LEO
AT BREAKFAST, NAOMI SLIPS A PIECE OF PAPER INTO MY HAND under the table. My stomach jumps as her fingers brush mine, and I spend the rest of the meal fixated on the message in my grasp, wondering what it says. As soon as we’re excused from the cafeteria and my teammates push back from the table, I unfold the paper and read her words, scrawled in blue ink.
Found something. Plan to meet me on the Telescope Tower after dinner. Make sure you’re alone.
I draw in my breath. How in the world am I supposed to wait until evening to find out her news?
It takes every ounce of my focus to stay present during training as Lark shuttles us between the Mission Floor, the Altitude Chamber, and the VR lab. My mind is already up on the tower with Naomi. When we finally make it to dinner, she leans in to murmur in my ear, “You go first. I’ll be a few steps behind you.”
I nod, glancing up at the clock. Only twenty minutes to go. But then my eyes catch on something else: Beckett, watching the two of us from across the table. I give Naomi a warning look before turning away.
I take the spiral stairs up to the tower two at a time, and as the wind sweeps against my neck, I realize how much I’ve missed the outdoors. Back in Rome, I tried to spend as little time as possible inside, in the wreckage of our pensione. As much as I hated the sea that stole my family from me, somehow looking at the sky and the stars comforted me.
I make my way to the telescope now, peering through it until I find the constellation I’m looking for—the one that always reminds me of my parents and sister: Orion’s Belt, with its three blinking stars. Maybe they’re out there, watching over me.
I take a deep breath and shift the telescope to a different angle—toward Europa. I’ve just caught the colorful sphere of Jupiter and the grayish speck of its moon behind it when I hear the sound of footsteps.
“Hi,” Naomi says behind me. “Thanks for meeting me.”
“Of course.” I turn away from the telescope, noticing how her face glows in the moonlight. A flush creeps up her cheeks, and for a moment we just stand there, our eyes locked. And then she looks away, taking a breath before launching into what she has to say.
“I looked at the RRB. And, Leo—it had three nuclei.”
At my blank look, she continues, “It’s a law of science that bacteria on Earth, like all prokaryote organisms, does not contain a nucleus. Just like it’s a law of human physiology that we don’t have, for example, fins. So just as we wouldn’t be considered human if we had fins, the fact that the radiation-resistant bacteria has three nuclei theoretically means . . .”
“It’s not from Earth?” I finish her sentence, the words sounding implausible as they come out of my mouth.
“Exactly.”
I shake my head, trying to clear the illusion from my mind. One of us here needs to remain levelheaded.
“Could there be an exception to that nucleus rule?” I ask.
“There’s only ever been one possible exception, and it’s highly contested by scientists anyway. But even that exception, in the Planctomycetes, has just one nucleus-like structure. The idea of a bacteria species from Earth with three nuclei is an impossibility. And there’s more.” Naomi starts pacing the short width of the tower, as if her body can’t keep still under the magnitude of her discovery. “Jian translated the phrase Suki kept repeating that night—tā hái huózhe. He said it means ‘It’s alive.’” She looks at me with wild eyes, and I can’t tell whether she’s afraid or excited—or both. “Don’t you see the connection?”
“Um . . .”
“I think when she went into her altered state after the second dose, her body could somehow feel what was in the RRB—that it comes from something living.” Naomi’s voice drops to a whisper. “Something like . . . the extraterrestrials of Europa.”
My eyebrows shoot up. Is this her trying to be funny? Or—
“And I think Callum had the same reaction before the submersible accident,” she continues. “That’s why he acted so out of character, why he seemed—according to his teammates—possessed.”
“Extraterrestrials? As in, little green men?”
She stops pacing, narrowing her eyes at me.
“I never bought that description of them, but yeah—intelligent life. And by the way, I’m hardly the first person to suspect ETs on Europa. I’m guessing you haven’t been on the Space Conspirator?”
I shake my head.
“It’s this amazing website my brother and I have been following for years, that uses cutting-edge science to debunk myths and prove new theories,” she explains. “And for months now they’ve been posting detailed reasoning for why extraterrestrial life is not just possible, but theoretically has to exist on Europa, due to its high-energy particle environment and tidally heated subsurface ocean. The space agencies refuse to take the Conspirator seriously or address the claims head-on, but if there’s one thing I believe in, it’s science—and the Conspirator is right. The chemicals and particles that exist on Europa are known to create life.”
She finally pauses to take a breath. “So that means the ISTC isn’t just planning to send us to another part of the universe—they’re sending us into the unknown. A world where we’re not the first.”
I stare at her. Now I understand why she’s been wary of the mission from the beginning.
“You really believe in this stuff?”
“I do. Now more than ever. And I’m telling you all this because I’m going to prove it . . . and there might come another time, like last night, where I need an accomplice.”
“You better tell me what you’re planning, then.”
