★ The Cadets ★

  The Atrium stood before them. They’d seen pictures before they arrived, but in person it was far more breathtaking than they ever could’ve hoped.

  No camera could do this sight justice. Towering domed glass windows stretched many floors above the cavernous room that served as the Europa Station’s central hub, and far above, a wall of stars shone brilliantly, painted across the dark expanse of eternity and sparkling from beyond as the entire galaxy lay stretched out before them, unmarred by atmosphere or light pollution, closer than they’d ever seen it.

  “Everything we’ve ever known, every place we’ve ever been, and every person that’s ever lived is out that window,” West said. “That’s it, right there. All of human existence that’s ever happened, including ours, and we can see the whole of it.”

  “That’s the real reason you’re here, isn’t it? Forget the Corps; you’re just here for that view.”

  “Maybe, but don’t tell him that.” West nodded toward a man who stood near the far corner of the room surrounded by a half-dozen cadets. The gentleman had a sour expression on his face, and appeared to be taking a silent headcount of the group.

  “Miserable-looking bloke, isn’t he?” Sandi said. “Is that the Chief Commander?”

  “Don’t be stupid; look at the uniform. The Chief Commander’s a busy man with far more important things to do than come down here and fetch cadets. That’s his assistant here to take us up to the penthouse, I’d reckon.”

  “His face says someone’s had a piss in his morning coffee.”

  “His face says he knew that, and he’s gone and finished it regardless.”

  “Shhh.” Sandi motioned for him to be quiet.

  The man looked up and scowled as they approached. “Well, that’s nearly everyone,” he said in a voice that was every bit as annoyed as his expression. “It seems we’re still waiting on one late-comer, though.”

  “Not me this time!” Sandi whispered with a smile.

  Suddenly a loud crashing noise came from behind them, and they all turned toward the sound. Another cadet was picking himself up from where he’d fallen on the floor, surrounded by papers that lay haphazardly strewn about and a disgruntled-looking officer next to him.

  “Watch where you’re going!” The officer said in an exasperated tone. “And for the love of God, make sure no one’s waiting in front of the elevator before you exit like a bat out of hell.”

  “I’m sorry!” the cadet said as he picked himself up, then leaned over to gather a few of the scattered sheets.

  “Don’t bother. You’ve already helped enough.”

  The cadet nodded and stumbled backward as he tried to straighten his improperly buttoned uniform. He scanned the Atrium until his eyes landed on the group, then took a few hurried steps over to join them.

  “I made it!” he wheezed through gasping breaths as he stopped nearby.

  “This must be the brilliant young prospect we’ve all been waiting on,” the assistant said with a smirk. “You’re one of the top-scoring cadets?”

  “Yes, I… always did well in school,” he said, cowering slightly.

  “But not at much more than that, I see,” the assistant said dismissively. “Now, enough chatter. The Chief Commander is looking forward to meeting this year’s newest talent, so let’s not keep him waiting, shall we? Follow me, please.”

  He turned and made his way toward a separate elevator on the far side of the room, and the group followed.

  “Penthouse,” he said once they were inside. The elevator started moving, and West grinned and nudged Sandi, who rolled his eyes.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  They stood in silence until the elevator came to a stop at the Station’s topmost floor. When the doors opened, they stepped out into a foyer that was mostly empty save for a desk near the far wall that was overflowing with piles of papers, heaping stacks of files, and heavy books that were nearly buried beneath the unsorted mess.

  “Wow,” the disheveled cadet whispered. “The Chief Commander must be very busy if that’s what his workspace looks like.”

  The assistant glanced at him with a frown. “That’s my desk, and it’s filled with all manner of critically important yet dreadfully unappreciated work I do. Now, come on. His office is this way.”

  He nodded toward a set of double doors near the back of the room, and they followed.

  The Chief Commander’s office was even more spacious than the front entryway. It was mostly empty too, save for a large bookshelf and a collection of display cases running the length of the far wall. The most imposing feature in the room by far was the large, stately desk in the middle, with an equally elegant chair behind it.

  A chair that was vacant.

  The assistant sighed. “Well, he was supposed to be here,” he said with a deepening scowl. “Just… wait here, all of you. I’ll find out what’s going on.” He turned abruptly to leave, but frowned again when he saw some of them wandering toward the display cases. “I’d better not find any fingerprints on that glass!” he said over his shoulder as he disappeared into the foyer.

