me.
I glanced around, searching for whoever did it. My eyes swept across the shocked faces of several of my classmates, looking as worried as I felt. There were one or two, however, that grinned smugly. Namely Hans and a couple of his cronies. I looked back at Craspo, hoping my eyes were as wide as they felt, telegraphing my innocence.
“What was that, Retta?” he asked. His voice sounded steely, but I caught the slightest quaver running at the fringe of his tone.
“It wasn’t me,” I protested, glaring at my classmates.
“Yeah, and it wasn’t me, either,” Mei pitched in.
Craspo’s cheeks flushed. I couldn’t tell if he was pissed or embarrassed.
I turned in my seat to glare at Hans. He thought he was king. Royalty of New Helsinki or some crap like that. His dark blue eyes glittered as he returned my gaze steadily. His blond hair was done in a classic, hipster pompadour, his little ironic reference to the pre-space period on Earth. I hated him.
“It was you,” I accused.
“Enough,” Craspo said.
Hans smirked. “Prove it.”
I don’t know what got into me. I mean, I’m really a pacifist, if you ask me. Nonviolent. Non-confrontational. I have plenty of witnesses who’d testify as much. I hate conflict.
But I was teeming with a thousand new emotions. I was raw from the weekend. I was frustrated with the division between androids and humans, especially since some of the most humane actions I’d seen from anyone came from androids like Hemingway. The most atrocious things I’d seen always came from humans.
Suddenly I was standing up. “Who do you think you are, Hans?” I shouted. “God’s gift to Mars? Do you think you’re that great, sitting back there, saying snide things, using a term so offensive and vile to androids, throwing it about like it’s not horrendous? What next? Will you get a group of your buddies together and pin Craspo down while one of you etches machine onto his forehead? So what if he’s an android? And you don't even know! You know what, if he is, good! Because if being human means being like you, I’m sure no one in their right mind would wish for that!”
Hans’ face had turned white. His blue eyes were bugging out of his head and he’d sunk deep into his seat. A hand on my shoulder startled me. I turned slowly, heaving, heart racing. Craspo was standing next to me. “Calm down, calm down, Retta. Come with me. Bring your things.”
My eyes swept across the room. Sixty eyes were drilling holes into my head, their mouths turned down at the corners. “Blue-heart lover,” someone muttered as I gathered my things. I snapped up, looking over the room.
“Better an android than a monstrosity like Hans. Or any one of you,” I said, trying my best to sneer as I said it.
Mei was gaping up at me. “Sorry, Mei,” I said, feeling my cheeks go hot and red. I had nothing more to say. I put my bag over my shoulder and marched out of the classroom, following Craspo.
*****
“Dr. Craspo tells me you exploded at a classmate,” Dr. Anika said. She was the principal. Her nearly white hair flowed about her face in curly waves, her leathery, tanned face was crinkled in all the right places to convey kindness and wisdom. But right now I was on her bad side. She wore a dark blazer and a frilly white blouse beneath it with a collar that reached up around her neck and lacy sleeves that flopped out around her hands.
“So?” I said, defiantly. “He deserved it. He called Dr. Craspo a bad name.”
Dr. Anika had her arms up on her desk and her fingers were templed before her face. “That’s really not your place, Retta. Dr. Craspo is responsible for discipline. Not you.”
I leaned forward. “The rumor is that Craspo’s an android . . . ” I began. She gave me a look and cleared her throat. “Dr. Craspo,” I corrected. “That Dr. Craspo’s an android. You know what? Who cares? But kids like Hans think they’re the kings of the colony. That they have the right
I glanced around, searching for whoever did it. My eyes swept across the shocked faces of several of my classmates, looking as worried as I felt. There were one or two, however, that grinned smugly. Namely Hans and a couple of his cronies. I looked back at Craspo, hoping my eyes were as wide as they felt, telegraphing my innocence.
“What was that, Retta?” he asked. His voice sounded steely, but I caught the slightest quaver running at the fringe of his tone.
“It wasn’t me,” I protested, glaring at my classmates.
“Yeah, and it wasn’t me, either,” Mei pitched in.
Craspo’s cheeks flushed. I couldn’t tell if he was pissed or embarrassed.
I turned in my seat to glare at Hans. He thought he was king. Royalty of New Helsinki or some crap like that. His dark blue eyes glittered as he returned my gaze steadily. His blond hair was done in a classic, hipster pompadour, his little ironic reference to the pre-space period on Earth. I hated him.
“It was you,” I accused.
“Enough,” Craspo said.
Hans smirked. “Prove it.”
I don’t know what got into me. I mean, I’m really a pacifist, if you ask me. Nonviolent. Non-confrontational. I have plenty of witnesses who’d testify as much. I hate conflict.
But I was teeming with a thousand new emotions. I was raw from the weekend. I was frustrated with the division between androids and humans, especially since some of the most humane actions I’d seen from anyone came from androids like Hemingway. The most atrocious things I’d seen always came from humans.
Suddenly I was standing up. “Who do you think you are, Hans?” I shouted. “God’s gift to Mars? Do you think you’re that great, sitting back there, saying snide things, using a term so offensive and vile to androids, throwing it about like it’s not horrendous? What next? Will you get a group of your buddies together and pin Craspo down while one of you etches machine onto his forehead? So what if he’s an android? And you don't even know! You know what, if he is, good! Because if being human means being like you, I’m sure no one in their right mind would wish for that!”
Hans’ face had turned white. His blue eyes were bugging out of his head and he’d sunk deep into his seat. A hand on my shoulder startled me. I turned slowly, heaving, heart racing. Craspo was standing next to me. “Calm down, calm down, Retta. Come with me. Bring your things.”
My eyes swept across the room. Sixty eyes were drilling holes into my head, their mouths turned down at the corners. “Blue-heart lover,” someone muttered as I gathered my things. I snapped up, looking over the room.
“Better an android than a monstrosity like Hans. Or any one of you,” I said, trying my best to sneer as I said it.
Mei was gaping up at me. “Sorry, Mei,” I said, feeling my cheeks go hot and red. I had nothing more to say. I put my bag over my shoulder and marched out of the classroom, following Craspo.
*****
“Dr. Craspo tells me you exploded at a classmate,” Dr. Anika said. She was the principal. Her nearly white hair flowed about her face in curly waves, her leathery, tanned face was crinkled in all the right places to convey kindness and wisdom. But right now I was on her bad side. She wore a dark blazer and a frilly white blouse beneath it with a collar that reached up around her neck and lacy sleeves that flopped out around her hands.
“So?” I said, defiantly. “He deserved it. He called Dr. Craspo a bad name.”
Dr. Anika had her arms up on her desk and her fingers were templed before her face. “That’s really not your place, Retta. Dr. Craspo is responsible for discipline. Not you.”
I leaned forward. “The rumor is that Craspo’s an android . . . ” I began. She gave me a look and cleared her throat. “Dr. Craspo,” I corrected. “That Dr. Craspo’s an android. You know what? Who cares? But kids like Hans think they’re the kings of the colony. That they have the right
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