Even though I’m nearly certain she’s chasing something that doesn’t exist, I can’t deny the rush of satisfaction I feel that she’s chosen me to confide in. Maybe I’m not so alone in the feelings I’m starting to have.
“What I need to do is find biosignatures,” Naomi says. At another quizzical look from me, she rolls her eyes. “Did you pay any attention in science class, or were you too busy swimming?”
“Too busy swimming,” I affirm. We share a grin before she continues.
“Biosignatures are substances like elements, molecules, isotopes, and so on that provide tangible evidence of life. If I could find some way to get into the data from the Europa flyby mission, that’s the first thing I would look for.”
“But wouldn’t the whole world know about it, if there were these so-called biosignatures?” I ask.
“Only if the powers that be decided to share the information with the world. And why would they? It would only jeopardize our mission. Besides, who knows if anyone who had access to the data was even looking for biosignatures?”
Naomi suddenly stops in place, her posture straight as an arrow. I can practically see the light bulb going off in her mind.
“The robots,” she breathes. “They were there. They circled Europa thirty-six times in their probe, close enough to collect the data I need. If there are biosignatures to be found, they have to still be stored within Dot and Cyb.” Her body trembles with excitement. “I may not be able to get into NASA’s supercomputer—but I can get to the robots.”
I hate to disappoint her, but . . . “You really think they’re just going to give up classified info if you ask nicely?”
Naomi avoids my eyes.
“There are other ways to get it.”
I feel a flicker of worry as I study her, wondering how far she’ll go. It’s tempting to get swept up in the intrigue of her theory—but I’m the one with something to lose.
“Listen, I . . . I won’t stand in your way, and I’m here if you need me. But you have to know that I still want this—still need to be one of the Final Six. I know that might seem crazy to you after all you just told me, but what you’re saying is still speculation. None of us can know for sure what Suki meant, or what really happened to her and Callum. But what I do know for sure is that Europa is the only future I have.” I crack a smile. “Plus, if anything, your hypothesis just made it that much more interesting. Who wouldn’t want to see aliens up close? I mean, if you didn’t have a family waiting for you at home . . . wouldn’t you want to go?”
Naomi looks at me for a long moment.
“I get it. I won’t blow your chance at this, Leo. But I will try to keep you safe—and that means continuing to dig for the truth. I’ll just be . . . careful.”
Be careful. The memory returns to me in a flash, of someone else’s voice saying the same words. My skin prickles as Elena’s warning from before I left comes rushing back to me. They see you as some kind of weapon.
Is it possible . . . that what Elena overheard that night at the Palazzo has something to do with Naomi’s theory? Should I say something?
But the thought of being forced to return to the emptiness of my old life is worse than any unconfirmed danger on Europa. I keep my mouth shut.
The next day’s training finds us back in the Vomit Comet for the first time since our weightless flight. This time, General Sokolov joins us on the Zero-G plane along with Lark, and as we step inside, I see a stack of body harnesses lined up on one of the front-row seats. A long, sturdy rope that wasn’t there before is now attached to the door of the plane, running the length of the aircraft.
“Please tell me we’re not using those,” Naomi says, staring at the body harnesses.
“All right, finalists!” General Sokolov claps her hands together. “Who here knows what will be required of the Final Six when they dock with the supply ship in Mars orbit and prepare for a gravity slingshot to Europa?”
Asher raises his hand.
“While Cyb and the copilot fly the Pontus, two people will need to perform a spacewalk outside—first to patch the fuel leak on the supply ship and run diagnostics, and then to supervise and guide the docking mechanism.”
“Correct,” General Sokolov says. “So for any of you who may have a fear of heights, now is the time to overcome it. When you’re spacewalking in Mars orbit, you will be higher up in the universe than your mind can grasp—and you cannot, must not, lose your cool. EVA Height Vertigo can pose a real problem for astronauts, and our goal today is to combat this.” She pauses, watching our reactions. “The virtual reality sim helped us get there mentally, but now, in order to physically replicate the sensation of floating among the stars while performing a spacewalk—we’ll be bungee jumping off of this plane at ten thousand feet, and landing on another.”
I hear Naomi gulp beside me, and I’m tempted to squeeze her hand or wrap my arm around her. But I hold myself back.
“You will be tandem jumping, and paired according to your weight. Meanwhile, the harness and rope you’re using today will perform a similar function to the tether you’ll be using in space.”
The general consults her tablet, and the thumping in my chest speeds up.
“The skydiving pairs are Naomi and Katerina, Asher and me, and Leo and Beckett.”
My stomach drops. I should have known it would be him and me.
As the plane’s wheels drive forward and we lift off, my adrenaline thankfully takes over. I sit next to Naomi, my body thrumming with anticipation, as the general prepares us for what’s to come. She and Asher will be going first, and I watch as Lark helps fasten them into their full-body harnesses, then straps them together. The plane slows to a hover, and as Lark presses a button, the cabin door blows open.
