Free Space Case by Stuart Gibbs

an ace,” he said. “I’ll bet you a thou she parks that Raptor dead center on the pad.”
    Dad shook his head. “Bet against Katya? Forget it.”
    â€œOkay,” Chang said. “Then let’s bet on which of the newbies pukes during the landing.”
    Dad laughed. Mom rolled her eyes.
    Rocket travel isn’t for everyone. Almost everybody feels motion sick the first time they go into space. It takes a while to adjust to being weightless. Some people manage to do this quickly. Others spend the trip on very intimate terms with the zero-g toilet.
    My parents and Chang knew plenty about the newbies already. NASA had sent them biography files well ahead of time, and all the adults had video chatted several times. It’s better to start life on the moon as friends than strangers.
    â€œI’ll put a hundred on Maxwell Howard,” Dad said.
    â€œThe engineer?” Chang laughed. “You’re backing the wrong horse, pal. I hear that guy’s steady as they come.”
    Dad shrugged. “I’ve got a hunch. Some of these stoic guys turn out to have the weakest stomachs.”
    â€œMy money’s on the Russian,” Chang said. “What’s his name, Balnikov? I read the guy’s file. Trust me, the guy’s a vomit volcano.”
    â€œI don’t know what to do with you two,” Mom saidwith a sigh. “Dashiell, don’t pay one bit of attention to these so-called scientists.”
    â€œThey’re only having some fun,” I said.
    â€œYes,” Mom agreed. “And they have no idea how to pick a potential puker. If anyone blows chunks, it’ll be Jennifer Kim. The geologists are always the first to go.”
    On the TV there was a sudden blaze of light as the Raptor’s retro rockets fired. And yet, even though this was happening almost right over our heads, we didn’t hear a thing. There was no atmosphere for the sound to travel through. What would have been deafening on earth was bizarrely silent on the moon.
    All conversation ceased. Everyone directed their full attention to the TV. Even the little kids.
    The Raptor was lowering slowly toward the pad, the flare from the retros so bright it almost bleached out the screen. Just as Chang had predicted, it was coming in perfectly. Commander Katya King was at the helm. Not only was she the best pilot at NASA, but she’d done this run so many times it was probably routine to her by now.
    Nina Stack was suddenly at my side. Without so much as a hello she told me, “I need you to do something for me. There’s a girl your age coming in on that rocket.”
    â€œKira Howard,” I said. “I’ve heard.”
    â€œYou’re going to be the welcome wagon for her.”
    I was so surprised I took my eyes off the TV. “I thought Cesar was assigned to do that.”
    â€œI changed my mind.” Nina didn’t even look at me. She kept her gaze locked on the descending rocket. “Cesar has other duties, and, frankly, you’re probably a better representative for Kira anyway, seeing as you’re only a few months older than she is.”
    â€œBut I’m not prepared—” I began.
    â€œI’m sure you can handle it.” Nina walked away before I could raise another protest.
    Not that I could think of one. Truthfully, I was happy for the assignment. Kira was twelve, like me, and I was kind of excited to meet her. Plus, showing her the ropes at MBA would give me something to do for once.
    Of course, I knew the real reason for my new assignment. Nina was trying to distract me from raising questions about Dr. Holtz’s death.
    On TV the second round of retros fired. Katya gently guided the Raptor to the landing pad. Below the rocket, dust and rock exploded out in all directions, scouring the blast wall. The Raptor hovered over the pad for a few moments, then set down in the dead center.
    Everyone cheered.
    â€œNow that’s how you