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The rec hall is full of people. I lead Dace to the game room, threading our way through a cluster of chairs. I nod silent greetings to the adults who are gathered before a large screen, engrossed in watching an old film.

“Classic movie night,” I tell Dace. “We stream them from the servers. One of the original colonists brought a digital collection of every film still in existence.”

“2-D,” observes Dace, turning to stare back at the faces filling the screen.

“Well, yeah. I said they were classics.” I don’t mention that the colonist who brought the files was my grandmother. My mom’s mother, whom I never knew. But sometimes, watching her collection of movies, I feel as if I’ve glimpsed some part of her.

The door to the game room’s closed, blocking the noise of the younger colonists’ immersive holo games from the main part of the building. I knock, loudly.

The door swings back and I stare up into Raid’s face. “Hello. Thought I’d bring Dace by to meet everyone. You mind?”

“Why should I?” Raid steps back to allow us to enter the room. Closing the door behind him, he turns and leans against its thick metal panels.

“No reason.” I motion for Dace to take a seat on the low sofa. “So, how’s things?” I meet Raid’s speculative expression with a smile.

“Things are fine.” Raid looks me up and down. “Dragged junior scientist all over Eco today?”

“I did.”

“Had fun?”

“Not sure I’d call it that.” From the corner of my eye I see one of the younger girls plop down and press up next to Dace. She chatters and shoots him demure looks from beneath her fluttering lashes. He appears distinctly uncomfortable. “Maybe I’d better go to the rescue.”

Raid takes hold of my wrist. “I’m sure nature boy can handle Marissa. Now,” his fingers glide up my arm, coming to rest on my shoulder. “Let’s talk. Things have been kind of nuclear lately—between you and me, I mean. You know I don’t wanna fight with you.” He caresses my shoulder as he turns me to face him.

“You can start by dropping the rude crap around Dace.” I meet his intense stare with a steady gaze of my own. “He’s okay. A little obsessed … ”

“Says the girl who only thinks about leaving Eco.” Raid leans in to press his forehead against mine.

I could leap in and happily drown in those dark eyes. “And you don’t ever consider it?”

“Mmmm … sometimes. But what’s the point in living our whole lives for the future?” Raid dips his head until his lips are almost brushing mine. “Live for now. Tomorrow may never come.”

I should move, but I don’t. I allow Raid to kiss me—a slow, sensual kiss that forces me to grab his arms to keep from wobbling. “Everyone’s watching,” I say, when he pulls away for a second.

“Good. Maybe they’ll learn something,” Raid replies, and kisses me again.

“Bien, enough.” I step back when Raid comes up for air. “I better check on Dace. I brought him here knowing he’d be assaulted by the younger girls. And Emie, if Kam ever steps away. Now, don’t give me that look. He’s my responsibility.”

Raid frowns. “Your supposed ticket out of here, you mean.”

“Yes, that too.” I study his glowering face. “Maybe, if the captain changes his mind and agrees to take us, you could come along. I’m sure we could squeeze in one more passenger.”

“And leave all this?” As Raid throws out his hand to indicate the crowded game room, a holographic laser slices through his chest.

“Score!” Yells Kam. “You’re dead meat, widget-maker.”

“Not playing, asswipe. Clean your goggles,” replies Raid, with a glance over his shoulder. He looks back at me while Kam colorfully protests. “What the hell—go see what your new pal’s up to, Ann. But find me later.” He leans in and gives me a quick kiss before turning to Kam. “Now I’m in the game. Prepare for annihilation, Frye.”

I gaze after Raid’s tall form for a moment then shake my head and make my way to the couch. I really shouldn’t allow Raid to kiss me like that, not when I plan on leaving. But I do love those kisses—they send a current zipping from my heart out to all my fingers and toes.

“Ann!” Dace’s voice cuts through my reverie. He looks up at me with desperation.

“Move over,” I tell Marissa, right before flopping onto the couch. The younger girl squeaks in protest as I wiggle between her and Dace.

“We were talking.” Her lower lip pokes out.

“No,
you
were talking.” I use my elbow to shove her toward the sofa arm. “So, how’re you doing?” I ask Dace.

“Going deaf,” he replies. “At least in one ear.”

“Yeah, Marissa likes to talk. And talk, and talk.” I ignore the daggers Marissa’s eyes cast my way. “But she’s kinda hot, huh?”

