The rest of Mervyn’s first week proved both exciting and confusing. Relations with Aurora deteriorated to the point where the common room became a no-go zone. Aurora claimed it for her own and drove out anyone attempting to use it, except for specially selected guests from other syndicates, the ‘Girls’ as she called them. There was one place where Mervyn felt very at home: the stardome become his private refuge. Maybe, the starscape above his head reminded him of Starlight, or maybe he just craved personal thinking space away from the bustle of the Academy. The magnificent room remained silent following the welcome ceremony, no one disturbed him. For Mervyn, it was the most exciting place on the whole ship. From there, he could see all the wonders of space for himself. He soon found that if he pinpointed a feature accurately enough, he could zoom in and superimpose all the normal viewer images onto the dome itself: micro waves, radio waves, gamma rays, x-rays and thermal imaging -- like a virtual telescope. Most of the time, though, he liked to just admire the beauty of the galaxy trough his own eyes. He spent an increasing amount of his spare time in the dome, particularly while chatting to his family and friends at home – everyone except his father, who still refused to speak to him.

‘Listen to them,’ Tarun said, nodding towards the common room, from where laughter and giggles abounded as Aurora entertained, ‘The Girls. It’s her own mini court,’ Tarun explained. ‘The daughters of minor families hoping to find favour. Though I fail to see what they can possibly gain through Aurora.’ Tarun did not approve of ‘The Girls’ -- even though he was their darling.

The trio sheltered in Tarun’s room from the latest court.

‘But they’re round here all the time, haven’t they got somewhere else to go?’ Loren complained. ‘What do they talk about anyway?’

‘Oh, the usual things: hair, make-up, clothes, the latest gossip, make-up, who they fancy, clothes.’