“Isak! Isak?” I look around to see where my brother went.

A flash of his silver hair catches my eye as he sits up from under the computer terminal. “Yeah? What’s the fuss, Adrian?” He barely glances at me as he switches his wrench for another tool that I don’t recognize.

I glare at him. “I just wanted you to see this.” My irritation with him evaporates as I take another look out the huge window of our spaceship. “You’ve got to see this! We’ll be planet-side in another hour. Just think, Isak, 4012 and our spaceship will be the first to get this far into space.”

Isak grins. “Yeah, awesome, isn’t it?”

Both of us being fifteen and only fill-ins for the cleaning crew, we won’t be the first onto the planet, but who cares? We still get to go planet-side, something not too many fifteen year olds can boast about.

Well, to be honest, Isak actually will be going planet-side with the first group. He’s a whiz with the techno gear that everyone relies on here. Even some of the senior technicians go to him for advice. So they won’t risk leaving him behind because he might be needed to fix one of the machines. We’re limited on machinists, which makes Isak an essential part of this mission.

Me, I’m a bit more expendable, unfortunately. So I have to wait even though Isak doesn’t. Lucky for him. Not so great for me. I focus on the good part, though. I get to go somewhere much cooler than any science museum. I read about this sort of stuff in sci-fi novels and watch people explore new planets like this in movies. I could never have dreamed I’d be a part of it one day. And at fifteen no less.

Isak scoots out from under the terminal after screwing on one last nut and a bolt. He sets his wrench down carefully in his tool kit. I still find it amusing how he treats even simple, nearly indestructible tools as though they’re glass. He’s been doing that since we were six and he first began playing with machines. His skill with the machinery never transferred to me.

I’m more of the weapons kid. Not too many people on board the ship know this, but I’m an excellent marksman. It’s not bragging either. I really am. Isak never managed to figure out how to use the guns he fixed, but I, on the other hand, used to take them out on the firing range and blast away. I never miss.

While Isak played with machines at six, making modifications and improving them, I got serious about every kind of weapon imaginable. I started with the guns at six, small ones because I was small. My dad taught me. Then, when I was a few years older, I taught myself to use throwing stars and knives. Now I can use knives, throwing stars, guns, and staff or sword with the same proficiency. Not that knives, throwing stars, or the staff and sword do me much good. I just enjoy them. Guns are far more practical.

Isak steps up beside me with a sharp whistle as he observes the surface of the planet. From up here, all we see is a swirling mass of white clouds, small green dots that indicate landmass and blue everywhere. Very similar to Earth. Well, we wouldn’t be looking at this place as a possible new home if it wasn’t a lot like Earth.

I glance over at Isak and see the wild grin that indicates his enthusiasm. He wears it when working on a nearly impossible problem in a machine. I’ve rarely seen it applied to anything else. Both of us are crazy about sci-fi, though, and I guess Isak, though usually more reserved, can’t help but show his excitement over this.

He gives me a slight shove, his grin becoming wider. “I’m gonna be down there before you…”

I laugh. This goes back to our old sibling rivalry. Isak and I always hold a streak of healthy competitiveness through the days. We try to outrank each other in whatever activity we apply our minds to. It’s sort of hard to compare ourselves to each other though because our skill ranges are so different. Doesn’t stop us from trying though. “Good for you, Isak…”

“And not so good for you, Adrian.” He teases, laughing.

I roll my eyes. “You done with work?”

He nods.

“Good, ‘cause I’m done too, and I’m gonna go watch a sci-fi on my screen. You wanna join me?” I raise an eyebrow as I ask the question.

I already know what Isak’s answer will be. He can’t turn down a good sci-fi.

He smiles. “What do you think?”

“I think yes.” I answer, throwing my arm around his shoulders and messing up his hair.

He shoves me off, giving me a glare. “You know I hate it when you do that.” He pats his hair back into its carefully messed up position.

I roll my eyes. “You look like you just rolled out of bed and didn’t bother to brush your hair. Why would my messing it up make you mad? It’s not like it makes it look any different.” I tease.

He frowns. “You wouldn’t know. All you do is yank a brush through your hair and call it good.”

“Yup! And it works just fine.” I respond in a sing-song tone, running my fingers through my curly black locks.

“Are we watching that sci-fi on your screen or not?” He grumbles.

I grin. “Sure…” Then I take off, running down the halls. Over my shoulder, I shout, “Beat you to our apartment.”

“That isn’t fair! You started without me.” He yells back without any real conviction in his voice.

I hear his footsteps coming after me and laugh. I knew he wouldn’t pass up the competition.

***

A voice comes over the intercom in the middle of our fourth sci-fi movie. “Isak Newman, please report to the bridge.”

Isak jumps up off the bed, grabbing his hat from his bunk and clapping it down on his messy hair. “Gotta go! I bet they’re ready to land the first shuttle down there now.” His tone is so filled with excitement that I can’t even feel jealous that he’s going down first.

I smile. “Good luck, Isak. Remember, you have to pay the price for being down there first. They break anything, you fix it.”

He rolls his eyes. “You’re looking at the resident genius techi. Why would I care?”

I snort. “I dunno.”

“Remember, little bro, I’m happy with machines the way you’re good with a firing range and a gun.” He teases.

I stick my tongue out at him, as childish as it is, and protest. “I’m not your little bro! I was born a minute later. Hardly enough to count.”

He grins, triumphant because he managed to annoy me. “One minute later means one minute younger.” He points out.

“Oh, go on! You don’t have time to get into this argument.” I make a shooing motion with my fingers, knowing he can’t waste any more time arguing with me. “See you in another few hours.”

Isak nods, smile disappearing. He gives me a tight hug. “See you then.”

“Be safe.” I whisper in his ear.

He laughs, clapping me on the back. “I will. I’m more worried about the trouble you’ll cause without me to reign you in.”

I push away from him, laughing. “Good… It’ll give me a way to drive you nuts without even being there.”

He nods, moving away and starting to race down the hall. Looking back over his shoulder, he shouts, “Count on it!”

I stand in my room, feeling a little lost. This is the first time I’ve been separated so greatly from my brother. He’ll be down on a planet miles away, and I’ll be up here alone for the next few hours, maybe even the next day if it takes them a while to transport all the necessary supplies and important people down.

I shrug it off. He’ll be fine and so will I. This is a chance of a lifetime, and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us. My turn will be soon enough. And when it does, boy will I be ready!