I hesitated at the red line, marking the boundary of artificial gravity. Beyond it lay a two-hundred-meter-long tunnel, connecting the orbital space lift's platform to the space shuttle that would take me to the academy station. Free fall was nothing new to me; I'd received basic training back in school. But my parents couldn't afford the expensive facilities that offered artificial gravity-free areas, nor could they pay for the parabolic flight courses.

I glanced behind me, making sure no one was around. After waiting in the toilet until everyone had left the lift capsule, I was finally alone. I could attempt to cross the free fall area without witnesses. The shuttle was still refueling, so I had ample time.

I took a deep breath and steeled myself. I could do this. Carefully, I jumped over the red line and began floating towards the ladder-like railing in the tunnel. I pulled myself along the handholds, crossing the distance with ease. Two doctors had confirmed that I had none of the physical signs of free fall sickness, and I'd taken double the usual dose of anti-sickness medication. Nothing could go wrong.

A minute passed, and I felt embarrassed. I took the first step forward.

„Are you going to jump anytime soon, or should I order my lunch to be served right here?“ a snobbish upper-class cadet with a teenage photo- model's body and face asked. He had snuck up on me unnoticed and was dressed in the finest custom-tailored version of the standard academy cadet uniform. I suspected he had undergone extensive body modifications. He must have been about my age, 17, the age to start training at the academy. Who was he? And what was I supposed to do now?

„I could, of course, just cross before you if you prefer,“ he said, smiling at me. Confused, I ended up nodding weakly instead.

I tried to say something witty. Then I tried to say something. Anything. But I ended up nodding weakly instead.

He smiled at me, walked confidently over the red line and jumped, crossing the entire tunnel without touching a single rung. He turned around in the air and landed perfectly on the other side with a slight bend in his knees. I had heard of this trick before. As far as I knew, only experienced space marines could manage such a feat. He must have had dozens of hours of advanced free-fall training.

He turned and gestured for me to follow. I had no choice. As soon as I stepped forward, I felt like I was falling. I pushed with my foot and gripped around wildly with my hands, luckily getting hold of one of the rails. I corrected my orientation and began climbing from rung to rung. Down… forward… whatever. It wasn't graceful, but it worked.

I could do this! I... Then my stomach turned, and I felt cramps. The same thing happened every time I tried some fancy ride at a carnival, tried reading while driving in a car, or did basically anything while moving. Soon, cramps overcame me, and I pulled myself into a floating ball. Projectile vomiting followed. I won't describe it in more detail. Suffice it to say that I was impressed the mass wasn't enough to invoke Newton's third law and propel me back to my starting point.

Feeling sick and dizzy, I concentrated on finding the next rung in line. Finally, I reached the end, oriented myself correctly, and crawled over the red line. Gravity took hold of me again, and the feeling of uncontrolled falling ceased. I stood up. I did it! I didn't look good doing it, and the cleaning staff would probably hate me, but I made it to the shuttle.

I looked up to see the guy who just walked past me. The first thing I thought was: O my god, he had seen me vomit. Damn! What would he think?

His facial expression was odd, a mixture of outrage and annoyance. I stared at him, unable to find words. Then he looked down at himself and I followed his gaze. His trousers were filthy. Full of some yellowish, brownish slime. I paled. I had obviously managed to vomit exactly forward. The liquid bubbles had flown forward, maintaining their trajectory and altitude until they dropped upon entering gravity. Only his lower half had been hit, but it had been hit badly.

„I’m sorry! I… How can I…”

„You can't,“ he interrupted sharply, barely containing his rage. „There is no cleaning facility until we reach the academy, and I have no change of clothes since they are packed in the baggage container. As are yours. I smell like a teen after a spring break party. I look like something you have found in a dark corner of a lower-class city district. This will be my first impression on the academy faculty. I am not amused.”

His eyes… he had such dark and impressive eyes. But now they were smoldering with hatred. He would kill me. Probably on the spot. And rightly so. I would have jumped into space without a helmet, had there been an airlock nearby. He… I saw the ring on the finger of his balled right fist. A signet ring. Was he royalty? Those could ruin your social life with their connections. Then I recognized the well-known symbol of one of the Big Five law firms of the solar system. He wouldn’t kill me. And if he did, his company would find a way for him to walk free. Probably pleading self-defense against a deranged student. But he wouldn’t do that. He’d probably just sue me. One of the Five could ruin me with the pure number of legal proceedings.

A faint glimmer of calculation dulled his rage. „How, pray tell, did you manage to get yourself cleared for space fitness? It's quite clear that you're unable to handle free-fall conditions. I've never witnessed anyone react as pathetically as you did, not even during their initial training or parabolic flight.“

My mind began racing. I couldn't divulge the truth. My father had called in every favor he was owed to secure a doctor's certification of my spaceworthiness.

„I'm in the process of recovering from food poisoning,“ I offered weakly. „The nausea should subside in a few days.“

„Your stomach seemed quite full for someone in the midst of recovery. I would suggest a visit to the station's medical officer just to ensure that you're not carrying any pathogens on board.“

„That won't be necessary.“

„I'm afraid I must insist. And, of course, you'll need to compensate me for the cost of these trousers. I'll have to dispose of them in the airlock.“

„I apologize. It will take some time to obtain the funds from my family, and I will see the doctor as soon as I arrive anyway.“

„Allow me to be frank. You're not really suffering from food poisoning. You obviously have free fall sickness, most likely of the hereditary variety. I've seen it before. No one else reacts so swiftly. You may as well turn around and take the next elevator down. There's no point in attempting to pass the academy.“

„I have some medication, but it requires some time to get the dosage right. Please, I need this job!“

I didn't appreciate the way he scrutinized me, as if I were a horse he was considering purchasing. „Perhaps we can reach an agreement, but it will come at a cost. A significant one.“

„Very well. Anything you desire,“ I replied.

„We'll return to that 'anything' later. Right now, hand over everything you've got on tissue paper, and let's head to the restroom. Maybe we can salvage some of the damage.“

„But the bathroom is located on the other side of the connection tunnel…“

„You need the practice. Jump!“

Twice we had to traverse through zero gravity, and it was excruciating. This time, he reminded me to grab a sick bag. I mentally berated myself for not preparing one earlier. I had assumed I could manage it, but I was too optimistic.