The rest of the week played out a lot like the first few days. The competitors were given daily tests and presented with challenges that pushed their physical and mental abilities to the max. Whether it was classroom math or running sprints in the hot desert, the pressure to perform was constant.

Anna was the most focused and the most competitive. She always arrived early for classroom sessions, made sure she was at the front of every line, and never offered help to anybody else.

“It’s a contest,” she would say. “Why would I help the competition?”

The other seven treated the competition more as if they were on the same team. They each did their best, but they weren’t above offering help or advice to the others. (Except for Ravi and Niko, who didn’t help the girls much.)

A highlight of the week was when they received their Mobile Tech Band computers. “Wearable technology” was what Commander Phillips called it.

The MTB was a lightweight six-inch elastic black sleeve that slipped onto their forearms. It was like having a supercomputer wrapped snugly onto their arms. With a quick touch or a verbal command, they could tap into the massive Project Alpha database. They could also use it to communicate with each other, monitor their own vital signs, and view video on its small screen.

They were awesome.

“I’m guessing you can’t pick one of these babies up at Walmart,” Gabriel said.

It was this computer that gave Dash and Anna the information they needed to defeat the Raptogon in the challenge they faced together. That contest happened at the end of the first week of camp.

After triumphing against the holographic monster, Anna started talking as if she had the overall contest locked up.

“I think I know who they’re going to pick,” she said at dinner after the Raptogon Event.

“You mean besides you?” Ravi asked, snickering.

Everyone laughed, but it was nervous laughter because his words rang true. She was the most successful competitor. The alpha dog.

“Who?” Niko asked nervously.

Anna looked the group over, meeting their awkward gazes, enjoying the fact that they all knew she was the front-runner.

“If I was choosing the team,” she finally said after holding them all in suspense, “I’d take Gabriel, Niko, and Siena.”

Those three let out a collective breath.

“You don’t think the rest of us are any good?” Carly asked.

“No, you’ve all got skills. But you’re too…cautious. I want people who aren’t afraid to follow me when common sense says it’s better to play it safe. I don’t see that with you guys. You’re just too…”

“Smart?” Dash asked. “Is that the word you’re looking for?”

Anna shot him a scornful look.

“No, the word I was going for was…scared.”

She got up and headed for the door.

“Remember what I said” were her parting words. “To make this team, you gotta stand out and be special. Step it up, people, or go home.”

The others waited until she was out of earshot before speaking.

“She’s right, you know,” Siena said. “She is a lock for the crew. The rest of us better find a way to get along with her. Good night.”

She got up and left.

Ravi stood and said, “Way too much drama going on here. I’m going to conference with my folks. Then I’m going to meditate with Niko and figure out how we can turn Anna into less of a tool.”

Niko joined him and said, “What? No we’re not.”

“It was a joke. Jeez.”

The two took off.

“I’m not scared,” Piper said, then winked and smiled. “Except maybe of Anna.”

She sped out of the room leaving Dash, Gabriel, and Carly.

“I’m with Piper,” Gabriel said. “Imagine being on a ship for a year with her? Yikes.”

“Seriously,” Carly added. “She’s not exactly a people person.”

Dash shrugged and said, “Yeah, well, let’s hope we get the chance to worry about that. Good night, guys.”

As he got up, Carly gave Gabriel a shove and motioned with her eyes toward Dash.

Gabriel nodded. “Hey, Dash, you got a minute?”

Dash sat back down. “Sure, what’s up?”

“I think they’re going to name the crew soon,” Gabriel said. “I mean, how much more can they learn about us?”

“True,” Dash said. “Hard to believe it’s almost over.”

“Or about to begin,” Carly said.

She looked at Gabriel and once again implored him with her eyes to talk to Dash.

“What’s going on?” Dash asked with a curious chuckle.

“We…discovered something the other day,” Gabriel said. “You know those blackouts every night? They’re not real. They’ve got monster generators that make more than enough power for this camp, but every night they shut them down and tell us we’ve been blacked out.”

“But they keep one running,” Carly said. “So they’ve still got power. We’ve seen the control room and watched them power down.”

“Why do you think they’re doing that?” Dash asked.

“Exactly!” Gabriel blurted out, a bit too loud. “How can we trust them to shoot us into space if they’re not being totally honest with us?”

Dash frowned and dropped his head to concentrate.

“Do the other guys know?” he asked.

“No, just us,” Gabriel replied. “And now you.”

“What do you think we should do?” Carly asked.

Dash’s mind spun, trying to calculate the possibilities.

“Nothing,” he said. “Not yet, anyway. Maybe there’s a good reason they’re not telling us. Hopefully one of us will be on the crew and then we can ask about it. If none of us are chosen, we’ll let the others know and they can deal.”

“It’s not cool that they’re keeping secrets from us,” Carly said.

“I have a feeling there’s a whole lot of stuff they’re not telling us,” Dash said.

“You do?” Carly asked, wide-eyed.

“Absolutely. This whole project has been top secret. Heck, nobody in the world knew they had the technology to send people into deep space until they announced the competition. Once the crew is chosen, that’s when we should start asking questions.”

Gabriel and Carly both nodded in agreement.

“So why did you tell me?” Dash asked.

Carly said, “Because we thought you’d know the right thing to do.”

“There you are!” STEAM announced as he scurried into the room.

The three kids stiffened up as if they’d been caught doing something wrong.

“Bedtime,” STEAM announced. “You need rest. Huge day tomorrow! Yes sir!”

“What’s tomorrow?” Gabriel asked.

“Final challenge. A big one! Very exciting, yes sir!”

“Wait, final challenge?” Dash asked. “Does that mean—?”

“Yes,” STEAM said. “The crew will be selected tomorrow night.”