I shoved Manning’s keys into the rusted cruiser, and electricity crackled up my arm. Laura jumped, and Manning gasped, but I just stared at it. Even though it was brighter than the Sun, it didn’t hurt. When it faded, I turned the key. The cruiser rumbled to life as if nothing had ever happened. No electricity that time.

“I’m guessing you still can’t control your…powers?” Laura backed away even though she was right beside me in the passenger seat. There was nowhere to go.

“I haven’t tried since…” I thought back to the last time I had used my powers: when I had deactivated the Blue Barricade and then transported myself to some weird light dimension where I’d met my dead grandpa. No one knew about the last part. Was it hard to believe that I didn’t want to talk about it yet? “I haven’t used them since the Blue Barricade thing. Manning, why did I just get the most intense case of static electricity?”

“Ms. Genki described what happened on Surge’s ship,” Manning said from the row behind us. “It seems like you’ve truly awakened your abilities this time. It used to come out in short bursts and retreat back into your body. Now it is within every cell you possess.”

If I mastered these powers, we could escape this place without keys. I’d power up the escape ship by smacking it. No wonder Surge wanted to use my powers to his advantage. He hadn’t said that, but I knew he was thinking it. Why else would he care so much about us?

I placed my hand on the cruiser’s smudged monitor. “Let’s see how ‘awakened’ I am now.”

I imagined the cruiser shutting off. Its continued hum told me that I was failing. I focused harder, willing the machine to obey. If it flickered for even a second, I’d be happy. Instead, my hand heated up again. Light enveloped it as electricity burst from my palm. Laura shouted and jumped up like a cartoon character afraid of a mouse.

“Whoops.” The lightning faded on its own, leaving a scorched monitor behind. I heaved like I’d just run a marathon. I’d forgotten that using my powers was physically exhausting. “Sorry, I guess it still doesn’t want to work.”

“Do you need water or something?” Laura scooted closer to pat my back. “All you did was shoot electricity, why are you tired?”

“Your Implants are part of you, like your brain or heart,” Manning said. “Using them can take a great toll. Especially if you haven’t mastered them.”

I wiped sweat from my forehead. “Yeah, I can’t afford to mess around with them. As if I needed more complications.”

I backed out of the driveway and glided down the street of our new neighborhood. At some point during the previous ten minutes, it had livened up. Teenagers now stood around their cruisers, chatting while sipping from water bottles. In one group, they were even spraying each other with water guns. Their screams of laughter were infectious.

That reminded me that the green air was bound to give my lungs an infection.

“So, Earth,” I said, presenting the greatest sentence starter of all time. “How is it possible that we’re here? Any ideas?”

“The only explanation is that the Oppressed have technology that Madam President doesn’t,” Manning said. “Which is impossible. It’s impossible that we’re here.”

“Have you seen Wander? The boy shoots lightning now. Impossible isn’t a word anymore.” Laura crossed her arms as she smirked at me. “The crazy part is being on the ball that we used to see in the night sky. All this time that we’ve been looking at it, we’ve actually been looking down on the Oppressed’s headquarters.”

If nighttime existed here, would we see the Moon? Not that I wanted to, I was just curious. I guess we’d see in a few hours.

I gagged as I drove past the hospital. I had seen it, I had been to it, and I never wanted to go back. The collection of buildings in the distance was our goal. As we approached them, they became more detailed. The people wandering around did too. Of course they were all teenagers. It was the only age Surge accepted. Brainwash them young, and they’d be loyal forever. Not that these people even seemed upset. A lot of them were smiling as they walked away, chatting with each other. It was like being back in the Scarlet Plaza.

In every group of humans, I saw a ruabrum. Their tall bodies were covered with stretched-out human clothing. Even they were smiling. We knew the Oppressed and the ruabrum were pals, but I had no idea some ruabrum were part of the Oppressed. They might have been ambassadors.

“Why do I feel like we just showed up to a fair?” Laura said.

New Selene never had any fairs, but I thought I knew what she meant. Everyone I drove by was so upbeat. Whether they were carrying something, covered in bruises and black smudges, or just too focused on something to smile, these people gave off a friendly vibe. It was like walking through town during Christmas.

