Luciana

by Erin Teagan

  Ella took the ticket back. “All right, since you don’t want it, and we can’t use it … Here you go, Mr. Samuel.”

  “No!” Noah launched himself from his table, half a turkey sandwich still in his grip. “I mean, please don’t throw it away,” he said, straightening his glasses. “We’ll take it. Don’t be silly.”

  James smiled at me. “Thank you. I can’t believe you’d do this for us. Thank you.”

  Samuel’s walkie-talkie buzzed and he put it to his ear. “This is Sammy.”

  And we heard, “Come and turn down this dinosaur racket; he’s about to wreck all of our eardrums!” through the speaker.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said back. “Be there in a minute.

  “Sounds like they need me at the museum,” he said to us, heading out of the lab.

  We all waved and thanked him for coming and said we hoped we’d see him at the competition the next morning.

  He stopped at the door. “Also, thanks for knocking on my door today. I haven’t been in the robotics lab for a long time. It was nice coming back.”

  And then he zoomed off in a blur of neon lights, Birdy squawking, “SEE YOU LATER, Y’ALL.”

  We ate breakfast on the go the next morning, heading straight to the robotics competition under the Pathfinder with our bagels and muffins and bananas. It was cool outside, with a quiet breeze running under the rocket boosters. We sat on the grass, beside the rows of chairs set up in a circle around the robot arena, the competition table in the center of it all.

  James ran up to us. “Go get your rover,” he said, out of breath.

  “What?” I jumped up. “Why?”

  “Leo said you can do the competition. I mean, not officially. You can’t win, but you can still take your turn.”

  “Why would he say that?” Charlotte said. We all looked at one another, confused.

  James looked at the ground. “Our team just thought that you built a really cool robot, and after you helped us so much, we asked the crew trainers if you could do the competition today.”

  Johanna popped up, clapping. “I’ll go get him.” And she raced off toward the building.

  I grinned, looking at the rest of our team. “That was really nice of you, James.”

  “It’s nothing,” James said. “We just thought people should see what you built.” He started walking backward away from us to where his team sat with their robot under a shady tree.

  Ella, Meg, and Charlotte stood next to me now. “Well, thank you!” I called after him. “And good luck!”

  When Johanna got back, we sat down to finish our breakfast, our rover in the grass in front of us. We had named him Mohawk because of his spiky mohawk of glow sticks.

  “I love the all-terrain tires,” I said.

  “And the antennae,” Ella said.

  “It would have been so cool if it was voice-activated,” Charlotte said. “Not that I’m not happy for the RoboEngineers, but …”

  Johanna swallowed her bite of blueberry muffin. “But we have this guy.” She pushed a button on top of the robot and a little box in its rear opened up and out popped a telescoping propeller.

  “How did you make that? So genius, Johanna.” I touched one of the propellers, which was made out of a bunch of building bricks.

  “It would never fly, obviously,” Johanna said, her mouth full.

  “But it’s such a good idea because if the terrain is super rocky and the wheels don’t work or if the robot gets to a little mountain, he can open up the propeller and fly over it,” Charlotte said.

  “It’s a walking, rolling, flying rover.” Ella smiled at me. “Brilliant.”

  One of her glitter letter Ls was peeling off her flight suit a bit, so I reached over and pushed the edge back down. She had chosen all pink letters, not the color I would have expected from Ella. But then again, I was finding people were full of surprises all over the place.

  “We should have given it flippers to swim too,” Charlotte said.

  And then our walking, rolling, flying rover toppled over from the weight of the propeller.

  Johanna shook her head. “Rookie mistake.” And we laughed.

  “I’m glad, though, that James’s robot is all fixed,” Ella said after we were all quiet.

  We took our places in the chairs just as the rest of Space Camp was arriving to watch the big competition, with Mohawk getting a chair of his own between Johanna and Ella. Even though our rover wasn’t in the running to win, I still felt the familiar tug of nerves in my belly. Maybe because the robot competition pretty much meant the end of Space Camp. And maybe I wasn’t ready to leave for home just yet. I twirled my purple streak between my fingers. Raelyn and I would be back together soon. But what about Johanna, Charlotte, Ella, and Meg? I’d have rainbow hair if I dyed a streak of color for each one of them.

