Space City

Chapter 5 - Neil Plays Substitute

"The funk is fading," Neil said in the shower. "Or my nose broke."

At first the shower had intensified the stench from the Malsain, and Neil had lost his lunch in the adjacent stalls. After that he had breathed through his mouth while bathing. Thirty minutes spent scrubbing, rinsing, and repeating. The greasy film from the Malsain came off quite easily, but the odor lingered. Neil had washed several times before feeling clean.

"I'm sure my nostrils are deserters right now," Riagan replied, toweling off. "Kept my lunch down, though, unlike you girls."

"Pretty sure Rois will hold you responsible for that." Neil had a feeling that being on Rois' bad side wasn't fun.

Riagan grimaced. "She can hold a grudge."

They returned to the changing room benches, but the uniforms that they received on their way in had been replaced by silk costumes. Neil had been thrilled at receiving the uniforms. Nicest thing he'd had since the suit his mother had made him wear to church as a child. Now he hadn't kept the new uniform for a whole hour.

"Ya kidding," Riagan said, holding up a red and yellow costume.

The outfits reminded Neil of harlequin costumes. His own had a lavender right arm and left leg, green left arm and right leg, and a lavender-and-green checkered torso.

"I amn't wearing this." Riagan held his in clenched fists. "Who stole our clothes?"

On cue a group of boys, all wearing academy uniforms, stepped into the doorway, howling with laughter.

"Just fulfilling our responsibilities," one said, easily the shortest in the group. The boy possessed jet-black hair, menacing brown eyes, and a nose that pointed upward sharply, as if he was physically stuck up. "I'm Patrick Duffy." He offered a handshake. When Riagan didn't accept, he shrugged.

"This is my second, Caleb Thorton."

Patrick gestured to a taller boy with large ears that stuck out wide from the sides of his head. His short-buzzed hair only served to spotlight his elephantine ears. Caleb offered them a fake smile, his cold blue eyes giving it away. He didn't offer a handshake.

Behind the boys was a small fire, which Neil quickly realized was another Traga. Maybe a student? Neil eyed it warily, and it shrank back slightly.

Riagan crossed the room and shook the costume in the boy's face. "Where are my clothes?"

Neil hurried after him in case of a scuffle, though they really needed to avoid making any more waves today. They had already incurred Tereshkova's displeasure, and he didn't want to generate a reputation among the instructors on his first day. Nor did he wish to make Mr. Chapman regret recruiting him.

Patrick sneered. "We're toughening up the Earthlings."

Caleb and the other boys laughed derisively.

"Earthlings?" Neil asked.

"You're fresh off Earth," Patrick said, eyes dancing in confident pleasure. "You're ignorant of what it takes to survive here. Some aliens will kill you over an untimely glance. The universe is much tougher than Earth. Baby boys won't survive."

"What are ya going to teach us, Napoleon?" Riagan dropped the costume and balled his fists.

Patrick hopped back into the hall — not afraid, more like he was baiting them.

Neil arm-barred Riagan to keep him from pursuing Patrick. But Neil felt like he was a passenger on a runaway train. A collision awaited and he was powerless to divert it.