“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 dy
ing 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.
Genesis (The Exodus Trilogy) Page 16