Read Frontier: Book One - The Space Cadets for Free Online Page A

thoughtfully
delivered into the room, and were waiting for them.
    “This is better than a
hotel!”
    “I ’ ve
never been in a hotel,” said Soo-Kyung, matter-of-factly. “But this
seems excessive.”
    “I ’ m not
complaining!”
    “Agreed.”
    Soo-Kyung stood in the bay window,
leaning out and looking along the rim of the station. “It appears
that all the living quarters are similar. See how the windows
blister out?”
    Aisha nodded. “Yeah. I wonder if
they have curtains.” She nodded her head in the direction of an
apartment below them, where two boys were walking around
shirtless.
    Soo-Kyung giggled nervously. “Good
thing the bedrooms are on the back wall, away from the
windows!”
    Between the bedrooms, directly
behind the kitchen was a small shower stall.
    “ Water is a precious commodity in
space,” said Soo-Kyung, pointing at how the arrangement made the
kitchen, shower and toilet plumbing fork off from the same source.
“We probably recycle much of what we use.”
    Aisha peered at the stingy-looking
shower head. “I ’ m sure we ’ ll get used to it.”
    Soo-Kyung shook her head.
“Spoiled!”
    Aisha laughed and raised her hands
in defense. “You got me.”
    She walked back to the common area
and took a stool at the main counter. Calling up the school
schedule, she realized something. “It ’ s
late,” said Aisha. “Station time.”
    Soo-Kyung nodded. “And we have
orientation first-thing tomorrow. Better get some
sleep.”
    “ Which room would you
prefer?”
    Soo-Kyung looked
from bedroom to bedroom. “ They ’ re identical. ”
    “ But you still need to pick
one.”
    “ So do you.”
    “ I’ m
trying to be nice and give you first pick.”
    “ Oh,” said Soo-Kyung, finally. “In
that case, this one.”
    She pointed at the bedroom behind
the common area, furthest from the kitchen.
    “ Suits me,” said Aisha. “Good
night, Roomie.”
    “ Good night,” came the reply.
Soo-Kyung was picking her words carefully. “Roomie.”
    ***
    The bed lay in an alcove in the
bedroom, with what looked like a window, covered by a metal panel
beside it. Aisha had finally been able to change, and Soo-Kyung
didn ’ t spend much time in the shower, so,
refreshed and changed, she was ready for bed. The ‘ window ’ had a control button
and handle. Gingerly, she reached out and touched the panel. The
panel slid up, revealing a large video screen. Presently it showed
fields and rolling hills outside. A reminder of home. She felt like
she was sitting in a French cottage, enjoying the
countryside!
    Smart , she thought. One
of the few places on the station where we can have solace, so they
give us views of home. Aisha touched a panel, and was looking
out at a big city. Another touch, and she was on a boat in the
middle of the ocean. They can ’ t
have us going crazy in here.
    She liked the ocean, and heard the
soothing sounds of lapping waves. She lay back, and reached that
moment when you are about to drift off to sleep, but not quite
there, when the doorbell rang.
    She stumbled sleepily towards the
door, but before she could reach it, Soo-Kyung ’ s hand was on her arm.
    “ Wait,” said Soo-Kyung.
“You ’ re not fully dressed.”
    Then she noticed that her roommate
was in full uniform. Aisha had seen one hanging in her closet but
hadn ’ t tried it on.
    “ Why do I need to be
dressed?”
    “ Our first night in the school?
I ’ m sure
there ’ s a special
student welcome . ”
    “ Oh.”
    Aisha turned back towards her
room, while Soo-Kyung stalled whomever was at the door. Quickly,
she slipped into her uniform.
    On first glance, it looked like it
would be too tight, and too form-fitting. In reality, it was
extremely comfortable. She tested it by stretching and bending and
it held very well. Despite its tightness, it was padded slightly
with a gel-like material.
    It made sense -- in weightless
conditions, it was easy to bump into things and the padding in the
uniform would protect her