Part Three of the Exodus Trilogy

GENESIS

Andreas Christensen

GENESIS

Copyright 2014 Andreas Christensen

All rights reserved.

Cover design by Graphicz X Designs, graphiczxdesigns.zenfolio.com

Editor: Shelley Holloway, hollowayhouse.me

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, organizations, events or locales is purely coincidental.

On Aurora, a people divided braces for the final confrontation.

Aurora, the final destination of the starship Exodus, has become the scene of a deadly struggle between opposing forces, ready to fight with any means available. The rebels have found a leader in former Harvard Professor Kenneth Taylor, who with the help of former scramjet pilot Tina Hammer, has vowed to fight the injustices of the past and regain lost liberties.

Governor George Havelar once had a plan for Aurora, but the rebels are now threatening its unraveling. As he rallies his forces to move against the rebels, events take a surprising turn, and he is forced to reconsider his options.

The mysterious Thomas Dunn is fighting a guerrilla war in the hills and forests, and so far, the rebels have kept the enemy at bay. As winter draws to a close, an overwhelming force is coming north to end the war once and for all. But everything changes when the enemy’s attack turns to frantic retreat.

Benjamin Waters, once a boy soldier caught up in the turmoil of rebellion, has found himself developing amazing abilities, but the ghosts of his past are slowly creeping up on him. Will he find redemption, or will he lose himself to the parasite infesting his very soul?

When Maria Solis is searching for a way to expand further north, she makes a discovery that changes everything. But little does she know that the answer to an even greater mystery, which has eluded sages and scientists for thousands of years, will soon be revealed.

It is time for the explosive conclusion to the saga that began with the appearance of a rogue planet threatening humanity’s existence. Will this be the final chapter of humans on Aurora, or a new beginning?

Prologue

100,000 years BC

Jurghaan

The interior of the hull was silent, except for his footsteps. It was difficult to comprehend that while his feet were tapping along the deck, their rhythm quick and steady, the starship was traveling at near light speed through space. Jurghaan was jogging barefoot through the endless corridors of the giant ark, trying to get back into shape after centuries in deep sleep. He’d only been awake twice during the journey, both times just long enough to perform some needed task, before being put under again. The first time, he’d panicked, as the almost vegetative state of his body wouldn’t let his mind fathom that so many years had passed, making him unable to fully take in the fact that everyone he’d left behind was long dead. It had taken him a while to regain full consciousness, and the doctors had told him he’d screamed for his parents, over and over again. It had taken two weeks of rehab before he was able to walk even a few steps. The second time had been just as bad. He shuddered at the thought of the crew, who worked shifts of six months to a few years, with ten to a hundred years of sleep in between. They would have had to endure this throughout their lives, generation after generation. The voyage had taken several generations, and the ones currently manning the ark were all born on board. How could they even begin to relate to the mission, not knowing anything but life in a large tin can?

He checked his pulse, still a bit low. He just didn’t have the energy to exert himself as much as he should. It had been a month since he’d taken his first tentative steps, and he still felt the effects of sleep. Luckily, descent was still weeks away.

The AI had found a possible destination. The atmosphere was just right; there were tectonics, and the temperature, although a bit high, would be manageable. Of course, the planet had to be terraformed, but the fact that the conditions were so good, even now, made them less reliant on terraforming, less susceptible to unforeseen events. The possibilities of this new world—third planet out from the sun, and well within the habitable zone—made him realize that, with every passing day, they were one step closer to their eventual goal. He was upbeat, and it probably showed.

The problem was that there was another candidate destination, as well. It wasn’t too far, only forty-something light-years away, which was nothing, compared to the vast distances they had already traveled. And it had one thing this one didn’t: a cooler climate. Officially, there was only one authority on board that would have the final word on where to unload their precious cargo. The AI. But throughout the journey, the crew and passengers had developed their own form of command structure, which seemed to comply with the algorithms of the AI. Therefore, instead of simply picking one destination and leaving the other untouched, they had been able to set the systems to reach both, one after the other. Now that they were moving toward the first planet, they had split into two factions. One was set on exploring and settling this place, while the other wanted to wait until they reached the next destination.

Neither of the destinations was perfect. This one had a temperature slightly higher than perfect, a possible problem in the long run, since their species was used to a cooler climate. The other had a more suitable temperature, closer to what they were used to from Lifebringer, but its atmosphere seemed slightly different, with some unknown elements that might prove dangerous. Jurghaan didn’t see either as a major problem, though. They would terraform both planets, and in the meantime, they would take the necessary precautions.

Oahna stood next to Hirwhan, the unofficial leader of the faction that had chosen the first planet. They were peering out at the drones making preparations on the lander that would take them to the blue planet. In a few weeks, they would be close enough to depart, leaving the ark to continue its course to the second planet. A month later, they would set foot on their new home. Jurghaan felt drawn toward the blue planet, anxious to be done with the endless sleep cycles and the sterile environment of the ark. Since he’d only been up a few months total, he still remembered things like a gentle breeze, long walks on a beautiful spring day, weather in all of its forms. Most of the others in Hirwhan’s faction were like him, born on Lifebringer and having had little time awake on the ark. And even though they were the minority, there were enough of them to form a sustainable population.

He stopped, and Oahna smiled as she walked over to greet him.

“Getting better?” she asked. He nodded. Oahna had been up for six months now, as part of the prep team.

“Getting there. How’s everything going?”

“Better. We sorted out the problem with the drive, and it seems to be working fine now. Gowthaar went out and inspected it himself earlier today.” Jurghaan’s jaw dropped.

“What? He went out there? But we’re not supposed to need…” Oahna shrugged it off.

“Sure, but he said he needed to do it hands on. He doesn’t trust the bots, says they only do what we tell them, and if we haven’t told them everything, they might overlook something.”

“That’s why they’re connected to the AI, to be intelligent,” Jurghaan said, shaking his head at the chief mechanic.

“I know, I know,” Oahna said, “but Gowthaar doesn’t think the AI is a better mechanic than he is. He’s proud of his skills, as he should be. He’s only doing it to make sure we’re okay.” Jurghaan nodded. He was a systems developer, and while he had more trust in the AI than Gowthaar, he also knew there were things an AI could only imitate, such as emotions. And people had senses they couldn’t quite explain, such as hunches. Sometimes, a human would know something was wrong, even though there was nothing specific to back up that hunch. Often, they were right.

“Do we have any new data on life forms?” he asked, changing the topic.

“Only what we had yesterday. We know there’s life there, but we don’t know in what form. We do know it’s not advanced intelligence, though, at least not far developed. There are no artificial light sources, no transmissions, no artificial structures that we can detect. But, of course, there could be intelligent life that just hasn’t evolved to civilizations yet. We’re simply too far out to confirm. If there’s life other than just plants, though, we’ll know before boarding the lander.” Jurghaan exhaled. He knew they would be going in blindly. The lander didn’t have the advanced detection equipment that the ark had, so any and all information available would have to be discovered while they were still on the ark. Once the lander separated from the ark and started its journey down, the ark would change direction and move away from the planet, so there would be no new discoveries, not until they were actually there, on the surface.

“So we just have to wait then,” he said. Oahna nodded.

“Yes, we do.” Jurghaan grinned, that mischievous grin he’d so often charmed the girls with.

“Don’t worry, little sis. Everything’s gonna be all right. Just wait and see.”

Chapter 1

Aurora, 2246

Pete

“So what do you think, Sarge?” Pete said, as he fiddled with his night vision goggles. A couple of weeks ago, he’d dropped them in a stream while on patrol in the southern foothills of the Rockies. Since then, they tended to fog up whenever the temperature dropped. He cursed silently and looked up at the sergeant, who was peering across the perimeter. There were four of them stationed at the outpost a few kilometers southeast of the town proper. Ever since the weapons factory blew up, perimeter security had been strengthened, and excursions north were limited to small patrols that sometimes stumbled upon each other, sometimes resulting in a firefight. Pete felt pretty useless in this quiet corner outside Fort Andrews, but at least they didn’t have to wade through the melting slush and traverse across patches of rotten snow in the hills.

“What do I think…” the sergeant murmured. He lowered his binoculars and shook his head. “I think we should have resolved this by now. Win or lose, the longer this war lasts, the worse our chances in the long run will be. Humanity, or whatever is left of it, cannot afford this…” he broke off and smiled.

“What do you care, Pete? You don’t have to pretend, you know. You couldn’t care less for politics or strategy. As long as the officers aren’t too strict, you’re a good soldier. Sober on duty, mostly, and you know how to take orders.” He paused and raised his binoculars again. Pete looked over at his two mates snoring faintly in their sleeping bags. Just half an hour left until they would switch. He stifled a yawn.

“A good soldier…” the sergeant repeated absently.

Those were his last words. The bullet penetrated his neck just below the chin, shattering his spine and splattering blood all over the two sleeping soldiers, who shot up, suddenly wide awake. The sound came a split second after, a delay that told Pete it had to be a large caliber weapon, like a 12.7 or something similar. Something accurate from great distances. He hit the ground and flipped the safety off on his rifle, while assessing the direction of the attackers.

“Shit, man, we’ve gotta get word to command right now!” Nick, one of the sleepers, shouted. Pete didn’t answer. He raised his rifle and fired off a few quick bursts before pushing a lever on a panel right where the sergeant had been sitting. The area in front of the checkpoint was flooded in bright light, and Pete peeked up over the sandbags protecting them. He counted at least ten figures running toward them, in black, shiny suits unlike anything he’d seen. Their faces were fully covered by black-visored helmets, and the speed with which they covered the distance between them was frightening. Somewhere in the distance, light flashed in rapid succession. He hit the deck again, just as a hail of bullets hit all over their post. Again, the sound came a split second after, which told him the covering fire came from at least one kilometer away, if not farther. It also told him these were professionals, since there was no way an amateur would be that accurate from such a distance, however great a weapon. He heard a groan and cursing from the corner, just as Nick went to work on the comms.

“Nine this is Four Bravo. Nine this is Four Bravo,” he called, addressing whoever might be listening. Pete noticed Rob, the fourth man on the team, clutching his left arm.

“You holding up over there, Rob?” he asked. Rob nodded as he patched his wounded arm with one of the multi-purpose healing pads, covering clothes, dirt, blood, and everything beneath the pad. Pete looked over at Nick who was still trying to reach command, or any other military unit listening.

“Nine this is Four Bravo. Nine this is Four Bravo. We’re being overrun, and the Sarge is dead. Fuck, what’s going on?” he shouted.

“Forget it, Nick,” Pete said. “It’s scrambled. We’re all alone out here. Grab a gun. We’ve got company.” Then he turned back toward the attackers, who were dangerously close by now. He fired a full magazine straight at them, ducked before the covering fire cut into them, and switched magazines in less than three seconds. Rob leapt over and quickly dropped a shell into the mini-mortar, landing the explosive straight in front of the checkpoint.

“That should even the odds a little.” He grinned, peeking over their cover, just as the attackers poured over them. They were so quick! Rob was cut down in a hail of fire, while Pete fired a full magazine into one of the attackers. There were too many of them. Seeing they were untouched by the bullets and just a couple of them down from the mortar shell, Pete realized they had to be wearing incredibly effective body armor, unlike anything he’d ever seen.

He saw Rob lying in a pool of blood, dying. His facemask was pushed off to the side, but any concern about breathing the Aurora air was a moot point for him now. Nick, with a swollen eye and a bloody arm that hung limply from his shoulder, had been subdued and taken prisoner. An enemy soldier stared down at him, speaking to one of the others in a language he didn’t understand. Another of the attackers seemed to bark an order, and the first raised his gun, pointing at Pete’s head.

“Wait, don’t do this! Please, I can…” A flash.

Ben WATERS

His breathing was easy, and he felt alert and awake, once again thankful that he, Drew, and Lisa had risked removing their facemasks to breathe the Aurora air. He was aware of every smell, every wisp of air, every little flower stretching toward the warm Cancri rays, finally shaking off the last vestiges of the long winter. Calm, yet with a heightened awareness, he’d never felt more alive than at this moment. He could feel the blood coursing through his veins, almost on fire.

The dead lay scattered around, but Ben hardly noticed. He could almost feel the life leaving the last of them as he walked among the bodies, empty rifle in one hand and a long knife in the other. There was blood on his hands, as well as his face. He vaguely remembered squeezing a man’s throat so hard he ended up ripping his head off. And he was euphoric. He heard Lisa say something, a commanding voice, and Drew saying something in reply, voice level. Drew was too soft. Lisa could learn, but Drew didn’t have it in him. Perhaps one day he’d have to do something about that.

“…hurt?” Who said that? He whirred around and saw Drew standing next to him, wearing a worried expression.

“What?” Ben said sharply. Drew took a half step back.

“I said, are you hurt? There’s a lot of blood.” Ben grinned, baring his teeth. Too soft.

“Yeah… Blood… Not mine.” He walked off, picking up his backpack as he passed Lisa, who didn’t say anything as he shot her an angry look. He felt a sudden urge to lunge at her. She’d never expect it. Once she was done for, Drew would be no match for him.

He stared out at the landscape surrounding them and felt the rush ebb. He knew the foothills of the Rockies better than most, having patrolled the area ever since they first put up camp in the Stronghold. He spent most of his time patrolling with Drew and Lisa, searching for enemy patrols, and occasionally attacking them; never the other way around. Havelar’s troops had better equipment, but Ben and his friends were changed. From the moment they’d awoken from a coma-like sleep after first breathing Aurora air, they were somehow imbued with exceptional abilities, almost like super powers. They had been told it was a result of some parasite they’d inhaled from the Aurora air, but he didn’t care. He felt fantastic. And their talents proved quite useful in the field. No enemy ever came close without them knowing well in advance. Sometimes they were given a specific task from command at the Stronghold, and once completed, they would let the enemy withdraw. Other times, they just killed everyone. And who cared? Havelar’s goons had no right being here. This was rebel territory, and besides, one day, they would take the fight all the way to Fort Andrews, and restore justice.

Every time he thought of justice, he thought of his friend Harry, who was killed by the soldiers, back when they were just kids. When he, Harry, and Lisa had gone out adventuring, they never once thought that something like that could happen. But it did, and now, every time he ended the life of one of the soldiers, a small part of justice was restored.

He looked over at Lisa and Drew again, calm now. What had he been thinking? Lisa and Drew were his friends. How could he even think about hurting them? Ben suddenly felt dizzy. He stood there for a while as a chill ran down his back. Sometimes, and more often of late, he scared himself. He knew it was the parasite. He loved his new abilities, but sometimes he thought he was going mad. It was as if some basic killer instinct took over, and he didn’t have any control of himself. The lust for blood, the uncontrolled rage, the desire to hurt those close to him over minor details. He was losing it, and he felt a surge of panic. His hands started shaking. Then, just as quickly, it passed. A nice calm welled up in him, returning the euphoria without arousing the blood lust. That was the part he loved. It felt empowering, as if he was the sole master of his entire existence. Nothing could hurt him. Not anymore. He was complete.

Maria SOLIS

Spring had finally arrived, and with it, the skirmishes in the foothills of the Rockies had begun to pick up again. A few weeks ago, the Stronghold leadership had decided it was time to explore the waterways leading through the valley to the north coast. Dean and his team had already scouted the area, but now the goal was to establish whether it was possible to have a permanent supply route between the Stronghold and the coast. The boats salvaged before the fall of Port Hammer were already moored on the coast and would be able to supply the Stronghold with fish and other necessities regularly, if a safe route could be established. The greenhouses and fields around the Stronghold, which supplied grain, fruits, and vegetables, were still nowhere near able to feed the population, and the large schools of dragon fish would be a welcome addition. Especially since they had proved something of a delicacy, once you got over the slightly bitter taste.

Maria had quickly volunteered to go on the first raft as it set off from the Stronghold. Now they were floating along on the widening river, named Arizona, after the state where most of them had spent years prior to leaving Earth. Kim, the captain, steered the raft with a steady hand and a watchful eye, as the river could be treacherous. Dean, standing at the bow, used a laser device to measure the depth every other minute, making sure they didn’t run aground. Maria was elated as she felt the warm rays of Cancri on her face. She closed her eyes for a second, savoring the sensation, listening to the soft splashing of water against the boat. She wished she could take off her mask to enjoy a deep, long breath of fresh air, but the Aurora air was still considered unfit. The masks were a necessity.

The fourth person on board was Dr. Karin Svensson, the Swedish astronomer, whose main task would be to create a detailed map. Without the capabilities of the Exodus, which was controlled by the Fort Andrews administration, the astronomer didn’t have much opportunity to exercise her professional skills, but her knowledge was nonetheless useful for more mundane tasks. She wasn’t much company though, staying mainly to herself and seldom speaking to anyone unless it was work related.

Dean, on the other hand, was great company, and she enjoyed the long evenings when he would tell his war stories and theorize on the endless possibilities this world had given them all. It would have been an adventure, if not for the knowledge that south of the Stronghold, a war was being fought, one small skirmish after another. Maria’s father, Ramon, had already become one of its many victims, and while Maria felt her mother Isabella would be safe as long as the fighting didn’t reach Fort Andrews itself, she could never be sure. A month ago, Thomas had taken a team to the outskirts, where the Havelar administration had created and stored chemical weapons, and blown up the factory. When he returned, he had reported at least six enemy soldiers killed and a few civilian casualties, as well. So, even though not all were part of the fighting itself, no one should consider themselves safe.

“How about we set up camp over by those rocks?” Dean suggested. Maria opened her eyes. Cancri still warmed, but within an hour, it would set and darkness would soon follow. Although they didn’t want to waste time, traveling the waterways in the dark could prove treacherous, and it was a risk they weren’t willing to take.

“Sure, I guess it’s as good a spot as any,” Kim answered. A few minutes later, the raft came to a stop, gently touching the sand beneath the water. Dean jumped into the water and waded ashore, securing the raft to a thick tree a few feet away from the riverbank. Maria and Dr. Svensson followed, while Kim went to the back of the raft to get everything they needed to set up camp. Maria felt a few drops of cold water splashing over the edge of her high boots.

“Looks good,” Dean said. “We’ve got a good view of the river, both ways, and the rocks over there should serve as cover from the wind. And if by some stroke of bad luck a patrol from Fort Andrews should wander this far north, they would find the site difficult to approach without being noticed.” Everyone helped set up tents, and soon they were situated. Dean slumped down, laying his rifle beside him and digging into an M.R.E.

“I’d like to have a look around,” Maria said. “We’ve still got a good hour before dark, and I’d like to see what lies inland. We’ll be on our way by daybreak, so this is really the only chance I’ll have.” Dean frowned, but Maria didn’t let him voice his objections.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back before dark,” she said. Karin stepped forward and spoke, to her surprise.

“I’ll come with you,” the Swede said.

“All right,” Dean said with a shrug of defeat, “but make sure you’re back in time. We don’t know what’s out there, and finding you in the dark would be a bitch.” Karin picked up her small backpack, while Maria got a signal flare and a gun.

“See you soon,” Maria said, before they walked away from the campsite.

Chapter 2

Kenneth TAYlor

Kenneth sat in a rickety chair by his makeshift desk, peering at his tablet. He had read Thomas’s report three times already. He needed to discuss this with Tina, but as far as he could tell, its contents were encouraging. Thomas and his team had succeeded in destroying the factory and the storage facility, and there would be no more poison gas on Aurora for months, if not years. Of course, given time, such capabilities could be rebuilt, but not anytime soon. Now they had to decide how to use that opportunity. Tina was out by the southern defenses, though, making a round of inspections, so all of that would have to wait until she returned, tomorrow or the next day.

He laid down his tablet and turned toward his two guests. The only person he missed, besides Tina, was Maria, who had gone north to explore the Arizona. She had turned out to be a competent biologist, able to transfer her knowledge based on Earthly biology to their new surroundings. He suspected some of the more experienced scientists had a harder time of it, more set in their old ways.

Geena, who was sitting across the table from him, was the closest thing to a doctor they had, and though he wished they had a real doctor, Geena was learning quickly, surpassing her teachers. Kim, who had extensive field experience from Navy medevac teams in North Africa had taught her so much that Kenneth made a mental note to make sure she took on new apprentices. They needed more people with medical know-how at the Stronghold, and he feared they would be needed even more now that winter was coming to an end. The fighting had already picked up in the foothills, given the warmer climate, and they will likely suffer more casualties. Hopefully, before next winter, the war would finally be over.

His second guest sat off to the side, keeping his silence for now. Rajiv’s arrival from Dehlia and his account of his people’s escape from Earth had given them all hope, but nothing more. Still, he enjoyed their talks and found Rajiv’s perspectives valuable and insightful. Since the Dehlian’s new settlement had grown so much since their ships first landed on Dehlia, more than a hundred years before the Exodus reached Aurora, Kenneth was sure he and all the new Aurorans could learn a great deal from their experiences. The Indira Federation, descendants of Indians, Japanese, Koreans, and British, among others, had eventually expanded to other planets and even outside its home system. It was an incredible feat, and speaking with Rajiv helped Kenneth keep tabs on the bigger picture, but Kenneth knew the Dehlian was holding something back. He just couldn’t tell what it was. What Kenneth did know was that they could learn a great deal from him, and he was grateful for his presence.

In previous discussions about the kids who’d taken off their masks, Rajiv had said he’d never seen anything like this before. Back on Dehlia, the composition of the atmosphere was close enough to that of Earth to be breathable, and while the first generation had worn facemasks, just like on Aurora, the Dehlians had eventually developed vaccines that enabled them to breathe freely. None of the organisms they had found had had much effect on humans, except for one strain of fungus that they now had proper treatment for. Rajiv had taken great interest in the development with the three youths, since, as he saw it, the parasite was a life form that showed signs of sentience. Kenneth didn’t agree with the sentience theory, but he’d decided the Dehlian’s perspective could prove to be valuable when it came to dealing with this ever-present danger in their atmosphere.

“So, about the kids…” Kenneth said. He turned to Geena who brought out her own tablet and laid it on the table in front of them. All three of them knew she had been studying the kids closely ever since they had lain unconscious those first days after breathing the unfiltered Aurora air, just before they’d all had to evacuate Port Hammer.

“Ben, Lisa, and Drew,” she began as she swiped across the screen on the tablet. Pictures of the three appeared.

“They were all part of the group that the rebels placed on the shuttle New Discovery when the launch facility in Arizona was overrun.” Kenneth had heard the story, although of the three present, only Tina had first-hand knowledge of it. A few weeks ago, she had told him how close the kids had been to being sent back to Earth. Instead, she and Admiral Hamilton had devised a plan that managed to save them, and let them travel to Aurora with the original colonists.

“Benjamin Waters.” An image of Ben appeared. “He was the eldest of them, and the one who seems to be taking on a leadership role, even though I doubt he’s ever been the leadership type. From what I’ve gathered, he’s been having a hard time adjusting to his new life here on Aurora. Back on Earth, he was a boy soldier in the rebel army, seeing things no kid should ever see. I guess you can all imagine that these experiences must have affected him deeply. He seemed to be doing all right though, until his friend Harry was killed.” Everyone knew that soldiers guarding the perimeter around Fort Andrews had shot at them, killing Harry. The official explanation had been that the guards had thought they were being attacked by balders, those fearsome creatures who could kill a man in an instant with their razor-sharp teeth or heavy, clawed paws. It was one of several episodes that had led to an exodus from Fort Andrews, with people joining Tina and her ship builders up in the now burned-out town of Port Hammer.

“Ben has shown some disturbing traits after being infected. Granted, his abilities have been a gift to the cause, and time and again, he and the others have gone up against impossible odds, and come out on top. But how will he cope when the war is over? And more important, will he be able to stay in control of himself?” Geena paused and shook her head.

“We cannot be sure,” Kenneth said, “but I for one am worried about him.” He exhaled heavily, triggering a brief coughing spell, then continued. “The fact is, we can learn a lot about the psychological issues, but there’s no one here who can actually help him. We had two fully trained doctors on the Exodus, but both are in Fort Andrews. And we have no clinical psychologists.” Kenneth was a professor of psychology, but had no medical training or experience in treating patients. He was a scientist, and though his knowledge had proven valuable in many ways, he still didn’t understand why they selected him and hadn’t thought to bring a clinical psychologist along. They should have known people would have emotional and mental difficulties adjusting and that many would have a hard time coping with having survived while everyone they knew stayed behind to face the end.

“Nobody really knows every effect the parasite will have on them,” Geena said. She swiped again, and an image of Lisa appeared.

“Let’s look at some of the differences. Lisa Hayden, the daughter of General Hayden, who led the uprising back in the late seventies. Though the rebellion failed and the general ate his gun in the end, he managed to save his daughter. Anyway, as you know, the infected kids have shown different symptoms, although strength, agility, and other physical traits are basically the same. Lisa has shown herself to be a ruthless killer, but behind the ruthlessness, there seems to be something else.” Kenneth nodded. It had originally been his idea, based on a hunch that probably came from years of studying traits and behavior in humans placed in difficult circumstances. Geena and Kim had investigated it, and so far the signs seemed to match the theory.

“Although they are all orphans, her situation is different from the others. Her father was a known figure, so we have a better understanding of her background and how that influences her recent behavior. There has been a lot of research on behavioral patterns of military leaders and their families. We know these men and women tend to place high value on family, and their repeated absences and the stresses of their jobs take a great toll on them, as well as their spouses and children. If the children stay the course with school and such, they tend to be strong-willed, usually exhibit high levels of independence, and impose high standards on both themselves and others. On the other hand, the absence and often confidential nature of the whereabouts and duties of one of the parents sometimes result in teenage rebellion or substance abuse. Well, that’s what the numbers tell us, anyway. And if combined with strict discipline from one parent and more relaxed standards from the other, things may turn out badly, sometimes causing psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, and even more severe conditions in the more extreme cases.”

“Do we know where Lisa stands in all this? She was very young when she boarded the New Discovery,” Kenneth said.

“Well, yes, Mr. President.” Kenneth winced. He hated that president stuff. But he let her continue. “Being cut off from her parents early, and in a stressful situation, it was hard to tell at first. But she has shown herself to fit the profile of those who turn out quite well. In many ways, she is the natural leader of the group, even with Ben being the eldest and the one who takes most of the leadership responsibility upon himself.”

“So how does the parasite affect her? Is she still changing, or has the development stabilized? Can she be trusted, with all these new traits?”

Geena didn’t answer immediately. That last question was one that had puzzled Kenneth lately. Aside from the fact that they were still just kids, having no business whatsoever fighting in a war, he also had the feeling the parasite was changing them into something unreliable, a dangerous weapon that could turn either way, given the situation. He didn’t like it at all. Geena took her time, and when she answered, she didn’t seem as certain as before.

“I’d say she’s still changing. At first, once we saw how the parasite gave them all these new abilities, we thought the abilities would be the same in all of them. Then they started showing different psychological reactions, and we suspected the parasite was slowly taking over their entire beings, body, mind, everything. Recently I’ve started to think it’s not a parasite at all, but rather a form of symbiosis, resulting in a sort of coexistence. The parasite, if we can still call it that, is exhibiting instincts of self-preservation, giving its host a boost to his or her natural traits.”

“What do you mean by natural traits?” Rajiv asked.

“Well, if you’re already fast, it makes you faster. If you’re a fast thinker, it makes you the perfect tactician.” She paused, and Kenneth frowned. Geena continued, speaking more quietly.

“If you’re aggressive, it makes you an unstoppable fighter. But if you’re psychologically unstable… Well, I’m guessing that is something that can be interpreted either way. We know nothing of the possible sentience in the parasite, and if it interprets such instability to be a good thing, it certainly won’t inhibit it…” She paused for a moment, letting it sink in.

“Lisa will be okay, I think. Ben though…”

Kenneth nodded slowly. He had thought as much. “Well, let’s move on to Drew,” he said. Geena swiped again, and the image changed to Drew.

“Drew Simmonds, from Tulsa, Oklahoma. His father was a businessman turned politician, and one of the original rebel leaders, convincing half the national guard of his home state to follow General Hayden’s lead. He spoke warmly of building a ring of satellites in Low Earth Orbit to save more people.” Not a bad idea, Kenneth thought. Had we been able to stay on Earth a bit longer, it might have worked. But there wasn’t much room for free thinkers back then. He focused on Geena again.

“Drew was lucky,” she continued. “No one knows what happened to his father in the turmoil, but Drew was given a place on the shuttle.”

“So, how does he differ from Lisa and Ben?” Rajiv asked. Geena smiled.

“Ah, yes, that’s a very good question. Actually, again, it has to do with who he is, his character. Drew is different, in so many ways. Physically, he’s not the athletic type, whereas both Lisa and Ben were already quite fit. Since coming into contact with the parasite, Drew has grown much stronger and faster, although not as much as the others. Physically, I’d say he’s the weakest of the three. However, he’s also the strongest. He’s shown a remarkable resilience to the psychological changes. So much so, that I’d say he controls the parasite, not the other way around. I remember Maria told me that her father mentioned him in one of their meetings before he escaped.” Kenneth cocked his head. He hadn’t known Ramon Solis had spoken to Maria about the kids. He peered at Geena as she continued.

“From what he told her, Drew was the one who stopped the others from killing him in the ambush.”

Ramon Solis, Maria’s father, had been one of Governor Havelar’s closest business associates back on Earth, and after coming to Aurora, as factions began to form, he’d sided with his old friend. An altogether different type, he’d tried negotiating, and he had been seen as one who could actually unite the two factions. But events got out of hand, and on the day Admiral Hamilton and his group were massacred on the Trickler, Ramon had been, at least nominally, in charge of Havelar’s army. A few weeks later, Ben, Lisa, and Drew had taken out a military column, leaving Ramon Solis the only one alive. They had captured him and brought him to the Stronghold. Kenneth had spoken to him and found that he liked the man. Kenneth had genuinely believed Ramon would help them end the war, once he understood what kind of man his old friend was turning into. Then, for no reason, Ramon had escaped, only to be killed by wild animals in the woods nearby. Kenneth looked at Geena again, keen on hearing her interpretation.

“This is not the only example of Drew keeping the others in check. As I said, it seems he’s more in control, while the others let the parasite take control in life-threatening situations. This is something we need to examine more closely, but I have a feeling that Drew might be crucial in both understanding the parasite and learning how to deal with it.”

“Do you think there is a biological basis, something genetic? Or is it just dumb luck?” Kenneth mused. Geena shook her head.

“It’s too early to tell. Once the war ends, we’ll have time to study this more closely.” Kenneth coughed slightly, and rose from his chair, stretching his back.

“What I would really like to know is if that basis, whatever it is, could somehow be used to enable us all to breathe freely. If there is, indeed, a biological or genetic element, perhaps some kind of treatment or vaccine could be developed. Ah well, right now, that’s just wild speculation. We still have a war to fight.” As always, they were pressed for time. Rajiv was the first to leave, saying he needed to update his log, the one he meticulously kept to inform his superiors back on Dehlia. Just as they were about to leave the cabin, Kenneth held Geena back.

“Keep an eye out for new developments. I worry about these kids. They shouldn’t have to go through all this.”

“I will. I guess we all worry about them. About all of this.” She walked out the door, leaving Kenneth alone with his thoughts.

Shefania

Shefania was pacing back and forth, biting her nails, like she did when she had a difficult decision to make and no easy solution. Her starship, the Seedseeker, was quiet, offering her no answers. She was still alone, one woman awake, while the rest of the crew slept. She would only wake the others when she knew more, when she had made some decisions. She feared the others would be scared and take the easy way out. And it would be easy to deem these other humans too dangerous to be part of the community of species. But it didn’t feel right. They were kin, although something had happened. Had something threatened them so badly that they had to develop these violent traits to survive? She had no way of knowing. They probably didn’t know themselves. There were so much data to analyze and interpret, and yet, there were these large gaps, things she would probably never understand. But they were human, and as such, she owed it to them to think things through properly. Not make hasty decisions out of fear.

