Shades of Earth

“It’s not that different from Earth, is it?” the woman says in an undertone. Her voice has such a heavy accent that I never would have understood her if I hadn’t already gotten used to Amy’s.

Colonel Martin grunts. “Except for this Lord of the Flies shit going on.”

The woman mutters something I can’t hear, then moves down to the edge of the bridge. She sets up a rifle with a small tripod and angles it above us, pointed at the skies. There are two more guns and a series of grenades within her reach. At least they listened when I told them the bird-thing was dangerous.

“So you’re the leader of the shipborns,” Colonel Martin says to me.

“So you’re Amy’s father.”

“I am Colonel Martin, and since General Robertson and Brigadier General Kennedy are out of commission, I’m the highest-ranking officer for this mission. This is Lieutenant Colonel Emma Bledsoe.”

I take a moment to process this information. This means Orion didn’t just target people in the military—he was going down the line, killing off the most important people first. I should have recognized Lieutenant Colonel Bledsoe from when I saw her under the ice, but I certainly hadn’t expected Colonel Martin to be so unlike his daughter once awake. I do not see anything of Amy in his judging eyes, his stiff posture.

“I’m Elder,” I say simply.

“Elder of what?” Colonel Martin snaps.

“It’s my name. Elder. And also my title. It’s what we call the leader of the ship.”

Colonel Martin heaves a sigh, staring at me. From the corner of my eye, I notice Lieutenant Colonel Bledsoe’s expression. She’s much younger than Colonel Martin and not as good at hiding her emotions: I can see concern in her dark eyes, worry in the lines of her mouth.

“So you’ve been the one in charge of those people in there?” Colonel Martin asks.

“Yes.” I don’t tell him that I’ve been the leader for only months, that my reign ended with the shuttle launch, that my kingdom was so divided that a third of the people stayed on Godspeed. I don’t want to be talking about this at all; I’d like for him to do whatever he needs to do on the computer so we can leave. My eyes keep flicking toward the sky; my ears are half-listening for a bone-chilling screech. I don’t want him to see my fear, though, so I try to focus on what he’s saying.

“I don’t know what situation led to someone as young as you stepping up to a leadership role,” he continues. “I don’t know what’s been going on that led to my daughter waking up early and becoming embroiled in this mess. But I can guess, judging from the sloppy landing I see here and the injured and dead of your kind in there, that things haven’t been going well.”

“Enough,” I say, the word coming out as a growl.

A mask of compassion falls on Colonel Martin’s face. “I just meant—it’s clear that this has been difficult. For everyone, yes, but especially for you, as a leader called too soon.”

I stare back at him, careful to keep my emotions from showing. There’s truth to everything he’s saying, but it’s not the whole story. Yes, it’s been hard. But I accepted the responsibility knowing it would be difficult, and that’s different from the picture he’s trying to paint of me.

It’s not like I would have given up even if I’d had another choice.

“The situation at hand is simple,” he continues. “We need to establish one leader for both the shipborns and the Earthborn people. I would like to suggest that you pass leadership over to me now so that we can begin this mission on the right foot.”

My first thought: This man looks nothing like Eldest, he sounds nothing like him, but he thinks in just the same way.

Colonel Martin sits down in the seat in front of the control panel—the same seat Amy sat in as we landed the shuttle. He turns the chair so it faces the other seat and pats it. “Sit down, son,” he says kindly.

And I do. I think I understand now why Amy wanted her father back so much. Colonel Martin speaks with such assurance in his voice that I almost believe he can make my problems go away merely by commanding them to do so.

Almost.

“Things are very different from how I expected them to be,” he says, the words heavy. “I wasn’t supposed to be in charge.”

Neither was I.

“I’m not ready for this.”

Neither was I.

“But everything has changed now.”

I know.

Colonel Martin tips back in the chair, looking up at the sky. “Colonies have always had a difficult time surviving. When America was settled, the colonists were separated by an ocean and months of travel from any help from the home they left behind. We are separated by far more.”

I follow his gaze skyward, but I’m not thinking about Sol-Earth and how far away it is. I’m thinking about Godspeed. It’s much closer, but just as impossible to reach.

“Many people died in the first colonies. They called America ‘the New World,’ but this is the real deal, eh, son? Roanoke has nothing on us.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask. I don’t care if I sound rude.

“Son, I need you to think about the situation here. I realize that things have been happening while the Earthborns like me were frozen and that you had to take charge. It can’t have been easy.”

“No, no, no, no, no,” Shelby said. Right before I let her die.

