Far Horizon (Juggernaut #4)

Twenty Five

That night at dinner, Ellie wasn't the only one frustrated by the speed of their progress.

"The whole day? The WHOLE day! Start up, shut down, start up, shut down. Do those simulators even fly? Is that why we haven't left the deck yet?" complained Dominique.

"Dom, DOM, shut up. It's coming. The lieutenant wants to make sure we don't make any mistakes," said Aiden. "Right Ellie?"

Ellie looked deep into her salad in shame.

"We can't make a mistake unless we actually launch. If this is where we are in the sims how long will it be until we're in a real ship?" said Dominique. She stabbed her soup angrily, splashing red lumps over the stainless steel table.

"It was funny though," said Brin. "You have to admit it was funny."

"What was?" said Dominique.

Brin pointed at Ellie with his bread roll. "She was. I mean there are rookie mistakes, and then there is Ellie. Launching with the doors closed."

"That can't happen for real, can it?" said Ellie, suddenly worried.

"Nah, the lieutenant turned off the safeties for the sim. He was hoping you would screw up. That can't happen for real or pilots would be going splat all over the commonwealth."

"Why would he hope I screw up?"

"Because failure makes a wonderful example," said Brin, "And the bigger and more spectacular the failure—"

"The better the example," concluded Ellie glumly. "But you must have all made mistakes like that in the past?"

They thought about it, or at least pretended to. She noticed a moment of recognition on every face which was quickly pushed away. They were coming up with better stories to share, or maybe they were less embarrassing stories. It made her feel better either way, until they spoke.

"No," said Brin.

"Nope," said Aiden.

"Not me," said Dominique.

"Oh," said Ellie.

Aiden raised his glass for a toast. "Well then, it only remains for us to toast Ellie, the greatest example to us all, and may she live to fight another day."

They all raised their glasses except Ellie. Dominique pushed another glass into Ellie's hand, wrapped her own hand around it, and forced her to join in their toast to failure.

They lowered their glasses, and Ellie picked up her fork to attack her salad. When she looked up again she saw Aurora and Celeste standing over the table.

"Look, Celeste, a table of three qualified cadets."

"I believe there are four people at this table, Aurora."

"Strange, I can only see three who deserve to be here." Aurora smirked at Ellie.

"If I wasn't qualified why would I be here?" said Ellie.

"That's a really interesting question!" said Aurora.

"Really interesting," said Celeste.

"Why, and perhaps how?" said Aurora.

"How? Yes, that's an interesting question too," said Celeste.

"Perhaps the biggest question," said Aurora.

They waited.

Ellie ate her salad and ignored them and fumed inside.

"Hi Aurora," said Dominique, forcing the politeness.

"Actually I'm Celeste," said Aurora.

"And I'm Aurora," said Celeste.

"No you're not, you're each the other one. I know you do this to confuse people. It's not fair, just because most people can't tell you apart."

"And you can?" said the real Aurora.

"Of course I can."

"How?" said Celeste, the real one, with narrowed eyes.

"How?" said Ellie, who felt like she was witnessing an impossible act.

Dominique shrugged, "Go and find a mirror and work it out for yourselves." Under the table to tapped on Aiden's knee for backup. He didn't disappoint.

"Oh, yeah, I see it now." He stood up for a pretend look closer. "So weird though, right?"

"What? What is it?" said Ellie, looking back and forth.

Dominique shrugged again. "If you can't see it I guess it doesn't bother you. That's fine. I mean, I wouldn't be happy with it, but if you are, good for you."

The twins gasped and marched away together in perfect time, looking for a mirror.

"Thank you! How did you do that?" said Ellie, genuinely amazed.

"I didn't," Dominique laughed. "It's true I overhead them talking about doing it to someone else, I didn't know they were doing it to us. It was a lucky guess."

"What if they kept denying it?"

"Then I would be the one looking silly, wouldn't I?"

"That was a big risk."

"Ellie, there are bigger things in life to worry about than looking silly from time to time. You should know that after today."

"I suppose," she said. "But can you really tell them apart?"

"Those two? Not if you paid me. I've never seen two people look more alike. But it means so much to them it was an easy target to go for."

"You bluffed them twice in one conversation and got away with it. That's impressive," said Aiden.

"I have my good days and my bad days. Since I'm on this lucky streak does anyone want to play poker?"

"What's poker?" said Ellie.

"It's a card game."

"I've never played it," she said.

"I can teach you if you like," Dominique said generously.

"Are you any good?" said Ellie.

"No," said Dominique.

"Stop hustling the poor girl," said Brin.

"Who me? I get confused so easily. I never know which way up to hold the cards."

"I think that's more than enough Dominique for one day," said Aiden. "How about we all go back to our quarters, read up on the lesson plans for tomorrow and get some sleep. Ellie, will you be okay with the doors or will you need some help."

She made a face, but couldn't help laughing at him all the same.

They agreed on the plan, stood up and cleared their table. Dominique and Brin left by one door, Ellie and Aiden by another.

Ellie suddenly stopped short by the door frame. "Wait a minute," she said, "The cards are the same both ways."

"Good work, Sherlock."

"I don't know who that is."

"Okay, library first, then bed."