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Aleck

When a knock sounded on the door of Aleck’s large home, he’d been mildly curious. When he’d opened the door to reveal two officers in uniform standing outside, he’d been confused. When they had asked a few questions of his father, then ordered him to grab his necessities, he’d been alarmed. When they had escorted him to a hoverdisk and zipped away, he’d been scared.

When he was brought to a spaceship and locked in a comfortable yet sparse room and watched his planet fade into the starry black void, he’d been terrified.

And when the spaceship landed in the gihugic starship The Resilience, he’d understood and feared.

Aleck McKraken was going to be a contestant in the Cullings.

While the goals of millions – nay, billions – of other children around the universe were to compete in the Cullings and win, Aleck’s planet of Tiras had always considered entering a sure sign of disappearing. Whether or not you won, you never came back.

Never.

The three-minute goodbye he’d been able to spew to his parents hadn’t been enough. The last hour he’d spent with his sister before she left for school hadn’t been enough. The last glance he’d taken of his room and home hadn’t been enough.

He was stuck.

“C’mon, boy, it’ll be fine,” Captain Teres said, grabbing Aleck’s arm and slinging his compact bag over his burly shoulder. Aleck gripped the hilt of his energysword and let Teres lead him forward: into the corrider, off the ship, onto the Resilience. He took a deep, steadying breath and surveyed his surroundings.

Kids and teens of all shapes, sizes, species, and styles were scattered in the docking area. Some wore huge grins – others looked as frightened as Aleck felt. The floor and walls shone white, a brilliant contrast to the huge, round windows overlooking the midnight universe. Aleck knew that the Resilience must be orbiting a moon or something – after all, it was tradition – but he couldn’t see it to be sure.He raked his red hair out of his face and blew out his breath, squaring his shoulders and trying to look confident as Teres released his arm and he followed the stout captain to a group of kids clustered around a gleaming white, humanoid droid who appeared to be giving instructions or a tour or something.

When they reached the group, Teres clapped Aleck on the shoulder, muttered, “Good luck, lad”, handed him his bag, and left.

So… that was touching. Taking another deep breath as he shouldered his stuff, Aleck looked around. Boys and girls, short and tall, dark and pale, stout and skinny – all were there. Some had droids hovering or following them around, others looked like they only came with the clothes on their backs. Some looked haughty, others subdued. One girl was even crying. Aleck shuddered and looked away.

“Once most of you have arrived,” the droid said in a smooth, feminine voice that spoke much too slowly for Aleck, “you will be split into four different groups and led to your various dorms. The droid that will lead you to your dorms will inform you of the schedule and what will be expected of you.”

She paused.

“Once most of you have arrived…”

Rolling his eyes, Aleck found a spot by the wall and sank down, his bag on his lap, fingering his energysword. What was he doing here? Would he ever get home?

No.

Keep a straight face, Aleck told himself. You’re confident, inspiring, bold – glad you’re here. You’re not scared.

But he was scared.

After all, his life had just been unalterably changed.