Genesis (The Exodus Trilogy) Read Free Page B

given them all hope, but nothing more. Still, he enjoyed their talks and found Rajiv’s perspectives valuable and insightful. Since the Dehlian’s new settlement had grown so much since their ships first landed on Dehlia, more than a hundred years before the Exodus reached Aurora, Kenneth was sure he and all the new Aurorans could learn a great deal from their experiences. The Indira Federation, descendants of Indians, Japanese, Koreans, and British, among others, had eventually expanded to other planets and even outside its home system. It was an incredible feat, and speaking with Rajiv helped Kenneth keep tabs on the bigger picture, but Kenneth knew the Dehlian was holding something back. He just couldn’t tell what it was. What Kenneth did know was that they could learn a great deal from him, and he was grateful for his presence.
    In previous discussions about the kids who’d taken off their masks, Rajiv had said he’d never seen anything like this before. Back on Dehlia, the composition of the atmosphere was close enough to that of Earth to be breathable, and while the first generation had worn facemasks, just like on Aurora, the Dehlians had eventually developed vaccines that enabled them to breathe freely. None of the organisms they had found had had much effect on humans, except for one strain of fungus that they now had proper treatment for. Rajiv had taken great interest in the development with the three youths, since, as he saw it, the parasite was a life form that showed signs of sentience. Kenneth didn’t agree with the sentience theory, but he’d decided the Dehlian’s perspective could prove to be valuable when it came to dealing with this ever-present danger in their atmosphere.
    “So, about the kids…” Kenneth said. He turned to Geena who brought out her own tablet and laid it on the table in front of them. All three of them knew she had been studying the kids closely ever since they had lain unconscious those first days after breathing the unfiltered Aurora air, just before they’d all had to evacuate Port Hammer.
    “Ben, Lisa, and Drew,” she began as she swiped across the screen on the tablet. Pictures of the three appeared.
    “They were all part of the group that the rebels placed on the shuttle New Discovery when the launch facility in Arizona was overrun.” Kenneth had heard the story, although of the three present, only Tina had first-hand knowledge of it. A few weeks ago, she had told him how close the kids had been to being sent back to Earth. Instead, she and Admiral Hamilton had devised a plan that managed to save them, and let them travel to Aurora with the original colonists.
    “Benjamin Waters.” An image of Ben appeared. “He was the eldest of them, and the one who seems to be taking on a leadership role, even though I doubt he’s ever been the leadership type. From what I’ve gathered, he’s been having a hard time adjusting to his new life here on Aurora. Back on Earth, he was a boy soldier in the rebel army, seeing things no kid should ever see. I guess you can all imagine that these experiences must have affected him deeply. He seemed to be doing all right though, until his friend Harry was killed.” Everyone knew that soldiers guarding the perimeter around Fort Andrews had shot at them, killing Harry. The official explanation had been that the guards had thought they were being attacked by balders, those fearsome creatures who could kill a man in an instant with their razor-sharp teeth or heavy, clawed paws. It was one of several episodes that had led to an exodus from Fort Andrews, with people joining Tina and her ship builders up in the now burned-out town of Port Hammer.
    “Ben has shown some disturbing traits after being infected. Granted, his abilities have been a gift to the cause, and time and again, he and the others have gone up against impossible odds, and come out on top. But how will he cope when the war is over? And more important, will he be able to