The Martian opened his eyes. The first thing he saw must have been the ship’s roof. The sickbay sported a white ceiling, which complemented its white everything else. Just like a hospital, which was why I hated standing in it. The Martian lay on a white table, free of his brown cloak and wearing a medic bracelet around his leg. He reeked of iron, the same as all of New Earth, apparently.

“Where is this?” He shot up, a popular move for people waking up. His hand grasped for air. Was he reaching for his spear? He didn’t find it, that was for sure. “Get away from me!”

“Okay, don’t worry, we’re not going to hurt you. As if we could.” I stepped back and motioned for my friends to do the same. Manning was to my left, while Laura stood to my right. She’d refused a medic bracelet, so she looked more beat-up than I did. “We healed you and the rest of your group with the bracelets. Yeah, like that one around your leg—don’t touch it. The rest of them are waiting outside. You can join them as soon as you answer a few questions.”

The Martian sighed as if he’d expected this. “No matter what I do, I always find myself back in human captivity.”

“What? No! You’re free to go—”

“As soon as I answer to you. Yes. Would you like to correct me?”

I clenched my fist. Then I unclenched it because violence was the last thing we needed. What was he talking about with the captivity stuff?

We were just a colony. We lived peacefully alongside the Martians. Why did he see it differently?

Laura glanced between me and him. “So, do you have a name? I’m sure you do, but, we don’t know it, so…yeah.”

I doubted I’d ever meet someone more awkward than Laura. She was terrible with new people.

“My name is V—” He flinched, even though none of us had done anything. “Krim. Call me Krim. I will answer any questions so long as I’m allowed my freedom.”

Manning nodded. “All we require is some clarification. Why did you attack us? I’m told you had orders to do so?”

“We did. Our orders are to disable any ship that flies into the ‘atmosphere.’ Ships around Red City are forbidden from leaving.”

I twirled a lock of hair. “Why? Who commanded Martians to—”

“Ruabrum,” he said. Defiance glimmered in his eyes. It felt like I was looking at Laura. “Your kind refer to us as ‘Martians,’ but that is not who we are. We are ruabrum. The only humans who treat us fairly are the ones who gave us the commands. They and we share similar goals. We respect one another!” He jumped off the table, rumbling the floor. “I believe you have an expression about not crunching the hand that supplies you. Perhaps captivity would be better than betrayal.”

They’ll help us because we saved them, trust me! Laura had said, using much harsher versions of those words. I told her that we should just let him go. I didn’t want to interrogate someone who had almost killed me.

“Please, just sit back down,” Manning said. “We can handle this peacefully. No one is going to get hurt.”

“As if I would trust the word of a random human.” Krim bared his teeth. “Your kind are known for lying. You lied about wanting to live in peace as my scars and those of my fallen family will tell you!”

This wouldn’t end well unless I stopped it from going further. I reached for my pistol. His gaze snapped to it. Crap. He swung his hand against mine, flinging the pistol from my hand. It clacked against a wall and fell to the floor. Pain seized my hand like it’d been crushed.

How strong were these guys?

“Stop!” Manning gripped Krim’s shoulder. Krim growled and swung, but Manning dodged it. He grabbed his arm and pinned it to his back. Manning’s feet scraped the floor as Krim thrashed around. “Please calm down! All we want is to meet this man. We won’t hurt him, or you. It’s very important that we all remain calm!”

Krim’s yellow eyes scanned the room. Measuring his odds? Honestly, they were in his favor. Our only hope was that he wouldn’t realize it. He stopped struggling…then he grabbed Manning’s arm and pulled him over his shoulder. Ruabrumian strength flung Manning across the room. He smashed into a wall before falling beside my pistol.

“Instructor!” Laura rushed to his side and pulled him up. “Are you okay?”

“The man you seek is Surge N. Antant, leader of the Oppressed, is it not?” Krim said calmly despite having thrown my instructor just a second ago. “A small but important team of his frequents the Crimson Tower and the Scarlet Plaza. Do not tell them that I told you this. You’ll likely find them at either of those locations sporadically throughout the day.”

“Surge N. Antant…are you sure that’s the truth?” I asked. Krim furrowed his brow, spiking my fight-or-flight. “No offense! It’s just, that’s the dumbest name I’ve ever heard.”

“If you do not believe me, then it matters not. However, the information I gave is all I will say. No matter what you threaten me with.”

He really didn’t get that we were peaceful, did he? Ridiculous or not, the name and locations were our only lead. They were confirmation that the Oppressed were in Red City. It also informed us that places called “Crimson Tower” and “Scarlet Plaza” existed. I got that it was Red City, but they didn’t have to be so extra about it. I’d be sure to stop by “Ruby Park” if I wanted to walk my dog.

