Kai tried to match his steps to Alex's, but his legs must have gotten shorter since coming to Mars. He kept having to add extra steps. He could do this. He wanted to do this.

  "Keep up, man," Alex whispered, nodding ahead to General Stone.

  Stone was flying. His legs powering off each time they connected with the metallic flooring. Kai prayed Ms. Lawrence was fully clothed. He didn't want to witness the tank top and underwear again. The longer he thought about it, the more he was convinced this whole thing would end with him having to testify in court over something he saw.

  Their current goal was to get Ms. Lawrence away from General Stone so she could help quell the boycott, which Kai believed was a horrible idea. Grown adults couldn't figure out how to navigate this planet successfully. What expertise could a handful of high school kids offer?

  "Just so we're clear, gentlemen, this brief conversation will focus on your strong belief that following mission orders is in your best interest and the interests of your peers. Is this accurate?" Rocky asked.

  "Yes, sir," Alex said robotically.

  Kai felt the will to speak in his throat, but all he could manage was a low grunt, so he shook his head in agreement, hoping that would satisfy Stone.

  "Good," Rocky said."Ms. Lawrence doesn't know you are coming, so her reaction may be quite emotional."

  "Is she dressed?" Kai asked, not realizing his thoughts had manifested into words.

  "Of course she's dressed. What type of question is that?"

  "A valid question," Kai said. "The last time I saw her, she was almost naked and badly beaten."

  Alex coughed, and Kai began to feel the inside of his brain melting. He'd basically blurted out a stream of consciousness.

  "I think Kai just gave voice to something we're all feeling, sir. And when I say all, I mean all the guys. We'd like her to have some clothes on, sir. For obvious reasons," Alex said.

  "I can appreciate that," Stone said stoically. "It just so happens that Ms. Lawrence has learned how to comply nicely since the last time you saw her, so she's earned access to clothing."

  And the beatings, Kai wanted to say, but didn't, not wanting to delay actually getting to see Ms. Lawrence. Kai knew Alex was pissed. The tops of his ears were red, and he was talking incessantly as if trying to talk General Stone down from something. He hadn't shared any details about how he was going to restrain Stone long enough to get Peyton out, but Kai wouldn't be there for that. All he had to do was get Ms. Lawrence out of the room and out of the Hub.

  "Are you ready?" Stone asked, his voice interrupting Kai's mental rundown of his exodus.

  "Yes," both boys answered in unison.

  Quickly, Stone entered Ms. Lawrence's room and motioned for the boys to follow. At first, it seemed Peyton must have just woken up because her hair was matted to one side of her face. But on closer inspection, Kai realized her hair was full of knots and snarls as if she hadn't been brushing it or worse, as if she wasn't showering. She was wearing a men's flight suit that hung off her emaciated frame, along with fuzzy purple socks, as if the socks made up for everything else. Her entire right eye was swollen shut.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  "You mother fucker," Kai screamed, pushing past Alex to wrap his hands around Rocky's throat.

  "Off the script, man," Alex bellowed, actively trying to pull Kai off the old man.

  Peyton, having actually been asleep, took several seconds to react to what was happening. She steadied herself and stood. Her eyes working to focus.

  "Kai, Alex?" she said, stepping towards them. "What are you doing here?"

  "Come with me," Kai insisted, letting go of Rocky long enough for Alex to replace him, scooping Peyton up in his arms.

  "Come with you where?" Peyton asked, confused.

  "Go," Alex demanded, his forearm rammed up against General Stone's neck. "I've got this. Go now!"

  And Kai took the directive seriously, running as fast as possible. Not as fast as Max or Presley, of course, but pretty damn fast until he stood at the entrance to the Hub. Ms. Lawrence couldn't leave the Hub like this. They both needed to suit up.

  "We've got to suit up," Kai said, gently setting Peyton down on the ground.

  "You've got to suit up," Peyton corrected him, calmly.

  "I'm not leaving you, Ms. Lawrence. We're meeting up at the crater. Everyone's risked everything to get you out of here."

  Pyeton swallowed hard, her eyes filling with tears, "Thank you, Kai, I'm so proud. You're incredibly brave."

  Kai considered the words proud and brave, which weren't usually ways in which he was described, and let himself enjoy them for just a few seconds, deciding that breaking Ms. Lawrence out of isolation had been the right step and that together, they could decide another right step concerning the launch home.

  "Of course," he said shyly, trying to multitask and think of the quickest route to gather two space suits and helmets."Stay here. I'm going to get us gear."

  "Okay, but Kai, I don't need a helmet. I can breathe the air outside."

  Kai looked at her blankly and nodded. "I'll be right back," he said.

  It was obvious Ms. Lawrence had been through hell, but Kai hadn't considered how imprisonment might impact her neurologically. He'd written a paper in 10th grade on how sensory deprivation could make a person go crazy within a matter of days. Peyton had been locked up for over a week. Was she hallucinating? Had she imagined that she could go outside without a helmet and breathe the air? Would she remember that he could fly, or would it be a struggle to get her up in the air safely? He hadn't budgeted time for these extra pressures.

  Kai plucked two spacesuits and helmets from a nearby supply closet and began sprinting back to Peyton. What if she'd wandered away disoriented? But upon return, he found her sitting exactly where he'd left her, smiling warmly.

  "Let's get you suited up," Kai said, placing Peyton's gear on the floor beside her, stepping into his own space suit hurriedly.

  Peyton complied, sliding on the spacesuit over her oversized clothing. She cradled the helmet under her arm and walked to the entrance of the Hub.

  "You're going to need the helmet, Ms. Lawrence," Kai said firmly, praying it wouldn't be a fight.

  "I don't need a helmet," Peyton said again, smiling.

  "Ms. Lawrence, I know you've been through a lot. Maybe your memory has been affected. I don't know. But I promise you, you need a helmet."

  "Okay," Peyton said, attaching the helmet to her spacesuit.

  Kai felt his body soften. Thank you, God, he thought, attaching his own helmet and pushing open the entrance to the Hub.

  "I don't know if you remember, but I can fly," Kai said confidently. "I'm flying us to the crater."

  "That's awesome," Peyton said."I knew you could do it, Kai."

  "Do what?" Kai said, turning around to face Peyton.

  But the answer didn't matter anymore because Peyton wasn't wearing her helmet. And she was fine. She was smiling.

  "What the actual fuck is going on?" Kai asked, panicked.

  "The digsite is a portal to an earlier version of Mars. Our bodies adapted by learning to breathe Martian air while we were there. We don't have to rush back to Earth."