Serendipity
Page 34
“Never,” Veronika said again. “Never must he be told.”
More and more, David found himself down by the shore of Lake Cartier, enjoying the peace and quiet. The signs of human habitation could be seen everywhere now, with forest and grassland replacing the bare earth they’d known when they first arrived. It was still quiet, though. No birdsong carried on the air, no fish swam in the waters of the lake. But he’d live to see it happen. The change in the atmosphere gathered pace and the vegetation spread and grew. They didn’t even have to plant so much anymore; it happened all by itself. Nigel’s and Josh’s success with a new variety of blue-green algae meant it wouldn’t be long before the great ocean began to pump out even more oxygen. A new carbon cycle would begin as the algae mopped up carbon dioxide and buried it on the deep ocean floor as they lived, died and sank.
David lifted his mask and sniffed, savoring the fresh piney fragrance. He could do that, now. He couldn’t breathe the air yet, but he could smell it.
“Careful with that stuff, mate. You might get addicted to it.”
David turned to see John picking his way down to the shore, and grinned. “You should try it.”
John replied by taking a breath of his own. “I can’t wait until we don’t need these masks anymore.”
David nodded and turned back to his view of the lake. “You’ll see it in your lifetime.”
John stood next to him. For a long time the two men said nothing, looking at the lake, lost in their thoughts. At last, John broke the silence. “I notice you didn’t say we’ll see it in our lifetime.”
David shot him a look that spoke volumes.
“You’re going back, aren’t you? To Earth?”
David realized John was right. He hadn’t been able to say it, even to himself, but John had seen through him, even if he hadn’t wanted him to.
“I don’t belong here anymore.”
“Bullshit.”
David laughed. “You think?”
“No one here would say otherwise. If anyone belongs, you do. They want you to be their leader. Everyone respects you.”
David nodded. “Respect, yes. But they also fear me. They know what I did. I realize most of them are grateful I made some hard decisions and took care of a dirty problem for them. But they know, now. They know what I am. I’m a wolf loose in the sheepfold. They respect me, but they fear me too.”
He looked at John. John returned his gaze. “So you think you should go.”
“I said I would, remember? After I told you about Earth. I said we’d go back and save them all. They may have a need for someone like me.”
“You said? The rest of us had a say too, as I recall.”
David inclined his head. “True enough. But someone has to stay here in case we are all there is.”
“Hmmmph.”
They stared at the lake some more, watching the shadows lengthen in the gathering dusk. John broke the silence. “What about your family? Don’t they deserve a father?”
“Of course, but I don’t have to go tomorrow. I can’t, anyway. We don’t have a ship anymore, remember?”
John thought of his adopted “daughter”, somewhere out there in the solar system, perhaps even now on her way to another star. It seemed he had no shortage of self-sacrificing heroes in his life.
“So you’ll stay until they’ve grown up?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“And then you’ll go.”
David lifted his head, his eyes finding a small yellow star on the horizon. “Yes. Then I’ll go.”
Enjoy Serendipity? Please consider leaving a review.
The Foothold series will have three story arcs. Serendipity brings the first story arc to a conclusion – the part of the series that deals with the settlement of Serendipity and the trials and tribulations faced by the settlers in the years that follow.
I don’t think I’ll be dropping any spoilers when I tell you book four will take us back to the Sol system, where some surprises await. I’d love you to join me as the adventure continues in 2017.
Thanks again for your support.
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About the Author
Dennis Ingram was born in the Apollo era and developed an insatiable appetite for anything relating to rockets and space, and needless to say followed the Apollo program with a passion.
He read every science fiction book in his local library, growing up on a diet of Andre Norton, E. E. ‘Doc’ Smith, Clifford D. Simak, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and many other iconic science fiction authors.
He wrote science fiction stories in school notebooks when he was a boy, but as he grew up he put those away and switched to writing in computer languages instead. He kept reading, though – hundreds and hundreds of books, especially science fiction, and never stopped dreaming.
One day he decided to write down these dreams.
You’ve just read one of them.
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