Lost Planet 01 - The Lost Planet by Rachel Searles Page A

one?”
    â€œI could think of a thousand.”
    Parker rolled his eyes. In front of them a tall blond boy turned around and gazed at them with watery, bloodshot eyes. “Where were you?”
    â€œHuh?” said Parker.
    â€œWhen it happened, I was on an autobus, heading home from school,” the boy continued in a shaky voice. “The driver yanked the bus offtrack and headed skyward … I don’t know where my … my…” His eyes filled with tears.
    â€œOh. Well, we were on Mircona,” said Parker awkwardly. “Didn’t even realize what was going on until the whole planet looked like a bonfire. Wild, right?”
    The boy stared at Parker for a moment. “Freak,” he mumbled, turning away.
    â€œWhat is wrong with you?” hissed Chase.
    â€œWhat?”
    Chase shook his head and looked away, embarrassed. On one side of the room, a makeshift registration area had been set up. Chase squinted at the men sitting behind the tables, taking people’s information. They weren’t human—even he could see that—their movements were stilted, and they had smooth, peach-colored skin and glassy eyes that never blinked.
    â€œAre those androids?”
    â€œDing ding ding, genius,” said Parker. “Lords, I’m starting to feel dizzy.”
    An older female officer in a tan uniform cut her way across the room, shouting orders at the soldiers. “Get a system in place! This is not hacking it, private,” she barked. She stopped in front of Parker. “What have you got under there?” she asked, nodding at his bandage. When he showed her, she pulled an instrument from her belt.
    Chase dropped his head, hiding his face. From the corner of his eye he watched the woman’s round, rosy face, with a clipped blond-gray bob and bright blue eyes, making her look like the world’s oldest baby doll, dressed in military gear. She held Parker’s chin with one hand and pointed the device at his forehead with the other.
    â€œOw, that stings!” said Parker.
    â€œOf course it does,” she said. “Where’s your family?”
    â€œDead.”
    The officer bit her lip and didn’t speak as she finished mending the gash on Parker’s forehead. When she was done, she gave it a wipe and examined her work.
    A soldier appeared on her right. “Colonel Dornan, vector command wants you in a telecon right away.”
    The woman nodded, focusing all her attention on Parker as she pulled out another device and held it in front of each of his eyes. “We should see about sending some of the orphans over to recruiting,” she said quietly to the soldier.
    â€œKinda young, isn’t he?” he asked.
    Chase glanced up to see her reaction. Recruiting? Did she mean for the Fleet?
    Colonel Dornan shrugged. “Okay, you’re all set,” she said to Parker. “Wait here and someone will take you back to refugee registration.” She turned to the soldier, and as they walked away, Chase heard her complain that they should be processing everyone this quickly.
    He looked at Parker. “Can we go now?”
    â€œAfter you.”
    It was easy to slip out of the chaotic medical center and onto the street. Hovercraft traffic zipped by in orderly lines overhead, but on the ground only a few wheeled vehicles rolled past. Chase sped down the street, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the medical center. “Which way?” he asked, stopping on a corner.
    â€œI think we’re okay now.” Parker placed his hand against a building. “Woo, dizzy. Let’s sit down somewhere. There.” He pointed down the street to a doorway with a magenta sign hanging over it that read Captain Orion’s.
    Inside was a bustling, brightly lit café, filled with the comforting smells of fresh baking and hot grease. They squeezed their way through the tightly packed room and took seats at