He was lost in a sea of endless wonder.Flying, really flying was something he’d never truly felt inside the artificial world of the simulator.

Behind him Ditch gave little instructions getting him to do a number of aerial tricks and maneuvers.

Lance felt himself grinning, no other fourteen-year-old was flying a real spacecraft, then he felt his grin waver slightly.Not that anyone knew he was fourteen.Thanks to his Uncle altering his age by a year to get him into the Academy and then Ditch and Admiral Montes adding a year so that he could join their little group of ‘gifted’ students, his records now said he was officially sixteen.

The others in the group called each other by code names like Ditch, there was Titan, Cowboy, Gaia, Electra, and Nosedive.In fact Keith and Sven had names too.

Sven was known as Mountain, because he was solid, dependable and nearly unmovable both physically and mentally.Keith had earned the name Game Master, when everyone had witnessed the way he’d dissected a space combat and come up with a counter attack in less then two minutes.One reason Lance never played checkers or chess with his friend.

He’d also been given a name… Hotshot, there were a lot of reasons why.One was his temper, another his rebellious nature, his reputation as a party animal, his marks in class… but the main two reasons were that he was a daredevil pilot and that he was a dead shot.He almost never missed, and like his flying it was just a talent he’d always had and never really known about.

Through his helmet he heard Ditch tell him to land, and with his usual flare, did so.

As he left his plane he felt a sudden pang of ‘homesickness’ for space but quickly quenched it as he headed back to the room he shared with Keith and Sven.Attempting to stifle a yawn, he changed out of his flightsuit and put it in his locker with his helmet and then he cast a brief glance at the picture he always carried with him, the one of his family, feeling extremely tired.

Almost in a haze he made his way down the hallways, up the elevators to D section.When he got to his door he noticed the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door, which meant that either Sven or Keith was entertaining some girl inside.

Lance felt a sudden surge of anger flare inside him that quickly died.Getting his beauty sleep was just going to have to wait.Peering closer at the sign he noticed it was blue, which meant it was Sven.Keith had a black one and he himself had a red one.It helped to know who was inside at times.

That left him with only a few options.He could go to the gym, the simulator, or the library.And after his first taste of REAL flying he’d avoided the simulator like the plague, it just felt too fake.That left the gym or the library, and since the Librarian Mrs. Morgan hadn’t forgiven him for messing up her shelves on April Fools just yet… he only had the gym left.

With a sardonic smile he shook his head, as he walked away from his room, “No pain, no gain, I guess.”

……………………

Having finished a full blown workout, which he’d already done at five am that same day, he found his eyes falling shut of their own accord.He hadn’t been getting much sleep in the last couple of weeks, well actually, it was more like NO sleep.Every night he’d been tutoring someone in something.Titan in Math, Gaia in all languages from English to Spanish to dialects used in the outer colonies, Cowboy in Physics, Electra in Chemistry; and Nosedive in Zoology, Botany and Engineering.

He didn’t have all the classes but he found it easy since he’d read most of the books in the library and never forgotten any of it.And he didn’t mind helping out his friends, since they all had to keep their grades up.But having to study from ten to three, do any homework he had from three to five, then go to the gym from five to seven, shower and dress to be at his first class at seven thirty and then not be able to catch some sleep in his breaks because his room was occupied was draining him.It didn’t help that he wasn’t able to eat because his stomach was always doing some sort of dance either.

He stumbled, barely catching himself by leaning on the wall.Sven had to be done… he could sleep… Another step and he was at his door only to find Keith’s sign had replace Sven’s.For a brief moment Lance felt his eyes burn and his throat close up in frustration.

“Zo Keit iz een dere now.”

Surprised by the voice Lance turned around, but too fast, making the world spin dizzily around him and bile rise in his throat.It was a couple of seconds before he realized he was kneeling on the ground, Sven’s arm supporting him and it was a few breaths after that that he registered the fact that the older boy was speaking to him.

Blinking his eyes to try and get everything back into focus he spoke, his voice too soft, too airy.“What’d ya say?”

Sven frowned, “Vhat iz vrong?Are you zick, Lance?”

It seemed to Lance to take him forever to get his mind to work enough so that he could talk.“No.Just a little…”The world darkened again and he couldn’t hear what Sven said.Wearily he tried to get to his feet but his legs wouldn’t hear what Sven said.Wearily he tried to get to his feet but his legs won’t support him.“Do you think Keith would mind if I interrupted…”

He could have sworn Sven spoke, after all the other boy’s lips moved.“Sorry Sven but I can’t hear you.I just want some sleep…”

………………………..

Keith pulled away from Shallu when he heard Sven shout in worry Lance’s name.Getting up he moved to the door and opened it, not sure if he should be upset or worried.When he stepped outside he saw Lance blinking wildly, looking blank and extremely pale.His body was trembling and he had bags under his eyes.

