Rebel Tribe (Osprey Chronicles Book 1) by Ramy Vance & Michael Anderle

Author:Ramy Vance & Michael Anderle [Vance, Ramy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2021-07-27T22:00:00+00:00

Virgil had assembled a list of the raw materials required to make the Osprey wormhole-ready. Jaeger stared at the long, long list and despaired.

“We can synthesize most of the required materials by recycling supplemental equipment,” Virgil said. “However, I don’t have the capability to synthesize the required iridium and lead, especially not at the quantities required to patch the hull adequately. The breaches aren’t massive, but they’re unfortunately at critical structure points. If we don’t patch them, the ship will not survive the extreme forces you expect to find within the hole, even with the proper shield modulation.”

“Some of the interior bulkheads are iridium-reinforced.” Jaeger’s voice came out in a whisper. “What if we tore those out and fed them to the synthesizers?”

“I’ve already run the calculations,” Virgil said mercilessly. “If we cannibalized every single part of this ship except for the hull, engines, shield generators, and essential life support, there wouldn’t be enough to make the hull stable once more.”

Jaeger dropped her head against the cabinet and closed her eyes.

Breathe. One step at a time.

“The aliens fucked us,” Toner said flatly. “They didn’t get to destroy Noah’s ark, but they still fucked us.”

Jaeger could almost hear the silent accusation in his voice. If they had allowed the aliens to destroy No-A, they might have left it at that. Jaeger would still be able to patch the hull. They might still have a hope of getting back to known space.

At the low, low cost of nearly four hundred thousand potential humans.

“Assuming your goal is to return through the wormhole alive and with your critical cargo intact, most certainly,” Virgil agreed.

Jaeger wondered if she would have made that trade if she had known that all those lives were only bundles of cells, without memories or families or anything she could conceive of as feelings.

Maybe. It was hard to say. The Tribes were on a mission to save humanity from a dying Earth. Those embryos might represent more than simple bundles of cells. They might represent one of the few seeds of humankind left. The last of a dwindling number of chances her race had of settling, and growing, and building something safe and stable and lasting.

“Well,” Toner said, philosophically, “Osprey’s a seed ship anyway. Her whole goal is to find a new planet and start to build a new civilization. We could continue with that mission. We simply have to stay on this side of the wormhole.”

“We are thousands of light-years away from known space,” Jaeger said hoarsely.

“I mean, it sucks, but…” Toner shrugged. “So? Doesn’t mean we can’t continue with the mission. We’re just gonna be the ones that wandered off and got away.”

Jaeger squirted the last of the lukewarm coffee down the back of her throat and commanded the drink dispenser to make her a double macchiato. “Half the point is to establish a base colony and summon the remnants of humanity to join us. We’re supposed to be building a trail for others to follow. Once that hole collapses, there’s no telling where or when another might develop.

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