The Surface Trials, page 27
Also by HM Waugh
Mars Awakens
Mars Underground
First published by Allen & Unwin in 2025
Copyright © HM Waugh 2025
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CONTENTS
ATTENTION: AMETHYST ANTARES
1: THE PROXY
2: THE HEIR
3: THE OUTLIER
4: TALKING DURING TRANSFER TO THE SURFACE IS PROHIBITED
5: NO PERSONAL BAGGAGE WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE
6: INTRODUCTIONS ARE A RECOMMENDED FIRST STEP ONCE ON THE SURFACE; THEY HELP YOUR SQUAD BOND. THEY ALSO HELP VIEWERS CONNECT WITH YOU
7: BE PREPARED FOR CANDIDATES WITH DIFFERING BACKGROUNDS AND VIEWS TO YOURS – THE WORLDS ARE WIDE AND VARIED
8: TO SOLVE A CLUE, FIRST YOU MUST DISCOVER IT
9: THE FIRST CLUE
10: VITAL EQUIPMENT IS NOT ALWAYS SUPPLIED; ASSESSORS ARE KEEN TO SEE HOW YOU FARE WHEN TASKED WITH CREATING DEVICES YOURSELF
11: GREAT CARE IS TAKEN EACH YEAR TO ENSURE YOUR UNIFORM IS SUITED TO SURFACE CONDITIONS
12: WHILE NOT IN ITSELF A CONDITION FOR ACCEPTANCE, THE ACADEMY LOOKS FAVOURABLY ON THOSE WHO DISPLAY KEEN OBSERVATION SKILLS AND A LOVE OF DISCOVERY
13: SPATIAL AWARENESS IS A MUST
14: BY THE FIRST AFTERNOON, GROUP DYNAMICS BEGIN TO HAVE A STRONG IMPACT ON ELIMINATIONS
15: ALL DECISIONS BY ASSESSORS TO ELIMINATE CANDIDATES FROM THE SURFACE TRIALS ARE FINAL
16: YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DANGER WHEN ON THE SURFACE: PLANETARY EXPLORATION IS NEVER RISK-FREE
17: EQUIPMENT IS PROVIDED TO MITIGATE PLANET RISKS WHERE PRACTICABLE
18: THE SECOND CLUE
19: DUE TO THE TIME CONSTRAINTS OF THE TRIALS, TREAT EVERY MOMENT AS PRECIOUS
20: YOU ARE NOT TO INTERFERE WITH LANDER MOVEMENTS OR HINDER THE PROVISION OF CRITICAL MEDICAL AID
21: EVERY YEAR UNOFFICIAL LISTS OF POTENTIAL HOST PLANETS ARE CIRCULATED. THESE ARE JUST THAT: UNOFFICIAL.
22: MIDWAY IS OFTEN WHERE REDUCED SUPPLIES AND INCREASED FATIGUE COMBINE TO CREATE TENSION IN A SQUAD – YOU ARE URGED TO RETAIN PERSPECTIVE DURING THIS TIME
23: THE THIRD CLUE
24: BASIC FOOD RATIONS ARE SUPPLIED TO ALL SQUADS
25: SQUADS ARE URGED TO STICK TOGETHER
26: STARQUEST BELIEVES IN SYNERGY; THE PURPOSEFUL DISINTEGRATION OF ANY SQUAD WILL NOT BE LIGHTLY ACCEPTED
27: THE SURFACE TRIALS WILL TEST YOUR ABILITY TO CONTROL YOUR OWN EMOTIONS AND RESPONSES
28: ANY MINOR INJURIES ARE BEST TREATED ON THE SURFACE, AS REMOVAL BY MEDIVAC IS PERMANENT
29: FOOLHARDY HEROICS OR UNNECESSARY RISK-TAKING WILL NOT BE REWARDED
30: COMMUNICATION IS KEY
31: YOU WILL BE TESTED IN NOVEL WAYS TO ENSURE YOUR SUITABILITY FOR STARQUEST
32: DESPITE THE ACADEMY’S BEST EFFORTS, ACCIDENTS DO OCCUR DURING TRIALS
33: SUCCESSFUL GROUP WORK RELIES ON OPEN AND HONEST COMMUNICATION
34: YOU ARE URGED TO RELY ON OBSERVATION AND FACTS RATHER THAN BASELESS INTUITION
35: SOME PLANETS EXHIBIT MULTIPLE ECOSYSTEMS WITH OFTEN VASTLY DIFFERENT RISK FACTORS
36: ALTHOUGH HUNGER MAY SEEM PARAMOUNT, LOCATING WATER IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SURVIVAL SKILLS
