Arena Divide

===Chapter One===
My eyes flicker open.
The floor beneath my feet rumbles slightly, as if I am in a moving vehicle. There's a pan of glass behind my head, but it is tinted so much that you can't see anything through it. What is going on here? My head is fuzzy, like when you wake up from a particularly deep sleep. My thoughts are mumbled together like a jigsaw puzzle. Did I hit my head or something? And where am I...? This looks vaguely familiar...
My thought trails off when I look forward for the first time. Rows of seats sit before me, each occupied with two different people. My mouth falls open as I gaze around at the seats to my right, all of them similarly occupied. I'm on a bus. I realize that quite quickly. I am in a bus.
A bus full of sleeping kids.
Kids of varying ages, all in their teens. And all of them are fast asleep, not moving a muscle. What...is...going on?
"About time you woke up!"
I nearly leap out of my seat at the sound of a voice. Spinning faster than I thought possible, I see a dark-skinned boy sitting right beside me. "I thought I was the only guy here who'd ever do that!" The boy flashes me a grin, showing his rather yellow teeth. I don't say anything, too stunned by his appearance. How did I miss him? He's sitting right next to me!
The boy chuckles, rubbing a hand through his short buzzed, black hair. "I was hoping you'd tell me!" There's one horrifying moment when I just feel a terrible fear. Fear about what was happening and why I was here. But the fear passes, and is soon replaced by a burning curiosity.
"How do you not know where we are?" I ask, dumbfounded. The other kids that surround us still seem to be asleep, some snore and a few others murmur.
The boy grins. "Hey! It's not like you know where we are either!"
"Good point." I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to figure this mystery out. We're on a bus...but there's no driver. The area in the front of the bus is blocked off with a black tapestry, and there are no seats behind me. Just a caged door, through which I can see some disorganized boxes. This doesn't make sense. None of this makes sense.
"What's your name?" The boy next to me seems eager to have a conversation, though I am more concerned with trying to figure out just what is happening to me. "I'm Isaac Clawson, by the way." He pauses, as if waiting for me to speak. I don't. I'm too interested in staring at the door on the top right hand side. Could I force it open? The bus seems to be moving, but if I got it open maybe it would be forced to stop...
"Might as well expel that idea," Isaac seems to know what I'm thinking. "We're kinda tied down here." He lifts his hands and I notice the manacles wrapped around them for the first time. Fearfully, I look down and see that I have a matching pair around both my wrists and ankles.
"Yeah, no idea why we have those," Isaac shrugs as I begin to pull at the steel chains. Real, substantial fear has gripped my heart now. Are we prisoners? Have we been kidnapped? I shut my eyes tight, trying to prevent the panic attack I feel coming on. What was the last thing I remember before arriving here? I..think it was a conversation I had with my sister, Melissa. "But, ya know, it's not all bad!" Isaac is still talking, unaware that I haven't been paying the slightest bit of attention to him. "I mean, maybe we are all deranged sociopaths bent on mass murder! Then it would be a good thing we're all trapped here!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I turn to scowl at the boy and he grins, humor twinkling in his dark brown eyes. "How can you be so jovial about this?"
He shrugs. "I dunno. Probably because I spent a good thirty minutes struggling around like you did before coming to the realization that there's nothing I can do until this damn bus comes to a halt."
I blink. For the first time ever, I hear desperation in the boys voice. He's just as scared and confused as I am, only he's had longer to think it over. "I...don't remember how I got here..." I admit in a small voice.
"Admission is the first step!" Isaac nods happily, though his eyes show none of the humour. Knowing that he's just as confused as I am gives some slight comfort. It's not much, but I'd take any sort of comfort right now.
"What can you remember?" Isaac glances sideways at me. "I tried to to remember everything I could. It's not much, but every little bit could help."
I shut my eyes, thinking back to everything and anything that I could possibly think of. Memories of myself aMy eyes flicker open.
The floor beneath my feet rumbles slightly, as if I am in a moving vehicle. There's a pan of glass behind my head, but it is tinted so much that you can't see anything through it. What is going on here? My head is fuzzy, like when you wake up from a particularly deep sleep. My thoughts are mumbled together like a jigsaw puzzle. Did I hit my head or something? And where am I...? This looks vaguely familiar...
My thought trails off when I look forward for the first time. Rows of seats sit before me, each occupied with two different people. My mouth falls open as I gaze around at the seats to my right, all of them similarly occupied. I'm on a bus. I realize that quite quickly. I am in a bus.
A bus full of sleeping kids.
Kids of varying ages, all in their teens. And all of them are fast asleep, not moving a muscle. What...is...going on?
"About time you woke up!"
I nearly leap out of my seat at the sound of a voice. Spinning faster than I thought possible, I see a dark-skinned boy sitting right beside me. "I thought I was the only guy here who'd ever do that!" The boy flashes me a grin, showing his rather yellow teeth. I don't say anything, too stunned by his appearance. How did I miss him? He's sitting right next to me!
The boy chuckles, rubbing a hand through his short buzzed, black hair. "I was hoping you'd tell me!" There's one horrifying moment when I just feel a terrible fear. Fear about what was happening and why I was here. But the fear passes, and is soon replaced by a burning curiosity.
"How do you not know where we are?" I ask, dumbfounded. The other kids that surround us still seem to be asleep, some snore and a few others murmur.
The boy grins. "Hey! It's not like you know where we are either!"
"Good point." I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to figure this mystery out. We're on a bus...but there's no driver. The area in the front of the bus is blocked off with a black tapestry, and there are no seats behind me. Just a caged door, through which I can see some disorganized boxes. This doesn't make sense. None of this makes sense.
"What's your name?" The boy next to me seems eager to have a conversation, though I am more concerned with trying to figure out just what is happening to me. "I'm Isaac Clawson, by the way." He pauses, as if waiting for me to speak. I don't. I'm too interested in staring at the door on the top right hand side. Could I force it open? The bus seems to be moving, but if I got it open maybe it would be forced to stop...
"Might as well expel that idea," Isaac seems to know what I'm thinking. "We're kinda tied down here." He lifts his hands and I notice the manacles wrapped around them for the first time. Fearfully, I look down and see that I have a matching pair around both my wrists and ankles.
"Yeah, no idea why we have those," Isaac shrugs as I begin to pull at the steel chains. Real, substantial fear has gripped my heart now. Are we prisoners? Have we been kidnapped? I shut my eyes tight, trying to prevent the panic attack I feel coming on. What was the last thing I remember before arriving here? I..think it was a conversation I had with my sister, Melissa. "But, ya know, it's not all bad!" Isaac is still talking, unaware that I haven't been paying the slightest bit of attention to him. "I mean, maybe we are all deranged sociopaths bent on mass murder! Then it would be a good thing we're all trapped here!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I turn to scowl at the boy and he grins, humor twinkling in his dark brown eyes. "How can you be so jovial about this?"
He shrugs. "I dunno. Probably because I spent a good thirty minutes struggling around like you did before coming to the realization that there's nothing I can do until this damn bus comes to a halt."
I blink. For the first time ever, I hear desperation in the boys voice. He's just as scared and confused as I am, only he's had longer to think it over. "I...don't remember how I got here..." I admit in a small voice.
"Admission is the first step!" Isaac nods happily, though his eyes show none of the humour. Knowing that he's just as confused as I am gives some slight comfort. It's not much, but I'd take any sort of comfort right now.
"What can you remember?" Isaac glances sideways at me. "I tried to to remember everything I could. It's not much, but every little bit could help."
I shut my eyes, trying to think of anything and everything that I can. Memories of myself are the first to come. My name is Hunter Haven. Son of Michael and Lydia Haven. I have a sister named Melissa Haven. Often called Lissa. We lived in a simple two story house in...
I can't remember. Once again I'm frightened as I realize that I can't remember where our house was. Or what country it was even in. I can recall other things, facts and details of the world and how it operates. But nothing specific. I have no memory of where all of our life was spent, or what was happening.
"I don't remember much," I tell Isaac softly. "I remember my family, but not where we lived or how we lived. None of that seems to even exist inside of my mind."
"Same with me," Isaac grunts irritability. He has gone back to clinking his shackles together. Either he's trying to wake everyone else up or he somehow believes it would break the chains. "Don't remember a lick about anything important. Odd, huh?"
It's more than just odd. It's dowright unnatural. But oddly enough, I'm not very frightened anymore. There's now more of a burning curiosity inside of me. I want to know where I am and why I'm trapped inside of a bus with dozens of kids.
A low gasp escapes from a kid sitting further ahead of us on the bus. Immediately, Isaac leans forward, sticking his head over the seat. "Hey! Are you awake?"
A girl screams loudly and I grip Isaac around the shoulders, heaving him backwards into his seat. "What the hell are you doing?!" I hiss at him.
"What?" Isaac seems taken back by how angry I am.
"Did you not realize how confused they must be?" I'm astounded by his ignorance. Didn't he remember how the two of us first where? "Especially when a strange kid sticks his face into their face?"
Isaac shrugs. "I wanted to know if they knew something we didn't." Well, he's going to have a wide pool of people to ask. Looking around, the kids who were fast asleep have begun to wake.
"I think," I begin to say as the kids murmur and shout amongst themselves. "That we're about to learn just what is going on."
Chapter Two
Isaac and I watch the other kids go through the exact same experience the two of us did. They panic, shaking their arms and legs as they furiously attempt to pull their shackled hands and legs free. When they eventually see that they cannot escape, they begin to try and think of how they got here. I doubt any of them know.
"Where is this place?" The girl sitting in front of us, the one Isaac scared, asks as she tries to twist her head around to face us.
"We don't know," I say before Isaac can say something that will alarm her again. "But we don't need to panic, we could--"
"We have no idea and Hunter is just trying not to alarm you," Isaac interrupts me anyways. "Personally, I think we're in some kind of prison transfer. I mean, I don't remember being a delinquent but I could be one anyways." It sounds ridiculous, but could it be true? I don't remember anything prior to waking up in this bus.
"That's a bit far-fetched," The girl says flatly. She's rather pretty, with shimmering blonde hair and deep sapphire eyes.
Isaac just shrugs. "Why else would we be locked up together in a bus?"
"We're not wearing prison garb," The girl points out and I take note of my own attire for the first time. A gray T-shirt, cargo pants, sneakers, and even a digital watch that reads 11:45. It seems so out of place that I wonder how I didn't notice it before. I was too preoccupied with my current situation, I guess.
"Well, what do you think the reason is then?" Isaac challenges. I don't hear the girl's response, as I allow my gaze to turn the rest of the bus' occupants.
Most of them are engrossed in conversation similar to the one Isaac is having. A few are mumbling into their hands, like they can't believe this is happening. One girl is even sobbing. Across from me, the guy with the cowboy hat that I noticed earlier is glaring daggers. That's strange. What did I do to earn such a reaction?
"Hey, what's your idea, Hunter?" Isaac's words drag my attention away from the mysterious guy and back to my own seat, where the blonde girl and her partner are looking over the tops of their seat.
"Hunter?" The newcomer asks. "Is that your name?"
"Umm, yeah. I'm Hunter Haven." It feels weird to be introducing myself to strangers on a bus with blacked out windows, but there's not much else to do. "And this is Isaac." I gesture to the boy sitting beside me and he flashes what I'm sure he thinks is a charming grin.
"I'm Paige," The blonde girl gives a pretty smile. "And this is Vanessa." She points to the chocolate eyed girl beside her.
"Where are we?" Vanessa frowns as she looks around the crowded bus. A pair of large boys have begun banging on the windows, drawing the attention of majority of the others.
"Dunno." Saying that I was confused would be the understatement of the century. Thinking of...What century is it?
"Well, I think--" Isaac never gets to say what he thinks, for at that moment, the kids at the front of the bus begin to yell.
"What's happening?" Paige asks, her face whitening. I don't answer, trying to lean into the aisle to get a better look.
Then I see it.
The black tarp that had blocked off the front of the bus for as long as I've been awake has begun to part. Kids shout with a mix of joy and fear as the tarp slowly inches towards the edges. Isaac leans forward with a knowing look.
