"Collecting skulls," Oni muttered, a soft whisper barely escaping his lips. "Is that really what it's called?"

It was but telling him that would do no good. For one, Dev had brilliant news he was sure to love—news she kept hidden from her own actual crew.

The open platform held all reduced recruits. It was the only modern area visible to the Vagrants from their homes. In the past it was a landing pad for helicopters but now it served a different function.

At this end of the railroad track which stretched up into the air, hung a large orb. It could fit four people. Dev, and other head cadets, stood safe and proud behind their helmets, poor Oni wore none.

It was probably why he looked so miserable all the time. Being here was a big deal, one she even abandoned her crew for, so to see Oni's reluctance if not genuine fear, Dev felt slighted as well.

"You—you can take one of your crewmen," Oni muttered, betraying Dev far deeper than he'd realized.

Was he really going to refuse? Now? When everyone else had their favored recruits standing beside them, ready for this adventure.

Even Bray stood with Olo at his side, though he looked less than pleased of the fact.

Dev's reputation for failure was her badge of shame. Even with her 'training' with Oni. But saying that wasn't fair. It wasn't Oni's fault she was an inept teacher. Still, going against the norm only to be shot down in public was beyond her.

"They—they'd just fight over who gets to go. And none of them'll even listen when we get there."

This was her attempt at trying to laugh the dire situation off. Sen was an expert at it. Dev...less so.

And it showed.

Oni scanned the curious eyes on them before setting his sights on her.

"Don't you want to go?" Dev asked, desperate to hear only one answer.

Instead of the enthusiasm oozing from the other recruits, dread wafted from Oni in palpable pangs of grimace-laden hesitation.

It wasn't right to pressure him. Dev found interest in the ground as she summed up the courage to go and report this failing as well. Mother didn't even bother the face-to-face reprimands, there were so many.

Out of the corner of her eye, a large frame closed in. "Hey. It's me...Bray."

Dev sighed inward. "I know who you are, Bray. Our families live next door to one another."

Bray's pale face took on color. "Oh. Right. Yeah. I know but...." His voice petered off into nothing as a horn sounded. He saw salvation when he looked out at the orb-shaped machine. "Hey, you ever been in one-a them? They're pretty rough."

Dev hesitated but cleared her throat and followed the untold rule of Volunteers—allow others face.

"No. It's—it's bigger than I expected."

"Reckon?" Bray hesitated then hazarded. "You—you short? Your little half-a-cadet here looks about ready to collect his knees from the floor. If'n you're worried, I can ditch Olo and ride with."

From behind him, Olo sucked in a sharp breath.

Crud.

Save face and ruin a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a Vagrant who could actually' appreciate it, or admit to yet another failure with being unable to assure her cadet?

Dev's jaw worked as she struggled with something to say.

"No. We're fine!" Oni blurted out.

But he didn't sound fine. In fact, his voice cracked. But this was so like him, pushing himself too far—farther than he had to—only to riddle her with guilt when he eventually failed.

More than once, Dev had resolved to give up on him. Heck, there were even days she'd prayed Oni would slam down a weapon and stomp off in a fit of anger, vowing to never return; just so she could get away from the constant failure.

It wasn't right to bring him along if he was this scared.

"We've got this!" Oni growled.

The glint in his eyes as he stared Bray down took everyone aback; it surprised Bray as well, because he looked from Dev then to Oni then even to Olo who kept his distance. "What'd I say?" Bray asked no one in particular.

He didn't get the chance for an answer, however, because Oni marched to the edge of the platform, utterly oblivious to the fact that it was the rare of the orb, rather than the entrance.

Bray waited for her to say something. In time, he did the nicest thing Dev could ever remember him doing—he scolded Oni on her behalf.

"Hey, menga, it's around the other way!"

Dev didn't appreciate the address—it was a bit too harsh but regardless, when Bray flashed her his signature smile, she bowed her head. "I owe you one." She was sure to hurry after Oni before Bray made any demands.

Oni's hands trembled as he held the bottom part of the ladder to mount the skull collector.

She was sure to meet him on the other side so they were face to face. Everything in her said to stay away from Bray but maybe it was okay to take at least one easy win.

"You don't have to do this," Dev whispered. The flash of relief in Oni's eyes was why she nodded back to Bray and assured Oni, "I'll just go with them. One can fit up to four. It'll be a bit...cramped." Dev slowed in her speech, utterly awed when Oni gripped the ladder and dragged himself up into the bottom of the orb. She let out a sigh. How were they supposed to survive this? One could drive in, but it was expected that the second took care of the return trip.

After letting out a sigh, Dev climbed up after him. "Please don't throw up," she begged Oni's fleeting figure.

She pulled herself up in time to see Oni, utterly flabbergasted. "Nothing turns on," he said, flipping several dials off and on.

"Stop that." Dev was sure to slap his hand down. "None of it works without a Volunteer's uniform. So it won't move without me."

Oni watched, lips agape. "But your suit's not a real one, you said."

"Not an active one, no. But it's still got the needed activation code. It's a safety precaution." There were four seats affixed to a square sheet of metal. "This is the equalizer. It propels us. It's best if we sit crossed."

"Crossed?" Oni trembled when he stood and sat in the seat diagonal to hers. "Like this?"

Exactly like that. But when he broke out into a sweat, she cleared her throat and instead sat directly across from him. "We can do it this way, too," she assured him. It would be tough but not impossible."

A banging sound drew their focus. Ten seconds later, the bottom hatch pulled away and a head stuck up into the cabin.

Sen looked around. When he spotted Dev, he forced a smile. Upon settling on Oni, that smile vanished.

There was no sense in arguing, Dev knew what he was here for, and she already ran her fingers along the dials above her to start the machine up.

A hum filled the orb. It was soft, gentle, soothing, and yet, she felt deafened.

So they waited. Dev anticipated all the arguments he could make. She did not, however, expect him to shake his head and climb back down.

Dev didn't hesitate. As soon as the bottom hatch slid back into place, she pressed the button directly above and the orb detached and fell onto the track with a clunk.

Oni yelped. The balancing gyro inside meant they stayed upright no matter how the ball around them moved.

The outer layers of the orb began to spin. Inside was calm. Dev made the mistake of glancing outside the glass as they pulled out of the platform.

Standing on the track in her best uniform, Pleasant watched the ground, Sen some distance away at her side. He wasn't looking at Pleasant either. No. He, instead, stared Dev down, willing her to be big about this—to be the better person.

But what was the point? Pleasant wouldn't have listened anyway.

A proper cadet leader would perhaps come down and correct this oversight. Dev more than considered it, but the longer she stared out at them, Pleasant in particular, something came over Dev. She'd never felt this way before about anyone—spite. Never had she found someone worth her anger but now she finally had. And not just anger, but borderline hatred.

Sure, the other sisters were bad at times, too, but it was Pleasant who ran everything.

Dev tried to remind herself that this was childish and far below her station. Somehow, her brain just wasn't listening.

Instead of showing some maturity, Dev flopped down in her chair, allowed it to swivel around, Oni facing her while she faced the path. Her suit wasn't active, but it had identifying markers which the device scanned before coming to life with light and sounds.

Dev didn't look at Pleasant as the orb whined to life. And she certainly didn't glance back when she reached up to grab the control levers and the orb powered up with a loud whistle, dragging a cry from the back of Oni's throat.

The machine bubbled and hummed only for a few seconds before it shot forward on the train tracks, much like a silver ball bearing released into an archaic video game.

No doubt there'd be consequences, but for the first time, Dev didn't care.