The Unsound Theory (STAR Academy Book 1) Read online

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  THE UNSOUND THEORY

  First edition. January 26, 2018.

  Copyright © 2018 Emilia Zeeland.

  Written by Emilia Zeeland.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1. The Promoters

  Chapter 2. The STARs

  Chapter 3. The Launch

  Chapter 4. The Descendant

  Chapter 5. The Intros

  Chapter 6. The O’Donnells

  Chapter 7. The Migration

  Chapter 8. The Recruiter

  Chapter 9. Allies

  Chapter 10. The Ball

  Chapter 11. The Signal

  Chapter 12. The Circles

  Chapter 13. The Generalist

  Chapter 14. The Return

  Chapter 15. The Hidden Room

  Chapter 16. After Curfew

  Chapter 17. Back in Business

  Chapter 18. The Weak Link

  Chapter 19. Spotlights and Lost Fights

  Chapter 20. Trust

  Chapter 21. The Pep Talk

  Chapter 22. The Wild Side

  Chapter 23. The Wormhole

  Chapter 24. Nova Fia

  Chapter 25. The Vibe

  Chapter 26. The Attack

  Chapter 27. The Shattered Reality

  Chapter 28. The Undeniable Proof

  Chapter 29. See Me Fall

  Thank You

  The Candidates

  The Truth Hunters

  Contributors

  About the Author

  ...even if the whole world thinks I'm crazy...

  Chapter 1. The Promoters

  YALENA PEEKED OUT OF the parked transporter at the twilight haze above. The stars—the few that were still visible after the Quakes—had dimmed, and a spider web of cloud cover now half-hid the moon. The glowing space station was spinning, but from here, it only seemed stuck, like a neon figurine glued to a ceiling. It made her fight a growl in her throat.

  Gazing up was emptiness, a question without an answer, so it was better to look down.

  With the push of a button, the glass side-door of the transporter flipped up, and Yalena slid out. Even though she’d landed two spaces down from the designated spot in front of her home, she could still make out the two figures at the porch. Their dark silhouettes jumped out, intruding on the peaceful row of identical suburban houses—a rare trace from a distant past.

  The pair perked up. They must have heard the clic-clac of her heeled boots.

  Despite the cold raindrops clinging to her hair, Yalena didn’t bother with an umbrella. Not wanting to get drenched was an excellent excuse to offer them for not stopping to chat.

  When she turned into the pathway to the house, the visitors lined up side-by-side like a mismatched welcome committee—one tall blond, one short brunet. Identical red uniforms, unfamiliar golden markings across the sleeves, and watchful eyes following her every move. These two were no lost tourists.

  Yalena halted before climbing the steps up to the porch. “Buona sera,” she said. The compulsory greeting in Italian was polite and detached, but it only made them shrug at each other.

  “Hi,” the taller one said, recovering from the surprise. “We’re looking for Yalena Russo.”

  The mere use of English would have betrayed them, if nothing else. Foreigners fit the promoter profile, but Yalena pushed down the unease stirring inside her. She’d met promoters before. Turning them down was simple—sending her signature snort their way, followed by a bored expression, would suffice. It painted her as stuck-up, but why would that matter? She’d never stick around long enough to see their faces again.

  “I’m afraid I must disappoint,” Yalena said. Her eyes flickered to the side. “I’m not looking to buy.”

  Instead of the pushback she had anticipated, they exchanged frowns before the blond one zapped, “We’re not asking you to buy.”

  “Buy what?” the other one blurted out. She almost bought that clueless expression.

  The second one was sturdy and muscular. The way he elongated his vowels stood out to Yalena, but she didn’t recognize the accent. And she always recognized accents.

  After their dumbfounded reaction, the sound of the hardening rainfall was the only noise between them. If they were promoters, they were doing a terrible job, the type their boss would cut fingers for.

  The blond one flashed a forced smile. “Let’s try this again,” he insisted. “My name is Chris, and this is Adam. We’re here on official business to deliver a special e-vite.”

  “I see.” Yalena had to fight the reflex that made her want to raise her eyebrows in awe. Who else but elite circles of drug dealers would target an e-vite at her?

  “We wanted to meet face-to-face, so we can explain...some things,” Adam spoke again. His accent wasn’t strong—probably not even noticeable to the average listener—but to Yalena, it was a scream.

  “There’s no need for that,” she cut him off. Unease was pushed out of her by impatience. “Can I have that e-vite, then?”

  Silly newbies, Yalena thought. They must have followed her back from the packed gray city one of the nights before. A rich girl from the suburb was their best bet for bringing in steady income. Too bad they were out of their depth. If they gave her the e-vite, Adeline’s team would bust their operation before it was time for the evening news. So what if Yalena would have to listen to Ade’s lazy scoldings for having meddled? It would be worth it.

  Feeling her hair grow heavy with the cold rain, she held out her hand.

  “Here you are.” Chris tried to return to his business-like tone, but he sounded entertained. He pulled out a little foil scroll—not a rare find, exactly, but expensive enough to stink of bad faith.

