was stare out the window, but there was more to it than that. What he was asking me to do had always seemed impossible. Standing upright without the aid of a pair of crutches, a simple act that everyone else took for granted, had been beyond my ability for as long as I could remember. Everyone was watching me, and I didn't want to make a fool out of myself.
"Go ahead, Jamey," Gordie said. "I'd like to see you do that, too." He opened the lower part of the cocoon and began to unfasten my harness. Once the straps were floating free, he gently took hold of my wrists. "All right, on the count of three. One...two..."
"Don't rush me," I said. Gordie let go, but it was clear thatneither he nor Logan were going to take no for an answer. They were using the Velcro soles of their sock-like stickshoes to attach themselves to the fabric strips on the deck and ceiling. Gordie stepped back as I carefully planted my shoes against the floor. I took a deep breath, then carefully pushed myself out of the cocoon.
No crutches. No braces. No helpful hands to steady me. For the first time in my life, I stood on my own two feet.
"Jamey, be careful." From behind me, Melissa's voice was a low whisper. I felt her hand brush against my back, as if she was reaching up to keep me from falling over. It wasn't often that she showed any sign of actually caring for me; every so often, I suspected that my sister might really be human, not an alien imposter. That alone made me want to take the next step...literally.
Holding my breath, I detached my right foot from the carpet, moved it forward a few inches, put it down again. Then I did the same with my left foot. And then again with my right foot. I was walking. Never mind the fact that I was in space; what was more incredible was the fact I'd just taken my first steps on my own, without having to rely on anything.
"Attaboy." Gordie unstuck his shoes from the floor and floated beside Logan, who'd turned himself right-side-up and had backed away to give me room. "You're doing great, just great."
"Yeah...I guess I am." I was tempted to yank my shoes off the floor and do a somersault, but Melissa was right; I needed to take it easy. Yet when I happened to glance at Hannah, I saw admiration in her eyes. No girl had ever looked at me that way before. Despite the fact that she was responsible for Jan having to remain behind, it made me feel like I was ten feet tall.
"Okay, then." Gordie let out his breath, looked back at Eddie and Nina. "And how are you two doing?"
Now that I was standing erect, I could see the Hernandez kids. Nina was just as pale as Melissa; she'd probably become sick, too, but she managed a solemn nod. On the other hand, her brother wasas happy as a kid in a playground. "This is fun!" he yelped. "Can I fly, too?"
"No, no. Just stay where you are for now." Gordie motioned for him to remain seated. Eduardo looked disappointed, but he nodded. "All right, " the pilot went on, "now that Jamey's up and around, I'll let y'all know what's going on." Holding onto a handrail running along the ceiling, Gordie turned to face me again. "Since you missed it, I'll give you the details. We left Earth about an hour or so ago. I deliberately kept you under, though, until the Spirit reached orbit and jettisoned the LTV."
"Just as well that you slept through it." Logan remained where he was, back against the fuselage and feet dangling in the air. "We hit Mach 7 before we left the atmosphere. It was a rough ride for a few seconds."
"Sorry 'bout that." Gordie gave him an apologetic smile. "Should've warned you, I guess, but I didn't have time. We had to launch before the feds stopped us...and believe me, they tried. The acceleration might've squashed you a bit, but at least we were able to outrun the jets they sent after us."
"Jets?" Hannah's eyes went wide. "You mean...?"
"Two Navy F-30s. I caught a glimpse of them on the video feed from the Spirit's external camera. They couldn't have caught up with the
"Go ahead, Jamey," Gordie said. "I'd like to see you do that, too." He opened the lower part of the cocoon and began to unfasten my harness. Once the straps were floating free, he gently took hold of my wrists. "All right, on the count of three. One...two..."
"Don't rush me," I said. Gordie let go, but it was clear thatneither he nor Logan were going to take no for an answer. They were using the Velcro soles of their sock-like stickshoes to attach themselves to the fabric strips on the deck and ceiling. Gordie stepped back as I carefully planted my shoes against the floor. I took a deep breath, then carefully pushed myself out of the cocoon.
No crutches. No braces. No helpful hands to steady me. For the first time in my life, I stood on my own two feet.
"Jamey, be careful." From behind me, Melissa's voice was a low whisper. I felt her hand brush against my back, as if she was reaching up to keep me from falling over. It wasn't often that she showed any sign of actually caring for me; every so often, I suspected that my sister might really be human, not an alien imposter. That alone made me want to take the next step...literally.
Holding my breath, I detached my right foot from the carpet, moved it forward a few inches, put it down again. Then I did the same with my left foot. And then again with my right foot. I was walking. Never mind the fact that I was in space; what was more incredible was the fact I'd just taken my first steps on my own, without having to rely on anything.
"Attaboy." Gordie unstuck his shoes from the floor and floated beside Logan, who'd turned himself right-side-up and had backed away to give me room. "You're doing great, just great."
"Yeah...I guess I am." I was tempted to yank my shoes off the floor and do a somersault, but Melissa was right; I needed to take it easy. Yet when I happened to glance at Hannah, I saw admiration in her eyes. No girl had ever looked at me that way before. Despite the fact that she was responsible for Jan having to remain behind, it made me feel like I was ten feet tall.
"Okay, then." Gordie let out his breath, looked back at Eddie and Nina. "And how are you two doing?"
Now that I was standing erect, I could see the Hernandez kids. Nina was just as pale as Melissa; she'd probably become sick, too, but she managed a solemn nod. On the other hand, her brother wasas happy as a kid in a playground. "This is fun!" he yelped. "Can I fly, too?"
"No, no. Just stay where you are for now." Gordie motioned for him to remain seated. Eduardo looked disappointed, but he nodded. "All right, " the pilot went on, "now that Jamey's up and around, I'll let y'all know what's going on." Holding onto a handrail running along the ceiling, Gordie turned to face me again. "Since you missed it, I'll give you the details. We left Earth about an hour or so ago. I deliberately kept you under, though, until the Spirit reached orbit and jettisoned the LTV."
"Just as well that you slept through it." Logan remained where he was, back against the fuselage and feet dangling in the air. "We hit Mach 7 before we left the atmosphere. It was a rough ride for a few seconds."
"Sorry 'bout that." Gordie gave him an apologetic smile. "Should've warned you, I guess, but I didn't have time. We had to launch before the feds stopped us...and believe me, they tried. The acceleration might've squashed you a bit, but at least we were able to outrun the jets they sent after us."
"Jets?" Hannah's eyes went wide. "You mean...?"
"Two Navy F-30s. I caught a glimpse of them on the video feed from the Spirit's external camera. They couldn't have caught up with the
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