Since she had begun watching them, a lot had happened. The factions, north and south, were still warring against each other, and although it wasn’t all out war as it would have been with larger populations or even planet against planet, it was still war. People died.

Lately, she had begun to think that there was no way around it; she would have to risk going down to the surface. Of course, it would be difficult; she wasn’t prepared for it. She had equipment that would help her, but no field experience. She’d gone through basic training in flight academy, but that was about it. In other circumstances, she’d never have considered going herself, but she didn’t dare wake anyone yet. So it fell upon her to go, like it or not. It was strange, but she felt compelled to help these people, to help them find another way, the only way she’d ever known, a peaceful way where physically hurting another human was unthinkable. She had, after studying them, taken a liking to these people, even the most brutal ones, the ones to the south. Not all of them were brutal, but their leader was, and some of their soldiers. But from what she could gather, their motives weren’t evil, just misguided. If it had been any other way, if they had been back on Sanctuary or the colonies, they would have worked it out peacefully. She had a hope that the humans of this planet might be changed for the better yet. And she would be the one to show them that better way.

The messenger box bleeped, another spy drone reporting. This one would be reporting on conditions east of the southern settlement. She clicked on the message, expecting another routine report. Things were normally quiet in that corner. She looked at the data. So much violence. She looked again. There shouldn’t be violence in that particular location, unless something was going on. She looked at the images and saw this was something different. The attack the drone had documented was too swift, too overwhelming. One side totally dominated the other. Not like it used to be. She pondered this and wondered if one side was finally about to get the upper hand. Would that be a good thing? She didn’t know. However horrified she was at the act of infighting among humans, she had to admit, at least to herself, that she did root—just a little—for the northerners.

But more than anything, she hoped they would end the war. She had begun to see beyond their tendency for violence, and appreciate their other traits. It seemed they were fiercely loyal, mostly quite adventurous, and brave beyond foolish. She liked them for it.

This new data suggested something else was happening, though. This wasn’t their usual, reckless, self-destructive behavior. It was almost like there were…others… No, it couldn’t be. It was probably a new development. A new phase of their war, even more destructive than before. It was disturbing to see people behaving like this; like battle drones, although definitely human. It could mean that the war was turning even more bloody, though, more destructive. She felt helpless watching these humans deliver their own destruction.

“No…” she murmured. The Seedseeker, ever the loyal AI, never to question its superiors, didn’t answer.

She had no way to stop what was going on, but she realized she had already made a choice. She was going down to the surface, and she would give them the gift that would change everything. These poor souls had no idea who they were or what their purpose was, and yet she was just standing by, watching them destroy themselves. No, she couldn’t watch anymore; she had to do something.

Now she had to decide. She had to find the one person capable of receiving the gift of knowledge.

Chapter 3

Maria solis

Maria and Karin walked through the brush, stepping carefully between roots and loose rock. It was a rugged landscape, full of ups and downs, and the hills rose to the east, eventually giving way to snow-capped mountains, tall spires effectively guarding the lands on the east coast of Verdi. They shared silence for half an hour, treading a narrow path on top of a hillside, until Maria suddenly got her foot tangled up in a root and fell forward. Karin, walking right behind her, tried to grab her, but instead, they both fell. They rolled down the hill, both grabbing for something to stop their fall, to no avail. In the end, they found themselves on the bottom, in a heap. Karin sounded nervous when she started laughing; she stopped, though, as she noticed Maria didn’t join her. In fact, Maria was biting her lip, trying not to make a sound, while holding her left foot.

“Oh my God, are you hurt?” Karin said.

“I think I sprained an ankle or something. Hurts like hell.” Maria rolled over and managed to get on her feet. Then she took a tentative step, and winced.

“Should I go get the others? You’re in no condition to walk,” Karin said. Maria nodded.

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ll be able to walk all the way back right now.”

Karin didn’t hesitate. She climbed back up and set out for the camp. Maria stood for a moment, trying not to put weight on the hurt foot, and took in her surroundings. She was in a depression, with hills on either side. One side was covered in large rubble, and as she looked closer, she noticed an opening, like a cave. She immediately regretted not bringing a weapon. That cave, if that’s what it was, could be home to anything. She automatically feared balders, although who knew what else might be around. It wasn’t as if they had a complete overview of the life forms on this planet, or even in this part of Verdi.

Something moved, startling Maria, and she almost lost her balance. She winced again as she had to use the hurt foot to keep her from falling, and the movement stopped. Something furry, near the cave mouth, held very still for a few seconds before it emerged from its cover, looking straight at her. The creature had short, but thick fur. It was a deep red color, almost burgundy, with brown stripes. Its eyes were large as saucers, and as it slowly emerged, she noticed it had a short tail, wagging as it walked on two hind legs. Its “arms” were smaller, and were held up like a squirrel. A wide snout made its face look almost comical, but Maria knew enough to be wary. Appearances could be deceiving, and this could very well prove a lethal encounter. She hobbled a couple of steps back, but the creature still wagged toward her. She didn’t see a mouth, but she heard little chirping sounds that had to come from somewhere. It didn’t seem afraid of humans at all; it was almost as if it was trying to make contact, to communicate. Maria stopped and watched, fascinated as the creature seemed to gesticulate, large, deliberate arm movements that made no sense to her at all. Finally, it stood right in front of her. About half her height, it looked up at her and opened its mouth as wide as its great snout. Maria took a careful half step back.

“Jujjj,” it said, in a high-pitched voice. Maria didn’t understand. She shook her head and spread her hands slowly, not to startle the creature. It pointed at its chest.

“Jujjj.” And it dawned on her. It was speaking its name. Or perhaps its race. My God, it’s intelligent, she thought.

“Jujjj,” she said, pointing at the creature. She pointed at herself.

“Maria.”

“Maariaa,” it repeated slowly, clearly unfamiliar with the sounds. Maria giggled. This was nothing like she had expected. Here she was, anxious about having to wait for the others, and suddenly she’s made contact with another sentient being. This is crazy—an alien, she thought. Although... I am the alien here. She instinctively understood that all the movements were an effort to communicate, to get a message across. She frowned, trying to understand. Jujjj took a couple of steps back and made a motion that Maria interpreted to mean for her to follow. She found that she trusted this creature not to have bad intentions toward her. She took a step, then another. Jujjj continued to motion for her to follow toward the cave. When she reached the cave opening, she hesitated for a moment. I cannot stop now. She stepped inside the cave, following Jujjj’s lead.

The cave was wider than she expected, and high enough for her to stand up, as long as she stooped slightly. The walls of what appeared to be some kind of tunnel looked like they had been shaped, smoother than what would be natural. It went deep into the rock, and Maria absently wondered if the others would find her when they came. Still, she continued to follow Jujjj through the tunnel, deeper and deeper. After what seemed an eternity, she could see light in the distance, and as they got closer, she saw the tunnel widening into a large cavern. She stepped through an opening, and the cavern revealed itself to her. All around, creatures just like Jujjj skittered around with that same wagging movement. Some didn’t seem to care, while others stopped and looked at her. There was neither fear nor hostility toward her, as far as she could tell. There were cracks in the ceiling with something that looked like frosted glass that let in daylight. And along every wall, there were some torches that gave the cavern a warm glow.

Then she noticed the murals. Every wall was covered in them, detailed scenes depicting these creatures along with various beasts and natural scenery. Although worn, they were colorful and vivid. She felt her jaw dropping as she noticed one scene in particular. A creature looking similar to Jujjj, only with more gray in its fur, stood greeting another creature that looked very different from the ones surrounding her. It was humanoid.

Nick GILBERT

He was dying. He had a vague recollection that he’d once believed death was like moving through a tunnel, and he’d expected to be moving toward the light. But everything was black. There was no pain. But that didn’t surprise him. Pain was for the living, and he was closer to death than to life. That much he knew. He wished he could see, though. It would be nice to say goodbye. To whom? Fear suddenly welled up in him. He didn’t remember. In fact, he didn’t remember who he was or what had happened. He tried to concentrate, and a face appeared vaguely in his mind, before it faded. A man. He was unable to hold a single thought for long; it was just bits and pieces of memories that came and went before he fully comprehended what they meant. A man, wearing a mask, was on his knees before a black-clad soldier. The soldier had no face, just a shiny black visor. A shot, and the man on his knees slumped over on his side. The same man, different time, happy, drunk? A friend. Three, no four men, with guns, trying to hold back a wave of enemies. It was the masked men again. Killing them all. Why?

He tried to focus on his friend, but everything seemed to fade away before he could hold on. He realized he was flying—no, not flying. Floating. A voice in the distance said something he couldn’t understand. A woman. She sounded angry. He slipped out of consciousness again. He let go and dreamed of a green, lush garden. A pasture, with flowers he couldn’t name, every color more vibrant than should be possible. A man with a mask across his nose and mouth. A friendly face. Then snow fell, and what he thought was the most beautiful thing ever became a fairy tale picture of winter. Silence, the snow muffling every sound. A different face appeared again, vaguely familiar. He looked old. Tired. He shouted something, but it was impossible to hear. A flash, then another. Fear. War. He was a soldier. The realization came suddenly, like a flash of lightning. Then he was back in the darkness, floating. He began to realize he wasn’t dying at all. And he wasn’t floating anymore. Feeling began to return to him, and though the ground beneath him felt solid and secure, he realized he didn’t know his own name.

His head had begun to throb. Faint at first, then more insistent. He felt dizzy and his stomach churned. He tried to lift his right hand to feel his head, but it was stuck in something. A cast. And it hurt something fierce! He winced. Then he tried his left arm. He was able to move it slightly, but something held it back, something cold at his wrist. He was cuffed to something. He didn’t try to loosen it any further. He needed to think. He was wounded, obviously. His arm and head hurt, and it felt worse with every second passing. He was a soldier. He’d had a friend who’d been killed. His name… He had it on the tip of his tongue. Pete. Who was Pete?

“I am…” he began, but his head throbbed, and he trailed off. Whoever he was, he was a prisoner. But who had taken him? And why? He moved his lips, whispering silently. Who was he? A sound nearby, and light streamed in, blinding, searing light penetrating the darkness. Harsh words he didn’t understand. He closed his eyes. The sharp light made the pain in his head explode. His name… The woman’s voice made it hard to think, and then suddenly the door slammed shut. Darkness once again enveloped him. It felt good. He relaxed.

“My name… is Nick… Nick Gilbert.”

george Havelar

George Havelar looked around and realized how far they had gotten in such a short time, and how far they had to go until they could say the colony was a success. From nothing, a town of more than a hundred buildings had risen, and almost a thousand people called Fort Andrews their home now. It never would have been possible if not for careful planning. Of course, the prefabricated units, made from materials light enough to be carried in bulk through the atmosphere from the Exodus to the ground, helped. He was walking along the path from the administration building to the wrecked factory, where they had stored their special weapons, in addition to producing many necessities that involved handling chemicals. Now it was a ruin, unable to supply medicines, vaccines, or modified fertilizer—things they absolutely needed to survive. Somehow, they would have to rebuild, and that job would be more demanding than the initial assembly. Havelar cursed silently. If not for the stubbornness of Greg Hamilton, the former commander of the Exodus turned rebel, there would have been no need for using the chemical agent, which had led to the sabotage of the factory. He’d doubled security, but to no avail. The rebels had managed to infiltrate the working crews, and somehow planted the bomb. Sometimes, more security wasn’t the answer, although Havelar still wondered if better screening of the workers might have prevented this. No, it was the use of the weapons. A big mistake as far as he could tell. Of course, Major Carroll had only carried out his orders, so he was not to blame. This was one Havelar would have to put on his own personal tab.

Colonel Shoshana Quellar and Major Carroll were already waiting for him as he arrived at the ruined factory. Henry Carroll, never a good-looking man, with his scarred face and a constant scowl, unnerved him sometimes. One of the founders of Port Hammer, he had seen it change from being an alternative society into a staging ground for rebellion, until loyalty made him return to Fort Andrews, taking up arms against his old friends. A man of such fervor could become great, or insane. Havelar still didn’t know which one Major Carroll would be. Colonel Quellar, on the other hand, he would have trusted with his life.

“Sir, with all due respect, I think it’s time we considered another option,” Henry said after saluting him curtly. Havelar waited, while the major explained.

“We still have two usable nukes. If we deploy one, we will still have one more in reserve. It would end the rebellion without further loss of life among our troops. And workers,” he said, waving his hand at the ruin. Havelar was no stranger to the idea, but though he was considered by many to be a hard man, he couldn’t make himself do it. It was one step he wasn’t willing to take.

“Have you considered the aftermath? The demographics?” he asked, instead. He noticed Quellar nodding in agreement. Even the tough commander of the armed forces seemed reluctant to take such drastic measures.

“If we nuked the rebel stronghold, the casualties would be in the hundreds,” Havelar said. “There would be survivors, surely, and there would be rebel pockets here and there, but yes, the war in effect would be over.” Henry nodded in agreement, a bit too eagerly, Havelar thought.

“But the population is already so low, there is a real risk the colony will fail to be sustainable if the war continues much longer,” Havelar said, trying to emphasize the ramifications. “A sudden loss of several hundred colonists at once would be dangerously close to collective suicide.” Henry grimaced, his jaw moving before he managed to say anything.

“But, sir…” Havelar cut him off.

“No, I will not hear another word. We might have had that option while Port Hammer was nothing but a small camp surrounding a shipyard, when we might have lost a hundred or so. But now it’s too late. The nukes stay locked down. End of discussion.” Carroll shuffled his feet and nodded reluctantly.

Colonel Quellar looked like she had something on her mind, and Havelar motioned for her to speak.

“So what do we do now, sir. As you said, we need to end this war, and the sooner the better.” Havelar shot Henry a disapproving look, before answering the colonel.

“Yes, this needs to end. And it seems there’s no way around it; we need to attack the Stronghold itself. Now, I take it your new conscripts are still too raw to take north?”

“Yes, sir, most of them are. We have less than fifty experienced soldiers, but the recruits from last year should be fine. The latest batch needs a lot more training, though. As they are, they would be nothing but cannon fodder. I believe they would be of better use here, serving as security guards. If I take the army north, we still need to guard Fort Andrews, after all.”

“Yes, what about the safety of Fort Andrews?” Henry said. Havelar looked at the ruin again, a clear reminder that security still needed to be maintained while they took the war to the rebels.

“It’s a risk, but if we don’t act soon, they will,” he said. And this way, we control the time and place, he thought. Colonel Quellar’s handheld comm device buzzed, and she opened it, frowning.

“Sir, there seems to be some kind of disturbance out by the shuttle field. Something is interfering with the comms, so I can’t make everything out.” Havelar cursed. So much for taking the war to the rebels. Still, this was how they fought. Pinprick attacks on key installations, harassing troops where they least expected it, taking small bites at a time. That’s how you eat an elephant, he thought.

“Henry, go take care of it. We cannot afford to lose a single shuttle.” Henry nodded and trotted off without further argument.

Chapter 4

Tina hammer

“So there is movement down south, is that what you’re saying? Are they coming?” Tina said, annoyed at the interference. They were spread out pretty thin along the foothills, mainly patrols watching for large troop movements, sometimes crossing the Trickler for deep reconnaissance. Mostly, they reported quiet, nothing in particular, although occasionally an enemy recon patrol was spotted and had to be taken care of if they got too close. Sometimes there were skirmishes, but the war was on a slow burn, and the parties were mostly feeling each other out, watching for weaknesses and avoiding battle when possible.

With every defensive element spread out like this, communication was of utmost importance, and just yesterday everything seemed to be working smoothly. Then, when one of the patrols reported back, there were strange disturbances, and it was hard to make out what the patrol commander actually said. If this continued, they would have no choice but to revert to written data packets, which were designed to break through a scrambled network. It was cumbersome, though, so she hoped it was just a passing atmospheric disturbance.

“…conflicting… attack… comms… no tr… movement so far… waiting…” She tried to piece it together, but it seemed something was going on down in Andrews. Not the offensive they were all expecting whenever Havelar decided to push north, though.

“Do you want me to take my team out, ma’am?” Thomas asked. She had begun to rely quite a bit on the younger man, who had proven himself as capable in the field as in his former role as a spy and saboteur. When he blew up the chemical factory a month ago, he had rid them of a serious threat and given them their first real victory so far. Hopefully that wouldn’t be the last. Tina was determined to bring Havelar to justice for the murder of her old friend and commander Admiral Greg Hamilton, and all the others who perished from the chemical weapons attack on the Trickler.

“Yes, but not to deal with this. I’ll sort it out. It doesn’t seem like they are coming just yet.” She turned toward the younger man and continued, “What I want you to do is establish a forward base. We need a hideout as far south as possible, both as a fallback position for deep recon and as part of an early warning system.” Thomas seemed to consider for a moment, and then he grinned, a wolf’s grin.

“I know exactly the spot. We’ll be hidden right under their noses,” he said. Tina smiled back, nodding.

“I trust you to find a good spot and to get it done. You need anything?”

“Just ten strong men in addition to my team. And a shit load of equipment. I want to make sure we’ve got a spot where we can lie low for as long as needed, which means we need an airtight room and lots of supplies. It’ll take us a week or so, since we can only work at night. But I’ll get it done,” Thomas said, obviously planning every detail already while speaking.

People seldom impressed Tina, but this guy did. She knew he wasn’t telling her everything about himself, but she knew enough to know he was pretty remarkable. She had heard the stories of a man named Thatcher, who had been the mastermind of the conspiracy against President Andrews’ vision for the Exodus Project. She had learned that at least both Kenneth and Thomas were here only because of him. There were probably others, as well, although most wouldn’t have known of each other, just like Kenneth. She suspected a few of the scientists, both those here in the Stronghold and some down in Fort Andrews, such as that geologist, Jeremiah something, were just like Kenneth. It seemed Thomas was the only one who actually knew of his role in the great scheme of this Thatcher fellow, which told her he must be pretty special.

“…have to… find out more… outpost… east… field…” the voice on the comms continued. Tina dismissed Thomas and turned back to trying to interpret the cryptic messages from the patrol commander. She was suddenly relieved they had laid landlines from the Stronghold to the mountain passes. At least those couldn’t be affected either by atmospheric disturbances or bad reception.

george Havelar

George Havelar once again doubted his own decisions. He had done so lately, more than ever before, and sometimes he doubted his entire mission as governor here on this planet. This place that looked so much like a paradise, but now seemed to be descending into hell. He had a few strong supporters, both the old business associates and new ones, such as the army, IT, and a good number of the loyal colonists in Fort Andrews. The scientists were divided, with the majority probably already up north or living and working under guard. The loyal scientists were separated from the troublemakers, such as Jeremiah Lowell, who were more concerned with politics than science. Still, a small voice in the back of his head sometimes made him question the path he had chosen. Perhaps it would have been better to have an elected government, to break off from the old ways of Earth? He’d been, and still was, afraid that things weren’t moving quickly enough; that the all-eggs-in-one-basket situation here on Aurora could turn out even worse than back on Earth, if a similar threat were to appear. But while he’d been concerned with such potential disaster, a disaster just as real was unfolding before them. If the war didn’t end soon, if resources were spent on killing instead of building a future, if too many died, the population might never recover. That would mean the end…

His thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of his handheld. It was Major Carroll.

“Talk to me, Henry,” he said. The voice on the other end sounded garbled, and there was some kind of static that made every other word unintelligible.

“… attack, sir… shuttle field… They destroyed… shuttles.” That made Havelar stop dead in his tracks. If the rebels had taken out both shuttles, it meant there were only two left: one on the Exodus itself and one held by the rebels, somewhere to the north.

“How many were there?” he asked. He wondered if anything he said was getting through, as the answer from Henry was unintelligible.

“…Gone… cover fire had to come… miles away… deadly accurate… more than half of us… amazing body armor… testing defenses… didn’t know… advanced? …kids?” Of course, it had to be the kids, Havelar thought. Supposedly, they were like some super weapon, changed somehow, but he didn’t know how. Their attacks were always ruthless, killing as many as possible, often letting a single survivor get away, to spread the tale of terror. And the rest of the rebels had seemed content to hunt the patrols up north.

It was strange though, he didn’t think they had the capability to carry out an attack such as this, and neither did Henry, from what he could tell. All encounters with the rebels had been guerilla-style attacks on military personnel and equipment. When they had destroyed the weapons factory, there had been few casualties and little collateral damage. Until now. Something about this attack wasn’t right.

The attack today out by the shuttle field was different, both from the rebels’ modus operandi of defensive warfare and from the kids’ killing sprees. Long-range, deadly accurate cover fire, and seemingly impenetrable body armor—an attack the security force at the shuttle field hadn’t managed to hold back. They had destroyed two shuttles, a target Havelar hadn’t expected the rebels to go after. And what was the strategic value to them?

“Warn the outlying posts, right now. I’ll send the colonel,” he replied to the major, although, based on the response, he had no idea if Henry heard him.

“No answer… Four Bravo down… we’ll hold the…” Havelar inhaled deeply. Then he dialed Colonel Quellar, to have her send a team down to the shuttle field. He needed people there, and a report from Henry that wasn’t all disrupted by messed up comms. The only sound on the handheld was static though. Havelar slowly put it back into his pocket, while considering his options. The colonel would be with the greater force, headed north, away from Fort Andrews, just when she was most needed here. It seemed the attack on the shuttle field had ended, but if the outlying posts were under attack also, it meant a great offensive was imminent. So much for taking the battle to the rebels. He realized the mistake of sending Quellar away, leaving Fort Andrews wide open, expecting Major Carroll to hold the town with green recruits. Damn, everything was happening too fast.

Maria SOLIS

Maria was limping along, her pain nearly forgotten as she studied the impressive murals on the walls. She had no doubt any more. Though their features were hidden by facemasks—and not the transparent type, like she was wearing—the figures were clearly humanoid. Theories swirled around in her head, too fast to make sense. Could it be that they observed us, and made the paintings to depict us? No, this is old, really old. Too old. Besides, there were some kind of crafts that didn’t look like the shuttles at all. And the way the humanoids and Jujjj’s race greeted each other… they were too familiar. Other humanoids then. Not from Earth. She couldn’t explain it, but the significance of this finding baffled her. Humanoid beings had been here once. And the two races seemed to get along well. It was as if the murals told a story, depicting an entire civilization. Cities, big marvels that sprawled across the landscape, some kind of shuttles, airships that resembled zeppelins. One of the images showed a large group of humanoids entering a spacecraft. They seemed to be waving their goodbyes as they entered. And the… She didn’t know what to call them… She looked at Jujjj and made a motion trying to include more than just him, or her. Then she pointed at herself.

“Human. Human.” She pointed at him and a few others standing nearby and waited for a reply. Her furry friend looked puzzled for a second, before he seemed to understand. He pointed at himself.

“Jujjj. Akhab.” Then he pointed at another.

“Guggish. Akhab.” And then he pointed at one after another.

“Akhab. Akhab. Akhab.” His finger went out to her again.

“Humaan. Maariaa. Humaan.” She nodded, giggling. Jujjj opened his mouth and let out a groan, and Maria thought it must be the Akhab equivalent of a laugh. She continued smiling as she turned back to the murals. The Akhab seemed to be friendly toward the humanoids, and the humanoids looked… happy, as they left.

“Who were they?” she murmured. “Where did they go? And why?”

She realized she was already thinking of the figures as human, but it wasn’t actually possible to be certain. Not a hundred percent. They certainly looked human, but that was mostly the shape and bearing. The faces were blurred, but a race resembling humans so closely had to be related in some way, right? Or could it be that they weren’t really that similar after all?

She would have to study this much more closely and learn the whole story. And for that she needed language. Jujjj had already impressed her with his learning skills, and if they could learn a little from each other, maybe they would be able to establish the basic vocabulary of each language and communicate well enough to share their stories.

Maria realized she already liked these little creatures. And she feared what they would have to go through if the wrong people approached them. She decided then and there to be very careful about whom she let know of the Akhab. She trusted Karin and Dean and Kim, but she decided that it would be better if the four of them kept the existence of the Akhab to themselves for the time being, except for Kenneth, of course, who she would contact upon returning to camp. Given time, humans might show themselves worthy of approaching them, but the history of the human race had enough casualties to make her wary. Too many species had died to satisfy human desires, and she thought maybe the Akhab were too friendly for their own good.

Still, the murals made her realize the Akhab weren’t some naive species that would be easy prey for the greedy and the powerful. They had experience dealing with alien races, and it seemed they had been friends with the humanoids. Could it be that these humanoids had left so that the Akhab could live in peace? Or maybe Aurora had turned out less friendly to them than the Akhab had? The answers eluded her, but whatever their story might be, Maria felt an urge to learn, to understand the Akhab and their relationship to the humanoids. And to understand just who these mysterious creatures were.

George Havelar

Havelar was running back toward the administration building, frantically gathering the members of his inner circle. Isabella Solis was one of the first to join him. In the distance, they could hear deep booms and a smattering of gunfire.

“What’s going on?” she asked. He had to stop and catch his breath before being able to give a coherent answer.

“The rebels…” he began. “They have attacked the shuttle field… And it seems they are taking out the outposts, as well. Major Carroll is regrouping north of the shuttle field right now, but the comms are scrambled. Only bits and pieces get through.” Isabella frowned.

“Are you sure? I didn’t know they were even capable of disrupting communications.” Havelar stared at her quizzically. A quad bike carrying two men and a young girl with a shaven head buzzed by. Green recruits, Havelar thought. The girl was manning a rocket launcher, while the two men were pointing their guns out to either side, jaws clenched, eyes wide. They were heading toward the reactors north of town.

“Who else could…?” he started, before something dawned on him. The way they had destroyed the shuttles, the surprise attack, the overwhelming force. The deadly accurate weapons, fired from completely unrealistic distances. His greatest fear, the reason why he had chosen a policy of security first, what his Human Expansion Program had aimed to prevent. It was really happening.

Governor, get a grip, he quietly chastised himself. He realized his knees were sagging, and tears were running down his cheeks. He had to pull himself together, and it took some effort. But he was their leader. He had to save the people, first and foremost. Get them moving. If they could reach the colonel, she had the bulk of their military power, and the most experienced soldiers.

“Gather everyone you can scramble,” Havelar said. “Get them up by the reactors. That’ll be our rallying point.” Isabella nodded and scurried off. Havelar looked around, noting the science buildings where the scientists were confined, and ran toward the lone guard standing outside. The guard looked nervous, but greeted him firmly. Just as Havelar was about to speak, his handheld buzzed.

“Yes. Talk to me,” he said, without even looking at the screen.

“…don’t think… hold much long… all outposts are… coming from south and east… Fifteen minutes… administration… guard… backs… as long as poss…” Havelar didn’t say anything as the device went silent. Henry was trying to buy them time. Time to get out, to head north. Fifteen minutes. Was that fifteen minutes before they were overrun? With no way to contact Henry again, he put the device back into his pocket and ordered the guard to step aside.

“Sir, what’s going on?” the guard asked. Havelar didn’t answer his question; he just barked an order to gather the scientists, and the guard was only too happy to be told what to do. Within five minutes, all the scientists were standing in front of him, with Jeremiah Lowell in the front, demanding answers.

“Shut up,” Havelar told him, which seemed to infuriate the senior scientist even more, but his fury turned to puzzlement when he heard the gunfire.

“I know some of you are hoping the rebels have come for you, and I’m truly sorry to tell you that’s not the case.” Jeremiah cocked his head, and Havelar hoped he saw that there was no irony in his voice. He was truly sorry. He’d have wished it was the rebels. His words came out too quickly, but it was only fair that they should learn the truth. Hopefully that would make them work together, finally.

“We’re under attack from an unknown force. And I don’t think it’s human.”

Chapter 5

Maria solis

Back at the campsite, Maria contacted Kenneth to tell him about the Akhab. But she didn’t really get a chance. She was trying to make out what he was trying to tell her, but with reception being as bad as it was, it was difficult to know for sure. What she did know was that she had to head back to the Stronghold. It sounded like they were in trouble, and her discovery would have to wait for now.

Even so, she did manage to share with him some of what she had found before they broke communication. It was a truly amazing tale—intelligent beings just a few days north of the Stronghold, the true Aurorans. Even more amazing was the story of how she had followed them and been welcomed into their cave, where the walls were painted with images of humanoids coexisting with the Akhab.

Maria could tell Kenneth was excited by the news, but she knew he had to direct his full attention to the imminent threat to the Stronghold. And until she could speak to him in person to detail their discovery, no one else could know, even though that secrecy didn’t sit right with her. Thankfully, that decision wasn’t hers to make. Kenneth, as president, would have the final say.

So here she was, sitting quietly at their small campsite by the river. She’d shared Kenneth’s news, the little she’d gleaned from the broken communication, and they all knew they needed to return to the Stronghold, but as she looked at the rest of her team, she was certain each of them was lost in thought about their discovery.

She remembered the last conversation she’d had with Karin, just before leaving the cave to return to camp. They had both been studying the murals, and Karin had called her over to look at something. Karin had shown her a few details she hadn’t noticed, such as a gloved hand on one of the humanoids, which had five fingers, and an image where the sole of a boot was showing.

“Amazing isn’t it?” Karin had said. “It would fit on us, don’t you think?” Maria had just nodded, and Karin had giggled. It was the first time she had heard the Swedish astronomer even close to laughing.

The cavern was large enough to hold several football fields, and murals adorned the walls throughout. Maria still hadn’t seen them all, even days after she’d first set foot in here. As they explored day after day, the entire community of Akhab went about their business, usually not even noticing the strange beings that had entered their home. Only those close by reacted to their presence. And when they did, they looked excited, pointing and chirping away in their strange squirrelly sounds. A few pointed at them, and then at the murals covering several of the walls nearby.

That had been when Maria had looked even more closely at the murals, wondering why the Akhab were so excited.

“Look at that,” she whispered.

“Do you notice the shapes?” Karin asked. “And look, the paintings seem to tell a story.”

Maria hadn’t thought of it that way before. She walked toward one of the murals. It depicted a scene in which the Akhab and the humanoids were building something, a large half-sphere of sorts, together. Both species seemed to handle some sort of tools, and there were structures, obviously the work of a technologically advanced species, that looked like construction machinery.

“This is…” Maria began, then spun around at Karin who was standing right behind her. “We need to learn their language. I mean, we can learn a lot just from studying the murals and the Akhab themselves more closely, but the only way to really understand is to be able to talk to them, ask questions, understand what they are saying to each other.”

Maria wished she had her mother’s aptitude for languages, but she’d have to make do. She ached to understand, and every little detail made her more curious, more eager to unravel the mysteries contained in this cave. But for now, before she could fully commit to the task of learning the Akhab language, she had responsibilities back at the Stronghold.

Thomas dunn

Thomas looked at Maria out of the corner of his eye as they were walking leisurely together through the small town. Thomas had spent the last few days back in the Stronghold for some sorely needed R&R, and Maria had arrived earlier today from her journey north. They had met on their way to supper and shared a meal of green deer stew. Maria had been unusually tight lipped, but he thought it could be because she was thinking the same as he. Everyone expected the war to flare up again this spring, and Thomas knew that although they had dealt Havelar’s troops some hard blows, they were in no position to beat them in the field. And he knew some people were hoping Havelar would return to the negotiating table. Thomas knew better. He had been too close to both Havelar and the people surrounding him. No, Havelar would strike, and soon. They might hold them back, but it meant the war would drag on, and likely into the next season.

As they passed one of the carpenters sharpening his axe while laughing at some joke told by another standing by, he let go of the thoughts of war and eyed Maria again. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but for some reason, he had a hard time finding the appropriate words. So it was Maria who broke the silence, instead.

