Chapter 1

I wake up to the sound of a small bell-my ringtone for the week. The SmartFone isn't my favorite possession, but it helps me keep in touch with my brother.

And the wardens out to kill me.

Mostly my brother.

I let this call slide, however, considering that when I woke up my reflexes threw me into a box full of CDs, old Earthling technology. The stuff of the old times-over 200 years ago.

More bells. This time I pick up without smashing into anything. "Yellow?" I inquire, keeping my voice unusually high, just in case it was a Warden.

"Hey, Earth." I had never heard my brother's slow (Completely fake) Southern drawl so depressed. "Jupiter! How are you! Jeez, what happened?! You sound like I just died!"

"Hum…"

Another thing about my bro: He tends to take everything literally. As opposed to me, the person who might cry if she didn't keep on laughing.

Being hunted down can take a lot out of you.

"Well of course I didn't, stupid. Otherwise I wouldn't have picked up the phone. But seriously, what happened that is so…so sad-making?"

"I'm just tired sis. You know school keeps me up all night."

"Oh yea you forgot to e-mail last nights homework assignment. Dumb. You know you're the only one keeping me SANE so you might at least appreciate that you go to school to help me learn without GETTING KILLED."

"Ohmigod. I know I forgot…It's just chapter 3 in War of the Worlds."

"Fat lot of good that does me. I think we're being traced. seeya." I hung up without another word.

I wander through the cargo hold, wondering what to do. I'd already read all of War of the Worlds. All the other books they had down in the cargo hold were full of dust and crumbly pages-and some no words at all. Earthlings were a waste of Resources. Today is an exploration day. I thought to myself. Nothing else to do.

So I popped my head above the endless crates and boxes and smart matter spools. The coast was clear, as always. Slipping into a smartsuit, I set it to a simple plated skirt and a short white shirt. Putting on the smart matter face was the worst part. It kept the Wardens- at least the mechanical ones- from seeing my face and arresting me. For something I didn't do. Actually the real person who did it got blown up along with his crime, but they don't know that. Especially with Earth being a 'specialized area'. A.K.A. Restricted.

Anyway, after getting the mask to make me 'normal' I felt around for the hatch. I don't even know why Ship F HAS a cargo hold, much less a HATCH to close it off with. No one comes down here. Moldable Plastic R., or Smart Matter, can be recycled. So the extra SM is never needed.

I poked my head into the empty hall before emerging into the Belly of the Beast.