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consideration in the full gaze of hot LitVid. You sabotage life-support equipment
    Thats a lie! a student shouted.
    Disrupt the lawful conduct of this university, and now you resort to attempted suicide. What kind of Martians are you? Do your parents approve of this treachery?
    Dauble screwed her face into an expression between parental exasperation and deep concern. What in the hell is wrong with you? Who raised youthugs?"
    The meeting came to an abrupt end. Dauble and her entourage departed, followed by the reporters. When several reporters tried to talk to us, they were unceremoniously ejected from the dining hall.
    How very, very stupid, I thought.
    I felt a bit faint from hunger; we hadnt eaten in twenty hours. A few university staff, clearly uncomfortable, served us bowls of quick paste from trays. The nutritional nana was tasteless but still seemed heaven-sent. We had been provided with sleeping pads and blankets and were told winds were up and dust was blowing, grounding shuttles. No advocates or parents had yet come in to see us.
    While being fed, we had been divided into groups of six, each assigned two guards. The guards actively discouraged talk between the groups, moving us farther and farther apart until we spread out through the hall. Oliver, considered a loudmouth activist, was prodded into a selected group of other loudmouths that included Diane. Charles sat with five others across the hall, about twenty meters away.
    When we still tried to talk, the dining hall sound system blared out loud pioneer music, old-fashioned soul-stirring crap I had enjoyed as a kid, but found bitterly inappropriate now.
    When I was free to speak with the Medias and Pressians, I thought, what a story Id tell I had seen and done things in the past few days that my entire life had not prepared me for, and I had felt emotions unknown to me: righteous anger, political confraternity and solidarity, deep fear.
    I worried for Sean. All our information came through Achmed Crown Niger, who visited every few hours to hand out scraps of generally useless news. I took a real dislike to him: professional, collected, he was every gram the guvvie man. I focused on his pale, fine-featured face for a time, blaming him for all our troubles. He must have advised the chancellor and governor He must have outlined their strategy, maybe even planned the banning and voiding of students
    I thought dreamily about a possible life with Sean, if he paid any attention to me after his recovery.
    Nothing to do. Nothing to think. The lights in the dining hall went out. The music stopped.
    I slept on the floor, nestled like a puppy against Felicias back.
    Someone touched my shoulder. I opened my eyes from a light doze. Charles leaned over me, his face thinner and older, but his smile the same: too calm, somehow, like a young Buddha. His cheeks had pinked as if smirched with poorly applied makeup: a mild case of vacuum rose. Most of the students around us still slept.
    Are you okay? he asked.
    I sat up and looked around. The lights were still dim, but it was obvious the guards had gone.
    Tired, I said. I swallowed hard. My throat was parched and I could feel the oxidant welts itching fiercely. Wheres our food and water?
    I dont think were going to get any unless we go for it ourselves.
    I stood and stretched my arms. Are you all right? I asked, squinting at him, reaching up to his cheeks.
    My mask leaked. Im fine. My eyes are okay. You look strong, Charles said.
    I feel shitty, I said. Where are the guards?
    Probably trying to get out of here any way they can,.
    Why?
    He lifted his hands. I dont know. They backed out about an hour ago.
    Oliver Peskin and Diane walked over and we squatted on the floor in whispered confab. Felicia stirred and poked Chao in the ribs.
    What happened to Sean? Diane asked Charles.
    He was planting a charge when it went off, Charles said. They say he set it off on purpose.
    He wouldnt do that, Felicia said, face screwed up in