David held the testing center door as his older classmates exited. The air in the courtyard always smelled fresher, even though it was the same air everywhere on the ship. A couple of students glanced down at him as they passed; one of the girls even gave him a smile. Not a single one said thanks. Mom said they treated him that way because David was as smart as them, but four years their junior, and no kid liked having a blipsqueak in their class. He didn’t care. All that mattered was that in a few years he’d be an engineer just like his parents.
“You’re welcome,” he said to their backs.
The courtyard was crowded today. A projection of the captain played on the sky. He was talking about his visit to one of the primary schools this morning.
“…our young people today are carrying on in the best traditions of our forefathers,” the captain said. “Obeying the rules. Offering a helping hand. And never being afraid to do the right thing. We’re teaching the generation who are going to stand in gravity, folks. Let’s get it right. The journey of a thousand miles…”
The captain let the words hang as the projection faded into drifting clouds, knowing everyone was finishing the phrase in their heads. The overhead sunlights were turned up to mid-afternoon, and the temperature was regulating to the warmest summer level they’d enjoyed this year. David took a deep breath. A few kids his age were throwing a ball on the far side of the light fountain. David smiled. Today he was going to ask if he could join them.
A shrill voice pierced the serenity. A little girl’s voice.
“No,” said David. “Please, no.”
But the voice was unmistakable. Mom was right about the older kids. He knew just how they felt sometimes. With a final glance at the kids across the courtyard, David jogged around the corner toward the commotion.
Abby, his little sister, squared off against a monster of a kid named Elliot. Fists at her side and head thrown back, Abby glared up at him. Elliot towered over her and had her by thirty kilos easy, but his little sister didn’t understand those sorts of things.
“Am not!” Abby shouted.
The scene was comical, and David was tempted to let it play out. But he had responsibilities.
“Yelling isn’t going to make it so, runt,” said Elliot.
Abby kicked Elliot in the shin. Elliot yelped, drawing back an arm. David pushed between them just in time to throw Elliot off balance and stop his swing. With his own arm, David moved Abby behind him.
“Better keep her outa my face.” Elliot bumped his chest into David’s face.
“Or what?” said David pushing back. “You afraid she’s gonna kick your butt? Then everyone'll know you got beat up by a five year old.”
“Yeah.” Abby giggled. David had to sidestep to keep her from coming back around.
Elliot balled his fists, his face flushing red.
A shadow moved over their trio and a familiar voice asked, “What seems to be the trouble, citizens?”
“C-captain,” Elliot sputtered as he stumbled back. “N-no trouble, sir. No trouble.”
“Is that true?” asked the captain, looking directly at Abby.
Abby pointed an accusing finger at Elliot. “He said—“
“Everything is fine, sir,” David interrupted. “Just headed to our quarters. Chores and studying to do.”
The captain looked down at them, one corner of his mouth turned up. His uniform was clean, but a pair of dirty work gloves hung from his belt. Dad said he did this for public relations, to show he didn’t mind getting dirty.
“You were the little girl from the assembly this morning,” the captain said to Abby. “The one with all of the questions.”
“She’s always like that, Captain,” Elliot blurted. “Too many, if you ask me.”
The captain pulled a glass wedge, his phone, from a pocket and quickly scrolled until he found what he was looking for. “Ah, yes. Abigail Salvadore. Phillip and Kiyomi’s youngest.”
Abby nodded.
“Your parents are two of the best engineers we have. So good they've earned a permit for a third. You children knew already? I hope I didn’t let the air out of the lock.” His smile was infectious.
David nodded but Abby just looked on, her mind somewhere else. Probably working out how to kick Elliot again.
The captain knelt before them. “You should be proud of them. They’re doing important work out on spar one-eleven for the next couple of days. We’ll be at Gliese in your lifetimes, you know. We have to make sure the ship is ready.”
The kids all nodded.
“They follow the rules set down by our forefathers because those rules have gotten us ninety percent of the way across the Big Gulf. They’ll take us the next fifty years too, but we have to follow them, don’t we?”
“Yes, sir,” said Elliot. “I follow the rules. Mrs. McNamara always says—“
“Abigail,” said the captain. “You’re going to follow the rules better, aren’t you?”
Abby’s focused on him, brow furrowed. David bumped her shoulder lightly. “Yes, sir.”
“You promise?”
David bumped her again. “I promise.”
“Me, too, Captain,” said Elliot.
The captain’s phone chimed, and he turned to listen to it as Abby and Elliot sneered at one another. David sighed, ready to get back to their quarters and out of the sunlights.
“Just initialize the peripheral hybridizers,” the captain was saying into his phone, his voice hushed enough the crowd couldn’t hear, but not enough the three of them couldn't. “Yes, I know it’s not protocol...look, I’ll call you right back. You children have a great day. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles...”
“Begins with a single step,” said David and Elliot in unison and the captain walked briskly toward the nearest lift.
“It ends with a single step, too,” said Abby.
The captain paused in the lift doors long enough to give Abby a wink. Then he was gone.
#
....to be continued in the Young Explorer's Adventure Guide!
*********
The Journey of a Thousand Miles is a story from the Young Explorer's Adventure Guide, an anthology of science fiction stories for middle graders. We've got a great collection of 20 stories from amazing authors, ranging from Nebula and Hugo winners to relative newcomers to the field. 90% of the stories in the anthology are brand new, and 80% have central female characters. We don't have girls who are prizes to be won or waiting to be rescued. All of our heroines and heroes are on their own adventure, not a side note in someone else's. Our characters are white, black, asian, latino. Human and robot. Everyone belongs here.
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