  Ella bumped me with her shoulder and smiled like she knew what I was thinking. I bumped her back.

  “Welcome to the Space Camp Robotics Competition!” Leo announced, and everyone took their seats, teams and their rovers crowding around the arena area. When I turned around, I saw James and his team on the grass making last-minute adjustments to Rainbow Rover. I waved and he waved back.

  “We have five teams competing for the Best Rover at Space Camp Award,” Leo said, “and from what I’ve seen over our week together in the lab, this is going to be a tough and close competition.”

  The teams were squeezing in toward the front now, taking seats and rolling their rovers under the rocket boosters. I noticed nobody else had a walking rover, or a flying one, for that matter.

  “Each team will get a chance to run their rover through the competition course. Your rover will be responsible for taking a Martian rock sample and sending it into orbit for pickup within these four stations.” He pointed to each of the different areas of the table. “Each station your robot completes will be ten million bolts for your team, but each minute will cost you one million.” Behind him was the monitor from the lab with all the scores. The RoboEngineers were in the lead, thanks to Mr. Samuel, with thirteen million bolts. The MarsBots and Space Heroes were close behind with eleven million, followed by the Ninja Coders with nine million bolts. The Wizards only had five million bolts, and even though we had been disqualified, we were still listed in last place with zero. “The team with the most bolts at the end wins.”

  Mallory and Alex sat in the front row with Orion and then it was time for the competition to begin. The first two teams were just okay and didn’t score a lot of points. I shot a look to James, who smiled at me. Mostly they had very basic rovers that came straight from the lab challenges throughout the week. One of them had trouble with its color sensor and picked up all blue rocks instead of red; another team used a hammer to smash their samples and balls flew everywhere off the table; and neither of the robots could make it up the sandy and rocky surface of Regolith Mountain.

  But then it was the MarsBots’ turn. Their rover had no problem with station one or two, but then had to chase the rolling rocks around station three for a few minutes before it was able to keep one still enough to get a rock sample. They used a pick connected to a jointed robot arm to break into the red ball and a set of pinchers to retrieve the sample. Everyone cheered when the robot held up the small piece of rock. A pick was a great idea. When their rover got to the bottom of Regolith Mountain, it took a minute to move all of its sampling arms to the front and then it slowly climbed the rocky terrain. And the extra weight in the front must have helped, because it was the first rover in the competition to make it all the way up and hit the elevator button. In the end, their score was thirty-six million bolts, and when that was added to the bolts they already had, they had a total of forty-seven million bolts.

  Then it was our turn. We stood up, our giant duct-taped robot tucked under Johanna’s arm, and placed it into the starting position. Charlotte and Meg turned it on from their tablet, its little robot engine making engine noises, its spiky mohawk glowing in the shade of the rocket
boosters. We stood together, all of us in our official Space Camp flight suits with not-so-official glitter-sticker names above our pockets and watched as our rover walked on his all-terrain wheels. With a little more time, we had hoped to program Mohawk to roll on his wheels too. He would have been a rover for all environments, but we’d spent our time doing the right thing by helping James and his team. And there was no better feeling than when you did the right thing.

  Mohawk didn’t do great at collecting the rocks, and he did even worse trying to get up the sandy and rocky hill. His legs were too short and since his wheels didn’t work, he got stuck. Charlotte and Meg opened up his propeller and it unfolded in front of everyone’s eyes. We heard murmurs of surprise and we all grinned at one another. But then, as expected, Mohawk fell over on his side and our run was over.

  Meg picked him up and dusted him off and we returned to our seats. Mallory gave us a thumbs-up, and even Alex did too.

