by Nina Croft
She paused to run her hand over a large metal object. She had no clue what it was, but the metal was cold to the touch.
“Destiny!”
She hurried after Dr. Yang. There was so much to see, but hopefully there would be at least a little time to examine all these new things.
Finally, they reached the doorway. She halted, hovering at the edge of the ramp that separated the ship from the new world. And then she was breathing in the fresh air, filling her lungs. It smelled as she had imagined sunshine would smell. As she’d imagined the color yellow would smell.
She stood and stared.
She blinked at the bright light. There was the sun. Actually, there were two suns. A large yellow—almost white—ball just peering over the horizon and a smaller orange sun higher in the sky. The air was warm, and a light breeze tickled her skin as she held her face up to the sunlight.
It was so beautiful her chest ached.
The ship had landed on a plateau, and before it lay a shimmering lake of blue water, and beyond that a forest of small, stumpy green trees. She turned her head; behind them a steep mountain loomed over the ship. High above, some sort of bird or other flying animal circled lazily in the sky. So free.
How she would love to fly.
A man came up behind her, a large square box in his arms, nearly knocking her over; she stepped to the side, then watched as he carried the box down the ramp and placed it in the back of a large vehicle.
“Come along,” Dr. Yang said.
She followed her, but as they stepped off the ramp, Destiny came to an abrupt halt. For the first time in her life she was actually touching the ground. Not a floor, but actual dirt. A tremor ran through her. Then something caught her eye off to the right. A spaceship was coming in to land, small and sleek and silver. Dr. Yang had also stopped.
“Who is that?” Destiny asked, not really expecting an answer, but to her surprise, Dr. Yang spoke.
“They’re representatives arriving from the rest of the fleet. There’s to be a meeting,” she murmured. “That shuttle is from the Trakis Two—you can tell by the number on the side.”
The shuttle touched down lightly on an area of flat land near the ship. There were already three others parked in a row.
“They all came over on the Trakis Five,” Dr. Yang continued. “But the ship is remaining in orbit and they’re using shuttles to bring them to the planet surface. Come.”
The door to the shuttle slid open and two figures emerged. Destiny hesitated.
The first man was dressed similarly to Dr. Yang, though his shirt was yellow. But it was the second man who held her attention. She couldn’t look away.
He was quite possibly the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Tall and lean, dressed in blue pants and a black shirt that fitted his form. His hair was short and black, and his silver eyes wandered restlessly over the scene in front of him. A scar ran down his right cheek. He looked wild and free like the bird in the sky, and she took a step toward him as though she were pulled.
The movement must have caught his attention, because he turned slightly, raised his head, and stared straight into her eyes. For a moment their gazes locked. He didn’t smile, didn’t change his expression in any way, but she felt a connection tug at her. A shiver ran through her and her skin tingled. Her mouth went dry as she hugged her arms around herself, yearning for something, but no clue what. Then the man beside him spoke and he shook his head, breaking the connection, leaving her bereft. They disappeared inside the shuttle, and she stared after them.
“Destiny?”
Dr. Yang was watching her, and she forced herself to smile. “Where are we going?”
“There.”
Destiny’s gaze followed the direction of the doctor’s pointed finger. An island lay in the center of the lake, bustling with activity. Already a building rose out of the flat land. Was this to be her new home? The walls were the same sandy color as the mountain behind them, and there were windows that would look out onto the forest and the mountain. She could imagine the sun streaming into it in the mornings.
Dr. Yang strode across the sandy ground to where a red vehicle waited for them and then opened the door and gestured for Destiny to get in. She climbed inside and the doctor got in beside her.
Clutching her bag on her lap, she stared out the window, then turned and looked behind them. The ship was huge. Her gaze shifted to the much smaller shuttle from the Trakis Two, but there was no sign of the man who’d caught her attention.
Would she ever see him again?
She wanted to pack in as much as she could. She would learn to swim in the lake, climb the mountain, lie under the warmth of the suns. Meet the mysterious stranger who made her body shiver and her skin tingle. Maybe learn about love. She’d read about love in The Count of Monte Cristo and it was high on her list of things to experience. Also probably at the top of the “never going to happen” list, but she could dream. Even Dr. Yang couldn’t stop her from dreaming.
“Have you ever been in love?” she asked.
Dr. Yang frowned. “What are you talking about, Destiny?”
“Nothing.”
Then they were moving. And the only world she had ever known grew smaller and smaller behind her. As they reached the water’s edge, with a shifting of machinery, they drove straight into the water and toward the land. It took only minutes to cross. She had seen pictures of old-fashioned castles on Earth. This reminded her of that, the tall building surrounded by a moat. For protection, she assumed, but protection against what? What dangers had they found on this brand-new world?
The vehicle pulled up outside the building, and she got out and stood looking around. There were people everywhere, working, building—would she be expected to work, too? Dr. Yang ushered her up a set of stairs and through an open doorway into a wide hall. A man stepped forward and they spoke briefly. She didn’t seem happy but finally nodded and came back to Destiny, giving her a tight smile.
