The Secrets of Star Whales

The Secrets of Star Whales — page 3 — space station Behind us Mrs Smith our temporary teacher after Mr Bruska had his accident barked Back inside all of you That idiot’s broken ship won’t help you on next week’s exam Move Now or never Max India whispered presenting the tiny ball again Blue and white swirls wrapped about the orb and when thrown it would release a fog so thick I’d have no trouble escaping Mrs Smith’s scrutinizing gaze Get this gossip It’s all you Now she was just being dramatic We don’t even need the smoke bomb Why don’t we just sneak out Too late With a wild laugh she threw it against the polished faux-wood floor The smoke bomb exploded in a burst of white fog filling the hallway with coughs and screams I tried to grab her arm take her with me but she shouted Tell my stooory

The Secrets of Star Whales — page 4 — and vanished in the pandemonium India She was gone And really we couldn’t waste a good smoke bomb could we I sprinted past the other classrooms ducking into the first adjacent hallway The potted ficuses provided excellent cover from the teachers thundering toward our classroom and the chaos Azura our space station was shaped like a big multistory wheel The outer tube rotated to maintain gravity and spoke like corridors led to a few elevators in the center We were on the education level now but the starship would be docking three stories above in the hangar level I pressed the button to summon one of the elevators and plotted an excuse for why I wasn’t in class just in case the lift was already occupied But the double doors dinged open without a soul in sight Airtight I grinned and bounced inside All

The Secrets of Star Whales — page 5 — this sneaking around made me feel like like a secret space agent or something Jeez I’d be such a great space agent It took a few minutes to arrive at my destination but I’d already crafted an excuse if confronted our class was learning about starship docking protocols and Mom was supposed to make a presentation Considering she was the lead harbormaster everyone on Azura knew her authority And of course I’d be the one sent to retrieve her It was foolproof Right up until I heard Mom’s voice at the end of the corridor My excuse only worked with someone who wasn’t her She’d pin me in a second I swallowed hard sweat beading on my forehead as I hunted for cover But this wasn’t like the education level There were no conveniently placed plants to hide behind I spun but the elevator was already

The Secrets of Star Whales — page 6 — gone another would take too long Time ticking I pressed against the smooth wall which was painted a cheery shade of purple and lined with flickering holographic images of asteroid mining missions from Azura’s early years A vintage e-poster at my side advertised Digits Are Yours for the Taking on the Edge of Space Mine anemonium for a year live like a king forever with a picture of a silvery anemonium asteroid gleaming amid the normal rock It was all propaganda but it had propelled Azura into a bustling town at least until the anemonium supply began to dwindle half a century ago Now the only people left were the ones who actually liked living here And occasionally a real actual tourist I pressed myself flatter against the e-poster and tried not to move Maybe Mom wouldn’t notice me Standing alone In an empty corridor

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