‘Anjuli, you’ll be the flight officer,’ said Sam.
‘Yes, sir.’ Anjuli beamed at Sam before she headed over to the flight panel and, after a wink at me, immediately made herself at home in Aidan’s old position.
‘Erica, you will be on weapons,’ said Sam.
‘Yes, Sam,’ said Erica. At his immediate scowl, her response quickly changed. ‘I mean, yes, sir.’
Erica gave me a brief nod as she took up her post to the left of the bridge. And so it went on. Those who had been on the ship before were assigned to their roles immediately. Hedda was assigned to defence and tactical, Mike to the medical bay – I hadn’t realized he was actually a qualified doctor, albeit a junior one, and Harrison to engineering. Four newbies I didn’t recognize – Becca, Andy, Zach and Valianta were registered and scanned by Sam. Andy and Valianta were assigned the engine room alongside Harrison. Becca was assigned to the medical bay when required to work with Mike, otherwise the astrophysics lab. Zach, who had to be no older than fifteen or sixteen, was assigned to the mess hall but was warned to make himself available to anyone who needed him. After their assignments, I introduced myself to each of them and shook their hands. I needed to get to know them all, to learn their strengths and their weaknesses if we were going to make an effective team. But I had time. We all did.
Valianta was the last in the queue. I peered surreptitiously after her but there was no one else waiting to come onto the bridge.
‘Is that everyone, Anjuli?’ I asked, with what I hoped was just the right combination of professionalism and detachment.
‘Yes, Captain.’
Anjuli and I exchanged a look. I hadn’t fooled her for a second. She almost imperceptibly shook her head. The hope that had flared within when I saw Sam and the queue of people in the corridor guttered and died.
Nathan hadn’t come.
I leaned back in my chair, briefly closing my eyes. Hope was such a dangerous thing. Its loss had scooped my heart out anew but I would survive.
I didn’t need my heart for that, just my head and my wits.
Anjuli smiled briefly but sympathetically, before turning round to face her instrument panel.
‘Lay in a course for Earth’s star system,’ I directed. ‘I’m going to make sure the Authority get to know the name of this ship.’
‘Course laid in, Captain,’ said Anjuli.
We were on our way.
An alert flashed up on the panel that was part of my captain’s chair. A personal message was coming through for my eyes only. I checked the sender.
Nathan.
A quick glance around the bridge, but no one was paying me any attention. My heart thumping hard in my chest, I opened the message and read. Then read it again and a third time.
Vee, I love you too.
Nathan
Tears may have escaped and slipped down my cheeks, but I had a smile on my lips. I closed my eyes. Maybe one day, by some miracle, Nathan and I would be together again.
But if not . . .
Goodbye, Nathan. See you next lifetime.
About the Author
Malorie Blackman has written over sixty books and is acknowledged as one of today’s most imaginative and convincing writers for young people. She has been awarded many prizes for her work, which includes the bestselling Noughts & Crosses sequence.
In 2005 she was honoured with the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her contribution to children’s books, and in 2008 she received an OBE for her services to children’s literature. She has been described by The Times as ‘a national treasure’. Malorie was Children’s Laureate 2013–2015, inspiring and championing creativity and diversity in all its forms, also establishing the Young Adult Literature Convention as part of the London Film and Comic Con.
You can find Malorie online:
www.malorieblackman.co.uk
@malorieblackman
Also available by Malorie Blackman for young adult readers:
THE NOUGHTS & CROSSES SEQUENCE:
Noughts & Crosses
Knife Edge
Checkmate
Double Cross
Boys Don’t Cry
Noble Conflict
The Stuff of Nightmares
ANTHOLOGIES:
Love Hurts
A collection of love against the odds from the very best teen writers and edited by Malorie Blackman
Unheard Voices
An anthology of stories and poems to commemorate the bicentenary anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade
For a full list of Malorie’s books for readers of all ages visit malorieblackman.co.uk
RHCP DIGITAL
UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia
India | New Zealand | South Africa
RHCP Digital is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
www.penguin.co.uk
www.puffin.co.uk
www.ladybird.co.uk
First published 2016
This ebook published 2016
Text copyright © Oneta Malorie Blackman, 2016
The moral right of the author has been asserted
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978–1–448–15712–9
All correspondence to:
RHCP Digital
Penguin Random House Children’s
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL
Chasing the Stars Page 35
