"ATTENTION FINAL QUAD ENGINEERING STUDENTS WHO ENTERED THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR THE B.H SUPERNOVA:

You were told at the start of the period of how it'd work in phases. Much like how bigger projects in spacefaring industries are done in blocks, the faculty sought to replicate this environment for our students.

First Phase — Planning and blueprints were handed into teachers. Out of this, we chose the top students out of multiple final quad classes.
Second Phase — After careful examination of student blueprints, we gave our top picks free use of the facilities on campus and any materials for their prototypes.

It is now onto the presentation phase — we've moved your prototypes off campus into a nearby spacefaring warehouse due to the high volume of capable entrants and to free up classrooms and workshops for the newer blocks. In this document is an attachment for the address to the warehouse and your presentation slot. BE ON TIME AND PREPARED TO PRESENT YOUR IDEAS AND USE OF YOUR PROTOTYPE DROID.
Good luck, Overseer Mikean."

Fuck.

Out of all the names, she slotted into the afternoon slot. Around the same time Neo would be at Atrium Four with Kiala for his thesis presentation in a short while. Time and place written down in her datascroll and locked into her wristpad, she slipped out of her room. I should head there soon. I don't want to take a chance with the traffic of the metropolis. But first... Nova opened Neo's door, where he sprawled across his bed, face shoved into the pillow while his thesis document filled the entirety of the screen. Late nights and early days forced him to push through whatever grappled him and prevented him from completing it earlier. I guess it's a good thing he finished it... I just hope he remembered to write his slot down.

"Neo," she said.

Zero response.

Nova grabbed the small capsule on his desk and overturned the writing. His lack of response suddenly made all the more sense. Nova pressed her lips together and sat on the edge of his bed, clicking open the capsule, where small spheres filled it near to the brim. It clicked closed and she leaned over Neo, and he shifted when she held onto him. "Neo, how many did you take?"

"One, why?" he said through muffled fabric.

"When?" It took too long for him to reply, so she huffed. "I've got a question."

"Does it require me being awake?"

"To answer? Yes."

"Go on while I'm still conscious."

Nova checked the time once more. "I've got my presentation slot, but they've moved the prototype out into a warehouse in the city," she explained while Neo breathed underneath her in deep waves. "I need to borrow your car for... probably a few hours. It shouldn't take me that long."

"You don't sound so enthused," he mumbled into his arms. "Isn't it good that they moved it? It means you're one of their top considerations, right?" He overturned onto his side to peer at her through half-lidded eyes then investigated the small line of cabinets at the head of his bed. "Where did I put it?"

"Don't tell me you lost your keys."

"I'm not going to be happy if I have." He rested his head back into his arm with a deep sigh.

"Where'd you leave them last?" she asked.

"On my desk... somewhere."

Stars, Neo, sometimes I wonder how you don't lose track of your limbs. Neo lifted herself off of Neo to shuffle through his desk and the empty containers meant for holopens, of which were scattered along his desk and open codex. She overturned everything, then found them underneath the container with a huff. "Here they are."

Neo nodded as she handed him his keys to check over. He unlatched his ID card and pushed it into her hands. "You got this, Nova, don't worry," he mumbled into his pillow.

Nova pocketed the keys and hugged him from behind. "Neo, can I make a suggestion?"

"I just needed the sleep so I don't trip on myself at the presentation," he said before she spoke what rested in her mind. "I won't miss it. It's going to wear off. I calculated it."

"I don't think you can quite calculate these things with that much accuracy," she pointed out, causing Neo to give her an annoyed side-eye before he returned to the pillow. "Thanks for letting me borrow it. I won't get a scratch on it."

"Not even worried about it."

Nova prodded him in the spine. "You're not even awake enough to worry about anything."

"It's a nice feeling." Nova rested against him, and Neo shook his head. "You must be really concerned about this. Unless you've gotten into something that you don't want me finding out — because I'll be mad that I didn't think of it sooner."

"You know I'm terrible with public speaking of any type."