Sven asked if he was sick and Lance stared at him dully for a moment before speaking in an airy, slurred voice.“No.Just a little…”Keith had never seen anyone swoon before but that was the only word he knew of that could come close to explaining what Lance did.The brown haired boy seemed to regain some control saying something interrupting him.

Sven looked up at Keith.“E feels hot.Eet must be a cold.”

Lance took in a shaky breath.“Sorry Sven but I can’t hear you.I just want some sleep…”

Keith looked over at Sven, “Can you carry him to his bed?”

Sven’s face hardened in determination.“Yes.”Without another word he picked up the smaller boy and stepped into the room, gently placing Lance on his cot.

Shallu moved forward.“He doesn’t look very well.”

There was a knock on the door, “Lance?”

Turning Keith saw a blond boy of sixteen, a guy from their group, known as Cowboy.His jaw dropped as he saw Lance lying on the cot.“Geez.Gaia wasn’t lying.”

Keith frowned, “Lying about what?”

Cowboy didn’t look away from Lance.“He’s been tutoring all five of us for the last few weeks after lights out… she said he hasn’t been eating well, and that he’s been doing his usual routine as well.”

“Tutoring?”

“We haven’t been doing well.Lance found out that if our marks drop we’re out of the group, so he said he’d help us out for free but because of his extra heavy course load we had to do it after lights out.But none of us knew he was helping ALL of us.”

Keith met Sven’s gaze.“If he kept up his usual routine… Cowboy when did the sessions end?”

“Three in the morning.”

“Okay, so he has class from 7:30 to 10:00, than a spare till noon ten he had class again from noon to four.A spare till six then class from five till nine…”

Sven crossed his arms over his chest.“’E workz out een ze gym from five to zeven, and eez first two hour zpare ‘az been taken up by flight training, so e’d ‘ave to do eez ‘omework after…”

“He was done with us.”Cowboy finished.

Keith bit his lip.“That’s at least two hours of work a day… which means the only time he has for a rest is between four and six which is usually when we’re in here so he’d probably go to the library…”

“Not the library, Mrs. Morgan won’t let him back in there just yet.So he probably went to the gym and he hasn’t been eating…”Cowboy trailed off, biting his lip.“He hasn’t slept in over two weeks…”

Lance mumbled something in his sleep.And sensing something bad was about to happen, Keith turned to Shallu and Cowboy.“Look guys, we’ll take care of him, you go on.He’ll be fine now that we’re here and he’s in bed.”

Cowboy looked totally abashed, “I’m sorry Keith.”

“It’s alright.You didn’t know.He’ll be fine.”

The blond boy nodded and after casting another worried glance in Lance’s direction he left.

Feeling a light touch on his shoulder he looked up into Shallu’s dark exotic eyes. She smiled softly, “He’s like the brother you and I never had.I know you’ll find out what’s really behind this.”She gave him a slight kiss, walked over to Lance’s side and gave him a light peck before bidding Sven farewell and leaving.

As the door closed Keith met Sven’s gaze.“What do you think?”

“Another Nightmare.Zey may ‘ave come back, vorse den before.”

“So you think he was purposely trying to avoid sleeping?”

“Eef you vanted to forget zometing, but zaw eet every nite, vouldn’t you?”
Hearing Lance cry out, Keith moved over next to him, putting an arm around the shaking boy.“Lance?”

Blinking brown eyes turned to him.“K-kieth, th-that y-you?”

“Yes it is.”

Keith had never really seen Lance cry, he was too strong or maybe he was just stubborn, but when Lance just broke out into… well he wasn’t expecting it and from the look on Sven’s face he hadn’t been expecting it either.Being drained emotionally, physically and mentally had taken it’s toll as Lance cried into Keith’s shoulder in a way that tore at his heart.

As the sobbing finally subsided Lance pulled away looking ashen.“S-s-sorry.”

Keith smiled encouragingly, “It’s alright.Do you feel any better?”

Lance’s eyes took on a hollow look.“I can’t take it anymore, I can’t… the blood… my mother and sister… my twin sister.. they raped them th-th-then they killed them and Dad had to watch before they beat him to death… Lisa cried for me to help her, but the Elder held me back… I should be dead… I should be…”He started crying uncontrollably, shaking with grief.

This time it was Sven who held him but Keith was the one who spoke.“Lance, there was nothing you could do and do you honestly think your family, including your sister, would have wanted you to die too?”He saw Lance hesitantly shake his head against Sven’s shoulder.“They loved you Lance, they want what’s best for you and the dead hold no blame.”

Lance hiccupped.“I-Im-miss th-th-them.”

Keith laid a hand on his shoulder, “I know, but you’re not alone Lance.You’ll never be alone as long as you have us.”