1 Chapter 1

_earth

_year 2288

_dakota

It starts at the Space Sojourn Academy. I was finally accepted. It only took me three years to get here, but the hold up was worth it.

When kids turn 10 they are able to choose between public school and get a job that anyone else could get. Or, they can have their grades be monitored by the Space Sojourn Academy. Which is the school part of the Space Sojourn.

At the Space Sojourn, they have scientists searching, recording, and studying living things that they've found in outer space. Also, things found on Earth that could've originated in space or on other planets. Then there are the engineers working on and building spaceships that could end up orbiting other planets. Maybe even explore farther than the other 17 habitable solar systems discovered so far.

The academy part of the Space Sojourn look at the students' grades, but only accept the ones with the best grades. Not only their grades are watched. They need to be well rounded. Mentally, physically, and being able to communicate not only with humans, but possible extraterrestrials.

Plus, the Space Sojourn Academy only accepts the top 22 students out of everyone every two years. Younger and older. It doesn't matter, so it takes a lot of work and studying. Technically even if you have your grades looked at by the Space Sojourn, you still have to go to public school until the Academy accepts you. Only then can you go to the Space Sojourn Academy.

I mean, that took me three years. Then again the Space Sojourn looks at the older students' grades before the younger ones because they have more practical experience. The youngest student that the Space Sojourn accepted was 11. His name, Ryvr Coldstone. Coldstone is now 17 years old, and I can't wait to possibly meet him. He's basically a legend. Since the more experienced get accepted first, it normally takes 5 to 9 years to be accepted.

I've been asked by multiple people how a thirteen-year-old, like me, would be accepted in fewer years than an average student.

Well, my father, Sayr RipLey, told me many stories from when he discovered the 11th habitable solar system since the TRAPPIST-1 solar system in 2017. He was the main engineer and mechanic on the Pluto 9. That was before he passed away when I first started applying for the Space Sojourn Academy three years ago.

I've been in foster care since, more like one foster family. I never knew my mother. But now that the Academy accepted me, I'll be living in a dorm with a roommate.

As far as I know about my roommate is that his name is Pukall Archway. I've heard of him around school. I'm pretty sure he was a troublemaker, at least his friend group was. I guess that doesn't matter. Considering that Pukall has been accepted into the Academy as well as me this year. Along with 20 other students. But I feel life I'm forgetting something about Pukall...

My bags were packed last night and are already in the car, for moving into my new dorm. My brother has a thing for antique cars instead of having a hovercar like everyone else, but that's his deal. He's the one taking me to the Academy since my parents are working. Even thought they are my foster parents they've gotten to know me, and me them, almost as well as my dad had known me.

I looked down, one last time, at my appearance before I left. I was wearing jeans and a black zip-up sweatshirt. Underneath my sweatshirt I had a dark red t-shirt on that had the old NASA logo on it. One black and one blue miss matched socks on my feet. With my hiking boots sitting next to the front door waiting to be put on.

After waking out of my room, and down the hall, I slipped my boots on. Then I caught my reflection in the mirror next to the door.

My pale blue hair was unruly as ever and always had that one piece that never did what I wanted. My ears that are slightly pointed were showing. I moved my hair obscuring them from view. My right ear had a simple black earring, in an attempt to take away the attention of them being pointed. Anyone could still see my ears, so I grabbed a black beanie to hide them. The years of bullying still in mind.

My pale skin that is tinged light blue was darker around my eyes. Showing that I obviously didn't get enough sleep for awhile. Aside from my pointed ears, and unnaturally natural blue hair my eyes are what made people wary of me.

My left eye was bright orange that dimmed around the outer edge. Which is normal except for the colour. What's strange, that's an understatement, is my right eye. My sclera, the white part of someone's eye, is a pale green. While my iris is black, and making my pupil white.

Everything about my appearance would make the children stare, and the adults look at me with disgust or pity. While the students at my school call me a mutant, an oddity, a freak, and so on. But my least favorite always was alien.

When Cora and Roy Reid, my foster parents first saw me had many droughts about being my foster family. That's where my brother came in. John Reid. John's only three years older than me, so when a strange looking, 10 year old showed up at his house, he acted as if he won the lottery. John never asked me why I looked the way I did, and that's what I love about him. John was just accepted it, and saw me as a friend that lived with him. So, you could say me and John, over the few past years, are more than brothers, we're best friends. I smiled at the thought, though I'd never say it aloud.

John's been going to the Space Sojourn Academy for almost two years now, and is well known throughout his class. Considering that he is near the top of his class, and is almost as popular as Ryvr. But not quite.

"Hey, Kota! Let's go your gonna be late for the Acceptance Ceremony," John yelled.

That's what made me snap out of my daze. I grabbed my port from the end table by the door and my hoverboard from the porch. And jumped into John's car. Tossing the hoverboard in the back, next to my bags that I put in his hovercar the night before.

"So," John bumped my shoulder, "You finally got into the Space Sojourn Academy." He made his voice sound like GravBall announcers. He continued,

"Are you ready? Nervous?"

"Yep. 100 percent" I replied.

John leaned forward. Resting himself on the wheel. His shaggy light brown hair almost covering his blue curious eyes as he continued to pry. "What? Being ready or being nervous?"

"Both," my voice cracked a little. Okay, it was a lot and we both started laughing at it.

"That was probably the best voice crack so far."

"Yeah, maybe. But I'm still nervous. I don't know what to do." My hands started unconsciously playing with the strings of my hoodie.

"Just be you. Just like at home, and just like at school."

"People are still gonna judge me though." I sometimes don't think John gets it. He's not bullied every day just because of his appearance.

"I don't care. And neither should you. It's just what you look like."

"I look like some kinda monster from a lab experiment gone wrong."

"You're not a monster. Do you act like a monster? No. You act like Dakota RipLey. One of the 22 people to be accepted into the Space Sojourn Academy this year. Be proud of yourself. I know I am, and so is mom and dad. Come on, lighten up. And what's with the beanie? It's like a hundred degrees outside."

John ripped the beanie off my head. I scrambled to grab it back, but John having longer arms just waved it around out the window of the car.

"Come on! I gonna need that! Give it back!" I yelled.

"Come on? Really? This is just gonna give your hat hair. And why are you gonna need it for?" John was mimicking me once again.

"I need the beanie to cover my ears."

"Oh for the love a black hole. Why?"

"Because I look like a freak otherwise."

"Why do you bring yourself down like that? What do you look like?"

Here we go again. Just like every other time I start to be self-deprecating and bring myself down.

"A person."

"That's right. And who do you look like?" John asked. I mumbled a response,

"Dakota Ripley"

"Who?" He indicated for me to speak louder.

"Dakota Ripley," I said in more of a conversation volume.

"Who?!" John practically yelled.

"Dakota Ripley!" I yelled right back.

"That's right! Now, you can blame me for being late to the Acceptance Ceremony. Let's go." John stopped for a couple of seconds then looked at me with a mischievous smirk.

"Well if you're going to be late, you might as well make it a dramatic entrance"

After that, John attempted to throw the beanie back into the porch, but it landed in the walkway instead. I was tempted to get out of the car and go pick it up and put it back on over my ears. Then I decided against it and listened to John's advice. Just be me. And everything should go to somewhat of a plan.