"She'd already dreaded today's assignment, and Roger had to make everything worse. "Stop that!" their teacher, Mrs Hernandez, snapped as she entered the room. "But it's finally the end of the unit on 2036!" Roger bounced in excitement. His father was captain of the orbital, and Roger declared on a regular basis that he'd be captain some day, too. His family had held command since the orbital's launch."
"The class had spent months studying what happened on Earth almost a century ago by closely examining one California town through videos, pictures, diaries and news stories. Elo could recite the names and life stories of dozens of residents by heart. She knew and loved their pets, too. Even though she logically understood everyone in town was long-dead, she felt like she was losing dear friends."
"Mrs Hernandez was trying so hard to get through to the class, but weeks ago, the others had quietly declared the study to be "stupid and boring". That history was boring. That Earth was boring and filthy, a place for people too poor to escape to orbitals. A few days ago Roger had commented, "We might as well be studying the contents of a trash can.""
Elo sits in an orbital classroom studying a burned California town from 2036 as part of a months-long immersive unit. Roger and other students mock the material and chant about "Fire Day," treating Earth's history as worthless and celebrating the town's destruction. Mrs Hernandez reprimands the class and urges empathy for the individuals and families who endured climate disasters. Roger brags about his father's command of the orbital and aspires to the same role. Elo understands Earth's problems yet forms deep emotional bonds with the town's former residents, feeling her attachment as others dismiss the past.
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