Base Ten felt like a carnival.

A sea of folding chairs faced the doors of the largest hangar on the base. A military band played patriotic tunes. Television cameras were everywhere, all focused on a stage that was set up in front of the giant hangar. On stage sat a podium and four chairs: one for each of the soon-to-be-announced Project Alpha crew.

The seats filled quickly with Base Ten personnel. The press section overflowed with eager reporters. The front row had seven chairs roped off and a space for one wheelchair, waiting for the stars of the hour.

At ten o’clock sharp, the band finished playing “The Stars and Stripes Forever” as a bus with darkened windows pulled up to the side of the stage. The bus door opened, and Commander Phillips stepped off and climbed the long ramp that led to the top of the platform.

The crowd was totally silent as Phillips walked up to the microphone.

“The dream is finally a reality,” he began, his amplified voice booming across the base. “We are about to begin the final preparations that will send four brave astronauts to the far end of the galaxy and back.”

The hundreds of people in attendance, and the support team for Project Alpha, broke out into thunderous applause. Even the reporters applauded.

“I have no doubt that we will rise to the challenge. We must. Too much is at stake. As we have said so many times, failure is not an option. And we…will…not…fail.”

The crowd once again broke into applause. Phillips raised his hands to quiet them.

“You should save your applause for the eight exceptional young people who have volunteered for the mission. They have put in long hours of hard work and gone through strenuous testing. They represent the best and the brightest that our world has produced. I present to you the eight finalists of Project Alpha.”

The door of the bus opened and the eight candidates marched out wearing crisp, clean orange-and-blue training uniforms.

The audience cheered. The band kicked in with a rousing version of “Off We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder” as Anna led them past the rows of ecstatic soldiers and straight to their seats in front.

Anna waved to the crowd like an Olympic champion. Ravi did too. Siena looked awkward and embarrassed. Piper beamed a big, happy smile. Dash was last, putting on a good face. He was the only one who felt no pressure because he already knew his fate. He smiled and waved anyway because that’s what he was asked to do.

Their images were being broadcast throughout the United States and around the globe. Hope for the future of the world would rest on the shoulders of four of these young astronauts. They were heroes before ever setting foot inside a space vehicle.

They reached their places, gave one last wave to the crowd, and took their seats.

Phillips leaned into the mike and said, “That wonderful reception was well deserved. Though only four of these young people will fly, they are all equally qualified.”

Dash held his head high.

Phillips said, “The choice was difficult, but ultimately we assembled a crew we felt would make the best team. The success of this mission will not rest on the abilities of any one individual. It will be the sum of the parts that will make it to the Source, and bring it back.”

That brought the people to their feet again with thunderous applause.

“To the four who will be going home,” Phillips said, “please know that we honor you today as well, and we are all grateful for your sacrifice and your hard work. Once the crew is announced, I’ll bring you to the bus to begin your journey home. Please, remember one very important thing: you will officially become alternates. If anything happens to one of our principal crew members during training, you may be called upon to take their place.”

The group exchanged hopeful looks, realizing that even if they weren’t chosen, all might not be lost.

Except for Dash.

“Now, let’s get to the reason we’re here,” Phillips said with enthusiasm. “When I call your name, please stand and make your way up to the platform. Understood?”

The kids all nodded or gave a thumbs-up.

Piper leaned closer to Dash and whispered, “Good luck.”

Dash gave her a sad smile and said, “Thanks. You too.”

The rest sat up straight, their eyes fixed squarely on Commander Phillips.

Phillips didn’t need to open an envelope or read from a list.

He knew his crew.

“The first Project Alpha crew member is…Carly Diamond.”

The crowd burst into applause.

“Yes!” Carly squealed with delight, pumping her fist.

The other seven candidates applauded, though the pressure on each of them had just notched up.

Carly leaned into Gabriel and said, “See you up there.”

She sprinted up the ramp to meet Phillips. The two shook hands, then Carly turned and waved to the crowd and the cameras ecstatically.

The audience’s excitement quickly shifted from joy to anticipation as they quieted down to wait for the next name.

Phillips announced, “The next crew member is…Gabriel Parker.”

Again the crowd erupted with applause.

Again Carly pumped her fist and shouted, “Yes!”

Gabriel stood slowly, stunned. He truly did not expect to be chosen, especially after the stunt he pulled by shutting down the base’s generators.

Niko and Ravi pounded him on the back to congratulate him.

