Chapter 7: My name is Sharra.
Grandfather left us a detailed letter telling of his trip into the rendezvous star system, the fight for their life against a robot torch meteoroid, and the terrible shape they found the survivors of the other human convoy.
I've worked my way up to engineer supervisor level 4. When I'm alone and feeling sorry for myself I can almost hear him telling my brothers and sister about the conditions on those habitats and the limitation they place on the number of children allowed. It's been a hundred and three years since he returned to the convoy. We'll be in the rendezvous system in another month. The two warships that went ahead to scout gave us the all clear last year. Our convoy now consist of 14 habitats, 3 manufacturing ships, 2 space docks, and 27 warships.
The council has already announced that when we depart this star system we'll divide into 3 convoys with rendezvous star systems designated for the next 1000 years. Two million humans in one place is just to many to risk. Six hundred thousand plus is a large number, but that is what they have decided is a nice number to split down to.
I already know that my three oldest boys will be on two of the convoys headed out. My two daughters are to young to make that decision yet. Of course it depends on how long we are in this star system.
This is a young star system. The followup reports from the scouts say it is rich in ore and radioactive elements. There is also reported a planet that may be suitable to leave a colony on. We'll all know in about 5 years what the final plan turns out to be.
Scout Expedition Page 7