“I’d say thanks for your help, but you just slammed my former instructor into a wall, so…I’m just going to escort you out.” I pointed to the elevator.

He nodded in understanding. “I apologize for that. I have grown to hate it when humans touch me.”

“Okay, that’s the one thing I still don’t get. Humans and ruabrum are cool with each other, aren’t they?”

Krim crossed his arms and looked away from me. “If Surge is a true ally of mine, then he shall explain when you see him. That is all you wish to do, correct? Talk to him?”

Answering truthfully would cost me my life, so I sighed and ambled to the elevator. “Let’s just go.”

“Very well.” His footsteps were like a pounding headache as he followed behind. “But know this: nothing in your society is as it seems. Surge knows that better than any of you.”

I hadn’t been to the cabin area since getting my ship (I wasn’t calling it East Tree or whatever Manning had said), so I was offended to learn that the captain didn’t get a specific cabin. Maybe one closer to where he piloted the dang ship. What if the cockpit caught on fire? I wouldn’t know. Not until it had burnt down.

The bed was either as soft as a cloud, or I was too used to sleeping in a cruiser. Once I started storing clothes in the closet, it wouldn’t smell this fresh anymore. Red light bathed the room, its source a little window above the bed. I was already sick of red, and we hadn’t been to the city yet.

The best part of the room was having one again. I was fine with my cruiser, but I had to admit that it wasn’t the best situation. Driving to the park every day to use the bathroom was one example. Wait, what even is the bathroom situation on this ship?

Huum!

Laura waltzed into my room, proving that some red things would never get old. The door slid shut as she scanned the room. Not like there was anything to see.

“Instructor Manning’s fine, thanks for asking.” She leaned against my wall. “You gonna get the ship moving, or are we stuck here forever?”

“Yeah. To the first question: Krim and the other ruabrum gave the energy back.” I lay down and propped my head up in my hands. “There’s a fail-safe in their spears. The spears that the Oppressed created, by the way. Those guys have some smart people among their ranks.”

“Sure, but you’re smarter,” Laura said. “Smart enough to know that Krim was lying about the humans and ruabrum fighting. I’ve never seen anything sketchy going on during any of my visits to Red City.”

“It doesn’t matter. We don’t have time to worry about a potential civil war. We’re busy with the other war!” I sighed. “Laura, I’m really sorry about how I’ve been acting. Lately, and over the past year. You deserved better.”

She lay down beside me. “Hey…shut up. I already know you’re sorry. I knew once you trusted me to drive your precious cruiser. As long as you keep up the teamwork, we’re even.”

I laughed then groaned. “I wish I could commit to that promise. I wish it was easy to be the ‘legendary leader’ that my grandfather was. I mean, do you remember this picture?”

I pulled out my phone and pointed it above us as I swiped through my gallery. I tapped the picture I needed, and light erupted out of my phone. The light was purple at first, but it shifted to meet the colors of my photo. Within seconds, the image on my phone was plastered against the ceiling. Projections were way better than holograms.

My amazing grandfather proudly stood beside his military squad, wearing his signature cocky grin. Humanity’s Oath was composed of him, a short dude with gray hair, a tall woman in a pink space suit with a hardened face, a guy whose hair shrouded his whole face, and two young guys who looked just like each other.

Laura snickered. “Heck yeah! This is the thing you were obsessed with when you were three.”

It was my turn to laugh. “I was like nine! We didn’t even know each other when we were three. Anyway, you remember that I loved this thing. And I did. That was before the expectations. ‘Locke? As in, Michelangelo Locke? Well, this class should be a breeze for you!’ ‘Hey Wander, we heard your granddad saved the galaxy. Can we get his autograph?’ I don’t even want to repeat what they said when they realized I was nothing like him.”

Laura reached for my hand. “That’s not—”

I instinctively pulled it away. “How can a kid be anything like a war hero? What right did they have to scold me about my dead grandpa?!” I forced myself to take a deep breath. It barely slowed my pounding heart. “I used to dream of leading a team like him, but not after learning about Humanity Oath’s Last Stand. He led them into that trap. He let that fame get to his head. He thought he was invincible. That’s why he was stupid enough to lead his friends to their deaths. What if—what if I do the same, Laura?”

The silence tortured me. Made my thoughts that much louder. When I blinked, I saw his face. I heard his teammates cry out for his leadership only for him to drive them further into the deep end. How could he?

Laura wrapped her arms around mine. Warmth spread up my shoulder. It was like being engulfed in the galaxy’s friendliest fire.