"Guess we're about to find out."
The tarp falls to the ground, hushing the entire bus. Behind it, a large, flat, black wall rests. Our reflections gaze back at us. "What is it?" One kid asks.
"It's a screen," I say softly with realization. The other kids turn to look at me in surprise, but that's when the screen flickers to life. 
Some kids scream. I don't. I stare right into the screen as a man in a official military suit appears. Tall and imperious, he stares down at what I can only assume is a camera, with a self-important look. His hair is a shining black and slicked back behind his head, his eyes a piercing blue. "Hello...Transcendents."
He speaks in a voice that is as smooth as marble, is preternaturally loud. "Welcome to your first test."
===Chapter One===
The stars lazily and gently pulsed their light. Light that had travelled thousands of years. Absorbed on the surface of a planet and turned into heat energy, or pulled in by the energy of a black hole, never to escape again.
"Hunter! Hunter, come in!"
A voice buzzes through the intercom built into my suit. I grapple between rock chunks, crossing the cold and empty gaps of space. I land gently on the rock, hearing the noise vibrate through my suit. "You're getting too close to the cluster, Hunter!" Rourke yells at me through the comms.
"Relax, Rourke. I know what I'm doing!" He's always telling me what to do. I'm the Collector here, I'm the one who actually brings these asteroids in. I'm the one who braves the depths of space to do so. Rourke has no idea what it's like. He's just the Crew Boss, head of us at Ceres Mining Station Two-Five. Our station is in charge of bringing in asteroids and the valuable ores they carry, but it's only the Collectors who actually brave deep space, moving between rocks with our Grapnels and tethers, bringing asteroids to the station for processing.
I aim my Grapnel gun at another passing chunk. Nearby two of my fellow Collectors, Joc and Naghi, attempt to wrangle a particularly fast asteroid towards the station. Sweat builds beneath my ExoSuit and I mutter a low curse. I hate it when I sweat. The stupid suit prevents you from wiping it away, forcing you to feel every agonizing drop as it seeps from your forehead to your toes. Still, I don't hate the suit. It keeps me alive, after all.
I land atop a spinning chunk, digging my NanoClaw into it's side prevent myself from being flung off as it flips upside down. Rourke is still shouting at me through the Comms, but I've learned how to tune him out. Listen to the vibrations in my suit, the rasp of my breath, feel the trickle of sweat as it slides down the base of my neck.
My quarry is just ahead.
Naghi tagged it just last week as it entered the asteroid field. Scans show that it has over three weeks worth of precious materials. Zinc, copper, iron, bronze, even titanium and platinum. Collecting it will be the haul of a century.
"You're going to get yourself killed," Rourke growls as the chunk I cling to takes me ever closer to the asteroid. Stars pulse rhythmically as I spin upside down. Those of lesser mind would get sick with worry doing what I am doing; clinging to a spinning chunk of rock less than a meter wide as it hurtles towards a speeding asteroid hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest station. Luckily, I don't have a lesser mind.
"Anything in particular you want me to put on your gravestone?" Rourke asks sardonically.
"Yeah, actually. Put: He died in an awesome explosion whilst trying to wrangle the biggest asteroid ever!"
Rourke begins to complain as I pull myself into a standing position upon the chunk, my NanoClaw deep into the rock to prevent falling off into empty space. It's happened before, and it's not as deadly as you'd think; the Grapnel gun allows me to grapple onto any passing chunks and the ICARUS Propulsion system built into my ExoSuit's boots gives me the ability to boost for a short distance. In this case, however, I can not allow myself to fall. This chunk is the only thing fast enough to catch up to that asteroid.
I stand straight atop the spinning rock, blazing right for the asteroid as it nears the Asteroid Ring. There is no up or down in space, yet my mind still attempts to orient myself as I take the right arm of my ExoSuit and aim it for the precious asteroid. I'll have one shot at this. If I miss, everything I just did was pointless.
I breath steadily, taking careful aim. I'm the best shot with the Grapnel of everyone on the station. Possibly the best ever. But even that may not be enough. The asteroid is moving fast, probably two G's at least. I close my eyes, doing the math. Two G's. Fifteen kilometres off, the ring fast approaching. My eyes shoot open with a smile. I have it. Rourke shouts one last time as I glance up to check that the asteroid is on trajectory. I fire.
The Grapnel launches. There is no sound in space, so everything is eerily quiet as the cable extends through the inky blackness, the reaching claw heading towards its target. Not the asteroid, but the empty space two kilometres ahead of it.
The Grapnel sinks into the rocky base of the asteroid, drilling several meters inside. With the flick of a button I activate the Spikes, digits of the Grapnel that hold the cable onto its target. The cable goes rigid as I lock on. A grin crosses my face. "See?" I ask Rourke through the Comms. "I got it!"
No sooner have I spoken does my cable begin to stretch. The asteroid isn't slowing. I don't understand. The Spikes have been activated, my NanoClaw is drilled into the chunk that's traveling hundreds of kilometres in the opposite direction. Physics dictate that the asteroid should at least have slowed, if not outright stopped. Unless...Unless the asteroid is much faster than the scans indicated.
"Hunter, get out of there!" Rourke screams over my Comms too late.
The asteroid speeds on towards the Ring. My Grapnel is still lodged in its side, and it's exceeded the maximum length. The cable shakes and stretches, thinning as the asteroid continues to pull. I fear it will snap. I reach for the Photon blade in my belt, designed to cut through cables in situations like these. Too late do I realize I was worried about the wrong thing.
My NanoClaw groans, sending vibrations through my suit as the intense pull of the asteroid tugs against it. It's the only thing keeping me attached to the chunk. The only thing preventing ne from being dragged after that asteroid. It rips free from the chunk.
I scream as the NanoClaw comes loose. The cable suddenly jerks me off the chunk and I'm being dragged off into space, hurtling towards the Ring and a quick death.
==Chapter Two==
The Comms are nothing but static. I'm moving too fast and am too far away for Rourke to hear me. I barely have time to think. The cable drags me through space, past the twinkling stars that seem so mocking now. The blade in my pocket, the Photon Blade, could be used to cut the cable, but what would that do? The asteroid has dragged me far too close to the Ring, and now I can clearly see that it's on a collision course with it.
Even if I detatch myself I'll be killed by debris from the crash.
I glance up at the Ring now. The large, gray expanse rocks that can hardly be completely seen with the naked eye. I've always found it so beautiful, but right now I think it's nothing but deadly.
"Hun---Can you---me?" My Comms spring to life, but it's not Rourke speaking. It's Naghi, one of my fellow Collectors.
"Barely!" I shout back, eyes rapidly spinning. If he can make it through the static, he must be near. There! I spot him and Joc not more than a dozen kilometres off, floating around a broken chunk. With dread, I realize that the debris will hit them too. "You need to get away! The asteroid is going to hit the ring!" It's still aways off, but the distance is closing fast.
"Slag that!" Joc growls. "We'll help you!"
"Don't see how you can." I'm trying not to get emotional here. Thoughts of Grandpa and Lissa flash through my head. "The asteroids moving too fast." Better they don't get themselves killed over my stupid mistake.
Naghi and Joc begin to argue between themselves. Gears are churning in my head. Despite what I told them, I am not going to give up just yet. But I can't do anything while I'm being dragged by the asteroid.
I flick a button inside of my ExoSuit, activating the Grapnel's system. In a flash the cable pulls me forward, slicing through space like a missile. I land neatly upon the asteroid, my suit vibrating violently from the sheer speed of it. I can see the Ring even clearer from here. In less than ten minutes the asteroid will collide with it.
Dizzy and frightened, I spot the second asteroid.
It comes from around the Ring, behind Joc and Naghi. It's heading in the opposite direction of the one I am on. A plan forms in my head. It's stupid and crazy, but it just may work. "Guys!" I call to the other Collectors as I drill my NanoClaw into the side of the asteroid. Strangely enough, it's rather hollow. "Grapnel over here!"
"Are you slagging crazy?" Joc calls back.
"Do you want to live or not?" Something in my tone must have convinced them. Because after a shared glance, they fire their Grapnels. Within seconds they're landing beside me on the asteroid.
"You better have a good plan," Naghi says nervously as he spots the Ring. The big gray rocks are looming closer and closer. I try to ignore the my rising dread. If this doesn't work...
"Drill into the asteroid with your NanoClaws," I tell them, keeping an eye on the second asteroid as it rounds the Ring. Is it fast enough? "And then ready your Grapnels."
They must be dying with questions, but to their credit they just follow orders. I breath shakily, watching the second asteroid. I'm going to have to time this perfectly. I've done it once today. But this time I need to account for three Grapnels. "On the count of three," I tell them with a steady voice. "You need to fire your Grapnels two kilometres ahead of that asteroid."
"Ahead of it?" Joc asks, puzzled. Naghi just nods, as if he understands what I'm saying.
"It's moving too fast for us to target it directly," I explain hastily. The Ring is rapidly approaching. A few more minutes and we'll all be dead. I don't even know if w have enough time for this to work. Once again I think of my family. What will they do if I die here?
"One!"
The large gray, rock is almost at the mark.
"Two!"
The Ring is there. We will crash.
"Three!"
Joc and Naghi fire. Their Grapnels slice through the open space, colliding with the second asteroid just at its tip. My calculations were spot on. "Activate the Spikes!" I scream and they do.
The asteroid beneath our feet shudders and lurches. We all stumble on our feet, only remaining standing because of our NanoClaws. The asteroid begins to slow. Tethered to the second via our Grapnels, we've robbed it of momentum as the two space rocks travel in opposite directions.
But it's still not enough.
The asteroid has slowed, but it's still on a collision course with the Ring. My own Grapnel needs to be fired. I don't know about its performance. It was damaged during my ascent to this asteroid. I could order Joc and Naghi to activate their Grapnels and leave, but then we'd lose the asteroid and all its precious metals. We can't afford that. Not with Tariffs the way they are. With a deep breath, I aim my Grapnel.
My weight shifts and my foot suddenly sinks into the asteroid, slipping and becoming caught in the crevice. I try to tug it free but it's stuck, jammed. Naghi glances at me, aware that something has gone wrong.
"I'm stuck!" I tell them calmly. I can't afford panic, even though inside I'm filled with dread. "Hold me still, I need to cut myself loose!"
I produce the Photon Blade from my ExoSuit's arm, steadily unleashing the pulsing light blade. I slice one, twice. Cutting at the metal of my suit. Sweat builds on my brow as I work. I can't just recklessly slice through the entire leg, I'd either amputate myself or cut into my interior suit. And I do not want that to happen.
I recall what happens to humans who have their bodies exposed to space: The air rushes out from their nearest orifice, due to the pull of the vacuum. Their soft tissue rupturing and all exposed liquid boiling from the lack of pressure. I remember Flassic, a former Collector on our station. His suit had broken at the shoulder, and everything from there own to his left elbow looked like baked jerky as we hauled him in. 
He had close to ninety percent tank pressure, which slowed the rate at which he suffocated and burned. It took over five minutes for him to pass out, and he was still alive when we dragged him out of his suit. I'll never forget the sight of his mouth and eyes boiling as the pressure in the airlock rose.
I refuse to let that happen to me.
I slash at the ExoSuit around my leg, it slices through the metal like a knife through butter. Then it's loose. I jerk my leg free, the interior suit still intact. I feel like whooping with joy, but I don't because I know we're not out of danger yet. 
"Hunter!" Naghi screams as our asteroid continues straight for the Ring. It's less than a minute from collision. I only have one shot. There's no time to make sure that my aim is spot on. I just throw my Grapnel up, positioning it right where my instincts tell me. Then I fire.
For a breathtakingly long moment, the hook flies through space. It sails for the asteroid that is speeding further and further away. I don't think the cable is long enough. The delay in my firing was too long.
Then it sinks into the asteroids side.
I feel the vibrations through the cable as I activate the Spikes. The asteroid beneath our feet rocks and sways as the force and momentum of its brother pulls against it. I slip and would have fallen into the void of space if Naghi didn't grab the back of my collar, straining with effort to hold me as he desperately clings to his own NanoClaw.