“How long before you have to leave, Thomas?” He sighed. His last patrol in the foothills had taken almost three weeks. Long periods of boredom, waiting for the right time and place, and then a quick surprise attack where the enemy least expected it, followed by a rapid withdrawal, vanishing into the woods before the soldiers knew what had hit them. The patrol hadn’t accomplished as much as he’d wanted, but on the other hand, they didn’t lose a single man. With life more precious than anytime before in history, that was a real victory. Come to think of it, he’d been out in the field most of the winter, and though that life was rough sometimes, he’d begun to get used to it. He’d always enjoyed being outdoors, and even though his earlier experiences had never been under conditions such as an Aurora winter, he’d learned something very important: if you knew what you were doing, even the harshest of winter conditions could become your ally instead of a deadly enemy. That knowledge had saved his life several times, and it was the single most important asset he and his team had, which made them a valuable asset to Tina Hammer, who would send them on all the most difficult missions.

“We’ll be leaving again tomorrow morning,” he said. He’d been postponing this conversation all winter, so why did he feel so awkward now that he had the chance?

“You know, I worry about you out there,” Maria said after a short silence, looking up at him through those long lashes, eyes so dark brown you could get lost in their depths. He felt his skin grow hot.

“I worry, too… I mean, I worry that I won’t see…” he trailed off as their eyes locked, and Maria smiled at him.

“I know you do.” That smile made everything else disappear, as if the world around them wasn’t tearing itself to pieces. As if nothing bad could happen. Maria took his hand and stepped closer.

“I… We…” he stuttered. Maria put a finger to his lips, and he stopped trying to speak what couldn’t be put into mere words. She laid her head on his chest, and he carefully embraced her, burying his nose in her hair. He took a deep breath and inhaled her scent, soap and wood and smoke intermingled. They didn’t need words. The moment seemed to last an eternity. This is the way it’s supposed to be, he thought.

“My cabin is just over there,” Maria whispered. Their eyes met again.

“Are you sure?” She nodded.

“Geena’s out with the hunting party. She won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon.” Neither of them spoke, then he finally smiled back at her. How could he ever turn her down? She was everything he’d ever dreamed of.

Their lips met.

Kenneth taylor

Kenneth sat deep in thought, while Tina was busy studying a rough map with Thomas and Dean, who had just arrived. The comms still seemed to be down for some reason. Luckily though, Tina had insisted they lay a landline through the mountains, and now this was the only thing maintaining clear lines of communication between the Stronghold and the outposts covering the southern passes. A messenger had arrived from one of these posts half a day ago, bearing news of a large force moving toward them. They had scrambled the shuttle a couple of times, and its reconnaissance value was incredible. A shuttle, with all its sensors and detection equipment, could survey in half an hour the same area that several recon patrols would spend weeks gaining an overview of. But they didn’t dare take it too far south or too high, or it would be susceptible to anti-aircraft missiles. And they only had the one Thomas had escaped with last autumn, and it carried no weapons. Fort Andrews, on the other hand, had two, not counting the one stationed on board the Exodus itself, both fully weaponized. Regardless, the quick aerial survey only confirmed that Havelar’s forces were about to move north and gave them a hint of the enemy’s size and armaments.

Thomas spoke before anyone else. “They are going to try to cut off the outposts quickly, so we’ll have no warning once they’ve taken them out.”

Tina nodded and conceded that it looked like the final siege against the Stronghold was coming, the day everyone had been dreading. Kenneth was more optimistic than most. All the outposts were still operational, and with land-based comms still intact, Tina would be able to direct the troops to wherever they were most needed. Ben and his team would be especially useful, with their speed and raw force. It left a bad taste in his mouth, using these kids in such a manner. Nevertheless, if that helped them repel the attack, and eventually win the war, that was more important than his own principles and morals. After all, what would happen to them if Havelar won?

“They are moving closer to outpost four,” Dean said, one ear pressed to the headphones. Tina paced, and Kenneth knew she struggled with one major decision above all others. Stay and fight, or run north to the sea? They had time to pack up, and to the north lay the coast, where their ships were moored, waiting for them. If the situation turned really bad, they could set sail and put some real distance between themselves and Havelar’s colony. Dean amongst others had advocated this, while Thomas stubbornly argued that they needed to end this now. He had fought this war covertly for years; of course he was impatient. But the more Kenneth mulled over the decision, he realized he agreed with Thomas. He looked at Tina, who stopped her pacing and cocked her head at him.

“We cannot run any more,” Kenneth said. “You’ve said it yourself; this is an ideal defensive location for a land-based war. This, the ability to move troops quickly across the front, will not be possible anywhere else.” Tina nodded, and Kenneth pressed on.

“Besides, we may be able to…” He looked around and lowered his voice. “If we should be so fortunate to end the war, we might stand a chance at survival. If the war drags on, though, come winter, we’ll starve. All of us, even those back in Andrews. Whether we go north or stay, we don’t have the stocks that Fort Andrews does, so many of us won’t last through the next winter.” He looked to Tina and when she spoke, it was the decisive war commander speaking, the one with a clear mission and the intention of carrying out a difficult task, no matter the cost.

“All right then, so that’s decided. Now, let’s prepare our defenses in the mountain passes. Let’s make it difficult for them. Ben and his team will form the reserve, and Thomas, you go take your team around to the west. You know the drill. You take out their supply lines, and then attack them from the rear. Bring Alan’s and Jocelyn’s teams, as well.”

“Are you sure this is wise,” a voice said from the back of the room. Rajiv Singh took a step forward, a concerned look on his face. Kenneth thought he knew what he was thinking. Even though the Indira Federation had chosen a path of neutrality, as in refusing to take sides in the Auroran conflict, he knew Rajiv was invested in their fate. Dehlia would deal with whoever came out on top, although Kenneth had a feeling Rajiv hoped it would be them.

“You know how dangerous this is. If the population decreases much further, it will no longer be sustainable. You’ve already lost so many.” Kenneth nodded. Even if the Indira ambassador tried to seem analytical and impersonal about it, he was clearly affected by the situation. To see another human outpost descend into a darkness it might never be able to climb out of had to be difficult. Especially when forced to stand by, to keep neutral, while your sympathies for one side were strong and growing. Kenneth smiled at the Dehlian ambassador, who smiled wanly back. They both knew the odds weren’t in their favor.

Chapter 6

george Havelar

The line of refugees stretched all the way back to the crossing, where the final stragglers were being helped ashore. A pregnant woman lost her balance and almost fell, but one of the soldiers caught her before she plunged into the ice-cold water. Havelar stood looking out at the ruins of Port Hammer, waiting for the latest word from the forward scouts. There was a cold drizzle, and he heard the babbling of a small brook nearby. Other than that, there was only silence. No one said anything as they waited for the scout. The silence was eerie, and Havelar realized he was holding his breath. He exhaled slowly, trying to relax. He couldn’t though; the burden of leadership weighed more heavily on his shoulders now than it ever had. This was his responsibility.

A soldier—a woman he thought he’d seen before, back in the early days—waved for them to continue. The ruins were safe, which meant they would have a place to sleep tonight. He waited for a moment, while others walked toward the former ship-building camp turned rebel base. His troops had torched this place after beating Admiral Hamilton’s rebels on the north bank of the Trickler. He tried not to think of what had happened back there. One way or another, it had to be done. Ramon had been given his chance and gained nothing. When that hadn’t worked, Major Carroll’s method had brought results.

Isabella Solis approached him. She had slowly begun to take her late husband’s place, and since the evacuation, she’d grown into his second in command, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her. Even before Ramon had been reported missing, and later confirmed dead, she had sort of faded into a quiet obscurity. But now she stood here, stronger than ever; the leader he had once known her to be. He was glad to have her back.

“George, do you have any idea how far ahead the colonel is? I don’t, and I’d feel a lot better if I knew she was taking her troops this way instead of further north.” Havelar nodded.

“At least one of the messengers should reach her tonight, I hope. They’re quick, and even with the quads, her force can only move so fast. Too much equipment.” She forced a smile and walked away, always busy with one task or another. Havelar was grateful that she helped out as much as she did. He felt ashamed for threatening Ramon, his old friend, as he had the last time he’d seen him. Ramon and Isabella should have been more included, both of them. They had been among his closest business partners once, and he’d considered them his friends. Well, not much he could do now, but accept Isabella’s continued loyalty and assistance. They would manage, until they could get word to the colonel. Once Quellar got word of their predicament, she would call off the attack and turn around. He hoped they might join up before the colonel reached the Stronghold forces. It was imperative that all Aurorans set aside their conflicts and join forces against this new enemy. He had faith the colonel would recognize the urgency. He only hoped the rebels would, as well.

Sophie Breckinbridge came walking up to him, an old-fashioned clipboard in hand. He’d often heard others tease her for using such old-fashioned equipment, but he thought he understood her. There was something deeply satisfying about scratching items off a to-do list. You didn’t really get that on a tablet.

“Sir, I have the complete supply list ready for you. We didn’t have much time…” she trailed off. He smiled weakly as he took the clipboard. Beside the tally for each item, she’d indicated how long everything could be expected to last. Weapons, cooking utensils, and such would last indefinitely, as it was only a question of whether they had it or not. Food, ammunition, and batteries on the other hand were items that couldn’t be replaced in their current situation. He glanced down the list.

“Food, two days, three tops… Batteries, a few weeks, a month at the most… Shit, we didn’t think to take any reaction batteries then…” He looked back at her. “Looks like we’ll be out of options soon.” She didn’t reply, and he handed her back the clipboard. He turned his attention to the stragglers, who were finally joining them. Jeremiah Lowell, the loud-mouth geologist, had kept his silence since leaving Fort Andrews, but now he came over, a scowl on his face. Havelar braced for the onslaught, but to his surprise, Lowell seemed to have something else on his mind.

“Governor, sir,” the professor said, his voice flat. “One of my colleagues seems to be having trouble; his heart, I fear. Do you know where Doc Bowers can be found?” Havelar frowned. After the rigorous selection process back on Earth, he hadn’t expected anyone to have heart issues.

“I do not know… But Sophie probably does. She went over there,” he said, pointing at one of the cabins that still seemed relatively intact, except for a cave-in on one side.

“Thanks, George,” the professor said, granting him a weary smile. “Some predicament, eh? Well, I won’t keep you.” He turned away, leaving Havelar puzzled. So, it seemed Jeremiah Lowell was actually capable of speaking without attacking every half-sentence.

Havelar looked at what had once been such a prosperous little town. If things had turned out differently, in a couple of decades, Port Hammer might very well have become the greatest city of the new world. Now it was a charred ruin, most of the cabins burned to the ground. He shook his head at it all, once again pondering what had happened back in Fort Andrews. There was still no word from Henry. Even with the lack of communication equipment, he should have managed to send a messenger or a data burst. It seemed Fort Andrews had fallen, less than a year after it was built. But who had caused it?

He had considered every alternative, and every time, he ended up with the same conclusion. A conclusion that sent shivers down his spine, and an urgency that he couldn’t shake. They had to move on.

Thomas Dunn

Thomas tried quieting his breath, but it was hard. He tried to focus on breathing slowly, in and out, but his thoughts kept returning to that night, back in the Stronghold. The moment he’d walked through that door into Maria’s cabin. He had committed. It wasn’t as if it had been a conscious decision or anything; he just felt different. That night had loosed something inside him, and now he was unable to focus fully on the task at hand. He knew this could be dangerous, but he couldn’t hold back. It was too overwhelming. It was love.

He smiled. Everything was sort of hazy, but he remembered her face, her eyes gazing into his as they kissed. And later, when they made love, not even the facemasks could ruin the mood.

He heard a click a ways off to his left. A clicker, a small low-tech device one of his companions had come up with, so they wouldn’t be completely reliant on radio communication. They all remembered how the comms had been cut when Havelar’s troops moved on Port Hammer, and it seemed the old tactic was being put to use again. A couple of days ago, the radio had become erratic, as if something was interfering with every frequency. It wasn’t that the comms were down altogether—they would get messages through—but it took a bit of trying. In the last few hours, however, the interference had grown stronger, making effective communication almost impossible. It could only mean one thing: an attack was imminent.

Another click. The first had meant there were sounds that could possibly be the enemy; the second confirmed the fact. A third would signal that their positioning would be perfect for a surprise attack, and that there were few enough that Thomas and his team should be able to take them out. He doubted he’d hear the third click today, though. If his suspicions were correct, this would be the main force of Fort Andrews, coming to end the war once and for all.

No, today was about observing, and their report back to the Stronghold would be far more valuable than any sort of resistance they could put up. Thomas slowly turned and shoved a small piece of foliage away from his line of sight. Then he raised his binoculars and saw the column approaching. There were at least 150 of them. How can there be so many? he thought. But of course, most of them would be green recruits, civilians given rudimentary training at best, while the squad leaders and a few other key personnel were fully trained soldiers. He considered withdrawing to a safe distance to then turn north to join up with the defenses up in the mountain passes. They had seen enough, and with their experience, they would be sorely needed for the defense of the Stronghold. But his mission was to observe first and foremost. Once the enemy was far enough from their safe haven, he would have his team harass them, make them have to dedicate troops to protect their back, away from the Stronghold. He would send one of his men north to report, while he kept his team out here, to shadow the southern force while they advanced through the foothills. Then, when the time was right, he’d strike.

He saw their troops were well equipped, and the quads especially worried him. He thought he could see some powerful artillery mounted on the quads. His heart sank. They were too strong. The men manning the passes would put up a good fight, but these guys would pound them to pieces from a distance. He had no idea how they would be able to deal with such a force. It would be a bloodbath.

He noticed the column come to a halt, and heard loud voices, although he couldn’t make out the words. The reaction of some of the soldiers puzzled him. A few started shouting at the ones in charge, while some looked like they didn’t know what to do. He focused and zoomed in on one of them. He was clearly crying. Why? There was a discussion, and someone approached—a woman, Hispanic, he thought, who seemed to command the attention of everyone around her. Colonel Quellar, Thomas thought. Who else?

The woman made those closest to her listen; officers, it seemed. Then the group spread out, barking orders to the rest of the column. The officers were taking charge of the situation. People were reined in. The man Thomas had observed supposedly crying looked like he was drying his eyes, nodding, muttering something as he set his jaw, and turned…

South!

They were turning around, back the way they had come. And it seemed they were in a hurry, too. Thomas almost felt an urge to stand up, to see better. To know what was going on. He didn’t see any of his companions; they were too well hidden. But he guessed they were as confused as he was right now. Havelar’s main fighting force, able to crush the defenses and break through to the Stronghold itself, to end the war and put Aurora firmly under their control again, was retreating.

Thomas knew he should be ecstatic right now, but all he could think was, what the hell just happened?

Tina hammer

“You’ll need to camouflage that sniper position much better, or that’ll be the first target for their rocket launchers,” Tina said to the team leader. This was the most likely route for the advancing column, and if they got through here, the path would be wide open all the way to the main gate of the Stronghold. She had already called for Dean and his team to strengthen this position, and they would be would be taking up positions to the east, to flank the enemy. Thomas’s team was to be shadowing the enemy column, ready to strike from behind. Ben, Lisa, and Drew would be their mobile reserve, able to move quickly from one place to another, in case she was wrong about where the enemy would strike.

She feared it wouldn’t be enough, but it was all she had. The rest of the defenses would, at best, be able to slow them down, but she was committing her top forces here, betting all they had that she was right. Win or lose, this was where everything would be decided. She hadn’t heard from Thomas yet, which surprised her, as she’d expected him to send a messenger. She needed to know when the enemy arrived. She could only guess that the advance took longer than she’d expected.

“Ma’am! Somebody’s coming!” someone shouted from one of the lookout positions atop the barricade. She turned and climbed up to the observation post to see better. A woman, it seemed. Soldier, from the fatigues, but obviously green from the way she wore them. She was carrying something. A white flag!

“Let her approach, but do not let her through. She’d be able to pinpoint our defensive positions.” Tina picked up a megaphone and switched it on. She raised it to her mouth, all the while staring at the young woman approaching.

“Stop right there,” she said. The woman stopped and spread her hands.

“I’m unarmed. I need to talk to your commander.” Tina considered her for a moment.

“What is it you want to talk to me about? If you’re asking for our surrender, you’re wasting your time.” That brought chuckles from those around her.

“It’s not that…” the woman said, loud enough for all to hear. “I have a message from Governor Havelar, ma’am. We need to end this.” Yeah, Tina thought. She’d heard that line before. But the woman wasn’t done.

“Fort Andrews has fallen.” That made Tina drop her jaw. Fallen, how? What had happened? The woman seemed sincere. And determined. And scared.

“I’m coming out,” Tina said, and jumped down, motioning for one of the defenders to open the gate for her. All around her, people were talking, the shock of what they had just heard apparent on every face. Tina walked out and approached the woman, confident that defenders were keeping watch over the barricades and various other positions.

“So…” she said, as she stopped in front of the messenger. “What the hell is going on? What are you telling me?” The woman paused for a second before answering.

“Fort Andrews has fallen. Last thing we heard, there was fighting up by the reactors. Major Carroll and his team might be holding on, but likely he’s dead like the rest of them. We haven’t heard anything since before the governor crossed the Trickler.” So, Tina thought, he’s come north, as well. It’s got to be bad.

“Who is it?” she asked. “Is it a revolt?” Tina knew the answer, but still, she had to ask. The woman only shook her head.

“It’s not, ma’am. It’s something else.”

Chapter 7

Kenneth taylor

He looked warily around as they approached the ruins of Port Hammer. This bastion of liberty, the gathering place for frontiersmen, freedom-seekers, entrepreneurs, and refugees. Now burned to the ground, with only the ramshackle remains of a few cabins still standing. The mere thought had strengthened his resolve; the sight infuriated him. It was amazing, Kenneth thought, how quickly they had built this place. And even more amazing, and depressing, was how fast they had torn it down again.

He kept looking at the soldiers surrounding the governor, nervous men and women with guns held ready to fire at the smallest provocation from the northern force. He wondered what would happen if it came to blows, but quickly dismissed the thought. This was not the time. The governor's message had been short and to the point: We need to make peace, right now.

Then again, too many had died for either side to be comfortable parlaying with a hated enemy. Kenneth was determined though. You don't make peace with your friends; you make it with your enemies. And having a common foe made peace between north and south imperative if they were to survive.

Kenneth stepped forward. Dean and a few from his team kept a close eye on their surroundings, watching for signs of betrayal. Kenneth knew there were northern snipers hidden in the foliage behind them, and expected no less from the southerners. He recognized Havelar approaching. He looked older, he thought, and weary.

“I never wanted us to meet like this,” the governor said. “As enemies, I mean. This war should never have happened.” Kenneth nodded.

“On that, we agree. But you asked for this meeting.” Kenneth paused, and when the governor hesitated, he continued. “So, are you ready to end this?” Havelar grimaced and looked around at all the armed men and women standing with weapons ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

“Yes. Our war must end right here, right now,” he said. No demands of surrender, no proclamations of the will of a president of a dead country on a dead world, light-years away. Kenneth hadn’t expected this, even given the circumstances.

“What are your demands?” he asked. “I’m not buying that you will simply lay down your arms. Not after what happened here.” He noticed the governor turning red, standing in the midst of the ruins of this place in which the rebellion was born. But he couldn’t tell whether it was embarrassment or anger.

“No demands,” Havelar simply said. “I believe we share a common cause, after all.” Kenneth nodded. Of course, even with all their differences, both wanted to secure the survival of humans on Aurora, to create a new home for humanity on this planet. It was the means—and their visions for what sort of world it should be—that differed.

“Come on, George. Enough of this. What’s going on?” he said.

“Fort Andrews has fallen,” Havelar blurted, and Kenneth nodded again, impatient to hear the rest. Tina had told him as much, but he hadn’t known what to make of it. It was too unreal.

“And if we don’t join our forces immediately, we’ll all be wiped out,” Havelar continued. He looked around, and Kenneth thought he saw his eyes misting. He had a hard time imagining George Havelar crying. The governor seemed to pull himself together and looked straight into his eyes.

“You see, Kenneth, this is what I feared when I called for unity. This is why I was so adamant that we work together, and strengthen our position as quickly as possible.” Kenneth felt a shiver down his spine, as the enormity of it all hit home.

“We’re not alone,” Kenneth almost whispered, lips quivering.

“No. We’re not,” the governor answered.

Maria solis

Maria was standing beside the path leading toward the Stronghold. She had been planning to go north, back to the cave, but wanted to be at the Stronghold when the refugees from Fort Andrews came in. And of course, Thomas might be back sooner. At least, she hoped so. She was torn between wanting to go back to the cave to learn more of the Akhab, and wanting to stay to pursue the strange sensations tingling through her entire body every time she thought about Thomas. And then there was another person she was anxious to see. She looked at the refugees as the column snaked slowly by, searching for that person she hoped would be there, somewhere.

The refugees from Fort Andrews couldn’t have looked any more dissimilar from one another. There were seasoned soldiers, with hard faces and eagle eyes scanning their former enemies as they moved under the watchful eyes of their northern counterparts. There were the draftees and volunteers, civilians dressed up as soldiers and carrying arms, but clearly green as grass, wide eyed and staring, as if they had seen more than they should have. Then there were the actual civilians, which made up the largest group, obviously. Everything from scientists dragged along in their lab coats to workers who’d run straight from tilling the barely thawed fields. There were children, too, some of which she recognized. Everyone looked dirty, grimy, and tired.

She had already seen Tori, who had been one of the first of the civilians to come through the mountain pass. Maria thought her friend had seemed just the same as before, just tired from the long trek, and they had embraced and cried and laughed at the same time. Tori had moved on, though, because she was to go even further north, to what was rapidly becoming a fishing and farming village, and an important food source for the larger Stronghold. Tori’s specialty was agriculture, and the Stronghold leaders intended to send a number of specialists north as soon as possible to assist with setting up appropriate systems and facilities for farmers and fisherman.

She saw Havelar, whom she had once referred to fondly as Uncle George. Once one of her parents’ best friends, he had bounced her on his knee back when she was a child. He eyed her for a moment. A wan smile appeared, then disappeared as quickly as it had come. Then she saw a middle-aged man, wearing a ripped and stained lab coat, half carrying a colleague, with a girl on the other side supporting the injured man. She looked closer at the man helping his friend. Not even the dirt and exhaustion apparent on his face could hide the wide grin as he looked over and recognized her.

“Jeremiah!” she exclaimed.

Then she realized it was Sophie Breckinbridge who was helping Jeremiah with the other man. She looked up, but didn’t say anything. Maria wondered if they would be friends again, or if it was too late.

“Maria! I was hoping I’d see you here,” Jeremiah said, as she ran to him. He hugged her with his free hand, holding the man he was helping steady with the other. Then he helped the man sit down.

“Sophie, why don’t you go get Doc Bowers?” Jeremiah said, motioning toward the man. “He needs to rest, and Doc should have another look at him, I think.” Sophie nodded and turned without a word. Maria looked at her as she walked away.

“Hmm, I wish you two would make up,” Jeremiah said, shaking his head.

“We’ve got far bigger things to think about. Besides, you guys are friends, right?” Maria shrugged.

“I don’t know. We’ll see. But I’m sure glad to see you again.” She smiled and gave him a good hug.

“I guess I must stink pretty bad by now,” he said, and Maria grinned. Yes he did.

“How are you?” she asked instead.

“I’m okay, don’t you worry.”

“Did you see who did it? Who took Fort Andrews?” she asked. Jeremiah shook his head.

“No, and I don’t think many here did. Everything happened so fast. Havelar and your mother and others just gathered whomever they could scramble, and then we got the hell out of there. Most of the soldiers were already past the Trickler. I think most got away, actually.” Maria looked back at the column as she listened.

“So, have you seen my mother?” she asked. Jeremiah smiled, and she let out a breath of relief at his reaction.

“Yes, you’ll see her soon. She’s been working with Havelar ever since your father was captured. I heard he died.” He trailed off. Maria nodded.

“No one knows what happened…” she shrugged it off. Right now all she wanted was to see her mother again.

“I’m truly sorry,” he said. As always, Jeremiah understood, and didn’t inquire any more. There would be time for that later.

“Last I saw, your mother was with Havelar and Major Hammer, helping the final stragglers down from the pass. She’s probably anxious to see you, as well.”

“I’ll go see if I can find her then. I guess you don’t need me here.” Maria turned to leave just as Sophie returned with a young man, Dr. Bowers. Jeremiah ushered her on.

“Go see her then. We’ll talk more later.” She smiled again and skipped a few steps, eager to find her mother.

The line of refugees seemed endless. Hundreds of people driven from their homes just as they were settling in, now placing their fate in the hands of those who had taken the same journey just a few months earlier. Maria pitied them. A few days ago, the soldiers from Fort Andrews would have crushed their little settlement, just as they had burned Port Hammer, and now they turned to them for refuge, fleeing an even greater enemy. It was too early to speculate as to who or what had attacked Fort Andrews, but whatever it was, it would be coming north, as well. So whatever their differences, they would all have to work together from now on.

As she finally reached what seemed to be the last of the refugees making their way into the Stronghold, she saw the face she’d been searching for. Isabella Solis stood deep in conversation with Kenneth Taylor and didn’t seem to notice Maria as she approached.

“Mom…” Maria said, and the lump in her throat prevented her from continuing. Isabella turned around, and her hard lines and the furrows on her forehead melted away as she laid eyes on her daughter for the first time in months.

“Maria… Oh, Maria… Mi hija…” She burst into tears and they embraced.

Tina hammer

“We need them, now more than ever,” Kenneth said, and Tina saw Rajiv Singh nodding. The ambassador seemed lost in thought for some reason, but didn’t say anything. Tina though, was seething with fury.

“Of course we need them, just as they need us. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hold their leaders accountable.” She growled. “Have you forgotten what happened on the Trickler? Or those protesters in Fort Andrews?” She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and continued. “Have you forgotten the HEP, Kenneth? The Human Expansion Program? Those twisted bastards were going to breed better babies!” She grimaced at the thought. Kenneth shook his head.

“No, Tina, I haven’t forgotten. And likely I’ll never be able to forget, either. But what do you want to do? It wasn’t just Havelar, you know. What about Colonel Quellar? Or Isabella Solis? Or the officers, the scientists who stayed on, the administrators? How far down the food chain would be enough?”

“I’d settle for Havelar and Quellar. Those two…”

“Oh really? What about Henry Carroll? If he suddenly turned up, wouldn’t you like to see him brought to justice? After all, he was there, on the Trickler.” He let that hang in the air. Tina bit her lip. She knew, of course, what Kenneth meant, but it didn’t feel right, even so. If they started going after everyone who had become tools of oppression, many would face trial. It would be fair, but with an invasion on their doorstep, the timing could have been better.

“What if we wait? I mean, justice will have to wait, right? But one day, if we do get through this, I want to see Havelar punished. Just the thought of him going free, after what he did to Greg, and all those others… I don’t know if I can stomach it,” she said. Kenneth again shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Tina. We need them, all of them, to be on our side now. I know I sound like a politician, and I do get it. I don’t like the taste of it any more than you do. But if we leave any doubt whatsoever as to what will happen afterward, we will remain split. This is our one chance to reconcile, and though it might be years before we no longer taste that bitterness, I truly believe it’s necessary.” He exhaled heavily.

“So we forgive and forget?” Tina asked. His nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Like hell! I can’t do that. But like I said, maybe, given enough time… But we do have to work together from now on.” He could still see Tina’s reluctance. “Let me put it this way, Tina. Do you think the Fort Andrews soldiers would fight for you if they knew they faced some sort of trial when the war is over? Would the administrators do the work if they faced punishment for being loyal to their superiors?”

“So I take it I have to sit in on meetings with George Havelar? Colonel Quellar will remain in charge of the military? I’m not sure I can take orders from that woman, Kenneth, even if I really tried.” Kenneth was growing weary of this argument.

“No, you will not have to take orders from Quellar. I know she officially outranks you. After all, she was to be in charge of security on the ground, while your role was supposed to have ended when we set foot on this planet. But I dare say all that is moot now. Those were plans laid back on Earth more than a century ago, and everything has changed since then.” Kenneth looked right into her eyes, and spoke firmly.

“You are the war commander. Colonel Quellar is a capable officer, and she will retain her status, except that she will be your subordinate, regardless of formal rank. She has promised to serve, and to follow your orders, and that should be enough. I’m counting on your cooperation here, Tina.” Tina suddenly realized this was the president of Aurora speaking. She had never heard Kenneth Taylor being so firm, and though she didn’t agree on everything, she found his newfound firmness suited him. She half-smiled.

“Yes, sir.” Kenneth smiled briefly, before continuing.

“As to sitting in on meetings with Havelar, well, I guess that’s something we’ll both have to endure. But don’t you for a second believe that I like it any more than you do. As far as I’m concerned, he’s still a scumbag. Unfortunately, as it turns out, he’ll be our scumbag from now on.”

Ben waters

The order had been to stand ready to act as soon as the attack began, to go where the defenses most needed bolstering. Ben, Lisa, and Drew had taken turns watching the hilltop, where the signal would go up. Since they couldn’t rely on radio or other high-tech means of communication, the positions defending the paths leading through the mountains south of the Stronghold had been equipped with signal flares, each with a different color. He had expected the red, as that was the most likely route for the attackers. But no signal came. Day turned to night, and with the daybreak, a messenger came for them. The messenger panted as he tried to calm his breath enough to give them the message.

“Fort Andrews… It’s fallen.” That had brought them all to their feet.

“What? How did that…” Lisa asked as the messenger breathed deeply and continued.

“They say someone attacked Andrews, and Havelar made it out with most of the people there. Looks like they’re making peace at the Stronghold as we speak. Got bigger things on their minds now, I guess.” Yeah, Ben thought. And just like that, everything that bastard and his cronies have done is forgiven. He felt a simmering anger rising as he spoke to the messenger.

“So what are our orders?”

“You’re to come back to the Stronghold ASAP. We’ll need to join forces. Actually, Hammer wants you to report to a Dr. Bowers for treatment. Maybe he’ll find some sort of cure for the… Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing if my brother is down there. He was with the security forces…” The messenger trailed off as Ben sneered at him.

“Your brother fought for them?” he said. The messenger didn’t reply, but took a step back.

Afterward, he didn’t remember what had happened, but Drew was shouting at him, and Lisa was trying to move in between him and the already dying messenger. Ben shoved her out of the way and looked down at the messenger writhing on the ground, throat cut wide open and blood spurting out. Had he done that?

Lisa slapped him.

“Hey!” she shouted. She slapped him again, and he slowly looked at her, before turning to Drew. He looked back down at the younger boy, again ignoring Lisa’s shouting.

“What the hell did you do that for? What did he ever do to you?” Drew screamed at him. Ben didn’t listen, or care. He didn’t care about anything, except the knife in his hand, bloody from cutting open the messenger. The messenger with a brother who had tried to kill them all. All his nightmares flashed in front of him: his days of service with General Hayden's rebels back on Earth, drafted to carry ammunition for the adults, but ending up serving on an artillery battery, far too young to vote or drink, but not too young for war; the ride into orbit, getting on the New Discovery, the final shuttle to leave Earth, taking charge of the younger kids when they panicked; seeing his friend Harry fall as he was shot by Havelar’s security guards; killing the enemy soldiers, killing, killing, killing. Flash!

“No, Ben…” he heard Lisa say from behind him, voice quivering. He spun away from Drew, who slumped to the ground, clutching his bleeding stomach. She was too close. He lunged for her, but she was too quick for him. She rolled to the side and spun around. When she faced him again, she had her knife up. Still, she hesitated.

“Don’t do this, Ben,” she pleaded. There was no fear in her voice, though, and if it came to it, she would try to kill him, as well. Drew lay bleeding on the ground. Ben cast him a look, while he remained focused on the greater danger. He had to kill her. He wanted to kill her.