“And you might not believe me,” Colonel Martin adds, “but I know how much pressure you must be under. Those people, the shipborns, it’s obvious they’re looking to you to solve all their problems. But you can’t solve all their problems, can you?”

Three of my people are dead right now, just down the hall, and that’s my fault. Bartie and over eight hundred other people are still in orbit around Centauri-Earth, and they’re going to live and die in the remains of Godspeed, and that’s my fault too.

“Son,” Colonel Martin says, and I can’t help it, I like the way he says that word. “I think you know what you need to do.”

“They will make us slaves or soldiers,” Orion said. “They plan to work us or kill us.”

“I’m not just going to hand my people over to you,” I say, turning away from him and toward the door that leads into the shuttle. A wind from the planet swirls through my hair, making me feel stronger.

“I’m not suggesting that, son.”

“Quit calling me son.” I am no man’s son.

“Elder.” Colonel Martin says my name as if it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. “This is about more than you or me. We can’t let egos get in the way.”

“I’m not letting my ego control me,” I say. “Don’t let yours. I may be younger than you, but there are one thousand four hundred and fifty-six people inside that shuttle who stand behind me.”

Colonel Martin stands up and lets the chair whip around. “I know that,” he says, the kind edge gone from his voice. “I just thought I could reason with you—”

“You can,” I say simply. “You’re right—it hasn’t been easy. And I’m very well aware that I am not in the best position.” How could I not be aware of that, given the way Bartie rebelled? The way people would rather stay on the ship than follow me off it? The way three of my people have died already just because they trusted me?

“I’m not against you,” I add. “But I don’t think that it needs to be just me or you. I’m willing to let you guide us, but I’m not going to tell my people to blindly obey you.”

“But you’ll stand behind me? Support my orders?”

“If I find them reasonable, yes. I will stand beside you.”

If he notices my subtle change of his wording, he doesn’t comment on it. “The first order of business is simple: we need to establish communication with Earth.”

“We haven’t had com for gens,” I say.

“What?” Colonel Martin barks.

“It’s been centuries since we’ve heard from Earth.”

Behind him, I see Lieutenant Colonel Bledsoe mouth the word centuries. But Colonel Martin lets no emotion show.

“There’s this, though,” I say, moving over the computer on the bridge. The metal is hot to the touch, warmed by the twin suns. The screen blinks, awaiting the military authorization code.

Colonel Martin strides over to the computer, then hesitates. He doesn’t want to do this in front of me. I let one eyebrow twitch up as I stare him down. He turns back to the computer and quickly enters the code.

The screen comes alive as I step forward to get a better look. Amy’s father reluctantly moves aside to make room for me. For several minutes, all the screen shows is a twirling globe and a blinking bar labeled PROCESSING . . . SIGNAL RECEIVED . . . PROCESSING. Then the screen flickers, and the globe opens up, revealing an image of a satellite. INCOMING COMMUNICATION flits across the screen.

Colonel Martin flashes a triumphant look in my direction, but I’m focused on the screen. Is it really that easy? A ten-digit code and suddenly we’re talking with Sol-Earth as if there weren’t light-years between us?

A voice fills the air, and typed words on the screen transcribe the message. My breath catches in my throat. We haven’t had com from Sol-Earth for gens. And yet . . . here’s a voice, traveling across the universe just to speak to us.

And all we ever needed to make this happen was a frexing military authorization code.

Congratulations, Godspeed! You have safely arrived at your final destination, the planet circling the binary Centauri system.

The deep voice speaks in a slow monotone, but I’m still grateful for the transcribed words scrolling across the screen.

We know your journey’s been long, but we are excited to inform you that the probes sent prior to the ship’s landing have indicated not only a habitable world, but profitable environmental resources as well! As such, we’ve been busy on Earth, trying to find a suitable way to aid in the growth and development of the colony you are starting.

They want to aid the colony? Why didn’t they care about aiding the ship? When we lost com all those years ago, why didn’t Sol-Earth work to re-establish communication? I know I should feel wonder at this new com link that’s opened up, but truthfully, all I feel is rage. They could have helped us land. They could have helped us before we landed. Why did they abandon us, stranding us in the stars, waiting for us to land on our own?

In the time since the interstellar ark ship, Godspeed, departed Earth, we’ve continued with advancements in long-term space travel. A remote space station is already set in orbit around the planet you are currently occupying, which will aid in quicker satellite communication between the planets. Additionally, your first task is to locate one of the probes sent from the ship—the probes are equipped with advanced technology and will aid in our communication.

Colonel Martin’s entire attention is focused on the screen, but I just wish the speaker would be quiet long enough that we can ask some questions.