Ten minutes later, the group arrived at Main Street and climbed aboard the monorail train that took them to school.  Rachel Carson High School was a beautiful high-tech, three-story structure with its own internal monorail station on the top floor.  The six young people stepped out of the train and started off toward their respective team rooms, where they could visit their lockers before class.

“Hello, Nerd,” said as voice behind Astrid, as she put her backpack on the top shelf in her locker.

She turned around to come face to face with her cousin Gloria.  She looked just as stunningly beautiful as she did on the hoverbike poster, but now she was wearing a Rachel Carson High blazer.

“What are you doing here?” asked Astrid.

“I’m going to school.  Gee, aren’t you supposed to be some kind of genius?  I would have thought that you could figure that out.”

“But you live in Socketburg and you can’t start school now anyway.  It’s April, for crying out loud.”

“I’m on an extended study program.  We have those at Tallulah Bankhead High.  Don’t feel bad, but I probably won’t see much of you because I’m a sophomore and you’re just a freshman.  Anyway, bye.”

Gloria walked off into the crowd of students, leaving Astrid standing open-mouthed in her wake.