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Three

JJ’s heart raced at the sight of the Challenger Center when their mom drove up to drop her and Dyl off. Her brother fidgeted with anticipation of the day’s upcoming adventure. The Center was still the same squat, unassuming brick building it had always been, with a large-scale model of a rocket standing tall in front of it. But now that JJ and Dyl knew what was inside, it seemed more tantalizing.

“I’m glad you’re excited about this,” said Mrs. Wren, “especially since I have to pull an extra shift today. You enjoyed Mr. Zota’s last simulation so much that I know you’ll have a good time. Are you sure I don’t need to pick you up?”

“Already got it covered,” JJ assured her.

“Song-Ye’s driver Winston will take us home afterward—in a limo,” Dyl said. “Cool, huh?”

JJ added, “We’ve made some good friends.”

Climbing out of the car, Dyl set his crutches firmly on the pavement and moved aside. Although he would never walk normally, he had adapted well since the car accident that had injured him.

Mrs. Wren said, “Love you both whole bunches.”

“Love you, Mom,” JJ and Dyl replied in unison.

JJ closed both of the car doors while Dyl pretended to speak into an imaginary voice recorder. “Cadet’s Log, T-minus five minutes and counting. We are on final approach to the space center.” He gave JJ a mock salute and swung forward on his crutches, heading toward the Challenger Center building.

JJ could see they weren’t the only ones excited about the meeting. King and Song-Ye were already waiting outside the door, having arrived separately. Petite and graceful, Song-Ye had straight black hair and dark eyes that seemed to mock the world. King, who was six feet tall, had light brown skin, a mellow voice, and a confident manner.

They all exchanged greetings and hugs and spent the next few minutes in animated chatter. The friends agreed that emails, texts, and phone calls were no substitute for being together.

JJ turned in surprise when a dark blue Lexus sedan drove up and pulled to the curb in front of the Challenger Center.

“Are we expecting anyone else?” King asked.

JJ opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out, as the car door opened and a grinning Tony Vasquez emerged. He saw JJ and waved.

Tony’s father leaned over and called, “Have a good time. Give it your best, Antonio.”

“Believe me, I will, Dad.” Tony shut the car door and bounded with a gymnast’s grace up the sidewalk as the Lexus drove away. “Bet you didn’t think I was coming!” he said to JJ.

“Looks like somebody blabbed,” Dyl whispered.

JJ finally managed to speak. “Tony … what are you doing here? I said …”

“I told you, I really enjoyed that Challenger Center field trip. So I’m going to ask if I can participate. There’s always room for one more, right? What’s the worst they can say?” While a flustered JJ tried to think of a response, he turned to Song-Ye and King. “Hi, I’m Tony Vasquez. I go to school with JJ and Dylan.”

King shook his hand. Song-Ye gave him a skeptical look. “Whatever.”

The building door opened, and a trim man with dusky skin and a jagged scar down his left cheek nodded in welcome. In spite of his pure white hair, Commander Zota did not look the least bit old. “Greetings, Cadets.” Consternation filled the flight director’s gray eyes when he caught sight of Tony. “And who might our guest be?”

JJ, secretly glad to see Tony, knew she was responsible for explaining his presence. “This is my friend Tony from school, and this is Commander Zota. Tony and I were doing homework together, and I might have mentioned something about today. He was so impressed with our class field trip to the Challenger Center that he just … showed up.”

Tony reached out and shook Zota’s hand. “Nice to meet you, sir. I saw you when our class came here for a mission last month. I’d like to join the group, if you’ll let me. I promise I’ll take the assignment seriously, whatever you give me.”

The commander gestured them inside, still acting somewhat cool. “Indeed, we may have to make a few … adjustments to accommodate a new crewmember. Would you be so kind, Cadet Vasquez, as to wait while Cadet Wren”—he glanced pointedly at JJ—“assists me briefly.”

Tony took a seat on the bench just inside the doorway, against the corridor wall. Dyl and King sat beside him. Song-Ye made a beeline for a colorful plastic rodent habitat at the back of the round lobby. “Newton!” She took the hamster out and held him gently in one hand while stroking his head with the other. They had rescued the hamster from Moonbase Magellan in the future, just before the base was attacked.

JJ followed Commander Zota down the hallway and into the small briefing room. Under other circumstances, JJ loved this room. The ceiling twinkled with fiber-optic stars on a field of black, and a round light representing the Sun shone from the center of a model of the solar system overhead. At the moment, however, JJ suspected she was about to receive a stern lecture.

“Mr. Vasquez did not receive an invitation,” Commander Zota began. “Remember, I selected you four specifically. We have so much to do, and it could be quite dangerous if others learned about our work. I cannot afford to risk the future for just anyone who happens to arrive.”

JJ stood up for her friend. “Tony’s not just anyone. He’s really smart, and I trust him. I’m sorry I mentioned our group, but I didn’t invite him. He decided to come on his own. It may be impulsive, but it’s also pretty brave. Besides, you said one of the reasons you came back in time was to help us get our whole generation interested in science. Tony’s interested. Shouldn’t we encourage that?”

