YEAR: 25

Braheton City, Central Tharsis, Mars

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Alex and Ric stood at the end of the buffet line in the dorm cafeteria, waiting their turn for the edible substance that passed as food. In keeping with the rest of the building's décor, the cafeteria was done in black and silver with touches of silvery green galinium. The square tables of dark glossy laminate that had stood in neat rows at the beginning of the semester were now scattered across the long, high-ceilinged hall. A variety of plants grew in large pots placed around the edges of the room, a Martian tradition dating back to early terraforming days, when each plant had meant more breathable air for humans.

Before long, raised voices from a group of tables halfway across the cafeteria caught their attention. Ric, never one to miss a fight, peered over the heads of the other students in the direction of the disruption. Two male students gesticulated as they approached each other, their words carrying well enough to hear snatches of their argument. At the phrase "dirty Sov whore," Ric shoved his lunch tray at Alex.

"Hold this," he said, then barreled his way through the growing ring of bystanders. Vaulting a table, he landed with uncanny precision in the narrow space between the two men, who both took an instinctive step back. Ric spoke in rapid tones, too low for Alex to hear, but whatever it was had its effect. Both students, still glowering but apparently mindful of Ric's larger build, backed off a meter. Alex, having wandered close enough by now to act as backup, was relieved to see a security officer approach.

"Need any help there?" the officer said to Ric. He patted the stun flinter at his side, and Ric's eyes sparked with a suppressed, grim humor.

"Thanks anyway, Ned, but I think we're settled down now. Would you say so, gentlemen?" The gentlemen grunted in reluctant agreement. "Aye, well," he said after Ned roamed out of earshot, "you could have chosen a better way to express your views, Justin."

Justin—short, pale, pudgy, and seemingly trapped in a perpetual adolescence—directed a feral snarl at the retreating back of the other troublemaker. "He called my mother a—"

"Aye, we heard that bit." Ric put a hand between Justin's shoulder blades and with a firm grip guided him back to his seat. "Now, then. I'm going to fetch some lunch, but I'll be back in a minute. Alex, can you save a chair for me, please?"

"Aye, of course," Alex said, causing Ric's mouth to quirk up at the corner.

Alex took a seat next to Justin. Three tables pushed together formed seating for eight or so. The other six already sitting there regarded him with a resigned acceptance. Alex only saw these men when they happened to gather around Ric at mealtimes; they were part of the group Alex called "the Ric MacKinnon fan club." Over the past couple months, he'd learned that they all had family connections with Kepler faculty or administration and thus considered Ric worthy of their attention. It wasn't easy to become popular on a campus as big as Kepler's but Ric had somehow managed it. Being a former G-ball star hadn't hurt, Alex supposed.

Ric made light of the attention, but Alex imagined he enjoyed it more than he let on. Ric loved talking politics, so he was in his element here among his fellow VIP students, most of whom were economics or political science majors. Unlike them, Alex had never taken an interest in the inner workings of the Republic of Settled Space and the various factions and lobbies that sought to assert their influences. Even though he'd memorized the history of the Republic like all other school children, he felt little emotional connection to it, finding ancient history to be much more fascinating. That wasn't to say he didn't have his own opinions on political issues, but he didn't consider himself part of a movement the way some university students did, nor did his views have a measurable effect on his day-to-day life. Ric, to his credit, had left him alone about it for the most part aside from an occasional joking comment about Alex's "apolitical apathy."

Ric came back and set in front of Alex a tray laden with one of just about everything from the buffet. "I thought you might enjoy a large meal. You're looking a bit thinner than usual, you know. It's the exams that are doing you in this time."

"I gained three kilos this month."

"And you've lost it all in the last three days," said Ric around a mouthful of rye bread. He picked up his cup and took a gulp of something a sinister shade of green. "Tell me I'm wrong and I'll fetch you one of those diet meals the girls eat."

Alex ignored the chortling around the table. "What are you drinking, anyway?"

Ric held up the clear plastite cup and swirled its murky contents. "Asadan tea. Are you fancying some?"

"No thanks. It looks like cat piss."

Ric grinned as the others snickered. "I've always thought it looks more like skunk piss, but it's still good. And we'd better enjoy it while we can, because Asada is the next to secede."

"You really think so? The government has the Sovereigntists under control there, according to the latest," said Zachary, a slight but opinionated man who Ric called a Republic Apologist, often to his face. Ric claimed not to be a "classic Sovereigntist," as he put it, but he played the devil's advocate position often enough that Alex wondered sometimes.

Ric now met Zachary's skeptical gaze with an equal cynicism. "If things are under control, then why station ten thousand extra Police across the planet? That doesn't sound to me like an act of confidence on the part of the Republic."

"Oh, I don't know, to quell the rioters? If the Asadans hadn't gotten violent in the first place there would have been no need for police action, would there?"

"Asada's a farming planet full of Buddhists, for God's sake. It's no South Braheton where people riot for the fun of it. And I'd hardly call a peaceable protest—"

"Peaceable! The Asadans swarmed the barriers carrying illegal weapons."

"Swarmed? Did you even watch the videos? They were still meters away from the barriers when the Police started firing."

Predictably, Zachary's voice rose. Alex had witnessed a dozen of these exchanges by now. They always ended in a stalemate, with neither Ric nor Zachary willing to concede the other might have a point. "The fact remains they shouldn't have been out there in the first place. It's a tragedy what happened with the factory, but—"

"The Republic arms factory that neglected safety measures, thus inadvertently murdering a dozen Asadans, you're meaning."

Zachary ignored this, continuing his sentence as though Ric hadn't spoken. "But that doesn't give the Asadans the right to go tit for tat. The fire was an accident, but the riot was intentional. The Sovereigntists yet again use tragedy as an excuse to start trouble, and look what happens. Twenty more people dead, including five Police officers."

