Page 2 of Rebel Fates

His question is innocent enough. He wants to get to my reasoning, but he also wants to undermine my decision.

It triggers me.

“My reasons are none of your business.” I rush off, irritated that I’ve given this guy an ounce of my time. I don’t need some strange stranger getting inside my head, questioning my choices. I’m done with guys trying to run my life.

* * *

Sitting in the waiting room, I peruse the Moonbase pamphlet.“A new life awaits you amongst the stars…”

I’m not ignorant to the fact that I will still be me. I’ll just be 238,900 miles away from everything that made me, well…me. My heart will still be broken. My mind will remain just a bit left of center. The scars will still be there, inside and out.

But off-planet, I won’t have to contend with an ex bothering me, harassing me. And my family can’t attempt to continue their abuse.

I’m done with all of them.

Plus, the generous salary will pay off all the student loan debt that I’m drowning in. With outrageous rents, I have to live so far outside the city it feels like I’m living on the moon already.

A handsome middle-aged man in a business suit opens the door and calls out, “Gemma Malik?”

“Here.”

He introduces himself, “I’m Dr. Smith. I’ll be conducting your interview today.”

Dr. Smith gestures to the chair opposite him after I follow the interviewer into his office.

He sits and opens my file on his desk, while I make myself as comfortable as I can in the interviewee’s chair. I do my best to resist squirming under his scrutiny. My whole life is under a microscope and my future rides on his assessment of my value.

“Your application and the answers to your questionnaire look good. Your background check came back clean. But we have some followup questions to get to know you a bit better and clarify some things.” He explains, and I nod. “On the Moonbase, you will have to get along with others, and rely on your coworkers. Would you say you get along with the people you interact with?” He looks up to study my reaction with an intense gaze.

For a second, I chew the inside of my lip. “In a professional setting, I enjoy working toward a common goal. Doing my share, or more, if need be.”

He hums and makes a note. “Would you say you get along with people in general?” he asks.

“I think I do. I’ve never had complaints at my other jobs with my co-workers. I like to help create a positive work environment.”

“There can be tense moments living on the edge of the frontier—space. Do you feel you do well in a crisis?”

Where to begin?I’ve been in several high-intensity situations in my personal life and at work. My level headedness was the only thing that kept me alive. “I believe I can. I’ve been challenged throughout my life. And I’ve been able to keep my wits about me.”

“Are you willing to follow commands, even if you don’t immediately understand why?” His attention narrows on me for this question, making me nervous.

Internally, my guts twist a bit at the idea of blindly following orders. I feel like resisting this question, but I need this job. “Do you mean like my boss tells me how to do something, but I don’t know why I should do it that way?”

He nods. “Can you do what your superior orders you to dowithoutquestioning it?”

Why does this make me skittish?

I’m doing the exact opposite by not answering. But the military works like this. If not, people get killed. That has to be what they are after here. They want to know if I’m going to risk other people’s lives.Right?

I gulp. “Yes. I can do that.”

“Good. Your life might depend on it.” He smiles. I suppose my thought process didn’t take as long as I believed. I guess I was correct—they want to make sure I won’t risk everything if I’m confused during an emergency. But something nags at me. It’s probably just my anxiety-filled past triggering my fears.

He studies my file again and hums with concern. “I notice you haven’t been working in the same field as your college degree.”

“No. I had some setbacks.” I knew this was coming. Every job interview comes around to this.

“Do you mind me asking about the nature of those setbacks?”

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