Mary Jane fiddled with her short brown hair, wishing it were longer, although Edward often said it framed her face perfectly. The breakout room was going well, despite no one being able to figure out how to open the lockbox and Alex being missing altogether.

  “Maybe it’s one of our birthdays,” Kai said, his forehead scrunched in thought.

  “You think Lilly knows our birthdays?” Sloan asked, skeptical.

  “It’s worth a try,” Mary Jane said, knowing the actual code was the date they were scheduled to return to Earth, which she hoped wouldn't start an argument.

  “Mia, are you writing down the sequences we’ve already tried?” asked Camden

  “No, I’m writing down random numbers, so we stay in here forever,” said Mia.

  “Yes, she’s writing them down,” Presley replied, winking at Camden, who still looked confused.

  “Let’s ask for a clue,” suggested Trevor, happily.

  The knot in Mary Jane’s stomach tightened as she shoved her hand inside her sweatpants, tracing the number seven on a small screen in her pocket. Instantly, Edward's pre-recorded voice boomed over the speaker.

  “The clue you need can be found on the calendars of our family and friends back home.”

  “The date we get home!” Trevor yelled, looking up at the intercom expectantly.

  Camden punched in the date, fumbled with the lock several times, then let Kai try before conceding that the date wasn’t the correct code.

  “What about the date we launch to go home?” Sloan suggested.

  "Good idea," said Mia, supportively. Sloan smiled, motioning for Camden to try again.

  Although none of them had wanted to participate in the breakout room, the second the lock popped, they all squealed with delight.

  "Open the box," Kai said. "Is there anything in it?"

  "There's a silver key inside," Trevor said.

  “OMG! What do we do with it?” Presley asked, holding up the key. "Let's ask for another clue, Mary Jane."

  But before Mary Jane could say anything, General Stone pushed his way into the game room, holding Max by the back of his shirt.

  “Where are they?” he demanded, looking each one of them up and down before shaking Max angrily.

  “What’s going on?” Trevor asked, stepping forward, his nose inches from Rocky.

  “Stand down, son. I want everyone out of here and in the rec center in two minutes. Nothing leaves this room. Max stays with me.”

  Mia reached for Sloan, but Sloan snatched away, walking hurriedly out of the game room. Camden found Presley standing very still and very close to Mary Jane. Kai looked to Trevor, who held out his arm, motioning for them to exit and make their way to the rec room. No one said a word. Max's absence was palpable.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  But when Stone finally arrived with Max, who appeared to be fine, there was no sense of relief. Nothing he said made any sense.

  “I’m aware four members of the M6 crew, including Ms. Lawrence, have broken curfew and cannot be found in the hub or pod buildings.”

  Again, the kids were speechless. Lilly, Edward, Ms. Lawrence, and Max were supposed to be somewhere running the breakout game. If anyone was missing, it was Alex. Mary Jane wondered if Alex had done something terrible.

  “What are you talking about?” Camden asked, confused again.

  Rocky remained silent, observing them, waiting for someone to crack. Sloan began pacing the floor and cursing her teammates, who looked back at her blankly.

  “Where’s Alex?” Trevor asked. “Is he one of the four?”

  “Yes.”

  “I believe Max has information. I found him outside the hub, breaking curfew as well. Your friends want to know where Alex is, Max. Why don't you answer them?” General Stone demanded.

  Max looked frightened. He was having a hard time standing still. General Stone waited, and yet Max said nothing.

  "Have it your way," Rocky said, reaching into his pocket and stepping forward to touch Max, who fell to the ground, his body convulsing.

  “Stop,” Mary Jane screamed.

  “Don’t touch him,” Trevor yelled.

  “Holy shit, you tased him,” said Kai.

  “And I'll do it again if he fails to give me what I need,” said General Stone.

  Having regained the use of his body, Max held up his hands, wordlessly. He sat up and pulled himself to the nearest wall before speaking.

  “I don’t know where they are. We planned to meet at the dig site, but they bailed. I came back alone.”

  “Why did you go to the dig site?” Rocky asked.

  Max looked up at General Stone, shaking. “We’re curious, sir. We want to know what you're digging for. Why did you bring us here?”

  "That's ridiculous," Rocky said. "You know exactly why we're here—to colonize Mars. There's nothing more to know."

  Mary Jane watched Max, thankful he was choosing to protect them. Stone was slowly losing control of the mission. Max undoubtedly knew where Alex and the others were, but Rocky couldn't prove it. Using brute force would backfire eventually. They’d revolt, maybe even run away. She wished Edward were here. He'd know how to handle things and what to do about the device in her pocket.

  “I’ll need to meet with each of you. Don't leave this room. If you need to use the restroom, you'll be escorted and observed,” Stone said.

  “You can’t do that,” Trevor said. “At the very least, the girls need a female chaperone to go to the bathroom.”

  “I can do anything I want as the commanding officer of this mission. But lucky for you, Trevor, providing a female chaperone is easy.”

  Rocky reached down for the transponder he wore around his belt and pulled it to his mouth.

  “Commander Mitchell, please come to the rec center. We have a situation."

  Things are getting worse, Mary Jane thought as she sat on the couch, both legs tucked underneath her. Hopefully, she'd be interrogated last. The device they'd used to automate clues was still in her pocket. She needed to bury it deep inside the cushions before someone found it. But now that Commander Mitchell was on the way, that would be even harder.

  She glanced around frantically, trying to formulate a plan. All she could visualize was a television remote. Could people hear her chest pounding? General Stone was close enough to pat her head. Surely, he could hear the pounding. He was facing her now, making it almost impossible to focus on the remote. Mary Jane willed her mind to lift the remote. It jiggled soundlessly on the table. Once again, she thought hard about lifting the remote until a loud crack echoed through the rec room, startling Rocky so badly that he dropped his transponder.

  “What the fuck,” Rocky yelped, pulling out his taser. "Who did that? Who threw the damn remote?"

  “We have weapons, too,” Trevor said.

  General Stone’s open palm connected with the curve of Trevor's cheek so loudly that even Commander Mitchell, who had just arrived, gave it her full attention, giving Mary Jane just enough time to stuff the device between the couch cushions.

  “I won't lose, son.” Stone said.

  But Trevor ignored General Stone and focused on Mary Jane instead. They both knew she'd been the one to move the remote. What could she say if he asked her about it? She should have gone to the dig site. Staying here was just as dangerous. Where were they, she wondered, feeling as if something had gone horribly wrong.