Up in the air they went. Faster than Junior could fathom, the clones' spaceship gently carried them over the clouds and quickly towards their destination.
R-328
Next on our list is Clara, the candidate from Cuba.
Explained R-328.
R-328
After her, we are going to pick up Marina, from Brazil.
JUNIOR
So we are going to Cuba and Brazil?!
Exclaimed Junior, excitedly.
X-466
This flight is not for pleasure, human!
X-466 was, as ever, in a foul mood.
X-466
You'd think that those who managed to stagger this far would have a fair amount of brainpower, but instead that's what we are stuck with... nothing but lowly evolved, highly dangerous half-wits!!
R-328
Don't pay any attention to him. He just doesn't like you or your planet...
Said R-328, matter-of-factly.
R-328
You won't be able to see anything anyway. We are travelling fast and under the cover of darkness...
As he didn't want to test X-466's patience, Junior decided not to ask any more questions. The clone probably wouldn't hesitate to throw him off the ship.
Since Irina wasn't talking to him and he certainly didn't want to talk to Miss Roberts, he started to gaze at the landscape below.
It had only happened a couple of times, but Junior enjoyed looking down at dark Earth. He obviously couldn't see much, but he gained perspective on another level. Everything Junior could see was man-made. Cities and roads, cars and ships, their lights were the only discernible sights in the night.
"How would the world be without electricity?" he wondered.
"A much darker place" he answered.
Clara and Marina were gathered without fail. Junior remembered seeing their faces before, but had never spoken to them.
As they took off, R-328 turned to speak to all of them.
R-328
Please remain seated, as for this part of the journey we will be travelling fairly high...
Fairly high was an understatement. Once they had reached cruise altitude, the view outside the window was staggering. The Earth was far, far below, its curvature clearly visible in the distance, the light from the Sun still faintly evident.
They landed in New Zealand in an impossibly short time. There, they picked up Whetu, who was warmly greeted by Clara as soon as she stepped on the plane.
Once again R-328 asked them to remain seated, and the spaceship climbed ever higher on its way to Japan to pick up Kumiko.
KUMIKO
JUNIOR! It's really you! OH MY GOD!
JUNIOR
Oh... hi...
KUMIKO
You HAVE to tell me everything!
JUNIOR
Nice to meet you too...
Said Junior, perplexed.
KUMIKO
I mean, you don't get to meet an alien everyday, do you?
JUNIOR
I suppose not...
KUMIKO
So exciting! So cute! Tell me what is Konos like?!
JUNIOR
Well...
KUMIKO
Well, it's not like I expect you to know, you know? I mean... it's such a different thing, how could anyone really know? An alien... sigh... I hope I get to meet him soon too...
"She talks even more than Amanda!" thought Junior, desperately. Lucky for him, he only had to endure her questions about Konos until they got to China, where they picked up Sun Li.
KUMIKO
SUN LI! OH MY GOD!
SUN LI
KUMIKO!
Junior didn't stop Kumiko from joining him.
It was when they were on their way to India to pick up Nanda, that his tiredness caught up with him. The excitement that had kept him awake until then had worn off, and Junior quickly fell asleep.
He was woken up a few hours later by a familiar voice.
LWAZI
Junior! Wake up!
JUNIOR
Lwazi! When did you get here?!
He stared at Lwazi, who was sitting in the seat next to him.
LWAZI
A couple of hours ago...
JUNIOR
Was I asleep?
LWAZI
You betcha!
JUNIOR
Why didn't you wake me?
LWAZI
I tried, but you just wouldn't. Anyway you need to wake up now...
JUNIOR
Why is that?
His question was immediately answered, as R-328 rose to speak.
R-328
You are the last remaining candidates, so congratulations...
Nobody cheered nor replied.
R-328
You must have realised by now the things we are looking for. Abnegation, cooperation, generosity are all traits that humans need to develop more deeply, so if you've made it this far that means you should possess these traits. During the next phase we're going to test your mental strengths to the limit. Since you are competing to live the rest of your lives on a starship, you are going to have to prove that you can handle living and performing under confined and stressful situations.
Nothing could be heard apart from the muffled noise from the engines.
R-328
I bet you can guess what's next...
R-328 waited for an answer that didn't come.
R-328
You will be spending the whole winter at the North Pole.
