“You’ll be lame if you don’t shut up.” The girl neither looked angry nor sounded angry as she retorted.

Nancy focused on Romy again. Her eyes flicked to the left and Romy glanced over her shoulder to see the soldier, Mucus, bee-lining for the Hull.

Romy met the girl’s eyes and something passed between them.

Nancy pushed up from the table. “You travelling with us today, space monster?”

What was with the name calling here? “What does that involve?” she asked.

“It involves stealing a car and guns, sneaking past the sentries, and target shooting.”

For a long beat she thought Nancy was joking. But no one laughed. Romy chewed her lip. “I don’t think Atlas would like that,” she hedged.

The teen crossed her arms. “You always do as you’re told, little sky girl?”

The answer was yes. That was just how life on the orbitos was. But . . . she was on Earth now. A slow grin spread over her face.

“No,” she replied. “Not anymore.”

A thrill raced through Romy as a table-full of teens grinned back at her. What they were about to do was against the rules, and the danger of it sent adrenaline straight to her fingertips.

In twos and threes the table dispersed—in different directions. Romy walked beside Nancy, trying to rein in her excitement.

Nancy moaned. “Everyone’s gonna suspect us if you keep that up.”

“Keep what up?” Romy’s steps slowed.

“You’re supposed to be going to sort papers. It’s not your bloody birthday. Slump your shoulders or something.”

Romy attempted to slouch.

Nancy moaned once again. “Just, never mind. Have you ever slouched in your life? Pick up the pace. Everyone’s staring.”

The two girls took a weaving path through the settlement. Nancy glanced casually around before pulling Romy down an alleyway. They ran to what Romy thought was a dead end, but as they got there, the violet-eyed girl slid a propped board to the side and squeezed through the gap.

The other teens were already on the other side. Two were dragging a large leaf-covered net from a vehicle wedged between the fence and an abandoned-looking bungalow.

“No one knows this is here,” Nancy said quietly. “Took us ages to get all the parts. But Eddie is a fair-dinkum mechanic.” She slapped a small boy on the back, who stammered his thanks.

Romy stood aside as Eddie jumped in the car and six others began to roll the car out of the wedged space. Nancy and Romy trailed after the rolling vehicle.

The others kept up their pushing for five minutes. Then, without warning, they all abandoned their shoving and ran to the vehicle doors as the car rolled to a stop.

“This is the pinch,” Nancy said. “The ride’s only really big enough for five people.”

A quick head count told her there were nine present, including herself.