Everything seems to shake as the asteroid fights against the strain of our cables. It's been flying through space for centuries, never stopping for anything. But now it slows. The strength of the Grapnels are too strong, the momentum of the other asteroid too large. The lurching space rock finally comes to a halt, inches from the first layer of the Ring.
==Chapter Three==
The airlock comes to life with a Thwamp! The pressure inside of my ears changes drastically. The lights above the door begin to flash amber and an alarm rings. It's much like the sound a truck makes when backing up. White fogs fills the room, cleansing bacteria off from our suits and equipment.
Floating beside me, Joc and Naghi are still cheering from our recent escapade. After the asteroid stopped, the combined might of our cables and the other asteroid pulled it in the complete other direction. We coasted along for the ride until the station came into view, wherein we used our remaining tethers to slowly rope the asteroid in. Right now it's tethered outside the station, awaiting procession.
The fog clears with a sudden force of air, pushing me back slightly. Gently, we all float to the ground as the artificial gravity returns to the station. The amber light turns green and large cogs inside the door turn and churn as it slowly rolls open.
Joc and Naghi enter the station proper, still whooping. I don't feel as jubilant. It was my fault that we were in that situation to begin with. A hand claps me on the back as I enter.
"Had an exciting haul, eh Hunter?" Rourke steps beside me. I mentally prepare for the verbal beatdown I'm about to receive. Rourke is tall and broad, with big hands and long, rangy arms. He's always wearing brown corduroys and a shearling coat over a pale shirt. You'd think that a man who dresses like a space cowboy who enjoy taking risks, but no. He's all prim and proper. Follows rules and protocols to the letter. When I don't respond, he stares at me in silence for a moment, his piercing blue eyes gazing me up.
"You probably think that I'm going to scold you," He says.
"Aren't you?" I challenge him. I've received his scolding enough times before, but those were times I didn't think I deserved it. This time I do. "I should have listened to you. Chasing that asteroid nearly got me, and Joc and Naghi, killed."
"Yes, you should have listened." Rourke frowns as he watches the airlock doors slide shut. "But if you had, then we would never have gotten the asteroid, would we?"
My mouth opens and shuts. I don't know what to say. Rourke continues without a response from me. "And you hardly put Joc and Naghi at risk. Remember; they were already in the area before you arrived. The collision would still have effected them."
I shrug, looking down at my feet. "I guess."
"You always came up with the plan that saved all of your lives. To recount; By not listening to me you managed to save the lives of two of your compatriots as well as bring in the most important asteroid we've seen in over fifty years. So, I think everything worked out dandy, don't you?"
It seems as if Rourke is congratulating me for not listening to him. Which is absurd! He's Crew Boss! Everyone on the station is meant to listen to him! "But sir,--" I try to begin but he stops me with a hand.
"Hunter," He speaks seriously, staring me in the eyes. "At the age of seventeen, you are simultaneously the youngest and most skilled Collector this station has ever seen. You always follow your instincts, and great things come from that. You shouldn't have to listen to me, a man who has never even braved deep space before!" I start guilty. That was the exact thing I had thought while chasing the asteroid. He smiles plaintively. "Get some rest, Hunter. Today has been a busy day, and tomorrow we need to cut that rock down for processing!"
He turns and walks down the corridor, whistling a merry tune. I watch him go in silence. That was not how I had anticipated this conversation to go. I'm reckless and irresponsible, and while I love being so, without Rourke's heavy handed carefulness to back me up, everything just feels...weird.
Shaking my head, I head in the opposite direction, towards the dormitories. Asteroid Station-Two-Five isn't very special, it's merely designed to be functional. On the outside, it looks like a large metallic tube sits in the center, made up of living spaces and labs. A few smaller clusters branch off to the side; the storage warehouses. Encircling the entire structure is a large spinning ring that forcibly creates artificial gravity. Inside the ring is our gymnasium of sorts, where we can adjust the gravity to whatever we like and work out or jog. There's even a swimming pool.
I walk pass the hatch to the Ring, perpendicular to the path I take towards the dormien't very large, being about two meters wide and five long. We have two, each holding a four cots for each member of the Crew. The Senior workers get one dorm, us younger ones get the other.
"Hey, Hunter!" Naghi is already there when I arrive, sitting atop his cot, olive skin shining with sweat. "Rourke chew you out good?"
I sit myself down onto my own coat, pressing my palm against the storage space underneath. "Oddly enough, he didn't." I reach in and grab another pair of my company issued clothing before shutting it behind me.
"He didn't?" Naghi frowns. "Why not?"
I shrug, telling him of what Rourke said. When I finish, Naghi claps his knee and laughs. "That's gold! He practically gave you the go ahead to be as reckless as you want!"
"Glad you think it's funny," I mutter, pulling my shirt off and putting a new one on in its place. I sit down, running a hand through my tousled brown hair that never seems to cooperate with me.
"He's probably just happy that you brought in the asteroid. The Scans were off the charts on that thing!"
We both start in surprise. Leaning against the doorframe of the dorm a newcomer has arrived. With dark red hair that goes down to her chin, skin that shines like marble, and slender arms, a young woman not much older than me smiles at us. For not the first time, I find myself completely enthralled with her eyes, two orbs that are the brightest green I have ever seen. They look like glittering emeralds.
"Oh, hey Morgan!" Naghi nods at our fellow station worker. "Didn't see you there."
Morgan is one of our two Processors on the station. She's the one who organizes and classifys the precious ores from the asteroids we Collectors bring in. She also files the official documents detailing the quality and usability of the ores that we send to The Company.
"For some reason, you never do," Morgan says coyly. I force myself to look away from her eyes.
"Have you begun processing it yet?" I ask, referring to the asteroid.
She shakes her head. "No. Rourke says we begin to do that tomorrow. Besides, we need you guys to feed it into the Processor." The Processor is a large machine that, as Morgan once explained, could be best described as a cross between a centrifuge and a pressure heater. It was the job of us Collectors to cut into the large asteroids so they could fit into the vacuum grinder. The grinder would then crumble the asteroid into the size of rocks and feed them into the "oven". Once inside the rocks will go through a range of temperatures, along with specified pressures designed to liquefy the rocks.
Then more pressure is added the oven begins to spin, acting as a centrifuge. The denser materials would sink to the bottom while the lighter ones float. Each layer of the melted materials would be skimmed off and filled into cooling chambers. Once cooled, the metals are released and tethered to an orbital buoy, where they await to be taken to a Company refinery.
It's a very complicated process. Personally, I'd much rather fly out into space and collect all the asteroids then through that ridiculous process. But what do I know?
"Salim thinks that this asteroid could hold enough ore to catch us up on the quota," Morgan continues. "We could have a leave of work soon!"
That would be nice. We haven't had a leave of work in months, around five to be specific. We only ever get them when we fill The Company's quota, and we've haven't been able to do that since Flassic died. My thoughts drift to Grandpa and Lissa, still on Earth in New Congo, the Company's seat of power.
The Company isn't just a normal, run-of-the-mill company. It owned several different countries. The first country it ever purchased was New Congo, though it was just Congo at the time. Having mad billions of dollars from the creating the very first orbital elevator, it had more than enough funds to purchase the country of Congo from General Joseph Nkunda. The Cueto-Stryker Corporation, as it was more commonly known then, offered Nkunda a very generous amount of money for the country. He accepted, and the Company had its own country.
The people of Congo accepted it without question. They had been through years of civil war and civic unrest, so when a large company with it's own private army took over, promising stability and wealth, why would they refuse?f civil war and civic unrest, so when a large company with it's own private army took over, promising stability and wealth, why would they refuse?
They brought stability back to the region, yet it also incorporated a system of work where your work would be decided for you. It is basically a caste system. Nowadays, The Company is the biggest force in the galaxy, stronger than any other country or government. They even pratically own Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.
"I'd like a leave of work," Naghi says wistfully. "Been on this station for far too long."
"We all would," I nod. After graduating Academia The Company decided that I should work as a Collector on the asteroid mining station. Grandfather is a farmer, and Lissa has yet to recieve her line of work.
Morgan watches us both with her unnatural green eyes. "We'd better hope that Salim is right then," She says quietly. Naghi looks up in surprise.
"When has he ever wrong?" Salim is our Core Analyst. He digs sample from the asteroid and also tags the ones for us Collectors to bring in. He's sixty years of age, yet in remarkable physical health. In the Grav Ring, he likes to turn it up to two G's and try to best his running time at five K. In comparison, I can't even run more than a couple hundred meters in two G's.
"He has never been wrong," Morgan admits. Her eyes flash darkly. "But there's a first time for everything."
==Chapter Four==
"Gee, that was ominous, huh?" Naghi laughs to himself as Morgan disappears down the hall. I want to laugh along with him, but something isn't sitting right with me. Morgan acted like she knew something was off about tjat asteroid...
"She has weird eyes," Naghi remarks after finishing his own laughing.
"Eh?" I hadn't expected that others would have taken such notice of her eyes too.
"You think they're implants?"
Implants. I don't know what to say. I've known people who've had implants. And to my knowledge, there's three reasons why you would have them. Originally, implants had been developed to help people who had lost limbs or organs live a "normal" life. Then the military and private security companies saw the untapped potential of them and the development of military implants began. Thirdly, the rich began enhancing their lives with the quickly growing market.
I don't make a comment out of fear for sounding stupid or offensive. Thankfully, I don't have to, for another man makes an appearance in the doorway. He is tall, at least eight feet. His arms are thick as pythons, his legs like the trunks of small trees. Completely bald, strange digital tattoos cover his exposed skin, swirling as they change shape. "Rourke sent me to fetch you," He speaks in a tone higher then you'd expect of someone is stature. "Arom has finished dinner."
"Cool. Thanks Hoska!" Naghi leaps off his cot, racing out the door in his haste to reach his meal. I get up more slowly, eyeing Hoska. He's the only member of our Crew who isn't human. Instead, he's a Neo Sapiens, one of the two other sentient species in the galaxy.
Neo Sapiens are a race of sentient beings that came from Earth. They were created by The Company over a hundred years ago, when their scientists took human DNA and experimented on it. They were attempting to create the ultimate being, the "New Evolution of Mankind". They took out inherent human weaknesses, adding skills along the way. They grew the first several in tubes.
Neo's are on average a foot taller than normal humans, though the biggest may grow to be at least nine feet. Their bone density is tripled that of ours, their intelligence double. Their comprehension, problem solving, and other skills increased. They were meant to be subversive to The Company, but something happened. I don't know what, the history books don't say, but the Neo's rebelled from the Company and declared war.
It was a brief yet bloody war. The Neo's won their independence and started their own country and government on the Earth island of Siam. They built space ships and now control every planet past Uranus. However, they show no more aggression towards mankind, providing that we took no further steps to research cloning or the creation of life. Any such research would be considered an act of war against their species. No government dares defy that directive.
Nowadays though, Neo live side by side with us normal humans. Like Hoska.
"We having something good tonight?" I ask Hoska. The giant Neo grins, showing his perfect teeth. "Or something bad?"
"The usual," He replies.
I give a overly dramatic sigh. "Then it will be meh. Well, lead on Hoska."
The Neo leads the way through our cramped station. When I first joined the station, about a year and a half ago, I was terrified at the prospect of working alongside a Neo. These were the fearsome creatures that could rip a man apart with their bare hands after all. But I soon outgrew such childish thoughts when I began to know Hoska better. Nowadays he is my main source of knowledge.
The halls of the station are narrow, a with few windows staring out into the dark void of space. They're also not very long, so it is a short time before we arrive in the main hall.
The room is triangular, partitioned off into three smaller, separate rooms. The first is the kitchen, where Arom spends most of his time. Then there's the recreation room, which holds our holographic screen display, several fluffy armchairs, and some very old fashioned table top games such as billiards and table tennis. The third room is the dining area, and all it holds is the table where we all eat our meals.
This is where we head now.
Hoska heads right for the table, ducking his head so not to hit it on the ceiling. Rourke and the rest of the crew sit there. There's eight different people working on this station. Joc, Naghi, and myself are the Collectors. Morgan and Arom, who is currently puttering around in the kitchen as he fetches our trays, are the Processors. Salim is the Core Analyst, Hoska the Environmental and Safety Officer, and Rourke the Crew Boss. It's his job to make sure we all do ours.
