"Terrorists have once again set off an explosion in Area Three as of yesterday late afternoon. Multiple areas are now sealed off around Dome Fourteen. Central Administration strongly condemns the terrorist acts and urge any student with information to step forward to aid in the investigation."

Ari allowed the raspberry sorbet to melt on her tongue, enjoying the sharp tang and the chill that sent shivers down her spine. Tucking one leg beneath her atop the smart chair, she swung side to side idly, half-paying attention to the news on the telecaster mounted on the wall. There had been little new about the news for the past year; terrorist explosions dominated the headlines day after day, followed by Central Administration condemning the disruptions and calls for students with information to step forward.

"Two students are under arrest as suspects and will not be permitted bail or aid until the Investigators' questionings have ceased."

Ari wondered if the sorbet would taste better if she mixed the lime together. She leant to one side and the pod chair slid over the smooth tiled floor to the fridge. The door slid open and she investigated within.

There had been no arrests, no named perpetrators, and only students detained for a few weeks and then released with zero progress. All around, there was a general air of irritation as terrorist attacks cause shutdowns of roads and sections of March City and disrupted the travel systems. Exams were under way and tension ran high — for most students, at least.

The reporter's voice sounded from every room.

"In other news, Central Administration has released an official statement on the Peacekeeper under investigation for alleged overuse of subjugating equipment against two Rank E students for inciting disruption and then resisting arrest, which has resulted in hospitalisation for the two perpetrators. Central Decree has investigated the situation and declared no misuse of power. Central Administration today praised the Peacekeeper — as yet unnamed — for his sacrifice and his noble qualities in upholding the standards of March City and quashing budding terrorist acts."

"You reckon they'll catch the terrorists soon?" she called over her shoulder.

There was no reply. When Ari scooted back on her chair into the living room, a new serving of lime sorbet on top of her existing raspberry scoop, her sister Mina was still working through the next media to phase through as part of her Prelim exam. Study cards aligned neatly on the table before her.

"Mina!"

Mina looked up, startled brown eyes crossed in concentration. It was obvious none of the mandatory news reporting playing in the background entered her ears.

"What?"

"In other news, First grade preliminary exams are ongoing this week in Area Three, with Domes One to Twenty occupied..."

"I—never mind."

"Sorry," Mina said with a sigh, gesturing at the metallic sheet in front of her. "This stainless steel always catches me. I've been trying for weeks."

"Are you still held up on the paper exams? It's fine if you don't do that great, you know." Ari slurped her sorbet. "I got us enough credits until the next routine exams. Or maybe the one after that."

Ari mixed the two together with a flurry and slurped the new concoction. Perfect.

"That's not it. I want to do well."

"Even if you score first, it doesn't change your ranking much," Ari said through a mouthful of sorbet.

"You don't understand." Mina's voice was tight. "You always do so well without studying. But I can't. I really want this."

Ari rolled her eyes and shrugged. Mina always revered those that worked hard, thinking she could one day become Lira the Dancer or Elys the Halberd, both renowned high rankers within March City. Ari herself didn't have the same aspirations; the effort involved didn't seem worth it. The extra responsibilities and expectations that came with ranking high were already troublesome enough.

"If your exam dome explodes, your exam will be deferred." Ari sucked the last of the sorbet up and enjoyed the chill with a shiver. "Mmm!"

"Don't say horrible things."

The telecaster continued its monotonous news report. Ari's phone beeped in the kitchen. She scooted over.

"We remind all students that the teleporters surrounding Domes Ten to Twenty are current out of service as a result of damage to the atomisation system. Exam candidates should ensure they secure an alternative route—"

"Oh no!"

Ari paused, ringing phone in hand, tilting her head back to see a panicked Mina hurriedly stuffing all her notes into a bag.

"What?"

"The teleporters! They're all down because of the explosion!" Mina almost tripped over one of Ari's stuffed toys lying on the tiled floor. "I'm in Dome Ten — I'm going to be late!"

She crashed into the wardrobe and then, two seconds later, stumbled out in a clean outfit and shot out of their flat without another word, leaving a sudden silence punctuated by the telecaster. When the outro music played, Ari switched it off with a sigh and pulled out her phone screen, noting she had four missed calls already from Fris. She accepted the fifth call, bracing herself.

"There you are!" The hologram face of a disgruntled redhead — her best friend — glared back at her. "Did you forget your phone again?"

"It was—"

"Never mind that." Fris waved a translucent impatient hand. "The rescheduled lesson on electrokinetic theories is today, did you forget?"

Oh. Yesterday's Dome Fourteen Explosion resulted in the evacuation of all nearby students and a huge influx of Peacekeepers, meaning several of the students in Ari's class were called out. Central Administration cancelled that afternoon's schedule. Ari hadn't checked her inbox since. Until now.

Apparently, the rescheduled class started half an hour ago. Oops. Their high-strung class monitor would wring her neck. She sighed at the prospect of facing his long-winded reprimands again.

"I'm coming."

Spinning out of her smart chair and leaving her empty bowl on the table, Ari entered the wardrobe — the door of which Mina hadn't shut in her hurry. She swept her fingers over the images on the electronic display on one side, not really taking in the options. Long t-shirt. Leggings. Trainers. A green light swept over her, replacing her rumpled pyjamas with the clothes she'd chosen. Her dark blonde bird's nest hair was tied in a ponytail neater than she could manage by hand.

