Sunlight. Blinding, painful, scorching, beautiful sunlight. That’s all I remember from the moments before I died. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen it before. The station crested over the edge of the planet, just like always. All had seemed well just moments before, but that’s how system malfunctions go. Everything is fine until it’s not.
Perhaps I should start at the beginning. Afterall, starting in the middle is always confusing, and yes, that is the middle of my story, not the end.
Chapter 1
I hurriedly ripped open the plain white envelope addressed to me in the standard black font of the graduate space program before even getting back to the house.
3/25/2038
Kyleigh Tresler
8646 Durham Road
Jacksonville, FL 32099
Dear Ms Tresler,
Upon review of your application to the IASA high school graduate space work-study program, we have determined you are eligible for acceptance. If you choose to accept the position granted to you, please contact Ms Madeline Ewart in the IASA Public Liaison office.
We would be happy to accept you into the ranks of the successful scientists who have joined the program in the past, and are pleased to be able to extend the opportunity to you. Please see the enclosed form and return to us within 30 days of the date listed on this letter.
Congratulations, Ms Tresler. We hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Dimitri Krupin
Director - International Aeronautics and Space Administration Graduate Acceptance Committee
The words didn’t quite sink in. I had to read the letter at least four times. A hand touched my shoulder and I was suddenly aware of my father and little sister standing behind me, craning to read the page in my hands.
“Well?” dad asked expectantly. “Your face says no, but I would imagine you would cry if you had gotten that kind of response.”
“Kyleigh!” shrieked Camryn in a shrill pre-teen voice. “Share!”
I felt my mouth fall open as I struggled to hand my letter to my father. Words formed in my head and I slowly said, “Yes… They said yes?” My confidence built as I spoke and I realized I was not, in fact, dreaming. “They said yes! I’m going to IASA!”
Camryn danced with enthusiasm around in a little circle. Dad took the letter from my hands coolly and read it for himself. He flipped it over, presumably making sure that there was no fine print.
My little sister was the spitting image of me - slight build, but taller than everyone else her age (she was just over 165cm at 12 years old and I am right at 183cm tall), with deep brown hair and green-blue eyes. She was more slender and agile than I have ever been, I realized as I watched her dancing in celebration for me, but I am much more of a tomboy than Camryn -- she wants to dance professionally some day and is in dance, cheerleading, and gymnastics; I’ve always been more of a science and math person.
Which is why I was so animated when I heard about IASA accepting applications for the graduate program. The program had be inactive for a handful of years after one of the accepted teens was just a few millimeters too short and very light. He was thrown from one of the training mechanisms (the one with the pod at the end of a long arm that spins very fast, known to the scientific community as human centrifuges) at such a high speed that they are probably still scraping him off the wall. It was very tragic and put an end to the program for about 6 years.
Now I was selected to train with IASA and, eventually, accompany a mission to the Global Intelligence Installation. I knew that the training would not be far from home and would not start until the summer, but I was already preparing to leave in my head. What do I bring? Will I need to bring my own toiletries or would they be provided at IASA? How often would dad and Camryn come to visit, if they’re allowed to at all? How many pairs of pants do I need?
I became vaguely aware that someone was talking to me and said, “What?” as I snapped away from all the questions bounding around in my head.
“Oh, bless you, Kyleigh, you’re already thinking about pants,” dad said, wrapping me into a tight hug with his bear arms. “Come on. We’ll get this form filled out, make a nice acceptance and thank you letter, and then we can sit down to watch a movie. I know we’ve got popcorn tabs around somewhere!”
“Dad!” I exclaimed pushing away. He laughed. Dad knew that I hated popcorn and I especially hate popcorn tabs.
“Don’t worry, Ky,” Camryn said. “I have some chocolate cake tabs. You can just have one of them!” She spun her way into the front door. Dad and I followed, and he gave a small attitude turn as he reached the threshold. I snorted a little and went inside, clutching the letter in my right hand.
We sent my acceptance letter the next day and I waited anxiously by the mailbox every afternoon. After 10th grade, our schooling was done at home. This was put into place because the world finally realized it wasn’t actually getting anyone ready for anything. So, school starts at age 5, prior to which one or both parents have the opportunity to stay home with you, and our last two school years are taught by our parents and the world. We’re encouraged to get a job, learn about the tax system, learn about voting (which had to be completely overhauled and put back the way you would imagine voting to actually go; you know, where whoever has the most actual votes is the one who is elected prime minister), as well as time management.
Money was obsolete; it had been since our American government converted completely to the metric units in 2022. The system was streamlined to eliminate poverty and educate everyone.
As a child, water and snacks as well as meals were provided to you. Your parents would normally provide one meal for you at home, with breakfast and lunch provided by the school during the day. Meals that families went out to restaurants for were also provided.
Food waste had been almost completely eliminated. Instead of traditional meals, the world used tabs. Tabs are water activated. You would just grind your choice of tabs, place the powder on your plate, and sprinkle it with water. The tab powder would hydrate and expand a bit. Heating or cooling tabs isn’t necessary, but most people don’t like room temperature mush if they can help it. Restaurants still created dishes using the traditional methods, showcasing the art of food and more complex flavors. Eating out is more about savoring the technique and sharing a meal with someone than actually eating.
If you work any amount of time in the week after 10th grade, groceries, utilities and gas were open to you and you were provided with a Cybernetic Helix Implanted in Parietal (called CHIP in conversation). The CHIP is, as the name suggests, placed in the parietal lobe of the brain and is an advanced, microscopic smartphone.
After you graduate from school, you are given the opportunity to choose a field you would like to study and intern with. Once you finish with the extended training, normally lasting three years, you start a full time career in your chosen path.
As a full time worker, your living is completely covered. Everything from your first house, to a wedding if you choose, to your extracurricular activities. The system works, too. Crime is at an all time low, public opinion of the government has never been higher, suicides are so infrequent that there is often a huge investigation into them if one takes place. All luxury items, like an around the world trip or a house with 15 bedrooms, are tiered based on your career. Of course, you always have the option of returning to higher education or even completely switching what you do. All expenses paid.
Since I am in my last year of high school education, I worked at the ice cream shop in downtown, which I walked to in the late morning and got home from by 2pm every other day. I had a lot of down time since mom was dead and dad was working a full time job. I was always around for Camryn to come home to.
I had come home, fed my dog, and was just getting late lunch together, when Camryn crashed through the front door brandishing an envelope at me.
“Read it!” she screamed, waving it back and forth. It took a couple of tries, but I finally grabbed it and wrestled the crinkled paper from her hands.
I tore the envelope open and ripped the small collection of plain white papers from it. The information for training was enclosed along with waivers, physicals, and all the other legal forms that a program sending a young adult into space would include.
Camryn bounced excitedly next to me. Trying to read over my shoulder she said, “What is it? I want to read it too!”
I set the papers down on the kitchen table and went back to making lunch for myself. She charged forward and seized them.
“Oh,” she sighed, disappointed. “Just that stuff. I thought it would be something INTERESTING.”
“Hey, that’s interesting in its own way,” I said, spreading mayo on my bread. “While red tape is necessary, I’ll admit it is not my favorite past time.” I turned to smile at Cam, but she was holding a small note and not paying attention to me.
“Now THIS,” she whispered, “is interesting. Who’s Patton and why is he leaving you such sappy love notes?” A devilish smile cracked across her face.
I dropped my bread and lunged for the note, as Camryn scampered out of my reach into the living room. The evening devolved from there… and my bread had landed mayo-side down.