  The Space Heroes were up next, and as soon as they put their robot at the starting position, we all looked at one another. Their robot was compact with two sampling arms on its top, one with a basket scoop and the other a sharp-looking pincher. Maybe if someone didn’t know robots a lot, they’d think the Space Heroes didn’t know what they were doing with such a small creation. But we did. And so did James by the look on his face. Their robot looked fast and sturdy and light. Three of the best qualities of a Space Camp robot, according to Leo.

  The timer started and the robot was off, easily identifying the right rocks and collecting them in station two. We were all holding our breaths. Johanna grabbed my hand. The robot lowered its basket scoop with the sample and tried cracking the rock open with its pinchers. But the rock bounced out of the basket scoop and they had to start again. The team looked flustered, and on their second try, they pushed the rock against the wall to keep it from bouncing out of the basket, but the judges shook their heads at them. That wasn’t allowed. So they tried crushing the rock with its pinchers. The little yellow sample ball popped out and they were able to catch it with their scooper, the team taking a giant breath of relief. And then they easily climbed Regolith Mountain and sent their sample into orbit. Their time was two minutes thirty-seven seconds. The fastest time by far. They earned thirty-eight million bolts, and when added to the eleven million they already had, the Space Heroes were in the lead with forty-nine million bolts.

  When it was the RoboEngineers’ turn, our team could barely watch. We covered our faces when they got to the rock-sampling part. I looked at Charlotte, hoping she had programmed the screwdriver just right. If she had, the rock should split apart effortlessly. But nobody had thought about holding the rock in place. Nobody had even considered that to be a problem. Not until now, at least. But James and his team looked calm and confident. They knew the rock sampling was going to be more difficult than they had anticipated. James turned on the screwdriver, which buzzed through the quiet crowd. The first time the screwdriver came down on the rock, the rock skittered away. The second time, James first put the screwdriver on the rock and then turned it on. The rock flew to the side, banging against the plastic arena fence. James wiped his forehead. The third time, the robot brought the screwdriver down hard on the rock like a hammer, embedding the sharp tip in the rock. When James turned the screwdriver on, the rock broke apart easily.

  After the robot sent their sample up the space elevator, the timer read three minutes fifteen seconds. Nearly a minute longer than the Space Heroes. I couldn’t watch the scoreboard, afraid that the news wouldn’t be good. If their gyroscope hadn’t been busted, would they have been faster? Johanna nudged me and I looked up. The RoboEngineers got a score of thirty-seven million bolts, and added to the thirteen million bolts they already had thanks to Mr. Samuel, they had a final score of fifty million. The RoboEngineers had won.

  After breakfast the next morning, we headed into the gift shop, our last stop before graduation, and it looked like almost everyone had had the same idea as us. James and some of the boys headed to the rockets, Johanna found the only tool kit in the place, and Charlotte and Meg drooled over the programmable robots that cost more than a Space Camp tuition.

  What caught my eye weren’t the robots for sale or the art kits or the how-to-draw-a-Mars-rover books, but the necklaces hanging from a display by the counter. Home rushing back to me. My parents. Isadora.

  I held my star necklace and looked at the sun and comet and constellation charms on sparkly silver chains. And it wasn’t until I’d pretty much studied each and every necklace on the spinner that I spotted one that had a different charm than the rest. A moon, full and shiny bright, with a second charm hanging over the top. A little glittering blue gem.

  “For baby Isadora?” Johanna stood next to me, her Space Camp toolbox under her arm.

  I nodded my head. Because now that the robot competition was over, it was all I could think about. A little sister. Maybe. For me.

  Graduation was under the Pathfinder in the shuttle park, and after we made our purchases, we walked over together, the Red Rovers, the RoboEngineers, Alex, and Mallory. Orion buzzed out ahead of us, his alarms going off because the ceremony was about to start. We took seats as close to the front row as possible, all of us looking at the family section to see if our parents were there.

  One by one teams got called up to the front with their crew trainers, marching up to the little stage wearing their blue flight suits and looking like professional kids who might become astronauts one day. Mostly everyone was given a graduation certificate and a patch for their flight suit, but every once in a while, someone got a special medal. One kid with a spiky mohawk got a Most Creative medal. My team looked at me like that should have been my medal or something, but after our late-night romp to the robotics lab, I knew there would be no medals for me.