“This is insane,” I said. “These are the same people who attacked Red City? Well, I guess it technically wasn’t an attack. More importantly, where are they going?”

They weren’t just walking and smiling to show off. No. They were headed somewhere. Kaela had mentioned the cafeteria and dinner, so that was probably where they were headed.

“They’re gonna go eat, of course,” Laura said. “We’re joining them, right? Instructor Manning and I haven’t been out of the house much, so we haven’t seen this place. A bunch of angry teenagers all eating food in one place? It’ll be like high school all over again.” She peered into the distance and pointed at something. “Look! We can see it from here.”

A wide building with lots of little windows loomed in the distance. “Cafeteria” was spelled out in block letters above a glass entrance. Since we were here, we might as well go inside. Maybe the traitor we needed on our side would be in there.

I slid into a crowded parking lot then hit the brakes as we approached an available spot. I debated attempting to turn off the cruiser with my powers again, but I turned the key instead. I wouldn’t be trying that again for a while. Not while my powers were being disobedient.

We stepped out of the cruiser and blended in with the crowd. I didn’t understand any of the chatter around me, but I didn’t mind it. It was better than everyone calling us out for being new or something. It was like we were already part of the family. Gross.

The scent of meat flooded my nose as we stepped past the glass entrance. The talking was a thousand times worse inside. Footsteps and the clatter of plates and utensils added to the noise. People of all shapes and colors (the ruabrum stuck out) sat at long tables that were heaped with food. Others lined up at a counter where vats of food sat behind glass windows. It was exactly like high school. It even smelled kind of like Omen Frost High’s cafeteria. In those surroundings, some memories started to bubble up: Manning’s classroom, Anderson Oak’s bullying, and even the first time Laura and I met. I could still feel that punch if I concentrated.

“This place seems friendlier than I expected,” I said as I watched the tables for signs for hostility. It was true that it’d been almost a month since the attack, but it was like it had never happened in the first place.

“Did you expect more fighting while everyone was trying to eat? It’s not that much like high school.” Laura grabbed a red plastic tray as she lined up at the counter. “Get in line before more people come. We need to grab food before it all disappears.”

Our ‘blending in’ plan was getting dumber by the second. Weren’t you supposed to never take food from your enemy? If any of this gave me a stomachache, I’d be on the first ship out of here. It was funny that I was thinking this while scooping mashed potatoes and chicken onto my plate. They didn’t have any egg-related dishes, so this would have to do. It already looked better than vegetable paste, though. I stood beside Laura as her eyes hopped from table to table.

“Looking for an empty table?” I asked. Since we’d had no other friends during school, we’d sit at an empty table in an empty corner of the cafeteria. That was when we even decided to eat school food.

“Yeah, but this place is packed. I can’t find a totally empty—” She recoiled as she spotted something in the very back. “Oh no. Okay, let’s just take these trays back to our house. There’s no room here!”

I glanced in the direction that had made her recoil and saw Kaela sitting by herself in the very back. She stared into her food with dull eyes as she chomped on her sandwich. The people at the surrounding tables all had their backs to her. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to sit with someone who had “betrayed” the rest of them.

I grabbed Laura’s arm before she could tiptoe away. “Let’s sit with Kaela! She’s the only person we know. The only one who never tried to kill us anyway.”

Laura sucked in air through her teeth. “I would but I can’t. See, I have this thing about not sitting next to people I don’t like. Especially chatty ones who don’t know when to leave our house. Do you know how much food she’s taken from our fridge? The girl’s a vacuum! Hey, where’s Instructor Manning?”

I stifled a laugh as I watched Manning approach Kaela. Her face lit up as he sat across from her. I pointed them out to Laura and laughed freely as her jaw dropped. She growled and socked my arm before stomping toward them. I would have liked to say it was a funny coincidence, but Manning’s Implants enhanced his intelligence. Everything the man did was calculated.

“You guys came to eat with me?” Kaela’s eyes twinkled with joy as Laura and I sat beside Manning. “What did I do to deserve such great friends?”

“Ask them if they ever show up,” Laura said into her shoulder, earning a glare from me. Luckily, Kaela was probably too busy smiling to hear her.

