had been replaced by the starship’s artificial gravity.

Inside, the starship made him feel almost claustrophobic.  The passageways were smaller than the corridors back home, making Yates and Barry bow their heads as they stepped through a series of passageways.  Some of them were lined with enigmatic pipes, others were cold and completely sterile.  The handful of crewmen they met cast distrustful glances at them, then ignored the newcomers completely.  By the time they reached their compartment, Gary was wishing that he could go home.  The environment was just familiar enough to be disconcerting.  It was certainly nothing like Stellar Star’s starships, which had been bright, roomy and utterly unbeatable.

He followed Yates into the compartment and stopped in surprise as he saw eight other teenagers and a grim-faced woman waiting for them.  He’d known that the four of them weren't the only winners, but it was still a surprise to meet someone from another CityBlock.  The woman rapidly introduced herself as Janet Livingston, their other escort; she looked friendlier than Yates, although there was a hardness in her voice that bothered Gary more than he cared to admit.  She intimidated him.

“There are six boys and six girls,” Janet said.  “One compartment” – she pointed a long finger towards a hatch – “has been put aside for the girls, the other is for the boys.  Boys will not go into the girls compartment and vice versa.  Does anyone wish to argue about that?”

Gary kept his mouth firmly closed.  He would have preferred a compartment he didn't have to share with Barry, let alone four other teenage boys, but he knew he wasn't going to be that lucky.  Quietly, he resigned himself to a month or two of hell.  Maybe he could find a friend among the ship’s crew and explore her hull, keeping his distance from Barry and the others.

“We have been told to remain in this compartment until the ship is underway, which is expected to be in four hours,” Janet continued, when no one spoke up.  “Once we are underway, there will be tours of the ship and plenty of opportunity for you to keep up with your studies and learn from the crew.  However, there are a number of safety precautions you are expected to bear in mind at all times.  I have been informed by the XO that the Captain will not hesitate to lock up any of you who caused trouble or puts lives in danger.”

I’ll bet, Gary thought, sarcastically.  In his experience, no authority figure had been able to control Barry – and there was no reason to assume that the ship’s Captain would be any different.  Barry would do what came naturally – and that was picking on anyone weaker than himself.  He found himself looking at the other winners and wondering which of them could stand up to Barry.  None of them looked very impressive, although the girls looked quite pretty.  Darrin and Barry had to be in heaven.

“For the moment, you are not to leave this section of the ship without an escort,” Janet informed them.  Gary groaned inwardly.  “You are to be extremely careful not to damage any part of the ship, no matter how insignificant it appears.  You are not permitted to enter the bridge, the engineering compartment or any exterior airlocks without permission.  Anyone caught trying to enter the restricted sections will be in deep trouble.”

Gary listened as she spoke on and on, outlining a list of precautions they were expected to take at all times.  Shipsuits were to be worn; if they heard alarms, they were to don their masks and scramble into the nearest safe compartment.  Water was not to be wasted; their showers would last two minutes precisely, then shut off.  Gary silently prayed that nothing would go wrong.  Knowing Barry, he would probably push Gary out of the safe compartment and leave him to die as the air exploded out of the ship.

“Interstellar travel is fairly safe,” Janet concluded.  “But bear this in mind at all times.  Space does not suffer fools gladly.  Something that would result in minor injury on Earth could get you and others killed in space.  And believe me, you cannot come back from the dead.”

She glanced down at her watch.  “Your bags should have already been placed within the compartments.  You may go and inspect them  now, if you wish.”

Reluctantly, Gary followed Darrin and the other boys into their compartment.  It looked like a military barracks, with bunk beds and small cabinets; he hoped and prayed that Yates would be sleeping in the same room, even though he knew it was unlikely.  There were twelve beds in all, as if they’d believed that there would be other winners.  Or as if they didn't normally bother to separate the sexes.

“You take that bed,” Barry ordered, pushing Gary towards the bed that was furthest from the hatch.  Gary winced inwardly, then obeyed.  There was no point in trying to fight, not when all it would get him was a beating.  Barry just seemed to get off on hurting people; Gary had seen him pick fights with other boys, boys who were almost as big as Barry himself.  “I’ll take this one.”

Darrin took another top bunk; the others chose their own beds in silence.  They looked as unsure as Gary felt; they hadn't even bothered to introduce themselves.  Quietly, Gary opened his bag and inspected it, quickly.  Someone had gone through it, inspected the reader and the small computer, then placed them back in the bag.  As far as he could tell, nothing was actually missing ...