Her phone was tucked in a small bag along with some snacks and she secured around her neck a tiny battery necklace Mina had gifted her five years ago. Ari took the lift up. She really should be taking the teleporter like Mina, but this way was more fun. It had been a while since she'd fallen out of the sky and scared Peacekeepers anyway. The smooth cylindrical doors hummed and then opened to an endless, clear blue sky above and smooth grass below. Ari stepped out, breathing in the cool, fresh air. Mechanical whirring behind her indicated the lift had sunk back into the ground again.

Whistling, Ari skipped over the neat patches of grass decorating the rooftop, which was encircled by delicate skylights that projected sparks and streaks of light at nighttime. A light breeze teased her ponytail. Hopping onto the edge of the building, she stared straight down. Area Seven, the most affluent residential part of March City, sprawled before her. Immediately below her was the sky garden on the second floor, covered in vines, bushes, and lush grass for residents to enjoy nature without leaving their building. Further away, shimmering silver and steel blue buildings of elegant designs spiralled into the air, none of them matching the height of Ari's home. The skytrain wove in and out of buildings several storeys above ground level; beneath it, electric bikes and silver pod cars transported students. Colourful flora and brightly-coloured electronic notices lined either side of the road, sleek and pleasingly symmetrical.

Ari wanted to enjoy what would have been peace and quiet some seventy storeys above ground and away from the hubbub, but the skycaster projected news that dominated the headlines for the past few weeks: terrorist attacks, disrupted transport, and injured students. The news reporter was Mina's age, but up close her makeup barely covered the dark bags under her eyes.

Ari looked down, a shiver of delight shooting up her spine. Excitement swirled in her stomach. Energy crackled in the soles of her feet. She spread her arms wide. Wind swept at the loose hems of her long t-shirt. Her fringe lifted off her face. Time slowed.

And then she was falling.

Her reflection grinned widely back at her in the darkened one-way glass windows lining up the side of the building. Air rushed past, drying her eyes and teeth. Falling, flying — it was all the same to her. The thrill of freedom allowed her soul to soar. Her mind was blissfully blank.

The second-storey sky garden rushed up to meet her. A smooth, polished white floor bridged the patches of lush grass. Ari's shadow enlarged. She extended her legs downward.

She hit the ground at terminal velocity. Kinetic energy filled her body, building up like a charging battery deep in her core. Her potential was limitless; for a moment, she could take over the world.

The stored energy exploded beneath her. The wind rushed through her hair. She was once again in the air, weightless, the sprawling streets of March City shrinking beneath her.

The bliss of soaring over the beautiful city, watching students shrinking into atoms as she ascended, followed by the joy of freedom and then the thrill of plummeting at terminal velocity was worth every bit of trouble if she were caught — not that she'd gotten into major trouble for it in the past. Some poor soul once accidentally turned her meal into a bomb and blew out the side of her flat and was fined a month's rent by Central Decree. If Ari miscalculated the size of the ebb and flow of energy in her jumps, she could put a foot through a window or shatter the ground. The damage could potentially be devastating and the punishment severe.

Potentially.

Shops stood mostly empty during school time. Machines performed cleaning and maintenance and the few students at work during their free sessions ensured the shelves were filled and the displays intact. For a student to survive in March City, if they could not score high enough to earn credit bonuses like Ari did, they had to work; March City only rewarded skills and hard work. Ari only gave the busy working students a casual glance as she passed the junction between Area Seven, the residential area; Area Five, the Leisure area; and Area Three, where the examination domes resided.

There was little to see in Area Three, where Mina was due to take her Prelims today. A flat field stretched as far as the eye could see with at least thirty smooth white domes dotted around it. Bridges and paths stretched from dome to dome. The majority of the buildings of Area Three were underground and only the white top of each peeped through the top, with numbers engraved in a crystalline black that differentiated one from another. The buildings were made of an alloy highly resistant to all elements and energies, allowing students to display the full potential of their abilities in practice and in exams.

It was a place of terror for Mina, who regularly performed poorly under pressure for her annual Prelims and then Finals. For Ari, it was just another part of March City where she had to attend twice a year to tick the boxes. She'd passed with soaring colours as usual, placing third and securing another comfortable year for both her and Mina.

She landed on the grass, which crunched beneath her trainers, and she bolted again in the air. Somersaulting, she wondered what confectionery would perk Mina up when Ari met after her exam; no doubt she would be gloomy about performing badly again. But Mina was easy to cheer up. Ari heard Area Five had opened up a cafe that specialised in mint crepes with marshmallow centres. Upside down with the world passing over her head, Ari briefly had a silly thought of popping one of the exam domes like a balloon—

A dome exploded.

Ari landed on her feet and skidded to a halt, dispersing the energy and watching from afar with mild interest. Soupy black smoke gushed out of a dome that lay cracked open like an egg. A thin alarm blared in the distance. Warning lights flashed atop the other domes and an automatic announcement sounded, too far away for her to make out. The '0' of the number '10' on the dome surface was split into five pieces.

Dome Ten.

"Oh, no," she said out loud.

Mina's exam was in Dome Ten.