Dace blushes as Marissa squawks something about “shriveled bitches” and jumps to her feet. She prances over to Raid and Kam, who studiously ignore her.

“Anyway, since Marissa was pretty much monopolizing you, I thought I’d better head over and do the official introduction thing.” I stick two fingers in my mouth and whistle. “Hey, space-rats, listen up! We’ve got a guest.”

All eyes in the room focus on Dace. “Hello,” he says, with a forced smile.

“This is Dace. Well, Dacian Keeling, but he goes by Dace. He’s the nephew of Captain Patel of the Augusta Ada.”

“Yeah.” Trent slaps his gamer headpiece against his palm. “We heard that. Everyone already knows, Solano.”

Of course they do. This is Eco, the small town of planets. I shoot Trent a silencing look. “Anyway, Dace is a scientist. A naturalist, to be exact. He’s studying the plants and animals of all the places the Ada visits.”

Kam saunters forward, still wearing his gamer gloves. I glance over his shoulder, expecting to see Emie, but it appears she’s left the room. That’s odd. She must’ve slipped out the back door.

“Will find crap-all here,” says Kam.

Dace shakes his head. “Saw some pretty unique things today. Lizard-like creatures and some flying insects. That was interesting.”

Kam sneers. “Those things? Damned annoying is all they are. Especially the bugs. Bet I’ve killed hundreds of them, working on the windmills. Give a slap and swat them up against the blades. Splat!” He spread his hands out as he stands over us, gazing down.

I expect the younger boy to shrink away, but Dace sits up straighter. “How very brave.”

Kam’s face turns almost as red as his hair. “Now look, spacer … ”

I rise to my feet. “Anyway, if anyone has questions for Dace—you know, about other planets or Earth or whatever—now’s the time to ask.”

“Chill,” says Raid, stepping up behind Kam. He grabs the redhead’s elbow and pulls him to the side. “Let nature boy talk. Might learn something.” He perches on the sofa arm. “Stop swearing and take a load off, Kam. Still plan to wipe the floor with your sorry ass later.”

“You’re from Earth?” Trent breaks through the cluster of young people.

“Yes, originally,” says Dace. He’s keeping an eye on Kam, who’s skulked off to the far side of the room.

Trent plops into a pile of cushions near Dace’s feet. “Where’d you live?”

“India. Mumbai. My mom still lives there. I’ll go back, eventually, when I can get into a decent university. That’s what the research is for, you see. To prove I’m worth a scholarship.”

“Mumbai, really? That’s funny—you don’t look entirely Indian,” observes Marissa as she sidles up to Raid.

I give her a warning look as I sit back down, but Dace answers with equanimity. “I’m not. My dad was English, or American. Not really sure. Never met him, so who knows?”

“Your mom should.” Marissa’s displaying her usual lack of tact. Raid gently pushes her aside and she slumps into one of the gamer chairs.

Dace shrugs. “She doesn’t like to talk about him, and I don’t like to ask. Doesn’t matter anyway. Bastard disappeared before I was born. On the other hand—my uncle, he’s always been there for us. Even when he was in the military, and then crewing on other traders, he sent us money and visited. More than my so-called father’s ever done.”

I study Dace as he delivers this information, recognizing the bitterness lacing his tone. He’s not as resigned to these facts as he likes to pretend. Glancing over his head, I catch Raid’s eye. His serious expression isn’t a surprise. Raid’s father died many years ago after a minor accident led to a major infection that no medicine on Eco could cure. The fact that his mother is one of our medics only makes the situation worse, since she still blames herself for her husband’s death.

“So, it’s really as hard to get into a university as we hear?” asks Trent.

Dace nods. “Yes. Unless you’re wealthy. Or your family went to a particular school. Which, of course, they couldn’t have done unless they were wealthy. So, yeah—easy for the rich. The rest of us are pretty much screwed.”

“Well, that leaves us out, too,” observes Raid, giving me a significant look. “Even if we lived on Earth, we wouldn’t have the credits to go.”

“You never know.” I twirl a strand of my hair about one finger. “It sure would be a lot easier there. At least there are universities. All we have are holodiscs”

“And the ’sphere,” adds Trent.

“Which we can’t even access half the time.”

If Emie were here, she’d call me on that comment, since part of her job involves maintaining our connection to the galaxy-wide web of communication satellites, space stations, and ship-to-ship relays. Of course, even though she takes it personally, it isn’t Emie’s fault our system doesn’t always work, leaving us without access to the ’sphere for months at a time. Just another consequence of being stuck on Eco.

