Ben moved in front of me, gently gripping my shoulders. “Noah, look at me,” he said in a kind but commanding tone. I did as he asked, staring into his eyes. “I know it looks crazy. I know it sounds insane. I know it seems impossible. But this is all very real.”

  I stared into those eyes, and saw only kindness and sincerity. I couldn’t find any reason not to believe those eyes.

  “But…why me?” I asked.

  Ben smiled. “Because I need a pilot for this mission. Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER 11

  “What do you mean, you need a pilot for this mission?” I asked as Ben led us to the ramp that descended from Head Case’s grin.

  “I think that one’s pretty self-explanatory,” he replied.

  “No. I mean. Well, a minute ago you weren’t even going to let us on board because we don’t have any cash.”

  “Oh, that? I had no intention of leaving without you.”

  “Hold up,” Tyler said, pausing at the bottom of the ramp. “What?”

  “There’s a satellite that’s going to pass over this area in less than two minutes,” Ben said. “If we’re still here when it does, it won’t be very long before Space-X knows about it. I don’t know exactly how they’ll react, but I don’t think they’ll just chalk it up to crazy Iowa farmers building weird scarecrows. We need to get moving.”

  “You made me drop to my knees and beg,” Tyler said. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why you made us do that if you planned to let us on board anyway.”

  “It was a test,” Ben answered. “You passed. Come on.”

  “What kind of test?”

  While Tyler stalled us, Leo and Meg ran past us and up the ramp with the rental sign held between them, the carnival lights draped over Leo’s shoulder. They vanished into the ship and then ran back out without the props.

  “I inserted the advertisement for Noah,” Ben explained. “I thought you would probably show because you drove him to VR Awesome, which you decided to do on the way to the hospital after we inserted those ads and vids into your TikTok feed.”

  “I wasn’t scrolling and driving,” Tyler said defensively before the full scope of Ben’s words sank in. “You manipulated me?”

  “Isn’t that what social media is for?” Ben answered. “To be honest, I didn’t expect Ally to tag along.” He glanced at her. “No offense. I’m pleased you’re here.”

  “You are?” Alyssa replied.

  “But this is a special rental arrangement, provided under special circumstances. So we don’t bring just anyone along for the ride. Noah, I tested not only your desire, but also your fortitude. You didn’t give up, and that’s an important attribute in your circumstances. And as for you two…” He turned to Tyler and Ally. “...I wanted to see how well you supported your friend. And like I said, you passed. So, can we go?”

  Ben started up the ramp. Tyler followed without further cajoling.

  “I still don’t get it,” I said, right behind Ty. “Special circumstances? You mean what happened to my parents?”

  “Yes.” Ben threw me a look over his shoulder.

  “People die every day.”

  “They do. And people are instantly orphaned more often than you would think. But Levi picked you, and she’s rarely wrong.”

  “Picked me for what?” I asked. “And who’s Levi?”

  “She’s our onboard computer, and she picked you to pilot this mission,” he answered, remaining patient with my obtrusiveness.

  We reached the missing tooth, passing over the threshold and into what appeared to be a hangar bay. A single small ship, which was as sleek as an Indy race car, sat on the right.

  On its knees in the back of the bay, a full-sized war mech loomed over us. With its fists planted on the deck, its stylized faceplate glared angrily at us over Ben’s shoulder.

  “Whoa,” Tyler said in response to it.

  “Do we get to drive that thing too?” I asked.

  “The Hunter?” Ben replied. “No. Sorry. Normally, I’d start with a tour of Head Case, but we need to launch ASAP. This way.”

  “I’m starting to think this might be real,” Alyssa said, tapping the Hunter’s thumb as we passed it by on our way to the metal stairway leading up the right side of the bay to a balcony. Another identical set of stairs led up the bay’s left side.

  “Yeah,” Tyler agreed. “It’s so real, it’s unreal.”