“Makes absolute sense,” Siena said.

Anna applauded politely.

“Go!” Dash urged.

Gabriel snapped into the moment. He gave Piper and Dash a high five, then jogged up the ramp. After a quick handshake from Phillips, he joined Carly.

“I told you,” she whispered.

Gabriel couldn’t stop grinning.

The applause died and Phillips stepped back to the microphone.

“Third up is…Piper Williams.”

There was a mixture of surprised gasps and huge cheers.

“Me?” she said to nobody. “Did he say my name?”

“Yeah, he did,” Dash said with a huge, beaming smile. “I knew you’d be chosen. Get up there!”

Piper put her chair in gear and headed toward the ramp.

“No way,” Anna said, stunned.

Ravi leaned into Niko and said, “Guess that means we’re going home.”

Niko shrugged. He felt the same way. The last spot would certainly go to Anna or Dash.

“Well,” Siena said, “this is disappointing.”

Piper sped onto the stage and straight to Phillips.

“Thank you,” Piper said with tears in her eyes.

“Don’t thank me, you earned it,” Phillips replied.

Piper wheeled herself next to Carly and Gabriel, who greeted her with warm hugs.

Three-quarters of the crew was set.

The crowd quieted.

Dash had trouble swallowing. His quest was about to officially come to an end. He looked across to Niko, Anna, Siena, and Ravi, who stared up at Phillips with anticipation. Anna was the calmest of the four. She felt no pressure.

Dash just wanted it to be over.

“Besides announcing the name of the final crew member,” Phillips said, “I’m also announcing that based on their exceptional performance in this competition, this candidate will become the commander of the Alpha team.”

Anna sat up a little straighter.

Ravi leaned into Niko and whispered, “Now I know we’re done.”

Phillips continued, “This candidate has demonstrated the kind of resourcefulness, intelligence, and ingenuity that will be critical in helping the crew deal with challenges both expected and unexpected. We have complete confidence that under this candidate’s leadership, the Alpha mission will be successful in bringing the Source back to Earth.”

The crowd remained silent. Nobody was breathing.

“The final crew member and the commander of the Alpha team is—”

“Dash Conroy!” Carly shouted out.

The outburst caught Phillips by surprise. He didn’t know how to react.

“Dash Conroy!” Piper shouted.

A low murmur went through the crowd.

Niko and Ravi looked at Anna, who seemed ready to explode with anger. She stared straight at Carly and Piper. If looks could kill, Project Alpha was going to need two new crew members.

“Dash Conroy!” Gabriel exclaimed.

Carly and Gabriel stood on either side of Piper, holding hands in a show of solidarity.

“Be careful how you handle this,” Siena whispered to Anna. “You’re going to have to win them over.”

“Uh-uh,” Anna said, gritting her teeth. “They’re going to have to win me over.”

Phillips watched the three for a moment, shaking his head in amazement.

“C’mon, Commander,” Gabriel said. “You know it’s gotta be.”

Phillips turned back to the mike.

The crowd quieted once again.

Anna shook off her anger, sat up straight, and put a smile back on her face.

“This final choice was a difficult one,” Phillips announced. “But ultimately we are one hundred percent confident in our selection. The final crew member and the commander of the Alpha crew is…Dash Conroy.”

Anna made a move to stand, but froze instead.

“What?” she exclaimed with surprise.

Dash was even more shocked.

Niko and Ravi clapped him on the back.

“We knew it’d be you, man,” Ravi said.

“Good luck, Dash,” Niko said.

As Dash went for the stage, Niko looked at Ravi and said, “I thought we had a plan.”

“Should have been us, man,” Ravi said, shaking his head. “Should have been us.”

Anna looked ready to jump out of her skin. She moved to stand up, but Siena put her arm out to stop her.

“Don’t be foolish,” Siena said in such a forceful, confident tone that Anna actually stopped.

Dash couldn’t move his feet. This made no sense.

As the crowd cheered ecstatically, Ravi pushed Dash to get moving. On the stage Carly, Gabriel, and Piper were cheering and whistling for joy.

Dash walked up the ramp in a daze and went right for Phillips.

The two shook hands and leaned in to one another.

“I don’t get it,” Dash whispered.

“We’ll talk,” Phillips said, and directed him toward the others.

He joined hands with them and the four raised their arms in triumph.

“Ladies and gentlemen and people of the world,” Phillips announced, “I present to you the Voyagers.”