“Don’t kid yourself—that’s all most people on Earth have.” Dace turns to me, his dark eyes shadowed by thick lashes. “Like I said, not much chance for anyone who isn’t part of the upper echelon.”

“So, what’s it like?” Lily flops down beside Trent. “Earth, I mean. We’ve seen the holodiscs, and movies, and other stuff, but that doesn’t really show the way most people live, I bet.”

Dace leans into the sofa cushions. “No, it doesn’t.” He tilts his head back and stares at the metal ceiling. “Most people live in crowded cities, sharing tiny apartments with lots of other people. Sometimes family or friends, sometimes whomever they can find to help pay for a place. They work at any job they can find, or—if they’re lucky—take over the job they inherited from their parents. They watch holodiscs and play games, just like you. Pretty much live through their computers most of the time. There are some sports, but you have to be pretty good to get onto a team, even an amateur one.” Dace drops his head and gazes at his now rapt audience. “No one moves around much. Too hard, with all the laws. You have to have documents for everything. Most people have them implanted.” He points to a tiny scar on his right forearm. “Easier. You just get scanned when you go anywhere that requires docs.”

“That doesn’t sound very nice,” says one of the youngest girls.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I still love the Earth. It’s my home. But it has its problems. Mainly,” Dace glances over at me, “there’s no real opportunity for anyone who isn’t already wealthy or powerful. Whatever social strata you’re born into, you’re pretty much stuck there.”

I meet his gaze with a frown. Everyone’s always telling me my dreams of life on Earth aren’t realistic. Bien, so what? I dig my fingers into the fabric of the sofa. I know Earth is not a paradise, but hell, neither is Eco. At least it will be different. At least on Earth I may have a chance to break free of a future that feels like it’s all done and decided. Maybe Dace thinks no one can rise above their beginnings on Earth, but Dace doesn’t know me very well.

And he doesn’t know my mother at all. If anyone can soar beyond a social barrier, she can.

Raid kicks at the sofa frame. “That’s why so many join the military, or sign up with the companies looking for space rats, I guess.”

“Yeah.” Dace looks around the room. “Like your grandparents did, I suspect. Bet there’s not much of the upper echelon out here.”

“None,” says Raid. “We’re all mongrels.”

I shoot him a glance. “Speak for yourself.”

“Oh yeah, Ann.” Sarcasm sharpens Raid’s voice. “Your grandparents were rich, were they? Nah, didn’t think so. My family might hail from the Himalayas but yours were mountain people too—the Andes and Appalachia, right? Not exactly Rio or Paris.”

I refuse to look at him. He’s right, but I can’t believe it’ll mean that much on Earth these days, despite Dace’s obviously prejudiced opinions.

“But what about all the wilderness and parks and things?” asks Trent. “There’s still lots of unspoiled land on Earth, right? I mean, that’s what I’ve seen on the ’sphere.”

“Still there.” Dace frowns. “But most people can’t visit those places. Restricted access. Have to be part of the right groups to travel there, and most of us aren’t. There are holo cams and viewing facilities, of course. You can feel as if you’re traveling to certain spots, for a price. Some people do that if they have a bit of extra credit. Of course, if you have enough, you can buy huge estates or entire islands. Or even a small country. But most people,” he shrugs, “just live in the same neighborhood, in their little apartments or shacks, all their lives. Not many ways to get rich unless you’ve already got some credits to start with.”

“Maybe we’re better off on Eco.” Trent’s beautiful face grows pensive.

“Sure.” I scoot forward until I’m perched on the edge of the sofa. “Because we have so many options here.”

“Anyway, it is what it is.” Dace taps me on the arm. “But, enough about Earth. I’m happy to have landed here on Eco, collecting lots of great data, thanks to Ann.”

“So you work for a corporation already?” Marissa stares at him with renewed interest.

“No, but all this research will win me a spot at a major university. Once I have a degree, I can get a job with a great company and then … everything will open up for me.” A sheepish smile crosses Dace’s face. “That’s the plan, anyway.”

“Sounds like a load of crap to me.” Kam steps out of the shadows. “Like some kiddie science project’s gonna win you a spot at one of the rich brats’ finishing schools. Yeah, that’s freakin’ likely. They don’t want our kind there, spacer, no matter how smart we might be.”