Kasey McCoy had always been a brilliant student at the Federation of Planets academy, and now as one of the select cadets in the Odion space station training course his diligence had not been dented. He was the youngest of five siblings, each with a distinguished calling and a respectable place in the cogs of the Federation. Therefore, he could not afford to waver. Kasey had always attended the most demanding institutions, so standing out on grades was not easy. While his classmates went out to parties or dates, he remained cloistered in his books or practicing maneuvers, such as holding his breath for more than two minutes. His experience with women during his teenager's years was nil. He had no qualms about talking to them but none of them saw him with interests beyond friendship. Maybe it was due to his un-masculine appearance. He had shoulder-length golden hair tied back in a bow, a fad that was now falling out of fashion. He was always the shortest of his male companions. As he was constantly exercising his silhouette was slim. It wasn't unusual for his staunch colleagues to mistake him for a girl when they saw him from behind. The latter happened a lot, because, although his tanned body was fibrous, he did not have muscles that stood out to the eye, but what he did have that attracted attention was his round and firm behind. During physical training classes, his buttocks were like two balloons in his regulation spandex suit. More than one of his classmates, and his teachers, sneakily stared at him while Kasey didn't notice.
Now Kasey was playing for real. He had been the only one from his academy to pass the exam to enter the flyer training course at Odion, usually the cadets waited until the end of the year to present themselves, but, knowing Kasey that six months before a test was taken for candidates who did not had gotten over it the year before, he showed up anyway; alleging that he considered himself capable of taking his final exams ahead of time, so that he would be eligible to enter the training course. His plan worked, there was already a record; his older brother, among so many.
When he took the first transporter to the space station, Kasey knew that from now on, everything will be tough. The vehicle began to take off. As he watched the huge skyscrapers of his city getting smaller and smaller, tremors took hold of his gut. If he passed the course he would become a certified flyer, and if he doesn't he'll come home showing his family that he had failed. Kasey made up his mind that he would spend every minute studying and practicing. Friends and women would be left for later.
During his first classes, Kasey experienced no challenges that he couldn't overcome. His classmates were very warm to him. It was a group made up of men and women, both from Earth and from other planets. The only one who offered defiance was Anders, a lanky blond who always took opportunities to emphasize his effeminate appearance. Kasey was used to dealing with those of that ilk by now, nothing that a scathing response showed Anders that his teeth could also bite.
The ones he got along with the most was Janny, an earthling like him, and Botha, a green-skinned Maqiao. It was a peculiar pair who had decided to form a cell with Kasey taking part of. What most caught his attention was how relaxed they were during the classes, they even made jokes behind the back of the instructors, was he the only one who took it seriously? However, when they asked a difficult question, both Janny and Botha answered without question, sometimes before Kasey understood the question.
Kasey barely spent time with his new friends. They went to lunch together, and to dinner when Kasey did not prefer to have a small snack in his room, thus studying more before going to sleep.
"I'd like you to open your soul a little, Kasey," Janny told her once as she tugged at his arm to drag him out of his room.
In truth, Kasey was not paying attention to the things around him. As he walked past the main hall of the commercial area, a town-sized conglomerate of restaurants, electronics stores, clothing stores, virtual arcades and other wonders, he barely looked up from his digital tablet, reading his reports from algebra. All of this changed during the second year, at his first gravity control class.
That day applicants would have the opportunity to experiment with zero gravity, a fundamental task for anyone who wants to become a flyer. The instructor was named Nascina. A tall woman with dark hair. Her skin was coppery, and his practice uniform was tight enough to reveal a fit and regal figure. Her gaze was stern but she wore soft lipstick and a slight blush stood out on her cheeks. A strong woman but who did not completely neglect her physical appearance. Until one of his classmates told him about it, Kasey didn't know that she was not an Earthling, but a Phalosatire, a species he had never heard of. Now that Kasey was observing her in detail, he noticed her unusual eyes, her irises that could not decide if they were violet or indigo wrapped around a wedge-shaped pupil. It made him think of a snake but with a less deadly and more sublime air.
Instructor Nascina noticed the recklessness with which Kasey had stared at her.
"Do you have any questions, cadet?"
Kasey felt his stomach curl. Those exotic eyes had settled on him with a hint of malice.
"No ma'am."
"Well, I'll clear any doubts you may have, while the rest of the class learns the first task. Come to the front."
Kasey stepped out of the line with as much dignity as he could, as if it had been what he wanted in the first place. Other than Janny and Botha, he sure had fooled some.
The instructor ordered him to put on a vest that was hung by a ring on a nylon rope that, after traversing one of the ceiling beams, formed a pulley, where the other end of the rope was within reach of her. She vigorously pulled on her side of the rope, propelling Kasey about six feet above the ground. The maneuver was so sudden that he couldn't resist flapping his feet like an insect, looking for something to perch on.
"They're nowhere near ready to maneuver during gravity disturbances," Nascina announced in a dismissive tone." Just look at your partner, what's your name?"
"K-Kasey ..."
"For starters, stop moving. If you don't maintain a firm bearing, how do you expect to perform your duties on a Federation ship?"
She was right. Kasey calmed himself and pretended there was a floor under his feet. His feet were still hanging but now they were at his mercy and not gravity's. While he was concentrating on his mobility, he could pick up on his companions by looking at him with esteem and nodding their heads.
"However," said the instructor, "gravity is not usually so easy to tame."
She then gave him a kick that sent him to the side, then she pulled the rope for Kasey to come back with more momentum and, this time, pushed to the opposite side. He had become a pendulum. He watched as the room moved from one side to another, his companions blurred figures. Kasey just needed a moment of peace to position himself on his corresponding axis; however, the instructor was unwilling to make the slightest concession.
"Regain control of your body, quickly!"
"No I can't."
