I was to go to classes after I woke, but Dad sent me to tell Supply that we had
switched comms first. I usually avoided the paths that went straight between
the habitation cubes to the classroom, because the Supply station was a big
scary looking cube, bigger than all the others, with huge doors that rolled up.
Entire Bugs could drive into them two at a time, their huge wheels clattering
along the rocky floor on their way from the airlock to Supply and back. It
always felt ominous, and every time the doors opened, there was a loud buzzer
that would sound to tell you to get out of the way. I usually took the long
way, and I'd walk around the edge of the dome, running my hands on the smooth
plastic, hoping that the shield would be open so I could see the stars, and
that way I could stay among the squat little habitation cubes, and see the
decorations people put on their doors.

The door to Supply was solid and grey, no decorations on it. It was almost the
same color as the walls. Sturdier than habitation cubes, it held all the
supplies that anyone needed. Tools, spare Bug vehicles, all the comms too. I
was always careful to never break anything because if I did I would have to go
get a new one from Supply. My little hands reached up to the door handle and
pulled it down. I lifted myself off the ground a little bit trying to open it,
but I eventually got it to move. The door was heavy, but I pushed it open
enough to slide inside. 

I saw Deena sitting at the desk. I was never sure what she did to her red
jumpsuit that made her look scary, but every time I had to go there, she would
be sitting at the desk, and she'd scowl at me. Someone else in a blue jumpsuit
was talking to her and pointing at something on her computer screen, so I
jumped up into the tall chair sitting against the wall to wait.

The person in the blue jumpsuit finally left, and Deena turned away from me and
ignored me.

"Hey!" I said to her, then realized I didn't want her attention nearly so much
as it sounded like. "Hey. I need to tell you I switched comms with my dad."

Deena glowered at me.

"Why did you switch?"

I frowned and didn't answer right away. 

"It wasn't working when he tried to call me, so he sent me with his."

Deena slowly said "I see.". She had long grey hair pulled back in a pony-tail,
and she actually wore glasses. They were big and black and I think maybe that's
why she always looked scary. It looked like she was looking right through me.

She typed something into the computer.

"You left the dome yesterday?"

On her computer screen was a list of every place I'd been, though there was a
big hole in the display where it didn't say anything.

"No!" I blurted out, maybe a bit too fast. I hoped she wouldn't figure out
where I had been.

"I see. Well then. I'll make a note that your comm might be defective. I'll ask
your father."

I bit my lip while she was looking at the computer screen, but tried to compose
myself before she looked back.

"May I see your new comm?" She wasn't really asking, and she already had her
hand out for it.

I handed it to her, and she scanned a barcode on it.

"And your arm?"

I gave her my arm and she scanned the barcode there too, though it felt like
she held on to my wrist too tight and too long.

"Okay. That's your comm now. Try not to break this one." Deena said everything
like she thought you were going to break something.

I shivered a little.

"Okay," I said.

I hurried away from Supply, rubbing my wrist where she'd held it.

The classroom was already full when I got there. There wasn't a full door on
it, just a halfway door. People don't really have to stay out of the classroom,
so I guess they didn't put a whole one on. I kind of liked it, painted red and
only going half way up the doorway. 

My teacher, Miss June was talking when I got there, so I tried not to make
noise as I got in my seat. The comm was bigger than my old one, though, so it
dragged on the metal seat as I slid into it and made a lot of noise. All the
other kids looked at me.

"Thank you for joining us, Ray," she said. "You're just in time. They're going
to open the shield in a few minutes!"

The class was instantly in motion, everyone getting their belongings to go
outside and look.