“Come on, Ben. This is not you. We’re your friends!” Lisa went on and on, but Ben hardly heard her anymore. They wanted him to get treated. To kill the part of him that made him feel alive. He growled and bared his teeth. Then he lunged for her again, only this time, he anticipated her evasive movement and managed to take her by surprise. He pushed the knife into her belly, felt the blade penetrate her flesh before entering her abdomen, pushing deeper. Her wide eyes stared at him, and her mouth opened and closed again and again, as he held her tight. Neither of them uttered a sound, and when he decided to let her go, she fell into a heap.

Someone was shouting in the distance. He turned slowly, mind blurred, and saw a familiar face. The adrenaline seemed to seep out of him as he realized it was Tina Hammer. The woman who had saved them all, back when they were just a bunch of kids. Memories washed over him. He was Benjamin Waters, the oldest of the children sent on the New Discovery, the last shuttle to leave Earth. On the ground lay his friends, Drew and Lisa. He had killed them both. He looked down at his own bloody hands. Then his gaze rose again, at the woman to whom he owed his life. The disappointment in her eyes was mixed with fear and disgust. Or were those emotions his own? He couldn’t tell anymore. He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t. The blood lust was gone, but now another instinct took over. Flight. He quickly scanned the woods and saw more armed men approaching. There. An opening. One area not covered, a way out of the situation. He darted across the clearing in an instant, almost close enough to touch one of them, and jumped over a fallen trunk as he disappeared into the woods. A shot rang out behind him, but he heard Tina bark an order to hold their fire. He peeked over his shoulder, but no one was even close to following him. He kept running, away from it all. Away from himself.

Chapter 8

Maria solis

Maria staggered out of bed, almost gagging. She felt sick and needed to take off her mask. The problem was that her cabin wasn’t airtight. Throwing up inside the mask might choke her, and taking it off could prove just as dangerous. The parasite changed people. She didn’t want to turn out like Benjamin Waters.

She had felt pretty bad yesterday, as well, bad enough to postpone the trip north. But not like this. Not like this all-consuming need to throw up. Had she eaten something bad? She felt sweat break as she hurried to get dressed, not even caring to tie her shoelaces. Then she ran out the door. The hospital tent was just a hundred meters away, right next to where the soldiers from Fort Andrews had settled. Tears welled up as she covered the short distance, and by the time she entered the tent, she was holding her breath, afraid that the next might produce an uncontrollable reflex.

“Come, come. Let’s get you through the airlock,” Doc Bowers said, and Geena rushed to help. She spent the longest thirty seconds of her life waiting for the outside air to be pushed out by the pressure, before Geena helped her take off her mask. Then she threw up on the floor.

“How do you feel? Have you taken off the mask before?” the doctor asked. Maria shook her head. Geena took her temperature by sticking an instrument into her ear, and then helped her over to a bed, where she could finally lie back and breathe freely.

“I felt bad yesterday morning, too, but it got better after a couple of hours. Nothing like this though.” Doc Bowers checked her pupils, her pulse, and made her open her mouth. Then he took a small blood sample and put it in some kind of machine.

“You seem fine, but I need to run a few tests to be sure. And we need to know what this is. Can’t have you doing this every morning now, can we?” He smiled. Both the doctor and Geena looked tired. And Maria knew why. They had so many to tend to, especially Lisa Hayden and Drew Simmonds, who were still drifting in and out of consciousness. Yesterday, Geena had told her, the boy Drew had flat lined, and they had to shock him. The day before, he’d been the stable one, and Lisa had stopped breathing for a couple of minutes.

If not for Doc Bowers, both of them might have died by now, and Maria had a feeling she would be far worse off, as well. As frantic as the evacuation of Fort Andrews was, everyone knew the importance of taking as much of the doctor’s equipment as possible, and they had managed to fill up one of the quads with this inflatable tent and all kinds of medical equipment. And now, it was saving lives. Before, Kim and Geena were the closest thing the Stronghold had to a doctor, since the three real doctors had stayed back in Fort Andrews. The other two had gone out again with the soldiers manning the defensive positions in the mountains, leaving Bowers with the civilians here at the Stronghold.

“So, do you know where Thomas is?” Geena asked, smiling. Everyone seemed to know, and Maria blushed.

“No. He left a few days ago, headed south. Probably searching for answers.” She paused. “Don’t you find it strange that no one has any idea who attacked Fort Andrews? I know everyone down there thought it was us, at first, but it’s as if no one even saw the attackers. Or maybe, all those who saw them are either dead or captured.” Geena nodded.

“Yes. It frightens me even more than when we heard the soldiers were coming here. After all, they were our kind, our people, no matter the differences.” They both trailed off, as Doc Bowers seemed to be chuckling as he read off the results from the tests. Then he came over and smiled at Maria.

“Young woman, you’re not sick at all. You’re pregnant.”

Tina hammer

“Will they live?” Tina asked. Doc Bowers shrugged.

“No way to tell. I can tell you that the prognosis is not good, but they are young and healthy…” He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “The parasite seems to be fighting to keep them alive, as well… It’s actually quite remarkable. It looks like it powers the white blood cells, I’ve never seen any so actively searching out alien elements. It seems to be boosting their anti-infection abilities, and their erythrocytes, the red blood cells, are multiplying faster than I thought possible…” He trailed off before looking up at her again.

“They have been given the best treatment we can offer, and now all we can do is hope for the best.” Tina nodded. She had seen death before, and cried for lost friends both back in the North African wars and here on Aurora. But these two were so young…

And this situation was different. She felt sorry for Drew and Lisa, but she felt just as sorry for Ben. The things he’d been through had changed him, damaged him. She was no psychiatrist, but it seemed to her that he was clearly suffering from PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder. Sometimes, she thought the wars had damaged her, as well, but looking at Ben, she knew she was just tired of it. As anyone who’d been in the thick of fighting too many times would be. But Ben had lashed out at his closest friends, and ultimately, may have even killed them both.

They had given up the search for Ben after a few hours, and Tina was the one to pull back the search parties. There was no use trying to track him down; he’d be too far ahead of them, with his inhuman speed. Besides, they didn’t have anyone to spare. There was a storm coming, an enemy of unknown origin, and they would come through the mountains, from the south. Their only hope was to try to hold them with everything they had.

She thanked the doctor and walked away, knowing that Lisa and Drew were in good hands. If anyone could keep them alive and help them recover, it was Doc Bowers. He had even mentioned that he planned to study them, to learn more about the parasite that was both keeping them alive and trying to control them at the same time. She was relieved that the refugees had brought a lot of medical supplies. They even had a multi scanner, which would be immensely helpful in diagnosing everything from small fractures to cancer. They still had to solve the power issue, though. The batteries, many of which were essentially mini-reactors, would only last for so long. They had taken a few from Port Hammer and reserved them for essential uses only. She wished the refugees from Fort Andrews had brought some, as well. As with the food, if they didn’t come up with some creative solutions soon, by next winter, they would both starve and freeze.

Kenneth had mentioned that some of the refugees who were headed north to the coast were reactor workers, electricians, power technicians, and engineers. Coming up with a reliable power source was one of the issues they were going to work on up north, in addition to establishing the fishermen and the farmers in order to cultivate enough food supplies for the growing settlement. She wished she could have gone with them, instead of staying here, directing the defenses. She was so sick of war! She wanted to build and explore and see this wonderful new world. She sighed. She knew her duty, and though she ached for something else, she knew her dreams would have to be put on hold for now.

Kenneth taylor

Kenneth stood, waiting for the nausea to subside. He would be late again, but while the spell lasted, he just had to fight the dizziness and keep his stomach contents down. They came more often now. It had been just a few days since the last one, and he was worried that the stress of being in charge was getting to him. After all, he wasn’t used to this, and while he had Tina to take care of the military matters, he was still the elected president. In the end, what happened was his responsibility, no matter how many shared the burden with him. It wasn’t something he had sought out, either; he’d never wanted to be a leader. But for some reason, the Aurorans at the Stronghold had turned to him, and now it seemed the refugees from Fort Andrews had turned to him, as well. He shook his head as the spell faded; he really had no idea what he was doing.

As he walked toward the others, he noticed the general bustle around him. The refugees seemed to be settling in, though, and some were already at work putting up more cabins. Others were talking, generally about relatives, friends, or just idle chatter. Some were mixing, north and south; others stayed with their own, not trusting their former enemies. That would take time, Kenneth thought as he approached the group sitting by the fire. The one topic he heard the most was the question no one could answer: who attacked Fort Andrews? Everyone had their ideas, but no one really knew, and none of the refugees had seen anything. All they knew was that someone had attacked them, and they were lucky to have escaped alive. Kenneth wanted to add that they had been lucky they had a governor who realized the danger before anyone else, and who took action quickly and saved most of the population. He’d never thought he’d say that about George Havelar, but what he had done was nothing short of remarkable. Granted, the help of people like Isabella Solis and others made it all easier, but still, to turn their backs on everything in an instant, and make everyone follow them like that was truly a feat not many others could have managed.

And now, here they were. Friends and former enemies, gathered around the fire, to discuss strategies to face this threat that no one saw coming. Except George Havelar. Kenneth sat down next to Tina, and eyed her sideways. He knew the older kid, Ben, was still missing, and the other two were hanging on by a thread. Luckily, the parasite worked in their favor, increasing their likelihood of survival, and Dr. Bowers had been stitching them up for most of the day, with the help of Geena, who was quickly turning into some sort of apprentice to the doctor. They might actually survive, but nevertheless, Ben had turned on his friends and tried to kill them both. He’d killed the messenger sent to get them back also. Kenneth knew how Tina felt about these kids, and he thought he saw the weight of responsibility heavy on her shoulders.

“So, what do we know?” Kenneth asked of the group. He noticed Rajiv Singh sitting there lost in thought, but he didn’t expect the Dehlian to have much to offer at the moment. Tina didn’t say anything. As soon as the refugees were safe, she had sent Thomas and his team out to search for answers. None of them expected any information to reach them for a while yet. Dean and Kim would be escorting Maria Solis and Karin Svensson back up north in a couple of days, to search for more answers at the cave. Kenneth knew Maria had discovered something up there, among the little creatures she considered to be intelligent, and he wished he could go with her to meet them. He suspected there was something very significant about them, and there might even be some answers concerning their attackers, too. But so far, only a handful of people knew, and in this situation, his leaving for some scientific discovery might not be the correct course of action. No, he wasn’t just a scientist anymore, and at this time, his governing responsibilities had to take precedence. And, if he was honest with himself, he wasn’t really feeling fit to travel. Havelar coughed lightly, and all eyes turned toward him.

“Well, we do know they have technology that is different. Advanced, but not so far out there that we don’t understand it. No laser guns or anything like that. But weapons that are far more accurate from great distances than ours, and body armor that seems extremely effective at stopping our bullets. And they have the ability to scramble our communications, but not take it out completely.” Kenneth saw Tina was nodding, and he almost chuckled. Her approval of Havelar’s assessment was nothing but astonishing.

“So… fighting them from a distance is out of the question then. They have the advantage there,” she said.

“Well, we do have rocket launchers…” Havelar said, but Tina cut him off.

“Which will come in handy, yes, but we only have a limited number and no way to manufacture more.”

“I’m worried about their body armor,” Havelar mused.

“From what I could decipher from speaking to Major Carroll, I don’t think our guys took out a single one of theirs. Granted, the security guards at the shuttle field only had rifles and light machine guns, but this is something that concerns me. How can we fight if we can’t hurt them?” No one answered that, and Kenneth looked at Rajiv again, who hadn’t said a word.

“Mr. Singh, what do you think?” he said, startling the ambassador. The Dehlian thought for a moment before he replied.

“I don’t think you will find a way to fight them yet. You don’t know who or what they are. I do have a theory that… No, it will have to wait. Do what you can with what you have, but for now, you need more information. Know your enemy,” he said and sat back. Kenneth spread his hands.

“Well, I agree. We need to know what we’re dealing with. The good thing is that we’re now united, finally. And whatever happens later, we will figure out a way to hurt them,” he said, and paused. He looked at the Dehlian. “We’re not going quietly, you know.” Rajiv Singh nodded quietly, while Havelar chuckled and Tina actually smiled, a wolfish smile.

“Yeah, that’s for sure,” she said.

Thomas dunn

This better be worth it, Thomas thought as he cautiously made his way across the field, toward where two of his team members were holding down a black humanoid shape. The five of them had been positioned just outside Fort Andrews, observing it for days to make sure they knew the enemy’s schedule. Once they were sure, they had waited for the right time. An enemy patrol had come right on time, two figures, humanoid shapes in black combat gear. It had been a close call. Knives only, to keep it quiet. They captured one and killed the other in the scuffle, proving that, no matter their body armor, even these creatures could be killed. As he approached his team, Marco, originally one of the Fort Andrews conscripts who had shown enough talent to be recruited onto Thomas’s team, gave him a thumbs up with one hand, while holding the prisoner in a headlock with the other.

They needed to reach the Trickler before daybreak. The sixth man on the team would be waiting on the south bank, and once they managed to cross the river, they would hide out in the forward base on the north bank. This was all about gathering intel, and their most important goal right now was to slip away. He figured the enemy would have some kind of system that would react when the patrol didn’t report back, so they had to be quick. Thomas readied a syringe. It held enough tranquilizer to knock out a grown man for a day, but since they didn’t know how these creatures would react, it was a gamble. Nevertheless, he pushed the syringe through the fabric of the creature’s arm, and quickly injected the tranquilizer. He had no idea what he hit, but it seemed to work, since its thrashing subsided.

“Careful with the helmet,” he said. “If the parasite works on these guys as it does on us, we’ll have some sort of super-prisoner in a few days. We don’t want that.” As Thomas removed the syringe, one of the men chuckled, as if he had just told some joke. The two who had held the creature, now lifted it onto a portable stretcher. Then, while two men carried the stretcher off into the woods, Thomas and the rest of the team watched for pursuit, rifles ready.

They moved like that until the first light started to appear on the horizon. Sometimes they would switch, to keep up the pace, always ready to face pursuit. They reached the Trickler a bit low, and had to follow the river west for ten minutes before they heard the signal. A clicking sound, and they knew they had reached the right spot.

A dark figure appeared from behind some shrubbery, and then, surprisingly, another. Thomas kept his rifle ready to fire, as they approached. There should only be one!

“You got one of them?” he heard the whisper of a familiar voice once they got close enough. It was Tina Hammer.

“Yeah,” he said, lowering his rifle. “And you couldn’t stay away from this, Major?” He grinned. Tina chuckled and went over to look at the creature, which lay strapped to the stretcher, unmoving.

“It’s still alive?” she asked. Thomas nodded.

“We had to sedate it. But it seems fine.”

“All right then. Let’s move it across. Jim’s got the boat ready.”

On the north bank, they deflated the boat and packed it in a water-tight sack that one of them hoisted onto his back. Then they moved away from the landing point and off toward their forward base, just five hundred meters inland.

The entrance to the forward base was just a hole in the ground, completely hidden from view. It was reinforced so that an enemy could walk over it and not notice. It was also insulated so no body heat would slip out, making it impossible to find with heat sensors. It had two rooms, the smaller of them airtight, with an airlock separating it from the bigger room, and it was big enough to house ten people. They would have plenty of space.

Once they got settled in, Thomas and Tina had a good look at the figure. Obviously, it was humanoid, slightly thinner and lighter than the men; about the same build as Tina. The helmet was connected to the rest of the suit, making it part of the suit itself. Thomas suspected it was airtight and, for a moment, feared that the syringe had contaminated the creature. Well, nothing to be done for it. The helmet visor was shaded, and there was no way to see what was inside. The suit was all black, carrying no markings that they could see. They had managed to retrieve one of the firearms, which looked strange, but familiar enough for Thomas to understand how it worked. He suspected he would be able to operate it, if needed. The sighting mechanism looked impressive, and from the few accounts they had, it was.

They carried the prisoner into the airtight room, and laid him on the ground. It would still be hours before it woke, if the tranquilizer worked as intended. Nevertheless, Tina and one of the men held their weapons ready, just in case. Thomas looked at the figure, thinking how it had behaved, how it had reacted to the tranquilizer, everything about it. He had a nagging suspicion that grew with every minute, but it didn’t make sense. None of this made any sense.

“Ah well, no way around it,” he said, and checked to see that everyone had their masks securely in place. Then he searched around the neck of the creature and found the locks that kept the helmet latched in place. He loosened them, and a hiss of air escaped. He carefully removed the helmet, and someone gasped.

The creature had short black hair on its head and a few stubbles on its chin. The eyes, though closed at the moment, were slanted, and the bridge across the nose was slightly flatter than that of most Aurorans.

“My God, it’s Chinese,” Tina whispered.

“It’s human, all right,” Thomas said, confirming his suspicions. Tina moved closer, all the while shaking her head at what lay before them. Then she looked at Thomas, her face the biggest question mark he’s ever seen.

“And just how the hell did that happen?”

Chapter 9

Maria solis

They were walking along the path toward the moorings on the Arizona, the great river that led up all the way to the north coast of Verdi and the growing community of farmers and fishermen up there. Isabella Solis was one of the few people who knew of the Akhab and their strange society. Maria was sorry she couldn’t go with her mother, but Doc Bowers had been adamant that she stay in the Stronghold, preferably in the hospital tent at night, due to her morning sickness, as the hospital was one of the few places where she could take off the mask safely. So as long as it lasted, she had to stay put, while her mother went up north to see the little creatures. Maria couldn’t wait to get back up there, but she understood the doctor’s concern. She hadn’t told her mother about the pregnancy, claiming too much to do before she could leave the Stronghold as her reason for staying behind.

The boat, a medium-sized river barge carrying food supplies from the north coast, was almost ready to go, and she saw a few familiar faces loading up empty crates and equipment for the return trip. Karin Svensson would go, as would Dean. Kim would wait and only go when Maria was ready. The four of them were the original discoverers of the Akhab, and Karin and Dean would introduce Isabella to them. Maria felt certain the Akhab would welcome her as seemed to be their custom. She almost giggled thinking about Jujjj, who seemed to learn English a lot faster than she would have expected. In fact, it was amazing how fast he was learning.

They sat down on the pier. Maria enjoyed being with her mother again. It had been too long since she had seen her last, and even before everything blew up, Isabella Solis had grown distant. Maria saw that her mother had had a hard time adjusting to her new life, and it seemed even then that her parents were growing apart, as Ramon tried to hold on to his place among the decision makers, while Isabella pulled back from everything, hanging on to the memory of Earth and her life there.

It wasn’t hard to understand her reaction. Isabella had lived her entire life making business decisions with her husband, and after coming to Aurora, a lack of purpose drove her into depression. With her father becoming steadily more estranged from the Consortium and their dealings, her mother’s role had also diminished. It had happened to others, as well, but Maria had noticed many returning to other vocations that were more hands on, such as carpentry or farming. Isabella had been a historian, who just happened to be married to a businessman, and when her business role diminished, she did take up her studies of history. But on a planet with no human history until the day Tina Hammer first set foot on it, she’d been reduced to studying and interpreting the electronic documents brought along to ensure a certain interpretation of Earth’s history. That made her more of a propagandist than a true historian, which had to be difficult for someone had a mind of her own. Understanding human history was important, but with such a skewed selection of sources, it was an impossible task. And, of course, it was different from what she had been doing for most of her adult life.

Now though, she seemed to be doing pretty well, and Maria noticed her mother smiling more than she had ever since they set foot on Aurora. Maria asked about it, and strangely, Isabella furrowed her brows and nodded.

“Yes, I guess you’re right,” she said.

“You know, losing my husband—your father—was the hardest blow I’ve ever had to face. I still miss him, you know. Ah, he was such a good man; don’t let anybody tell you otherwise!” Maria smiled as her mother slumped her shoulders.

“Strangely though, it made me realize something; my own behavioral pattern, well… thought pattern, as well, it was so futile. I mean, what good did me sulking do? So I decided to pull myself together and fight my way back.” Maria knew she hadn’t heard the whole story, but she’d heard enough and deduced from her own observations. She was impressed with what her mother had done. From becoming a reclusive loner caught up in depression, and on top of that losing her husband, she had indeed fought her way back. From what Maria had heard, she had almost forced herself into the colonial administration in a matter of weeks.

“You know, I don’t know the first thing about war, but I do know both business and history. And though George has always been a deft businessman, his knowledge—or rather, understanding—of history wouldn’t impress anyone,” Isabella said.

“So, I take it you’ve heard about the Human Expansion Program then,” Maria said quietly. Her mother snorted.

“Yes, that… Let me just put it this way—I have never been so angry with your Uncle George in my entire life.” She paused, and Maria noticed how her mother struggled to find the right words.

“Did you know that I was supposed to be… mated?” Maria asked. Isabella nodded, and looked down. The boat was almost ready, so they had to say their goodbyes soon.

“Maria… When I learned about the plans for HEP, I immediately saw which way this was leading, and though I never heard your name, I assumed you would be part of it, being the bright, young woman that you are. I scolded both the governor and the rest of his inner circle for being such complete ignorant fools, both when it comes to human behavior and motivation, and history. I called it lack of judgment, but that’s understating it. I mean, it was one thing to consider breeding humans to speed up evolution. The stupidity of believing such a plan could be forced upon the population…” She shook her head in disgust.

“And the reference to the Nazis was even worse. Havelar is no Nazi, far from it.” Maria nodded reluctantly.

“I don’t know…” she said. “I don’t recognize Uncle George anymore.” Isabella reached out and touched her shoulder.

“You have to understand the amount of stress he’s been under, even for years before we left Earth. George was looking for a way to save us all, and at some point, he wound up on the wrong path, and I think everything just got out of hand. The HEP? Stupidity is one of the nicer things I can say about it. Thinking it, and even doing it, would have been evil, but his motives weren’t.” They both looked out at the river, bathed in the vivid rays of Cancri. Maria was about to change the subject, when Isabella spoke again.

“On the surface, the HEP was the strongest evidence that the man is a monster. And although I saw the idiocy, and though I felt queasy just thinking how he’d used Ramon to do his dirty work, I decided that I would help him make better decisions. After all, no matter our differences, we are all in this together.” Maria smiled, and looked at her mother. This was Isabella Solis, legendary businesswoman, speaking. She had identified a course of action where she would actually be able to have an impact, and from what she could tell, her mother would have succeeded. As George Havelar’s number two, she would have quietly, in small steps, changed the reign of the governor, and the HEP would have ended up as a preposterous idea, even to the governor himself, shelved away to gather dust until no one remembered it.

They stood and walked over to the boat. Isabella kissed her daughter on the cheek and smiled.

“I’m so excited about this trip, you know,” she said. “I feel like a little girl!” Maria burst out laughing, and they giggled together, until they had to say goodbye. One of the men helped Isabella aboard, and as the boat floated away from the pier, she kept thinking that her mother must be one of the most impressive people she’d ever met.

Nick gilbert

Nick Gilbert had always wanted to see the world, and he surely had. At eighteen, he’d barely graduated from his high school and immediately went to see the local Marine Corps recruitment officer. By his twentieth birthday, he was already a combat veteran of the North African wars, like so many others back in the twenty-first century. Decades of warfare had destroyed most of the countries that once ringed the largest, and ever-expanding, desert in the world, and while the western forces were superior when it came to weapons, technology, and funding, the enemy maintained their vision and determination. Nick learned the hard way that an enemy that fights for what he believes to be a God-given purpose will always have an advantage over the one that really just wants to survive the war so he can return back home with his life and limbs intact.

So after his second tour of duty, he decided not to return to the carnage. He’d had enough of war and decided to settle for a quiet life in his home town in northern Missouri. He settled into his old room in his parents’ house, planning to save enough money to buy his own apartment. He figured, with no financial obligations, he’d have saved enough by the end of the year. But life never goes as planned. Less than three months after his return, one morning while driving his car to work, he accidentally ended up in the middle of a firefight between local law enforcement and suspected terrorists. When the last officer fell, Nick snatched the weapon from the dying man and pursued the terrorists. He shot and killed one, and wounded another. The last of them managed to escape, but not before he’d dropped his backpack in the middle of the street. When police and S.W.A.T. entered the scene, they found Nick with the open backpack on the ground and the disarmed bomb right next to it.

Nick received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Valor and became the local hero. His actions had prevented a bloody attack on a local mall, and many innocent lives were saved. When the third man was finally caught a few weeks later, Nick provided the testimony that connected the terrorist to the scene of the crime.

Six months later, a man in a suit appeared at the door of his parents’ house, and half an hour later, Nick left his home for good, on his way to a remote part of Arizona. He never got to say goodbye.

That’s the biggest regret of my life, he thought, staring into darkness, alone with his thoughts. He’d lost good friends in combat, both in North Africa and here, and he had found a way to live with that. But leaving his parents without a word, not even a note, was something that haunted him still. It seemed a lifetime ago, and he sometimes wondered why he had been given the chance to come to Aurora, to live while other, better men and women died. Then, when he thought back, he knew. The Exodus project needed people of all kinds of professions, and he was a soldier. Maybe not on duty at the time, but that didn’t change who he was. And his actions in the terrorist attack hadn’t gone unnoticed. Someone, somewhere, who had something to say about who got picked and who didn’t, had chosen him. He would never know who that person was, but he knew he should be eternally grateful.

However, his chances of living were slim at the moment. He’d seen the attackers kill Sarge, Rob, and even Pete, unarmed and surrendering. Nick was the only one left, and once they figured he had nothing more to tell them, he would be dead, too, for sure. He didn’t remember coming here, but he did remember them stripping off his clothes, everything but the facemask, before injecting something into his arm. Darkness had come quickly. When he awoke, he was here, in some kind of prison cell. He guessed it had to be some kind of modular shelter, airtight, probably completely hidden from view both from the ground and from space.

The first time he’d heard their voices, he’d been nearly unconscious, and the memory was blurred. Later though, he’d concentrated on listening for clues, trying to gain as much information as possible from his captors. It wasn’t easy; only one of them spoke any English, heavily accented. An officer, apparently, with a smile that never reached his eyes and a hideous scar across his face. He’d only spoken to Nick twice, but each time, he’d behaved like a ranking officer. More important, the other captors clearly deferred to his every command.

All his captors had distinct Asian features, and Nick thought they had to be Chinese. He was aware that with his limited knowledge of Asian cultures, they could easily be Japanese or Korean, or another East Asian nationality, but he figured they had to be Chinese for two reasons. First, only two East Asian entities would have been able to make it out into outer space. That ruled out everyone else but the Chinese and the Japanese and Korean joint agency. Second, the Koreans were extremely anti-authoritarian, the result of their entire population having nearly perished by the effects of almost a century of harsh dictatorship. They would never have accepted a system such as these people seemed to have on board their ship. The Japanese might, though, but they depended too heavily on the Koreans, at least back in the twenty-first century, to deviate much from their egalitarian, flat-structure thinking. With the Chinese, he could easily imagine they would embrace a hive-system in a tight situation, since it had worked for them before. You could say a lot about the old Chinese communist regime, but when it finally fell, it was because of economics, not political pressure. From what he remembered, the opposition in communist China had been scattered and powerless. No, the transition from communism to a version of democracy was a deliberate act by the powers that be. Instead of holding on to political power while the pressure of increasingly competitive new economies such as India or Brazil caused the Chinese economy to crash, they had decided to let the old system die, while they retained their privileges through economic means.

So, being captured by a Chinese invasion force more than forty light-years away from Earth left him with a big question: If the Chinese had managed to send a starship into space, how many other starships were there? How many other arks had left Earth in the final years, to settle new worlds? And what did it mean to his people, here on Aurora?

Maria solis

Maria jumped ashore, laughing at the shenanigans of a couple of dragon fish nearby. The creatures had scared her at first, but after a few trips up and down the Arizona, she had realized the man-sized creatures were completely harmless. Lately, she had even noticed they would perform what could only be described as some sort of mating game that involved teasing each other until the last moment, when they would abruptly dive down, leaving the other alone on the surface, obviously frustrated. She couldn’t help thinking of her own condition. She was still agile, though the past few weeks had taken their toll. She touched her belly. It wasn’t visible yet, and it wasn’t as if she felt it kick or anything, but she felt… different. Thankfully, the morning sickness had finally subsided. Doc Bowers had given her some pills that he assured her were completely harmless, which took away the worst of it. She still felt it, slightly, every morning, but it wasn’t overwhelming anymore. So a few days ago, she’d been able to get on the boat with Kim and head north. The camp by the river was slowly growing as a trading post between the Stronghold and the fishing village that was being established on the north shore. So far, they had managed to keep a tight lid on the existence of the Akhab, but she knew it wouldn’t last. And when that happened, many more would come to see. She had already talked to Kenneth about it, and they both agreed there had to be some restrictions in order to protect the Akhab from their own benevolence.

She hadn’t told her mother about the baby yet, and she figured Thomas had a right to be the first to know. But how would she tell him that their one night together had resulted in her being pregnant? Her feelings for him had only strengthened, but what if he didn’t feel the same way? Every time he left, she was terrified he would not return. She was aware of the risks he took, but she had no doubt he didn’t tell her everything. How would the distraction affect him?

Walking toward the cave, she thought of her mother. She would be expecting her by now. Karin Svensson would also be there; the Swedish astronomer had set up a crude observatory near the cave and had spent more time with the Akhab than anyone else.

After a few minutes, Maria reached the cave’s entrance. One of the Akhab waved at her as she arrived. She smiled broadly and waved back. The Akhab were always hospitable and friendly, and by now, every one of them seemed to know her. She entered the tunnel and walked until she reached the cavern covered in murals.

“Maria!” her mother exclaimed, and Maria smiled. They hugged, and Isabella held her out at an arm’s length and cocked her head, peering at her like only a mother would.

“You look well,” Isabella said. Maria felt her cheeks warm, but just smiled back at her mother. After being apart since Maria’s hasty departure from Fort Andrews, she felt their bond had only strengthened. After her father had died, and with Thomas always gone, on some mission or another, she had felt completely alone. She had missed her mother then, and she worried that her father’s death would make her mother do something stupid. She had never expected her mother to return from depression and seclusion the way she had, stronger than ever, and full of life.

Isabella had already turned to walk back into the cave, and Maria took a few quick steps to catch up with her.

“I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the Akhab and their way of speaking,” Isabella began. “Those I have spoken to are learning so fast, I’ve never seen anything like it.” They passed one Akhab that spoke a few words—or rather, something Maria thought were words—and Isabella nodded at him and smiled. The Akhab moved on, wagging along as he or she went about his or her business. Maria had a hard time distinguishing between the males and females, although she could sometimes tell from their voices.

“I actually think I can understand quite a bit of their language now,” her mother said. “Speaking it though…” She shook her head. “Some of their sounds are completely impossible for a human to make. But here’s the trick—substitution. I can substitute some of their special sounds, as I like to call them, with human sounds. As long as I do it consistently, they seem to understand. It’s almost as if they are trained in communicating with us. Or with non-Akhab, at least.” Maria chuckled. She had spent enough time with the Akhab not to be surprised by their amazing ability to learn human language. They reached the entrance to the deeper cave and saw Jujjj coming toward them.

“I thought I was adept at learning languages,” Isabella said, her face breaking up in a wide grin. “But my abilities are nothing! You should hear Jujjj. Wait, there’s no way to tell you…” She said a few strange words—or sounds rather.

“It is a pleaser to met you again, Mariaa son, sorree, Mariaa daughteer by Isabellaa,” he said, and extended his hand.

Maria was stunned.

