Camp IX | ✓

1

If you think about it, Earth is a curious place. Nothing in the neighboring galaxies comes close to it. If you were to ask every person on board the Gemini what they thought was the most unique part of Earth, you'd get a completely different answer from everyone. Some would say the animals, never in a billion years had we come across a planet so diverse in animal life. Some would answer the weather patterns, they were uncontainable and wild beyond belief. Others would offer that the intelligence levels on Earth far surpassed those we'd ever encountered. But for all that shared intelligence, the thing I found most curious about Earth was the wars.

Humans, for all their advancements and inventions, always seemed to revert back to the age-old practice of blowing each other up. They were like children who had just discovered new toys, eager to try them out and be damned the consequences. Personally, I was amazed at the ingeniousness of some of their weapons and a little shocked and taken aback by others. I'd spent hours reading over all the wars fought on the planet below, from the conquests of Alexander the Great all the way to World War 2. It was instances like those that made me think that war was what made Earth unique.

Standing on the main deck, I contemplated the blue and green orb slowly rotating below. I placed my hands against the glass of the window and leaned forward until my nose almost brushed it. Stilling my breath so I didn't fog up the glass, I watched the white swirls of hurricanes and smoke move across the planet's surface. It was funny to think that I'd be down there in a couple of short days. As Earth slowly turned I let my eyes wander from Italy's boot down to Eygpt and then across to India. I couldn't tell you how long I stood there looking over all the different countries, but I can tell you who interrupted me.

"Nova!" My eyes snapped up to watch the rapidly approaching figure reflected in the window.

"Hey, Griffin," I tried to make my tone come off as annoyed but I couldn't and instead I broke into a smile.

My best friend strolled up and flung an arm around me, almost pulling me off balance. I let out a small noise of indignation and fake trying to pull away from him. This only makes him cling tighter to me. Knowing I wouldn't win a battle of strength against him I gave up and rested my head against his shoulder.

Griffin didn't speak, neither did I for a while which let me get a good look at both of us. Griffin had his silver hair pushed back from his forehead like many of the other guys. His cheek brushed the top of my head, letting several of the longer strands fall among mine. It stood out against the darker silver of my hair, marking me as the elder in the friendship by only a few years. The rest of us was very similar. We were both dressed in the regulatory uniforms that did little to flatter us. Not that there's much to flatter in the first place. Like most of the Andromedic race, the two of us resembled thin, tall humans. Bones stuck out despite being well fed and our skin was sucked in like we'd undergone surgery. Milky white skin free of blemishes ringed pale lavender eyes that seemed as warm as a summer day and as harsh as a windstorm all at once.

Griffen broke the silence by coughing and then asked, "Where do you think they'll send you?"

I shrugged. To be completely honest, I hadn't thought about it much. I was more preoccupied with the possibility of getting off the Gemini on which I'd spent the last year, then where I might end up.

"Personally I'd like them to assign me somewhere in South America," continued Griffin matter of factly.

He ran his free hand that wasn't looped around my shoulder through his hair, pushing the stray strands back into place.

"Why's that?" I asked quietly.

"The rainforests," he answered almost immediately. "They're incredible, I've shown you pictures right?"

I laughed and nodded my head. He's showed them to me thousands of times over the course of our friendship. And he was right they were incredible. All that green, I'd never seen something ever come close. And the insects and animals? Griffin hadn't found one yet that didn't interest him. He reminded me of a little kid with his pictures and articles which he made me listen to every week. But of course I didn't mind, I did the same thing to him but with war stories and pictures of weapons. To Griffen, the rainforests were what made Earth unique.

We fell silent again and went back to watching the Earth rotate. By now the eastern edge of Russia had disappeared to be replaced in the west by the beginnings of the Americas.

"Attention all Camp Nine cadets please report to the briefing room immediately. I repeat all Camp Nine cadets please report to the briefing room immediately."

"That's our cue," Griffen dropped his arm from my shoulders and I regretted the loss of the friendly feeling.

As he turned inwards away from the window, I stood unmoving still watching the planet below. I heard him stop and turn around to look at me.

"I've given it some thought," I remarked keeping my eyes fixed on what I thought was Greenland (I still get them mixed up sometimes). "I'd like to be assigned somewhere nice and cold."

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Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of my book, Camp IX! It's an idea that came to me while I was procrastinating finals. I'm excited to see what form it takes in the coming months and how it grows and changes. If you have any ideas or suggestions drop me a comment and I'll be sure to read it. I'll try to update every weekend and anytime I have free time. Happy reading to all!