37: YOU MUST ARRIVE AT THE COLLECTION POINT BY THE NOMINATED TIME TO ENSURE A CHANCE OF ADMITTANCE TO STARQUEST
38: LATE CANDIDATES WILL NOT BE ADMITTED
39: THE USE OF DISGUISES SUCH AS DIGIMASKS AND HOLOSKINS IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM STARQUEST COMMAND
40: STARQUEST DOES NOT JUDGE BASED ON OUTWARD APPEARANCE, AND NOR SHOULD ANY CANDIDATE WHO WISHES TO BE OFFERED A PLACE AT OUR ACADEMY
41: MILD DISAGREEMENTS WITHIN SQUADS ARE COMMON; YOU ARE URGED TO USE TEAMWORK PRINCIPLES TO WORK THROUGH THESE TO AVOID COMPOUNDING ISSUES, WHICH MAY LEAD TO MASS ELIMINATIONS
42: OUR ASSESSORS DO NOT DISCRIMINATE BASED ON RANK OR PLANET OF ORIGIN
43: GROUP DISCUSSIONS, WHEN HANDLED FAIRLY, CAN GREATLY ASSIST A SQUAD’S COHESIVENESS
44: IT IS ALWAYS RECOMMENDED TO BE TRUTHFUL WITH YOUR SQUAD
45: WORKING TOGETHER SUCCESSFULLY AS A SURFACE SQUAD USUALLY INDICATES A SUITABILITY TO BECOME A PERMANENT ACADEMY SQUAD
46: ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL RISKS FROM NATIVE BIOLOGICALS
47: IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A LIFE-OR-DEATH SITUATION, REMAIN CALM AND KNOW THAT STARQUEST ASSISTANCE WILL BE SWIFTLY INCOMING
48: THE USE OF ILLEGAL MUTATIONS TO GAIN ADVANTAGE DURING THE TRIALS WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE ELIMINATION AND SUBSEQUENT ARREST
49: YOU ARE ADVISED TO MAINTAIN A WATCH DURING NIGHT HOURS WHEREVER POSSIBLE
50: CANDIDATES INTERFERING WITH ANOTHER SQUAD WILL BE ELIMINATED
51: YOUR ABILITY TO PIVOT IN RESPONSE TO CHANGING SITUATIONS WILL BE VIEWED FAVOURABLY
52: THE SURFACE TRIALS ARE BUILT TO TEST YOUR RESPONSES UNDER STRESS
53: ALTHOUGH PHYSICAL ABILITY IS NOT PARAMOUNT, SOME LEVEL OF FITNESS IS RECOMMENDED
54: IF YOU FIND YOURSELF LEADING YOUR SQUAD, ALWAYS BE AWARE OF HOW THE REST OF YOUR TEAM IS FARING
55: THE KEY TO BEING A GREAT PLANETICIAN IS THE ABILITY TO WORK THROUGH PROBLEMS AS THEY ARISE
56: PREPARE YOURSELF FOR A WHIRLWIND RIDE OF UPS AND DOWNS – THE SURFACE TRIALS ARE DESIGNED TO CHALLENGE
57: IF THE TRIALS WERE EASY, THEY WOULDN’T TEST YOU
58: IF YOU DON’T THRIVE AMID THE STRANGE AND THE NEW, YOU’RE NOT SUITED TO BEING A PLANETICIAN
59: STARQUEST RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE STRUCTURE OF THE TRIALS IF DEEMED NECESSARY
60: RETENTION OF HIGH NUMBERS IN A SURFACE SQUAD IS UNUSUAL – IF ONE SUCH SQUAD STANDS OUT IN ANY YEAR THEY WILL BE AWARDED QUASAR SQUAD STATUS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TRAINING THE UNIVERSE’S BEST PLANETICIANS SINCE 2605.
Attention: Amethyst Antares
Congratulations! You have been successful in gaining entry to the final stage of the selection process for Starquest Academy – the Surface Trials! Your score in the Gifted and Talented (GAT) assessment was 297.8, placing you among the top ten applicants.
Transport to the Surface Trials will depart on the sixth day of Standard Month Four at 13:15 Trappist, from Trappist 1 Starport. All relevant details are attached. Please respond by return comm to confirm your attendance at the Trials.