It took several long seconds for him to reply, and she wondered if he had fallen asleep until he shifted. "I doubt they're grading you on your public speaking skills."

"Are you not concerned?"

"Thought I wasn't awake enough to be." Neo gave her half a smile.

I want to strangle you sometimes. Jackass. Nova rubbed the back of her head while Neo closed his eyes again. "I'm just worried that I'll mess things up and I won't get picked. This internship could define my entire career going forward. I mean, I know it's not the end of the world if I don't get picked, but I..." Her hands rested at his sides. "What if I can't do this? What if all my effort was for nothing?"

"You're going to get picked."

"Such confidence." Nova rested her arm on the back of his neck.

"Not confidence, I just know. I've calculated all the probabilities," he drew out, but he gasped when she wrapped her arm around him and covered his mouth.

"You are not going to say I told you so before we know for sure," she hissed as he gave up and she let him go.

He returned to his position on the bed, never making an attempt to get away. "Your effort does mean something," he mumbled while his eyelids fluttered. "It will always mean something to someone — and if you don't feel that way, it does mean something to me."

Nova scoffed and tapped him on the head. "Don't get all deep with me while you're barely hearing the conversation." Her uncertainty died with his words as she steadied herself with his support, hands wrapped around his shoulders for the last minute assurance. "Do you need anything while I'm out?"

"Not that I can think of. Are you leaving now?"

"I want to get there early in case traffic is bad in the metro." Nova checked on the keys then got off him and his bed. "Try not to forget either."

"What?"

"Your presentation," she reminded him as she headed for his door. "Atrium Four in the main building. You're after Kiala. You should message her just in case."

"Mmhm. I'm not going to bother her."

Nova smiled and left his room, grabbing her bag full of packed flash cards for the moment of dread, her final support when faced with the crippling failure ahead. I just have to go and do it. Rip off the bandaid, Nova. It's not the end of the universe if you're not picked for the internship. You're as ready as you're going to be. Blueprints are with the droid. I know what I intended with it. I just need to be concise, clear, and methodical—how the fuck does Neo do this again? He can go on an entire spiel and captivate people. Nova left the dorm and closed the door behind her, tugging out her communicator to swipe through the K section of her contacts. I just don't want him to forget.

'Can you do me a favor and before your presentation send an alert to Neo?'

'Sure thing!' Kiala added a kiss face to her message.

Nova slipped into the lift and pressed the ground floor. It purred around her and she waited while the view disappeared behind metal walls. As she exited the lift and into the parking garage, her communicator beeped out several marshmallows from Neo's chat. Nova stopped at the apparent alarm from Neo, and messaged him back.

'What's wrong?'

His next text came out a jumbled mess of words she wasn't sure what he was trying to convey through text. Her fingers hesitated on the letters for clarification until the next batch came out somewhat readable. Somewhat. Clearly he's still half asleep.

'Forgot energy sorry!'

'I'll check to see if it needs it. It shouldn't be a problem, it's been in the parking space for a while.'

'Thank!'

Nova reached the parking spaces, past every car. From the high-end Incurnum brands — which always left her wondering who in the collegiate could afford it — to the smaller, but no less reliable, and often more consistent cars.

Neo had his when she met him at the start of their terms, an old-school Pulse, coloured pitch black with nebulous trimmings. Neo claimed the previous color was a sickly shade of green he had to change. For a Pulse, it looked like it had rolled off the assembly line, with slick, steep wheels and an artistic quality to it that other cars in the parking garage lacked.

They can have their fancy brands.

Nova lifted the door and slid into the seat. Its wheel locked into place with her touch and hummed a gentle blue. Key in the port, she grinned when the light spread further along the dashboard and rolled the speedometer. One kink proved to be the radio, which on start-up always rolled through the channels for a few seconds before settling on Neo's assorted taste of a radio station. One moment, soft blues. Another hard rock. As twisting and changing as the owner. Nova rubbed the wheel while the seat purred underneath her. Started up well. Good to know the work I did stuck. Station onto her synth beats, she rolled out of the parking garage for their dorm. A smile crept on her face at the smooth motion of the Pulse. Out onto the driveway, she stopped outside the massive barrier gates which kept the college separate from the outside.

