The Concordia Deception
Welcome back for another Saturday Snippet. Do you like M.D. Cooper’s amazing graphic he created to display the books on offer in Galactic Genesis? I love it. The box set goes live on Amazon on 24th June and includes five other great new series starters from popular science fiction writers like Chris Fox and Kevin McLaughlin. This week’s snippet is the conclusion of the first chapter of The Concordia Deception. We’ve met the main characters, Cariad and Ethan, and now we learn a little more about how they came to know each other. The backstory is covered in Night of Flames, which is available free here.
Space colonisation is a fascinating genre to write. The possibilities of how we might one day colonise space are still quite wide. I’ve enjoyed writing about the strange creatures the colonists discover and how the characters react to the new environment. However, for The Concordia Deception, I think it’s safe to say the most important part of the story is how the characters react to each other. I’ll let you be the judge.
Chapter One (cont.)
In spite of the pilot’s words, the rising excitement in the cabin did result in a mild scuffle among the passengers in their eagerness to leave the vessel. Cariad and Ethan waited for the aisles to clear. When they finally arrived at the bottom of the ramp, a Guardian called Strongquist was waiting for them. He had never told Cariad his first name.
Like all of the Guardians, Strongquist was tall and he wore the Guardian uniform: a tunic of dark gray with thin white stripes, close-fitting and neat from his gaiters to the collar. His hair was drawn into a neat top knot and not a trace of stubble was visible on his face. He nodded in greeting as they reached him.
“Ethan, Cariad,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. I was becoming concerned that neither of you would make it to the ceremony. None of the shuttles were posting manifests, and I believe this is the last one.”
“You’ve been waiting for us all morning?” Cariad asked.
“I have, but that’s no matter. It’s been interesting to meet more colonists. Would you care to accompany me to the stadium?”
Cariad exchanged a subtle look with Ethan. Like her, he seemed uneasy about the invitation but she couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse to refuse.
Everyone Cariad had spoken to about the Guardians seemed to share her unease regarding the newcomers. They had set out in humanity’s first faster-than-light starship centuries after Nova Fortuna had departed, to warn the colonists of the plot to sabotage the colony, which they had uncovered in historical documents. And they had been the colonists’ ultimate saviors during the First Night Attack—no one could deny it.
“I have to collect my luggage,” Ethan said, and walked around to the hold.
Strongquist was watching Cariad expectantly, waiting for her reply.
“Sure, we can go together,” Cariad said. “Why not?”
Ethan reappeared with his bag. He looked hopefully at Cariad, but his expression fell when it became clear she hadn’t thought of a way to turn Strongquist down.
The Guardian positioned himself in the middle as they left the shuttle pad and crossed the open area that led into the settlement. The passage of many feet had already worn paths through the rubbery, moss-like ground cover.
“You must both be very excited to be present at the naming of not only a new world,” said Strongquist, “but also humanity’s first deep space colony. I know I am. It’s quite something, don’t you think? The names of every person present today will go down in history.”
“Are we still the first, then?” Cariad asked, seizing the opportunity to probe the man for information. The Guardians were always coy giving news about Earth. “No colony ships left after ours? I’ve always wondered about that.”
Strongquist looked like he’d swallowed a fly. “Er, no, none did.” He paused. “As you know, the Natural Movement was growing very powerful at the time Nova Fortuna departed, and soon afterward it entered its heyday. The Movement’s influence continued for centuries.” He brightened his tone. “But that’s all in the past. Today we should be thinking about the future. And what a future it will be. Nova Fortuna colonists will thrive and spread across the planet. I’m sure of it. And, who knows, one day another colony ship may launch and humanity will take a step farther out into the galaxy.”
“That’s a long way ahead,” Ethan said, “if we ever get there. I’ll be happy if we make the first target of sustainability within five years. That’s what we should be thinking about right now. Not what our descendants might achieve. We’ll all be dust by then.”
“Practical as always, Ethan,” said Strongquist. “I can always rely on you to bring me back down to Earth, or rather, I wonder what name I should use? What did you vote for?” He addressed the question to Cariad.
“I didn’t vote.”
“You didn’t?” said Strongquist. “Why not?”
“A: I really don’t mind what we call it, and B: I don’t feel I have the right.”
“Don’t have the right?” Strongquist’s tone was surprised. He turned to Ethan. “What about you? Don’t tell me you didn’t vote either.”
“I did vote. I voted for—”
A klaxon sounded within the stadium. The ceremony was about to begin.
“Hurry up,” Strongquist said. “We don’t want to miss the opening.” He grabbed Cariad’s and Ethan’s upper arms and urged them forward.
Cariad squirmed free. “Ease up. It won’t matter if we miss the first few minutes. The Leader’s going to speak for at least an hour before she gets to the point.”
“Oh yes, it will matter,” Strongquist said. “Come on. They’re all waiting for you.”
Cariad and Ethan stopped in their tracks. Strongquist turned to face them then swept his arm in a wide curve, inviting them to lead the way. They shared a worried look. There seemed no other option than to do as Strongquist suggested, however. Together, the three went through the wide, open doors that led into the stadium.
A deafening cheer erupted from the assembled Gens, Woken, and Guardians. It was so loud and unexpected, Cariad’s first impulse was to run, but Strongquist was right behind her, lightly pushing her forward.
Along with her friend, she walked into the open area at the center of the stadium, entirely bemused. She stood side by side with Ethan in the strong afternoon sunlight while the crowd cheered and clapped.
Eventually, the noise began to die down, and the Leader brought it down further by beginning to speak over the broadcast system. At first, Cariad couldn’t make out what she was saying, but as the cheering subsided, it became clear that the woman was speaking about the First Night Attack, and the roles Cariad and Ethan had played in it.
At last, it all began to make sense to Cariad. The Leader was well aware that the Gens would rather have had Ethan in her position. By orchestrating this show of appreciation, she was piggybacking onto his popularity with the Gens and, to a lesser extent, Cariad’s with the Woken. The Leader would be perceived as gracious, humble, and generous. She was an intelligent woman.
There was nothing Cariad could do except smile and bow to show her thanks.
The Leader talked on for an excruciating ten minutes or so, while Cariad and Ethan stood and waited for it all to be over. When she had finally, mercifully, finished, and the audience had given another round of applause, they walked toward the seats that had been reserved for them in the Leader’s box.
As they reached the stadium steps, the Leader started up on another monologue that promised to eventually lead to the announcement of the winning vote on the name for their new home. A drop of water hit Cariad on the nose. She paused at the bottom of the steps and held out a hand, looking up at the sky. Gray clouds had blown in. The stadium roof would protect the seating areas, but it looked like the ceremony would be slightly spoiled by rain.
Cariad began to climb the stairs but she halted when she realized that Ethan wasn’t with her. He was standing at the edge of the field, holding out both his hands and looking up in wonder at the sky. Gasps and murmurs were running through the crowd, and people were leaving their seats to run down to the stadium’s center.
Rain had begun to fall, softening the light and dimming the view. Of course. Cariad laughed. It was the first time any of the Gens had experienced rainfall. They had grown up aboard the Nova Fortuna, where water had been a precious commodity. Each drop had been carefully dispensed, collected, and recycled. No Gen had ever felt the rain on his or her face or listened to a thunderstorm at night.
Nearly all of the two thousand Gens were wandering about the field, getting wet, grinning and whooping. Some of them were dancing. Cariad watched, her heart warmed by their enjoyment of the simple pleasure. Their lives on the new planet promised to be an amazing adventure.
Thanks for reading this week’s Saturday Snippet. Did you miss the beginning of The Concordia Deception? Catch up with the story here.