We have attached our endorsement for you, as a Controlled citizen of Proxima Centauri, to leave your planet for the Trials. Please ensure you gain the necessary departure approvals and make yourself aware of the penalties for non-conformance with the Control of Dangerous Mental Abilities Decree 2601.
Kindest regards
Frè Xenatora
Surface Trials Coordinator
COURAGE | TEAMWORK | INNOVATION | EXPLORATION
1
THE PROXY
Amethyst Antares had no idea where in the worlds she was. Of course, this wasn’t at all surprising. In fact, it was the whole point of the thing.
Six minutes and thirteen seconds to go.
She ignored the sleek ladder built into the wall of the cabin she shared with three other contestants, and pushed her legs off the edge of her capsule bed, letting the ship’s gravity claim her. As expected, her flash new adaptiboots cushioned the impact as her feet hit the floor. The adrenaline rush dulled her growing panic. She caught sight of herself in the mirror. Strong. Capable. Not terrified in the slightest.
Good.
She’d watched the Surface Trials play out on her homescreen for years. Planned how to get into them for almost as long.
Looking the part was key.
‘Ready, Ammy?’
She turned to see Navis grinning at her, his blue eyes bright in the shiplight, dark green uniform – identical to hers – almost shocking against the featureless pale walls. Nervous energy leaked out of him like a milkshake in zero-g.
He’d had to speak up to be heard over the holo, which Leona was watching while systema
Nothing had changed there. Nothing was ever going to change there. And Ammy was fine with pretending he didn’t exist right back at him, thank you very much.
‘Totally ready,’ she said to Nav, lying like a pro. ‘You?’
Nav gave a cocky thumbs up, though his arm shook. ‘And I’m loving this adaptigear uniform. This sort of lux will be our future, hey?’
He was from a poor planet too. Sure, no planet was ever as poor – or as reviled – as Ammy’s. But still … he was probably closest to understanding what these Trials meant to her. Get through the next three days and all this Starquest tech would be normal.
The holo was showing a program Ammy knew well – Surface Trials: The Buildup – where they went through all the best-ranked candidates and counted down to the start of the Trials. Usually Ammy loved watching everything related to the Surface Trials. But now? When she was about to be in them? In four minutes and thirty-eight seconds?
Nope. Not helping.
‘Well, these fiftieth Surface Trials are set to be the best ever! The thing everyone’s talking about this year is, of course, the inclusion of Rian Amalthea,’ said Jupiter, Ammy’s favourite Trials host. She was looking as out-there as she usually did, this time in a metallic pink jumpsuit with sparkling planets woven into her hair. ‘We all know he’s the closest thing we have to intergalactic royalty. Created by a power union of the oldest Dynasty with the strongest! And it doesn’t hurt that he looks like this ...’
The screen filled with the picture of a stupidly good-looking dark-haired boy, vivid blue eyes contrasting against bronze skin and unfairly black eyelashes. Megawatt smile flashing perfectly white teeth. Leona sighed longingly. Nav huffed. Ammy scowled. There was that anger she’d been missing, back just in time to kick her fear in its non-adaptable spacepants.
‘That’s right, Jupe,’ said Jupiter’s co-host, Nindasu. ‘Rian Amalthea is the highest-ranked Dynasty member to undertake the Trials in years and the known universe is abuzz.’
‘Of course, Nin, we’re told Rian will be heavily disguised to avoid assessor bias. He could, quite literally, be any of the candidates.’
‘I can’t imagine the pressure he’s feeling right now, trying to get into his own academy. If he’s eliminated, the worlds are going to explode with—’
Nav swiped the holoscreen closed with one jerk of his hand. He looked around in the sudden silence. ‘Sorry. It was making me jittery.’
Baran frowned at his fingers.
‘I wonder where he is?’ said Leona, her eyes that kind of dreamy Ammy had learned to associate with any talk about the Amalthean heir. ‘Maybe he’ll be in one of our Surface Squads.’
‘I hope not,’ muttered Ammy.
‘You don’t mean that!’ said Leona. ‘You can’t hold his Dynasties against him, he’s too gorgeous.’
‘Sure I can. Half his fortune comes from his ancestors stomping on mine.’
‘But that wasn’t him.’
‘Fine. I’ll change my mind if he shares some of that money with Proxima.’ Ammy leaned over and put a hand on Leona’s, to stop her chewing every single nail off. ‘Hey, you might need those in a bit.’
