Page 19 of The Love Simulation

I take in a few sniffs. “I smellsomething,” I say. “But I’m not sure what it is.”

We keep walking, getting used to the way our big blocky boots drag through the sand, toward our settlement at the north end of the stadium. Soon we approach a tall metal antenna, some freestanding solar panels, and our Hab. Atfirst glance, it looks like four large tents fused together to make an apartment. But as we get closer, I see that while they look like tents, the exterior is more solid. Clearly not as strong as brick, but not thin like polyester either.

When we get close enough, Jordan abandons the dolly and jogs to the Hab, running his gloved hand over the exterior. Once he’s done, a white streak is left, and I realize the Hab isn’t red, but is covered in the dust surrounding us.

“Look, this was made from a 3D printer!” Jordan exclaims.

“If it caves in on us while we’re sleeping, I’m suing everybody,” Angie mutters.

While Jordan’s busy spinning in a slow circle, Roman is the one to open the hatch and usher everyone inside. We enter a narrow, tube-like hall where we have to wait two minutes while the pressure stabilizes. It’s a tight fit with all five of us, our bags, and the dolly, and somehow I end up right next to Roman. His bag and arm hang by my hip and I hardly dare to breathe so I don’t push against him more than necessary. When I make the mistake of looking at him and we make eye contact through our helmets, warmth spreads through my chest, quickly followed by the wordscandal!and now alsotraitor!flashing in my mind. I turn away just as the second door unlocks and we’re finally able to see our new temporary home.

As soon as we step in, everyone starts taking their helmets off. I suck in a deep breath of relief to be away from Roman but instantly regret it.

“Oh God,” I say, covering up my nose. “What is that?!”

Angie covers half her face with her hand. “It smells like rotten eggs.”

“Yo, no way! Can y’all believe how much thought went into each detail?” Jordan says. He tilts his head back andsniffs at the air like something good is in the oven, and I don’t understand it. Is his excitement at being here somehow suppressing his olfactory system? “Mars has large compounds of hydrogen sulfide, so yeah, it definitely smells like rotten eggs. Don’t worry, we’ll get used to it soon enough.”

Angie shakes her head, eyes glaring as she focuses on Jordan. “I can’t believe you really got me out here breathing in death! I’d rather be trapped in a room with fifty musty kids than deal with this.”

Jordan cringes as Angie stalks off behind one of the open doors.

“What was that about?” I ask. Jordan won’t meet my gaze, so I look at Simone and Roman. Neither of them has answers.

“Maybe she’s tired and cranky from the long drive,” Simone offers with a shrug.

“How about we all get unpacked and settle in,” Jordan says. “After, we can meet back out here and go over a game plan.”

Everyone agrees. Simone and I follow after Angie, who’s found her way to one of the bedrooms. The room is round, with no windows, though there are LED light strips along the bottoms of the walls, and the dome has a sunroof that looks like it’s able to open and close to let more light in. There are four beds extending from the walls like little pods, each with half of the full-size mattress embedded in the wall and the other half sticking out.

Angie has claimed one of the middle beds, so I walk to the first bed on the right side of the room and set my bag down. Now that I’m closer, I see that LED strips also line the wall right above the bed. The headboard and footboard are wide enough to place books or other knickknacks on, and there is a screen that can be pulled down for moreprivacy. There is also a journal on the pillow. In orientation they mentioned how we would be expected to answer daily questions about our activities and the food we eat and record our overall feelings and mood while here. All designed to understand how humans will operate on Mars and to help us keep our sanity.

“Did anyone else find it hard to decide what to bring?” Simone asks from her bed. “It was so hard packing up my life in just eight pounds.” Among a few other items, she pulls out framed pictures, books, undergarments, and a purple candle. She catches me eyeing the candle and smiles sheepishly. “I know we’re not supposed to have anything flammable. I don’t plan on lighting it or anything though. It was a Mother’s Day gift, and my kids insisted I bring it. Nothing beats a little aromatherapy when you’re stressed.” She closes her eyes and takes in a lungful of the candle’s scent before placing it on the headboard right next to a framed photo of her family.

“I should have thought of that,” I say. She doesn’t have to explain herself to me. I’m here to win, not act as anyone’s boss or enforce all rules.

I look at Angie, who’s spilled the entire contents of her bag onto the bed. I can see why it was so big. She’s got a load of protein bars, an adult coloring book and markers, cards, dominoes, hair products, and…

I gasp. “Angie, why did you bring an industrial-size box of condoms?” And who is she planning to use them with?

Angie huffs and tosses the box behind her. It lands in the middle of the floor. “Do not even get me started,” she says. “I specifically asked Jordan if this simulation was like those reality shows I watch where they have different celebrities and athletes trying to survive different challenges, and he said yes. Iassumedthere would be some footballplayers joining us. I freakin’ gave up going to Mexico to be here.”

I bite down on my lip to keep from laughing as she slams a fuchsia bra down on her bed. That finally explains the animosity she’s had toward Jordan. He was determined to make it here. It makes me wonder if he does actually realize that Roman is most likely a plant sent by Principal Major but chose to overlook it.

I turn back to my bed and begin unpacking my things. Undergarments, a picture of Sheba, and books. “Wait a minute,” I say under my breath. One of these books does not belong.

“Ooh, that’s a pretty cover. What book is that?” Simone asks.

“Uh…” I consider stuffing the book back in my bag, but it’s already too late.

Simone crosses the small distance to my bed to see what I’m holding. “That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.” She snatches it from my hand with the biggest smile stretching across her face. “I never took you for a werewolf lover.”

I put my hands against my burning cheeks. “I’m really not.”

As in, notjusta werewolf lover. I loveallthe creatures. All the shifters, dragons, and aliens. My bookshelf at home is completely different than the one in my office at school.

“My sister must have put that in there,” I say. “She loves to play practical jokes on everyone.” No wonder she looked so pleased when we said our goodbyes this morning. I’d told her when I read the first book in the series, so normally it would have been a treat for her to surprise me with the second one. But not in front of my colleagues. There aresome things they don’t need to know about the vice principal.

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