  Before we even reached the balcony, our proximity seemed enough to open an elevator door in the rear bulkhead, and Ben hurriedly ushered us into the small cab. The interior of it resembled something out of a Victorian-style bed and breakfast, with ornate wood paneling and thick red carpets.

  “This is seriously retro-chic,” Alyssa commented as Ben pressed a button on the control panel and the doors closed.

  A strange sensation hit me when the elevator climbed, turning my stomach queasy and raising goosebumps on my arms. Ben looked my way, and I thought he might ask me if I was okay, but he remained quiet. The cab doors opened again within a few seconds, dropping us off in an ordinary-looking corridor. As Ben led us forward toward a pair of sliding doors, I noticed how the interior metal of the robot head’s hull appeared to be scored and scratched in a manner that left me thinking the marks were intentional. But why?

  I didn’t have time to ask Ben. The doors opened ahead of him, and we followed him through at a fast walk, stepping onto what was obviously the flight deck.

  It was both similar to and completely different from any starship bridge or flight deck I had ever seen on TV. For one thing, the back half had been arranged as though it were a movie theater. In fact, I was pretty sure the three rows of reclining pleather seats with drink holders and swiveling food trays had been picked up at a random theater’s bankruptcy proceedings. Just ahead of them, positioned low enough it wouldn’t obstruct the view from these seats, a single larger seat rested on an elevated dais. A trio of touchscreens on articulating arms surrounded it. Ahead of that, two additional seats were split in the middle by a center console.

  “Those look familiar,” Tyler whispered beside me, motioning to the pilot seats.

  More than familiar. They were identical to the controls of the VR Awesome Star Squadron pods.

  The blonde-haired guy, Matt, occupied the pilot station on the left. He’d watched our entrance from over his shoulder, his attention now solely moving to Ben. “It’s about time. We have less than a minute.”

  “Is all our gear on board?” Ben asked, stepping up onto the dais and taking that seat.

  “The twins just finished loading the booth,” Matt said. “The reactor’s online. And our guests…” He waved toward us. “...are onboard. Hey, I’m Matt.” He jerked his chin up in greeting.

  “Hey, man, I’m Tyler. This is Noah, and Alyssa.”

  “Hi,” Alyssa said, her cheeks darkening, unable to conceal her instant crush on the strapping Ken.

  “Noah, why don’t you take the co-pilot seat?” Ben suggested. “You two, pick a lounger.”

  “You want me to co-pilot?” I asked, voice quivering with excitement.

  “That’s why you’re here. You’ve already proved your mettle back at the arcade.”

  “Are we expecting a dogfight?”

  “Hey, you never know. Head Case has guns for a reason.”

  “They’re not just props to make the ship look cooler?”

  Ben winked, using his hands to shoo me toward the co-pilot seat.

  “Good to meet you, Noah,” Matt said, stretching his hand across the center console the moment my butt touched the seat’s padding.

  “What do I do?” I asked, shaking his hand.

  “Right now, nothing. I’ll get us into orbit, and then you’ll take over once you get used to everything.”

  “Sounds good to me. I can’t believe this is really happening.”

  “I remember the first time I said that. You haven’t seen anything yet. Here we go.”

  Even though the flight deck had a huge ear-to-ear window across its face, a screen rose out of the floor in front of me, extending out and overhead on both sides and enveloping me in the same VR view as in the cockpit in the Star Squadron pod. Only instead of looking out at space or the interior of a hangar, my view appeared to be from the midpoint of Head Case’s full height, looking out and down over the cornfield in every direction.

  “Eat it, Jedi,” I muttered. His serial killer fear-mongering had cost him participation in this adventure.

  “Reactor’s online,” Matt said. “All systems are nominal.”

  ”Take her up, Matt.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” Matt acknowledged, glancing over at me. “You’re gonna love this.”

  “I already do,” I replied, even though we had yet to leave the ground.

  “Punch it,” Ben said.

  Matt pushed his throttle forward with one hand, his other on the control stick. Head Case shuddered slightly as the force of the thrusters pushed the ship off the ground more quickly than any rocket I had ever seen.

