Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Opening Section

An unnamed person complains that Ender is determined to ice out of Battle School in a few months. According to him, Ender’s whole launch group is ruined. They mention that Ender is stuck in a game called the Giant's Drink. The first speaker orders Graff to wait and see what Ender does with the group, although Graff wants to do something else. Graff suggests that the owner of the voice take care of the International Fleet instead of meddling at Battle School. “The fleet is looking for a battle commander,” the first voice says. “There’s nothing to take care of until you get me that.”

Main Narrative

For the first time, the boys from Ender’s launch group put on their uniforms and guns and go into the battleroom. There is no gravity in the battleroom, and the equipment is all unfamiliar. Eager to figure out how everything works, Ender immediately launches himself across the room. He is clumsy with the new equipment, but he learns a few things about controlling his direction, and he purposefully changes the way he thinks about his body’s orientation within the room. With a little difficulty, he manages to get back to his classmates.

Bernard and his best friend, Alai, are the next to try flying. Bernard tenses up, but Alai moves much more naturally. Several other boys let go of the wall and end up stranded, floating in the middle of the room with no way to propel themselves back to the walls. After watching these boys for a moment, Ender notices Alai alone at a wall not far away. Ender immediately joins Alai, and the two of them quickly decide to work together.

Ender and Alai try out a few ideas for moving in...