“Why aren’t you sitting with any of your other friends?” Manning asked as he directed a piece of broccoli into his mouth. “As someone who ranks quite highly in your organization, you’d think you’d have more dinnertime companions.”

A bit of darkness returned to Kaela’s eyes. “People don’t really like sitting with traitors. Plus the guy I usually eat with is avoiding me. He avoids me at our house too. Guess I don’t blame him. I did point a rifle at him.”

So Dylan was her roommate. Kaela had fought that jerk to keep him away from us. It made sense that they were still fighting in a less literal sense.

“If it makes any difference, we appreciate your sticking up for us,” I said. “Even if we didn’t really get much out of it. Hey, would you happen to know where Surge keeps that generator?”

She scoffed. “Probably his office. I can’t help you steal it, if that’s what you’re asking. I know I threatened Surge, but I can’t actually go full traitor on everyone. This place is still my home. I…don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Kaela squeezed her sandwich, looking just as depressed as before. Why did it feel like that came easily to her?

“Dylan’s a piece of garbage, anyway,” Laura said, stating the obvious. “If you want my advice—which I’m not officially giving—you’re better off enjoying this time away from him. Find some non-garbage friends. What happened to those guys who defended you on the ship?”

“They’re probably afraid to be around me. We’re still teenagers: reputation matters.” Kaela sighed as she set her sandwich down. “Being alone sucks, but I get it. The only thing that sucks more is that tomorrow’s my birthday, and I’ll have no one to celebrate it with.”

“What?” I pushed away the tray that I hadn’t touched. “You can’t celebrate your birthday alone. Well, some people like to, but you’re not one of them. Come over tomorrow, and we’ll—”

“No, we won’t!” Laura said. “All I want to do tomorrow is sleep. I don’t want to invite Kaela back to our house after we just got her to leave.”

Kaela whined. “Come on. If you guys celebrate with me, I’ll introduce Wander to the forge. It’s perfect for him.”

“We don’t accept bribes from rebe—”

“Forge?” I shoved Laura aside and leaned toward Kaela. “There’s no way you mean a place for blacksmiths. Do you mean a place where mechanic-stuff happens? Somewhere I can modify vivepens in peace?”

Kaela’s smug nod was all I needed. Needless to say, Kaela and I cut dinner short. Laura’s face as we walked away was hilarious, but I’d be on the receiving end of her fury later. Kaela’s cruiser was black and yellow, like a bee. It smelled like eleven different types of perfume, and, unlike my old Columbus, it had a roof.

“You’re going to love the forge,” Kaela said as she got us moving. “There’s someone there who reminds me of you…kind of.”

“What the heck does that mean?” I wondered. “Wouldn’t everyone there remind you of me? They’re all mechanics, aren’t they?”

“Sure, but some are more intense than others. The head of the forge is who I think you’ll get along with.”

I didn’t know what to make of that, but anyone who appreciated tech sounded cool to me.

Kaela pulled up to a huge silver building. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, even as we climbed out of the cruiser. Its door reminded me of a lite ship door in that it seemed sturdy enough to keep anything at bay. Its onyx coloring clashed with the silver. The door handle was the size of my head.

“Ready to meet your people?” Kaela gripped the handle and winked at me.

“Quit hyping it up and open the door,” I responded. “It’s a visit, not an initiation.”

Despite my saying that, my stomach was in knots. The scent of metal soothed it as we stepped inside. Orange flashes cut through the room’s darkness. Masked teenagers hammered metal beside tables that held objects in midair with green fields. Suspension tables. The walls were lined with blueprints and posters of cruisers. The clanks and clatters from all the machinery were music to my ears. Maybe I’d died on New Earth, because I’d found Heaven.

“This…is the forge?” I cleared my throat as my voice was cracking. “Can I…live in here? I’m asking for a friend.”

“I’d love to see you try.” Kaela waved at the room. “Hey guys! Still don’t eat dinner with everyone else? That’s cool. I just stopped by to introduce you to someone.”

