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CHAPTER EIGHT

THE BEST PART of the visit to the Coalition co suborbital planes froon Suborbital planes launched into the Earth’s outer atmosphere, and they could cross the United States in twenty minutes instead of the hours an airplane would require They were faster, even, than the Interstice with its vactube They were also as close as anyone got to space travel nowadays, since flying in a suborbitalthe curvature of the Earth The only people who got to fly in them were the ridiculously wealthy

And Intrasolar trainees, apparently

To else that had happened that day as he, Vik, Wyatt, and Yuri strapped into a suborbitalwith two dozen other trainees

"You will reht, fro Am I understood?" the officer said sternly

Vik’s face fell "But we only get a few lared "No"

"What if this is the only tian

"You will remain seated, trainee"

Tom felt his heart sink Stay seated? He saw his disappointment mirrored on Vik’s face An idea crawled into his brain He whispered, "Too bad about your weak stoleam stole into Vik’s eyes "Oh, yes My stomach is very weak, indeed"

THE SUBORBITAL PLANE launched straight up into the sky, pinning theainst their seats To like his brain was sloshing around in his skull, the landscape shrinking beneath theher and higher, the blue of the sky draining to black

And then, abruptly, they caines cut off Every htless, and Toasped in shock and aht Vik’s eye and grinned

Vik ood"

"Oh no, not here, buddy," Toed him, just as loudly

"II feelI feel so"

"Oh God, is there a bathroo?" Tom cried

"Help me Someone help ed, ripping off his seat belt

Tom bobbed up into the air, and the officer shouted, "Sit down!"

"But anoff his belt

"He’ll puke," To with him "He’ll vomit all over the place!"

Wyatt panicked "No! It’ll float everywhere! Why doesn’t this suborbital have barf bags?"

The words rang up and down the aisle as trainees repeated it "Barf bags, barf bags" To of hands, as people searched for soet puke all over us," Jennifer Nguyen pleaded "It’ll get in my hair!"

"Fine," the officer shouted "Bathroom in the back Go!"

Toot to act as they bobbed up and irin, then Tohtened look