"And fifteen Asadans," said Ric. "Fifteen people who probably had families."

"Police have family too."

Ric snorted. "Sure. The ones who aren't clones."

Zachary rolled his eyes. "Don't even start with the conspiracy theories. Now you sound like Justin."

"Hey," protested Justin around the churro he'd stuffed in his mouth.

"I'm joking," said Ric, his tone lightening a fraction. "If they were clones, they'd be smarter."

Zachary gave him a look. "That statement is offensive in so many ways."

"So was the Republic's handling of the Asada incident. They're only giving the Sovereigntists more ammunition for their cause when they do things like that, you know. No pun intended."

"You're admitting then that the Sovs started things on purpose."

"I'm saying both sides make mistakes, but the Republic has a responsibility to act in the best interests of the public, which they often don't. Especially where the Police are involved. They're supposed to be peacekeepers but they deploy them like soldiers."

This seemed to mollify Zachary. It was the closest they'd ever come to a middle ground, Alex noted with surprise. Maybe they were maturing. "So let's hear your prediction," said Zachary. "When exactly will Asada declare itself a part of Independent Space?"

Ric squinted at the dredges of his tea. "I'd guess within the next twenty-four months or so."

"That soon? The only other planet to secede was Praetoria, and that was twenty years ago."

"You asked me for my prediction and I gave it to you."

"Well, I hope you're wrong. Look at how bad things still are on Praetoria."

Ric raised his eyebrows and leaned forward to reply, but Justin cut him off. "Caterina alert."

Alex snapped to attention too late. Reenie was standing on the opposite side of the table, smiling at him over Ric's head. Not having a convenient hole to drop into, he was forced to look back at her, wondering at her eerie ability to sniff him out when he was least expecting it.

"So what are we talking about today?" she asked, pulling up an empty chair next to Ric. "Are you done with exams?" The questions were generic, but she focused on Alex with such ardency that he could see the others shaking as they attempted to contain their mirth.

"Not quite yet," he said, avoiding eye contact. She'd taken to loking him in the middle of the night to ask him chemistry questions, calling him her "favorite teaching assistant," so he'd been trying to avoid showing her anything that could be construed as encouragement.

"Maybe Reenie would like to give us her opinion of the skirmish on Asada," said Zachary with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Reenie rolled her eyes. "Maybe not, Zach."

"She's just playing with our minds," said Ric. "She's got dirty Sov written all over her."

"Dirty Sov what?" said Justin, eliciting laughter and causing Reenie's smile to falter.

Alex frowned. "Are you going anywhere for break?" he asked in an effort to ward off further teasing. He wanted to punch himself for feeling sorry for her. He harbored a suspicion that she wielded the "little and cute" card like an expert poker player, mainly because he couldn't believe anyone could be that relentlessly cheery; even Ric had his bad days. However, unable to prove it, he had to assume she was being genuine.

"No, are you?" She fixed a hopeful gaze on him.

"No, I'm staying here. But I have a lot of labs to grade for Lin, and…"

"Professor Hao? I'm doing extra credit for him over break. I really need to pass chem."

"What luck!" said Ric with theatrical enthusiasm. "You'll see each other all the time."

Next to Ric, Zachary was having trouble keeping a straight face. Alex's urge to crawl under the table was tempered only by the desire to kill his roommate.

"Guess what, Reenie?" he said. "Ric will be here too. We should all go out together."

Ric's smirk disappeared immediately. Alex awarded himself a point as Reenie rattled on.

"Actually, that's why I wanted to catch you, Alex. I'm going out with my cousin on Saturday and thought I'd invite you along. She works for Trident."

"Oh, "said Alex, casting about for an excuse. Even a potential in with the largest employer of planetary geologists in the galaxy couldn't persuade him to suffer a Reenie double team. "I'd love to go, but I should probably go to the lab…"

"Quit talking nonsense, Alex," Ric said as Reenie's face fell. "You need more lab time like Little Spain needs another chorizo stand. Go out and have fun."

Alex saw Reenie's puppy dog eyes and caved. "I guess I can make the time." Score one for Ric.

"Oh good," said Reenie, brightening. "You'll have fun, I promise."

Alex was struck with sudden inspiration and he didn't dare look at Ric as he spoke. "Hey Reenie, is your cousin bringing anyone?"

"Oh, no. She's picky. Most men are afraid of her."

"Really." He couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Well, why don't we bring Ric along too then? It'll be like a double date."

"Great!" She jumped up and clapped her hands. "See you guys on Saturday."

Ric threw his empty cup at Alex as soon as Reenie was out of sight. "Thank you so much, Satan. Anything else I can do for you while I'm in Hell?"

Alex caught the cup and set it on his tray, pleased with his victory even if it meant sacrifice on his part. Besides, maybe the Trident connection could be useful in the future. Positive thinking, he reminded himself. "Come on, you deserved that. Besides, you never know. It might be fun."

"Most men are afraid of her," Justin quoted with a cackle. "Have a good time, Ric!"

Ric let out a short, doubtful laugh. "I suppose she can't be any worse than Reenie. What are the odds of two of them in one family?"

Alex shrugged. "Depends on how much inbreeding there's been, I suppose."

Zachary snorted, and Ric took in the two of them with a pained gaze. "It's always the Earthies who cause the most trouble."

The conversation drifted back to politics after that, but Alex for once didn't feel like an intruder. When they returned to their room, Ric groaned at his loke as it toned. "That'll be Reenie. You realize we're going to regret this."

"Weren't you just saying the other day you needed to find a new girl? Here's your chance."

"You think you're funny, do you? I'm no sure that you and I are a match for a double dose of Reenie. Let's just hope for both our sakes that her personality defects aren't genetic."