The following day came fast as Mia rolled over, angered by Samatha's wake-up call, which turned out to be an automated voice.

  Mia hung up and flopped back into the warm covers, her mind foggy and disoriented. A bright orange t-shirt hung ominously over the small chair by the door. "Welcome to SPACE CAMP" was printed on the back. Wait, was today their first day of space camp? For a second, Mia imagined that the idea of going to Mars was just a dream. The phone rang again, and this time, it was Samantha.

  "You up, sleepyhead?"

  "Yes," Mia answered, trying to sound awake despite knowing she sounded like she was still in bed.

  "Good, we're leaving at 8:00 am sharp. Be downstairs and ready by 7:50. They have a decent breakfast in the dining room."

  Mia thanked her and hung up. If this was a dream, it was a nightmare, and she had less than 37 minutes to be downstairs.

  The orange shirt looked ridiculous with her jeans. Why did it matter what they wore today? Wouldn't they have to change into a hazmat suit or something? Surely no one could effectively practice going to Mars in an orange t-shirt. She ran a brush through her hair one last time before grabbing her purse and the room key. There would be no stopping for breakfast. Anything she ate would come right back up.

  The car ride to Kennedy was quiet as everyone adjusted to the early start. Mia sat motionless, wondering what the absolute fuck she'd gotten herself into. She was aware Trevor was again sneaking glances at her. Was he imagining her in the swimsuit, or did he just want to talk? Don't make it weird, she thought to herself.

  Upon arrival, Samantha ushered them into a large concrete building and down a carpeted hall to a conference room. A small table with coffee, water bottles, fruit, and packaged muffins flanked the side of a larger oval table, way too big for the space. Mia appreciated a second opportunity to eat, grabbing a muffin. Trevor took a seat while Mia snagged a water bottle to go along with her muffin.

  "Banana-nut, huh?" Trevor said, speaking to her for the first time this morning.

  "Yeah," Mia replied. Why did things suddenly feel weird between them?

  Two Red Rock employees in matching orange polos walked in, stopping to introduce themselves. One placed thick orange folders in front of them while the other walked to the podium and welcomed the group.

  "We all know what day it is," the orange polo said. "Two newbies just joined what we like to call the Red Rock Family."

  "We're family now," Trevor whispered. Mia gave him the side-eye before turning her attention back to the speaker.

  They spent the next three hours watching short training clips and signing consents stating they wouldn't sue if they were killed or injured during space camp. Digital copies of everything they signed would be emailed to their parents, who needed to get them notarized. Mia thought the whole experience was bizarre and wondered why no one posted about this on the portal. She kept glancing at Trevor, hoping to get his attention, but he was listening so intently that it became pointless.

  "Do either of you have any questions?" Samantha asked after the last consent was signed.

  "When do we start?" Trevor replied.

  "Nice, Trevor. I love the enthusiasm. Dr. Leeson is waiting for you as we speak. You guys interested in learning how to drive a rover today?"

  Trevor was on his feet instantly, leaving Mia seated and flustered. Slowly, she took his outstretched hand, letting him pull her up, and then her fingers fell away from Trevor's.

  "Come with me. They're expecting you soon," said a different Red Rock employee, appearing out of nowhere. "Samantha, we've got it from here."

  "Perfect. Text me when they're done. I have tons of work to do."

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  Mia watched Samatha go and wondered what type of work was waiting for her. But the white walls surrounding them reflected nothing but artificial light. The whole place had a government feel, as if top-secret meetings were happening around every corner.

  Then a metal door opened into the sterile hallway, and the anonymous man they'd just met gestured for them to step inside. The room was enormous and echoey, like an airplane hangar but with no airplanes. Trevor pointed to a metal machine, and Mia's gaze followed his finger like a puppy. The machine looked like an indoor ride at a science museum. Dr. Leeson was standing beside it, beaming.

  "My subjects have arrived," he said, pushing back a grey tangle of hair. He was maybe five feet tall.

  Mia thought of rats hearing the word "subjects" and bristled, looking closely at the simulator, which appeared welded shut from the outside.

  Who's ready to go on an adventure?" Dr. Leeson said.

  "Me!" Trevor yelped, which annoyed Mia, who stepped away from him, surveying the room. It was largely empty except for the simulator.

