She took a deep breath. She needed to stay strong for a little while longer. Soon this would be over, and she would be free to join her family. All the same, she could try to help. While she’d kept her distance over the years, something about Destiny had always tugged at her. Perhaps because Destiny was her creation. She had molded her. Human, but better than nature could ever create.
She headed up the stairs to the first floor. Here the corridors were wide, and sunlight flooded in through the windows. She knew her way around and went straight to the office. Silas stood outside the door, no doubt protecting his boss from unwelcome visitors. Which didn’t include her.
“Can I see him?” she asked.
“I’ll check.”
She liked Silas. He appeared to be one of those rare things—a decent human being—apart from his total loyalty to Luther Kinross, of course. One day she would ask him where that came from. Luther was larger than life and possessed the art of inspiring loyalty, until you got to know him. Then you realized what a ruthless bastard he really was.
Back on Earth, Luther had been a billionaire, a powerful man who’d appeared to have no urge for the limelight. Instead, he kept to the shadows, happy to control from behind the scenes.
He had interests in a number of fields, and he’d funded her research for many years. Also, one of his companies had had the contract for selecting and training the crews for all the fleet. She presumed that was how he had managed to get her a place.
Here, he was making a more overt bid for power. But then, with the destruction of the Trakis One, right now, everything was up for grabs. The Trakis One had carried Max Beauchamp, the president of the Federation of Nations and intended leader of the new world. Until his ship had crashed into a black hole. As far as she was concerned, it was no loss to the human race. In the years before their departure from Earth, Beauchamp had put an almost complete ban on any sort of medical research, claiming all resources needed to be focused on the escape plan.
While Luther couldn’t have foreseen the black hole, he appeared to have set everything in place for this, including her presence on the Trakis Four, years before the fleet even left Earth.
Silas spoke into the comm unit on his wrist and gave her a nod. “You can go on in.”
The door slid open, and she stepped into the room. It was set up like an old-fashioned library from a stately home. Bookshelves with real paper books, a Persian rug on the floor, a big mahogany desk across the far corner. Luther stood at the window, staring down at the planet below, but he turned as she approached.
He was a handsome man with blond hair and sharp blue eyes. Tall, with not an ounce of spare fat on him—he was an ascetic and proud of it. And while he was in his late eighties, he could easily pass for a man in his prime. Thanks to the results of all that research he’d paid for.
“Elvira, how pleasant to see you,” he said. “And how is your charge? Is she here?”
“She is.”
“Good.”
She considered what to say next. She had to be careful; Luther wasn’t a man who liked his decisions questioned. “Is it really necessary that she be locked in a cell?”
He pursed his lips. “It seemed a sensible precaution.”
“Destiny understands her duty. She’s not going anywhere.”
He waved her to the upright seat in front of his desk and took the big leather chair opposite, steepled his fingers on the wood, and studied her. She’d become very good at hiding her feelings, and she allowed a small smile to curve her lips, her hands resting loosely on her lap.
“What have you told her?” he asked. “About her duty?”
Elvira shrugged. “Not a lot. Just that she has an important role to play in the survival of mankind.”
He smiled. “She does indeed.”
“She wants to go outside, look around.”
“Is that wise?”
She gave another shrug. “I don’t see it as a problem. And it will keep her healthy and happy. And that’s in all our best interests.”
His eyes narrowed as he considered her comment. “You think she might harm herself?”
Destiny was strong, and she was an optimist. She would never kill herself; she would always hope that things would get better. “No, but depression might set in, and that would likely affect her physical well-being.”
He gave a small nod. “You may provide her with things to keep her occupied—books—whatever.”
“And may she go outside? I’ll supervise the trips.”
He was quiet for a moment. Had she pushed him too far? Then he smiled. “No, you have important work to do, but I’ll arrange for her to spend some time outside. Silas can supervise her.”
“Thank you.” It was something, she supposed. “Do you plan to meet her?”
He looked thoughtful but then shook his head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.” He was probably right, considering Destiny’s role. “When will you be ready?” he asked.
“A week, perhaps. Ten days at the most.”
“Good.” He gave a curt nod. “Thank you for your efforts.”
Recognizing the words as a dismissal, she rose to her feet but then hesitated. “I saw the shuttles landing for the meeting.”
“And…?”
“The representatives from the Trakis Two have arrived, and I wondered whether there was any news of my family. Have they been woken yet? Are they okay?” She surreptitiously rubbed her sweaty palms down her pants.
But he smiled. “I’ll talk with the representatives as soon as they arrive and find out what the situation is. However, as you are aware, the Chosen Ones are being woken in batches, so your family might still be in cryo.”
She swallowed down her disappointment. “I know. And thank you.”
She’d done her best for Destiny. For what it was worth. She’d always known what fate had in store for her charge—but they all had a role to play.
And there was her own family to worry about.
They had to come first.
Chapter Six
“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.”
—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
“You keep watch,” Milo said.
They were on their way to the first meeting of the Council for the Advancement of Mankind but had decided on a little detour first.
He wanted to get a look inside the docking bay of the Trakis Four.
Their main purpose here was to ascertain exactly what sort of a threat Luther Kinross could be to them.