Andrè frowned as he walked through the heavy metal doors of the docking bay. There were over a thousand students at the Platides Interstellar University. He had expected all ten bays to be crammed, yet the room was empty. Not that he was complaining. He had always hated crowds. Deucalion was a hive of thievery. The authorities of Earth didn’t interfere with the people of Alpha Centuri, and the system’s security was severely lacking. In his home port, crowds led to lost credits, stolen identities, or missing people. Still, the empty space was unsettling. There was no way he was the first one here. When the announcement sounded, he had been thirty-eight floors away. The viewing platform was on the deck directly beneath him. This was purposeful, he was alone for a reason. But why? In his six years on board, he’d never known the University to be anything but ruthlessly efficient. Every day was scheduled to the last second, every space utilised to its optimum capacity. Nothing was empty. Nothing was wasted. So why now? 

Almost in answer to his concerns the lights went out. Andrè froze, unsure what to make of the darkness. A menacing hiss sounded behind him. He jolted around. Adrenaline coursed through him. The doors were sliding shut. What little light was coming in from the corridor faded. Panic pushed him into a sprint. It was too late. The clang of metal on metal filled the room. Andrè slammed his fist into the titanium panelling. Someone definitely wanted him alone. 

“So, this is the genius everybody’s been talking about?” Andrè turned around, searching for the voice. The sound had come from the far corner, but the room was empty as far as he could see. He stepped backwards, pressing himself into the wall. “Can’t say I see what all the fuss is myself.” The voice had moved. To his left, and up. Andrè’s eyes darted toward the ceiling, squinting into the shadows. “Too slow.” It was definitely a woman’s voice, and it was mocking him, in cruel childish song. “Give up yet?” behind him. He turned. A tiny red light blinked near the roof. Andrè smiled, shook his head, and waved at the security camera. 

“Impressive.” The voice sounded almost sincere. “I expected to keep that going for another few minutes at least.” Brilliant white flooded Andrè’s vision as fluorescent light flared into the room. He lifted his arms on instinct, but his defences were futile. The sudden assault on his eyes blinded him. He dropped to the floor, blinking furiously as if he could knock the flash out of his head. The hydraulics of the door hissed to life again, and footsteps strode into the room. Andrè pushed himself backwards, still unable to see the events in front of him. He felt the wall against his back and clung to it. The footsteps had stopped. The warm caress of someone’s breath tickled the top of his head, and he could feel a shadow clinging to him from something standing above. “Wow.” It was the same voice. The woman on the speakers.  

Vision slowly faded back to him. He was staring at a pair of black platformed boots, studded with steel spikes and coupled with denim drainpipe jeans. Hardly standard issue for anyone on board the station. He looked up. A young woman stood over him. “Taken down by a lightbulb? I’d be embarrassed.” The childish grin spread across her face wasn’t unfriendly. But her words stabbed at Andrè’s pride, and he resented her for it. His face must have given away his distaste. She stepped back, frowning and rolled her eyes. “Alright, obviously someone can’t take a joke.” Andrè’s head dropped forward. He struggled up to his feet and forced himself to look at the woman in what he hoped was an apologetic manner.  

She was shorter than he had realised. Her childlike demeanour made it hard to tell her age. The twin ponytails hanging down either side of her head didn’t help in that at all. If he’d have seen her in the street, he might have guessed she was eighteen. But there was no way that anyone that young would be on the Interstellar University. “Andrè Vázquez.” She gestured into the centre of the room. Her face suddenly serious. As he stepped forward, he could feel the bitter disappointment in her eyes stabbing into the back of his neck. “Congratulations on your graduation as valedictorian.”  Despite the disdain dripping thickly from each syllable A smile formed across Andrè’s face. The words re-inflated his ego. He had expected a bigger audience when he’d prepared his speech, but at least he could redeem himself in front of her. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth, felt a sharp sudden pain in his shoulder, and everything went black.