  When Team Odyssey was called, Orion led the way of course, and we all lined up in front of the rest of camp and all the parents and families. I looked again for my parents, squinting past the glare of sunlight on the underbelly of the Pathfinder, but I didn’t see them. Ella, Charlotte, and Meg’s family, on the other hand, were standing up and waving and also picking up all the chairs Ella’s brothers knocked over by accident. I saw Ella shake her head, but I also saw her smile.

  Alex and Mallory took the microphone first and said a lot of nice things about our team and how even though we hit some bumps in the road, in the end, we worked better together than any team they’d had in the past.

  “We’re proud of you,” they said, and the audience clapped, and we all looked at one another trying to figure out if we should clap too.

  I couldn’t stop looking for my parents, feeling my heart skipping a bit each time I saw a mom wearing sunglasses on her head, something my mom always did. And, if I was being honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see them while I was up here onstage in front of everyone. Because I’d know in a flat second if there were any updates on Izzy. And I’d know if they had been the good kind of updates or not. Just by the looks on their faces.

  When Leo stepped up, Johanna and Ella nudged me. It was time for the RoboEngineers to get their award.

  Leo cleared his throat into the microphone. “Best Rover is what every Space Camp robotics camper strives for. This week, our competition was fierce. There were a lot of great ideas and a lot of hard work. I’m proud to give the Best Rover Award to the RoboEngineers with a final score of fifty million bolts, a near record for this camp.”

  Everyone clapped and Leo stepped in front of the RoboEngineers and handed them each a patch for their flight suits. James held his up for me to see. It was embroidered with a Curiosity rover and in bright red it said “Best Rover” above the Space Camp logo. I gave him a thumbs-up. It was a cool patch and it would look even cooler when he sewed it onto his flight suit.

  And then from way back in the audience we heard a loud “WHOOP WHOOP!” It was Samuel and Birdy on their robotic unicycle, zooming up to the stage. Ella and I looked at each other.

&nbs
p; Samuel patted Birdy’s head when he got to us. “I’m working on his party-bird mode.”

  “PARTY TIME!” Birdy said.

  “Let me introduce you to our director of artificial intelligence, Samuel, and his robotic bird, Birdy,” Leo said into the microphone, handing it off to Samuel after he parked his unicycle on the side of the stage.

  “Whoa, there are a lot of you,” Samuel said with a nervous laugh, looking out at the audience. “Uh, so, a while back when I was a crew trainer here, I used to give out a special award for teams that took a big risk and followed through on an idea even if it meant it might fail in the end.”

  I perked up, looking over my shoulder at Samuel and Birdy.

  “It’s not a bad thing. Failing is an important part of advancing science. Crucial, even.” He rummaged in his pocket, pulling out a Space Camp patch. “It’s called the Fail Smart and it’s been a few years since I’ve given one out, but I met a team this year that really deserves this award.”

  My face started to burn, and I felt Johanna move closer to me. “HOORAY!” Birdy said.

  “The Red Rovers were disqualified from the robotics competition”—he looked at us meaningfully and I stared at the floor of the stage—“but instead of sitting back, they got together and built a rover made entirely out of junk parts. Even though they couldn’t officially enter into the competition and even though they knew they wouldn’t have enough time to make it run perfectly, they still gave it a try. They took a risk even though they knew they might fail. So, for that reason I’d like to bring the Fail Smart Award out of retirement. Congratulations, Red Rovers.” Samuel gave the microphone back to Mallory and handed us each a Fail Smart patch, and then he leaned over and gave me a big hug.

  “You have a gift, Luciana,” he whispered. “Don’t ever forget it.”

  “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR BIRDY!” Birdy squawked, nearly breaking my eardrum.

  We laughed and Orion started barking and Birdy started singing a song about jolly good fellows and I was relieved when Mallory and Alex led us off the stage because I couldn’t stop wiping my eyes.