absorbed the fact that the Milky Way galaxy wasn’t
something far away—I was in it.
Earth seemed alien, eerie in its darkness, a black orb
marred with the orange electricity of cities in splutters and
cracks like bleeding lava. I could no longer imagine what my
life would be like when I returned there.
Wilder emerged from the crew quarters, rubbing his head.
Jacques and Ruth started rummaging around the kitchen area.
“I don’t feel good,” said Ruth, holding her stomach.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t eat,” I said.
“I can’t help it,” she said, her fists full of protein bars.
Jacques nodded agreement, sucking in his fifth bag of
yogurt.
I went back to Mi-sun’s sack and found her awake and
twitching.
I rubbed my sternum. Was the token a kind of computer?
A bomb? An egg sac? Maybe soon robot babies would tear out
of me and take over the world.
Shannon Hale
Howell came up from the pod.
“The tokens are doing something to us,” I said.
She nodded. “We’re going back, and we’ll figure it out.”
She and the other crew readied the pod while the five of
us waited in the lab. I noticed that we sort of clumped together,
shoulders and knees bumping and touching. We watched the
moon rise.
“I don’t like being afraid,” Ruth whispered.
No one responded. I think the others were as startled as I
was to hear those words from Ruth. She kept talking, glancing
from the window to Wilder.
“My sister hits me,” she went on. “Usually on my head so
my hair will hide the marks. Grandma won’t tolerate crybabies,
so I stopped crying. I shouldn’t let Sabine hit me, right? That’s
what I think, until I go home after school and there she is, and
I’m scared and don’t say a word.” She glared at us. “This doesn’t
mean you can feel sorry for me. I just wanted to say it out loud.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Ruth shrugged. “We can’t let them hurt us. Any of us.”
“We won’t,” said Wilder. “That’s what a team is for.”
Ruth looked at Wilder, considering, then said, “Okay.”
Mi-sun put her hand out. Wilder put his hand on top of
hers and the rest of us followed, as if we were a Little League
team. It did make me feel safer somehow.
“Did you guys know that fireteam is a military term?” Mi-
sun’s voice was so trembly from her shaking I had to strain to
understand. “My mom’s military. A fireteam is the smallest unit
of s-s-soldiers.”
“Fitting, since we’re probably being reprogrammed into the
advance force of an alien invasion,” said Jacques.
66
Dangerous
“I highly doubt that,” Wilder said.
“Why would the tokens seize us and ignore the adults?”
asked Mi-sun.
“I don’t know.” Jacques stared at his hand. “Does my skin
look weird to you?”
“Your everything looks weird to me,” said Ruth, eating a
protein bar.
Jacques peered closer at his arm. “It feels weird . . .”
Mi-sun bumped into me, and I could feel how hard she
was shaking. She reminded me of Baron Harkonnen, Luther’s
pet bunny. The baron wasn’t exactly a calming influence. Every
time anyone held him, that rabbit literally vibrated with panic, his
pink eyes open wide, fuzzy white nose going like a jackhammer.
Mi-sun’s just a kid, I reminded myself, and I wished my
mom were there to take care of her.
“So is your dad military too?” I asked, hoping to distract her.
“No. He’s crazy,” said Mi-sun.
Wilder and Jacques looked up. Mi-sun’s gaze was full of
stars, but her mouth was serious.
“He hasn’t hurt anyone yet, so insurance won’t send him
to an institution. He just stays home and g-g-grumbles. After
school, when my mom’s at work, I take care of my little broth-
ers. Sometimes I have to take my dad food. When I open his
door, the grumbles turn into yells. Usually that’s all he does, but
sometimes—”
“Mi-sun,” I said, interrupting her in case she wanted to stop
talking.
“Sometimes he’s on top of the
something far away—I was in it.
Earth seemed alien, eerie in its darkness, a black orb
marred with the orange electricity of cities in splutters and
cracks like bleeding lava. I could no longer imagine what my
life would be like when I returned there.
Wilder emerged from the crew quarters, rubbing his head.
Jacques and Ruth started rummaging around the kitchen area.
“I don’t feel good,” said Ruth, holding her stomach.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t eat,” I said.
“I can’t help it,” she said, her fists full of protein bars.
Jacques nodded agreement, sucking in his fifth bag of
yogurt.
I went back to Mi-sun’s sack and found her awake and
twitching.
I rubbed my sternum. Was the token a kind of computer?
A bomb? An egg sac? Maybe soon robot babies would tear out
of me and take over the world.
Shannon Hale
Howell came up from the pod.
“The tokens are doing something to us,” I said.
She nodded. “We’re going back, and we’ll figure it out.”
She and the other crew readied the pod while the five of
us waited in the lab. I noticed that we sort of clumped together,
shoulders and knees bumping and touching. We watched the
moon rise.
“I don’t like being afraid,” Ruth whispered.
No one responded. I think the others were as startled as I
was to hear those words from Ruth. She kept talking, glancing
from the window to Wilder.
“My sister hits me,” she went on. “Usually on my head so
my hair will hide the marks. Grandma won’t tolerate crybabies,
so I stopped crying. I shouldn’t let Sabine hit me, right? That’s
what I think, until I go home after school and there she is, and
I’m scared and don’t say a word.” She glared at us. “This doesn’t
mean you can feel sorry for me. I just wanted to say it out loud.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Ruth shrugged. “We can’t let them hurt us. Any of us.”
“We won’t,” said Wilder. “That’s what a team is for.”
Ruth looked at Wilder, considering, then said, “Okay.”
Mi-sun put her hand out. Wilder put his hand on top of
hers and the rest of us followed, as if we were a Little League
team. It did make me feel safer somehow.
“Did you guys know that fireteam is a military term?” Mi-
sun’s voice was so trembly from her shaking I had to strain to
understand. “My mom’s military. A fireteam is the smallest unit
of s-s-soldiers.”
“Fitting, since we’re probably being reprogrammed into the
advance force of an alien invasion,” said Jacques.
66
Dangerous
“I highly doubt that,” Wilder said.
“Why would the tokens seize us and ignore the adults?”
asked Mi-sun.
“I don’t know.” Jacques stared at his hand. “Does my skin
look weird to you?”
“Your everything looks weird to me,” said Ruth, eating a
protein bar.
Jacques peered closer at his arm. “It feels weird . . .”
Mi-sun bumped into me, and I could feel how hard she
was shaking. She reminded me of Baron Harkonnen, Luther’s
pet bunny. The baron wasn’t exactly a calming influence. Every
time anyone held him, that rabbit literally vibrated with panic, his
pink eyes open wide, fuzzy white nose going like a jackhammer.
Mi-sun’s just a kid, I reminded myself, and I wished my
mom were there to take care of her.
“So is your dad military too?” I asked, hoping to distract her.
“No. He’s crazy,” said Mi-sun.
Wilder and Jacques looked up. Mi-sun’s gaze was full of
stars, but her mouth was serious.
“He hasn’t hurt anyone yet, so insurance won’t send him
to an institution. He just stays home and g-g-grumbles. After
school, when my mom’s at work, I take care of my little broth-
ers. Sometimes I have to take my dad food. When I open his
door, the grumbles turn into yells. Usually that’s all he does, but
sometimes—”
“Mi-sun,” I said, interrupting her in case she wanted to stop
talking.
“Sometimes he’s on top of the
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