Nervously, you entered that classroom. The two officers escorting you, along with the other delinquents, stopped at the door, indicating that you should go in. You didn’t know why, all of a sudden, the council had become so understanding with you all; they had always been known for showing no mercy, especially to those who had broken the law of the Ark. But now it seemed that Chancellor Jaha wanted you to take Earth Skills classes, and the sound of that didn’t appeal to you at all.

Why take survival classes for a planet you’ll probably never set foot on? Strange.

Even so, you walked through the classroom. Pike, who would be your teacher, hadn’t arrived yet, but there were too many people in that room that made you feel anxious. You were there for stealing medicine for your father, but many of the boys and girls in front of you had done worse things and had received the same punishment as you. You recognized some of them, as you had seen them throughout your life on the farm station, so you tried to sit next to someone who had earned your trust. And that was John Murphy.

It had been a long time since you last saw him, probably years; he was imprisoned before you, after trying to avenge his father’s death. You had been friends when you were younger, so you hoped he at least remembered you. But that feeling of comfort vanished when you met his eyes. “The hell invited you to sit here?” he asked, not caring how rude it sounded and causing several people around him to laugh.