Mickey lay awake all night staring at the ceiling. When morning light seeped through the window shades, he eased out of bed, grabbed his clothes, and dressed in the bathroom. After making sure Vickie still slept, he tiptoed to the front door, slipped on his shoes, and activated a touchpad mounted on the wall that summoned an automated car already waiting for him at the curb with its door open and a woman's face smiling from the vid screen.

"Good morning," she said. "The ambient temperature is twenty-two degrees Celsius, wind four kilometers per hour from the southwest with no chance of rain today. Where would you like to go?"

Mickey slumped into the seat. "Five years into the past."

With a soft whoosh, the door closed. "I am unfamiliar with that address. Additional information is required to process your request."

"Never mind," Mickey muttered. "Take me to 16888 Catalina Street, Burbank."

The car started in motion heading for the main line to join a train traveling west. "Estimated time of arrival eight minutes. Would you like to listen to music en route?"

"The Fifth Dimension," Mickey replied sullenly.

"The universe has only four dimensions. Please restate your request."

"Fuck off."

"I am not programmed to respond to that request." A list of psychiatric facilities within a five-kilometer radius appeared on the vid screen. "Enjoy the ride."

Five minutes later, the car detached from the three hundred mile an hour train and resumed autonomous motion. It stopped three minutes later in front of David's old house on Catalina Street.

Mickey walked to the perimeter of the house's force field and stopped. He had been ten years old the day he moved in across the street, shy and painfully introverted. David had ridden up on his bike. "Hi," he'd said, peering inside the back of the moving van. "My name's David, but you can call me Davie. I live across the street." He'd spied Mickey's bike in the van. "Wanna go bike riding some time?"

The two boys had spent almost every day together after that, riding their bikes, lying on Mickey's bed jawing about life, and five years later hopping a ride on a flying saucer to the moon and then to Europa with Vickie and Pam. Mickey felt the embers of anger always smoldering inside him burst into flame. Thanks to the Europans and their Test, he'd never be able to go bike riding with Davie again. They'd taken his old life away and given him a new one, whether he liked it or not. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take it.

After a backwards glance at his old house, Mickey held up his palm, his silver disc implanted by the Europans flashed twice, and the force field extended around him allowing him inside.

As he started up the familiar walk the front door opened. For a moment Mickey half-expected to see David, but Ernie stood in the doorway instead sporting his signature smile. "Hey, Mick! Wasn't expecting you. Come on in."

Mickey rushed past Ernie into the house without exchanging greetings.

Ernie had occupied the house after David's parents divorced. He didn't change anything, except to bring along his favorite recliner chair and special television, the one he, Mickey, and Vickie used to stay in communication with Pam and David on Europa.

Mickey walked to the living room and picked up a framed photograph from the mantle. The photograph taken six years earlier showed he and David at the resort they visited every summer until David left for Europa. In the photograph, Mickey was holding up a rainbow trout with a grin on his face while David grimaced. Mickey stared at the photo fighting back tears.

Sensing his discomfort, Ernie dropped into his favorite chair and pointed at the couch. "What's on your mind?"

Mickey remained standing. "I have a few questions for the Sphere."

Ernie picked the Sphere off the coffee table. "Fire away."

"Start with this one. Why is what's happening on Earth now any different than what happened on Europa?"

Ernie frowned. "Not sure what you mean."

"The Europans almost became extinct when they ran out of things to do, right?"

Ernie nodded. "Everybody knows that."

"The same thing's happening to us."

"No it isn't," Ernie scoffed.

"Yes it is! Ask the Sphere what the human race is supposed to do next." Mickey's voice went up an octave.

"What're you talking about, Mick?"

Mickey paced around the room. "Ask it what humanity's supposed to do for our next big achievement. Build our own flying saucers and explore the solar system? Why bother? We can see a travelogue of the entire galaxy from the comfort of our easy chairs. How about finding a cure for cancer, or discovering the formula for cold fusion? Don't need to. That stuff's already posted on the internet." He stopped pacing. "And ask the Sphere what the human race is supposed to do with itself besides becoming fat and useless."

"You know you can't ask the Sphere that kind of stuff, Mick. You have to ask a straightforward question, like how to make strawberry pancakes." Ernie forced a smile.

"Then ask it why the Europans picked Davie instead of me."

"We both know the answer to that one," Ernie replied. "You wouldn't have gone."

"I never had the chance!" Mickey shouted.

"Of course you did."

"Remember the aura when Davie and Pam held hands?" Mickey challenged. "It started as soon as we got back from Europa, before the Europans told us about the Choice. How come nothing happens when Vickie and I hold hands?"

"I don't know, but what difference does it make?"

"It means the Choice was rigged. The Europans had already chosen Davie and Pam, and I want to know why."

Jupiter's Moon Europa

The aquaski sped through Europa's ocean just beneath the thirty-kilometer-thick shell of ice. As the submersible the size of a two-man jetski banked back and forth, the Europan designated R141 nicknamed Romeo wrapped two silver appendages around the aquaski's saddle to hold on. The aquaski's pilot Al, short for Alpha, grinned and poured on the power. His twin sister Bet, short for Beta, radioed for him to slow down. The more cautious of Pam and David's twins, Bet was born one full minute before Al. She liked to refer to herself as the "big sister" which really ticked off her brother. The closer Bet's aquaski moved to the forest of ice stalactites, the more she reduced speed.

Al noticed his sister slowing down and increased power. "Why are you slowing down?" he sent to Bet on an open communication channel.

"Perhaps your sister's action is wise," Romeo said to Al on the aquaski's intercom.

"You chickening out?" Al asked.

Romeo pondered his response for two milliseconds, which qualified as serious consideration for an Europan. "Why would I choose to leave this location with a domesticated Earth bird?"

Despite the razor-sharp stalactites looming ahead, Al increased speed yet another notch. "It's an expression that means you're scared," he replied.

The colored lights on Romeo's face flashed with a riot of color. Al saw the colorful display reflected in his bubble helmet and tried not to laugh.

"Fear is an emotion. I have none," Romeo said.

Al chuckled. "Then explain why you're holding on so tight the ski's frame is bending?"

"My apologies, Master Al. I was performing normal maintenance by testing the frame's tensile strength."

Bet saw her...