Thrive by Kenneth Oppel

Author:Kenneth Oppel [Oppel, Kenneth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2021-05-04T00:00:00+00:00

ANAYA LOOKED AT PETRA in admiration. “That’s a brilliant idea! Use the rain! It makes so much sense!”

Before she could share the idea with Terra and the other cryptogens inside the biodome, she and Petra were bombarded with questions from Colonel Pearson’s staff in the observation room.

“But how long before their ship can fly?”

“Even if they got there, aren’t all the cryptogens already awake on the main ship—”

“Maybe they’re all down here now—”

“In which case the main ship might be totally empty—”

“Must be a command crew still aboard—”

“So they’d just blow the rebels’ ship apart before it docked—”

“Say they got aboard, how long would it take to culture the virus—”

“Enough!” shouted Pearson, silencing the room. “Anaya, Petra, can you please relay all this to the cryptogens, and find out if it’s possible to deliver a weaponized rain from their main vessel.”

Anaya needed a moment to rein in her own excitement before she could focus on silent talking.

—Possible, yes, Terra replied. But there will be many hurdles.

—The ship needs at least another day to heal itself, the swimmer said.

Anaya glanced through the window at the ship. The charred crack looked a little smaller, but the shiny scar tissue had not completely covered it.

—Can you speed it up? Petra asked.

—No.

—Okay, Anaya said. But after that you can fly back to the primary vessel. Will all of you go?

The thought of all of them suddenly leaving made her feel fearful—and abandoned. She definitely felt safer with them here, especially now that the invasion had begun.

—No, Terra said firmly. Only I will go.

Anaya swallowed and met the runner’s amber eyes. Did it have to be her?

—I know the machinery best, Terra elaborated.

—Will the ship be empty? Petra asked.

The general’s gasoline-tinged words filled her head now.

—No. There will be a small command crew left aboard. And a landing ship held back in reserve.

Anaya’s spirits plunged as she pictured one of those huge petal-shaped ships filled with soldiers.

—Awake? she asked.

—No. They’ll be kept in their wombs until needed.

—Will you be able to dock safely? Anaya asked now. To her, this seemed like one of the most vital questions.

—We have rebel friends among the command crew, Terra said.

—Unless they have been caught, said the general. Or betrayed us.

—Not betrayed, Terra said heatedly. If our friends gave away our plans, it was because they were tortured.

—Nevertheless, the general said, the commander must know our plans now.

—Even without friends aboard, Terra said, I might still be able to dock.

To Anaya, this didn’t sound very hopeful. Might?

—Our scout ships are well cloaked, even to our own technology. It might be possible to approach unseen. Once I dock, the ship will know.

She made it sound like the ship was a conscious being.

—What then? Anaya asked. She needed to know every step. Not just so she could relate it all to the impatient grown-ups around her, but so she herself would know what Terra would have to do to survive.

—I will need to instruct our machinery to culture the virus.

—How long will that take?

—A day to produce enough virus for a rain.

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