It registered her user when she showed her ID card to the security unit on the wall, and it opened with ease while her music blared. Out of the massive campus on the hill, she entered the city proper. Holographic ads floated between floats and buildings, while military ships loomed in the cloud cover. On some of the solways, she frowned at the appearance of several tripod mechs on patrol.

Ever since the disappearance, they've rolled out some... major weapons. Her path to the address beeped, and she turned through the streets and sprawling businesses. Lines of lights trapped the traffic between the intersections, but she slipped through when the GPS beeped once more. Another large barrier gate blocked the way into the lot, a subsidiary of Galactic Voyager Solutions from their spiraling brand insignia spinning on the top of the main workshop.

"Welcome to Galactic Voyager Solutions — your one stop shop to the endless universe! Please enter your name and need so I can deliver the best service!" the security AI chirped and slipped out a keypad.

Jeez. Nova leaned out the window to slip out her student ID. It sucked in the card, and she tapped the window as the security bot purred while dotted lines ran along her card. Her uncertainty returned with a vengeance, straight through her knees at the extended time it took for the AI to recognize her name and need. Her fingers dug into the wheel as it finished and she tugged out the card.

"Hello, Student! You will be parking in the visitor lot today!" the AI chirped, and her nervousness heightened when the barrier gate lifted. "Please watch any merchandise on your way to your galactic dreams!"

Her temples pounded with jittery pain as she drove through the opening, which closed behind her with a snap. Holograms directed her on a set path straight to the visitor's parking, where she spotted some of her classmates' rides scattered along the lot. Tuyon, one of the engineering students of her term, sat against their car with an e-cig between their lips while they kept an eye on their wristpad. Neo's Pulse locked tight when she exited it, she spared a glance to her classmate, who only gave her their own quick investigation.

We're all here because we want this — but only a couple will get picked. Everyone is trying to one up each other for the competition, I just want the chance.

Nova rested her head against the body of the Pulse while it purred into stasis then shut off completely. Her wristpad beeped an alert, and she swallowed her fear and pushed through the visitor's entrance. Other awaiting students sat in chairs with blueprints in their laps. Too used to the intense discussions of Neo and Kiala with their thesis presentations, she was nothing but a lone star against other ones within the oppressive silence of an endless desire to shine brighter than the rest. Unable to doublecheck her blueprints in fear of seeing something wrong, she huddled in the corner and tried not to puke her breakfast all over the perfect, clean floor. Tuyon walked back in when the screen lining the wall rolled their name, number, and presentation slot.

Shit... Fire washed through her skin and threatened to melt her into a puddle while the suspense choked her straight to her heart. Get a grip. I built it to my specifications. It's just a prototype — an unfinished product to what will be built after. That's it.

Her pearl chirped a new message, causing the rest of the waiting engineering students to look at her for one who dared to break the silence. Menu open, she flicked to the recent message.

From Neo.

'Atrium Four?'

'Yes, that's what Kiala told me.'

Stars, is he going to be late? Her boots tapped against the ground.

'Thank!'

Nova stifled a sigh and went to shut herself off from any comfort, but stopped when one more message gleamed across her fingers.

'If nervous, remember me'

Confusion dripped through her cheeks when she tipped for the weight on her one shoulder. 'What do you mean?'

'Presented before to me'

Nova tightened her grip on the pearl and continued to type when Tuyon came out, unperturbed. 'Easier said than done, Neo. It's different with you.'

It took too long for Neo to respond, and she swallowed in fear when the next student went through the door. Several times it appeared he was typing something, but thought better of it each time. Her presentation time clicked closer, and she got no response until it called her name. Out of her chair of safety, she forced herself to the door, and then the final message clicked in her hands.

'I believe in you!'

Oh, Neo... your timing is always impeccable. Nova scoffed and sent him one last farewell before shutting it off to focus on the future waiting on the continuum shaped through chances and fleeting moments, carried on starry butterfly wings across the sea.