  Yalena wondered in the back of her mind if he would unfold the thin piece of foil and activate whatever message it carried, but he just handed it over, tracing her reaction. If it were anything but a promotion, they could have sent the message to her digitally. That personal transaction just sealed their fate.

  “We’ll be around for the next few hours if you have any questions,” Chris added, as if trying to sound helpful.

  “Yes. Actually, when you have questions.” The weird accent seeped through each word Adam said. His shoulders hung high, like he was trapped in a permanent shrug; whether due to discomfort or the cold humidity, she couldn’t tell.

  “Certainly.” Yalena exhaled a cloud of breath with a strange feeling of pity for them. Served them right, though, if they were thick enough to get mixed up in a gang.

  “We’d better leave you to it, then,” Chris said.

  She only tilted her head to one side in a motion they couldn’t have mistaken for a nod.

  No one moved right away. Then, they slowly walked off to the far end of the street, whispering and joking like there was something funny about the situation. Yalena could only make out a small part of their chatter.

  “What did she think we wanted?” Adam said.

  Chris’ reply was a quick ramble.

  Adam let out a booming laughter. “Earth is insane, man.”

  Yalena waited until they were out of sight to approach the entrance scan.

  “Please state your name,” the security system said.

  “Yalena Russo.”

  “Are you in distress?” The machine’s voice was flat, making her snicker.

  Yalena wiped the raindrop rivers from her face. “No, it’s just bad weather.”

  The door slid open in reply with a faint tune and the familiar “Wel
come.”

  The light sensors turned on, and the clean, minimalistic living room came into view. A wide, quiet, empty space. Not even a dust particle danced in the air. Then the wall behind the main holo screen slid to the side, opening the entrance to Adeline’s surveillance hub.

  “I didn’t think you were home,” Yalena said. “Why did you leave me alone with those two?”

  In front of the three monitors, Adeline spun in her chair to face Yalena. Her expression was unreadable. “They were here for you.”

  Yalena felt like she’d skipped a step somewhere. “So what? I thought you would have busted their promoter butts already.”

  “And I think you’d better read your e-vite.” Adeline’s tone was cautious, and she turned back to the screens to type the security protocol that would seal the house for the night.

  Yalena’s fingers unfolded the scroll, making the translucent material harden and light up, like a hair-thin screen.

  But when it flashed on, her eyes widened as she stared at the big STAR Academy logo. Silver letters stood out against a dark blue background with a few shimmering stars. Underneath the acronym were the words Space Talent Asset Recruitment.

  If she were capable of whistling, she’d use that ability now. It looked like somebody really needed those initials to spell out STAR.

  That peek she sneaked at the space station lights—a human reflex she normally resisted—felt like a dangerous move that had drawn attention back to her, even though it was impossible. This couldn’t be. Out of all things in existence, it couldn’t be—and yet, it was—a message for her from space.

  The screen flashed with the words “You’re invited” before moving on to a short message. Yalena skimmed through it as quickly as she could.

  Yalena Russo,

  We are pleased to inform you that you have been invited to join our first-year class at STAR Academy on Unifier Space Station this fall. STAR Academy is a place for the most promising high school graduates from each of the near worlds. We have evaluated you as one of twenty especially suitable candidates and will therefore be pleased to meet you this September for the start of the new academic year.

  You will find all additional information in the enclosed documents. You are also very welcome to contact the members of our second-year class who delivered this e-vite to you.

  Looking forward to having you with us,

  Commander Marcus O’Donnell

  STAR Academy

  Unifier Space Station

  She didn’t dare to blink. Jaw fixed, eyes unwavering, all she could do was stare at the screen.

  Minutes passed before Yalena was finally able to move. A quiet voice inside her head pleaded, They’ve been looking for you, but she couldn’t let herself believe it. It had to be a mistake. Or worse still, if one were to trust the cruelty of the universe, it would turn out to be a coincidence. After all, the world was full of academies, and some of them were bound to be off-planet. There was nothing exotic here, not on the face of it. Exciting, probably. Intriguing for most, beyond doubt, but for her, it was a reminder of that glaring black hole in her past—a nasty joke.

  The thud of her heartbeat thrashed louder and louder in her head until Yalena couldn’t make out single thoughts from the storming choir.

  “They’ve found me,” she whispered.

  Then she lifted her gaze from the e-vite. Adeline still had her back toward her, even though the security lock-down had completed.

  “Ade?” she called out to her legal guardian.

  The chair spun back around. Yalena’s hands, suddenly clammy, held up the e-vite. She crossed the living room over to the surveillance hub.

  Adeline’s hazel eyes dug into hers—detective mode on. “What’s in there?”

  Yalena felt her pulse in her throat. “It’s an invitation to study in space.”

  The conversation she was about to start had been unthinkable to her only hours ago. But that brief e-vite flooded her head with ideas. She needed to bottle them up and place the cap of reality on before they foamed out, spilling everywhere like a well-shaken fizzy drink.

  “Did you know about this?” Yalena wished her voice hadn’t come out strangled.

