Alien vs. Alien

everything. Chuckie, seriously, if you don’t think this is safe, let’s go and we’ll deal with this back at the Embassy.”
    “I can’t read any of you in on what’s going on until you’ve taken, and passed, this test,” Chuckie s,
    “Then let’s just go for it. If someone tries anything, I have hairspray with me.”
    Chuckie shrugged. “I’d prefer it if you had your Glock.”
    “Left it at home, under the correct assumption the many security checkpoints here would have taken it away from me.”
    “Okay, against my better judgment, let’s go for it. What’s the worst that could happen?”
    “Superbeing formation and attack,” Jeff said without missing a beat.
    “Superinsulated floor,” I reminded him. “I’d expect an assassinationattempt, if I were you.”
    Chuckie rubbed his forehead. I had a feeling he had a migraine on the way. “Then you’re the one who needs to be on the alert, Kitty, because you’re the one who’ll be alone.”

    Yi

CHAPTER 10

    A S EXPECTED, Buchanan was no happier with this turn of events than Chuckie, Jeff, or I were, but after some more quiet arguing the others dutifully trotted into their room to the left of Sandra’s desk and I was taken by her into a room on the right.
    The room was big enough to handle a full-sized classroom, but there were only two desks and three chairs in it. One desk was all by its lonesome in the middle of the room, and it looked like a deluxe high school desk. Clearly, this was where I was supposed to hang out. The other desk looked like a teacher’s desk, was close to the far wall, and had a normal office chair with it. There was no one in said chair.
    “Put your purse in the basket under the chair,” Sandra instructed as she went to the third chair that had no desk partner. It was a high swivel-stool with a back and arms. She looked liked the Good Humor Lifeguard sitting in it.
    I did as instructed. It was difficult to shove my purse in, in part because my purse was big and stuffed full of things I felt imperative to have with me at all times—like my iPod, speakers, Jeff’s adrenaline harpoon, teething biscuits, baby wipes, hairspray, and more—and also because the basket seemed set up to not let you get your stuff out once you’d foolishly shoved it in.
    “Can I have my iPod out?”
    “No. Nothing.”
    “Why not? If this place is as insulated as you say, there’s no way I’d get some cheater transmission or anything.”
    “Those are the rules.”
    “Screw the rules,” I muttered under my breath. But despite my desire to flip Sandra the bird, I left everything in my purse and sat in the chair.
    Sandra seemed about to say more when the door at the other end of the room, near the teacher’s desk, opened. An older man with wire-rimmed glasses, sandy hair, and a well-kept,
    “I’m looking for Susan,” he said. “She’s supposed to be helping me administer the HSAC.”
    “She went home sick,” Sandra said. “I’m covering.”
    “Then why are you in here?” He seemed to notice me for the first time as he stepped fully into the room. He wasn’t too much taller than me, and though he was dressed all in white, just like Sandra, his slacks and mock turtleneck fit him properly. He smiled warmly at me. “Ah, there’s my missing student. I’m John. I’d say welcome to your HSAC test, but you’re in the wrong room.”
    “Sandra said I was supposed to be tested alone, but I’d much rather be with the rest of my diplomatic mission.”
    John gave Sandra a confused look. “I didn’t get any instructions like that. I have six students listed on my roster. I can’t start the test without Missus Martini.” He looked at me. “You
are
Katherine Katt-Martini, right?”
    “Indeed!” I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass. I got up and got my purse. It was close to impossible to get it out of the basket, but by using some of my hyperstrength I was able to do it. Then I trotted over to John. “Let’s join the others.”
    “Suit yourselves,” Sandra said quietly.
    We left my Solitary Confinement Classroom and went to another room. It was set up similarly to how the room we’d just left was, only this had plenty of desks and also had the others to be tested in it. Buchanan looked relieved to see me, but he wiped that expression off quickly.
    “You need to have at least one desk between you and anyone else,” John told me. I picked a spot in the middle between Amy and Len, which was in front of White.