  A profound silence followed, and the cadets seemed nearly afraid to break it; they simply looked around and meandered idly, talking quietly amongst themselves. West approached the display cases, but Sandi grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

  “Don’t touch anything!” he hissed.

  “Wasn’t planning on it!” West whispered, yanking his arm free as he strolled forward and stopped a meter from the glass.

  “Look at all this,” he said, leaning down for a better view. “The Chief Commander seems to be a man of excellent taste, don’t you think? He’s got quite a few books, and an antique typing mechanism of some sort.”

  “That’s called a typewriter.”

  “Right, whatever that is. I’d like to ask him about some of this stuff.”

  “We’re not here to discuss his dusty old knick-knacks.”

  “I know, but I can’t imagine he wouldn’t want to discuss them. They’re his things, after all.”

  Sandi took a deep breath. “Listen, there’s a certain expectation of maturity here—”

  “Look! A model starship!” West said, cutting him off as he leaned dangerously close to the display.

  Sandi reflexively reached forward and pulled his friend aside. “Why don’t you step away from there? Let’s go occupy ourselves with something else, lest we get shouted at when that assistant of his gets back, shall we?”

  West gave a resigned nod, and they made their way to the adjacent wall, where they casually browsed the row of portraits showing all of the stiff, unsmiling men and women who had previously held the office of Chief Commander. Something about this part of the room was a bit more somber, and they stared in silence for a while.

  “There’s been so many,” West said as he scanned the pictures, “and most didn’t last but a year or two; some not more than a few months.”

  Sandi shrugged. “Wars will do that.”

  “Yes, but the war’s over now, which is probably the reason this one’s been here so long. At twelve years, that’s far longer than most of them.”

  “I’d imagine the job’s easier without a war going on. Now, let’s not gossip about the man while we’re standing right in front of his desk, shall we?”

  “You’re right. I’m a bit too excited, I think.”

  “You don’t say.”

  “Well, there’s a lot to be excited about. We’ve just arrived, and now we get to meet the Chief Commander straight away. Did you know he was the youngest person ever appointed to this office?”

  “We all know that, West.”

  “He was twenty-seven. Twenty-seven. Imagine if in ten years’ time you were elected to lead the Council, and they handed you the keys to this place one short decade after entering as a cadet. It’s just not done. He was the youngest there’s ever been, and he’s held the job for twelve years now because he’s the best there’s ever been. And now we get to meet him! I’m so nervous, I’m feeling ill just thinking about it—”

  “West.”

  “Yes?”

  “Relax.”

  West took a deep breath and nodded. Movement from the doorway caught their attention, and they turned around just in time to see the assistant return.

  “I apologize,” he said. “It seems a matter arose that called the Chief Commander’s attention away from our meeting, but he’s on his way back now, and he’ll be arriving momentarily.”

  As if on cue, they heard the ding of the elevator as it arrived in the lobby.

  “That’s him!” West hissed through clenched teeth as he reached out and gripped Sandi’s arm.

  “You might as well get down on one knee and propose the second he walks in, talking like that,” Sandi whispered.

  “I can’t help it; I just really want to hear what he has to say.”

  They both heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.

  “General Moore, you slimy bastard!” a voice shouted from outside. “You’ve pissed off everyone in this place, and now you can’t keep an assistant for more than a week so you’ve resorted to scouring your usual haunts to fill the job. You just can’t help yourself, can you? I swear, this is the last time…”

  The Chief Commander’s voice trailed off as he entered the room and saw the group staring at him—a group that appeared too shocked to even return the conventional salute.

  “Why are there cadets in my office?” he asked, stopping in the doorway and staring at them with wide eyes.

  The assistant wore a pasted-on smile, but the rest of his face looked as if he’d sucked on a lemon.

  “It’s 11:00,” he said. “The General’s not scheduled until 11:30. This is the group of top-scoring cadets from our incoming Academy class.”

  “Oh…” the Chief Commander said, flushing a deep shade of red as the corners of his mouth curled into a forced, uncomfortable smile. “Welcome!”

  Sandi leaned over to West and whispered in his ear.

  “Time to break out that ring and drop to one knee now,” he said. “Seems like he’s in the mood.”