The girl perks up anyway I haven’t had a cookie since before Mom left she says I glance down at my toes Our sugar allotment may be small but at least it’s more than nothing What if it really were nothing Mom holds out the plate again Then you’d better have a few This time the girl takes the cookies which is the kinder way of saying she snatches them out of Mom’s hands Her nostrils get as big as lima beans and I honestly think she’s about to shove them in her face plate cookies plastic wrap and all But then she seems to remember that her parents taught her manners Thanks is all she says She slams the door shut in our faces I send Mom a sideways glance Is it supposed to work like that We don’t get many new neighbors The Tripathis only left because the program asked them to move out after their daughter quit her training She pats me on the back Sometimes you just have to be patient
2 I WAKE UP THE NEXT MORNING with the sun shining in my eyes The first thing I do is panic I overslept-slept-slept-slept-slept but the second thing I do is consult my alarm clock According to the blinking numbers it’s only 5 19 But it can’t be 5 19 We may be drifting closer to the unforgiving sun but the Earth’s decaying orbit has only shaved three or four days off the calendar so far It’s February seventh so the sun should still come up I calculate it in my head at 7 26 I fall out of bed and stumble over to the window The sun gets brighter as I stumble and for a second maybe more I’m positive that some new horror has been unleashed on the planet But when I sweep the drapes aside I don’t find a mother ship waiting to vaporize all life-forms just a barrel-shaped spotlight emblazoned with the familiar words UNIVERSAL NEWS NETWORK It’s sitting next to a news van which explains the person-shaped shadows that are scurrying around in the middle of the street I let out a held-in breath Base Ripley is supposed to be the most secure location on the planet but UNN is free to go wherever it wants to go freedom of the press and all that jazz I’ve never really understood why freedom of the press is so important The only thing reporters do is stick their noses in where they don’t belong I let go of the drapes and collapse back onto my mattress but whether it’s the spotlight or the stomachache that came out of nowhere I can’t fall back to sleep Before long I give up climb out of bed for the second time that day and drag myself into the bathroom But even though I shower fast I don’t beat Mom to
the kitchen She’s sipping lukewarm coffee out of one of Dad’s old mugs and like a traitor watching the news How’d you sleep she asks distractedly Terribly I say Mom looks up long enough to give me a once-over but the bags under my eyes must not really alarm her because she takes a sip of coffee Big day she replies as her gaze drifts back to the wall screen I have no idea why today would be a big one but on the wall screen UNN’s anchor Hester Dibble is kind enough to fill me in Happy Destination Day she says to the audience at large To help you celebrate we’re giving you an all-access pass to the people and places that make Destination Day possible How could I have forgotten that it’s Destination Day It’s the one day every year that the rest of the country or what’s left of it anyway thinks about Dad’s mission as much as I do As a member of the program’s first and most important mission Dad’s one of the VIPs of the holiday honoring the launch Davis Hester Dibble asks cocking her head to the side I know whose leering face will fill the screen before the image even changes the slimy Davis Darwin He’s standing on the sidewalk of what could be any street but I happen to know that he’s standing on my street Destination Day is also the one day every year that UNN and Davis Darwin can’t seem to leave us alone Thank you Hester Davis says touching his earpiece like a launchie I’m here with Mr Carl Primm husband of Dr Britannia Primm He turns to his left First off Carl on behalf of the whole UNN family please allow me to express how sorry we are for your loss The shot widens to include a man in a wrinkled solar jack The Tripathis old place is just visible in the background I only got one look at his face so I can’t tell if it’s the man who moved in across the street but he has the same facial structure as the girl who took our cookies
Thank you the man says It actually sounds like he means it We appreciate your thoughts and prayers Davis Darwin nods If you don’t mind my asking how are you and your family going to celebrate Destination Day this year Mr Primm puffs out his cheeks then lets them slowly deflate To be completely honest Don’t be honest with that man I mumble I haven’t thought that far ahead Mr Primm chuckles awkwardly When Davis Darwin doesn’t budge he clears his throat and tries again I’m gonna go to my new job pick my kids up from their new school and try to make their day as normal as I possibly can Mr Primm’s words make my heart glow but if Davis Darwin is affected he doesn’t bother to show it There you have it North America A Destination Day at home He tips his head toward the camera Back to you Hester The image cuts back to Hester Dibble whose wide eyes and downturned lips are probably supposed to convey compassion Thank you for that story Davis I’m sure our thoughts and prayers will be with the Primm family tonight She holds that pose for one more second then clears her throat and her expression She no longer looks upset In other news gas prices in Murphyville are on the rise again but city officials claim She goes on of course but I’ve heard more than enough Without saying another word I stomp out of the kitchen Jameson Mom calls after me catching up just past the couch Don’t you want something to eat Not hungry I reply as I yank on my solar jack She extends a breakfast bar For the walk to school she says In case you change your mind Grudgingly I stuff the breakfast bar into my pocket I won’t change my mind I’m still working on that stomachache but I’ll take the stupid thing if it will make Mom feel better
