Page 46 of The Love Simulation

Angie stops yelling about aliens, and we all run to the bedroom. Sure enough, the ceiling now sports dozens of little holes where the artificial sunlight breaks through. I stand back, not wanting to get pelted by anything. “Jordan, what do we do?” I shout, loud enough to be heard over the warning system.

But Jordan doesn’t say anything. He stands in the middle of the room, frozen as he takes in the destruction. I tryto think of the different emergency scenarios and procedures we went over in training, but I can’t think through all the noise. It’s too much. There’s something about all the noise and the assault on my senses that makes my mind equally as jumbled and ready for flight, even though I know this is not real. It’s just a test. I’ve always been good at tests, but this is something else. This is hard and cold failure. As we all stand around, not knowing what to do, I see that everything we’ve been working toward so hard is about to end. I’ll have to go home and actually think about what I want to do as far as my career goes. Either that or face Principal Major and his smug face and the kids who won’t get their library. I want to cover my ears and run away.

“Listen up, everyone,” Roman shouts. “We need to cover the holes. Angie, Brianna, find as much duct tape as you can. Jordan, we’ll get the ladders.”

Normally, direct orders make me bristle, but something about the no-nonsense, authoritative command in Roman’s voice does the exact opposite. It makes everything in me stand at attention. It sends chills down my spine and makes my heart race.This better not awaken anything in me.

“Let’s move, people!” he insists. Given purpose, we scramble to work on our tasks, and I place a hand on my stomach. It’s like all the dandelion seeds I blew earlier found their way right to my stomach and are floating around.

How much duct tape can a Hab store? As it turns out, a lot. There’s certainly enough to stock a small grocery store. I can’t imagine it will take more than a few rolls to patch the holes, so Angie and I each grab two, which will allow everyone to have one.

When we get back to their room, Roman and Jordan are coming in with arms full of ladders and step stools. Thealarms are still blaring, but now it doesn’t seem so jarring, like the end of the world is looming. We set to work, standing on ladders to reach the ceiling. Using teeth and fingers to rip pieces of the duct tape off, I work on the sides, leaving the highest parts of the ceiling for Roman and Jordan. Still, by the time we’re done, my arms ache from reaching up for so long.

“We did it,” Jordan says after a thorough glance around confirms all the holes have been sealed.

I smile. I want to clap and cheer, let everyone know how great of a job we did, but I don’t want to jinx anything. We can celebrate after we’ve all caught our breath.

As we’re folding up the ladders and preparing to put up the tape, the alarms finally stop. At that, I let out a deep sigh. “I think this calls for a celebration,” I say to Roman, smiling. “Pizza?”

Roman looks down at me. He looks tired, worn down by the past half hour’s chaos, but he manages his signature half smile. “You read my mind.”

“You guys can get started on the pizzas,” Jordan says. “I need to clean up the meteors. I’ll save some to study too. Who knows, they might have put some interesting materials in them.”

On the heels of Jordan’s words, a large crash rocks the Hab, shaking it from floor to ceiling. More alarms blaring, more computerized voices shouting at us about a loss of oxygen.

We look through the guys’ bedroom door and find a gaping hole in the previously repaired ceiling. In the middle of the floor, a burning rock the size of a chair is impacted into the ground.

“You’re going to need a bigger broom!” Angie shouts.

We all know there’s no repairing this one. I slide theduct tape rolls off my arms and start passing them out again. “Looks like we’ll have to seal the room off.”

The guys run inside to get their bags and whatever else they can grab from their beds in thirty seconds, then we work to seal the top, bottom, and sides of the door. Once complete, Jordan moves to the comms system and is somehow able to shut off oxygen and power to that particular room. Finally, the blaring stops.

I take a deep breath before speaking, but Angie beats me to it. “Do notevensay good job. For all we know, a meteorite will come through our bedroom next, and we’ll be left to sleep out here on the couches.”

Fair enough.

I shrug sheepishly. I’m definitely not jinxing it this time.

Roman lets out a pained grunt, and I turn to see him grimacing and holding his head.

“I think you need to lie down,” I say, moving to his side. “Can I take your bag?”

He shakes his head, and I fight not to bare my teeth. Stupid men and their inability to look weak even for a second. “Come on.”

I lead him to my and Angie’s room, which is now everybody’s room.

“You can use the empty bed over there.” I point straight ahead, but when I look behind me, Roman is gone, having already climbed into the first bed he could find. Mine.

What’s most important is for him to get rest now. I’ll have him move later.

“Can I get you anything?” I ask in a low tone once he’s under the covers. “Water? More medicine?”

He speaks into the pillow, and it sounds like he wants me to stay with him. My heart lurches and I imagine climbing into bed, massaging his temples and neck.

Before I can do anything foolish, I lean closer. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

This time his answer in the negative is easier to make out.

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