“You don’t know what happened on that day. There’s no way he wanted them to die. No one’s perfect.” She sighed. “And I kind of know how you feel. I wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for my parents’ expectations. Let’s just erase that word from all languages in the galaxy.”

My stress fled as I beamed. “Easy. We could do it by tomorrow morning.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”

We laughed together. It felt like we were back at my house on one of those spring afternoons. School was out, and we were stressed, but at least the newest episode of Stakes & Fangs was on. Procrastination was more satisfying with a friend. I would never stop missing those days.

I didn’t want to drag the mood back down, but we were on a mission. “When was the last time you saw Anderson?”

She scoffed. “Anderson Oak? The biggest jerk we know? It’s been a while, hasn’t it? We didn’t have any classes with him this year.”

“Right, but, it’s more than that. We haven’t seen him around school at all. Not since before the AI…did what they did, to New Selene.”

She frowned. “You’re saying they killed him?”

“Not quite. He’s not dead, but…well, it’s a theory I’m working on. I saw something in the desert that sparked it, that’s all.”

She scrunched her face in confusion but shrugged it off. “Okay. You’re still new to this ‘sharing’ thing, so I’ll give you time. For now, I think we should get back to chasing the Oppressed. Especially now that we have some locations! Can you believe we might be ending this crud so early?”

I sat up. “Not for a second, but I’m open to surprises. Let’s go, Redhead.”

The cabin area was a long hallway, decorated with doors. Laura and Manning had presumably chosen their rooms already, and there were way more doors for additional crew members. Not that I’d need anyone else. A kitchen was on the other end of the hall. I hadn’t been, but I assumed it was spotless since we hadn’t eaten yet. I’d gotten good at ignoring my hunger pangs. Even when it felt like I was dying.

Manning was seated in the cockpit when we arrived. He was bathed in the sinister red light of New Earth. Since his head was crammed in a book, I doubted he even noticed.

He looked up from his book to grin at us. “Hello, Mr. Locke. I trust that the ship is ready for departure?”

I settled into my chair but spun it to face him. “How much of what Krim implied is true? Are human and ruabrum relations bad?”

Manning grimaced like I’d just taken the last omelet. “Not to my knowledge. There’s no known conflict, so perhaps he was referring to private altercations. This ‘Surge’ fellow might know more.” “About that. Did Frost mention Surge to you at all?”

He looked to the floor. “She did not. I know nothing about him. I’d love to know more. It can’t be easy to amass a rebel army. I’m sure he’s a fascinating man.”

Something about that explanation didn’t sit right with me. I’d always admired Manning for his intelligence, but maybe we had other similarities. Like our tendency to hide things. If I dove deeper, I could—

“How’s your shoulder, Instructor?” Laura asked, ruining my opportunity to engage in an interrogation.

He massaged it. “It may not be as updated as yours, but my space suit is effective at absorbing impact. I appreciate your concern, Ms. Genki. Are you well after your experiences?”

I rolled my eyes and went back to the control panel. Its power had been restored, but I hadn’t actually tested the ship yet. This was the moment of truth. I held the key up to a black spot. The ship bucked as the control panel exploded with light. The monitor blinded me with red flash after red flash. Again with the red! I scrolled through them, but they were just the typical warnings. Those javelin wounds hadn’t magically vanished because we were online again. I’d fix them after we’d beaten the Oppressed. All that mattered was our ability to get airborne.

We shook as we lifted off. The monitor did its new favorite activity: flickering. I could practically feel the ship’s pain as it rattled through the air. Its wounds, the energy it lost, I felt all the scars. Almost too clearly.

The red terrain continued to insult me until some skyscrapers broke it up. I’d assumed they’d be red too, so I sighed in relief when they weren’t. They were surrounded by a transparent bubble: a force field. Apparently, every major city on New Earth had one. Unlike the shield we were after, this one didn’t defend against anything but dust or sand. New Earth’s signature dust storms couldn’t get past the bubble, but people could.

“Red City!” Laura ran up beside me and peered out the windshield. Her lemony scent filled my lungs. “It’s just as beautiful as I remember. Wander, it’s beautiful, isn’t it?! There is only one good answer.”

I pushed her aside so I could breathe. “Of course it is! It’s a hundred times the size of New Selene. Hey Manning, was Frost’s shield generator inspired by these dust shields?”

“Keen eye, Mr. Locke!” Manning stroked his beard. “Madam President sees the filth fields as bases. Once she perfects the shield generator, she hopes to install its functionality into them. Just like that, every major city on New Earth will be immediately protected from dust, sand, and AI. No yearlong construction required.”