  "This is going to be very exciting. Today, you will learn to drive a Mars rover. This beautiful machine behind me is an exact replica of what we are currently using up there. You both have your driver's license, but driving a rover is quite different. Most importantly, you're in outer space with less gravity. In addition, all our rovers are outfitted with 12 wheels. This allows them to turn in any direction. They're slow, but they can do amazing things, like detect infrared light. Who wants to go first?"

  Before Mia knew what was happening, Trevor grabbed her arm and raised it exaggeratedly. She jerked away from him, growling.

  "Excellent, Mia first, then," Dr. Leeson said, pulling Mia to the simulator while Trevor remained rooted. "Oh, you're both getting in. The driver sits on the left, the passenger on the right."

  The simulator responded to his voice, producing two dark slits widening into doors large enough for them to step inside.

  "Go ahead," Dr. Leeson urged, and Mia and Trevor climbed inside.

  The simulator's inside was like an airplane cockpit with little room to move, which required them to maneuver to fit in the angled seats. Dr. Leeson gave them a thorough rundown of the controls and how to evacuate in case of an emergency.

  "What type of emergency might we have, Dr. Leeson?" Mia asked.

  "Oh, anything COULD happen, but we've set everything to beginner level, so statistically, nothing should happen. No need to scare you off on day one," he said.

  "That's not helpful," Mia said, quietly so only Trevor heard.

  Mia watched, terrified, as the computer screen surrounding them came to life. And there, projected 360 degrees, was the dusty surface of Mars. It was the most realistic simulation Mia had ever experienced, and suddenly, she needed to go to the bathroom.

  "The program will begin shortly. Remember, you're teammates. Solve problems together," Dr. Leeson said, sliding out of the simulator.

  Mia looked at Trevor, panicked, her hand clutching the controller so fiercely it turned bright white. PUSH JOYSTICK FORWARD flashed across the gigantic screen. Trevor pointed at it wordlessly. Mia swallowed and pushed the joystick forward. The simulator started to shake.

  "Not so much juice," Trevor said, placing his hand on hers and pulling back the throttle.

  Mia glanced down at their hands and felt her face go red, realizing the physical contact was doing something to her. Surely her body could detect she was in a fight or flight situation and stop the tingling she felt all over her body. The rover rolled forward, less shaking, more rumbling now. She drove straight and then turned the steering wheel to the left. The rover veered left, and soon enough, Mia had turned the rover entirely around.

  Trevor let out a congratulatory Woo-Hoo, letting go of Mia's sweaty hand. She began to let herself have fun, watching the scenery change as she spun them in different directions.

  Suddenly, a roar filled the cockpit, and something odd surfaced in the right-hand corner of the screen.

  "What's happening?" Mia asked.

  Trevor said nothing, watching the screen change in front of them.

  "It's a dust storm," Trevor said, placing his hand on Mia's again. We need to move."

  "Wait, what?" Mia said, her confidence gone in seconds.

  Trevor turned the rover away from the storm as the simulator bumped and shook. They rode in silence for several minutes until visibility became zero.

  "We're not going to outrun this," Trevor said, pulling back the throttle, which decreased their speed so fast it made Mia fall forward.

  And then it was dark, the screen projecting nothing but moving brown and grey pixels, an automated roaring threatening to deafen them. Surprisingly, a red shape appeared, the color fading in and out. Mia wondered if they should stop driving.

  She realized the students who'd already gone to space camp had been instructed to keep some training specifics private. Practicing this level of terror before handling it on Mars made sense.

  "Drive towards that," Trevor said, pointing to the red light. "Leeson said these things can detect infrared light. Maybe that's our target."

  "Infrared light is heat, Trevor. Why would we drive towards something hot?"

  "I dunno, this is how we learn. Just try it," he said.

  Mia turned the rover and drove toward the red shape. As it got closer, she thought the form looked familiar, but her body, pulsing with adrenaline, was on autopilot. They slammed into the red figure, and the simulator went still. A second message flashed on the screen.

  GENERAL STONE HAS BEEN HIT. WAIT FOR BACKUP.

  Mia let out a small cry, "We killed General Stone!"

  "Let's keep this our little secret," Dr. Leeson said as the simulator doors opened. "Ready for lunch?"