“Your room is downstairs.”
Oh… She wanted to be high up. She wanted a view. But she knew better than to question the doctor when she had that closed-off, unhappy expression, and she just gave a brief nod.
The man led them through a door, down a set of stairs, through another door. The corridor was narrow and the light dim. He stopped in front of a metal door with a grill in the front. He turned the handle and the door opened. Stepping aside, he gestured for her to enter.
Her feet locked in place, her stomach churning as all the brightness oozed from the day.
The room was dark, and no sunlight reached here under the ground. She looked at Dr. Yang, but her face still held that closed-off expression, and Destiny knew there was no help there.
She clung to her bag and stepped into the darkness. As she entered, an orange light flickered to life. The room was small, maybe ten feet by ten feet. She blinked but held her shoulders stiff until the door closed behind her, and the lock clicked. She waited until the sound of footsteps faded, then she sank to the floor.
What have I done wrong?
Chapter Five
“Remember that two-legged tigers and crocodiles are more dangerous than those that walk on four.”
—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
Elvira Yang blinked as she walked away. She wouldn’t let herself feel, but the look on Destiny’s face as she stepped into that cell would haunt her forever.
She took a deep breath. She needed to stay strong for a little while longer. Soon this would be over, and she would be free to join her family. All the same, she could try to help. While she’d kept her distance over the years, something about Destiny had always tugged at her. Perhaps because Destiny was her creation. She had molded her. Human, but better than nature could ever create.
She headed up the stairs to the first floor. Here the corridors were wi
de, and sunlight flooded in through the windows. She knew her way around and went straight to the office. Silas stood outside the door, no doubt protecting his boss from unwelcome visitors. Which didn’t include her.
“Can I see him?” she asked.
“I’ll check.”
She liked Silas. He appeared to be one of those rare things—a decent human being—apart from his total loyalty to Luther Kinross, of course. One day she would ask him where that came from. Luther was larger than life and possessed the art of inspiring loyalty, until you got to know him. Then you realized what a ruthless bastard he really was.
Back on Earth, Luther had been a billionaire, a powerful man who’d appeared to have no urge for the limelight. Instead, he kept to the shadows, happy to control from behind the scenes.
He had interests in a number of fields, and he’d funded her research for many years. Also, one of his companies had had the contract for selecting and training the crews for all the fleet. She presumed that was how he had managed to get her a place.
Here, he was making a more overt bid for power. But then, with the destruction of the Trakis One, right now, everything was up for grabs. The Trakis One had carried Max Beauchamp, the president of the Federation of Nations and intended leader of the new world. Until his ship had crashed into a black hole. As far as she was concerned, it was no loss to the human race. In the years before their departure from Earth, Beauchamp had put an almost complete ban on any sort of medical research, claiming all resources needed to be focused on the escape plan.
While Luther couldn’t have foreseen the black hole, he appeared to have set everything in place for this, including her presence on the Trakis Four, years before the fleet even left Earth.
Silas spoke into the comm unit on his wrist and gave her a nod. “You can go on in.”
The door slid open, and she stepped into the room. It was set up like an old-fashioned library from a stately home. Bookshelves with real paper books, a Persian rug on the floor, a big mahogany desk across the far corner. Luther stood at the window, staring down at the planet below, but he turned as she approached.
He was a handsome man with blond hair and sharp blue eyes. Tall, with not an ounce of spare fat on him—he was an ascetic and proud of it. And while he was in his late eighties, he could easily pass for a man in his prime. Thanks to the results of all that research he’d paid for.
“Elvira, how pleasant to see you,” he said. “And how is your charge? Is she here?”
“She is.”
“Good.”
She considered what to say next. She had to be careful; Luther wasn’t a man who liked his decisions questioned. “Is it really necessary that she be locked in a cell?”
He pursed his lips. “It seemed a sensible precaution.”
“Destiny understands her duty. She’s not going anywhere.”
He waved her to the upright seat in front of his desk and took the big leather chair opposite, steepled his fingers on the wood, and studied her. She’d become very good at hiding her feelings, and she allowed a small smile to curve her lips, her hands resting loosely on her lap.
“What have you told her?” he asked. “About her duty?”
Elvira shrugged. “Not a lot. Just that she has an important role to play in the survival of mankind.”
He smiled. “She does indeed.”
“She wants to go outside, look around.”
“Is that wise?”
She gave another shrug. “I don’t see it as a problem. And it will keep her healthy and happy. And that’s in all our best interests.”
His eyes narrowed as he considered her comment. “You think she might harm herself?”
Destiny was strong, and she was an optimist. She would never kill herself; she would always hope that things would get better. “No, but depression might set in, and that would likely affect her physical well-being.”
He gave a small nod. “You may provide her with things to keep her occupied—books—whatever.”
“And may she go outside? I’ll supervise the trips.”
He was quiet for a moment. Had she pushed him too far? Then he smiled. “No, you have important work to do, but I’ll arrange for her to spend some time outside. Silas can supervise her.”
