“Tubes of soup,” Vik answered. “I’ve flown in suborbitals with my folks, and they’ve always got some rations stored in the aft cabin. I’ll squeeze them out before we land. You were playing along, earlier, huh?” He sounded impressed.

“You think I don’t know you guys by now?” Wyatt said. She gave a satisfied nod. “The entire cabin hears the vomiting noises. I told everyone you drank the tap water at Epicenter.”

Vik was not pleased. “But I’m from India. I’d have to be an idiot to be Indian and drink tap water in Epicenter’s region of India. Everyone in my country knows better.”

She smiled. “That’s why I said I have food poisoning and made sure no one thought I drank tap water the way you did. I didn’t want people to think I’m stupid.”

“Evil Wench,” Vik breathed, impressed.

Wyatt made a loud vomiting noise.

“Aah, it is dreadful!” Yuri bellowed happily.

Vik launched himself over to Wyatt and tore her from Yuri’s arms.

“What are you doing?” Wyatt whispered fiercely, squirming in his grip.

“You smeared my reputation. Now we’re playing human keep away,” Vik declared, then hurled her toward Tom.

Fright blazed over Wyatt’s face, since she wasn’t used to free floating in the microgravity yet, and she began pinwheeling her arms urgently. Tom caught her, and the impact sent them spinning back toward the far wall.

“Okay?” he asked her as they bounced off.

She laughed. That was answer enough. He spun her around in good conscience as Yuri shoved toward him, trying to rescue her. Tom kicked the ceiling to knock them out of the way and tossed Wyatt back to Vik. Yuri smashed Tom against the wall, then propelled away again. Vik tried to throw Wyatt, but he was too late, because Yuri was determined now.

“Not this time,” he declared, and caught her leg. Then pulled her into his arms. They spun like that, Wyatt’s long hair whirling around like a cloud about them, both of them floating past the window overlooking the curvature of the Earth.

Then as they drifted away, Yuri caught the ceiling to halt them. He dipped his head and kissed her. Wyatt’s hair floated like a mermaid’s, blocking their faces from view. Tom felt his shoulder bump Vik’s as they observed it all.

“I don’t think Yuri’s tossing her back,” Vik observed. “What do we do now?”

“Not that,” Tom told him.

“I need a girlfriend,” Vik complained. “Hey, what do you think of Lyla Martin?”

“She’s frightening,” Tom answered.

“And blond.” Vik sounded pleased about both things. “I’m not going to lie to you, Tom: while we were getting eaten by a shark together, I think we had a moment.”

Yuri drew back from Wyatt, and they both looked over at Tom and Vik where they were floating there, watching them.

“Go on,” Tom blurted.

“Yeah, we don’t mind.” Vik waved for them to carry on. “You only get one crack at this in zero-g.”