I sit down at the edge of the table, in between Joc and Salim. I'm conscious of everyone else's eyes on me. Undoubtedly because of my actions with the asteroid. I try to think of something witty to say, but Hoska speaks before I can.
"I'd like to apologize beforehand for the metallic tasting water. It's been a problem for days now, and I can't quite figure it out. I don't suppose any of you know anything about bimolecular engineering, do you?"
We all laugh. It's common knowledge that none of us, save possibly Salim, know the first thing about bi-whatsit engineering. So he makes his status update it into a joke. Hoska likes to make a lot of jokes. I wonder if that's a Neo thing.
Arom arrives with the food, depositing a tray in front everyone before slipping back to his own seat. I notice that he keeps a thoughtful gaze on me as he sits. He must be thinking about how I saved the asteroid from the collision. It had been his twin brother, Flassic, who'd first tagged it, that had also been the mission on which he was killed. I hope that I did his memory some justice.
Everyone is quiet as we observed our food: freshly steamed vegetables and synthesized chicken. There has been a significant shortage of meat on Earth in the past few months, so they made that up by serving synthesized meats.
Technically, it's not actually meat as it was never apart of a living creature. Instead, a computer controlled matter synthesizer would take amino acids and protein, mix them with several other chemicals to create the desired flavour, and print the matter. It looked like chicken and tasted like chicken. At least in theory. I personally think it tastes like old shoes.
"Everyone, let us observe our moment of silence please." Rourke started every meal with a moment of silence. It gave each of us a chance to give thanks and allows those like Salim and Hoska to pray. I've always found myself interested by Hoska's ritual. The tall man tilts his head back to stare at the sky, eyes squeezed tightly shut. What is it that Neo's pray to, when they were created by man?
"Thank you everyone," Rourke says after a few moments have passed. "Now, let us eat."
We all begin. I enjoy the vegetables, but try not to grimace whenever I swallowed the synthesized chicken. How some people enjoyed this stuff is beyond me. Arom seems particularly fond of it. During our meal, Rourke glances up at Salim. "Where are we those scans?" He asks.
"Scans?" As Salim checks his DNAC, Morgan frowns in confusion. "I thought you said we wouldn't touch that asteroid until tomorrow?"
"I wanted to get a preliminary scan in," Rourke explains. "See if Salim's early prognosis is correct."
The oldest member of our crew enters commands into his DNAC as we speak, within seconds a holographic screen appears. "Ah, core samples from sector seventeen." His voice is slow and quiet. Hair and beard a shimmering silver. "It appears to be mostly nominal, with carbon and traces of nichol and iron." He punches a few more inputs into the DNAC. "Yet these samples show much more valuable materials. Platinum, titanium, even gold."
Hoska frowns, pulling up his own DNAC. "What was the sample number on that one?"
"WRB, One-Seven-Two."
"One-Seven-Two...the asteroid is over twenty-three kilometres in diameter. I wonder if those numbers will be consistent throughout." Hoska continues to fiddle with his DNAC. "It will prove very interesting when we actually crack it open."
Fancy talk. All I care about is fulfilling that quota. Then I can finally revisit my family. I smile inwardly, thinking of the expressions on their faces when I arrive. Lissa and I have lived with Grandpa since our parents died when I was five. It was a Company accident, on a ship charted for Callisto. I've harboured a grudge ever since. 
There's a lull in the conversation for the rest of the meal. After people begin to clear their plates and head out, Rourke pushes himself away from his chair. "Seems like tomorrow could be a very good day for this station," He says slowly, a thoughtful expression on his experienced face. "So I want everyone to get a good night's sleep. You have three hours before lights out." He gets up and leaves, headed for the dormitory. I sit back and watch the others for a moment. Morgan reads a book. Joc fires up a Sim. Salim and Hoska have a quiet conversation. Feeling content, I head for bed myself.
==Chapter Five==
"Hey, Grandpa. Hey, Lissa. Just wanted to record a message before work. Today is going to be a big day. The asteroid we pulled in last night has record high scans. It could easily put us two times over the quota!"
"I know, impressive! But more importantly, that means I could be visiting you two soon! I've missed you. The crew is great, as usual, but they're not family like you two are. I don't have much else to say, so this is going to be a short message. I guess if I do visit soon then this will be pointless, but still...."
"I hope everything is going well for the two of you. I love you. Goodbye."
I press the button on my DNAC and the recording stops. I lie back onto my cot, feeling a little emotional. This is the furthest I've ever been away from home. The only possessions I brought with me to the station was clothes, Lissa's gift, and my DNAC.
I received my DNAC when I was fifteen, undergoing a procedure that grafted the DNA computer to the radius bone on my wrist. It was a simple and fairly cheap procedure. The chip was less then the width of a human hair and half a centimetre long.
Once grafted to the bone, the seed would interact with and rewrite the RNA of the surrounding bone tissue, turning it into usable storage space. My forearm now houses over a petabyte of storage.
A wristband that covers around a third of my forearm contains a HoloScreen, video recorder, and several other features. Before leaving Earth, I loaded my DNAC up with as many books and music as I could. I also managed to get some photos in. It's pretty old, and it wasn't even high-end when I first bought it. I plan on having it upgraded whenever I have some leave time...Which could be very soon if that asteroid holds as many materials as we think it does.
Pulling back the curtain around my cot, I step into the dorm. Joc, Naghi, and Morgan have all already left for work. I never record my messages when they're around; I can just imagine the teasing I'd receive. The big bad Collector of the ages sending video clips back to his family? I'd never hear the end of it.
Not that they're any different. I know for a fact that Naghi records his own messages and I'm fairly certain Joc does as well. Every month a supply ship comes to the station, bringing food and other items from Mars. That's when we send our recordings back, so they can be given to our families. There's no satellites around the station, so this is our only way of communication with the outside world that isn't the Company.
Unless...I finger the necklace around my neck. Before I left Earth my sister gave me a parting present. I was astounded to see that it was a message spike.
Message Spikes were small, silver flash drive like objects. Several gigabytes of video or text could be stored on it through space using air pressure. Inside was a one time use high powered directional transmitter capable of sending waves to a satellite thousands of miles away. I haven't had need to use the Spike yet, and if the asteroid was what we think it will be, I won't have to.
Rourke speaks over the station radio as I exit the dorm, instructing everyone to head to their posts. "Remember," He says as I jog down the halls towards the cargo hold. "Today could be the day our quota is filled!"
Inside the cargo hold I find Joc and Naghi climbing into their interio space walk suits. "Cutting that asteroid down to size!" Naghi nods, tying his brown hair back behind his head.
"Gonna be sweet!" Joc grunts, putting his helmet on.
I quickly dress myself and then follow the others as they enter the airlock. Amber lights flash. Air pressure changes. Then we're floating out into space, following our tethers to the small platform that holds the ExoSuit.
Large, metallic, and heavy. I slip inside, experimentally stretching my arms as I adjust to the heavier load. I've been in this suit practically every day for the last two years. I can flick through the different arm modules with seconds. I do so now, admiring each one. NanoClaw, Grapnel, Photon Blade, and Tether-Launcher.
Nearby on their own platforms, Naghi and Joc enter their ExoSuits. Naghi leads the way off the platforms, using the ICARUS Propulsion systems in our boots to give ourselves a boost as we Grapnel our way around the station towards the tethered asteroid. I may be the best Collector when we're out in deep space, but Naghi is the king at slicing the asteroids up to feed the Processor.
The asteroid comes into view. Massive and imposing. Doubts flicker in my mind when I remember how we nearly lost pur lives chasing this thing. Our Comms flicker to life. "Start cutting it," Rourke says. He's watching our progress through HoloCams in our helmets. He must have turned to speak to Morgan, because we hear the rest of him. "Get the Processor running."
We land atop the asteroid. Using our NanoClaws to anchor ourselves down, we begin slicing the rock into cubes. When we finish, we tether one chunk and launch it into the gaping maw of the Processor, where Morgan and Arom take over.
It's slow, ponderous work. Nothing like the process of gathering and bringing the asteroids in. That's heart-pounding, live by the moment fun. In comparison, this is...well, boring. We continue to cut and slice, sending the chunks into the processor. Every now and then Rourke will offer some advice, such as; "Joc, tighten your tether! We don't want any slack!" Or "Hunter! Cut the cubes smaller! We don't want the Grinder working too hard!". He has nothing but praise for Naghi though. Like I said, he's a prodigy at this. Working like this, we get about half of the asteroid sliced up and fed to the grinder.
I'm digging my Photon Blade into the side of the asteroid, cutting smaller like Rourke said, when I hear Joc call out. "Whoa! I found something! Naghi, Hunter, come help me with this!"
"What have you got?" Rourke inquiries as I attach my Grapnel to the center of the asteroid and swing in a half-circle to land beside Joc. I gasp when I see it.
It's a small, square cube encased halfway into the asteroid, about one meter along on each side. Black, opaque. It doesn't glitter or glow, no. It seems to draw light towards itself, like a miniature black hole. A perfect cube with an edge. An edge? That couldn't be right. Edges only came from man-made objects, and there's no way a man-made object could be encased in a asteroid...Could there?
"Rourke?" Naghi's voice is high with wonder. "This has an edge."
"An edge?" Rourke's disbelief can be heard even through the Comms.
"He's not kidding, Rourke," I say as Joc begins to poke the cube with his un-ignited Photon Blade.
"Careful!" Naghi hisses at him but he shrugs.
"It's hard. The Photon Blade didn't cut it when I first struck it."
"Get back to work," Rourke buzzes back over the Comms. "We need that asteroid cut up. We can't afford to neglect our work just because we found a pretty object." I squint as I try to examine the remarkable black cube closer. A reflection where there should be none catches my eye. Ignoring Naghi's warnings, I pull myself closer to the object.
Tiny markings mar the side of the cube. Strangely, they seem to have been cut into the side. Some symbols seem to repeat itself, like writing. But that doesn't make a lick of sense. Why would there be writing on a cube encased in the center of an asteroid?
"Let me look at it!"
I spin around in surprise. Salim has climbed into his own ExoSuit and is slowly drifting towards our asteroid, the tertiary arms of his suit reaching forward. It's a manipulator of sorts, one used to get readings from objects with the portable laser spectrometer.
We all drift out of the way as Salim begins to take readings from the cube. Glancing at the scanner atop his gun, I see that he's taking in the level of atoms, photons, molecules, and even electrons. Salim glances up and sees that I'm staring. "Help me take this in," He says as Naghi slices it free from the last chunk of asteroid. The Comms have gone silent. We're all watching Salim, seeing the grave seriousness he treats the cube with.
"It's not human, is it?" Morgan breaks the silence as Salim has me wrap tethers around the cube.
Salim stares straight ahead, his gaze blank. "I don't know."
"Salim," Rourke speaks now. His tone has changed since Salim has arrived. He's no longer jovial and carefree. "I'm not sure I want that thing on my station. Can you and Hoska run some tests on it? See if it's safe?"
"I understand, I will tether it to the station. I'm going to enter the airlock so I can retrofit it for testing."
"Sounds good. Hoska is suiting up as we speak." Rourke bids Salim farewell as he pulls the mysterious cube along behind him. All three of us Collectors watch him float through space, heading for the airlock. Just what is that cube? And how did it get inside the asteroid? "You three!"
Rourke gets our attention with a sharp shout through the Comms. "Yeah?" Naghi asks.
"Get back to work! We need that asteroid processed!"
Wordless, we all get back to our mundane work. I can't speak for the others, but as I mindlessly slice up chunks of the asteroid and send them into the Grinder, I keep thinking about the Cube. What kind of discovery have we just made? It could be one that changes the course of history.
==Chapter Six==
"Granda! Lissa! Remember that asteroid I told you about? You'll never believe what we found when we cracked it open. We found a cube! About a meter and a half on each side, and completely black. Opaque. We don't know where it came from or who made it, but our best guess is that it's not man-made!"