Chapter 10

Kenneth taylor

“So, he isn’t talking,” Kenneth said to the others, as he turned down the volume on the comm speaker. It now was possible, to a certain extent, to have a basic conversation through the comms, but it took a lot of repetition and interpretation, and it was easy to get something wrong. He had made Thomas repeat the message several times, to be absolutely certain. So, at last, they knew their enemy was human. “He told me the prisoner was pretty vocal at first, but once he realized we had people who spoke his language, he shut up. Miss Shue, whose parents were Chinese refugees, said he rambled on about some kind of mother ship and taking over this world for the glory of the Chinzhoi Empire. Other than that, it was mostly racist nonsense or plain cursing.”

Tina and Kenneth caught each other’s eye. Even though neither of them said anything, Kenneth saw that Tina had come to the same conclusion he had. Someone knew more than they had let on. He turned toward their guest from Dehlia and raised an eyebrow, just slightly. Rajiv cleared his throat, and the others turned toward him. They had put this off for too long, but the hints the ambassador had given on the occasions they had touched upon the subject had made Kenneth suspect that things weren't as simple as they first had thought. Rajiv seemed to understand it was time, as well, and the ambassador sighed heavily before he finally spoke.

“There were several other nations and even a few private entities that left Earth in the years prior to the great impact.” Kenneth urged him on. He had expected as much.

“Yes, we knew there were others. The information flow was minimal though. You weren’t born then, Mr. Singh, but the fact is that no one trusted each other back then. We knew that you Indians were doing something, and there were rumors about both the Brazilians and the Chinese…” Rajiv nodded.

“Yes, it was a less cooperative environment than it should have been. Well first off, the Brazilian mission failed utterly. When rebellion swept the entire South American continent less than a year before launch, the mission was effectively aborted. Their ship was never finished because all the people working on it either fled from the fighting or were killed in the turmoil. A small number of the more resourceful scientists and engineers managed to flee the continent to join with other efforts elsewhere. India even took a few of them in, and there are descendants of the Brazilian scientists and engineers alive today, mostly on Dehlia itself.

“The Chinese chose a very different path, along with their Russian and Indonesian partners. They had a high level of technology, but they never did put much faith in cryo tech, so instead, they spent their time and resources building bigger ships with better life support. In essence, they built great arks, generation ships. India and China had never been close—I believe it has to do with our history—so not much information was shared. But India had a vast intelligence network back on Earth, so we were probably the best informed among the great nations. And our sources managed to get a lot more details than the Chinese intended.

“Their destination was the Ashan system, twenty-six light-years away from Earth. Ashan lies about seventeen light-years away from Aurora, sixteen from Dehlia. Four arks carrying approximately 1000 passengers each left Earth’s orbit in 2084, just six months before Devastator struck. Dangerously late, with the gravitational irregularities in the final year, yet they managed to pull it off. From what we can tell, their arks must have made the slingshot around the sun and then later used Nemesis for a second slingshot. They arrived at the planet Chinzhou in the Ashan system almost a century later, and by that time, there must have been more than 20,000 people on board, three generations still alive, all of them born on board.

“Now, and this is important, when the options of star flight were discussed back on Earth, our mission planners came to the conclusion that there were serious issues involved with generation ships, especially psychological. The main one was that the shared knowledge of our home world would gradually weaken with every generation, and that the ones arriving in their new world would have entirely different concepts and frames of reference than the ones leaving Earth. Our intel more than suggests that this happened to the Chinese-led effort.

“After finally having thrown off the yoke of communism and embracing a degree of democracy, the starfarers from the new China and their partners could have had the best starting point of all. With 20,000 people, they would have had a great start, and they would have been valuable partners in an interstellar community of humans. Instead, something terrible happened. At some point, probably in the second or third generation, something triggered a shift, and they reverted back to totalitarianism. We don’t have many details, as we have never had official channels open with them, but what we know is this. Despite the changes, the arks’ captains managed to keep it together, enough so that all four arrived safely at their destination. When they arrived at Chinzhou, though, they were completely different from when they left Earth. Their society on Chinzhou is an extremely totalitarian, militaristic one, in which babies are being fostered by the government and trained from young age in military disciplines and tested for loyalty and obedience. Their government has complete control of every man, woman, and child, from birth to the grave, and everyone works for the common good.” That last comment was said with a snarl.

“I guess Chinzhou itself has changed them, as well,” Rajiv continued. Kenneth cocked his head, eager to hear more, and he noticed Tina also seemed captivated by the Dehlian’s tale.

“You see, what they found was an extremely harsh environment, a barren planet with an inhospitable atmosphere and temperatures varying between boiling hot and freezing cold in one day. So the first thing they did was establish underground shelters. These later grew into entire cities deep beneath the surface. Still, they managed to colonize one of Chinzhou’s moons, and from there, they have been probing their stellar vicinity for decades, searching for a better place to live.” Rajiv sighed.

“None of us can fathom what it must have been like spending an entire life inside a tin can, never having seen anything but the interior of the starship, surrounded only by stars from birth to death. Being crammed together, tighter and tighter, flying through space from the day you are born until the day you eventually die; what does it do to a human mind? Recycling your dead to feed hydroponic farms, drinking recycled water, while population growth put a steadily increasing strain on resources. In the end, their resource situation must have been desperate. Our intel suggests that cannibalism was common on at least one of the arks, although we’ve seen no confirmed instances after they reached Chinzhou.” Kenneth shuddered. Everything Rajiv said made sense. He was suddenly glad the Exodus had been fitted with cryo cells to let them sleep through most of the journey.

“And then you arrive, to find your new world to be… another prison or whatever…” Tina almost whispered.

“If that intel is correct, it only seems reasonable that the sort of desperation that might trigger such acts would also do something to their society as a whole,” Kenneth said. Rajiv nodded.

“Yes, and what we have long feared is the day they decide to venture out to other worlds, as well. That is why we have focused so much on building new colonies, expanding our reach through small starship intelligence missions, and of course, a strong defense, should the day come that such a thing becomes necessary. We had hoped it would still be a long time until that happened, because they seemed to be making slow progress. Obviously, our sources must be wrong. It could be our information is outdated, which is no surprise, really, when you consider the distances and communication difficulties. We did, however, expect them to be stuck within the Ashan system for generations yet.”

The mood of the cabin had grown dark. Not only had an enemy appeared out of nowhere, threatening their very existence, but now Rajiv had told them there were more, on a nightmarish planet seventeen light-years away. If they dispelled the current threat, another might be just a few generations away.

Maria solis

For the last ten hours, she’d been studying the murals, which stretched throughout the cave. She was intrigued by the images of space ships and humanoids, but the more she delved into the deeper reaches of the cave, the more she became fascinated by the Akhab themselves. She felt she had begun to understand these creatures, although they were completely alien to her in so many ways. They didn’t have a written language. Even so, they had rich traditions and an understanding of their world and surroundings. If something were deemed important enough, they would paint, and so their story had grown into murals extending into every corner of the cave.

For a while, she had considered whether the images of humanoids coexisting with the Akhab were recent, and that maybe somehow the Akhab had observed their settlements and drawn these portrayals of how the two might come together some day. But when she broached the subject with Jujjj, who always tended to linger around her, as he was now, he had motioned for her to follow. Maria had followed him deep into the cave and down through some sort of elevator made out of wood and rope, which took them to another cave, with more Akhab in nooks and crannies. They had walked through tunnels and caverns until they reached a hall in which the murals ended abruptly. The final image was of a human being. She recognized the stance and features, although the face was blurry like the ones in the outer cave. It was a figure she would always recognize: her mother. She looked at the images next to it and found what she was looking for. There it was, a picture of herself on the day she first discovered this cave, standing just outside the cave’s entrance, weight on one foot to relieve the pain of the one she had injured. It was obvious, and it changed everything.

She realized she’d had everything backward. The first images were of the earliest Akhab history, while the ones in these deeper caves reflected the events of today, with both Maria and her mother making enough of an impression to be immortalized on their walls.

“You, Maariaa! And Isaabellaa!” Jujjj said, excitedly, pointing. Maria’s head felt dizzy, and it wasn’t just the pregnancy. The arrangement of the murals was logical; she just hadn’t considered it before. But there was something about them that puzzled her. Some sort of understanding that she knew still escaped her.

“How old are the murals?” she suddenly asked. Jujjj didn’t seem to understand, so she rephrased.

“How old is this?” Jujjj nodded eagerly.

“Thiis not oold. Thiis neew. Noow,” he said. She expected that, she just wanted to nudge him into understanding what she was really after.

“Okay,” she said, “what about the ones near the cave mouth, how old?” He didn’t seem to understand.

Something in the back of her mind suddenly connected. She felt an intense urge to go back to the outer cave, where the murals had begun. There was something… something that tickled her about them. She ushered Jujjj along, and they hurried back the way they had come. Jujjj still seemed confused. Maria tried to apologize, but she doubted Jujjj understood the meaning of an apology. It had to be a human concept, she thought, or at least something the Akhab weren’t used to.

Once they were back in the outer cave, she had a good look at the mural. The paint looked ancient—worn, but incredibly hardy. She’d studied it from every corner already, trying to understand everything it meant. In the beginning, she had seen it as a cultural artifact, like archaeological findings—useful for understanding an old culture. Then, as she came to understand that this was as much a part of the language of the Akhab as their oral language, she began to understand that the murals were something more. It was just as precise and detailed as any written history. Painting, it seemed, was in fact their written language. Every detail in the images told a story, an important aspect of their history and lives. But something had been missing.

Now, having seen the most recent additions, the images of herself and her mother, and realizing that the ones in the outer cave were the beginning of their painted history, the missing pieces began to fall into place.

The first images showed an Akhab greeting one of these humanoid beings. How could it be? That moment, that particular moment, must have been so significant to them that nothing of what had gone before mattered anymore. That must have been an enormous transition, from one state of being to another, and she suspected it would always puzzle her.

“Akhab becoome Akhab,” Jujjj said, his voice reverent as he stared at that same image.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“Akhab becoome Akhab,” he repeated. “Befoore, Akhab noothiing. Akhab aanimaal.” And she understood. The Akhab had developed self-consciousness.

She felt dizzy again, and thoughts swirled through her mind. She finally understood, the logical lines were drawn, the connections made. The Akhab counted their history from that moment—those first images. Those images where they interacted with humanoids marked the beginning of their recorded history. And indeed it was the beginning of their history. And then it was the images of Maria and Isabella, which were recent. The images of the humanoids looked exactly the same, except for different suits, different facemasks.

However impossible it seemed, the only possible conclusion was that the humanoids, dating back to the beginning of Akhab history, were the same as on those recent images of her and her mother. The humanoid creatures were actually… human.

Human beings had been here before, thousands of years ago. And the Akhab had gained self-consciousness at the same time, which meant these humans must have contributed to a major step in the Akhab’s evolution.

Ben waters

Ben knew he was in trouble. A week ago, he had fallen down a steep cliff and twisted his foot badly. It had only hurt for a moment before the parasite had boosted his endorphin production to the point that the pain subsided to a dull ache. A couple of days later, it was as if he’d never hurt himself at all. In the back of his mind, he knew it wasn’t the way it should be; that he should have been holed up somewhere, hoping for someone to come find him. But that was the way it was with the parasite. It took care of him, but it came with a price.

He knew the price all too well by now. He had killed Lisa and Drew, his two best friends, and an innocent messenger. All because the parasite that protected him also made him do bad things to those who upset him or provoked him, even if it was nothing but a strange look. He curled his lips in disgust. The worst thing was that every time the parasite helped him, it took away a piece of him, leaving him less of himself and more controlled by this… bug.

And this time, he didn’t know if there would be anything left of him at all. The water rat, almost two meters long and all teeth and claws, had nearly killed him, and though Ben proved the stronger fighter, the venom and blood loss had made him pass out right next to the dead creature. Now he lay curled up in agonizing pain, waiting for the parasite to relieve him of some of the worst of it. He had meant to crawl under a nearby cliff to get out of the drizzle, but even that had proved too painful, so he just lay there while the rain washed off the grime and blood.

He shivered. Come night time, it would get cold, but he hoped the parasite would help him regain his strength, at least enough to find shelter. He remembered once, back when he was just a fresh conscript in General Hayden’s rebel army, when he’d been forced to kill a dog. The instructor had said it would strengthen his resolve, get him ready for killing men. He’d vomited afterward, when there was just him and the other kids. How long ago had it been? How many had he killed since? He’d lost count a long time ago.

When he was placed on the New Discovery, the general himself had told him to take care of his daughter, the old man’s eyes misting as he spoke. And he had, for a while. He had taken care of the kids, helped calm them as the rocket shook, comforted them when they had cried, forever bereaved of their parents. Once they reached Earth’s orbit, though, Tina Hammer, the executive officer of the Exodus, had made sure they were let on board and given a new future on Aurora.

Life had been good for a while, he thought, as he felt the pain dull slightly. All the kids had seen their share of horrors, and he had probably seen more than most. They were mending, though, and Ben had seen that life could be more than just a fight for survival. He hadn’t cared about the politics, all the differences of opinion. He had seen hell, and however things were run here, on the new world, anything would be better than what he had come from. That was before they shot Harry.

He tried to move his chewed-up leg. It was better, but it would still be a while yet before he could crawl to shelter. He lay back, trying not to think about everything that had happened. He was so tired! He knew there was no turning back, of course. There would be no redemption, not for killing his friends and the messenger. Nothing that he could do would ever set that straight.

Damn parasite! he thought. This wasn’t him, it couldn’t be!

He thought about drowning. Even the bug couldn’t save his body from that, could it?

Or he could snatch a gun from somewhere, that would certainly do it. He might be able to, once he got his strength back. How nice it would be, to be free from the regrets, free from guilt.

It was tempting. Oh, so tempting.

But why should he be free? Why should he deserve that, after all he had done?

Besides, he knew he’d never be able to work up the courage. He had tried once, back on Earth, but he just couldn’t do it. And now the parasite would just mess with his mind again and stop him anyway.

Maybe he should just turn himself in? At least then he would get his just punishment, and it might even give them a chance to study the parasite. He knew they had to figure it out, or humans would always be in danger on Aurora. One small glitch, and another would be consumed by the bug and become its willing tool, for whatever purpose it served.

A purpose! That’s what he needed. If he had a purpose, something worth doing, there might still be something he could do. Though nothing could bring back Lisa and Drew, he might be able to protect others, or help someone in need. The only problem was that in this situation, there was no purpose to be had. Nothing to do but lie here, waiting for the parasite to take yet another piece of him, the price of healing one more time.

Chapter 11

Maria solis

Maria sat with her mother and Jujjj in the large cave, having gone over the parts of both human and Akhab history that they thought might give them a clue that would help them understand what the murals had told them. The fact that humans had been here thousands of years ago was completely mind-boggling, and Maria had a hard time wrapping her head around it. How was that possible, when man had only ventured out to space in the last century of Earth’s history?

She wished she could talk to Thomas. In fact, she had to, and soon. He was entitled to know. The thought lightened her mood. They were having a baby! She wasn’t prepared for it at all, but she had embraced it the second the doctor had told her. It was something she couldn’t explain; it just felt right. Being pregnant made her even more worried for him, though. She didn’t know where he was at the moment, and she suspected she wouldn’t see much of him for a while yet.

“So they came here because their home world had been destroyed,” Isabella said, while Jujjj nodded frantically. Maria let her thoughts of Thomas and the baby go and focused on the conversation.

“Giveer of Liiffe, hoome woorld,” he said.

“This is… amazing…” Maria said. “I mean, I still don’t get it. Humans came here, millennia ago. But from where? And what does it mean? What does that make us Earthborn?”

“Do not knoow,” Jujjj said. “The saame, but from diifferent plaace. Do not knoow. Not understaand.” Jujjj was intelligent, really intelligent, Maria thought. The way he had learned English from scratch was nothing short of impressive. But this was an entirely different ballgame.

“So let’s sum up what we know,” Isabella said. Always the logical thinker and the one searching for solutions rather than stacking up the problems.

“They came here from a planet called Giver of Life, or something that means Giver of Life. Does this have to be Earth? Granted, Earth has been known by similar names, but it could just as well be somewhere else, right?” she said.

“Then what does that make us? That’s what I’m trying to make sense of,” Maria said.

“You huuman, too. Like theem,” Jujjj said, a smile visible beneath the fur.

“Yes, we’re human, too.” She looked at her mother again.

“So, is it possible? That two strains of human species have evolved in two different places? Or is the other explanation more likely, that we’re actually connected in some way?” Isabella shrugged.

“Well, I don’t know. If you ask me, I’d say the probability of two seeds growing into two exact copies of each other, in two different locations, light-years from each other, is highly unlikely. I’d bet on a common ancestor or something. Something that could spread across the universe. God, perhaps? I just don’t know. You’re the biologist, but I believe this is one puzzle biology can’t solve. At least not without more history.” She smiled, having compared their educational backgrounds like that. Maria had to smile, as well. She knew that neither had the tools to solve this. If only the Akhab had been able to pinpoint the origin of the humans. But she understood what Jujjj had said; the Akhab counted themselves as Akhab only after the first humans arrived. And they had no knowledge of anything that came before, or at least nothing they wanted to share. The Akhab were strange that way; they were completely honest and open, after their own fashion. It seemed if they deemed something not worthy of conversation, they would keep it to themselves, even if it would seem extremely important to her. For example, only after figuring it out for herself, Jujjj had freely spoken of the humans who had once lived here alongside the Akhab. Until she had, the fact clearly hadn’t seemed relevant to the Akhab. She shook her head, desperate to know more, but unable to figure it out. Perhaps given time, artifacts or traces of these first humans would be found, but for now, it was a mystery she couldn’t solve.

Kenneth taylor

Kenneth had taken to drinking tea with his guest from the Indira Federation as often as he could. There was so much to learn, and he felt that his conversations with the Dehlian gained him an insight that would prove valuable not only in the here and now, but also in the long run. And although the cultural differences sometimes made it difficult to grasp a concept or understand a line of reasoning, in many ways, Kenneth and Rajiv thought alike. Kenneth suspected it had to do with their shared interest in the politics of Earth in the final decades, and the way they both saw through the rhetoric and propaganda. He realized a deep friendship was being formed, and he let it. The future Aurora needed strong ties to the Indira Federation, and it seemed they shared a common enemy and even quite a few common ideals. They could have done worse.

It was all very different from the world they had left behind. The boundaries between nations and peoples had been tightly governed and patrolled in those years. Still, sometimes they blurred, even in a world where mistrust and rivalry thrived. Take the Russians, who were part of the European community, which had cooperated with the Americans, and at the same time ran their own project. Rajiv didn’t know what happened to the European starship, only that it had been a lot smaller than the Exodus. It had also been one of the least likely to succeed, in Rajiv’s opinion, as the Europeans were deeply split amongst themselves. While the Russians had been part of that project, they had also worked with the Chinese on the generation ships, which on the one hand had succeeded in saving more than any other starship, while on the other hand, had resulted in a nightmare. Another Russian group, privately funded, had even worked with a Scandinavian effort to build a moon base. This project had people from other nations, as well, even a few Americans, but Rajiv believed there were mainly Russians and Scandinavians on board the shuttles taking as many as possible from Earth to the moon in the final years prior to impact. It seemed they had been planning to wait it all out, until Earth became habitable again. He would have loved to know what happened to them. Had they managed to stay alive while Earth recovered? Had they succumbed to horrors such as the Chinese? Or had they run out of resources altogether, and simply died? He had even spoken to George Havelar about it, now that they were gradually trying to work together. Havelar had told him that they had ruled out the moon early on in the planning, so there must have been huge and perhaps insurmountable obstacles to such a plan. Still, there had to be at least a small chance that they had made it, and he wished there was a way to find out. But, however that had turned out, they had more pressing issues to deal with right here on Aurora.

The Chinzhoi, as Rajiv referred to them, had made no move as of yet to go north, which suited Kenneth just fine. He knew, though, it was only a matter of time, and they needed to develop a strategy. So far, they had discussed the fact that their enemy was human, how to deal with their long-range weapons, and how to prepare defenses. All well and good, but there was no solution in these conversations. They needed an overall plan, something that would encompass all the tactical considerations. Kenneth had thought about whether it would be possible to negotiate, but that had been quickly ruled out. The Chinzhoi had made no attempt to contact them and seemed bent on taking whatever they wanted. Kenneth suspected that meant all of Aurora.

“I wish I knew more about them,” Kenneth said.

“You don’t need to know more about them, only how to hurt them,” Rajiv said sternly. Kenneth knew Rajiv was on their side in this. The Indira Federation was strong, clearly, but they had some pretty small outposts that would be very vulnerable should the might of Chinzhou decide to descend upon them.

“Yes, but how do we hurt them enough? We’re so few, and we’ve lost so much already. We cannot fight another war; even if we win, there won’t be enough of us left,” he said. Rajiv set his cup down and stood.

“I cannot stand idly by and watch this happening to you,” he said. “Please excuse me, as I have to go and check something.” He paused for a moment. “There are rules to be obeyed, but there are also provisions for unforeseen circumstances. Hopefully, I might have something that could help you. I have to try, or else I could not live with myself.” Kenneth stared at him, puzzled by the sudden outburst. The Dehlian was indeed becoming a friend.

Tina hammer

The knock on the door disturbed her musings, and she looked up from the large map that lay spread out across her table.

“Come,” she barked. She didn’t have much time before she had to go, so this had better be important. The door opened, and Kenneth entered, with Rajiv Singh trailing behind.

“Do you have a minute?” Kenneth asked. No I don’t, she thought.

“Of course. Have a seat,” she said. The two men sat down, and she noticed the Dehlian frowning, as she’d seen him do when he was considering something.

“So,” she said as she sat also, “what can I do for you?”

“Actually, Mr. Singh here has something for you. Well, for us, I believe,” Kenneth said.

“He wanted you to be present, as he says this is something that needs to be considered from a military perspective, as well as a political one,” he continued, and gestured for the ambassador to speak. Rajiv Singh produced his tablet.

“What I have here are the detailed instructions that ambassadors of the Indira Federation need to comply with. Since I speak on behalf of the Federation, I always have to make sure my actions are in compliance with Indira law.” He thumbed around on his tablet, finding what he was searching for.

“Now, I have said before that Aurora must solve its own problems. I personally sympathize with your cause, and I believe your values and principles are compatible with the values and principles of the Indira Federation. And if I can be so blunt, the invasion made my job a lot easier, since you are now a united people under attack, and clearly justified in defending yourselves. Which also makes what I’m about to say possible, even though my hands were tied just a short while ago.” He paused, and looked at each of them.

“You’re allowed to help us now?” Tina said, narrowing her eyes. She understood the Indira stance, but she did think it was a bit hypocritical. They didn’t need sympathizers; they needed weapons, medicines… The Dehlian smiled.

“There is a way, I think. I have studied the laws and regulations and legislative preambles, and I believe I have found a way to give you everything you need.” That made Kenneth sit straighter.

“Everything?” he said. Rajiv Singh nodded.

“Everything. Please let me explain.” He seemed to settle in as he began.

“As an ambassador, I speak on behalf of the Federation. I am allowed to make trade agreements, political agreements, and such. In the preamble for our constitution, it says that the Federation is made up of free entities that may choose to enter or leave the Federation freely. Now, for leaving, there are certain requirements, in order to secure a stable relationship between the settlements. We made mistakes early on, which I have told you, and needed to make sure peace is secured even in the face of political discord or disagreement on other issues. But as long as certain requirements are met, anyone can join the Federation. Of course, such membership is pending until a formal recognition can be made by the Federation Assembly. We would be reluctant to let a civilization that was larger than Dehlia join, as it might threaten the founding principles and values upon which the Federation was built. But Aurora would have no such problems. And if you were to join the Indira Federation, you would have the might of the Federation behind you. I can personally guarantee that Dehlia would take you under its wing and protect you from this and any future threats. We have so much in common. Democracy, ideals…”

“Wait a minute,” Kenneth said. “You’re proposing that we… join the Indira Federation?” Tina looked at the ambassador, before turning toward Kenneth. She could see something was bothering the president. Rajiv Singh obviously didn’t notice, though, as he nodded eagerly.

“Yes. The Federation will have whatever you need for taking back what is rightfully yours. My starship contains the weapons you need right now, and as members, you will be under the protection of the full might of the Federation. I will personally request that a full battle group be assigned here, and I believe they will see the value of protecting your settlement from the vile Chinzhoi.” Tina frowned.

“The Federation ships will take years to get here, even if they sent a ship right now,” she said, and the Dehlian nodded.

“Yes, of course. Which is why I also have the power to use the resources at my disposal, in the short term. My starship is very well equipped, but it all depends on how well established they are on Aurora,” Rajiv said.

“Please, explain,” Kenneth said, leaning back in his chair. Tina thought he looked pale, and she sympathized with him. It couldn’t be easy, being in charge in the middle of a war, with no former leadership experience.

“Well,” the ambassador began, “with the means at hand, we should be able to withstand the attack we know is coming, at some point or another. We will protect the Stronghold, and we may be able to drive them back south toward Fort Andrews. If they have settled elsewhere, we probably will not be able to clear the entire planet. I believe we should be able to hold this northern part of Verdi, at least, which buys us time. When forces arrive from Dehlia, the rest of the planet will be liberated.” Kenneth rose from his chair and walked over to the stove. He poured himself a cup of coffee and stood there. No one said a word, and Tina could see he was deep in thought. She could understand his dilemma and felt relieved she wasn’t the one who would have to make the final decision. On the one hand, they were up against an enemy that might destroy them all, that seemed superior in every way. On the other hand, if they pledged allegiance to the Indira Federation, they had to accept that their short-lived independence had come to an end. Any sort of autonomy they would have as members of the Federation would be limited. They would become a junior partner in a partnership that would always be dominated by Dehlia. But was there really a way around it? If it boiled down to a question of survival, how could they afford to turn down such an offer? Besides, from what they had learned, the Indira Federation shared some of their most important values, such as democracy and freedom of speech. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad, being part of a stronger union of free people, with the ability to defend themselves and each other from outside aggression and protect their way of life. Tina knew it was an impossible choice, one that didn’t have one single best answer. She could think of no one better suited for making the final decision than Kenneth Taylor.

Chapter 12

Thomas dunn

The team was clearing out of the forward base as quickly as possible. Just minutes ago, the Chinzhoi recon patrol had stumbled upon the trapdoor. Luckily, it was booby-trapped, and the explosion had been deafening. The enemy soldiers were all dead, but now that the base was exposed, their hideout on the north bank of the Trickler would have to be abandoned. Thomas took a final check before he set the timer.

“Three minutes,” he said, “and this place goes up. Let’s move it, before their buddies come looking.”

“Now what, boss?” Juliana, one of his team members asked, as she closed up her backpack and eased into the shoulder straps. Thomas didn’t have a clear answer. Because of the comms still being mostly out, they sometimes had to go without orders, figuring out what would be most useful to the overall strategy by themselves. For a while now, they had been making short incursions into occupied territory, trying to gather more data on their opponent. The Chinzhoi were still a mystery to him. The story of the Chinese arks had spread, but why had they come here in the first place? It must have taken them decades to get from Chinzhou to here. They already had at least an entire planet at their disposal, and though it wasn’t as hospitable as expected, there had to be other planets that were easier to reach. How did they plan to keep two planets so far apart united?

A loud crack made Thomas whip around. The shots came from this side of the river, cutting Juliana almost in two at the waist, causing her upper body to topple, head first, into the scorched ground. Thomas dove and rolled sideways, scanning frantically for the shooter. To no avail. Another round hit the ground right where he had lain seconds before. Keep your movements unpredictable, he thought.

“Do you see anything?” he shouted. But they only had a vague direction to go by.

“It’s gotta be up there, at least two clicks,” Marco, the school-teacher-turned-soldier said, pointing at the rolling hills just north of them. Thomas had found a good cover and had taken a moment to consider their position.

“All right. In a minute, the forward base will go up in flames, and we have to be out of here by then. We go in thirty seconds, west two hundred meters, then northwest until we reach that hill. We have more possible escape routes from there.” He looked at his watch. Twenty seconds.

“Be unpredictable, no straight lines, no patterns to your movement. Their shots take maybe two to three seconds from there to here. They have to fire where they think we’ll go, so let’s make it difficult for them.” He breathed hard, squeezing his rifle. His palms were sweaty. Ten seconds.

“Rally point Charlie. Anyone still alive report back to the Stronghold. Enemy preparing to move, Chinzhoi recon north of the Trickler. Remember that.” He counted the seconds, three, two, one.

They moved simultaneously, all six still alive, darting from their covers. Thomas leapt forward, and then to the left as he raised his rifle and fired two quick bursts, blindly. Shots rained around them, but no hits so far. He kept moving, rolling, leaping to one side, then the other. Stopping, firing a burst, ducking again, and leaping forward. A pebble flying through the air hit his cheek, and he felt something running down it. But he kept moving. One hundred fifty meters. A scream from right behind him. One down; he didn’t turn to see who. Keep moving, keep moving. A gun nearby discharged wildly and missed Marco by a hair as someone was hit. Two down, four left. One hundred meters to go.

A rumble behind them drowned out every sound, and the heat wave almost made him stumble. There goes the forward base, Thomas thought. He dove forward, but not even the sharp pain in his palms stopped him from scrambling right back on his feet. The ringing in his ears muffled all sound, almost to the point that he could have been fooled into believing the enemy was gone. But Thomas Dunn was no fool, and even though his hands hurt and his lungs screamed for respite, he kept moving. He saw someone topple just to his right, and almost stumbled on another. Holly, the surgeon turned medic. The scream on her lips never reached his ears, but the contorted features as she tried to stop the blood from pouring out of her belly burned in his vision even as he left the poor woman behind. Only two left, with less than fifty meters to safety. He didn’t know who else still ran, but he knew that unless one of them survived, those back in the Stronghold would never know the enemy was moving north. At least if they knew, they could prepare, whether it was for fight or flight.

Every part of his body ached as he threw himself behind the outcroppings of a hill. Safe, at least for now. A body bumped into him just seconds later.

“Shit, that was…” Marco said, panting. Thomas managed a half-smile; at least he wasn’t the only one alive. He’d lost almost every member of his team. An anger burning worse than pain welled up in him. He wanted to find a way to get to the snipers, to avenge his friends.

“Boss, what do we do?” Marco asked. Thomas scanned the area. The enemy had to be far away, and the terrain both north and west favored close combat more than long-range sniping. Thomas considered his options for a moment, but in the end, he managed to put his feelings aside. Revenge would have to wait. His first duty was to those back in the Stronghold. They would take advantage of the cover offered by the terrain and sneak out of there.

“We get the hell out of here. Tina and the others need to know what’s happening,” he said, gritting his teeth. Live, to fight another day. Marco nodded and checked his weapon and ammo.

“For what it’s worth, sir, I agree. It sucks, but I agree.”

Kenneth taylor

Thomas Dunn had returned less than an hour ago, but wasted no time. After presenting his brief report of the fighting on the Trickler to Tina, she had brought him to Kenneth’s cabin. The Indira ambassador sat in the corner, and Kenneth thought that even though he considered Rajiv Singh a personal friend, he was tired of exchanging pleasantries. It was time to get down to business.

“Thomas, I want you to hear this,” he said. He was about to say more, but a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

“Ah, there he is,” Kenneth said. He didn’t have to say more, as the man entering was used to being in charge and never saw a closed door as an obstacle. He entered without waiting for an answer. He stopped when he saw Thomas, though, a glint of anger in his eyes as he recognized him.

“Mr. Dunn,” he said quietly, and walked over to the table and sat down without a word. Kenneth watched as the former governor eyed the younger man carefully. He knew there was tension between them. Thomas had been the governor’s protégé, his golden boy, except for the fact that he’d been working quietly against him all along. He sighed. These were the people he was hoping would be able to cooperate one day, to build a future for them all.

When all were seated, he looked at each and every one of them, and lastly at Rajiv Singh, who seemed eager. Kenneth had a bad taste in his mouth.

