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Chapter 10, Pages 79-80

Jagged volcanic ridges divided the jungle that covered the southern two thirds of Academy Island into shallow valleys, one to three kilometers wide. Red and orange trees, vines and undergrowth grew thick from almost daily rain that blew in off the ocean. Hillside springs dribbled into hundreds of tiny streams. The streams fed swamps and marshy bogs, or spilled into a dozen shallow rivers that flowed east and west to the sea. Two hundred species of insects, fifty bird varieties, and twenty warm blooded reptiles had been identified in the jungle, but so far no mammals had been found anywhere on the planet. The creatures weren't dangerous, except for a few stinging insects, but even they were no threat to a person protected by a survival suit. The school, at the northern tip of the island, surrounded by a Federated Plants military base, was insulated from the wilderness.

Kirsten finished her homework for Monday, then slotted the five-centimeter disk from Smitty into a commpad and read it again. Angie lay face down on her bunk and reviewed astrogation notes on a commpad. Kirsten bit her lip and turned to her roommate.

"You, um … you want a fruit bar or something?" she said.

Angie shook her head but didn't look up.

"You missed dinner, so I thought …. "

"I'm not hungry," Angie said.

"Yeah, but I just thought …."

"Leave me alone, OK?"

Kirsten pouted and tried to ignore Angie's anger while she got ready for bed. Silver paced between the bunks for half an hour after Angie put out the lights, then finally curled up by Kirsten's head and went to sleep. Kirsten's commpad buzzed at oh-five hundred and she slammed it to the floor. She dozed another half hour, then had to run to the Armory to get her suit. The tram to the hopper pad had pulled away, but it stopped when Kirsten and Silver sprinted alongside.

"Thanks, Cindy."

Kirsten gasped and panted as she lugged her suit and helmet onto the small bus. Cindy released the emergency stop button and the automated tram resumed its course to the hopper pad.

"Any time," Cindy said.

The other twenty cadets on board blinked at her, but no one said anything. Po Li growled when Cindy shoved her over to make room for Kirsten on the bench seat.