I stop to try and catch my breath. I'm breathing hard, my face flushed with excitement. Lissa and Grandpa will see how big this is from my reaction alone.
"This could be the first proof of alien life that humankind has ever found! And I was apart of the team who found it! There seems to be some sort of writing on it, but we don't know for sure. We don't actually know anything yet!"
I stop again. I'm speaking so quickly that I've gotten a little light-headed. I steady myself, smiling into the recording. Soon I realize I don't have very much more to say. "I'll add more to this message whe we learn more," I say, reaching for the stop button. For now, goodbye."
I flip the recording off and sit on the edge of my bed, resisting the urge to upload the message onto the spike this very moment. I think I'm the only one with a spike, meaning I'm the only one who could get a message off.
My fingers twitch, eager to be the first to let the outside world know. But I think of how Rourke would react if he found out that I had sent off the message without his permission. He could get in trouble with The Company for that. Besides, if I wait a few more days, I could put more intell into the message. Maybe I could tell my family some details that will be overlooked by The Company or was withheld by The Company.
Finally deciding, I raise myself off the cot and exit the dorm. The message can wait a few more days.
The station is quiet as I walk along its hall, the sound of my footsteps on the metal echoing eerily. I remember how frightened I had been by this when I first arrived. I had scarcely allowed myself to walk alone. Now, I have no such fears. This station has become a home away from home...Yet one that I would gladly leave for my real home.
It has been a long twelve hours. The metals from the asteroid had to be processed, while Salim and Hoska worked on the asteroid out in the airlock. The two of them working non-stop, not even coming in for dinner.
The amount of materials extracted from the asteroid was equal to a months worth of work. It was easily more than enough to put us over the quota and earn us a leave from work. Excitement is buzzing through the station, and not just because of the metals. The cube we found could easily become the greatest find of not just the century, but the greatest discovery of all time.
How wicked cool is that?
I pass by the Work Labs. Rourke is inside, sitting at his station and recording a message. When he finishes, he'll send it off for his bosses at The Company. Near the labs, inside of one of the stations two cargo holds, Naghi, Joc, and Morgan stand watching a monitor. On screen, I see Salim and Hoska floating just outside the airlock as they work on the cube.
Naghi turns to me with an excited grin. "They say they're going to bring it in!"
A million thoughts race through my mind, all competing for attention. The mess of information clouds my mind, makes me unable to ask any question and I just stand there in a stunned stupor. Naghi's grin widens.
We all watch the screen in silence. The feeds continually switch between themselves, but I don't see anyone giving them input. Why is that? I'm going to ask Naghi, when I suddenly notice Morgan. She's staring directly at the screen, here eyes moving lightning fast and accented with flashes of brilliant, emerald green.
I don't even understand what I'm seeing. It seems as if Morgan is controlling the monitor with her eyes...But that just sounds ridiculous. Technology has done some crazy things, but I've never seen this before. Morgan's head tilts sideways slightly, and I'm aware that I haven't been as covert a I thought.
Feeling awkward, I quickly turn away, looking back at the camera feeds.
"You can look. I don't care." Morgan doesn't look away from the monitor: she doesn't even blink.
I feel my face flush red, feeling much more embarrassed than I was just a few moments ago. With one glance at Joc and Naghi, I can tell that they're feeling just as awkward. Apparently none of us knows what is up with her eyes, even though we've been on this station with her for years. I must not be much of a friend. "If you'd like a closer look at my eyes, you can just ask. Really, I won't mind." Still not looking away from the monitor, Morgan allows a crooked smile to form on her face.
It quickly fades when none of us move or make a sound.
"The polite thing to ask would be; Morgan, I noticed that you have implants and work as a lowly Processor. What gives?"
The retort stings, like if she would have slapped me. I share an uncomfortable look with Naghi and then Joc speaks, scratching his wheat-blond hair. "So...Uh, what gives?"
Morgan's mouth creases into a tight smile. "At the age of nine I was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration. By the time I was eleven I had lost ninty percent of my vision. My parents didn't have much of a choice. They placed me on the free ocular transplant list, and six months later I received it. Just, it wasn't what I had signed up for."
"The Company holds a lottery every year for those on the transplant list. The lucky few who win receive top-of-the line implants. As I obvious, I won."
Well...that's...I struggle to think of the right word as Naghi twirls a loose strand of his hair around his finger. "Top of the line, huh? What can they do?"
"Well, as you know, I can manipulate this," Morgan gestures a hand at the monitor display before us. "And the other computers on the station. In fact, my eyes can interface with any Company OS. As long as I can see the holo or the screen, I can control it."
"That is so cool!" Joc explodes with excitement, his blue eyes sparkling. Have you ever tried to play a game? I bet you'd totally have an advantage in reaction time!" I share a look with Naghi. Joc is a huge Sim buff. He spends almost all of his free time on the station playing Sims and challenging people to matches. He always wins.
Morgan smiles politely, but continues on as if she didn't hear him. "I also have an allotment of hard drive in my eyes. I can scan and save any image I see, saving it for a later date when I have more time to process it."
"No way!" Joc shouts before Morgan even finishes her sentence. "I bet that made school super easy! Just scan all the books and bring them up during the test!"
Morgan gives another small smile, but I can tell that she's a bit embarrassed by the amount of enthusiasm Joc is showing for her eyes. She shuffles awkwardly, her face reddening. "I can also see very well," She says so quietly that I almost don't hear.
"How well?" I ask, trying to keep my voice from showing too much excitement. She doesn't seem to enjoy the attention.
"Very well. I can see things smaller than anyone with natural eyes could. I also have a sixteen-time zoom." She taps the side of her head with a slender finger. "Microscope and telescope all in one!"
"I bet you became a valuable tool for the Company." I almost jump at Arom's voice. I wasn't aware that the thin man had joined us. He peers down at Morgan with narrowed eyes. She just stares at the floor in silence.
"Why doesn't everyone have those cool eyes?" Joc asks, still super pumped. "Like, if I get rich from discovering this cube, could I get myself these eyes?"
Morgan looks up, her brilliant eyes flickering. "If you want to go through life-threatening surgery, then yes."
That quiets Joc. He steps away from the group, muttering an apology. Not wanting Morgan to feel upset, I pipe in. "The eyes are pretty too. So they'd be useful even without those fancy features."
She flashes me a small smile. "Thanks, Hunter."
Everyone drops into silence and then Naghi points at the monitor. "I think they're bringing it in!"
We watch as Hoska activates the airlock and Salim rotates the tethered cube into position. Even onscreen it seems to glint with power and intrigue. Not for the first time, my mind races with the possibilities of what it could be.
I drift over to the several inch thick polymer-glass blend window as the two drift into the airlock. They position themselves strategically, as not to fall and drop the cube when gravity returns. There's a faint hissing of air as it returns, and the two drop to the ground, carrying the cube between them.
We all back away from the door as they enter, wheeling the cube towards the back of the cargo bay, where we keep the boxes of space gear. Gently, they drop it beside a Company brand crate. Immediately Hoska walks off to the staging area, stripping off the ExoSuit he has worn for the past fifteen hours. Salim takes his own helmet off and shakes his frazzled beard. "Go ahead," He nods at us, all of whom are watching the cube with wide eyes. "I just spent over a dozen hours ensuring it will not bite."
With his go ahead, everyone rushes towards the cube. Rubbing and touching it as they talk theories. Everyone except Morgan. She remains where she stands, watching the cube with wary eyes. I stop on my way towards the mysterious space object, wondering what's wrong. "What is it?" She asks Salim.
The elderly man leans back and sighs. Eye half shut, he slowly strokes his beard. "It'd be easier to tell you what it isn't," He says after a pause.
"And what's that?" Morgan challenges.
"From Earth."
The words hang in the air for a moment. It's not really a surprise, considering we've all been thinking that. But to hear it said aloud, by Salim, the most intelligent man on the station, its...simultaneously enthralling and terrifying. "Data to back your theory?" Arom asks, his eyes wide with wonder as he gazes at the sheer cube.
Salim sits himself onto a crate, shrugging his ExoSuit's shoulders. "From the best I can gather, it has been inside that asteroid for a very long time. At least a hundred thousand years, possibly longer."
I let out a low whistle. Now that's something. It's an impossibly large amount of time, but even that's nothing compared to the how the universe operates. "Any guess where it came from?" Morgan asks. She stands with her arms crossed, glaring at the cube like it threatened to bite her or something.
Salim nods slowly. "I have three theories, all of them unlikely." He looks up,rapping his knuckles against the crate on which he sits. "However, I'm trying to think outside the box here."
"And?" Morgan arches an eyebrow.
"Well, my first guess would be that it is an alien artifact. It is almost certain that there are other intelligent life forms out there in the galaxy. It'd make sense for this to be from them."
"But you don't believe that," I say slowly, sensing his tone. "You think it's something else?"
Salim smiles brightly. "Very astute, young Mister Haven. Perhaps you have many more skills then just asteroid collecting." I feel my face flush red as he goes on. "No, I do not believe it is alien. If there was a species out there sending artefacts encased in asteroids, even a hundred thousand years ago, I believe we would have found more evidence by now."
"So, what's the other two?" Naghi asks. He's also taken a keen interest in the conversation.
"It is possible that it is manmade," Salim nods.
"But you said it wasn't from Earth?" Arom frowns.
"Well, yes. But I only know for certain that it is not from current Earth. It may, however, be from future Earth. Sent back in time by our future brethren."
"Time travel? I take it that this is not your preferred theory." Arom is not questioning, merely making a statement.
"No. Although it is theoretically possible to send particles back in time, I am not sure if we would be capable of this. Or why it would be encased in an asteroid." Salim frowns, as if something was troubling him. He's blowing my mind here, because the two theories he just shot down were my prevalent opinions. One look at the others shows me that they're just as confused.
"What is your third theory then?" Naghi asks.
"The third theory, and the one that I believe, is that it came from a parallel universe."
Silence. A parallel universe? I glance at everyone else hoping for someone to understand his logic, because I am at a lost. But everyone just looks as confused ss I feel. Salim finally just continues. "Science has proven on paper that other dimensions parallel universes exist. Yet no one has figured out how to move between them."
Arom is the first to react. "So your first and third theory are essentially the same, just separated by a dimension or two?" The lanky man gives a small chuckle. "You realize that beings from another dimension are still aliens, right?"
Salim chuckles alongside him. "I haven't given it much thought."
"I don't care where it came from!" Morgan interrupts with a shout, her dazzling green eyes fixed firmly on the cube. "I have a bad feeling about it."
Her outburst surprises me. Morgan is one of the most logical and level headed people I know. She'd never let superstition or misguided fear cloud her opinion on something. Yet she hates that cube with a burning passion. "What makes you say that?" I ask her quietly. 
Her eyes flicker to me, then back to the cube and finally on Salim. "This changes everything. I mean, The Company will focus all of it's attention on this discovery, and I don't believe that mankind will prosper from it."
"Don't you think you're overreacting a little?" Naghi asks. 
Morgan shakes head vehemently. "No! I just know that bad things, very bad things, will come from finding this cube."
==Chapter Seven==
"By the time you guys receive this message it will all be old news. People will have studied and offered their professional opinions about what this cube is and what it means for mankind for weeks. It'll be all over the news."
"So I decided to send you guys a few short video clips I copied from the station archives on the finding and testing of the cube. I'm also sending a few photos that I took of the cube. In some of the pictures you can actually see the writing that covers the cube."
"Hoska says that he thinks it mathematical equations of some type because of all the patterns you can see. Salim says it might actually be a form of computer language. What did he call it...? Binary, or something like that..."
"I don't know what it is or whose right. Or more right. Anyway, I have to go. We're supposed to be receiving a message from the Asteroid Mining Coordination telling us what to do with the cube any moment now."
"I think that I'll wait and see what they have to say before sending this message. Well, goodbye!"
I touch my DNAC, clicking off the recording. I pull the curtain back from my cot and steo into the dorm. Half a day has passed since Hoska and Salim first brought the asteroid onto the station. Work has completely stopped as we wait for further orders. I'm finding it a little strange that it's been so long, especially since The Company is usually so punctual with things. Then again, this is an unprecedented situation.