He looked up to see Barry leering at him.  Gary shuddered, silently cursing whoever had rigged the competition.  There was no way Barry should have won – and he had his doubts about both Darrin and Kailee.  But whoever had rigged it had put him in the same compartment as a monster.  Gary didn't even have the nerve to stand up and walk past Barry to get to the hatch.  He was trapped.

Damn you, he thought, unsure of who he was cursing.  Barry, the person who had designed the competition ... or himself?  Damn you to hell.

***
Someone had pawed through her stuff, Kailee realised, as soon as she opened her bag.  Aunt Lillian had packed everything neatly, then placed the reader right at the top.  Now, the reader was at the bottom and all of her underwear had been pushed out of shape.  The searcher seemed to have paid more attention to her lingerie than anything that might be actually dangerous ... Kailee scowled, barely able to repress her disgust, as she inspected the underwear piece by piece.  The boys at school sometimes stole underwear from the laundry and did unspeakable things with it.  She had to make sure it was clean.

“They did it to me too,” a new voice said.  “Bastards.”

Kailee looked up.  The speaker had dark skin, dark hair and darker eyes.  Kailee felt a flash of envy; she looked exotic, compared to the girl-next-door image Kailee had tried hard to perfect.  But there was something shy about the newcomer that reassured Kailee that she wouldn't be real competition.  If, of course, there was something worth competing for.

“I think they thought we wouldn't be returning to Earth,” Kailee said, crossly.  Did the security guards really think that one bag of clothing was enough for someone who was leaving Earth permanently?  But if the corporate-sponsored flick about Meridian was accurate, the corporation would provide everything the settlers needed.  It wasn't a good idea to get too attached to anything on Earth.  “But you’re right.  Bastards.”

The girl smiled, rather shyly.  “I’m India,” she said, holding out a hand.  “I come from Calcutta-Meg.”

“Kailee,” Kailee said.  Maybe she could try to be nice.  “Pleased to meet you.”

As if that were an opening, the other girls tossed in their names too.  There was Samantha from Erie City, Honey from Mega Lumpur, Yuki from Edo and Li from Sino-Cit.  They were astonished to hear that four winners had come from the same block; the remaining winners were apparently strangers to one another.  Kailee wondered absently if Principal Rico had called in favours to ensure that four of his students were declared winners or if it had been random chance.  But that didn't seem too likely.

India seemed rather shy, she decided after ten minutes, even though she had taken the lead in opening conversation.  Samantha and Honey, on the other hand, were as friendly and outgoing as most of the girls Kailee knew from back home, while Yuki and Li seemed more reserved.  Li admitted that her family hadn't been pleased about her going at all; Yuki confessed that her family had asked her to scout Meridian, just to see if it was worth settling there.  Kailee was surprised to hear that it was possible to leave without winning a competition, even though she should have known better.  Yates had told her that the information for finding a colony development consortium and signing up as new settlers was available freely on the datanet.  It just wasn't presented to them at school.

“We have to stick together,” Samantha insisted, once they'd finished swapping stories.  “Who knows what the crew will be like?”

“Good thought,” Kailee agreed.  And even if there wasn't the crew, she knew that Barry would cause trouble.  She didn't know the other boys well enough to judge, but somehow she doubted that they were harmless.  Few boys their age were harmless when confronted with something young, female and apparently defenceless.  “We should ask Janet to stay in the same compartment.”

She stood and looked into the washroom.  It was tiny, but cleaner than anything back at school, where even the toilets reserved for the teachers stank terribly.  The toilet itself seemed small, yet it was clearly functional.  There was a tiny showerhead, just high enough to scatter water over her hair.  Below it, there was a sign written in Imperial Standard.  Kailee recognised some of the letters, but her attempts at sounding the words out ended in failure.

“It says that there will be a buzzer thirty seconds before the water stops,” Yuki said.  “I think we may have to cut our hair.”

Kailee muttered a vile word under her breath.  Long hair was in at the moment too – and she'd grown her hair out until it reached down to her ass.  Taking care of it was a pain, but it was her crowning glory.  But Yuki was right.  If she kept her hair long, washing it while they were on the starship would be a major problem.  

She weighed it in her mind as she stepped back, allowing the other girls to inspect the washroom.  Aunt Lillian had packed a small selection of pills in her bag, she discovered as she pulled out her clothes and shoved them into the cabinet.  That was technically illegal but the searchers had concentrated on her underwear and ignored the pills.  There were painkillers, a handful of broad-spectrum antibiotics and a number of menstruation pills.  It was easy to forget them when schools normally provided blanket doses for girls every month.

“At least your mother cared,” Honey said.  “Mine just wished me good luck and let me go.”