  I felt the G-force, but the pressure was nowhere near as strong as it should have been. It was more like feeling the weight of a bowling ball in my lap than being glued to the seat while we climbed vertically up through the patchy fog into a clear night dimly lit by a new moon. The thrust vector changed, tilting the flight deck back and blasting us toward space at a forty-five-degree angle.

  A wave of guilt rolled through me in response to my outright enjoyment of the first few seconds of the ride. My parents had been dead less than twelve hours, and here I was smiling and enjoying myself. It felt wrong. Like I should be back at the hospital, mourning and in physical and emotional agony.

  Watching the sky darken, I looked to the bottom of the screen to see Earth growing smaller under my feet. It gave me enough of a rush to let go of my self-stigmatization. My folks would never have wanted me to pass up an opportunity like this, no matter the situation. They would want me to live my life to the fullest and enjoy what I was being offered.

  And that’s exactly what I did.

  CHAPTER 12

  Head Case continued climbing smoothly, pushing up through Earth’s atmosphere in no time flat. I watched in awe as the curve of the planet became visible, mimicking so many images I had looked at online.

  “This is unbelievable,” Alyssa said behind me.

  “It’s awesome,” Tyler agreed. “But why aren’t we weightless by now?”

  “Artificial gravity,” Matt answered. “And I’m sure you noticed the effects of the inertial dampening.”

  “The ride up did seem hella smooth. More like gliding along freshly paved asphalt than pushing up through the atmosphere.”

  “Bingo!” Ben said. “Matt, let’s cut thrust and orbit for a few minutes so our guests can get a better look at Earth.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” Matt replied, his tone hardly formal. Ben had said they were co-owners, so it made sense if they both functioned at one time or another as captains. “Noah, you can access the flight control settings by raising your left hand just above eye level. If you go into the settings at the bottom of the menu, you can turn off the surround view so you can look out through the front transparency. The view’s definitely better live.”

  I did as he suggested, activating a holographic series of settings and menus while he gracefully piloted Head Case into a stable orbit.

  “What’s this one marked PEW PEW?” I asked.

  “Exactly what it looks like,” Matt replied. “That’s to enter the settings for the guns, including the Fire Control System. We won’t need that one on this flight.”

  “But you’ve needed it before?”

  “It’s a big galaxy out there. You don’t need to worry about that while we’re inside the Solar System.”

  “What do I have to do to see more of the universe?” I asked impetuously. “How do I become a permanent member of the crew?”

  “Whoa there, cowboy,” Ben said. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is, or will be, a rental agreement. Two hours, tops, and then back to Jackson’s Farm you go. Keep in mind, you didn’t even pay for this ride.”

  “But you already know I have nothing to go back to,” I argued. “My parents are dead. I don’t have any other family, not that I’ve met more than a few times. And I’ll be eighteen in six months. An adult. That has to count for something.”

  “Even if there were no other problems, I’m not hiring right now.”

  I tensed up, unexpectedly and immediately desperate to stay out in space forever. To see planets inhabited by blue squirrels and encounter why Head Case needed so many guns to defend itself. “Maybe you can connect me with a captain and ship that is hiring?”

  Ben’s smile remained fixed as he shook his head. “You’ve got moxie, kid. I’ll give you that. But this is a one-time, up and back deal.” He sighed, digging a hand through his curly hair. “It’s my fault. I forgot about the new satellite and didn’t plan my intro timing well, so we didn’t get to go over the agreement before we launched. It’s all spelled out pretty clearly.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, disheartened by his veto but still too elated by my current situation to be too deflated. “I understand. You aren’t going to wipe my memory of this when it’s over, are you?”

  “What would be the point of taking a trip you’ll never remember?”

  I dropped the subject, instead locating the control to retract the co-pilot seat’s surround. I gasped in breathtaking awe as the screen shifted out of my view, and I sat there, staring directly at the planet we had just launched from. The panoramic view through Head Case’s flight deck transparency left me momentarily speechless.