I find most of the others in the Work Labs. Rourke is filing some digital paperwork on his holocam at his work station. He needs to get everything done before our leave of work kicks in. Hoska is also at his station, working like nothing has happened. Salim and Morgan were huddled around the viewport window, talking in hushed voices. Salim was writing something down on his personal DNAC notepad. Remembering how much Morgan distrusts the cube, I wonder if their conversation has something to with that.
I find the others in the cargo bay, huddled around the cube. I stop beside them, staring into the cube. Into its dark, oppressive blackness. It's like staring into the void of space. Everything is dark, dangerous. Yet if you look close enough, you can see the twinkling of stars in the distance...
Wait. I can see twinkling! Tiny lights dance in the center of the cube, yet they seem to be further away. Like at the end of a very long tunnel. Unaware of anything else, I reach a hand out to grab the cube.
"Hunter!"
I start in surprise at hearing my name. Naghi has apparently asked me a question. "Sorry!" I pull my hand back from the cube and turn to see the others watching me. "What did you say?"
"I asked if you wanted to be apart of our pool."
"Your what?" The lights on the cube are still flickering. No one else seems to have noticed.
"A pool," He repeats. "You know, everyone puts money in and winner takes all?"
"Uh. What would this pool be about?" I glance back at the cube, surprised to see that the lights have faded. What were they?
Naghi smiles confidently. "Hoska and Salim both have their theories on the cube, so I thought that we should all come up with our own too. See who gets closest."
"I really don't have any theories," I say, eyeing the cube warily. In all the videos of the cube that I uploaded onto my DNAC, I never once saw it sparkle. I don't think it's in Salim's notes either...
"I agree with Hunter," Arom speaks briskly, looking up from the cube. Did he see the sparkling too? No. He shows no signs of it. "We are not in the position to be making theories on this. "Besides, nothing we could come up with would be better than Hoska's or Salim's thoughts."
"Aww, come on!" Joc protests as Naghi sighs.
"Suit yourselves!" He says and the pair of them turn their heads away to talk quietly about their own theories. Arom shrugs and drifts off as I lean forward tp give the cube a closer look. The lights have not returned. The cube is still sleek and black, it's opaque surface absorbing the light that touches it.
"Everyone gather 'round!" Rourke calls for us, his voice carrying through the Labs. Reluctantly, I pull myself away from the cube and head over. I'm the last to arrive and stand at the back of the group as Rourke swings around in his chair and points at his holocom. "I just got word that we'll be receiving a message from Doctor Dorian Reed."
Some of us gasp in shock. A few smile in excitement. Dorian Reed is one of the highest ranking officials in The Company, being surpassed in importance only by the descendants of the two founders, Dario Cueto and Tiberius Stryker. Doctor Reed is apart of the Board of Directors that run the Company, holding the title Officer of Scientific Theory and Research. The Company has built its backbone upon research, and Dorian Reed has made that backbone very strong. If Reed is going to address us personally, then the Company must be taking the cube very seriously.
"He's currently in a Research Lab on Callisto, one of Jupiter's moon's," Rourke speaks after the initial round of excitement has passed. "But the moon's surface is currently suffering from a massive electrical storm, so there will be a thirty minute delay between messages."
"What kind of conversation will this be?" Morgan asks, her eyebrows knit in confusion. "Where we have to wait thirty minutes for a response?"
Rourke grins. "Like none you've ever had before!" He glances down at the DNAC on his meaty wrist. "They've allowed each of us to have one statement or question to pose to Doctor Reed. There's about ten minutes before the first message comes through; Use this opportunity to think about what you'd like to say."
Rourke spins his chair around and goes back to working on his holocom. Everyone else begins to drift away, wracking their brains for an idea. Myself included. What could I say to one of the most influential humans in the galaxy!
I lean against the wall, not far from the cube. Thoughts are racing through my head, all of them vying for my full attention. Despite being focused on thinking of a question, I cannot dispel the lights I saw on the cube from my mind. It certainly didn't happen before. Maybe I should ask Salim? He could shed some light, unintentional pun, on the situation.
I slowly approach my eldest co-worker, hoping he'd have some answers. But when I find him, he's deep in conversation with Morgan. "No," He was saying with a shake of his head. "I do not believe that the cube is dangerous. By itself, at least."
"So you think that it could be dangerous, given the proper situation?" Morgan seems very bent on proving the cubes danger. I can't quite figure out why. It doesn't seem harmful to me.
"Anything can be dangerous in the wrong hands," Salim nods sagely. Morgan's eyes flicker away to Rourke, where he still fiddles with the holocom.
"And do you believe that The Company is the right hands for the cube?"
Salim shrugs. "Where else do you suppose that the cube should go? The Company is the only body with the proper technological and theoretical capabilities to handle such a discovery. The cube will be safe in their hands."
Morgan doesn't outright disagree, but the mutinous look she gives Salim as she stalks away shows that her opinion is quite different from the wise Core Analysts. Salim watches her for a moment before turning to me. "Did you want something, Hunter?"
Surprised that he had noticed my presence, I stare at him in silence for a few moments before quickly nodding. "Yeah. You see, I was observing the cube and--"
"Everyone gather 'round! The message is coming in!"
At Rourke's call Salim gives me a polite nod. "We'll finish this another time," He says as he heads for the rest of the crew. I sigh and follow. Guess that conversation will have to wait.
Rourke waits patiently for everyone to settle themselves in before pressing the record button on his DNAC and starting the message. A holoScreen appears across the large view port window, stretching until it fills the entire polymer panes. The screen is filled with static for a few moments, and then it shows a man in a fancy looking office sitting upon a black leather chair.
With a thick, square jaw, sharp pointed nose, and piercing brown eyes, he stares right into the camera. His jet-black hair is streaked with gray, and a golden pin adorns the crisp, dark blue uniform he wears. This is Doctor Dorian Reed.
"Lady and gentlemen, I would first like to start by telling you what an honor it is to speak with you today. I am truly humbled. I haven't even begun to fathom the realns of possibility that this could present to humankind. Now, you have all been given a moment to address anything you may desire. Just keep in mind that everything is being recorded for historical purposes."
The screen flickers off. There's a moment where everyone is silent and then Rourke speaks. "I'll go first. Who'd like to follow?"
"I will!" Joc and Naghi both speak at once. The two share a glance and then Naghi shrugs. "Joc can go second. I'm fine being third."
Rourke nods and points at Arom, who quickly claims his spot. Morgan goes after him, and I ask for the next slot. "I'd like to go last," Hoska says slowly. Salim nods along. It is fine with him. Rourke smiles, happy that his crew has amicably decided.
"Very well. Let's record our message, shall we?" He spins his chair and presses a button, activating the small camera embedded in the holocam. "My name is Stephen Rourke," He speaks directly into the camera. "I'm the Crew Boss here on Near Asteroid Ring Station-Four. My question is; What does a discovery of this magnitude mean for mankind?"
He rolls his chair out of the way, making room for Naghi. The young man slicks his hair back for a moment and then nods. "Right. Well, I'm Naghi Harada, Collector on the station. What I want to know is how will this effect us?" He gestures his hands at everyone eho surrounds him. "How will this change our lives? Will we get our names on plagues or something?"
Joc shoves his way in front of the camera, pushing Naghi away. "I'm Joc Long," He says without any formality. "Does finding this cube mean I get to live the good life? Like, will I become rich and famous and stuff?"
"That was just like my question!" Naghi hisses from his side. Joc rolls his eyes.
"No, it wasn't!"
"Yes, it was!"
"No, it wasn't!"
"It was!"
"Wasn't!"
Before this things get out of hand, Hoska reaches in and pulls Joc away by the collar as Arom takes his space. Morgan and I try to stifle our laughter to no avail. Throwing one last glare at Joc, Arom addresses the camera. "I am Arom Foster, Collector on Near Asteroid Station-Four. Flassic Foster, my twin, was the first to tag the asteroid that held the cube. Shortly after, he was killed by a suit malfunction. I would like to request that his name be added to those who found the cube."
Everyone bows their head as Arom drifts to the side. Flassic was well-liked by us all. I was proud to count him as a co-worker. Morgan slowly takes her place, eyes flashing with concern. "Morgan Springer, Processor on Near Asteroid Station-Four. I would like to know what The Company plans on doing with this cube. Will it be available to public viewing?" She pauses and looks like she has more to say before lowering her head and stepping aside.
Taking a deep breath, I step before the camera. I'm not one to get nervous, riding asteroids as they travel hundreds of kilometres at top speed through the vastness of space has kind of killed any nerves I may have, but this is a very different situation. I'm going to be seen by one of the most important humans in the galaxy...And probably the rest of the galaxy as well. I think I'd prefer riding the asteroid.
"Umm...I'm Hunter Haven, Collector on the station..." I trail off, feeling unsure of myself. Rourke gives me a small nod, so I continue. "This is the biggest thing that has ever happened to me, and I was wondering if we would be able to visit our families? If not, could we at least contact them? Before we found this cube we had filled our quota and earned a leave of work....It'd be nice if we could still do that, despite the fame."
I step aside, blushing slightly. I shouldn't be embarrassed to care so much for my family, but I can't help it. Especially since everyone else was focused more on the cube. I stand beside Morgan as Salim stiffly takes the stand. "Salim Alzahabi, Core Analyst. I am an engineer; I have worked for The Company for over thirty years. It would be an honor if I were to be allowed on the team that studied this cube. Thank you."
I'm not surprised by his request. Salim has shown a vast amount of interest in this cube, much more than any of us have. None of us can understand the technical magnitude of this discovery, but he can. Hopefully he's allowed to work on the cube.
Hoska has already taken his place. Being so tall, he has to stand further away from the camera then the rest of us had to. When he finally finds a spot that allows all of him to be seen, he begins. "Hoska Gujarati, Environmental and Safety Officer. I too have worked for the Cueto-Stryker Corporation for many long years. I have been away from my family for far too long. I'd like for this to be my resignation." A shocked gasp comes from behind me. I can't see who it is, but it could be just about anyone. Hoska wants to retire? That was the last thing I was expecting.
Hoska continues. "I will continue working until a replacement can be found, but I wish to return to my family. Thank you."
The Neo turns and walks straight out of the lab, leaving the rest of us speechless. While I completely understand his choice, I never expected to see that. Rourke hits a button to stop the recording. Watching Hoska disappear from sight, he turns back to his console and hits the button that will send our message back to Callisto station.
==Chapter Eight==
There's a long silence that takes ahold of the Work Labs. Everyone seems a little bit surprised by Hoska's announcement. Then again, should we really? Joc had asked Doctor Reed for a promotion, after all. Maybe we all just want to retire.
Rourke goes back to his station, the shearling coat flapping behind him. "There'll be an hour delay before we get a response," He says, tapping his keyboard. "So we'll have to wait. I suggest you do something productive with your time."
Arom and Morgan both walk away, talking quietly. I head for Salim, remembering the lights on the cube, when I stop. He's sitting down at his station and pulling up a holofeed. He looks busy. I should ask him later.
I let my feet take me anywhere, not really thinking on a destination. My mind is blank right now and perhaps that is the best. There's too much stuff to really think on. I pass through the recreation room, where Joc and Naghi sit on plush armchairs playing a Sim. Soldiers run around on screen, trying to out flank one another. I watch passively for a few moments until Joc shoots up, celebrating. "Tough luck," I tell Naghi as I step into the kitchen.
My stomach rumbles slightly and I search through the cabinets, finding a pair of candy bars. Taking the bite of the first, I step back into the recreation room and nod at my fellow Collectors as they start up another game.
By the time I reach the dormitory, I have already eaten both candy bars. Boredom has begun to set in. This is the first time that we haven't had to do any work to do or receive a shipment. Not having anything to do is...unsettling.
Scarfing down the rest of the chocolate, I dress myself in more athletic clothes and depart for the Grav Ring. Exercising is always a good option when you have nothing else to do. Entering the Ring through a ladder, I quickly become aware of the massive spike in gravity. At least Two G's. Someone else must already be here and switched the artificial gravity up. I hate doing anything in more than one G. But there's nothing I can do; Rourk's rules are clear. Whoever enters the Ring first sets the gravity.
