38

Koala flew along the Arcadian shoreline, slowly descending.

From an altitude of a kilometer and a half, Julia saw deep into the verdant continent and far out to sea. (About five thousand feet, she reminded herself. She had gotten spoiled by Earth’s metric system. Reverting to feet and miles, pounds and ounces, was going to be a shock.) Apart from zipping through the occasional high cirrus cloud, her view was unimpeded. Sunslight sparkled from azure coastal waters. Barrier islands beckoned: lush with vegetation, outlined by gleaming white sand beaches. Out to sea, a string of setting suns painted a band of low clouds in brilliant pinks and reds.

In her joy at being home, she could forget for seconds at a time that she returned without her ship and crew.

“Captain.” Wesley Wu waited till he saw he had Julia’s attention before gesturing at his bridge’s main view port. “Your world is beautiful.”

“Yes, it is,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“Long Pass City is coming up,” traffic control radioed. “You can’t miss it. Big city right on the coast, about five miles ahead of you. The main spaceport is five miles beyond.”

“Eight kilometers for each leg,” Julia translated units.

From the corner of an eye she caught two bridge officers grinning at the traffic controller’s description. For every person on New Terra, Earth had hundreds. Tanya had shown Julia images of arcologies each home to more people than New Terra’s capital city.

After their long voyage, the final approach was anticlimactic. Koala swooped to a landing in the center of the field. As they touched down Julia caught a glimpse of reviewing stands set in front of the main terminal.

When the air-lock hatches opened, the cheers of the crowd were deafening.

And when, side by side, she and Wesley Wu exited the lock, the roar grew louder.

*   *   *

AFTER THE SPEECHES HAD ENDED, the parade run its course, and the concert ended with a loud brassy flourish, after most of the shore party had flicked with their official guides to homes and hotels around the globe, finally Julia got to make her way to where her family waited. Mom and Dad. Both her brothers and their families. Aunts and uncles and assorted cousins. After everything she had survived, she might be hugged to death.

Lots of family—but no grandfather.

“Mom!” Julia finally got out the word. “Save some for later.”

Mom gave one more squeeze, sighed, then let Julia go. “Sorry.” Shining eyes said she wasn’t. Dad was holding back tears, too.

“Where’s Grandpa?” Julia asked. She could imagine only one thing keeping Grandpa away: that he blamed her for Alice’s death. She had to get Grandpa alone, had to explain that Alice was well.

“Your grandfather was on the main reviewing stand,” Dad said. “Didn’t you see him?”

Julia shook her head. “I had the setting suns in my eyes and couldn’t make out everyone. I saw only a bunch of politicians. But it was impossible to miss that we have a new governor. What’s that about?”

“There were … changes while you were gone,” Mom said.

What aren’t you telling me? Whatever, it could wait. “Grandpa?” Julia prompted.

“Sigmund is in the new government,” Mom said, “as the minister of the defense forces.” She seemed conflicted about saying more.

“There you are.” Tanya Wu walked up briskly, sharp in her dress blues. She would be staying with Julia, and they would be touring New Terra together. “Your family?”

“Almost all of it. Everyone, this is my good friend, Tanya.”

Even as Julia made the introductions, her mind churned. Grandpa was in the government? That meant his past differences with the political establishment had been forgiven. She was very happy for him.

She could tell her grandpa anything—but how could she tell the Minister of New Terran Defense Forces that she had given away one of his starships?