“Oh, God.” Naomi grips the armrest with white knuckles, and this time, I don’t hesitate to place my hand over hers.
General Sokolov and Asher shuffle in tandem to the edge of the plane, the air blowing at their faces. “Three . . . two . . . one,” the general chants. “Jump!”
Katerina’s shriek echoes through the cabin as the general and Asher go flying, their bodies hanging upside down from the rope. I press my face to the window, watching as the two of them spread their arms like wings and soar through the clouds, Asher’s screams fading. In spite of my ratcheting nerves, I feel a flicker of excitement. This should be a damn good ride.
“I won’t die,” Naomi mutters to herself through chattering teeth, though it sounds more like a question than a statement. “Terminal velocity—I won’t feel the sensation of free-falling once I hit terminal velocity.”
I squeeze her shoulder.
“Remember how much you loved the weightless flight? This will be as fun as that, plus it’ll be over soon.”
A second, smaller plane swoops down to meet Asher and the general midair, and the two of them use their rope to swing through its open door. “Whoa,” I murmur. “I can’t believe we get to do that.”
“Get to?” Naomi looks at me incredulously. She flinches as Lark calls her and Katerina up, and I reach over and give her a brief hug. “Good luck.”
It’s only a second of contact, but I feel it as she steps away from me—the warmth where her body used to be.
I lean forward, nervous for her, as Lark connects the bungee cord to her harness strap and feet. “Three . . . two . . . one . . . jump!” she yells, and I brace myself. But Naomi and Katerina remain on the ledge, staring at the far-off ground in fear, and Lark has to repeat the countdown, this time giving them a slight push. And then they are falling, flying, just like the general and Asher, their screams puncturing the air. When they soar past our plane, I smile at the sight of Naomi laughing from the adrenaline release as she sails through the clouds.
The second plane ropes them in, and now it’s our turn. I keep my eyes straight ahead, not saying a word to Beckett as Lark straps the equipment to our backs.
“You’ll be in the air for two full minutes,” Lark yells over the sound of the engine as she fastens the cord through our harnesses. “Don’t look down, and you should be fine. Bend your knees as you jump, and then spread your arms wide as you fly.”
My legs feel like lead as I shuffle toward the open door, tied to my rival. As we approach the edge, I immediately go against Lark’s advice and look down. But there’s no ground to rush toward, there’s only clouds—and the wind, which blows bitterly cold gusts from up here.
“Three . . . two . . .” I glance at Beckett, and on instinct, I extend my hand to shake his. As much as I don’t like the guy, we’re about to take the jump of our lives together . . . shouldn’t we at least be on good terms for this? But he either doesn’t see my outstretched hand or he ignores it. And then Lark shouts out, “One! Jump!”
The moment is here, but at first my legs don’t move. I stare into the sky, my mind trying to comprehend what I’m about to do, freezing my body in fear. And then I realize that I am closer to my family up here than anywhere in the world.
Beckett lunges forward, and I bend my knees and step off the ledge, into the air.
My heart seems to leap out of my body as I jump. The wind slams against our backs, turning us upside down, and I hear screams as my insides contort, as gravity disappears. But then comes a rush of wild, pure euphoria. And as I soar above Houston, I realize I’m not falling—I’m being carried by air.
I let out a whoop as my body flies, so exhilarated that I don’t even mind having to share this with Beckett. Our bodies glide through the wind beside each other, and I look at him with a grin, temporarily forgetting that he’s my rival here. But he hasn’t forgotten. He is looking at me, too—only his eyes are dark pools. And suddenly, I feel his hand on my back, reaching for my harness.
“Stop—” I try to shout, but I can barely speak up here. We’re moving too fast; the wind drowns out my voice. I fumble behind me, trying to grip my harness, the rope, something—but his hands have already closed around my harness straps. I feel a sickening lurch in my stomach as he pulls at the first strap. He is going to kill me—right here in the sky, where no one can save me. He is going to throw off my harness, untether me from the rope, and send me hurtling down to the ground in a crushed heap of limbs, where he can tell everyone it was an accident—
An engine roars. Our pickup plane circles, General Sokolov throwing out the rope to reel us in. And I’ve never been so relieved to see anyone or anything in my entire life. I’m going to live. Beckett missed his chance. His hand drops from my harness, and he grips the general’s rope instead, swinging his body into the second plane, with me right behind him—never taking my eyes off his back.
“Wasn’t that crazy?” Naomi rushes toward me, giddy with relief from having her jump over with.
I nod and try to smile, but my insides are turning to ice. Behind us, Beckett grins and high-fives Asher and Katerina, looking nothing like the killer I saw in the air. Could I have possibly misinterpreted what happened? Or did my competitor, my teammate, just try to take me out?