“You’ve all heard the Indira offer,” he began, “except you, Thomas.” He winced as he saw a glimmer of hope in the younger man’s eyes. Today, Kenneth Taylor would make a decision that came with a steep price. Some would claim the price was too high; that it made everything they had fought for a waste. And he knew they might be right. He had made some really bad choices in his life, but although he could see both sides of this argument, this was a decision he was certain of. There would be no more doubt, no regrets.

“In short, the Indira Federation offers protection and promises to make sure we get to keep Aurora. They will chase the invaders off the planet and secure peace,” he said, and noticed how Thomas leaned forward. Too good to be true.

“The only condition is that we join the Indira Federation.” He leaned back and looked at the ambassador, who nodded, smiling. Thomas was about to say something, but Tina raised her hand slightly, silencing him, never taking her eyes off Kenneth. It’s time.

“We share many of the ideals of the Indira Federation, as explained to us by Ambassador Singh here. I may even be so bold as to say that Aurora and the Federation are natural allies and friends. And I consider Ambassador Singh a friend, as well, both to Aurora and Aurorans, and to me personally.” The ambassador was beaming by now.

“However, we would become junior partners, or not even that. That’s not what we came here for. We want cooperation. Not submission.” He paused, as he let that sink in with the others sitting around the table. He noticed Havelar nodding, and though he appreciated the former governor’s support, he also knew they differed on key points. And he wanted to be perfectly clear on where he stood, and why he was willing to risk everything. Rajiv Singh was about to say something, but Kenneth motioned for him to wait.

“We have some experience in trading liberty for security,” he said, “and I for one am not willing to make that trade. Not ever again.” Kenneth noticed the expression on the ambassador’s face change from pure joy to bewilderment.

“Mr. President, you do know that you may be condemning your entire settlement, and everyone here?” he said. Kenneth nodded.

“Yes I do know the price. I know the consequences of failure; in fact, I have known them all my life, and never have I been more willing to risk that price than now.”

“I guess that means we’re alone then.” Tina sighed.

“Well, I’ve faced worse odds,” Thomas said, grinning wryly. That made Havelar chuckle, although he kept quiet.

“We will have to do this by ourselves, as we have so far. This is our world, and we intend to keep it that way,” Kenneth said, and turned toward the ambassador.

“Mr. Singh, Rajiv, I assure you that none of this is meant to offend. Aurora and the Indira Federation are indeed natural allies, and I want us to develop a true friendship, as equals. There are many ways for equals to cooperate, and therefore, we look forward to meeting more of your people in the future. Your people will always be welcome here, as long as you realize that Aurora has made a choice to remain independent.” Rajiv Singh rose and bowed to Kenneth across the table.

“Mr. President, I hope you never find reason to regret your choice,” he said.

“I shall return to my shuttle. I need to report your answer to my superiors.” Kenneth thought he saw a hint of anger in the eyes of the Indira ambassador as he left. Apparently others noticed, as well. Havelar guffawed as soon as the door closed.

“Now that was one pissed off ambassador.” Kenneth waited for a moment. He felt bad about surprising his friend like that, but he couldn’t see any other way. This wasn’t something you eased into with ambassador lingo and politician’s jargon. It was a statement, simple as that. Aurora would welcome the Indira Federation as friends, but would never submit to them, which was what their offer of aid implied.

“I just hope they will tolerate our refusal,” Tina said quietly. Kenneth thought he knew what she was thinking. Tina was tired of war. She was their military leader, and he would have trusted her with his life, but Kenneth knew she’d had enough of war even before they left Earth. She had laid that life to rest when she set up camp on the Trickler, to make a peaceful living building boats and ships. But war had caught up with her, and it seemed her fate was that of the warrior, whether she wanted it or not.

“Ha! Not a chance,” Havelar said briskly, shaking his head. “As soon as they are able, they will bring their star fleet or whatever here to take what we wouldn’t give them. Trust me, these guys and their talk of friendship… Forget it; it’s just talk. We should prepare for the worst.”

“For once, I agree with George,” Thomas said quietly, and every eye turned toward him. Kenneth raised an eyebrow, and Thomas leaned forward on the table.

“I don’t buy it. They could alter the course of the war, and yet Mr. Singh sits by, following protocol while we die. Only if we submit would they make themselves useful?” He scoffed at the premise.

“Well, they are the closest thing to a friend we’ve got,” Kenneth said. “And I sure don’t want them as enemies. We’d better hope the ideals Mr. Singh talks about are the real deal.” He got up from his chair and faced them all again.

“Whatever the future brings, Dehlia is still light-years away from us. From Rajiv’s account, the journey took him almost twenty years. So, however the Indira Federation chooses to react to our stance, nothing will happen for decades yet. We have another immediate threat that requires our full attention, so I suggest we focus on that for the time being. Having said that, I agree with George and Thomas. We might face a serious problem in the future, so we need to plan ahead.”

“So this is what our children will inherit,” Tina said, though she didn’t seem to expect an answer. Yes, Kenneth thought, as always.

Chapter 13

Tina hammer

Tina watched the men loosen the moorings, and smiled at them, quietly thanking them for their help. She had thought about going for some time, and after their meeting yesterday, she had decided she needed to. For her own sanity, if for nothing else. She had duty and service ingrained in her… but she was sick of it all. She needed to think of something else for a while.

There was another reason for going, as well, her official reason. She planned to go straight to the cave where Maria and the others had discovered the Akhab. Although most attention had been given to the humanoids on the murals, the Akhab were a mystery in themselves. The humanoids had left, seemingly on friendly terms with the Akhab, but why? And did it mean something to humans today?

She had discussed it with Thomas the day before leaving. He seemed reluctant to believe the story told in the murals.

“Those are myths; every culture has them, and the older they get, the more impressive they get. Or maybe it’s the other way around, and we really forget just how impressive the reality behind the myths can be?” He had leaned back, stretching his back, sore from being too close to the blast that destroyed their forward base on the Trickler. Tina could see what Maria saw in this guy; he was smart and handsome, and he had a quirky sense of humor, often with a touch of seriousness to it.

“You know what I would like to know?” he had continued. She had urged him on.

“I would like to know what’s not on the murals. I wonder what their secrets are; their forgotten history. Do the Akhab have some deep, dark secret, hidden behind the official history, in the layers beneath the murals?” He smiled for a moment before he turned serious again.

“I don’t believe the Akhab are as helpless as they want us to believe, or as simple. For all I know, they might have some knowledge that could prove useful to the fight we’re facing…” He had trailed off.

Now Tina had a hard time letting the thought of that conversation go. There might be secrets up there, in the cave of the Akhab. She was looking forward to speaking with Maria Solis, who seemed to have bonded with these creatures.

Some part of her felt guilty for leaving the war planning, if even for a few days. She knew everything was in good hands, though. Colonel Quellar would be in charge while she was gone. Although she didn’t like the woman, she was a competent commander, who had already proven her worth several times. Tina smiled as she thought of it; every team, every unit, even their commanders—they had to learn how to work together again.

Once again, she felt a pang of regret. If only Greg had been here. He should have led the fight. She missed Greg Hamilton the man even more than the admiral. But he was dead. And even though both Havelar and Quellar carried the direct responsibility for the massacre on the Trickler, sometimes justice isn’t an option.

She shook it off.

She steered carefully toward the middle of the river, where the water was deepest. The journey north would take at least two days, and she looked forward to the solitude. She turned around and looked back at the figures growing smaller back on the docks. She waved one last time, and they waved back. A basic human acknowledgment, a gesture of good faith, a wish for safe journey to the traveler. She smiled and put the Stronghold behind her, heading north to new discoveries.

Nick gilbert

How long had he been here? In the darkness, it was hard to discern night from day, but he had found that since he was being regularly fed, he could use that as a reference. He had no idea how long he’d been unconscious or semi-conscious, but he estimated he’d been captive for at least two weeks, possibly more.

After the first few days, they had taken off the chains in order for him to eat. At first, they had been careful, keeping one man in the corner covering him with his rifle. After a while though, it seemed they relaxed a bit. After all, he’d told them everything he knew, made no attempts to escape, and generally had given them little resistance. He knew it would be futile and a waste of strength, but it seemed they took his compliance as a sign of weakness. His captors had become careless, which was exactly what he’d been hoping for.

He threw his plate in the face of the surprised guard and leapt at him. He banged his fists into the guard’s body again and again, aiming for his kidneys, where he knew it would hurt the most. Then he smashed his nose in with a powerful head butt before the guard could put up any kind of resistance. He pushed the limp guard aside and darted out the door. Outside, there was one more guard. This one raised his weapon, but Nick beat him to it and punched him in the chest, ripping the rifle out of his hands before he could squeeze off a round. He had a weapon now. This changed everything. He grinned. No one came running. No alarms to be heard. He looked around, eyes hurting from the brightness of the fluorescent lights. He saw a door at the end of the corridor and ran toward it. He had no facemask, and if he reached the outside, he would have to breathe Aurora air. The thought frightened him, but he knew it was breathable. And he’d heard the stories of the kids, the supernatural speed and strength. Actually that didn’t seem too bad—it might even save his life. And from the way these guys had slaughtered his buddies, he knew Havelar needed to know as much as possible, as soon as possible. Nick might be the only one on the planet who knew what they were.

He reached the doorway and looked around. No one yet. He turned the knob carefully, and found no resistance. Curious. He pushed the door open and knew his escape attempt was over even before it had begun.

“Ah, Mr. Gilbert. There you are. I wondered what took you so long.” The officer with the long scar smiled. Behind him, half a dozen officers stood waiting, and on either side stood soldiers armed with some kind of short sticks, which seemed to be buzzing. Electric, Nick thought briefly.

“Now please, put down that rifle. The ammunition isn’t real you know. Come, come! Have a look at this magnificent view.” Nick moved his attention to the porthole behind the officers, and saw his planet as he had seen it a year ago, from orbit.

“Our troops have already taken this… Fort Andrews I believe they call it, and soon we will be mopping up the north. I expect us to be in total control of Aurora by summer.” The officer turned to look out at the view of the planet.

“You see, our world turned out to be almost dead by the time we reached it. A world of scarce resources and no breathable atmosphere. No place to sustain us in the long run. Now this world… It is astonishingly beautiful, don’t you think? A paradise, like in the books from Earth. I have often envied my ancestors, who could live in such a place. Soon though, we will, too.” Nick still gaped at the view. He was in space. How had that happened? Had he been here all this time?

“I know you don’t think you have any more information to give us, Mr. Gilbert, but I assure you, your knowledge of your culture is of great value to us. So if you continue to cooperate, you will keep your life. Some day, you may even become one of us. We don’t have any… Americans… yet. But although most of us are racially superior to your kind, we like to think of ourselves as humans first and foremost. Some of our people are of non-Chinese heritage, or mixed. So your inferior birth should not be much of an impediment. Given time and proper education, I think you will fit right in with the workers.”

Shefania

Shefania was walking silently through the woods, guided by the light of the moon, with its strange green-tinged hue. Only the occasional chirp or distant roar from one of the indigenous creatures broke the night’s silence. Her lander was safely hidden in a lake far to the west, and her suit was almost invisible in the dark. It had been only a few hours, but she had already had to take several breaks. Her full strength had not yet returned to her after waking from decades of sleep. Even with the neural enhancers on full effect, she knew it would be weeks until she was her old self.

Still, she couldn’t wait any longer. The humans of this world needed to know the truth. Originally, her plan had been to observe only, but that had changed when she realized that another group had also come here. That last group scared her, and from what she had seen, she had decided to take matters into her own hands and seek out the ones who had come first. She knew she risked much just by being here on the surface. If the captain’s council decided against her, she could face harsh punishment. For now though, the others were still sleeping, and she intended to keep it that way until the situation had resolved. She wouldn’t risk having to abandon these kin to their fate, just because they were different.

It was strange, after so long aboard the Seedseeker, to be able to walk on solid ground again. This place was different from Sanctuary in so many ways, but also similar. The temperature felt about the same, with crisp air and a gentle touch of warmth from the star during the day. But where Sanctuary was the blue and gray of steel and glass, this place was green. So many trees! On Sanctuary, only the preserves had this much woodland. Granted, the preserves on Sanctuary were large, spanning a third of the planet, but people were seldom allowed to go there, except for the rangers. Her sister was a ranger, while Shefania had more of an analytical mind. So when the time came to choose paths, they had parted ways, neither able to understand the motivations of the other. Now though, she understood. The green world was more beautiful than she could ever have imagined, but it was the sounds—or that special absence of sounds—that impressed her the most. And the fresh air, she thought as she took a deep lungful.

Just as she was enjoying the silence, a screech pierced through the night, causing a flock of those small, flying creatures that fascinated her so much to take flight. The screech was close; too close. Shefania looked around, carefully raising her protec and flicking off the safety. Another screech. Closer. This time, Shefania was able to locate where it came from. Southeast, less than a hundred meters off, and closing fast. Something really bad was coming for her.

The balder lunged at her, but she dodged it, barely. She had observed these fearsome creatures, and for some reason, she had gotten used to the name the humans down here had given them. It’s fearsome teeth and sharp claws could tear her apart in seconds. The beast circled her, sniffing at her, challenging her. Shefania stood frozen. Only her eyes followed the balder as it shuffled its feet around, choosing how to attack her. It tossed its head and screeched again, baring its razor-sharp teeth. The smell of its breath nearly knocked her off her feet. Shefania carefully pointed her protec at the beast. Her hands shook. She didn’t know why; she was trained for this sort of situation. There’s a difference between training, however realistic, and the real thing, she thought. She gritted her teeth, and pressed her thumb down hard.

The flash blinded her for a second, and she almost got knocked down by the balder as it charged wildly forward. She regained her balance and watched the balder lurch to a stop. It turned, and a black hole appeared in its lower face, blood spewing out where its teeth had been. Now only a scattering remained, and the sound that escaped it sounded more like a whimper than anything else. Shefania felt almost sorry as she aimed the protec again and finished the beast off in another quick blast.

She didn’t waste any time as she holstered her weapon and started walking again. She had a mission, and nothing would stop her. The spy drones had found several candidates, but it was Shefania who made the final decision. It was important that the one she chose had flexibility of the mind, and a certain clout with the others, but even more important was that the one chosen had a particular spiritual mindset. Shefania needed someone who would instinctively make the right decisions, someone selfless, someone who would know right from wrong and use his or her gift to do good things. Shefania brought the gift of knowledge, and once shared, the recipients would never be the same again.

Shefania had a long way to go, but she knew where she would find the one she sought.

Tina hammer

Tina sat silently waiting for the food to heat. Her belly rumbled impatiently, and she sniffed at the cooking meat. She was starving! She didn’t like hunting—it reminded her too much of survival training and a couple of real-life situations, as well. But she did enjoy the results, and the area around the Stronghold had an abundance of game. She had brought a few packs of it, not wanting to take too many M.R.E.s with her. After all, those would one day run out, and they were very useful for soldiers and future expeditions.

As she ate her meal, she thought about the Akhab. She was eagerly anticipating her arrival. Just half a day to go now. Maria Solis would be there, as well as her mother Isabella. Tina respected the way the former businesswoman had seemed to change George Havelar’s view of certain issues, but she was still wary around her. Maria though, had something special about her, something that led her to like the young woman. She clearly had that effect on the Akhab, as well, from what Kenneth had told her. No one truly understood the Akhab, but Maria seemed to be… chosen by them, somehow.

Darkness was descending, and Tina knew she would have to camp out for the night. The river was pretty safe the rest of the way, but there were a couple of areas she’d be wary of traveling by night unless she had to. She had already set up a simple shelter. She had no fire, just the heater cell, the shelter, and a small pack with her tablet and a sleeping bag. She could have slept in the boat, but she preferred the solid ground. This far north, she should be safe from enemy patrol, and the only danger would be balders. They were generally too loud to sneak up on anyone, and she was usually a light sleeper.

“Fucked up situation to be in, don’t you think?” She whirled around, bumping into the cooking meat with her leg, making it spill all over. That voice. Henry. She squinted, and as he approached, she saw he looked like hell. His clothes were torn, there were spots of dried blood on his shirt and pants, and he walked with a limp.

“Hamilton, that bastard,” he continued, “he just had to go, one way or another. Stupid, for an officer, not very strategic. Not strategic at all…” he trailed off, and she noticed his eyes, feverish and blood shot. He had a gash across his cheek, with caked blood covering it. Tina thought he looked sick. He was still wearing the mask, thank God. Maybe he could be reasoned with.

“Henry… Let me…” she rose and stepped over to him. He brushed her hand away as she tried to touch him.

“Don’t fuck with me, Major,” he snarled. “As far as I’m concerned, you picked your side a long time ago. The wrong side.” He seemed almost introspective for a moment. Then his lips curled up into something resembling a smile.

“It was my call, you know, back on the Trickler. That Solis wuss never had the guts to make the tough decisions.” Tina felt anger rise up in her at the mention of the massacre, but she forced herself to push it down.

“We have to work together now,” she said. Henry clucked, and grimaced.

“Funny you should say that. That’s what I said, remember? Back before you put us all in this situation.” Tina didn’t answer, so Henry continued.

“You made Port Hammer into a rallying point. Seems every dissident and subversive on the planet came together in that rat hole. Good thing we burned it afterward.” Tina couldn’t hold it back anymore.

“Why the hell did you have to kill them all? And with poison gas. I mean, that’s sick!” she shouted. Henry just stood there, swaying, so she let it all out.

“And Greg was the best leader we could have dreamed of. A good man, through and through. You just slaughtered him, and everyone else that day.”

“Ah, but he had to go.” He waved the issue away, as if it was insignificant. “I guess Hamilton would have cooperated nicely if not for you, though. I mean, you sheltered him when we tried to arrest him. Hell, you even sheltered the shrink and the Solis bitch, and all the rest of them. Hamilton, well he was in the way, but to be completely honest, Major, you’re the one I hoped to meet back then.” Tina didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction, so he went on.

“It’s time you took responsibility for your actions. If not for you, none of this shit would have happened. We’d be strong enough to fight the Chinks. Now though, we’ll end up their slaves, or just dead.” Tina took a careful step back. She cursed herself for leaving the rifle in the shelter. Just a few meters away, but it might just, as well have been back in the Stronghold. There was no way she’d be able to get it before he grabbed her. She was no match for Henry, even though he was clearly wounded. He grinned.

“You will never see that happen, though.” He unsheathed his blade. It was spotted, dark brown smeared all over. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time he’d used it. Although frightened, she felt sorry for her old friend. Something must have snapped, and though they had disagreed before, this was something else. Insanity. She could only imagine what had happened to him, how he must have fought to get this far. First, surrounded by the Chinzhoi, then walking through an inhospitable environment all the way through the Rockies, before he ended up here, on the riverbank north of the Stronghold, facing the one he held responsible for all his misery.

“Look, Henry, you can still…” Something made her stop. Footsteps, coming closer, quickly. She noticed the leaves rustle nearby, and there was movement in the brush. Henry turned around, clutching his knife and muttering something incomprehensible, just in time to meet the attacker. Something came at them, incredibly fast. She dove for safety, expecting a balder to slash at them with long claws and a fearsome jaw with more teeth than an alligator.

Ben. She almost didn’t recognize him, as he was covered in mud; but even unarmed, he looked ferocious, like a predator. Though Henry had the knife, the speed and surprise was enough to give Ben the upper hand. Tina grabbed her rifle, but with no way to get a shot in, she just had to watch the two men wrestle. Henry was a seasoned warrior, but Ben was so much stronger, and besides, she had to admit, with a sting of sadness, he was as much a combat veteran as Henry.

Ben finally got his hands in between Henry’s. With a wild roar, he grabbed Henry’s throat and squeezed. She could see the untamed instincts in the young boy she had once saved, and the transformation frightened her. As Henry’s resistance faded, and his face turned blue, she watched Ben dig his fingers through her former friend’s skin, blood spattering his hands and face. When he ripped out Henry’s larynx, the limp form fell to the ground, twitching as life ebbed out of him.

A few seconds that felt like minutes passed, while Tina struggled to make sense of what had just happened. Ben stood over Henry’s dead body, breathing heavily. Tina thought he looked like he was calming down, taking in what he had done, and at the same time regaining control. Then she noticed the blood seeping through his shirt. No, not seeping. It was pumping. And she saw the knife on the ground. Henry’s knife, covered in fresh blood.

Ben slumped to the ground. The wild look in his eyes had already faded completely, and Tina once again saw the frightened young boy who’d been forced to take charge, to take care of the younger kids that had been put on the New Discovery and hurled into space. Tina hurried over and knelt next to him, assessing the injury. It was bad, really bad. An arterial bleed would have been nasty anywhere, but in the stomach, there was only so much to do. Which wasn’t much.

“I’m sorry… Oh God, I’m so… sorry…” Ben stuttered. Tina felt her eyes water, and forced a smile.

“Hush, don’t speak. Save it for later. Just hang in there, Ben.” She grabbed her multi-purpose healing pad from her left breast pocket and slapped it on, knowing the futility.

“He was gonna hurt me. You have nothing to be sorry about,” she said. Ben shook his head, but weakly. Weaker with every spurt of blood leaving his body.

“No… Not him. I’m sorry… Sorry about Lisa… and Drew. I killed them. I killed my best friends.” He looked at her, as if pleading with his eyes for her forgiveness. “Look at what I’ve become…”

“It’s okay, Ben. Lisa is fine, and Drew will be, too.” She felt awful lying to him. Lisa would survive, although it was too early to say how she’d turn out. Drew though… Last she heard, he was still hanging on by a thread. But Ben was a good kid. He deserved some sort of redemption. It wasn’t his fault he’d been messed up from being thrust into war still in his teens. It wasn’t his fault a damn parasite had taken control of his brain.

Ben smiled. Then he coughed, spitting blood.

“I had to… stop him. He was trying to hurt you. I’ve been watching… Watching over you…” Tina tried to stop him from talking, but he was adamant.

“You saved us all. All of us, from the New Disco…” He couldn’t finish, choking on blood, and Tina nodded at him.

“And you saved me, Ben. You did it.” A tear left her eye, and she added, “Thank you, Ben.”

Ever since she had taken it upon herself to find a way to save the kids from the New Discovery from being sent back to Earth, she had felt a bond with each of them. And for her, that bond had been strongest between her and Benjamin Waters. This kid had been through so much, and still, he always cared more for others than for himself. That was a rare trait. She loved him for it, no matter what had happened after he and Lisa and Drew took off their masks and breathed Aurora air.

There was no way to stop the tears anymore, and no point. She cried while she used one hand to carefully stroke his hair back from his face, while holding his hand with the other. His mouth moved, but no words came out. His chest was barely heaving, and his breaths were short.

Then he exhaled, and she felt his hand go limp. His eyes became glassy and lifeless. And as Cancri’s lone moon Rotane rose toward the sky, she sat there alone, mourning.

Chapter 14

Kenneth taylor

Kenneth felt warm and cold at the same time and worried that he was developing a fever. He didn’t have time to get sick, though; there was too much to do. Always too much to do and too little time. But he had to go see Doc Bowers soon, or he’d surely be knocked out for a week or two by whatever it was. Kenneth shook his head while he digested what Tina had written in her message. Though the comms were unreliable at best, they still had the means of getting a message across if deemed important enough. The most effective was to send packets of data in short bursts that lasted milliseconds. It was a gamble, since these packets were sometimes intercepted, so they had to be careful with what they sent. Tina’s message wasn’t military secrets or anything like that, though. It was a short description, neutral in tone, although Kenneth could only imagine the emotions that lay hidden beneath the words. Henry, Tina’s friend from back on Earth, had tried to kill her, only to be killed by young Benjamin Waters. Ben had died from his wounds, but not before redeeming himself by protecting the woman who had once saved his life and those of all the kids on the New Discovery, the last shuttle to leave Earth. Looking at the message again, the words blurred together, and he felt the dizziness coming. Damn, he really didn’t have time for this.

A noise from outside the door disturbed his thoughts, and he looked up. He put the tablet down and walked over to the door. When he opened it, all hell broke loose. A woman nearby screamed, and the ground shook as one of the cabins over by the greenhouses blew up.

“Air raid!” someone shouted, and then Kenneth saw them. Four sleek planes in formation in the eastern sky, spewing rockets, death raining upon the Stronghold as one after another of the cabins blew up. A greenhouse exploded, spreading a deadly hail of glass in every direction. Kenneth saw a man being hit by a shard the size of his palm, its point boring into his eye.

“Move!” Kenneth heard, and stepped aside, just as one of the quads from Fort Andrews raced past him. A girl with long blonde hair that flew wildly in every direction stood balancing with broad legs, one hand on the railing and the other on a rocket launcher aimed steady at the approaching planes. She seemed to handle her weapon well, and Kenneth thought he’d seen her before. One of the recruits from Andrews, he thought.

She steadied herself as the rocket left the launcher in a blaze of fire. The smoke trail made it difficult to see if the missile found its target, and Kenneth began to think she must have missed, when an explosion made it obvious she hadn’t.

One down.

The girl was already long gone when another quad exploded just after launching a homing missile. The missile kept flying toward its target, though. Kenneth thought he could see the plane trying to evade, but it was too far away to be sure.

Another explosion. Another hit.

Two of their planes down. Kenneth looked around and saw people cheering. Grimy faces, bloody and torn clothes, tear-streaked cheeks, but also determined smiles, hands cradling weapons, and eyes that cried defiance. Two more planes to shoot down. The soldiers in their quads had shown it could be done.

“They’re turning away!” someone shouted, and after a moment’s hesitation, more cheers broke loose.

Kenneth stepped through the rubble, taking in the information flowing around.

“The greenhouses are all gone.”

“All of the eastern side of town is burning.”

“The bridge is wrecked.”

“More than twenty dead, and many more injured.”

Kenneth found he had a hard time cheering with the others. The destruction was too massive.

“Hey, you all right?” a voice said from behind him. He turned and saw the girl from the quad. Ash and dirt having turned her hair more gray than blonde, and her face grimy with soot and streaked with mud. She smiled though, and right there that smile made him think. They had fought back a surprise attack and shot down two of the enemy planes. Those would be hard to replace. And no matter what, when the enemy had attacked them, they had stood together, north and south united against the invaders. Maybe there was reason to cheer after all? Kenneth nodded to the girl, and his lips curled slightly.

“Yes…” he said. Today they had been one. And they had won.

“We’ll be all right,” he said.

Shefania

Shefania smiled as she followed the Akhab elders from their counsel meeting, toward the murals depicting recent events. The Akhab were just as amiable as she had expected, and though she had given them no notice of her coming, they hadn’t seemed the least surprised as she approached their cave. As soon as she had reached the cave mouth, several of them had streamed out to greet her. Although no one from Sanctuary had ever set foot here, their collective memory was strong it seemed. Even with no written language, their entire history on this planet was painted on their walls, just as they did elsewhere. She knew the place humans held in Akhab history, and she was amazed at how their star sentience gave them knowledge of, and awareness of the other tribes, light-years away.

The Akhab had welcomed her as a friend. They had been so eager when they learned she knew their language that it was hard to even begin to take part in the conversation. The Akhab on Sanctuary were more reclusive, preferring to tend to their preserve lands, and seldom took part in human affairs. This tribe obviously had different experiences, which made them more approachable and open to contact with humans. And according to their elders, some of the other tribes on this planet were so eager to meet the humans that it had been difficult to enforce the decision to restrict contact with them until the human conflict was resolved. She agreed with the decision, though. The southernmost of the Verdi tribes had almost let themselves be discovered about a year ago, and only the strictest of commandments by the elder council to have patience and let the humans get to know them slowly at first had made them reluctantly comply, and go into hiding again.

The ark that came here so long ago had obviously been one of those that carried both humans and Akhab, and from what she had gathered, the two races had parted ways thousands of years ago. She still didn’t know what had happened to the humans, but she guessed something on this planet had led them to leave in search of a different home world. It could be the parasite that seemed to permeate the atmosphere; it would be hard to avoid its effect. The arks might not have had the technology to avoid its infestation. She was glad Sanctuary medicine was more advanced; she had seen some of the parasite’s effects on those who had removed their facemasks, and she shuddered at the thought of not being in control of her own body and mind. Thankfully, the vaccines enabled her body to reject the parasite. Otherwise, she’d have to wear a mask, as well. And sooner or later, when you relied on physical protection such as that, it would fail.

There could be other reasons, as well, but one thing was clear: the Akhab and the humans, then and now, were on friendly terms. Jujjj, one of the more prominent Akhab, had told her of their contact with humans in recent time, which was the reason she had come here in the first place. She had been disappointed to learn the woman they called Mariaa had left just a few days ago. She wasn’t hard to describe, and the Akhab knew her well. They had told her she was a remarkably good-hearted person, and they seemed to trust her without reservations. The more Shefania learned of the woman she had come searching for, the more certain she felt that her decision was the right one. She would stay another day, to learn more and to simply enjoy their company, and then she would have to leave the Akhab and go find her.

The more she spoke to the Akhab, the more she liked them. Her sister knew them well, being a ranger and living among them for long periods of time, but Shefania had only briefly seen Akhab before, and then only emissaries to the Life Dome. Being here made her feel she had missed a great deal, and she gradually came to understand her sister’s fascination with and respect for them. Some humans on Sanctuary thought of the Akhab as primitive, less intelligent than humans, not quite animals, but something in between. She suspected it was because they were different. The fact that they had no written language, and their reliance on what they called the star sentience, which seemed like magic to humans, made them seem simple-minded to humans, who had nothing even remotely similar in their own culture to help bind them together. Also, their choice to stick with simple technology, their peaceful and reclusive way of life, and what humans interpreted as a lack of ambition, all made for a lot of prejudice toward these beings that had lived in the shadow of humans for so long.

Of course, it was probably the fact that the remaining records from Lifebringer specifically stated that it was human scientists who had originally enhanced the genes of the Akhab brought onto the arks that gave the humans another reason for feelings of superiority.

Luckily, centuries ago, lawmakers on Sanctuary who saw through the prejudices wrote laws that protected the Akhab, and they had been given rights to the great preserves, so that they would keep and protect their cultural heritage.

The group of elders accompanying her stopped in front of the most recent painting. She saw a beautiful young woman, dark of hair and olive skin, eyes sparkling. Next to her stood an older woman, just as beautiful, with similar features. That had to be the mother, Isabellaa. She approached the final image, paint not even dry and the painter beaming with pride as she moved closer to get a better look. She smiled as she realized the Akhab had already deemed her presence worthy of preserving for future generations.

“I wish I could stay with you longer,” she said as she stared at her image and smiled at the painter. She promised herself that she would return, once she had met the young woman she was seeking. The humans had all gone south to the place they called the Stronghold. And from what she had learned, she knew there wasn’t much time. If she didn’t leave soon, not even the gift of knowledge could save them.

Thomas dunn

Thomas stood watching the builders. Just four days ago, the Chinzhoi planes had leveled more than fifteen cabins; most of the greenhouses and several other buildings, not to mention all the tents, had burned to the ground. And yet, people were already rebuilding. He was impressed with the courage of these people, and deep within his heart, he knew that whatever hardships this world threw at them, they would never give up.

The air raid had caused massive destruction, and though Thomas was moved by how people were recovering, he knew it was a matter of time before the enemy returned. This time, it had been four attack planes. Imagine what would happen if they came in force, with everything they had: airborne attacks, ground forces, maybe even space-based weapons? He had no idea how to prepare for something like that, but the longer they waited to do something, the more likely that kind of attack would be.

