I have one brother, a little older, his name is Tobias. My parents are pretty cool, though they're both wrapped up in their work right now. Technically we moved up here for my mom's job but my dad works in computers so he's got a job too.

I am about to start high school. I'm more than a little nervous since I don't know anybody but the landers that came up here with us.

I'm kinda good with computers, I think it's a good idea to be nice to machines and that seems to pay off for me. My brother thinks I'm loony when I tell the automatic doors thank you. Hey - he's a little loony too.

Do you think you'll go back to Earth after a while or do you expect to stay in space for the rest of your life?

Have you met anybody at all? What are your initial impressions of the people there? How are they different from Earth folks?

I'm Billy, a 16 year old originally from Rottweil, Germany, but living in a Maryland suburb in the United State while my dad works with the German Foreign Service. My mom complains every time he's sent to a different country, so I'm hoping he gets transferred to the same space station you're at.

I'm a keyboardist in a local band. Right now, we're having a tough time getting noticed. Too many other bands in the area. So, just out of curiosity, what's the music scene like up there? Did only the 'flavor-of-the-month music make it to space, or is there a broad sampling of our sounds to choose from? Are any teens picking up instruments and starting bands?

Hope to hear from you soon!

Billy

Mom and Dad can't agree on whether we'll go back home. Yeah, I still think of earth as home.

I know what I miss most about Earth already. It's the trees. Particularly the big acacia tree from my back yard. I liked it so much that that's the icon I picked out for my Identity. We all have to wear these Identities all the time, we wear them on necklaces. Mine is so pretty with silver leaves that sparkle in certain light.

I have met a few people - I've met the computer teacher at school, Mrs. Ortega. She seems OK but there's something funny about her. She looks at me with an odd pinched expression.

I also have met Bruce. His family lived in Russia but they're not ... well, you know.

Not long into the story I meet my new best friend - Xaria. My Writer can't decide if having best friends Anya and Xaria is too sing-songy. She's quirky and redheaded (aren't they all? LOL) and saved my skin the first day at school. She was *born* on Convergence - can you imagine having only ever lived in space?

So far everyone seems OK, but I don't know. It is different here in ways I can't yet figure out.

I'm most afraid of looking foolish at school, something I will manage to do many many times in the early days.

The high school is just a series of halls in the central tube of the station, marked by doors and other non-boundary boundaries. Yes, I know I talk like I'm older than a teenager. My Writer is working on that a little bit, but I'm precocious, what can I say?

I think I should find out if there's a prom. But it doesn't matter, I wouldn't get invited anyway. I'm just a nobody lander from earth.

My Writer is still working out the size details. It might be that we're just one of several high schools. She happens to have misplaced her fact sheet so give her a bit of time while she finds it.

Seriously, if you have a new best friend that means you had an old best friend, right? Who was she? How much do you miss her? Leaving home is really tough; if you want my advice, let your mother know how you feel. You might be surprised by how much she understands. If she's too busy for you, you send her my way!

Ida