Genesis (The Exodus Trilogy) (17 page)

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.

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.