A few people stopped working to scowl at Kaela and gaze at me with curiosity. Someone in the back stood up, and they were carrying a dim hover engine—something so heavy that it usually required a crane or suspension gloves. I didn’t understand how they could bear the weight until I realized that they were wearing space suit arms. Not an entire space suit, just the arms.

“Kaela?” called the girl as she set the engine down. She took off her green goggles and pushed them back into her silver hair. Her gray eyes sent shivers down my spine. They were filled with ferocity, like Laura’s. “Last I heard, you were a traitor. Don’t worry, no one here believes rumors. I’m more concerned about the Gamechanger. Did Surge take away our baby?”

“As if I’d let him!” Kaela lifted up her metal staff. “We can catch up and discuss upgrades later, Nessa. I’m here to introduce you to the one and only, Wander Locke. Did Surge mention him?”

Nessa directed her scary eyes at me. “Only two or three…thousand times. Surge warned us that he’d be dropping off a rescue. Didn’t mention that he had hazel eyes. He knows how I feel about them. Hey, you used to be Frost’s pet, right?”

“No. Would everyone quit calling me that? I’m only here because Kaela recommended me.” I glanced at the suspension tables and mysterious green doors. I imagined elaborate inventions behind them, hidden from the public until they were ready to be unveiled. “I think she was right to, but it doesn’t seem like I’d be welcome here.”

Nessa scoffed. “Well, of course you’re not welcome here. As the head of the forge, I can’t say I’d be thrilled about having one of Frost’s former lackeys around. I’d be paranoid about you building a tracking device and leading her right to us.”

“Surge used to work for her and he runs this place. What is it with you people? Who are you to be criticizing me anyway?” I motioned to her arms. “Did you forget the other seventy percent of your space suit?”

She smacked my hands away. “Frost can see the data that our space suits record, idiot! It’s like how hackers can see through webcams or phone cameras. I need my suit’s strength for the forge, but I don’t need the rest of it. Understand? Or did Frost steal a few of your brain cells for experiments? I doubt you were using them.”

My hands crackled, which caught me off guard. I turned away and shook them, only to find that they were no longer crackling. What had that been?

“Okay, so I guess you guys don’t get along as well as I’d hoped.” Kaela stroked her hair as she grinned. “Maybe with time?”

“Sorry Kaela, but I can’t see myself associating with Frost Junior over here.” Nessa turned her back to me. “I doubt he’s even a real mechanic. He probably rode his granddad’s coattails to get to this point.”

My hands crackled again as rage surged through me. How dare she bring him into this! She didn’t know the first thing about either of us. I gasped as my hands went haywire. With every beat of my heart, the electricity ramped up. If I didn’t calm down now…

“Nessa, it’s not fair to—”

I gripped Kaela’s shoulder, ending her sentence. My electricity had already faded.

“We should go.” I gazed at the door. “Nessa’s in charge. If she wants me gone, I should listen.”

Nessa grunted in agreement. “At least he has some sense. Talk to you later, Kaela.”

I grabbed my hand as it threatened to crackle again. I turned and headed for the door, ignoring the pain in my chest. This place was perfect, but I wasn’t allowed. I didn’t think it had anything to do with me either. Like a lot of people here, Nessa seemed to have a pretty big grudge against Frost. I couldn’t do anything if she extended that hate to me. I could prove her wrong, but how could I if she banned me from her facility?

“Hey, are you really okay?” Kaela asked as we stepped out into the darkness. The Sun had finally set, so nighttime was upon us. “I barely know you, but even I know that you’d love it in there.”

I took a deep breath to calm any residual electricity. “I’m fine. It’d be great to be with others like me, but there’s not much I can do if I’m not wanted.”

Despite it being dark out, pale light was shining down from above. I recognized this light. Back on the Moon, it would come up from the ground at night. It couldn’t be. I gazed up into the starry sky. There, massive among its twinkling neighbors, was a pale orb radiating this dim light. The Moon.

It really was there.

Kaela followed my gaze and nodded. “That’s where you and the others are from, right? You’re all Lunalites?”

I nodded, refusing to look away from the orb. “I hate the place, but, from down here, it’s beautiful.”

We’d get to see this every night? Living here really did have its advantages. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad…