“Congo and Sarmatia. You are the final two being dismissed.”

There were gasps all around, including my own.

Congo glanced at Sarmatia, eyes wide and chest rising with frightened breaths. I had never seen him scared before, but I nearly saw his skin pale from Gregis’s words.

“You have three hours to pack your things and clean your bunks. Thank you for your service but unfortunately, humanity will not rest in your hands.”

So it would be placed in ours? The most useless humans on this station? We were the worst six out of a hundred!

Perhaps Scotia was right. It felt wrong that the stronger boys and girls were dismissed while we remained. Congo was the best of us. Why would they want to put him to sleep when he was our leader?

My pulse quickened as our alien mentor left the room, his long grey robe trailing behind him and nearly getting caught in the automatic door as it closed behind him. Only in his absence did we speak.

“This is ridiculous!” Zealand shouted. His face had returned to its natural color a minute ago but now it was tomato red again. “Are they blind? How can they think you two aren’t fit to save humanity?”

“They aren’t blind,” Sina whispered meekly.

“Oh, shut up Sina,” Zealand growled, already stomping back and forth in the small room. “It’s like they want us to die when we go out there.”

“There must be a reason he doesn’t think we’re fit to serve,” Sarmatia replied quietly, though her eyes were darting about in a way that meant she was questioning her own remark. “What did we do wrong?” she asked Congo.

Their leader stared at the ceiling, searching for an answer as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

I wanted to comfort the pair but had nothing I could say without lying. Clearly the others felt the same, their mouths open but making no sound. Only Scotia was willing to speak, and she did so in a low growl.

“We could escape,” she said. “I’ve doubted Gregis’s words for nearly ten years. I think it’s time we finally investigated this station for ourselves.”

“Don’t say such things.” Sarmatia, ever loyal, grabbed Scotia’s arm and shook her head. “The Occisio protected us! They have our best interests at heart.”

“You only believe that because they told you to,” Scotia countered, looking to the others for back-up but receiving none. My chest seized as her eyes grazed over mine but she didn’t linger on me, knowing I was too cowardly to do or say anything in her defense. I wished I could.

“No, I think I understand why we are being dismissed.” Congo cleared his throat, his shoulders relaxing once more. “Gregis said it himself. The Calumnia take advantage of the strongest among us. If their power comes from imitating others, Sarmatia and I would endanger all of you because they would turn our strengths against you.”

Scotia crossed her arms, unconvinced, but his words made sense to me, vague as they were.

I could still see fear behind Congo’s eyes, though, and a bit of redness too. He was going to cry. Before he could, Congo stomped out the door into the barracks so he could clean his bunk as instructed.

“I…Thank you for everything,” Sarmatia told the rest of us, a tear running freely down her cheek. “It’s been an honor serving with all of you and I’ll be cheering you on as you take back Earth from the Calumnia.”

Most of the girls hugged her but I went after Congo instead, following him into the circular hallway that connected all ten of our rooms. Each room held ten bunks but now that there were only eight of us left, we only used two of them. One for the boys and one for the girls.

Congo headed into the boy’s room and went straight for his bed, rolling up his black blanket and placing it in the storage box at the end of his bed. He then packed up his casual uniform and folded it carefully, ridding it of wrinkles before placing it beside the blanket.

“I’ll miss you,” I told him quietly as I sat on my own bed. It was right beside his, something I always liked since he didn’t snore like Graec did. Congo was also the nicest of the boys so I was grateful we became bunk buddies after the third dismissal four years ago.

“I’ll miss you too, Indi.” Congo looked up at me for a brief moment, smiling, but I could already see the trail of a tear on his cheek. “I just wish I could go out there with you and see the sky for real.”

“You still can…After we kill the Calumnia, you can come down and join us…right?” My voice wobbled from the potential lie.

The second smile he gave me told me he felt the same. We doubted we’d see each other again. “Even if I never get to see Earth, promise me you’ll put this somewhere on it.” He handed me the pin from his jacket, a small circle with his name carved on it.

I took it, my hands clammy. “I will. I promise.” And I meant it. I was scared stiff of fighting the Calumnia but if it meant I could do at least one thing for Congo, the boy who never asked for help from anyone, I would.