Leona muttered her thanks and sat on her hands.
Nav bent his head towards Ammy. ‘I’m glad you’re taking my warning seriously,’ he whispered.
Ammy nodded at him. But really … not wanting the Amalthean heir on her squad had nothing to do with whatever conspiracy theory Nav had been trying to hint at yesterday. Rian Amalthea would be more likely to ignore Ammy than bother trying to harm her.
Nav’s legs jigged. ‘I want him in my squad.’
Ammy stared at him. ‘But I thought …?’
‘I hated him? I do. That’s the point. Anything could happen on the surface.’ He grinned rather wildly.
She looked away. Whatever this was, it wasn’t helping her stomach settle. ‘We won’t know even if he is in one of our squads.’
‘Nah, he’ll be obvious. Digimasks don’t disguise attitude.’
One minute and eight seconds to go.
‘It’s almost time,’ Ammy muttered.
She fought the unexpected urge to climb back into her capsule bed and hide. Absurd. Getting here, completing these Trials, getting into Starquest Academy – this was her dream. This way led to freedom and wealth and fame. None of which were possible back on Proxima Centauri.
Years of watching the Surface Trials had taught her they weren’t being filmed yet. This would be the last time for days. She closed her eyes, focused on what she had to do: make it through these Trials. She imagined stepping over the line and seeing Rian Amalthea’s pretty face all shocked because a Proxy had made it through. Even better, she imagined getting to the end and finding out Rian Amalthea had been eliminated. On day one.
There was a loud click. Startling in the otherwise silent dorm. Their door swung open. Ammy’s nerves returned.
She knew this moment. Tiny green lights had appeared on the uniform collars of her dormmates; their suitcams had started recording. And that meant all the cameras in the corridors, the landers and – of course – on the surface would have activated as well. People in homes around the galaxies would be leaning forward in anticipation of their first live views of the candidates and the planet they’d spend the next three days on. Jupe and Nin would be commentating their brightly coloured hearts out on screens everywhere.
Ammy made herself walk forward. Her legs felt wobbly. Pace uneven. Would that be obvious to the assessors? She lengthened her stride, set her face into serious mode, and walked through to the uncertain future that open door signified.
She walked like she was ready for this. Made for this. Like she was looking forward to being drafted into a Surface Squad with total strangers and dropped in the middle of who knew what.
It was finally beginning.
She felt like throwing up.
2
THE HEIR
No pressure, but Rian Amalthea was expected to get into what was basically his own school.
There were no guarantees. Take his Great-Uncle Armus as a prime example. People still hadn’t stopped talking about Armus Amalthea’s so-called ‘epic failure’, and he’d made it through to the afternoon of day one of the Surface Trials. Then there was Rian’s cousin Lexi, who hadn’t even passed her GAT test. It didn’t matter to the media or the Academy that she’d only just recovered from mercurial deep-space encephalitis. That was her one chance, done for.
There was no way Rian wanted to join that branch of the family Dynasty. He could imagine what the gossip zines would say, and none of it would be pretty.
The glowing corridors were blending into each other as he walked. Each wall was lush with living plants, and all the clear floors had identical carpets of vibrant moss underneath them. Every corridor on this mainship was like an artery, pumping out oxygen. The air echoed with the tread of ninety-nine other candidates. Was he almost at the lander port?
Rian felt a sudden need to run in the opposite direction, raid the kitchen and shove handfuls of scorching-hot chocorbs in his face. Ridiculous. The only way to end this was to get through it. He saw his reflection in a blacked-out window, and a stranger stared back at him. His disguise, in place since he’d boarded the ship.
Which planet were they about to land on? They were four days out of Trappist, and the wormhole had only taken an hour of that. Their ship ran on Nadahan skimtech – a drive system so powerful and so secret Rian still hadn’t convinced anyone to tell him what propelled it, even though he was set to inherit the patent.
But four days’ skimming? They had to be a seriously long way away from anything. And yet … that only cut out eleven of the thirty-four potential planets. Panic flooded him, and he fought it back, knowing they were already being watched.
Wherever they were about to land, he had to believe he had the skills to make it.
Starquest Academy’s official line was that you couldn’t prepare for the Surface Trials. Rian knew they were lying. He’d had a personal tutor for it for years now. He’d read all the Trials records. Solved every old code twice before he checked the answers. Learned every survival skill there was. Hiked longer and longer distances every day. Because once he was on planet, it would be too late to get ready.
