John suddenly realized that in the shock of seeing the Omega-bot, he’d forgotten to cut the speed.
I’m coming in too fast! he screamed in his head. I’m going to crash. I’m going to CRASH!
Terrified, John squeezed his eyes shut. “Believe in yourself.” Zepp’s words echoed in John’s head. He opened his eyes.
No. I’m not going to crash. Not today.
Seconds away from smashing into the landing pad, a look of grim determination crossed John’s face. Moving over the touchpad skilfully, his right hand brought the front of the Privateer up. His left reduced the speed quickly but smoothly.
Still too fast. Too late now...
Numbers flickered on the shell screen by his head: twenty-five metres from the ground, fifteen, ten, five.
The Privateer landed with the lightest of bumps.
“Awesome landing, John. Don’t know why you were so worried about the examination.”
John blinked as Emmie’s voice came through the craft’s intercom. He stared wildly about him, hardly daring to believe that he had landed safely. Yet the ship was resting on the landing strip, neatly at the end of a row. Somehow he had managed to land without killing himself, or anyone else.
Believe in yourself.
“Maybe,” he whispered. “Or maybe it was luck. Don’t start getting cocky just yet, Riley.”
Beside him, another Privateer landed, bouncing and skidding to a halt a good distance from where it was supposed to be. Seconds later, Kaal clambered out, shaking his head.
Leaning back in his seat, John felt a grin of relief spread across his face. He was alive. And even if it had been luck rather than skill, he had still made a landing good enough to impress Emmie. “Computer,” he said. “Engage docking protocols, shut down engines, and let me out of here.”
“Affirmative, John Riley.”
Jumping out of the craft, John pulled off his helmet, running a hand through his mop of blond hair as he walked over to the gaggle of students thronging around Ms Vartexia. Behind, four Omega-bots stood guard, watching every movement through glowing green electronic eyes, warp guns held ready. Telling himself the machines were there to guard the exhibits, not to execute visitors, John tried to ignore them.
The Elvian teacher was trying to keep order, but no one was listening. Around her, backs were slapped; hands, tentacles, and claws smacked together in high-fives. Mordant, John noticed, was standing on the edge of the group with only G-Vez buzzing around his shoulders.
“A superb landing, young master,” the droid droned, sounding quite unimpressed. As no one else was congratulating Mordant, it extended a small arm for a brief high-five.
“Very cool moves, John!” Emmie yelled, as John approached. “Shame Jegger didn’t see you: he’d be proud.”
“Don’t you dare tell him about my landing,” said Kaal, jogging across the landing pad to join them. “He’ll never let me in a spaceship again.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” laughed Emmie. “Bareon’s was worse; wasn’t it, Bareon?”
“I hardly touched Queelin’s ship,” Bareon snapped.
“It didn’t feel like that from the inside!” Queelin shouted back, her antennae twitching furiously. “I was thrown halfway across the dock.”
“You were lucky the whole dock isn’t a smoking crater in the ground,” said John, seriously. “I totally freaked out when I saw the Omega-bot flying next to me. Thought I was going to crash.”
“Here we all are then, safe and sound,” the headmaster cut in brightly, as he climbed out of his own Privateer. “Such a beautiful day, too.”
John realized that he was squinting and that his skin felt pleasantly warm. For the first time since he had left Earth, he could feel a sun’s rays on his face, the warmth of a star halfway across the galaxy from his own. Looking up, he saw white clouds drifting across a blue sky. In the distance snowy mountain peaks glittered in the sunlight. Further down, waterfalls of melting snow poured through
I’m coming in too fast! he screamed in his head. I’m going to crash. I’m going to CRASH!
Terrified, John squeezed his eyes shut. “Believe in yourself.” Zepp’s words echoed in John’s head. He opened his eyes.
No. I’m not going to crash. Not today.
Seconds away from smashing into the landing pad, a look of grim determination crossed John’s face. Moving over the touchpad skilfully, his right hand brought the front of the Privateer up. His left reduced the speed quickly but smoothly.
Still too fast. Too late now...
Numbers flickered on the shell screen by his head: twenty-five metres from the ground, fifteen, ten, five.
The Privateer landed with the lightest of bumps.
“Awesome landing, John. Don’t know why you were so worried about the examination.”
John blinked as Emmie’s voice came through the craft’s intercom. He stared wildly about him, hardly daring to believe that he had landed safely. Yet the ship was resting on the landing strip, neatly at the end of a row. Somehow he had managed to land without killing himself, or anyone else.
Believe in yourself.
“Maybe,” he whispered. “Or maybe it was luck. Don’t start getting cocky just yet, Riley.”
Beside him, another Privateer landed, bouncing and skidding to a halt a good distance from where it was supposed to be. Seconds later, Kaal clambered out, shaking his head.
Leaning back in his seat, John felt a grin of relief spread across his face. He was alive. And even if it had been luck rather than skill, he had still made a landing good enough to impress Emmie. “Computer,” he said. “Engage docking protocols, shut down engines, and let me out of here.”
“Affirmative, John Riley.”
Jumping out of the craft, John pulled off his helmet, running a hand through his mop of blond hair as he walked over to the gaggle of students thronging around Ms Vartexia. Behind, four Omega-bots stood guard, watching every movement through glowing green electronic eyes, warp guns held ready. Telling himself the machines were there to guard the exhibits, not to execute visitors, John tried to ignore them.
The Elvian teacher was trying to keep order, but no one was listening. Around her, backs were slapped; hands, tentacles, and claws smacked together in high-fives. Mordant, John noticed, was standing on the edge of the group with only G-Vez buzzing around his shoulders.
“A superb landing, young master,” the droid droned, sounding quite unimpressed. As no one else was congratulating Mordant, it extended a small arm for a brief high-five.
“Very cool moves, John!” Emmie yelled, as John approached. “Shame Jegger didn’t see you: he’d be proud.”
“Don’t you dare tell him about my landing,” said Kaal, jogging across the landing pad to join them. “He’ll never let me in a spaceship again.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” laughed Emmie. “Bareon’s was worse; wasn’t it, Bareon?”
“I hardly touched Queelin’s ship,” Bareon snapped.
“It didn’t feel like that from the inside!” Queelin shouted back, her antennae twitching furiously. “I was thrown halfway across the dock.”
“You were lucky the whole dock isn’t a smoking crater in the ground,” said John, seriously. “I totally freaked out when I saw the Omega-bot flying next to me. Thought I was going to crash.”
“Here we all are then, safe and sound,” the headmaster cut in brightly, as he climbed out of his own Privateer. “Such a beautiful day, too.”
John realized that he was squinting and that his skin felt pleasantly warm. For the first time since he had left Earth, he could feel a sun’s rays on his face, the warmth of a star halfway across the galaxy from his own. Looking up, he saw white clouds drifting across a blue sky. In the distance snowy mountain peaks glittered in the sunlight. Further down, waterfalls of melting snow poured through
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