  "How does it feel to be an astronaut, my friend?"

  Ben's voice at my shoulder tore my attention away from the spectacle outside. His ever-present grin conveyed sincere delight at my awe.

  "This is...I don't have words. Unreal seems inadequate." I gestured helplessly. "It's everything I’ve dreamed of and more. I don’t know why you, or Levi, picked me for this, but thank you so much for the opportunity to be here. To see this. In some ways, you may have saved my life today.”

  Ben nodded, appreciative of my gratitude. "Don't thank me yet. We've still got plenty to see and do out here. But I'm happy you're enjoying it.” He craned his neck over his shoulder to look at Tyler and Ally. “What about you two?”

  “I’m just glad I didn’t send them home after they drove all the way from Cedar Rapids just to play Star Squadron,” Alyssa said.

  “I’m not mad that you manipulated me anymore,” Tyler added. “In fact, I’m glad you did. Just wait until I post this video to Youtube.”

  “Yeah, about that…” Ben said. I’d noticed Tyler had his phone out, and had apparently recorded the entire liftoff. Considering what Ben had put us through just to find him and his ship, it surprised me that he hadn’t confiscated our phones up front. “Everything will be wiped before you disembark.”.

  “What?” Tyler complained. “Come on, man.”

  “Didn’t I mention how much of a secret this is? It’s in the rental agreement. I just haven’t had time to have you sign it yet.”

  “What if I refuse to sign it?”

  “If you don’t sign, you can’t stay on the ship, which could be a big problem for you at this point.”

  “You’d airlock me?” Tyler questioned, his voice raising an octave.

  “Technically, you’d be airlocking you by choosing not to sign. I’m not a bad guy at all. But I’m not lying when I say I’ve done worse.”

  Tyler’s face blanched. Even I got goosebumps from Ben’s last statement.

  He didn’t seem bothered by what he had said or our reaction. He returned to forward. “Matt, why don't you let Noah take her for a spin?"

  “Uh, are you sure I’m ready?” I asked.

  “You flew aces in Star Squadron. It’s pretty much the same deal, only with more accurate feedback.”

  “You just need to recover your surround first,” Matt said. “You know where it is in the menu.”

  I nodded, and with shaking hands managed to find it.

  “Passing controls to the co-pilot station,” Matt said, looking over at me, sharing Ben’s grin. “You’re up, Noah.”

  I wrapped relevant hands around the stick and throttle.

  "Relax, you'll do fine," Matt encouraged, noticing my white-knuckled grip.

  I wished I shared his confidence. Virtual simulations hadn't prepared me for the very real ship responding to my tentative movements. She seemed eager, willing to leap or spin at the barest nudge. What was I so afraid of, anyway? This wasn’t the interstate, where a wrong move could…I trailed off, unable to finish the thought. This was outer space, emphasis on space. There probably wasn’t anything I could do out here that would get us killed.

  Matt talked me through the basics while Ben looked on approvingly. Within a few minutes I executed practice maneuvers with growing confidence.

  "He's a natural," Matt judged soon after.

  "Born to it," Ben agreed.

  “Nice job, Katzuo,” Tyler cheered from the back.

  “I think we’re ready to head for Mars,” Ben said. “Matt, I assume the coordinates are reset after our last trip?”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  “How many people have you ferried out to Mars?” I asked.

  “We’ve been doing this for a couple of years now. That’s why we reconfigured the flight deck and added the loungers.”

  “And somehow you’ve managed to keep it a secret,” Alyssa said.

  Ben shrugged. “It’s actually not that hard once you have all the components in place. Since the passengers step off Head Case without any evidence beyond their memories.”

  “And there’s an NDA in the rental agreement, right?” I assumed.

  “Exactly,” he laughed. “Who would believe them anyway?”

  “But twenty dollars isn’t making you a profit,” Tyler said.

  “Not in a financial sense, no,” Ben agreed. “But it makes the passengers feel more like they have some skin in the game.”