  Her legal guardian didn’t even twitch. “I recognized the uniforms. STAR Academy, right?”

  A second wave of panic washed over Yalena. The thing she always pretended wasn’t there, orbiting around her world, now shone its bright lights directly at her. She couldn’t ignore its existence, not anymore.

  Mechanically, Yalena folded her legs and sat on the second chair in the hub. She cleared her throat. “This—them reaching out to me—can’t be a coincidence.”

  Absently, she wished for a reaction out of Ade, but she only got a poker face peering back at her. “Maybe, maybe not.”

  “I know I don’t normally ask about the past, but if you know anything that might explain this...” Yalena trailed off.

  “I’ve told you all I know,” Adeline said. “I didn’t think much of space societies at the time. I was deep undercover as a secret police trainee, but I rushed things, and I screwed up my assignment.”

  Yalena barely blinked while Adeline shifted in the seat opposite her. It was as if time had stopped.

  “One moment of distraction, and it was over. The entire team placed in jeopardy. The extraction was a panicked mess, which the bureau had to work for years to undo. My professional adviser was willing to give me a second chance, but he did promise I was free to opt out of it, if I preferred to give up. Of course, I wouldn’t. So, I told him I’d do anything for a second chance.” Adeline wet her lips for a few long seconds. “He said I needed to handle responsibility better. That had been my fatal flaw, he thought. So, he said he would find a way for me to live with the greatest of responsibilities constantly and inescapably—to never be able to forget how much others depend on me.”

  Yalena swallowed with difficulty. She could feel the inner struggle coming off Adeline, vibrating through the air.

  “My adviser told me of your case—a baby girl found abandoned on a space vehicle. No trace of where you came from. No one looking for you.” She hesitated for a second. “It wasn’t rocket science to connect the dots.”

  Yalena relived opening the e-vite again—the sensation that someone out there was looking, if not for her, then at least at her. “You couldn’t have been ready for it.”

  Adeline shrugged. “Readiness is overrated. No one’s ever really ready.”

  With her eyes a deep brown and her chocolate, wavy hair, Yalena looked nothing like her legal guardian. She was also taller and downright tanned compared to Adeline’s milky complexion, covered in freckles. What a duo they made—too close in age to be mother and daughter, yet too far apart to be just friends and too distinct to be sisters. Adeline’s face had aged well, and her bushy, red hair made her seem youthful, so they’d sometimes have fun with it and try to make people guess how they were related. No one ever got it right.

  “The paperwork was done hastily, and then there I was, traveling to Unifier Space Station to pick you up—my new daughter, only a few weeks old.”

  Yalena felt the heaviness of the conversation with a new pull. She didn’t know what she’d expected to hear in revisiting this story. There was nothing new in it, apart from the fresh pang of pain somewhere deep, where she didn’t want to venture.

  “Do you know anything about my...” she trailed off, seeing Adeline’s expression turn into a frown. Why was it so hard to say, “biological parents?”

  “The officer charged with delivering you into my arms told me that he had spent night and day trying to figure it out. He tracked the number of births, contacted individual families to inquire about their newborns, and even dove into piles of vehicle purchase and registration data. He couldn’t get anywhere with it. It was as if the cargo ship had spontaneously grown a new compartment—the one you were found in.”

  Yalena chewed on the inside of her cheek. Part of her felt silly for thinking there would be any
new information out of revisiting the story. Still, she couldn’t drop it. “I wonder if they found something later, but maybe they couldn’t get in touch with us because we move around so much, and our contact information is always protected by your department.”

  “Trust me, if they found you now, they could have done so before, too, if they’d had a reason.” Adeline pursed her lips, steely, unbreakable resolve in her eyes. No wonder they always asked for her in hostile cross-examinations of witnesses. It was her turn to ask the questions now. “Why are you questioning this now?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Heat colored Yalena’s cheeks. “Because they’ve found me.”

  “So? I thought you would have trashed that e-vite already. The fact you want to talk means you’re considering it.”

  She was right, of course, and it irked Yalena to know how easily her legal guardian saw through to her.

  “There’s got to be something new, some clue they’d missed before.”

  Adeline leaned back in her chair. “I can’t imagine there would be any news on your origin after eighteen years. Initially, I hoped there would be, for your sake, so that I would have the entire story to tell you once you grew up and asked about it. With time, I came to terms with not knowing.”

  Yalena’s mouth hung open. There was something she felt she had to say here, but she wasn’t sure what anymore.

  “I’ve come to accept it, too, like you said,” she cut in, possibly a bit too sharp in her tone. Then, she had to distract from the tension building up. “I just don’t understand why they would invite me. I never applied for this Academy, and I only took one basic Space Ed class. I truly am a beginner, a zero. I wouldn’t know how to buckle a space safety belt. How could they possibly want me to join?”

  “I’m sure they’ll cover that on day one, so pay attention.” Adeline smiled just barely.

  For Yalena, the gesture sealed the feeling that had so quickly built into certainty. There was no choice to make, not really. She had let it seem that way, but the truth was that she could never bring herself to ignore the e-vite and turn her back on it.