"DISMISSED!"
"Aye, aye Captain!", a disgruntled cadet mumbled under his breath to the nudge of his fellow element leader.
"Are you trying to get us kicked out? Do you seriously want to see the vortex of space already?", Cadet Clark whispered back.
"Good morning Colonel Calloway!", the whole of Apastron Academy roared, with the resounding echo rippling through the corridors and finally reaching the ears of an unamused head clinician.
While Dr Zhao headed on to the early Saturday morning staff meeting, the cadets on the other side of the academy marched in single file towards their destination-food, glorious food.
"Can you believe that Cadet Smith pulled the airlock alarm?"
"Yeah. Like seriously, what gives him the right to pull me out of a well-deserved rest?"
"I don't know guys...are we sure Cadet Smith did it...pulled the alarm, I mean. He's crazy...but is he that much of a prankster?"
Quibilah, having heard the cadets grumbling during morning reveille about Vice Commander Calloway lecturing them, kept her mouth sealed. The commotion of this morning had left her otherwise unharmed except for some minor bruises.
For now, the most pressing questions on her mind were put on hold, at least until she could find someone who could tell her why she almost died before Saturday Morning Inspection, or SAMI.
"Well at least SAMI was canceled, thanks in part to what that rascal did."
A nearby cadet shushed him after spotting one of the cadre walk towards them. "Do you want us to get caught speaking in line?"
"It's Saturday, they wouldn't dare!"
"I'd rather not push your luck," Quibilah muttered as the line winded down.
As the line for breakfast winded down, Cadet Quibilah made sure to look around the cafeteria for Cadet Rayapudi.
"Over here!", Cadet Celine Rayapudi, an energetic tomboy, yelled over to the Egyptian extrovert who would have blushed if it wasn't for the fact that Celine was her best friend in this academy.
Having barely sat down, Celine slid over to Quibilah's seat and said, "So what did you think of this morning's shenanigans?"
Quibilah then squirmed, and was saved by Cadet Clark who responded, "Vice Superintendent Calloway wasn't happy this morning someone pulled the alarm so...maybe it's best we drop that subject."
The energetic Rayapudi rolled her eyes at the introvert's comment only for the flicker of the nearby television set catch her eye unexpectedly.
"Oh my God! It's him! He's on TV!"
"Who?", Cadet Nelson piped up, egg sandwich's bits visible in his mouth.
Slamming his tray on the table, Cadet Jorge looked over at the TV and commented, "Ah, it's the Korean guy Celine's fangirling over."
Cadet Quibilah added, "She does have a thing for Korean guys. Wasn't her ex also Korean-American, I think?"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! Shut up!", she shouted as the voices from a TV interview came into frame.
"President Seon Taeseok of Jeolgeon Inc, what a pleasant day it is to be here with you."
"Happy to be here, Ms. Parker."
"We're here sitting down with you in this lovely office in downtown Seoul to speak with you about...your new phone launch, correct?"
"Well, I wouldn't say that exactly...cell phones are just a part of what I do."
YOU ARE READING
Aphelion
Science Fiction"It was all a dream come true...before it turned into a nightmare." In the near future, Quibilah is part of a group of students tasked with the mission to save the world, one school day at a time. The only difference between her and other students i...