The crowd jumped to their feet. Even the reporters, who normally looked at events with cold indifference, stood and cheered.

The other candidates stood and applauded. All but Anna. She fidgeted anxiously.

Phillips said, “Please give a final show of appreciation to the four alternates who will be waiting in the wings should one of our crew be unable to fly.”

As the band kicked in with another tune, Phillips left the stage and walked quickly down the ramp and directly to the four alternates in the front row. He gestured for them to follow him.

Anna looked to the far side of the stage to see the bus door opening. It made her stomach drop. She had planned on leaving Base Ten on a spaceship, not a bus.

She stormed ahead of the group and climbed aboard. The others walked with Phillips and gave a quick wave back to the crowd before boarding.

Phillips entered after them and the door immediately closed. Once it sealed shut, the music and the raucous cheers were reduced to a muted hum.

“This is wrong!” Anna exclaimed, fighting back tears. “How can you say Conroy would be a better commander than me? I won two of the major competitions and would have won a third if Gabriel and Carly hadn’t cheated.”

“This isn’t about any one individual,” Phillips said. “The choices reflect what we believe will make the best team. The mission is going to require a variety of skills, plus we felt strongly about selecting the candidates who demonstrated the ability to work together.”

“So it didn’t matter that I nailed every test?” Anna asked, indignant.

“Every test but one,” Phillips replied. “You weren’t collaborative.”

Anna opened her mouth to argue, but stopped. Phillips was right, and she knew it.

“Thanks for the chance, Commander,” Niko said, shaking his hand. “Good luck.”

Ravi put out his hand to shake as well. “Yeah. Don’t mess up.”

“Thank you for the opportunity,” Siena said. “It was enlightening.”

Anna stood back, sulking.

“Remember,” Phillips added, “you may still get the call. It’s a long time until launch day.”

“I don’t do second string,” Anna mumbled.

“Well, you don’t have to make that choice now,” Phillips said. “Next stop is the airport for your flights home. Safe journey. We’ll keep in touch.”

The bus door opened, and Phillips stepped back into the music and the roar of the crowd.

“Let’s get out of here,” Anna said, and fell down into her seat.

The bus rolled, headed for the exit of Base Ten. Many in the crowd waved to them, but most had their eyes focused on the stage and the young astronauts who had just become the four most famous people on Earth.

Phillips jogged back up onto the stage. He gestured for the crew to sit, then held up his hands to quiet the audience.

“I want to take a moment to briefly outline the Voyagers’ mission,” he announced, focused directly at the television cameras.

“I’m sure many of you watching today are skeptical about deep-space travel. You’re wondering how it was possible for us to have developed this technology. I’m about to show you something that will put your concerns to rest and help you believe that a better tomorrow is coming.”

The sound of multiple hydraulic engines began to grow, giving off a deep, throaty rumble that echoed over the desert floor. All eyes went to the roof of the football-field-sized hangar, where giant ceiling panels were opening up to the sky.

Dash, Piper, Carly, and Gabriel turned in their chairs to watch the show.

“What’s going on?” Piper asked Dash.

“You’re asking the wrong guy,” Dash said. “I still don’t even know why I’m sitting here.”

All television cameras focused on the roof of the hangar.

The thunderous motorized sound grew louder as something began to rise up from inside the building. Something big. Carly, Dash, and Gabriel stood up, and Piper spun her chair.

“Is that what I think it is?” Gabriel said in awe.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Phillips announced with pride, “the vehicle that will take our Voyagers team to the stars.”

With that, the roof panels dropped down, revealing the vessel that had risen from within.

There was no mistaking what it was.

A spaceship.

There was no applause. Most of the people there had seen it before. They had worked on it for years.

The reveal was for the benefit of the rest of the world.

The ship was enormous, taking up the entire platform that rose out of the hangar. It stood five stories high with a gleaming silver body that was oval-shaped and came to a slightly pointed nose. It rested on an enormous black ring. Multicolored running lights winked on and off across its skin, showing that the vehicle was alive and powered.

“People of the United States, of the world, of the planet Earth, I proudly present to you…the Cloud Leopard.”

The crowd finally erupted with cheers of pride.

The four crew members could only gaze at the ship with their mouths open, stunned.

“This suddenly got very real,” Carly said with wide-eyed wonder.

“Yeah,” Gabriel added. “And we have to learn how to fly that thing.”