“My aunt cared,” Kailee said.  It was strange to realise just how much her aunt had cared, now that she was hundreds of kilometres from the CityBlock and about to travel much further away.  Tears stung her eyes as she carefully placed the pills in the cabinet, then buried them behind her underwear.  “I never really realised until it was too late.”

“Send her a message,” Honey advised.  “There’s a communications console in the main room.”

Kailee nodded and stepped out of the compartment.  Yates and Janet were sitting on the sofa, talking in low voices.  Kailee guessed that they were comparing notes on their charges, although as Janet hadn't met any of hers before they’d been picked up, it was hard to see what they might know about them.  Schools were legally forbidden from keeping any records, apart from grades; employers, according to the Your Rights Class, weren't even permitted to ask about a prospective employee’s conduct while they were at school.  But Yates might have been with them long enough to pick up an idea about their personalities ...

“I need to send a message back home,” she said, when Yates looked up at her.  “How do I do it?”

Yates lifted his eyebrows in an exaggerated gesture of curiosity.  “If you’ve forgotten something,” he said, “there is no way they can get it to you before departure.”

Kailee found herself flushing under his gaze.  “No, sir,” she said.  “I just want to thank my aunt for packing for me.”

Yates stood, then motioned for her to walk over to the corner.  “Have you ever used one of these before?”

“No,” Kailee admitted.  She’d used the wristcom she’d been given at school, but it had had a number of addresses preloaded and no way to add or erase them.  Her teachers had been able to harass her, her friends had not been allowed to add their codes to the system.  “How do they work?”

Yates gave her a long look.  “Do you know your family's code?”

Kailee shook her head, helplessly.

“Then you can't send them a message,” Yates said, dryly.  “Why didn't you memorise it when you were a child?”

“You should have my code,” Kailee protested, finding her voice.  “Surely it's in my file ...”

“It could be,” Yates offered.  “But what would you do if your file was elsewhere?”

Janet tapped a datapad, then passed it to Yates.  Yates took it, keyed a code into the console and nodded at Kailee.  Kailee swallowed and began to speak, thanking her aunt for everything she'd done for her.  Once she'd finished, Yates tapped a switch and sent the recorded message into the communications network.

“I’d suggest that you memorise such information in future,” Yates commented, as Kailee turned to walk back to her compartment.  “There won't always be someone around to help you.”

***
Darrin sat upright as a dull throbbing suddenly ran through the ship.  The bunk was quivering slightly, strange vibrations echoing through the bulkhead and his fingers, when he touched the edge of the compartment.  A series of loud clunks echoed through the ship, then the dull throbbing grew louder.  Moments later, the intercom activated and a voice spoke throughout the ship.

“Attention all hands, attention all hands,” it said.  “Assume departure stations; I say again, assume departure stations.”

The hatch opened, revealing Yates.  “Remain in this section,” Yates ordered.  “You have no departure stations.”

Gary stood, snatched up his reader and walked outside.  Darrin smiled to himself.  He wasn't unaware of Barry’s bullying games, but better Gary than himself or one of the other boys.  It was quite possible that one of the other the boys – he still didn't know their names – was secretly a good fighter, or mad enough to try to hurt Barry even if he was hurt badly himself.  There were a handful of such boys at school, boys everyone avoided as much as possible.  They were just crazy.

The starship seemed to shudder for a long moment, then smoothed out.  Darrin guessed that they were heading away from the tower now, but compared to the starships in the entertainment flicks it was almost disappointing.  There was no giant roar as the engines came to life ... and nothing to see, apart from their compartment’s bulkheads.  He wondered, briefly, if it looked any different on the bridge.  Or had the movies simply taken a few liberties with the truth just to make everything seem more dramatic?

“You should all get some rest,” Yates said.  “If you look inside your drawers, you’ll find a starship-issue wristcom, linked into the ship’s communications network.  I’ll wake you all up at 0800 tomorrow, precisely.  We have a great deal of ground to cover.”

Darrin nodded, wondering if Gary would come back or if he would try to sleep outside.  They still didn't know where Yates and Janet were going to sleep.  On impulse, Darrin asked.

“I’ll be sleeping in here to make sure you behave yourselves,” Yates said, sternly.  He looked over at Barry, silently daring him to say anything.  For once, Barry had the wit to keep his mouth shut.  “And I would advise you to behave yourselves.  The Captain has near-absolute authority over his vessel.  He could put you out of the airlock and no one would bat an eyelid.”

He turned and left the compartment.  Barry let out an exaggerated sigh, then winked at Darrin.

Darrin sighed.  That meant trouble, he was sure of it.  

But as long as it was trouble for someone else, he didn't really care.