In The Orbit (Part I)

46. Strom

I wake up the next morning to Fifi screaming "One week until visiting day!!!!" into a screen.

I shove my head into the pillow and groan. I was up very late last night hacking into Habler, the application.

I look at my own SmartScreen. My aunt has sent me a message. Apparently she is visiting for some reason.

We all go down to breakfast. They are serving eggs and the smell turns my stomach. I pick up three waffles and start to leave for my room.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Kesselhof's voice is shrill behind me. I turn around and see her, Kunley, and Hower. They all are averting their eyes.

I slink back. "I can't stand eggs," I grunt. "I threw them up four times when I was a kid."

"Too bad, have a seat," Kesselhof snaps. "I have become the new head of the officers, as Kela has sadly passed away. Traces of Ruv-Kne were found in her."

"Like she wasn't already practically in charge of everything," grunts Harold next to me. I elbow him. "Wait, what do you mean by 'passed away'?!"

"Dipper has also been fired. He was under the influence of oxycodone, acetaminophen, and fentanyl when he collapsed. This is hard news for all of us, but we will make it through it. We will make do with just the three of us. Now eat. I got all of you eggs." She hands us all plates of eggs.

We all start to ask questions at once.

"Stop," Kesselhof says. "This is confidential information, and we need more information before we spread the word. Understood?"

We nod.

I sit there and push the eggs around on my plate. Kesselhof stares at me.

"We being a picky eater again, are we?"

"I told you, I threw them up four times when I was little. It was disgusting and smelled like this but worse."

Azalea looks over in awe. Harold scoots away from me, looking concerned.

"Eat. The. Eggs."

"No can do. I am sorry. I will literally throw up. Just like the cake."

"You need to get an iron stomach for space," she says.

"You can't help when you throw up!" I snap.

"So, make it five times. But you will eat those eggs."

We start to go through the whole painful process of what happened with the cake again. Then Hammond comes up and distracts her.

I shove as many of the eggs into my pants pocket. It feels nasty. They drip and smell, but at least it is better than eating them. Harold scoots even further away. When Kesselhof looks back, her eyes narrow, but she nods.

Then everyone's SmartScreens start blaring at the same time. Fifi whips hers out. Her eyes widen. She shows us all.

The school is being scanned for a highly toxic substance known as Ruv-Kne. Please proceed to the training rooms of the school. Last names A-G go to the locker rooms. H-N to the track. O-S to the pool, and T-Z to the main room. Any people who do not obey will be sent straight to Reflection.

Fifi's friends have chattered about Reflection before. They have been sent there when caught having sexual contact. Apparently you sit there for hours with only a typewriting app to write a reflection of your actions. Kind of like an in-school suspension back home in Harahan.

Anyway, my last name being Koi, I go to the track with Karma and Khan. I sit in between them on the turf with both of their arms touching mine. Karma's is relaxed, but Khan's is tensed up. The eggs squish uncomfortably under my butt. I shift, cringing.

"Dude, what's wrong?" I ask him.

He glances up, barely hiding his anxiety with a quick smile. "Nothing."

Karma's head lolls as she falls asleep on my shoulder.

"Khan," I say. "No secrets. We have to tell each other stuff so we can keep an eye on the system."

His eyes wander towards his lap. "You haven't told me anything about your hacking..."

"Don't change the subject. C'mon tell me."

His lips start to form words that are lost in the sound of a siren and everyone starting to scream. Everyone surges towards the elevators. Karma stands up with bleary eyes and grabs our wrists.

"I know where to go," she says.

The sirens stop and a minute later people start to shut up and pull out their devices. Karma steers us out and through the people congregated around the elevators.

Khan suddenly starts screaming and cursing and going absolutely berserk. He breaks free of Karma's grasp and starts yelling stuff about not going into the elevators.

"Shut up Khan!" I hiss. "We don't even know what these sirens are for!"

He continues to yell about not going into the elevators because apparently he dropped the Ruv-Kne down the elevator shaft. Then it dawns on me what must have happened, and he cannot get linked to the Ruv-Kne. He would get into huge trouble.

"DON'T GO INTO THE ELEVATORS!!!! WE DROPPED THE RUV-"

So I do the only thing I can think of to make him shut up and kiss him.