The commander frowned. “Perhaps, but you must all agree to keep my presence here as secret as possible. That information is on a need-to-know basis, just as your travels in time must be kept quiet. You know how much is at stake. Security cannot be taken lightly. We have enemies out there, and they do not all look like Kylarn.”

JJ wasn’t entirely convinced that it mattered who knew about Mr. Zota. Even if the truth leaked out, who would believe in time travelers and alien invasions? Still, he was worried. “Got it. I promise to keep it secret from now on, and I’ll be sure to remind the others so they understand how serious the situation is. But will you please give Tony a chance? He’d make a great mem-ber of the team, and I think he’s already leaning toward science as a career.”

Zota’s face was grave. “Very well. But I remind you, saying anything to anyone about time travel or my role here could have serious consequences.”

When they were all in the small briefing room, Zota stood before them in his blue jumpsuit, hands clasped behind his back. “And now, cadets, tell me how you did on your TNT assignments—Three New Things you learned since last we met. Since we have a newcomer, I’ll explain what my expectations were.”

His gray eyes narrowed as he turned to Tony. “The first part of the TNT challenge was to study at least one new topic related to engineering, mathematics, science, or technology. With these tools, you will build the foundation of your future.

“Part two was to step out of your current routine and learn something that makes you uncomfortable, perhaps something you have been avoiding. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone. This allows you to approach problems from different angles, and helps you to mature.

“Part three was to strengthen your bodies in some new way. The future will make physical, as well as mental, demands of you. And in general, the healthier you are, the easier it is to think clearly. Please begin, Cadet King.”

King stopped humming “Eye of the Tiger” and launched into his report. “For the first part, I took a simple intro to electronics course on the Internet. Second, languages aren’t really my thing, but I learned how to count and say hello in Russian, Chinese, and French. For physical training, I started kickboxing using a DVD my dad got me. And even though I know it wasn’t part of the assignment, I finished my Eagle project, too.” He grinned and brushed self-consciously at his shirt. “You are now looking at an official Eagle Scout.” His friends clapped and cheered.

“Excellent,” Zota said. “Cadet Park?”

From the corner of her eye, JJ saw her brother pull out a stack of notecards and a pencil. He scribbled notes to himself, a habit that helped him do well in school.

“I take ballet lessons, of course,” Song-Ye said, “but since we had to do something new, I took a class in hapkido, a Korean form of martial arts.” She looked over at Dyl. “And make sure you spell it right, Junior.”

“I know how to spell it,” Dyl quipped.

Song-Ye rolled her eyes. “Other than that, I took a first-aid course, and I read some articles about understanding different cultures.” She shrugged one shoulder.

“Dad always wanted me to learn that kind of stuff, even though I didn’t want to. It wasn’t that bad. I even went to a diplomatic reception with him when my mom was out of town.”

Dyl muttered, “I still want to see that dress you wore.”

JJ gave Song-Ye an encouraging thumbs-up. Song-Ye raised her eyebrows at JJ. “Did you know that in some countries, the thumbs-up sign is actually considered rude?”

“Cool!” Dyl gave her a teasing thumbs-up. “Just warn me before I go to any of those countries. My turn now? I’ve been working out every day after school with my friend George—his grandparents live in our building, and they’re the ones who tutored me after I got smashed up by that car accident. Anyway, we’re lifting weights and doing special exercises for my legs. Even though the doctors don’t think I can, I’m hoping to walk without crutches someday. My arms are getting a lot stronger, too.”

He pretended to make a muscle-man bicep, and Song-Ye said, “Pfft.”

Dyl ignored her. “I did some research on physiology, especially the effects of gravity on humans. The hardest thing I did was join the debate team at school to help me get over my fear of speaking in front of people.”

“A good choice. And what about our other Cadet Wren?” Zota looked at JJ, who immediately launched into her report.

“Figured I needed to be more versatile, so I started learning to fly a new type of plane, a lot more advanced than a crop duster—that part was awesome, of course.

Also learned to fly under Instrument Flight Rules, instead of just by sight.” Zota nodded, as if he had expected this from her. “For the science part, I borrowed a chemistry set from the Sutros down the hall and did some simple experiments. I also found some free Pilates lessons on the Web, so I’ve been tightening up my core muscles.”

“And Cadet Vasquez,” Commander Zota said. “Anything to add?”

Tony looked surprised. He ran both hands through his hair and took a deep breath. “Boy, I didn’t actually know about the assignment before I got here, but let’s see. JJ’s been tutoring me in algebra, and I got a B- on our last test. Believe me, that’s a big improvement. I learned to do flares on the pommel horse—gymnastics, that is—and I started a private driver’s training course. Is that good enough?”

“It is indeed.” Mr. Zota looked satisfied. “Now it’s time for us to prep for the mission.”

***


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