“Thank you.” It was something, she supposed. “Do you plan to meet her?”
He looked thoughtful but then shook his head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.” He was probably right, considering Destiny’s role. “When will you be ready?” he asked.
“A week, perhaps. Ten days at the most.”
“Good.” He gave a curt nod. “Thank you for your efforts.”
Recognizing the words as a dismissal, she rose to her feet but then hesitated. “I saw the shuttles landing for the meeting.”
“And…?”
“The representatives from the Trakis Two have arrived, and I wondered whether there was any news of my family. Have they been woken yet? Are they okay?” She surreptitiously rubbed her sweaty palms down her pants.
But he smiled. “I’ll talk with the representatives as soon as they arrive and find out what the situation is. However, as you are aware, the Chosen Ones are being woken in batches, so your family might still be in cryo.”
She swallowed down her disappointment. “I know. And thank you.”
She’d done her best for Destiny. For what it was worth. She’d always known what fate had in store for her charge—but they all had a role to play.
And there was her own family to worry about.
They had to come first.
Chapter Six
“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.”
—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
“You keep watch,” Milo said.
They were on their way to the first meeting of the Council for the Advancement of Mankind but had decided on a little detour first.
He wanted to get a look inside the docking bay of the Trakis Four.
Their main purpose here was to ascertain exactly what sort of a threat Luther Kinross could be to them.
Milo was impressed with the organization on the planet; already, considerable work had been done. As far as he was aware—though he hadn’t been down on the surface of Trakis Two—they hadn’t built anything yet. Kinross clearly had a detailed plan and was moving ahead with it. Milo had seen various groups at work around the place, presumably Chosen Ones. Making roads and buildings. The work groups reminded him of prison gangs back on Earth and were supervised by armed guards in dark green jumpsuits.
Where had the guards come from?
Kinross was clearly ready for trouble. But how ready?
They needed to find out what other weapons he had brought with him from Earth. And the most obvious place to start looking was the Trakis Four.
“Be quick,” Dylan muttered. “We’re already late.”
Milo nodded and headed up the ramp that led to the docking bay. There was no guard, and the door slid open when he pressed his hand to the panel, so he was unsurprised when he entered the cavernous space only to find it empty, except for the two shuttles parked up against the far curved wall and something that looked like a rocket launcher, which didn’t bode well. No weapons, but then Kinross would hardly leave weapons out in the open for anyone to see.
“They’ve cleared it out,” he said to Dylan as he walked back down. “Though there is some sort of rocket launcher—a fucking big one. We have to presume that somewhere there are some fucking big rockets to go with it.”
Dylan raised a brow. “Nice.”
“Now we need to find out where they’ve stored them and anything else Kinross brought from Earth.”
“After the meeting.”
A boat was waiting at the small dock to take them across to the island, and they climbed on boa
rd.
“It’s like a goddamn castle,” Dylan said five minutes later, as the boat docked on the island. “I’m guessing Kinross has delusions of grandeur.”
A tall man in a dark green jumpsuit stood at the door. “You need to hand over your weapons,” he said.
“Why?” Dylan asked.
“Because there are no weapons allowed in HQ. This is a friendly meeting; you won’t need a gun.”
“What about yours?” Dylan nodded to the pistol at the man’s waist.
The man didn’t reply, just stood blocking the entrance.
With a sigh, Milo unstrapped his holster and handed it over. After some grumbling, Dylan did the same.
“Across the hall and through the double doors opposite,” the man said, waving them through.
Milo followed the directions and stepped through the doors—then came to a standstill.
The room was huge and round, with a high ceiling and arched windows. A large, circular table took up most of the space, with chairs all around. Most of them were occupied.
“Perhaps you should have put on a uniform,” Dylan murmured from beside him. “You know, so you fit in.”
Milo glanced down at his jeans and T-shirt. He supposed Dylan was right, though fitting in had never been his strong suit. Most of the people in the room were wearing some variation of the uniform of the crew of the Trakis fleet. Black pants tucked into black boots, and various colors of shirts—depending on their rank and position on the ships. Dylan wore a yellow shirt, which apparently meant he was second-in-command. There were a couple of greens denoting ships’ captains. A few blues and more yellows. And most of the people looked old. He and Dylan were the exception.
By his reckoning there should be sixteen representatives in total.
On the trip over, Dylan had brought him up to speed on what had gone on over the past five hundred years. Although twenty-four ships set off from Earth, twelve of them had quickly gone in an entirely different direction and they’d lost contact after a few years. Of the remaining twelve, two additional ships were lost: the Trakis Eight and Nine. One had hit an asteroid and exploded. The other suffered a life support malfunction and everyone died. Then, of course, the Trakis Three was blown up and the Trakis One had dived into a black hole. That left eight ships. Two representatives from each. He counted—only twelve people around the table. Add in him and Dylan and it looked like the Council for the Advancement of Mankind was two representatives short.
