“What? How can you say that? You know how talented I am.” I felt defeated, there was no winning against Luke. I never could, and I didn’t see that suddenly changing now.

“Listen.” He looked around to make sure no one was listening and pulled at me to get lower. Being much taller than him made it difficult to keep a conversation between us. “The condenser is running dangerously low on power cells, we need scavengers like you.” He winced at a sudden pain in his metal arm. “I can’t go out any more, you are the best we have…you know why the team needs a diver like you, right?”

I nodded. As a Lunite, I didn’t have to worry about drowning.

“I am sorry that this isn’t what you wanted, but it’s what we need right now.” Luke brought me in tight for a hug and let go soon after to file my new paperwork.

As much as that wasn’t what I wanted to hear, I knew it was the truth. All my studying for nothing, I was placed in something I just happened to be naturally good at. My shoulders slumped down low and I headed for the locker room while twisting the excess water out of my knee length charcoal hair.

“Leviathan huh? Can’t say that’s a surprise.” Simon grinned at me.

Simon’s my best friend and we’ve always been close, since before either of us could speak. She’s smart, almost too smart. A nerd is what she is, but I wouldn’t trade her for anyone else.

Especially since Simon was the only human outside of my parents that knew about me.

“What are you doing in here, shouldn’t you be in the other room with Brooke?” I asked.

Simon waved her hand at me. “Not that comfortable yet, I’d prefer to leave without a black eye from the other girls thank you very much.”

I waited for my hair to drip a little less before putting dry clothes on over my diving suit. I barely had time to put on pants before being interrupted.

Brooke leaned into the open locker room door. “Heard the news. Congrats, not like we’re surprised you’ve always been top of the class in almost everything.” She coughed. “Overachiever.”

If you combined beauty, strength and a horrible sense of humor you’d get Brooke.

“I’m just a quick study.” I pulled on my sky-blue sneakers.

“Not quick enough, you’re still not that great at repair work.” Simon chuckled.

“Can you two at least wait until I’m dressed before insulting me?” I stood up and walked out of the locker room.

Brooke moved aside to let me pass and they both shrugged.

Brooke’s been in my class since I started at the Carrion, I haven’t known her for very long but it felt like I knew her very well. On some level, the three of us always knew we’d end up on a team together, I just kept hoping it wasn’t Scavenging. Brooke, by no surprise was the Guardian of the team, the sharpshooter. Her job was to keep us alive long enough to make it back, it didn’t matter in what condition. I always thought Simon would have been put on Condenser repair, but she was our Technologist, the one who makes sure all of the equipment for a mission is up and running and stays that way in the field.

“What are you two doing today, on the rarest of afternoons with nothing to do.” I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling out knots.