primitive for her.”
Seth darkened at this, and the corners of his mouth pulled down. For a moment, it looked as though he might cry, but instead he turned a corner toward the starboard side and was gone.
Kieran sat down on the floor of the storage bay and waited for the tingling to leave his fingers. This had never happened to him before, but then he hadn’t tried running since his month of starvation. Something was wrong with him. But that was the least of his worries.
Seth probably wasn’t lying about the stowaway. He hated Seth but not enough to let go of his reason. Seth wanted power, and he’d know the last way to get it would be to delay the pursuit of the parents by tampering with the thrusters.
Kieran kicked himself. He should have realized this sooner. There was a saboteur from the New Horizon on board, and Seth was looking for him. If Seth brought the saboteur to justice, he’d be a hero. And Kieran would look like a fool.
Unease spread through Kieran like fever.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible if the crew went on thinking Seth was a saboteur.
Kieran stayed in the storage bay for a long time, weighing his options. When he could walk, he went to the port-side elevators and directly to Central Command to call in the Command officers for a meeting.
PART TWO
POWER
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.
—Abraham Lincoln
NEW RULES
Waverly lay under a combine, tugging at a stubborn bolt on a leaky battery pack, when she heard the crackle of the ship’s intercom. Her hands felt heavy and swollen from the increased gravity; her whole body felt sluggish. She rested her head on the fragrant soil, staring at the undercarriage of the machine while she listened.
“This is Kieran Alden. Please stop what you’re doing and pay attention, as this might be the most important announcement I’ll ever make.”
Waverly rolled her eyes. Since taking over the ship, Kieran was given to hyperbole. She supposed that’s what got people to listen to him.
“We have reason to believe,” Kieran said, “that there is a terrorist from the New Horizon on board.”
The blood drained from Waverly’s face. Waverly heard several people cry out. Two girls who had been changing the oil on a tractor held hands, staring at the intercom speaker, wide-eyed. Waverly pulled herself out from under the combine and stood up to get a better listen.
“It now seems clear that Seth Ardvale is working with him.”
“No way,” Waverly said, but closed her mouth when several people shushed her.
“We think Seth worked with the terrorist. Together they murdered Max Brent and sent the ship off course with those thruster bursts. We have reason to believe that they have armed themselves with guns.”
Several people gasped in alarm, and Waverly heard frantic whispers exchanged.
“What’s more,” Kieran said, “the terrorist must have come aboard the Empyrean on the escape shuttle piloted by Waverly Marshall.”
Waverly had to lean on the tractor.
“With this in mind, I am instituting a new rule designed to make certain every crew member is safe and accounted for. Services will be held daily, and attendance is mandatory. Report to the auditorium every morning at eight o’clock, when we will perform a head count and make announcements, as well as begin our day with some reflection, prayer, and community. We have to band together, folks. Now is not the time for divisiveness or faulty commitment. We need to trust each other if we’re going to get through this.
“Thank you for your attention. Please carry on with your duties.”
Waverly dropped her wrench. She realized she’d been holding her breath, and she opened her mouth for air.
There’d been a stowaway on her shuttle? She and the rest of the girls had lived on that shuttle for nearly a month, waiting for the Empyrean to emerge from the nebula so they could make contact. The girls had been all over that
Seth darkened at this, and the corners of his mouth pulled down. For a moment, it looked as though he might cry, but instead he turned a corner toward the starboard side and was gone.
Kieran sat down on the floor of the storage bay and waited for the tingling to leave his fingers. This had never happened to him before, but then he hadn’t tried running since his month of starvation. Something was wrong with him. But that was the least of his worries.
Seth probably wasn’t lying about the stowaway. He hated Seth but not enough to let go of his reason. Seth wanted power, and he’d know the last way to get it would be to delay the pursuit of the parents by tampering with the thrusters.
Kieran kicked himself. He should have realized this sooner. There was a saboteur from the New Horizon on board, and Seth was looking for him. If Seth brought the saboteur to justice, he’d be a hero. And Kieran would look like a fool.
Unease spread through Kieran like fever.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible if the crew went on thinking Seth was a saboteur.
Kieran stayed in the storage bay for a long time, weighing his options. When he could walk, he went to the port-side elevators and directly to Central Command to call in the Command officers for a meeting.
PART TWO
POWER
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.
—Abraham Lincoln
NEW RULES
Waverly lay under a combine, tugging at a stubborn bolt on a leaky battery pack, when she heard the crackle of the ship’s intercom. Her hands felt heavy and swollen from the increased gravity; her whole body felt sluggish. She rested her head on the fragrant soil, staring at the undercarriage of the machine while she listened.
“This is Kieran Alden. Please stop what you’re doing and pay attention, as this might be the most important announcement I’ll ever make.”
Waverly rolled her eyes. Since taking over the ship, Kieran was given to hyperbole. She supposed that’s what got people to listen to him.
“We have reason to believe,” Kieran said, “that there is a terrorist from the New Horizon on board.”
The blood drained from Waverly’s face. Waverly heard several people cry out. Two girls who had been changing the oil on a tractor held hands, staring at the intercom speaker, wide-eyed. Waverly pulled herself out from under the combine and stood up to get a better listen.
“It now seems clear that Seth Ardvale is working with him.”
“No way,” Waverly said, but closed her mouth when several people shushed her.
“We think Seth worked with the terrorist. Together they murdered Max Brent and sent the ship off course with those thruster bursts. We have reason to believe that they have armed themselves with guns.”
Several people gasped in alarm, and Waverly heard frantic whispers exchanged.
“What’s more,” Kieran said, “the terrorist must have come aboard the Empyrean on the escape shuttle piloted by Waverly Marshall.”
Waverly had to lean on the tractor.
“With this in mind, I am instituting a new rule designed to make certain every crew member is safe and accounted for. Services will be held daily, and attendance is mandatory. Report to the auditorium every morning at eight o’clock, when we will perform a head count and make announcements, as well as begin our day with some reflection, prayer, and community. We have to band together, folks. Now is not the time for divisiveness or faulty commitment. We need to trust each other if we’re going to get through this.
“Thank you for your attention. Please carry on with your duties.”
Waverly dropped her wrench. She realized she’d been holding her breath, and she opened her mouth for air.
There’d been a stowaway on her shuttle? She and the rest of the girls had lived on that shuttle for nearly a month, waiting for the Empyrean to emerge from the nebula so they could make contact. The girls had been all over that
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