Were these things seriously called “filth fields”? Setting that aside, his information confirmed my theory. New Earth was ahead of the game when it came to shields. How long would it take the Moon to catch up?

Multicolored lights began popping up on buildings as we descended. The Sun had only begun to set. These people must have hated the dark. At least their lights were pretty. It was like looking down on the galaxy’s largest Christmas display. Beth would have loved this.

Laura sighed. “It’s so beautiful…which is why it sucks that I have nothing but bad memories of the place. My parents only took me so I could attend their meetings. We never did anything fun.” A grin broke out on her face. “But they’re not here. This time, I see the city my way. Even if it’s partially spent hunting down criminals.”

I nodded. “Couldn’t agree more. If you like this city so much, then you deserve to experience it. What about you, Manning? Got any experiences with Red City?”

An eerie silence washed over before he said, “None that come to mind.”

A block of asphalt littered with ships caught my attention. An exploration ship parking lot. Also known as the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Ships of all shapes, sizes, and colors all in one spot? I needed a picture. An album. An album filled with pictures.

“Close your mouth before your rancid breath infects our air!” Laura clamped my mouth shut. I didn’t realize I’d been gazing at the ships. Hopefully, I hadn’t been drooling this time. “Land already while you’re at it. You’re the one in a hurry, remember?”

I lowered us between a ship that was shaped like an hourglass and one that was shaped like a wrench. Flexibility was one thing I loved about ships. You could design one that looked like a cat, and it could still fly if it had the necessities. Not like there was wind resistance in space.

Laura, Manning, and I headed down to the parking bay. My wounded cruiser greeted me as the elevator opened. The Columbus had wounds like the Eac—like the ship. It hurt to see, but at least its power had returned too. It was functional. I strolled toward it, but a hand seized my wrist, stopping me. Manning would have grabbed my shoulder, so…

“Something up, Laura?” I turned to face her. She wore a stern expression. Oh boy! “I can’t stop stressing how little time we have, so if you could spit it out—”

“It’s not hard to say, but it’ll be hard for you to hear,” she said. “We can’t drive the Columbus this time. We need to take Instructor Manning’s cruiser.”

I yanked my hand free. “What are you talking about? The Columbus can take a few scratches. It’ll drive.”

“But should it?”

“Of course! We’ll be fine.”

“Mr. Locke.” Manning wore a warm smile, but it was clearly an act. “If your Columbus suffered more damage while up against the Oppressed, it would be too much to handle. You’ve always taken such good care of it. Why stop now?”

I’d question how he knew that, but I was basically our school’s repairman. Everyone would come to me for advice. It was the only reason anyone knew who I was. I wasn’t acting like that person now. I was acting like the kid who didn’t want to leave his toy behind. Even though the Columbus meant so much more to me than a toy.

I got out my vivepen and lowered it toward my Columbus. Wasn’t it time to do away with this method? My mouth existed, so why didn’t I use it? I’d figure it out later. I pressed the vivepen against the hood and drew out a huge frowny face. My cruiser would feel my guilt, just as I felt its pain.

“Let’s just go,” I said.

Cool air caressed my face as the ramp descended. I sighed and adjusted Manning’s mirrors. His cruiser was bulkier, purple, and smelled like dish soap. It was also barren compared to my mess of a vehicle. I liked my mess. He didn’t even have an air freshener cube. Did he care about this poor vehicle at all?

I glided down the ramp and onto the asphalt. Then I squeezed onto the bustling streets of Red City. An endless stream of cruisers in front, me in the middle, and then another endless stream behind me. So many taillights; it was blinding. Our radio was drowned out by all the cruiser hums and horn honks.

I already loved this city.

The traffic settled down as we trudged through, but we still got stuck for half an hour. Toward the end of the mayhem, a huge red building poked over the cruisers. A sign displayed the words that had been plastered above the entrance: THE SCARLET PLAZA. I guess only the important buildings could be red.

“This place is way bigger than I’d imagined.” I switched between ogling the building and looking for a parking spot. “Are all malls this big?”

“They’re supposed to be; some are even bigger,” Laura said as she smiled up at the place. “I can’t believe I’m here. I used to beg to be taken here! Until I got punished for it.”

“I know for a fact that neither of us would survive in a crowd. So why are you so eager to head into a crowded building?”

“It’s crowded in a good way. Everyone’s too busy shopping to care about you. It’s the same as being in the back of a line. Plus, I’d do anything for the kinds of backpacks they sell here.”

I parked the bulky thing and climbed out. I stared straight ahead at the mall that might become a battleground within minutes. One from which I’d either walk away an explorer or a failure. As a great man had once said: “So, no pressure.”