The Colonists (The Movement Trilogy) (26 page)

Catrine puts her hand to her mouth, and Evelyn puts an arm around her.

Tasneem, however, knew a secret of mine that I think is important to share with you now, David signs. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that this secret is the most important bit of information in the entire system right now. Catrine knows it. Varien knows it. I'm going to tell you all now, and once I do, none of you will be permitted to abandon our mission. I hope I've earned your trust, and that you'll all follow me as you followed Tasneem. But if you wish to leave, now is the time.

When nobody moves, David's hologram nods and smiles kindly.

Then he signs again.

I've been searching for a very, very long time, Varien translates, and I've finally located a new Earth for us all. It's called Asiel, and I'd like to take you there. Each one of you, and every other human being who wishes to go.
 

•
 
•
 
•

They unanimously decide that Evelyn should read the message.

Of all of us, Varien says, you're the closest thing to famous.

You're capitalizing on my father's name, Evelyn says. Even though I've been running from that name for fifty-one years, and he's been dead for nearly as long.

Catrine puts her hand on Evelyn's shoulder. You're the unifier, she says. You're the one who can bridge the gap between Onyx and Machiners. Will you do it?
 

If I say no? Evelyn asks.
 

You can always say no, David signs. But please don't.

•
 
•
 
•

They broadcast from the skies above Phobos, knowing that the Citadel presence in Skyresh will receive the message loud and clear, and that the Machiners in the satellite stations orbiting the moon will as well. From here, word will spread across the system, if everything goes as planned.

Are you ready? Tarae asks.

Evelyn looks around at the crew around her, and says, I'm proud to be one of you.
 

Varien smiles. Take your time. Speak kindly. This message is going to be remembered forever.

Evelyn looks down at the single sheet of paper in her hands, then at Tarae.

I'm ready, she says.

ASIEL

The great blue planet and its six moons turn slowly as they circle one of the system's two suns. The dark shadows slip away as a golden blanket unfurls across its surface, illuminating a massive, gently rolling ocean. Pink clouds pull and separate like dandelion seeds, then seem to catch fire in the sunrise. Green continents, rich with foliage and peaks and lush valleys, come alive in the light.

The planet traces its path around the sun, bathing happily in the warm glow.

Mankind could not ask for a better home for a new beginning.

But in the dark of its far side, tiny lights flicker like fireflies in the shadows, bringing to life glowing geometric grids. Cities as large as the continents themselves bloom bright as night falls. Similar structures illuminate in the shadows on each of the six moons as well. Faint contrails are visible between each as tiny vehicles, like birds, soar through the skies of the blue planet and into the short dark between it and its moons. Thin ships' wakes thread across the seas, glittering in the sunlight.
 

Asiel.

Sweet, inhabited Asiel.

Dear Reader

Thanks very much
for spending a couple of bucks -- and, more importantly, your time -- on my book,
The Colonists.
Hopefully you've already read
The Settlers
, the first book in this trilogy I'm writing. These books are quite special to me. They're my own personal homage to
The Martian Chronicles
, Ray Bradbury's classic novel of man's colonization of the red planet. I read
Chronicles
every year, finding something new to celebrate every time I open the pages, and I genuinely hope you enjoyed my book even a fraction as much.

The Colonists
is the second book in a trilogy about mankind's escape from a ruined Earth, and his eventual migration to a new home. The third book,
The Travelers
, will be available in 2014 (or possibly a little sooner -- I do like to under-promise).

This is a self-published book
. That doesn't mean I've taken shortcuts, or that I'm too lazy to take a traditional path to publication. I've written novels and sent them to publishers for about fifteen years. I'm quite glad those early novels were never published. I'm very proud of the books I'm self-publishing now, and that I'm able to bring them directly to readers like yourself.

This does mean, however, that I depend greatly on readers to help me find a larger audience. If you enjoyed reading this book, I hope you won't mind taking a small extra step to share it with another reader who you think might enjoy it, too. Here are a few things you can do to spread the word:

• Rate and review the book on Amazon
  
• Sign up for the mailing list
  to find out about new books
  
• Follow me on Twitter (
  twitter.com/jgurley
  )
  
• Check out and share my blog at
  jasongurley.com
  
• Most importantly,
  read another of my books
  !
  

One of the best things about being an independent author is that I'm more accessible to readers than other authors are sometimes able to be. If you bump into me online, say hello. I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks so much for reading!

Jg

The Movement Trilogy

Earth lies in ruin. Great storms tear cities apart. Rising seas reshape the continents. With little hope for its survival, mankind leaves the home world behind, and migrates to a fleet of space stations in orbit high above the planet. There, they'll unite as one people to face their uncertain future... until a dark secret tears them apart, and scatters them across the solar system. Ideologies and dictatorships fragment humanity. Governments are overthrown. Rebellions rise and are put down. As civil war looms, a few men and women struggle to locate a new Earth before the species runs out of patience... and destroys itself.

The Settlers: Book 1
and
The Colonists: Book 2
are available now.
The Travelers: Book 3
will end the story in 2014.

About the Author

Jason Gurley
is the author of
The Man Who Ended the World
,
The Settlers
,
The Colonists
and
Eleanor
, a graphic novel about a girl who never stops falling. Born in the squelchy bogs of Texas, then raised in the icy caves of Alaska, he relied on his imagination to keep him warm and dry. As a result, he firmly believes that Superman isn't Superman if he's not wearing red undies, and that Darryl Strawberry had the sweetest swing of all time. He may be the only man alive who believes both, and that's okay.
 

Jason lives in Oregon with his wife, Felicia, and daughter, Emma Purl, and is a creative director in Portland. He can be found online at
jasongurley.com
and
twitter.com/jgurley
, and probably a few dozen other places, if you look hard enough.