Maria, Isabella, and Tina had returned from the north. Thomas hadn’t had time to go see Maria yet, but he was looking forward to it. He would see her mother, as well, which frightened him, but in a good way. First though, he needed to speak to Tina. Word had already reached the Stronghold of what had happened on her way north. She could have easily been killed during her encounter with Henry Carroll. In the end though, Ben Waters had saved her. The kid had been on the run since killing one of their own a while back. From what Thomas had learned, it seemed the parasite had taken over his mind completely, leading him into a frenzy of blood lust, in which he’d even tried to kill his friends, Lisa and Drew. Still, he’d been a good kid deep down, and it was the parasite along with some pretty tough circumstances that had messed him up. In the end, Ben had sacrificed himself to protect the one person he looked up to. Thomas knew how much Tina had cared for the kids from the New Discovery, and he could only imagine how it felt to have one of them killed by someone who had once been her best friend.

“Impressive, eh?” Kenneth said. Thomas turned around. He hadn’t heard anyone approaching. He guessed that had to be a good sign; that he was able to relax enough not to be constantly on his guard. He saw Tina, Isabella Solis, and George Havelar trailing behind.

“It’s just… Yes, it is impressive. But unless we can do something… I don’t know what, though…” The president nodded gravely.

“It’ll all be for nothing. I know.”

“What if we got the nukes back? There’s still two, and if we had them, we’d have leverage.” Thomas suddenly saw an opportunity. Havelar still controlled the access codes, so the enemy wouldn’t be able to use them. If the Stronghold controlled them, though, they would be able to make demands. Of course, that wouldn’t be a complete victory, but who cared? Aurora would be big enough for all of them, if they could agree on certain ground rules.

“You mean, first get the nukes, and then sit down at the negotiating table?” Havelar mused. “I like what you’re thinking…” he said.

Isabella Solis remained quiet, and Thomas wondered what she was thinking. He felt nervous around her. She was an impressive figure, and even more so, considering she was the mother of the woman he loved.

“Your team has done a great job, Thomas,” Tina said, and Thomas turned his attention to her. “But you won’t stand a chance. And you know it. Those things are huge!”

Tina and Kenneth must think he’d gone bonkers, and there was no telling what Isabella thought of her future son-in-law. Havelar though, seemed to be considering something, and Thomas hoped the former governor would have some brilliant idea; he certainly didn’t. In fact, Thomas had no idea why he had said anything at all. He just felt so… useless, in the face of this overwhelming force.

“Wait,” Havelar said, “he’s right!” Everyone turned toward George Havelar, who looked alive again.

“We don’t need to worry about the size of the nukes. In fact, we don’t have to move them at all.” Thomas noticed Tina shaking her head slowly, while Kenneth and Isabella looked as puzzled as he.

“No,” Tina said, “it too dangerous. What if they get their hands…”

“They won’t!” Havelar said, affirmatively. When she didn’t budge, he continued.

“We do need some leverage, just like Thomas said.” He looked over at Thomas, and there was a fondness in the older man’s eyes, regardless of the fact that Thomas had been subverting him from the very beginning.

“I knew that young man was special…” Havelar said, almost too quietly for anyone to hear.

“If we control the nukes, they will have to listen. We can make demands. And I think they would comply if we let them have one of the continents. As far away as possible, of course.” Thomas felt a spark of hope kindling. This war wouldn’t be won on the battlefield; it would be won at the negotiating table.

“I will do it,” Havelar said. There was a spark in his eyes now, and the brilliance that had once made him the most successful businessman on Earth, and the de facto leader of the Exodus project, was back. The transformation was sudden; it was as though the old leader had found himself again, and now he was bursting with energy.

“I am the only one who can control the remaining nukes, and the access codes are right here.” Havelar pointed at his head.

“It can only be done from within the administration complex,” Thomas interjected. Havelar nodded.

“Yes. But you see, I think there might be a solution to that. Although most communication is disabled, there has to be a zone within the occupied area where some frequencies are still open. If I had access to those frequencies, I could relay a signal and establish a link. Once that link is in place, we only need a data burst of a single millisecond to activate the missiles. They could be controlled from the Stronghold, and there would be nothing they could do about it. We would be in total control then.”

“I guess it’s possible…” Tina said.

“There’s just one catch,” Isabella Solis said. It was the first thing she’d said since the discussion started, and everyone turned toward her.

“How on Earth are you going to get inside the building?”

Chapter 15

Tina hammer

She had watched them both awake, and though they both had been heavily sedated, the drug wore off more quickly than expected. The parasite, Tina thought. It had some amazing abilities, and actually seemed to take good care of its host. Alas, she had also seen the negative effects of its control, and she hated it.

“So, in the end he saved your life,” Lisa said quietly. Tina nodded. Ben had lost control, killing the young messenger and almost killing both Lisa and Drew, but in the end, he had redeemed himself by protecting her. Just thinking about it made Tina choke up, unable to say anything. Thankfully, Doc Bowers was also there, and he was fully familiar with the story.

“He did,” he said.

“Now, you have to remember that Ben had been through a lot, even before leaving Earth. There are no indications that you two will lose control as he did.” Drew frowned at the doctor’s explanation, but said nothing. Tina had her own ideas, and she thought they would be better off without the parasite. Lisa, on the other hand, was nodding, with a faraway look.

“If we could only control it… You cannot understand what it feels like, to be able to do anything… But we need to control it…”

“No.” Drew cut her off. “It’s too dangerous. Who is to say we won’t end up like Ben?” Doc Bowers coughed lightly, and Drew waited for his response.

“Your wounds were fatal,” he began. “Both of you should have been dead long before we got you treated. But that didn’t happen. As it is, you will both recover from your wounds, bearing nothing but superficial scars. Which, I should point out, is nothing but a medical miracle.” The doctor paused.

“The parasite protected us, didn’t it?” Lisa said, and Doc Bowers nodded.

“Yes. You were extremely lucky. It is as you said, the parasites protected their hosts. Otherwise you would be dead.”

“And the parasite would have been dead, too,” Tina said.

“Exactly!” the doctor said. “In the interest of self preservation, the parasite protects its host. And here’s the thing, it didn’t fight the sedatives.” Tina didn’t understand, and when no one replied, Doc Bowers continued.

“You see, if it were truly a parasite, it would have fought the sedatives, as they put the host in a vulnerable situation. But it didn’t. Which tells me it’s learning. Also, it tells me we can develop a cure, or rather, something that lets the parasite or whatever we decide to call it, live, while protecting the host from harmful influence. And the first thing we need to do is make sure it doesn’t control the mind of its host.” Drew raised a hand to get the doctor’s attention.

“Look, I… I’m glad to hear you may be on track of some kind of cure. I don’t trust this thing, but if we can keep it in check, I guess that’ll have to do. Whatever happens, I guess we’ll always be different. I just don’t want it to change me, you know what I mean?” Tina looked at this young man who had gone through so much and still lay there with a sparkle in his eyes, determined to remain true to himself.

“What if we have children, will they be carrying it, too?” Lisa asked, and Tina looked at the doctor, who scratched his chin.

“Truthfully? No way to tell. We’ll just have to deal with that whenever it comes.” He cocked his head at her.

“I would suggest you wait a few years though, young woman,” he said. Lisa giggled, and Drew grinned at her. There would be all kinds of questions when it came to the parasite, and most of them would have to be answered sooner or later. And of course, all this had happened because three kids had decided to remove their facemasks, to breathe freely. It would only be a question of time before others did the same thing. Or had an accident, causing them to breathe the Aurora air, letting the parasite into their respiratory systems, infecting their bodies, festering on their minds. They needed to know the consequences, both here and now, and in a generation. Because it would happen again, one way or another.

george Havelar

George Havelar felt a trickle of sweat run down his back as he approached the enemy soldiers. He was careful to keep his hands up high, palms facing the soldiers. No sudden movements. Someone shouted—Chinese? He couldn’t tell; he was awful when it came to languages other than his native tongues English and Spanish. He had tried to learn Russian once, but gave up after two classes. He just didn’t have the ear for it. He couldn’t tell Russian from German, which he was told were pretty damn different from one another.

“Don’t shoot. I am Governor George Havelar, and I speak for the Aurorans,” he said, as loudly as he could, but careful not to shout. No need to frighten them, in case they didn’t speak English.

He noticed some of the soldiers taking up positions, watching the surroundings woodland, while three of them came toward him. Two of them were covering him with rifles, while the third—obviously the one in charge—gestured for him to get down. At least that was his interpretation of it, and what he would expect. Havelar knelt, all the while keeping his hands high, clearly visible. The one in charge stopped a few meters in front of him, while the two other men continued until they were right next to him. One of the men shoved him roughly to the ground, and the other kicked him in the side, forcing the air out of him. Havelar braced for another kick as the two men shuffled their feet to kick him again. The one in charge barked an order, and the men held back. Havelar quietly thanked him; he was no sissy, but he wasn’t a young man anymore, either. He didn’t care if they hurt him, but if he was badly hurt, he wouldn’t be able to get inside the administration building in Fort Andrews.

The soldiers hoisted him to his feet, and he winced from the pain. Still, nothing seemed broken, and as he stood, he didn’t feel too bad. The leader motioned for him to follow him, and he started walking, with the two guards next to him, rifles held ready. The man in charge spoke into some sort of communication device, and after a few minutes, he stopped and faced Havelar.

“You Governor Havelar, yes?” he said.

“Yes I am,” Havelar answered. He held his breath, the tension tearing at his resolve. But he would see this through, one way or another.

“High Commander want to speak to you,” the man in charge said before he turned and started walking again. Havelar looked at his back for a few seconds before he followed. So far, everything was going according to the plan. He felt a prickle of bad conscience for deceiving the others back at the Stronghold, but he’d seen no way around this. Their plan was unrealistic, and it would do nothing to secure the future generations. He had made mistakes, granted, but he was still the only one with the vision to think more than a decade ahead. As far as he could tell, they honestly believed they could threaten the Chinzhoi. He almost laughed at the notion. One of the oldest human cultures back on Earth threatened by two nuclear weapons. It was almost laughable. So he had sneaked out of the Stronghold, passing the outposts easily as everyone was watching the entrances to the south; nobody expected anyone to sneak through from the north.

His feet ached. These oversized boots were necessary, but he’d rather be without the discomfort. But what did it matter? It was all just temporary; once he reached Fort Andrews, neither the bruises from the kicking or the blisters on his feet would matter. The thought made him smirk.

As they reached the town perimeter, they were met by a group of soldiers, one of them clearly outranking the man he’d considered to be the one in charge so far. After a few orders that sounded like gibberish to him, the ranking officer turned to him.

“So, Governor Havelar. I am pleased to meet you,” he said, extending his hand. Havelar took it. The handshake was firm, but not too hard. He looked at the officer’s eyes; they were steady, unwavering. This was a man used to being in charge. Still, he doubted the man was in charge of the entire invasion force. Such a man wouldn’t deign to meet his enemy out here in the open. No, this was a commander of men, but a soldier. He had to keep moving up the ladder in order to get where he could actually produce the result he was after.

“You say you speak for the Aurorans,” the officer said, and Havelar nodded.

“Yes I do.” The officer smirked and cocked his head.

“So, Governor Havelar, why are you here?” George Havelar set his jaw and puffed out his chest. This was the reason he had sneaked out of the Stronghold in the first place. The others didn’t see that this was the only option, that every other path would destroy them all. He knew, though, and he had always put his goals first, never popularity or being liked. He knew he might be condemned for this. He might get a place in the history books, but a place of shame and dishonor. But Havelar didn’t care. He’d always walked his own path, followed his own convictions. And it had brought him further than any human being had ever reached. Why should he change now? He looked the officer in the eye and spoke slowly, firmly.

“I have come to negotiate the terms of our surrender.”

Thomas dunn

Thomas was frowning as he walked through the Stronghold, carrying a heavy bag over one shoulder and a rifle slung across the other. In less than half an hour, he would follow Tina south toward the outpost, with no other plan than to wait for the signal, indicating that Havelar had managed to transfer control of the nukes to him. That part of the plan was still in effect, or so he hoped. Havelar had sneaked out this morning, and Thomas hoped it was just the strain of the situation that had made the former governor leave without notifying one of the others. He hated to think of the alternative. He didn’t trust Havelar, and wouldn’t have put it past him to abandon everyone else if he could broker a deal with the Chinzhoi, leaving him on top of things again. Thomas still believed his team might have been able to infiltrate Fort Andrews, but everyone had thought Havelar’s plan had a better chance of succeeding. That was if the man still did his part. He didn’t know Havelar’s agenda. In the current situation, they probably had a common interest, but Havelar was a man known to do whatever it took to achieve his goals.

His frown gave way to a big smile as he saw Maria walking toward him. She was smiling, as well, and there was something… radiant about her. They embraced, and Thomas noticed her hug was a bit tense, and she squeezed him a little harder than expected. It was as if she didn’t want to let go. No wonder, since they’d barely seen each other since that night… He sighed, wishing he could stay with her.

“You really ought to see it, the cave, I mean,” Maria said when the embrace ended. Thomas knew about the Akhab, but with the war, there was never enough time to learn more about these fascinating creatures.

“What do they think about us?” he asked. The Akhab seemed a peaceful group, and seeing how humans fought among themselves had to be disturbing to such a species.

“Actually, they seem to like us. For some reason, they know a lot more about us than you’d think,” Maria said.

“Yeah. It’s as if they were used to humans. I know about the murals, but it’s just too fantastic to believe that they have actually been in contact with humans before,” Thomas said.

“Well, it seems their ancestors have. And even more astonishing, I believe there might be Akhab on other planets, as well. They seem to have some sort of telepathic communication amongst members of their species—star sentience, they call it—that gives them some kind of collective memory.” Thomas frowned, not sure what to believe.

“But how is that possible?” he asked. “They don’t seem technologically advanced. How could they even consider the concept of interstellar communication?”

“That is a mystery,” Maria acknowledged, “but there is an even greater mystery. The murals depict humans, there’s no way around it. The way I see it, I cannot possibly think of any other explanation except that the Akhab must have come here, to Aurora, with those humans.” Thomas shook his head. It was mind-boggling. But as interesting as the Akhab were, he couldn’t think of anything but the woman in front of him. He noticed the glow on her face, the cute dimples just outside the facemask, the smile within the transparent plastic. She was so stunningly beautiful! He must have looked foolish, because she seemed to notice. Her smiled broadened, and her eyes were sparkling. And there was something… secretive about her, something he hadn’t noticed before.

“What are you not telling me?” he asked, nudging her. She looked down and avoided his eyes. Her smile never left her lips though.

“Do you love me?” she asked, out of the blue. “I mean, truly love me, like… Could you see yourself starting a family with me?” Thomas was lost for words; he hadn’t seen this coming, although his feelings for her had been deepening for a long time now.

“I… You know, I’ve been doing this for so long… Spying, plotting, scheming…” he said, unsure how to proceed. She didn’t say anything, though, so he forced himself to try to explain.

“I just don’t know what kind of family man I would be. You don’t even know my real name; everything you see before you is really just lies wrapped within new lies.” He exhaled, wondering if he’d been too frank. “But I do love you, Maria. Really, I do.” She was still staring intently at her feet, and it struck him. What sort of fool are you? He cursed himself.

“What am I saying? Of course I could see starting a family with you!” She looked up again. “After the war…” he began.

“Thomas, I’m pregnant.” The way she blurted it out caused Thomas to skip a heartbeat. Pregnant. With a baby. His baby. His jaw dropped.

“What, how did that… I mean…” he stumbled along, mixing words and thoughts, confusing thoughts racing through his mind.

“I’m pregnant, Thomas. I’m carrying your child,” Maria repeated, voice throaty, emotional. Her eyes were waiting for his response, but he couldn’t find words to express how he felt. Instead, he smiled broadly and embraced her. The tension left her, and she relaxed in his arms. In that moment, everything felt right.

George Havelar

His office felt smaller than it had. Although he could remove his mask and breathe freely in the administration building, the air was more stale, or so it seemed. The man in front of him was giving him the silent treatment, waiting for Havelar to speak, as if breaking the silence made him weaker, less self-composed. Havelar thought it was ridiculous. It might work on others, but he wasn’t just anybody. He’d met some tough negotiators throughout the years, and he recognized the tactic. He smiled, but remained silent, watching his opponent study him. As ridiculous as this game was, he could still play it, too.

“Mr. Havelar, I think you misunderstand something,” the Chinzhoi leader finally said. “You say you have come to negotiate the terms of your surrender. But one does not negotiate surrender; one surrenders, and hopes for mercy.” Havelar cocked his head and scratched his beard. Thankfully, they had uncuffed him once they had frisked him, making sure he was carrying no hidden weapons.

“So you want submission,” Havelar stated, biting the inside of his cheek. It was as he expected. No way to threaten these people to the negotiating table. But he had to play along, if only for a few more minutes.

“But wouldn’t you rather we submit willingly, and commit to an agreement, ending the war between our peoples?” he asked, and paused just long enough for his opponent to lean forward, about to give an answer, before Havelar continued, interrupting the Chinzhoi.

“Of course, everyone can see you are militarily superior, and all we can hope for is to be a nuisance. But a determined insurgent can be a nuisance for years, eventually wearing down even a stronger opponent. If, on the other hand, you give them a certain level of self determination in return for their loyalty, that can go a long way.” He paused again, waiting. How long is this going to take? he thought. He was pretty good with technology, and thought he had everything right, but still there were a number of factors that could ruin everything. If he’d had someone like Thomas to work with him, he’d know for certain, but neither Thomas nor anyone else for that matter could be told. No one could know. Only he had the determination, the total disregard for legacy to do what he was about to. No, he would keep talking.

“Really? You think your little colony will be able to wear us down? When you’re barely able to sustain yourselves?” The Chinzhoi leader laughed, a mirthless laughter that never reached his eyes.

Havelar felt the switch between his toes, poking into his skin. It didn’t matter. He had planned carefully, knowing that a thorough search would give him up. But when he had presented himself as an official envoy, speaking on behalf of the Aurorans, he had gambled on being patted down, possibly stripped, even of his shoes, but nothing more thorough than that. As long as he got to keep his socks, his deadly secret would remain hidden. And it had. Now, as soon as the connection could be made and the sequence initiated, he would have the upper hand, and there would be no return. No one would be able to stop him as long as he could work up the courage. After that, it would only be a matter of seconds. He grinned.

The Chinzhoi leader stopped, puzzlement apparent on his face. Something buzzed quietly between his toes, and Havelar knew he had won.

“What are you smiling at? Do you take me for a fool?” The Chinzhoi said, his voice quivering. “Don’t you understand? Submission is your only chance of survival. If you don’t surrender immediately, you will all die. You see, we don’t need you. We just want this planet; what happens to you is irrelevant to us.” Havelar exhaled, and felt a curious calm, warmth spreading throughout his entire body.

“Oh, but you are so wrong. It is you who will die. In fact, you are already as good as dead. You just don’t know it yet,” he said, and closed his eyes.

“Father, forgive me for I have sinned…” he whispered in Spanish, the language of his father, and squeezed the switch hard. He heard the Chinese leader shout something. One second. A guard burst in through the door. Two seconds. Something grabbed at his arm. Three seconds.

A bright light flashed before his closed eyes. And everything ended.

Chapter 16

Tina hammer

“Why on earth did he sneak out like that?” Isabella asked, although she didn’t seem to expect an answer. Tina had no answer to give, just a prickle in the back of her head, a gnawing feeling that everything was worse than everyone thought. They were at the southernmost outpost in the foothills of the Rockies, and below them the rolling hills looked serene, peaceful even. Cancri bathed everything in a warm midday glow, and if she closed her eyes, she was able to recall memories of summer days back on Earth, in a forgotten time, before the world ended. Tina opened her eyes and shook it off. It was beautiful on the surface, but she knew better. Somewhere out there, troops were preparing for the final push north, the one that would swallow them all, and make them subjects of the Chinese, or rather their depraved offspring.

“Maybe he just wanted to be left alone; after all, he’s taking one big risk here,” she said absently. Everyone knew George Havelar might be sacrificing himself for nothing. The plan depended on him being able to get inside the administration building, or at least close enough to activate the link, enabling the nukes to be controlled from the Stronghold. The plan was to force the Chinese to the negotiating table, with nukes to back them up. Tina wasn’t sure she believed the plan had any chance at all, but no one had come up with a better one.

“I just hope they don’t shoot him on sight. They don’t seem too interested in talking,” Thomas said as he laid down his binoculars. He was sitting by a control panel, waiting for the signal. Once it came, it would make him the most powerful man on Aurora, able to inflict incomprehensible damage with the touch of a finger. Tina wouldn’t have had it any other way; this was a man she would trust with anything. She thought of the former governor who by now would be in contact with their enemies. She would have put more hope into an incursion by Thomas and his team, but even that would have been a long shot. Letting Havelar play the surrendering governor, just to get close enough? One bullet, one over-eager soldier, or just plain lack of interest by weary men with guns might end that plan in an instant.

“He’s probably being held at gun point right now,” Isabella Solis said quietly. Tina knew Isabella and her late husband, Ramon, had been friends with Havelar for years back on Earth. Isabella was probably a bit more worried about him than the rest of them. Personally, Tina didn’t care one bit for the man who had so much blood on his hands. If it hadn’t been for the invasion, she would have demanded his trial as soon as she’d laid hands on him. Of course, if it hadn’t been for the invasion, he would probably have been safely back in Fort Andrews by now, with an army coming north toward them, prepared to end the war and bring what Havelar called the “colony” under his control. She bit the inside of her cheek, remembering her friend and commander of the Exodus, Admiral Greg Hamilton, who had been a great military mind and would have been a great leader for Aurora. Havelar was the one ultimately responsible for the massacre on the Trickler, where Greg and so many other good men and women had died. No, she held no sympathy for the man who was now likely negotiating to meet the leader of their common enemy. Still, she hoped he succeeded. They all depended on it.

A sudden blinding flash to the south made her squint, and gnawing fear suddenly burst into horrified realization as she watched the mushroom cloud rise into the air.

Thomas dunn

It was by far the most frightening sight he’d ever seen. And no matter how many times he’d seen it on screen, or seen pictures of it in books, nothing could have prepared him for the ominous cloud that rose in front of them. The horizon to the south was rapidly turning a warm red, as if the sky itself were on fire, and the scattered clouds around seemed to be sucked into the mushroom cloud, as if it were a tornado. But even the most powerful tornado couldn’t compare to the devastating force of a nuclear bomb.

In the back of his mind, Thomas wondered if it was one or both of the weapons that had been detonated. It didn’t matter though. The destruction was complete. George Havelar had pushed the button, and instead of using the weapons to force the Chinzhoi invaders to the negotiating table, he had annihilated them in one single blow, like one of the suicide bombers back in the twenty-first century. And although Thomas immediately knew the meaning of it, that he was witnessing the war coming to an abrupt end, he also knew that humanity’s most vicious invention had once again reared its ugly head. Nuclear weapons, once used, would be seen as an effective means instead of as the ultimate deterrent. And even if they kept out of the contaminated zone for the coming decades, there would still be fallout somewhere, with unpredictable consequences. He hoped Maria had the sense to take precautions, as the wind might turn and carry its deadly particles north instead of east. He shivered, thinking of his pregnant girlfriend, and his unborn child.

“He did it,” Tina whispered. “That crazy sonofabitch did it.” The military commander of the Aurorans looked baffled, as if she had a hard time understanding what had just happened. Thomas knew the feeling. He had wondered why Havelar had left early, but he really had believed that he was still going along with the plan. But of course, George Havelar had always gone wherever he planned on going, done whatever he planned on doing, no matter what everyone else thought. Or whoever opposed him. That was what had made him the most successful business leader of the twenty-first century, and it was one of the reasons 1600 people had escaped Earth’s darkest hour to come here.

“Oh, George, what have you done…” Isabella said. Thomas looked at her as she stared at the rising cloud, a single tear running down her cheek. He saw the pain on her face, the pain of losing a friend, as well as the relief of knowing this changed everything. All he wanted to do was tell her she would soon become a grandmother, and that, despite what he suspected was ultimately a form of recklessness, Havelar’s final act might be the one single thing that would give her grandchild a future.

He was certain they were far enough away from the blast for it to be of any immediate danger to them, but Thomas was eager to get back to the Stronghold. The more he looked at that image of hell forming right before his eyes, the more he wanted to turn away. And at the same time, he found it hard to avert his eyes from it all. So this is what hell looks like, he thought, as he remained still, captivated by the sight. And the mushroom cloud kept on rising, higher and higher.

Chapter 17

Maria solis

Maria was packing her bag in the dim light of her bedroom, preparing to go north again. She worried about radioactive fallout, but Doc Bowers had assured her that, as long as she took precautions to avoid rain or drinking unfiltered water, her baby would be fine. He’d said, with the current wind patterns, most of the fallout would go east, toward the sea. Even if the winds turned, any possible danger to her unborn child was manageable, and he’d promised to monitor her baby closely. Still, she worried. A nuclear weapon had been detonated far too close for comfort, and there was no way she could not worry about such a thing.

She was angry with George. She knew he had done bad things in the past, and even though this last act was one of both bravery and selflessness, it was the one that made her the angriest. She had thought this a thing of the past, and images of the smoldering ruins of Seattle, victim of the first and last nuclear terrorist act, were brought to life by these recent events.

Fort Andrews, the town where they had first landed, their first settlement of Aurora, was now a radioactive wasteland. Eventually, they would clean up the radiation, but it would take time, and it might not even be a top priority, with so many other things to do.

The invasion was effectively halted, though. Most of the invasion force had been vaporized in the blast, and the remaining enemies seemed to realize their defeat. Tina had ordered the troops from the Stronghold south shortly after witnessing the detonation, but so far, they remained north of the Trickler. There would be no more fighting. The Chinzhoi that were still alive would be allowed to leave, as long as they left quietly. From what she could tell, there would finally be peace; it was time to build the human refuge they had set out for so long ago.

It was important that Maria went north as soon as possible, though. The Akhab were in an uproar. With the comms working again, Kim, who had gone north just before George had blown up Fort Andrews, had radioed her and told her everything about it. From what she could tell, the Akhab saw this as an attack on Aurora itself. Kim had said they were hurt beyond forgiveness by this neglect, and unsure whether they could trust the humans anymore. As the one who had built the closest relationship to the Akhab, she had to go talk to them. She had to explain the complexity of what had happened.

And it was complex, and difficult to relate to, even for her. On the one hand, it was an act that would protect both humans and Akhab, and even the planet, from those who would exploit them. And the environmental effects would, given time, diminish. There was no doubt that the invasion would have been worse on the Akhab, had it succeeded, and the humans would most certainly have been enslaved. On the other hand, it was a Pandora’s box, that once opened could never again be closed. Nuclear weapons had not only been introduced to this planet, but had also been used to solve a conflict. It would be easy to do it again, should a grave enough threat appear again in the future.

She had to make the Akhab understand that this had been the act of one man. Although the Akhab could seem primitive, she suspected they would have a vital role in the future of Aurora, and she wanted nothing more than to see humans and Akhab live and work together. She sighed. She felt inadequate in the role of peacemaker, but she also realized she was the one who had to do it, since the Akhab, for some reason, seemed to hold her in near reverence. She was the one they had chosen to paint, to give a place in their collective memory, for future generations to learn of. It was difficult for her to comprehend, but the Akhab had chosen her. So she would have to be the one to speak for them; to make sure their voice was heard.

She had a few more things to do before she left. There was supposed to be a meeting later tonight, concerning Chinzhoi prisoners. She didn’t know anything more, but Kenneth had been adamant that she ought to be there. Also, she needed to see her father’s grave. She hadn’t been there for a while, and now that the immediate threat was gone, she needed the serenity of his final resting place to think. And to tell him how she felt; she knew in her heart he was listening, wherever he was. Hopefully, she would get a good night’s sleep, and in the morning, before leaving the Stronghold, she would walk over there. However urgent her mission was, this was something she needed to do.

Kenneth taylor

Maria started as Kenneth knocked. The door was open, so he stepped through, but not before alerting her of his presence. He noticed the bag and nodded approvingly. It was important to remain on good terms with the Akhab, and from what he could tell, Maria was the one to repair what had been broken.

“I see you are getting ready,” he said. Maria smiled at him. Ever since their first conversation, when he was still uneasy about her, being the daughter of Ramon and Isabella Solis, with their close ties to Havelar, he had liked her. She had something so very… decent and honest and good about her. He suspected that was the reason the Akhab had immediately chosen her, as it seemed. One day, he hoped to go north to see the murals and meet these special creatures, but for now, he could think of no one he trusted more to smooth things over with the Akhab than her.

He closed the door behind him, muffling the sounds of celebration that pervaded across the small community. He suspected it would continue throughout the night. And this time, there was truly reason to celebrate, though there were still unresolved issues, such as the one Maria was going to try sorting out.

“I’m actually looking forward to it,” she said. “I think I understand them, and I believe I can help them see that the Akhab would have faced a worse fate if the Chinzhoi had won.” Kenneth found a chair and sat down. Then, to his own surprise, he chuckled.

“Never thought I’d have to face negotiations with aliens,” he said. Maria came and sat down next to him.

“They didn’t teach you that at Harvard, did they?” she said, smiling. He shook his head.

“No, they didn’t.” He remained silent for a moment, waiting for her to say something. When she didn’t, he took a deep breath and continued.

“Did you know I was once a student at the Space Academy? Before the Mars incident?” Her reaction surprised him, as she smiled briefly.

“I wondered when you would tell me,” she said. He cocked his head.

“Thomas told me. I didn’t think it was a secret, but you never seemed to want to talk about it.” He nodded slowly.

“Yes. I guess I must have told him. And no, it wasn’t a secret; I just don’t tell people, most of the time. It doesn’t seem important. Besides, I washed out. Did he tell you that?” Maria shook her head. They shared a moment of silence again, until she spoke.

“What happened?” she asked quietly. Kenneth thought for a second. He’d never told anyone, not even after he came out as a subversive, a dissident. The pain was still there, dulled by years, but never gone. He had always thought he’d take his secret to the grave. But there was something about Maria Solis that made him want to tell everything, like a confession.

“It was a different time, back then. Before our nation changed. Before everything changed,” he began. He stared out at the half-packed bag. Here he was, light-years away and more than a century and a half later, and it still pained him to talk about it.

"And I was a different man.” Maria didn’t say anything; she just sat there, listening. He sighed.

“It was a Friday. We had been waiting all week for one of our greatest heroes to come and give a lecture. Gregory Caldwell, head of mission control on the first manned Mars expedition. The Academy worked us pretty hard, but after the lecture we’d been let off early, so a few of us had gone out to have a few beers and just blow off some steam. We were all excited from the lecture; we all saw ourselves taking part in the next great adventure, the Martian colony. It was quite a night, spirits high and credit cards loose. The beer flowed freely…

When we were about to drive back to campus that night, our designated driver had had a few beers, as well. Quite a few, actually. Enough so that I offered to take the wheel, even though I’d had a couple of beers myself. Stupid, of course, but that’s a young man’s thinking.” He smiled, staring off into nothing.

“Terry, the driver, insisted that he was sober enough, and I didn’t argue. After all, it was just a short drive. And I had my mind on other things. So we all drove off, five friends, among the nation’s elite, ready to reach for the stars. We were invincible, on our way to fame and fortune, ready to explore the next frontier.” He trailed off.

“Next thing I knew, I was lying in a hospital bed. The doctors told me I’d be able to walk again, but I’d never become an astronaut. They also told me I should count myself lucky. I was the only survivor.” He paused, and took a deep breath.

“Yeah, lucky me… My best friends were gone, and I blamed myself. Terry should never have been allowed to drive; I should have stopped him. The only good thing was that no one else had been hurt. We’d missed a turn, and crashed into the foundations of a bridge.” Maria sat on the edge of her seat, listening intently, and he smiled, a sad smile.