Sighing, I drop to the floor and begin to stretch as I take in the Ring. It's a large circle that encloses the station, a wall on the innerside side and large view ports on the outer. The Ring is divided into two separate areas by a thick, white line that runs down the middle. On the outer side is the running track. It's just a plain, flat surface designed for easy running. The inner side is where everything else is kept.
Weights, lifting machines, rowing machines, treadmills, medicine balls and even a small pool are only some of the things kept here. The Company is intent on keeping us in shape.
The pool has lasers in it that track the swimmer and adjust the flow of water, allowing them to swim in place as fast or slow as they wanted. At first, I thought the pool was an absurd concept. Why would anyone go through the trouble of hauling this much water into space just so someone could float around? My mind changed not long after I arrived at the station. The pool is my most used feature in the Ring.
But right now, I'm intent on simply jogging around the Ring. Running clears my mind and allows me to think about things without worrying. The running track is five hundred meters in a full lap. Doing two laps gives you a full kilometer.
I'm only three quarters of the way through the track when I spot Hoska. He's shirtless, showing off the bulging muscles that seem to be everywhere on his body, resting on one of the weight benches after finishing a recent rep. I slow to a halt, staring at the digital tattoos that cover his entire body, shifting and changing shape. "Need a spot?" I ask.
He smiles coyly, as if he knows something I don't. "Very well." He leans back to resume lifting and I take my place behind his head. I nearly gasp when I see the weight number listed on the machine. Two hundred and twenty kilos. Then I account for the higher gravity and try to do the math.
"Hoska, just how much are you lifting?" I ask him, wondering if I possibly misjudged my calculations.
He laughs musically, answering between a rep. "Half a ton."
My eyes stretch wide in shock. I hadn't miscalculated! He truly was lifting an obscene amount of weight! Hoska laughs again as he sees my shock, slowly depositing the barbell in its resting place. "You know us Neo's are stronger than you humans," He says after a second.
"Yeah...But I guess I never knew how much stronger you were." Even the weakest Neo could outmatch the strongest of humans in a fight. What was The Company thinking when they made them?
Hoska shrugs his massive shoulders. "We try to hide the true extent of our strength and intelligence so everyone will leave us alone." He looks down, speaking quietly. There's a sense of longing in his words, a wistful glint in his eyes. He must miss his home.
"I understand why you would want to retire," I tell him quietly. "I feel the same way."
"Hm. Yes." Hoska stares over my head, looking at the asteroid ring that is clearly visible through the view port windows. "I'm sure you do. However...that was not the only reason."
"Huh? It's not?" I follow his gaze out into space, staring at the inky blackness that is almost as opaque as the cube we found.
"Salim, Morgan and I see something that I don't think that the rest of you understand." Hoska shakes his head lightly, gently scoffing. "Finding this..cube. It has changed everything. It does not matter if it is human, alien, or even from another dimension. It's very existence will propel the galaxy through a ride that it has never been on before. And I am not certain that it will be."
"Morgan is convinced that something awful will come from finding it. Perhaps she believes that aliens will come looking for it, or maybe she thinks we will look for them. Either way, she distrusts that cube."
"Salim thinks differently. He views the cube as a doorway into a new world of science and theory. To him, everything is for the advancement of humankind." Hoska shakes his hesd again, eyes dark with worry as they gaze out into space.
"What do you think?" I ask him quietly.
"What do I think?" He looks surprised to be asked such a question. For a moment he just sits there, staring off into the vastness that is space. Then a large hand scratches his chin. "I do not know whether this discovery will bring about glory or destruction. Most likely both. All I know is that it will change the universe. And I'd like to spend some time with my family...Before it does."
Hoska leans back down and begins a new rep with the barbell. I stand idly by, knowing I couldn't lift that bar anyways. My mind is flush with possibilities of what that cube could bring. Not all of them good. What if Morgan is right? What would happen if that cube brings along nothing but destruction and death? Thinking of the cube brings back the memory of the mysterious lights.
Hoska ends his most recent rep, wiping both himself and the seat down as he rises. I immediately know that I need to confide in him. "Hoska!" He turns at my call, looking a little surprised.
"Yes, Hunter?"
"I...In the logs Salim has made on cube...Was it ever seen to...sparkle?"
"Sparkle?" Hoska frowns before shaking his head. "No. I do not believe it has ever sparkled. I have not seen it do so, at least." He stops, then senses that I know more then I've said. "Why are you asking?"
I explain how I spotted the lights, and how they disappeared almost as quickly as they came. Hoska listens intently, never interrupting. He seens to be as equally fascinated with them as I was. "And no one else saw them?" He asks when I finish.
I nod. "The others were busy talking. They didn't notice it at all."
"Interesting." Hoska rubs his chin thoughtfully, staring out the view port again. Try as I might, I couldn't shake the thought of the lights from my mind. Perhaps Hoska can alleviate that stress. "And you haven't told Salim yet?"
"No. There hasn't been time."
"Well then," Hoska shifts his body as he turns to look at me. I shrink back, feeling like a small child. Hoska is at least two times my size. "The best we can do is talk with Salim. He may have an answer for us."
The static filled signal of the stations intercom buzzes to life, surprising us both. Rourke's voice comes through, scratchy and distorted. The Grav Ring never had good intercoms. "Attention everyone. The message from Doctor Reed at Callisto station has just come in. Please gather in the Work Labs. Thank you."
I share a glance with Hoska. The large Neo shrugs, grunting as he puts all his weights back into their proper positions. "Guess we got mail."
==Chapter Nine==
Hoska and I are the final ones to arrive. The rest are gathered around Rourke's station as he fiddles with knobs and buttons. Salim stands at his side, speaking quietly. "There you are!" Naghi offers me a fist bump as I step beside him. "We thought you two got sucked out into space or something."
"Pushed," Arom corrects from beside us. "The internal pressure of the ship pushes people out. They're not sucked out."
Naghi flips his hair back, grinning. "Whatever. Just look at the screen!"
The holocam has begun to fizz and buzz with static. Everyone falls silent as the image of Doctor Reed sitting in the same leather chair fills the screen. He looks almost exactly the same as before, but his previously neutral face has turned into something else. Something I can't quite judge.
"I'd like to address the last question first," Doctor Reed speaks quietly, his eyes clouded. What problem could he possibly have? "Mr. TBA, we at Cueto-Stryker Corporation completely understand your desire to return home to your family. However, you must understand that it will be quite some time before we can do so."
Beside me, Hoska tenses. His hands clench at his side, his eyes flash dangerously and nostrils flare. It looks as if he's going to argue before he remembers that it's just a recorded message. On screen, Doctor Reed continues.
"Mr. Haven, I am going to be forced to ask you-and your fellows crew members- not to send any messages to your friends, family or the media. The Company wishes to release this critical information in a controlled manner, which I hope you can understand." He pauses for a moment before continuing. "I also am compelled to tell you that despite filling your quota you will not be receiving your leave of work right away. But I'll further address this at the end of the message."
My eyes shut tight as everyone around me shouts angrily. Not receive our leave? But they're contractually obligated! My fists form into balls and I resist the urge to throw something at the screen. The message spike is suddenly burning a hole in my shirt pocket. The Company would have no idea if I sent it or not...
"Everyone please calm down," Rourke has to raise his voice to be heard over the yelling of the others. "He didn't say we wouldn't receive our leave, just that we wouldn't get it right away!"
The shouting stops. A few people still look furious, like Morgan and Hoska, but the rest seem to be calmed by Rourke's words. I'm not. I want to know exactly why I'm not receiving my leave! Who do they think they are, telling me what to do? I mean, other than a massive mega-corporation that owns half the planets in the galaxy?
"To answer Mr. Fosters' question," The recording of Doctor Reed hasn't stopped on account of our outrage and man continues on. I'm aware of the fact that I missed his response to Joc and Naghi's question. "We would be honored to add Flassic Foster's name to the list of those who found the cube."
Arom dips his head respectfully. He, at least, is content. "And finally, to address Mr. Alzahaba." Doctor Reed pauses, his serious gray eyes twitching around. Is that hesitancy in his eyes? "You will get your request to work on the cube granted. As a matter of fact, all of you will be required to report in at Callisto Research Station of Jupiter to bring in the cube and receive further inquiry to the nature of the object."
"What?!" I can't help myself. Callisto station is even further from Earth then here! "I want to return home! Not go off on--"
"Hunter! Shut up and listen!" Rourke growls impatiently at me. Simmering, I glare at his cowboy wearing head. I'll shut up, but once this message is over I'm going to have a lot to say!
"You will place the station in hibernation mode and then board your shuttle for the Martian city of Agea. There you will be met by a team that will escort you to Callisto station." Doctor Reed continues on with his scratchy voice.
"It appears that we have stumbled upon the next stage of humankind. I am not going to speculate on the possibilities this may bring, but allow me to say some simple facts. I have read the theories submitted by your team, and while I cannot verify their authenticity, I can say that at the very least we now know there is much more to the universe than we had previously thought."
"If it is indeed future human technology, then we are able to be catapulted hundreds of years into the future of technological advancements. If it is alien, then it means something different altogether. We will have contact with an intelligent alien species for the first time."
"My advisors have informed me that if it is indeed alien, then it is well over a hundred thousand years old. It is quite possible that a race of aliens hid this cube like a time capsule. And the sooner we get to examine it, the better. That is why you must make for Agea with all haste."
Doctor Reed leans back in his chair, a small smile playing on the edges of his mouth. "The importance of this find cannot be overstated enough. Once more, I must express my gratitude for all you have done and will continue to do. Thank you."
The message clicks off. Static overtakes the screen. I open my mouth to speak, but Morgan is quicker. "I noticed that they didn't answer my question," She says quietly. Her emerald eyes are fixed on the screen, as if she expects Doctor Reed to reappear and explain himself.
Nearby, Naghi goes to ask what her question was when Hoska interrupts. "Many questions were not answered today," He rumbles, watching Morgan intently. There's worry in his eyes. And when Hoska worries, everyone should be worried. What was Morgan's question?
"It appears that we have a trip ahead of us," Rourke speaks before anyone else can comment on the situation. "So it would be best if everyone began packing their personal belongings. We leave in the morning."
Everyone begins to disperse. I follow most of us towards the dormitories, but I notice that Morgan lingers beside the monitor, her emerald eyes flashing brilliantly. What is she thinking, I wonder? I know what I'm thinking. And it's not anything pleasant about Doctor Reed. 
"C'mon, Hunter!" Joc taps me on the shoulder as he exits the room. "You should go pack your stuff." 
I murmur something and watch him leave. Stuff? What stuff? I barely own anything that needs packing beyond my clothes, and that could be dealt with in less then a minute of time. I can do that tomorrow, before we leave.
So instead of following ny fellow workers into the dorms, I find myself drifting towards the cargo hold that contains the cube. It's in the same exact position as before and looks the same too. No lights. No flashing.
Still, I know I didn't dream that up. There were lights, for one reason or another. Maybe Doctor Reed and the Callisto crew would be able to figure that out. If they did, that sure would ease my mind.
I stop right in front of the cube. It seems to give off energy, not the physical kind, but energy that you can feel in the air. Energy that gives you strength. I find myself lost in the smooth, glossy sides of the cube. If I look hard enough, I can almost convinced myself that I see images reflected back...
I reach out to grab the cube.
The second my hands touch the cube a sharp pain jolts my fingertips. With a scream I attempt to recoil, only to realize that my hands are inexplicably tied to the cube. Then the cube begins to heat up.
My palms begin to sweat, then burn. At first it's like when you get too close to a candle and the wind blows the flame against your skin. But then the intensity begins to pick up. It becomes something more akin to holding your hand against the top of an oven burner, then it worsens. 
Immense pain burns in my hands. Like rusty nails heated in the belly of a volcano. They press against the skin of my pams, searing into my flesh. Why hasn't the cube exploded? How can it contain so much heat? I fall to my knees, screaming so loudly that I cannot understand how no one has come running to see what's wrong. For it's part, the cube just sits there in my hands, looking every bit as ordinary as when I first walked into the room.
