The sun of Kreo burned bright in the sky above. Svet’teti’s school had just gotten out, nearly halfway through the 34 hour day cycle of Kreo. A mixed group of various species mingled among the courtyard, waiting for the bus they were meant to take to the nearby Arae Ethian mountains, a beautiful grouping of cliffs and peaks formed by millennium of tectonic activities. The teenagers around her, mostly 16 and 17, laughed and chatted about the latest fads, gossip, and galactic news that they’d heard on the intergalactic network. Svet’teti was in the final two years of her basic education, something which most species had mandated long ago, and was ready to move on to greater things

Kreo was a beautiful planet. Just under 50 percent water, it was covered in major mountains along the two main continents which formed the overall landmass. Islands could also be spotted from orbit, many supporting volcanic activity which spewed dust into the atmosphere. The mountains had ended up with sheer cliffs on one end due to weather patterns, with a gentler slope on the other for a very interesting hiking experience. With a gravity at nearly half of what Shinethi prime had, she enjoyed walking the ridges and plains which made up most of the countryside.

Today was to be the same, with one small exception. Some of the other students had already planned on going across a small maintenance bridge near enough to the path that they could split off from the main group easily. Svet’teti wanted to see what was on the other side of that bridge, and she made it a goal to see it no matter what.

The bus ride was boring. No amount of idle chatter and distracting technology could distract 55 students from boring transportation times.

“Krte. You’d think they would find a better way up to these mountains. They’re not all that far away.”

“I know. It’s such a pain to take a slow bus when I could drive up myself.”

“You can drive already, Svet’teti? Wow! Are you hovercar certified or just ground transport?”

“I got it all, my parents want me to be some kind of transport officer or something. They say it pays well.”

“Yeah I bet! Every planet needs a small army of them to function well!”

“Yeah, I just don’t find it all that appealing in the long run.” She smiled and looked out the window at the trees rolling by. Their leaves swayed restlessly in the wind.

Soon enough, 90 minutes had passed. They disembarked, ready to walk up one of the many peaks in the area. Svet’teti and her little group huddled together and whispered to eachother.

“You know what to do. Get all ten of us across that bridge, and we make it!” one said.

“We got itc” said another. “We’ll all get over that bridge.”

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“Let's get it done. Ten minutes walk to the path, another five to get to the bridge.”

The group dispersed and mingled among the rest of the students, quietly waiting for the moment to break away. They walked like everyone else, taking whoever’s pace was most comfortable and making their way up the hill. Ten minutes in, one by one, the small group of ten broke off from the main group without being noticed.

“We did it! Now to just go over the bridge and we can see the other mountains!”

The ten worked their way down the path, the foliage around them becoming ever so slightly more dense as they traveled. Ahead of them lay an old rope bridge, built for anyone maintaining pipes to cross and have easier access to the water intake pipes on the other side of the ravine. It was just 13 meters across.

“We should only go two at a time, that bridge doesn’t look safe.”

“It’ll be alright Svet’teti. I’m sure it can hold all ten of us.”

Svet’teti didn’t respond.

The teenagers stepped onto the bridge one by one. Svet’teti watched as the ropes tightened, the supports creaked and bent in protest of the weight. The first person on was almost at the end.

She didn’t dare step on.

Suddenly, there was a creak, a crack, a snapping of wood and rope, and the nine teenagers were plummeting down the ravine, desperately grasping with whatever arms they had to any surface which they could hold onto.

The two in the middle had nothing stopping them from dropping 80 meters into shallow water below.

The other seven managed to hold onto ropes and falling planks just long enough to slam into the wall and slow their fall. She watched in horror as the other students fell further into the ravine.

She screamed.

“Help! Please somebody HELP US!” She threw herself at the ledge, desperately reaching for the girl who was the last one on the bridge. She’d gained a foothold right off the side of the cliff. Her four arms grasped anything they could to try and save her classmate. The girl tried to reach up, but lost her balance and fell backwards further into the ravine.

Svet’teti blinked, and the scene changed. She was in a hospital, watching a newscast about the ravine. Two dead. Two people, her friends, classmates, adopted family, had died because she hadn’t said no. Two families would never hear their children’s laughter again because of what she failed to do. The faces on the newscast shifted their eyes, looking into hers.

“You did this.” She heard them in her head. A boy and a girl, Tek’Tnrenu and Friea. Two of the nicest, smartest people in her school. And she’d killed them. She tried to look away, to close her eyes, to blink to get them to stop, but no matter what she did they were always there. Their mouths moved, but no sound came out. She knew what they were saying anyway, she could hear them in her mind screaming at her, taunting her.

“You did this. You killed us. You should have stopped us. You could have stopped us. Why did you kill us, Svet’teti?” She screamed.

“Svee?” She bolted upright in her bunk. “Svee, are you okay?” Ktr’Elota was there next to her. She was safe, on her ship. She hadn’t killed anyone. She was safe.

“Yeah,” she started shakily, “I’m okay. Just a nightmare, that’s all.” She sat there for a moment, breathing heavily to try and reduce her heartrate.

“Are you sure?” He wrapped his arms around her. “I know you’ve got some baggage, and I bet this dredged it up again. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I am, Elo,” she said. “I promise. I’ll be okay.” She lay back down into the bed, with his arms still around her.

“Okay. I love you, Svee. I’m always here for you.”

“I love you too, Elo. Thank you.”

She lay in her bed, quietly comforting herself until sleep finally arrived.