“I was allowed to retain my place in the Academy, even though I was partly to blame, allowing Terry to drink and drive. After all, NASA needed engineers and mission controllers, and experts in every field there was. And I’d been at the top of my class, so I guess they bent the rules a bit to let me stay on. There was just one problem, though.” He sighed.

“I didn’t want any of that; being an astronaut had been my only goal, and having failed that, I began a downward spiral of drinking, partying, skipping class, and finally flunking out. It took me years to accept that I had to find a new purpose.”

“You know the rest of the story. I eventually pulled myself together and managed to get into Harvard on a scholarship and began a new, different life there. If it hadn’t been for Devastator, I’d still be there. Well, if you rewind a century and then some, that is.” He smiled.

“You’re still sad about it, aren’t you?” Maria said. He nodded.

“Even though it saved your life?” Again, he nodded. If he hadn’t been involved in the crash, he’d certainly have been among the colonists to Mars. The mission that ended in disaster, and effectively halted the U.S.-led expansion into space. The failure that paved the road for a new America, the dystopia created by Presidents Holloway and Andrews and their followers.

“It’s just a wound that’s never quite healed. Makes no sense, really.” He chortled.

“And it’s something I’ve always been ashamed of. But mostly I feel sad about those four kids, my friends, who never got to live their lives. I do recognize that, if it hadn’t happened, we’d likely have been dead anyway, just a few years later. And besides, it did put me on the path that ended up here, on Aurora.”

“Where we almost destroyed ourselves,” Maria said quietly. He nodded.

“The Akhab will want a complete ban on nuclear weapons, and much as we’d all like it, with the Chinzhoi out there, we need those terrible weapons as a deterrent. After all, nukes can never be un-invented,” he said. She didn’t answer, so he continued, glad to be able to talk about something other than his own, painful memories.

“We could ban them from the planet surface, though. If we kept a few on the Exodus, under heavy guard, of course, we’d have the capability, while keeping Aurora nuke-free.” She looked at him, skepticism apparent.

“I’m not sure they will buy that,” she said. He spread his arms, rising from his chair.

“We will come to an agreement. No one wants those things, but we can’t forget they exist, either.” He smiled at her.

“Actually, I just came to let you know I trust you to deal with this. Hopefully, we can start rebuilding now. And explore, expand.” She grinned at that.

“If you only knew how long I’ve been waiting for that,” she said.

Tina hammer

The celebration was loud outside, and Tina closed the door to Kenneth’s cabin. She sat down next to his desk, a sturdy thing made from solid blackwood. He smiled at her, but she found it difficult to smile back. He ran his hand absently across his desk. He was in a good mood, but when he’d asked her to come see him just after his appointment with the doctor, she knew something was wrong. Still, she guessed she knew the reason for his good mood, as well. Not even his apparent fatigue or what she had come to recognize as his ever more frequent dizzy spells would be able to take that away.

They had just received confirmation that the party sent up to the Exodus had found the starship intact and undisturbed. It was a surprise that the Chinzhoi hadn’t even tried to take control of it, but he imagined they had concentrated their forces on the ground, and let the Exodus be while they went through with conquering the planet. Although the Chinzhoi were beaten on the ground, they would still have some kind of force in orbit, and one of the first things Tina had ordered after George Havelar single-handedly ended the invasion was to send as many armed troopers as they could fit on the one remaining shuttle, to secure control of the starship. Kenneth had proposed this earlier, but with the overwhelming force of the Chinzhoi, everyone had considered the Exodus to be lost to them. Besides, any attempt to launch the shuttle into space would have easily ended with disaster, considering the weapons their now-defeated enemy had at their disposal. Tina and the others had convinced him they should rather save their one remaining shuttle instead of wasting it in a futile attempt that might even have prompted a takeover earlier than the Chinzhoi intended. Now she was relieved that they would be able to defend the Exodus from being hijacked.

With the Exodus back under their firm control, they had solved another major issue. Without Fort Andrews, there would have been little food and not enough power to keep them warm through the next winter. With the supplies from the Exodus, food, a new reactor, all kinds of equipment that had been stored on the starship as backup, they would be able to not only survive, but thrive. It would be a busy few months to come, with both the shuttle from the Stronghold and the one kept on board the Exodus in constant transit between ground and orbit, replacing sorely needed supplies. Tina eventually managed a half-smile, thinking that they were only one year behind. They would catch up.

“Maria is going north tomorrow,” he said.

“Good. I’m sure she will sort things out with the Akhab,” Their small community was finally at peace, and she actually felt more peaceful than she had in a long time. She knew that the absence of enemies was part of the reason, but it was also the fact that she felt she had achieved something.

“It’s been a long year, but we finally did it, didn’t we?” she said, and noticed his eyes misting before he could say anything. He just nodded in agreement. She leaned back, and looked at him for a moment, realizing how much this meant to him. She had a lifetime to go, so much to see yet. For Kenneth, this had become his life’s purpose, although the leadership role had not been one he’d asked for. She knew how long he’d secretly dreamed of the liberty they had finally achieved. All those years of keeping his opinions to himself, seeing friends who spoke up disappear or go to prison, the desperation of being unable to do anything. And then coming here, only to discover that everything would continue as it had back on Earth.

“Yes, we did,” he simply said. Then, when she didn’t reply, he stared into her eyes, and almost growled.

“And if you had any idea… I’m telling you, Tina, as a friend, I was desperate when I realized what it was all turning into. This… This wonderful new world, twisted into a mirror image of what we left behind…” He shook his head.

“I was desperate, Tina, ready to scream at the injustice and cruelty of it all.” A smile broke through, slowly, as his eyes grew distant.

“And then a young man saw me for who I really was. Thomas showed me that there were others, that things didn’t have to be like they were. And then, when you and Greg and all the others gathered in Port Hammer, I discovered hope. That discovery made me want to step up and be a part of your growing resistance, however futile. I just wanted to be part of it, for my life to have a purpose. I never wanted the responsibility, but once you asked me, I took it because I had found a purpose, something worth living for. Even dying for.” He fell silent, as if he was waiting for her to speak. When she didn’t, he sighed.

“Now, I feel like I could sleep forever. And soon enough I will.” Tina exhaled. She had thought as much.

“How long?” she asked, voice steady. He shrugged.

“Doc Bowers said I could expect anything from three to six months. After that, no way to tell. It’s one of those tricky kinds of cancers. Sometimes it moves with blinding speed, other times, it works its malicious ways for months and even years.” She nodded.

“And, is there anything he can do for you?” Kenneth shook his head.

“No. No cure. The meds will keep the pain at bay, but sooner or later the cancer wins,” he said. Then he smiled.

“But it’s okay, Tina. I’m content. How many people can say that?” He smiled, plucking at his beard, now more gray than black. “It’s been one helluva year, with everything that’s happened since you first set foot on this planet, don’t you think?” She nodded quietly, as he almost whispered.

“In fact, it’s been one helluva life. The things I’ve seen. Tina, I’ve seen the end of one world and the beginning of another! And the most amazing of all, I’ve seen Aurora, this astonishingly beautiful place that will now become the home it was meant to be, with war finally behind us. How could I not be content?” Tina felt a lump in her throat, looking at this man who had led them through the war, given them all direction. He spoke of his life’s purpose, but really, he and his vision of a free world had given them all a purpose.

“I only wish I could see how everything continues. To hear what you discover on your journeys. To listen to Professor Lowell’s enthusiasm, already eager to explore western Verdi. Maria and the Akhab, these creatures whose very existence changes everything about the way we see ourselves in the great scheme of things.” He chuckled.

“She certainly has grown,” Tina said.

“To think that young woman, who was so insulated from the injustices of the world, would become so invested…” Kenneth said, before a sly grin spread across his face

“Actually, she hasn’t said anything, but… Have you noticed that she looks, well, different? If that young woman isn’t pregnant, I’ve never seen a pregnant woman before.” Tina almost choked on the news, but Kenneth didn’t seem to notice.

“And I know Thomas Dunn will make a fine father, as well. Oh yes, that kid will have parents to be proud of.” He sighed. He looked so tired, even now, in this moment of triumph.

“Three to six months, maybe a little more, huh?” Tina said somberly. He nodded.

“Well, you’d better hang in there then. I think you deserve to see that kid being born,” she said quietly. He smiled again then, a sad smile.

“Well, if I’m real lucky, I might even get to hold it once or twice,” he said. Tina reached out and grabbed his hand, smiling at him, eyes misting over. Yes, life will go on.

Chapter 18

Nick gilbert

He was allowed to walk around freely now, provided he kept out of the command and technical areas. Strange for him, to be a prisoner, and yet to experience this freedom of movement. Of course, nobody really trusted him, and he had to wear a tracking bracelet, so command would always know his whereabouts. But as Commander Shan had said, in time, he would fit right in. Nick never wanted this, though he couldn’t think of a way to escape his fate.

The broken remains of the invasion force had arrived yesterday. Some of them had suffered severe radiation poisoning, and Nick expected half of them to be dead by the end of the week. They had been allowed to leave the planet, but they’d had to leave their weapons and all sorts of technology behind. Nick had heard what happened, and though he was happy for his comrades back on Aurora, he felt sorry for the men and women entering the orbiting vessel. He knew they would be considered cowards, and the shame they would suffer would probably be too much to bear. Commander Shan said he expected the survivors to end their lives before the trials. To be sentenced to death for failure would shame not only themselves but their families, as well.

The more he considered his fate, the more he began to accept it. After all, he’d spent less than a year on the planet he still, in a way, considered home. Now he would leave the Cancri system along with the beaten invasion force, to join up with the arks. Where his journey would end no one could tell. Commander Shan said there would be several candidate destinations, and the great generation ships would explore them one by one, until they found one that could sustain the growing population. Nick would never know until they reached their final destination. He was to be one of the sleepers, lifeless in their cryo cells throughout the generations. Once the ark reached its destination he would be one of their specialist workers, along with many other Chinzhoi. He still felt weird about calling them Chinzhoi; most looked Chinese as far as he could tell. But he had learned the Chinzhoi, although mainly of Chinese descent, were a mix of Chinese, Russian, and Indonesian, and although there were some tensions from time to time, they seemed to have worked out their differences. With their history with the generation ships, he supposed there had been no other alternative.

Commander Shan and his crew, on the other hand, would live out their lives, training their children and children’s children to perform the skills needed to sail through the void of space. Perhaps he would wake up one day, on a distant planet, in a future where he would be able to meet the offspring of Aurorans? Who could tell. His time here was up, and Aurora was to be but a distant memory for him. He cast one more look out at the planet, and smiled sadly. He would remember.

Thomas DUNN

Thomas stood with his colleagues, clutching Maria’s hand tightly in his own. She was going north, back to the Akhab, in the morning, and though he knew she had to go, he didn’t want to be without her for even a few minutes. Finally home, finally experiencing peace, he just wanted to hold her and start living their new life together. Only the necessity of mending relations with the Akhab could keep them apart. If everything went well, he’d be joining her there in a few days. The war was over, and it was finally time to be together, at long last.

Kenneth’s cabin had proven too small, so they had decided to have the meeting outside, next to the infirmary. It was one of the quietest corners of the Stronghold, but with the victory celebration going on, even the most remote parts of town were loud. At least, they were able to have a conversation here, without shouting. He glanced at the door to the infirmary. Drew and Lisa had been receiving treatment for their near-fatal wounds from Ben’s attack, but Doc Bowers had also been testing a treatment that looked like it might be able to keep the parasite in check, or at least not allow it to take control of their minds. So far, the experiments looked good, which gave them all hope for the future.

Kenneth had gathered what he referred to as his “board of advisers,” which consisted of Tina Hammer, Colonel Quellar, Isabella and Maria Solis, Thomas Dunn, Rajiv Singh, and himself. The Dehlian ambassador had obviously been surprised at being called upon to advise the president of Aurora, but then again, he did have knowledge that could prove crucial to them all. Besides, everyone wanted good relations between the Indira Federation and Aurora, including Rajiv himself, despite the Aurorans having rejected Federation membership.

“What do we do with them,” Thomas asked the others.

“I’d say, put them on a shuttle or put them behind bars. There’s no way we can trust these people,” Shoshana Quellar growled. Surprisingly, Tina nodded. The two military commanders weren’t friends, but it was impressive how well they had managed to work together. Especially for Colonel Quellar, who outranked Tina, but had been forced to defer to her. Kenneth almost chuckled. Tina would make anyone defer to her, if she chose to.

There was a problem, though. After Havelar blew up Fort Andrews, there were still Chinzhoi soldiers scattered around far enough away from the blast to survive, making their way north to the Auroran checkpoints. The standing order was that the Chinzhoi would be allowed to evacuate, and many already had. What the guards manning the checkpoints had discovered, though, after having the prisoners’ words translated, was that those who chose to leave would face harsh punishment, as would their entire families. It would be better for them to have died here, fighting. At least that would keep their families safe.

So now there were almost fifty Chinzhoi soldiers, having laid down their weapons and surrendered, who were waiting for a decision. They had chosen to place their fate in the hands of their enemy instead of returning for what would be considered a shameful retreat.

“At the moment, they are prisoners of war, and they shall be treated accordingly,” Kenneth said, firmly now. Thomas thought he looked pale, and he had a pained look on his face. Still, there was no doubt who was in charge. Thomas smiled, thinking how much his friend had grown into his new role. When he first met him, on board the Exodus, he’d never imagined this man would one day become the president of Aurora.

“What we need to decide is what to do with them in the long term,” Kenneth continued.

“Their culture is very different from ours. From yours,” Rajiv said, and everyone turned toward him.

“You have to remember that, even unarmed, they still see themselves as warriors. Although there is no way for them to return in defeat, their status among their own would change significantly if they turned on us, and then managed to escape to orbit,” he said. Thomas nodded. He had trouble trusting that these people had surrendered peacefully. Having encountered their ferocity in combat, he knew these were vicious fighters, capable of doing a lot of damage, even if they had surrendered their weapons. Still…

“Isn’t it obvious?” Maria said, interrupting his train of thought. Everyone turned to face her, and Thomas noticed Kenneth trying to hide a sly smile with his hand.

“They came to us. They have no future on Chinzhou or anywhere else in Chinzhoi space. We should welcome them, and learn from them. We have lost so many, and now there are almost fifty people who want to be part of our world. We are all immigrants here; let’s treat them as such also. As long as they make an effort to become Aurorans, I don’t see how we could turn them away. Especially when their only alternative is certain death, reprisals against their families…” She paused for a second, and Thomas noticed several heads nodding. Somehow, Maria was turning everything around.

“And we can’t keep them prisoners forever, either. We don’t have the resources, and besides, it wouldn’t be right,” she said firmly.

“They have probably suffered enough,” Isabella said, nodding at her daughter. “Let’s give them a chance.”

“It just doesn’t seem fair…” Colonel Quellar muttered. Tina shot her a hard look.

“Fair? Do you think your sitting here is fair?” she said, startling the colonel. “Let’s not forget that there are others who have been given a second chance, as well.” Tina had a hard look on her face, and Thomas recognized her anger, long suppressed, from having seen good people die.

“I don’t trust the Chinzhoi, either,” she continued, “but I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit here listening to you talk about fair. I think it’s time we all had a hard look at ourselves. No one is innocent, and nobody deserves a second chance more than anyone else.” She stopped, and averted her eyes from the colonel. Thomas saw she regretted her harsh words. Tina and Quellar had been able to cooperate, but it seemed there was still a tension there that wouldn’t let go easily. Kenneth coughed hard, and Thomas saw he was struggling to speak. Tina, sitting next to him, patted him on the back, while everyone else remained quiet.

“Remember…” he began. “Remember, we must dare to be different from our enemy.” He swallowed hard. “We must not become that which we fight.”

Thomas thought of a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche that Kenneth had often cited. “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” It was amazing how these words summarized Nietzsche’s—and Kenneth’s—deep insight into the human psyche and his awareness of the fragility of even good people’s morals. This was the moment they would choose whether to follow the wisdom inherent in those words, or to let the seed of fear take root. That seed, which, given time, had the potential and capability to fester and spread throughout their entire lives, their entire world. No, we will be different, he thought, as Kenneth regained his composure, reaffirming his strength as the president he had become, firm and deeply rooted in strong values.

“I think we have proven that former enemies can work together, even when there is bad blood between us. In time, that will fade, and in a generation, we will all be part of the same community. I, for one, look forward to that. And I look forward to welcoming those Chinzhoi who chose to come to us instead of evacuating with the others. I look forward to seeing them become Aurorans, just like we have.”

Maria Solis

Maria was standing in a clearing, an hour’s walk from the Stronghold, by a grave marked with a wooden cross. Here was her father’s final resting place, beside a small creek running through the great valley that they had made their home. This was where they had found him, when winter was just about to turn into spring. It was so much more beautiful now that everything had turned lush and green, with small red and yellow flowers covering the clearing, shrouded in morning mist. Maria was glad they had decided to let him rest here, away from the wars and the suffering they had been through. Ramon Solis had seen enough of that when he was alive.

She stroked her belly absent-mindedly, something she’d started doing even though there was nothing visible yet.

“I wish you could have seen him,” she whispered. Only the breeze rustling the trees answered.

“Doc Bowers did a scan yesterday, and I could see him. He was sucking his thumb, just like I did when I was little. A healthy little boy, Doc said.” Maria looked up at the blue sky and sighed heavily.

“I miss you so much, Daddy, but I already know a little of you will be in him. And I’ve decided to name him after you. Little Ramon. Sounds strange for me now, but I know I’ll get used to it. And I think Thomas will appreciate it, too, once I tell him. He always liked you, even though you were on opposite sides.” She held back a tear, thinking how unfair it was, that her father was considered a murderer, a war criminal, even after everything he’d done to stop the war. Even though he wasn’t the one to order the massacre on the Trickler.

“You’d have liked being a grandpa, I’m sure. Mom is so excited about this, she can’t wait. Nine months is an eternity, she says. I don’t know, I think those nine months will pass so quickly, it’s already been almost two.” She smiled, thinking of her mother and how she doted on her whenever she was around. Isabella might not be the grandmotherly type, but she was already easing into it, and Maria could see her mother spoiling her grandchildren whenever she thought Maria didn’t notice. She wanted to address something else though, and her smile faded.

“Dad, I know Uncle George did some horrible things, and clearly did wrong by you—willingly sacrificing you to achieve his goal, but I really hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him.” She thought for a moment. “I’m sure you know that he sacrificed himself for all of us. It was an extreme choice, but I know he thought it was the only way to save us. I guess he still saw himself as the leader of our growing community. I think he felt, I don’t know, responsible for whatever happened to all of us, and that he had to do what he did.”

Thinking of the journey ahead of her, she took a deep breath. “It won’t be easy, but I think I’ll be able to set things straight with the Akhab. They were horrified by what he did, and I have to do my best to help them understand. But how do you explain the use of nuclear weapons to attain peace? It did end the war, though. Finally, Aurora can be the home we dreamed of.” She suddenly felt an impulse to laugh.

“Maybe this is all nonsense on my part. Perhaps the two of you are sitting together as we speak, talking, dreaming up how this world will look in a hundred years. You were both dreamers, Dad. And your dreams took us so far. That is something no one can take away, no matter how things turned out once we got here.” She looked down at the belly that would soon begin to grow, thinking of her son, and the world he would inherit.

“Kenneth is doing such a great job, even though he is obviously ill. His vision and leadership helped reunite us, creating a community out of what was broken just a short while ago. And Tina is already planning to explore the other continents.” She smiled. “She was always a step ahead of the rest of us, and while we explore and build Verdi, she will be out there, once again prospecting new lands.” Sharing all of this with her father made her realize how much had actually transpired in this very short period of time.

“The kids, those who got the parasite, seem okay. Doc Bowers is treating them, and it seems he’s onto a vaccine, as well, so that little Ramon might be able to breathe freely one day, without worrying about losing himself to some… bug.”

“Well, I guess I have to go back now, Dad. I’m going north to see the Akhab. Besides, I promised I’d cook breakfast before I go. Thomas said he can’t wait to taste my newfound specialty, powdered scrambled eggs and smoked dragon fish. You know how bad a cook I am, so I guess you can tell he loves me.” She chuckled. Then she blew a kiss toward the grave and turned around, ready to head back to the Stronghold.

That’s when she saw the woman.

She was tall, slim, with fine features and long black, flowing hair, and moved toward her with graceful steps. She carried a small pack on her back. The woman wore a tight-fitting suit, and Maria thought she shimmered, small specks of light emanating from little dots on her clothing. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before, changing colors with every step, from dark purple to shiny black to deep burgundy. And she wasn’t wearing a facemask.

The woman approached quickly, with sure steps. As she got closer, Maria realized she had never seen her before. Although she didn’t know everyone personally, she knew in her gut she would have remembered this woman.

Slowly, it dawned on her; this woman was not one of the colonists from the Exodus.

Maria felt the hairs on her neck rise. There was something calming about the woman, though, and Maria instinctively knew she wasn’t here to hurt her. And yet, the fact that she had never seen her before made her stand completely still, not knowing what to expect. She seemed friendly, from the look on her face, but infinitely foreign.

“Who are you?” Maria whispered, already knowing the answer would change everything she’d ever taken for granted, everything she’d ever been taught.

The woman halted in front of her and held up something in front of her mouth as she started speaking. A greeting of sorts; words jumbled at first, before they started making sense. A translation device, Maria thought, learning at lightning speed. The words that came out of her mouth were strange, foreign. The device though, quickly formed them into near perfect English.

“My name is Shefania Merani, First Analyst of the Seedseeker. I come from a place far far away, and I am delighted to meet you Maariaa Soliis. Long have my people searched for the lost arks carrying Lifebringer’s children, and finally our search is over.” She paused, and Maria tried to make sense of what Shefania’s words meant. Shefania smiled and raised her hand, touching her shoulder.

“I am here to tell you of your people’s history.”

Epilogue

100,000 years BC

Jurghaan

Jurghaan was standing with his back to the wrecked lander, staring out at the landscape stretching out in front of him. Grasslands as far as he could see, scattered trees here and there, the sound of a river’s rapid current rushing nearby. The star, Sol they had decided to name it, warmed even now as it kissed the western horizon. A flying creature covered in feathers soared slowly above the plains. Jurghaan knew he was lucky to be alive. Many hadn’t survived, and would never get to see this magnificent view. For that, he was sad, but the sadness couldn’t diminish the euphoria from finally having arrived on the new world.

He turned and walked back to the landing site. The casualties were being cared for. The dead were buried, and those still alive would be patched up by the medbots, which could even perform more advanced surgery than any human was able to. In the future, things wouldn’t be so easy. Both the AI and the techlab were destroyed in the crash, and with neither facilities nor knowledge of how to repair the drones and bots, a large part of their technology would eventually wear down. And all materials, from electronics to mechanical parts, and even the clothes they were wearing, were designed to dissolve no more than ten years after they were used; that was how they had managed to solve the waste problem back on their home world, when waste and pollution had threatened their environment. In the future, they would just have to do without many of the technologies they were used to— things they had taken for granted. Jurghaan knew life would get rough, especially for the generations to come, but he had a different way of seeing things. Although they would eventually lose the medbots, and much of their advanced technology, he could easily foresee a future where they created their own technology. He even envisioned a future where their descendants returned to the stars, to find the rest of Lifebringer’s children, scattered throughout the universe.

For now though, they needed to build a settlement and get situated. Although they had at least five years worth of pre-packed food, they still needed to develop some sort of food supply. Then they needed to survey the local resources, establish an energy source, and learn how to survive on this new world. From what he could tell, there should be edible plants and meat abundant nearby, so what they needed to do was learn how to harvest them properly, and hopefully produce some of it themselves.

He’d known in his heart that this place would feel like home, and he smiled as he walked toward his sister, standing with a group of officers and specialists. They had landed in the eastern part of this continent, where lush planes stretched out in all directions. To the west, he knew there would be a great lake, and he hoped they would be able to go there as soon as they finished building their initial settlement. Who knew what hid beneath all that water. And the oceans! One day, he would sail those seas, stretching for impossible distances, unlike anything he’d ever seen or even imagined back on Lifebringer.

Oahna and many of the others were concerned about not being able to terraform this planet at all without the weather module. Jurghaan didn’t worry too much about that. The conditions were fine, well within the survivable temperature range. A bit hotter than they were used to, which meant parts of this world would be less than hospitable, but again, nothing they wouldn’t be able to adapt to. The atmosphere was mostly safe, so they would soon be able to breathe freely. The microorganisms in the air were something they would have to get used to gradually. Most would probably become sick from time to time, but by being infected and then healed by the medbots, they would eventually develop a pretty good resistance to the local germs long before the medbots ceased to function.

“There you are,” his sister said, brow furrowed the way it did when she worried. His little sister was the responsible one; he’d always been more of an adventurer. He smiled at her.

“Just enjoying the view from the hill. Have you seen it?” he said. She shook her head.

“No time for that yet, I’m afraid.” She sighed and looked over at the wreckage.

“We lost so much. Almost a hundred dead, and so much of what we need, gone forever. We have no way to rebuild those things. Not even the library survived the crash landing, the servers burned up before we managed to extinguish the flames.”

“We don’t even have weapons to protect ourselves. The armory contained everything, and now it’s just a charred wreck,” the leader, Hirwhan, said. He looked worried, as well, Jurghaan thought. He smiled again.

“But there’s nothing to fear here,” he said. “We are the only intelligent species for light-years.”

“Let me show you something. One of the drones captured this,” Oahna said, producing her projector and flicking it on. A hologram appeared above it, and Jurghaan saw a beast like nothing he’d ever seen before. It had four feet and a long wagging tail. A deep yellow fur covered its entire body. Around its head, it had a thick brown mane, and once it opened its mouth, he saw a fearsome set of fangs. Then the beast roared, a deep voice, like it was daring the survey drone to step back. The camera zoomed out, and he saw the other beast, the one lying beneath the first, bitten to death, blood soaking the ground. Even the tall, seemingly sharp things sticking out from its head hadn’t saved it.

“My God, what is that?” he asked. Hirwhan motioned for Oahna to shut it off, as more people had seen, and came over to watch.

“You’re scaring them,” he said quietly. Then, to Jurghaan, the older man said, “This beast and others are what we face on this seemingly perfect destination. It frightens me, but there has to be some way we can protect ourselves, even without our weapons. We just need to find out how.”

“Where did this happen?” Jurghaan asked, shocked at the brutality.

“This?” his sister asked. “Just half a day’s walk north of here. About an hour ago.” His jaw dropped.

“You mean, this… killer…” she nodded.

“Yes, this, and others like it.” No one spoke for a moment, and Oahna produced a new image.

“No use in hiding the truth. If people get scared, so be it. Here’s another local beast. Quite a monster, I’d say.” The image showed a huge creature, with deep gray, almost blue, leathery skin. Jurghaan felt awed by its size, but somehow this creature didn’t scare him like the other one. It looked beautiful, in an odd way. Its head was one of the most curious things he’d ever seen; a small head, relative to the rest of its body, with two large flapping ears, and instead of a nose or snout, it had a long trunk. Beside the trunk, there were two long tusks, probably good for defense against beasts such as the first one.

“We don’t know any more about this one, so we cannot say whether it is aggressive or not, but if it is, this is one beast I would prefer not to get too close to,” Hirwhan said. Jurghaan nodded. They needed to know more.

“Let’s make sure we stick together. At least we have the protection of numbers,” he said. The star was setting, and soon the site would be covered in darkness. They should get some fires going, Jurghaan thought. As they all went on to other tasks, Jurghaan looked up at the darkening sky and saw the moon. This world only had one, and from the surveys they had conducted before landing, they knew it was a dead, dusty place, which didn’t support life. It didn’t even have an atmosphere. But as it became more and more visible, it looked beautiful. It even reflected enough light for them to gain some measure of visibility. As he went on about his tasks, he thought of his mother, Ghaaratha, and the last time they had been together. His and Oahna’s father had been a councilor back home, and hadn’t even been able to come home to say goodbye. He’d been working on the evacuation, which had been the single biggest achievement of their civilization. And the last. In a way, they had beaten nature. Lifebringer would be a dead world by now, if it hadn’t been completely destroyed; the cataclysm of the twin stars converging must have killed everything. Building a thousand arks, which could travel up to near light speed to every corner of the universe was the result of millennia of technological innovation, but also that of a singular purpose through three centuries, and countless personal sacrifices. So even though father had been absent, Jurghaan knew it was an act of love. Here they were, brother, sister, so many of them, still alive, centuries after the death of their home planet, ready to make a new start, to seed this world with humanity.

Lifebringer was now just a memory, nothing but a dead rock hundreds of light-years away. And though the memory of Lifebringer might fade, all of their stories forgotten in the sea of time, the true legacy of Lifebringer was the fact that they were here. The fact that all over the universe, the seeds of humanity had been sown. Some of these seeds would die, from hostile environments, natural disasters, or evolution taking a wrong turn. But many would thrive and grow, and lay the foundations for new civilizations. And some of those civilizations might, given time, aspire to go beyond their new home worlds.

People would look to the stars, with wonder in their hearts and an aching in their souls. Where do we come from, they might ask. Why are we here? And those people would be compelled to seek answers, lost throughout the centuries and the millennia.

This was Lifebringer’s final legacy.

~

Dear Reader,

So we have reached the end of the Exodus Trilogy, and let me tell you, writing these books has been an adventure. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading them as well. Although the trilogy has now come to an end, this will not be our final visit together to Aurora. There are still so many stories to tell, and so many paths to explore, and I would love it if you would take the journey with me.

So, what´s next?

If you want more in the universe of the Exodus Trilogy, you should check out RIFT. RIFT is set on Earth, more than two centuries after the events of Exodus, in a world rebuilt from the ashes of the Fall. The RIFT Saga is strongly connected to the Exodus Trilogy, in ways you will only know once you read it.

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and on my website and blog. And if you want to make sure you don't miss out on anything, I invite you to join my inner circle on http://christensenwriting.com/signup

Here you will be the first to know about new releases, and sometimes I even have special treats that you will find nowhere else. Also, you will receive the ALIVE, an Exodus companion novella for FREE! And let me assure you, your email address is safe with me. I promise not to spam you, sell or give away your email address — ever.

Looking forward to having you on board!

Before you leave this book, I would like to ask you a favor.

In the new world of publishing, word of mouth may be the most important factor in a story finding its readers. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review. It doesn't matter if it's short; the fact that someone read it, and liked it, could mean the difference between another reader deciding to try it, or moving on to the next story. And it would be much appreciated.

About the Author

Andreas Christensen is a Norwegian science fiction and fantasy writer.

He has a degree in Psychology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and his professional background is mainly from public service.

Andreas has a weakness for cats, coffee, and up until recently, books so heavy he'd need a separate suitcase in order to carry them every time he traveled. Luckily, the world has changed, and the suitcase has now been replaced by the an e-reader.

You can find Andreas Christensen online:

Website: http://www.christensenwriting.com

Blog: http://www.christensenwriting.com/blog

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/achr75

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christensenwriting

Books by Andreas Christensen:

Novels:

EXODUS - The Exodus Trilogy, part 1. Science fiction (high tech / space opera). 2011 (1.ed.), 2012 (2.ed)

AURORA - The Exodus Trilogy, part 2. Science fiction (high tech / space opera). 2013

GENESIS - The Exodus Trilogy, part 3. Science fiction (high tech / space opera). 2014

RIFT - The Rift Saga, part 1. Science fiction (dystopian, post-apocalyptic), 2014

Novellas:

ALIVE – An Exodus companion novella. Science fiction (dystopian). 2013

VALERIAN'S COMPANY – Fantasy. 2012

EXPLORER – A Genesis companion novella. Science fiction (exploration), 2015

Short stories:

THE TUNNEL – Science fiction (time travel). 2012

THE TRIBE – Science fiction (time travel). 2012