Then the lights return.
They dance around in a circular motion, sticking to the center of the cube as their light slowly brightens. I'd be amazed if my hands weren't on fire. Gradually they begin to grow. They grow and grow until they take up the entirety of the cube, transforming it from an opaque black surface to a literal ball of light.
The light envelopes my hands and immediately transforms into a brilliant cerulean. I shriek in pain as the light touches my skin and slides up my arms. It seems to travel underneath my skin, pulsating brightly as it goes, bringing the burning pain with it, stretching from my fingertips to my shoulders.
I try to move my head, to watch where it goes from there. But my head is frozen still, my eyes stuck on the orb of light. My entire body burns now. It feels like I've been dropped into a furnace turned up at full blast. It's unbearable.
With another flash, the cube begins to show images.
Fleeting, quick shots of things I don't understand. A snowy mountain top, a dank cave, a plain office room. Each image lasts less then a second, yet it seems to burn itself into my mind. A large chamber filled with vast columns, a shiny, metallic building. More images. More intense, blinding pain. A watery pool, glittering with starlight. Then another. The exterior of a space station. But not just any station. Our station. Near Asteroid Mining Station Eleven.
Then the images fade. The lights on the cube go out, reverting back to its black form. My hands are released and I slide to the floor with a thump. The burning begins to subside, the pain fades. 
I roll up into a ball and begin to cry.
==Chapter Ten==
I don't know how long I lie there on the cold, metal floor. I'm conscious only of the receding pain that fills my body and the flashing images that seem perpetually stuck inside of my brain. The cold mountain...the cave...
What are they?
I can't think straight. My head is spinning, my eyes sting with a mix of sweat and tears. My arms tremble involuntarily, though the pain has almost entirely faded now. I force myself to sit up.
The cube sits on the pedestal. The lights are completely gone, the images long faded. I look away when I imagine the burning sensation in my palms. The cube must be some sort of weapon. Or it's been effected by radiation. Something is terribly wrong with it. Why else would it react like that?
But...
The others touched it, didn't they? And nothing happened to them. No lights, no images, no blinding, unbearable pain. Salim and Hoska evaluated it too. They cleared it of any possible dangers. But then why did it nearly burn my damn hands off?
I stare fearfully at the cube as I scoot away across the room. Salim said it could be alien or from another dimension. Morgan said it was dangerous. She was right. It's beyond dangerous. Too deadly to keep on this station. We need to destroy it or, I don't know, throw it back into space. We need--
My breath catches in my throat when I see my hands. For my entire stay on the ground they've been clenched into fists, but now they're spread open. And a familiar cerluean light dimly glows from my palm. I look down at it, dumbfounded, amazed. After a few seconds of my gaping, the glow begins to brighten.
I snap my fists shut. Push myself into a standing position with my legs. This isn't happening. This can't be happening. The cube's lights have faded! How are they on me? This isn't right. Have I been infected with some sort of alien virus?
Fear tightens in my chest as I stumble towards the door.
I'm feeling dizzy, unsteady on my feet. I continue into the hall and have no idea where to go. I don't want anyone else to see my hands. What would they do if they thought I was inflicted with an alien disease? I'd expect to be quarantined at best, killled at worst. Better not to show anyone. Maybe the lights will fade. Maybe it's just a negative hangover from touching the cube.
Yes. Yes, that's it. It'll fade. Everything will go back to normal. I just need to find someplace safe to rest...
I bump into someone's back. My heart catches in my throat as Rourke turns around, a smile plastered on his face. "Howdy, Hunter!" He says with a mery twinkle in his eye. "Have you packed already?"
Packed? Packed for what? Does he know about the lights? Is he sending me off to some lab to e experimented on? I'm opening my mouth to tell him that he will never force me to become a guinea pig when I remember that we have been summoned to Calisto station. My mouth slams shut.
"Something wrong?" Rourke narrows his eyes, sensing my discomfort.
"I...No. Of course not!" A quick glance at my hands show that the pale blue lights have begun to seep out through the gap in my fingers. "I just need to get packed!"
I shove my way past him without another word. Race through the halls. Rourke shouts something after me but I don't catch it as I bypass the dormitories in search of shelter. Someplace empty. Someplace safe.
The bathrooms come up ahead and I enter without a second thought. What better place to find privacy then a bathroom? I slide the lock shut behind me and drop to the floor, panting hard.
Since first seeing the lights, I've kept my hands curled into fists. I look down at them now and see that my right hand is glowing, pulsating. It's definitely not fading away. I begin to panic.
I clench and unclench my hands. My right is shining brightly, beginning to concentrate in the center of my palm. The left is dimly flickering. There is no pain, not like when I touched the cube. It's just the strange blue lights shining from my hands. My panic begins to fade as I stare at them. It's oddly...enthralling.
Standing up, I take a look at myself in the mirror that hangs over the sink. The lights use to brighten the entire room, because I never turned in the lights, but now it begins to become more muted. More ordinary. Faint blue lines begin to run down my right bicep.
Carefully, I raise my arm.
Immediately I am thrown backwards as a bright blue ball shoots from my palm. My head smacks against the porcelain toilet just when the orb of light collides with the mirror. It cracks down the middle as the orb explodes against it, sending crackling, sizzling embers of light across the small room. Glass shards clatter down into the sink, some dropping onto the floor, where they break into even more pieces.
"What...the...hell...?"
My head throbs with pain as I look around the devastated room. Glass is everywhere. One piece has left a long scratch across my left forearm. Flashing remains of the orb sputter and fade away, leaving no trace that they were ever there. 
"I...don't understand." The understatement of the century. What has just happened? A ball of blue...What was the stuff? Energy? Light? A mixture of both? I've never seen anything like that before. Obviously.
I feel exhausted. Too tired to even sit up. My head is ringing, either from the blast or hitting it on the toilet, I don't know. But my body feels like I've just finished a marathon, my arms weigh as much cinderblocks. My legs like anchors. 
Giving up on trying to get myself back on my feet, I lie my head back on the cold floor. Glass clatters and cracks as my legs crush it, but I'm too depleted to care. I've never felt this tired before. Not once. It feels like a truck has run me over. 
With a small flutter, my eyelids slide shut.
==Chapter Eleven==
When I wake, I find myself in complete darkness.
I panic, bolting up into a sitting position and spinning my head around the overbearing dark. What happened? Where am I? I attempt to use my hands to lift myself up when I feel a sharp pain in my palm as I cut against a shard of glass.
Then everything comes rushing back to me.
The cube. I touched it and...craziness happened. The lights. The images. Blue orbs. Shattered glass. Exhausted body. I hurriedly lift my hands to check on the lights when I realize that it is too dark to see. Wait...
That must mean...
I get onto my feet, careful so not to hit my head on anything, and fumble around until I find the light switch. A fluorescent pale light flickers on overhead, illuminating the chaos that fills the room. I had forgotten just how badly I had messed things up. But that's not important right now, because my hands...
The glowing has stopped. The lights are gone, though my right has a bloody gash across it. I stare at them for a good two minutes, wondering if I had just dreamed the whole thing up.
Feeling very unsure of myself, I try to make them turn blue again. I know it sounds ridiculous. After all, wasn't I just panicking about having the lights? And now here I am, attempting to bring them back. But I have to. No one will believe me otherwise.
I try concentrating hard, focusing on making light appear from my fingertips. Nothing happens. I feel stupid for even trying. I'd think that I had imagined the whole incident, if the bathroom wasn't full of shattered glass. Obviously something happened with my hands.
I just don't know what.
And that's the scariest part. Something is wrong with me, but it's not something that can be fixed or even diagnosed by something simple like going to the doctors.
I try to spark the light again, clenching and unclenching my fist as I aim it at the wall. I feel a brief tingling sensation, but I think that's from the stress I'm putting on them. "Think rationally, Hunter." I mutter to myself. "Do you really think that you have magic lights shooting from your hands?" Unfortunately, I know the answer. And it isn't no.
A knock on the door nearly gives me a heart attack.
"Hunter?" Naghi's muffled voice comes from the other side, sounding worried. "Are you alright? You've been in there all night!"
I freeze, shocked into silence.
All night? Just how long have I been out? I don't have much time to think on it, Naghi is repeatedly knocking now. "I-I'm fine!" I try not to let any worry into my voice as I grab paper towel out from under the sink. "I'll be out in a minute!"
"Oh, okay." Naghi sounds relieved. I wish I could share that feeling.
I wrap the paper towel around my injured hand, hoping it will suffice until I can find some bandages. Then I brush the broken glass into a pile, sweeping it neatly into the corner. I'm going to have to improvise on how I explain that. No way can I tell the truth. Not yet. Finally, I step out the door.
Bright lights shine in my face, startling me. I blink several times, waiting for my eyes to adjust. When they do, I see Naghi's concerned face inches from mine. "Whoa! Back up a little!" I wave my hands in the air as I backpedal.
Naghi's almond eyes flicker to my bandaged hand. "What happened to that?"
My mind races for an answer. Despite just thinking about this very question, I have no response prepared. "I...cut it."
Naghi snorts. "I can see that much! Cut it on what?"
"Umm. Glass." Think Hunter! You can come up with better than that!
"Glass...from what?" Naghi frowns, probably wondering how and where I'd find glass to cut myself. It's an acceptable thought.
"A mirror." I want to slap myself. Being this vague and mysterious is only going to bring up more questions! Hurriedly, I continue before Naghi can speak. "I was sick last night, so I raced into the bathroom and I kinda...ran into the mirror." It explains both my night long absence and the cut. But boy is it stupid sounding.
Naghi must think so too, for he scratches his ear and snickers. "You ran into a mirror? While running to vomit? Please tell me you didn't get it all over yourself!"
"Don't worry. I didn't."
He laughs, so I try to laugh too. It comes off more like a hacking cough though. I'm too worried to really be humorous right now. Then he gives a quick nod and heads off down the hall. I watch him go with a nauseous feeling in my gut. I hate lying. Always have. But it's necessary. At least for a little while longer. 
I hope I won't have to explain my injured hand to anyone else.
----
"I, uh, cut it...on the mirror..." I trail off as I finish my explanation of what happened for the fourth time. After meeting Naghi in the hall, I ran into Joc while packing my stuff in the dormitory. Then I bumped into Arom on my way to Rourke's work station, where I then had to explain it to him. All of them laughed at my lame excuse, but at least they seemed to believe me. 
Rourke shakes his head wearily before returning to his HoloCom. "Be more careful next time!" He chides me as his fingers clack against the keyboard. "Also, I want you to help Morgan and Arom clear out Cargo Bay #2."
"I thought Hoska and Salim were doing that?"
"No, they're busy loading all of our equipment." He barely looks up as he speaks. The job of prepping the station for hibernation is a hard one, doubly so when you only have twenty-four hours. Everyone worked through the night, except for me. I was unconscious in the bathroom. 
Shame burns through me as Rourke continues. "Now hurry up! Once I finish uploading these files and documentation I expect everything to be ready for our departure!"
He dismisses me with a wave of his hand and I neatly duck out of the labs. My footsteps echo eerily as I make my way through the desolate corridors. Everyone is either working or aboard the shuttle, readying it for launch. The silence provides me with time to think, and there's only one thing I can think about right now.
The cube.
Maybe I will understand what it did to my hands if I look at again. There must be something we missed when we ran diagnosis, something that couldn't be picked up by our scanners. At least that's what I keep telling myself.
I pass by the Grav Ring on my way to the Cargo Bay. It's dark and quiet, turned off because we will soon be gone, headed for Callisto Research Station. Fear finds me once more as I think about this. The Company will take the cube, they will experiment on it and test it and prod it and do everything else possible with it. They will find out about the lights...
Unless they don't.
I halt in the middle of the corridor as this new thought strikes me. What will happen if they don't discover anything new about the cube? What will I do? No way can I tell The Company. All they're concerned about is money and finding new technologies that will give them even more money. I'd probably become a test subject for them. A monkey.
I need to figure out what happened to me before they get the cube!