All in all though, Rajiv Singh had given her hope. His description of the society they had created was an inspiring tale of the good that humans were capable of. The choice the Aurorans had been given was the same one the Dehlians had faced, so many years ago. It was only right that they should make that choice for themselves. Otherwise it wouldn’t be theirs, and an important lesson for all of them would never be learned. Aurora was their home now, for better or worse, and whatever the future held, the choices they made would make all the difference.
Epilogue
In the silence of the empty bridge, Shefania felt as if even her thoughts were loud. The Seedseeker was one of the largest ships ever built, designed specifically to search for signs of intelligent life throughout the galaxy, and so far it had served for more than two centuries, exploring more distant planets than any other ship built. The crew members were mostly asleep, as they had been for the past thirty-six years. Only the nav bots and tech drones had been there to witness their arrival in this system, where the ship’s on-board AI had sent them this time. Shefania, being the senior analyst on board, had been awakened early though, in order to catch up on all the data acquired. Now she struggled with finding the right words to begin her log entry. She knew the words mattered. Her words would make history. They would be analyzed and commemorated for generations. They would be recited by the elders and revered by the youngsters coming to learn at the great Life Dome back on Sanctuary.
If only she could be sure. She was absolutely certain they had finally found what they had been searching for throughout the generations preceding her. The data coming up from the reconnaissance drones disturbed her though. Something must have gone wrong at some point of their evolution, or they wouldn’t have been like this. She knew violence, and she had even witnessed the Awarghas wiping out an entire species in order to mine their homeworld, but this was different. It seemed they were able to kill their own in great numbers, something unheard of, even among the most warlike species of the Trident systems. This was true from what the drones had observed by the river skirmish, but even so, that hadn't been the end of it. The young ones had removed their facemasks, which seemed to have spurred a new development in them. She couldn't be sure yet, but it seemed they were evolving into something else entirely, beings that were even more prone to destruction that before. She knew she shouldn't be surprised though. The tendency to kill their own species was the real remarkable trait. Those who had “evolved” weren’t quite human anymore, so by natural law, it was to be expected that it would be easier for them to kill a human being.
Still, what worried her most wasn't the evolved youngsters. Thankfully, it seemed the others understood that removing the facemasks was dangerous, and so far, she hadn't observed any others going down that path. What did worry her were the traits displayed in the behavior of the ordinary humans. She had to assume the violent behavior and tendency to kill their own was an inherited trait, a fact that actually scared her more than anything. After all, if the trait had evolved in this population, it could evolve elsewhere too. So they had to be careful. In fact, if she wasn’t, the crew of the Seedseeker might bring something home with them, something that could threaten the entire species. And however great a discovery this might be, the danger it posed should not be underestimated. Sanctuary had to come first.
Still, by every account, they were kin. The first to be rediscovered. An amazingly small number, but she would learn the reason soon enough. The ships orbiting the planet seemed to be from yet another world, and her guess was that this planet was but a smaller outpost of a large empire. If they all had these violent traits, such an empire might endanger them all, so they would have to take precautions.
She noted their current coordinates and the date, and hesitated for a moment before she started her entry.
“Although the offspring found seem different in many ways from those of Sanctuary, the fact remains: the Seedseeker has discovered the first proof that at least one more starship managed to survive its journey, saving another strain of Lifebringer’s children.”
~
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About the Author
Andreas Christensen is a Norwegian writer who writes primarily science fiction and fantasy.
He has a degree in Psychology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and his professional background is mainly from public service.
When he’s not writing, he’s probably spending time with Siri and Jonas, or working. (Writing is not work. It’s a whole bag of fun, sitting in front of the computer and making stuff up!)
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 Kindle.
You can find Andreas Christensen online:
Website: http://www.christensenwriting.com
Blog: http://www.christensenwriting.com/blog
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/andreaschristensen
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/achr75
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christensenwriting
Other works by the author:
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 (working title) The Exodus Trilogy, part 3. Science fiction (high tech / space opera). Coming 2013/2014
Novellas:
ALIVE – An Exodus companion novella that can also be read as a standalone. Science fiction / Dystopian. 2013
VALERIAN'S COMPANY – Fantasy / Horror (dark fantasy). 2012
Short stories:
THE TUNNEL – Science fiction (time travel). 2012
THE TRIBE – Science fiction (time travel). 2012
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Aurora (The Exodus Trilogy) Page 17