We stand around the dark circle in the snow. The shelter that kept us alive for our first days on New Dawn is packed onto the back of a sledge – we’re ready to go. We’d spent hours debating whether to stay or leave. We’d even discussed the possibility of flying the shuttle over the mountains, but Spoons either couldn’t, or refused to open the doors. Reuben had suggested it could be low on fuel and Spoons was trying to prevent an accident, but I’m still wary of putting too much trust in one of Mother’s machines.
Jared and Zach had argued to stay, but Beth finally voted in favor of leaving, making it five against two. Rebekah had explained that even when the suns eventually appeared it might still not be possible to grow the seeds in the ground here. And since we couldn’t split the shelter in half, the dissenting two had no choice but to join the expedition, as Rebekah had begun to call the journey.
I call over to Zach. ‘We’re ready to go now.’
Rebekah touches my arm. ‘Leave him a little longer, let him say goodbye.’ He stands apart from the group with his head bowed next to the stones for Abel and Gideon. Rebekah checks the team of Amos, Reuben and Beth ready to pull the second sledge with the precious rations. She tugs on the harness Spoons had made from the spare overalls. ‘I hope these are up to the job.’
Jared snorts. ‘Look on the bright side. The sledge will get lighter the more we eat. Our problems begin once it’s easy enough for only one to pull.’
Rebekah ignores his comment. ‘We’ll change over with each rest stop.’ But I wonder what happens if we’ve failed to cross the mountains before the supplies run out.
Zach trudges back from the stones and nods to Rebekah. I look to her. She glances to the hole left by the shelter, and for a moment I think she might change her mind. But she straightens, turns and raises her arm. ‘Let’s go. To the mountains!’ She takes the first step, but Spoons sets off in the opposite direction. She looks to me, her mouth open. Then yells. ‘Spoons, stop!’ It freezes with one of its front legs poised in the air. Rebekah strides in front and points. ‘We’re going that way, to the mountains.’
Zach steps over. ‘Shouldn’t we follow it? Perhaps it knows—’
‘We’ve discussed this.’ Rebekah places her hands on her hips. ‘It would take too long that way, there’s a gap in the mountains, there has to… I know there is.’ She bends down to address Spoons. ‘You will follow me, and that’s an order.’ Its front leg quivers, and its head turns one way, then the next. Rebekah leans closer. I hear her whisper, ‘Please, you have to do as I say.’ I hold my breath. If Spoons doesn’t comply, what do we do? Rebekah’s authority will be shattered and we’re left to follow one of Mother’s machines, or stay put.
I join Rebekah. ‘Please Spoons. We think there’s a quicker way. We won’t survive if we go your way.’ All its legs twitch, and the light on its head blinks. Then it turns to face the way of the mountains. We sigh, puffing out a cloud of vapor in its face.
Rebekah steps off. ‘Good. Let’s go then.’
We made steady, if slow progress for the first three hours, briefly stopping to change the sledge team, and later resting for something to eat. It felt good to be doing something, to have a goal again instead of lying around waiting for the end. Again, Mother had been right about needing to have an objective. Jared muttered under his breath for the first hour, but then I think even he began to appreciate it was better to take responsibility for our fate – good or bad.
‘Okay. Are we all ready?’ Rebekah stretches out her back and checks the stars. ‘I’d say we’re almost halfway to that ridge.’ She beams at me. ‘Who knows, we might see the suns before long. Won’t that—’
‘That one’s moving.’ We turn to see Amos standing a short distance from the sledges, staring up at the sky. He points up. ‘See, that faint star. It’s moving.’
It takes a moment, but I see it, dimmer than the rest, but it slips silently across the sky in between the stars until it’s over our heads. We turn and watch it head in the direction of the mountains. I look to Rebekah. ‘It must be the ship.’
She squints at the speck. ‘Everything we’d ever known up until now is within that tiny spot of light. It doesn’t seem possible.’
Amos edges back to the sledges. ‘Can she see us?’
I nod to Spoons. ‘She may already have her eyes down here.’ He gasps. I try to re-assure him. ‘But I don’t think she cares what we do any more. She would have tried to stop us leaving the shelter if she did.’
We watch as Discovery nears to horizon, glowing suddenly stronger before it dips below the dark peaks. Rebekah cries out. ‘Did you see that?’ She scans our faces but doesn’t wait for an answer. ‘It shone brighter, just before it disappeared. Didn’t it?’
Beth answers. ‘I saw it, but what does that mean?’
Rebekah pulls on the harness. ‘It passed under the light of one of the suns, over the far side of the peaks. So, it means we’ve maybe only four of five days to walk before we reach morning!’
Reuben laughs. ‘And no need to get up early for work.’
I smile to myself. Rebekah found something positive in seeing the ship, and Reuben reminds us we have our freedom if little else to cheer about. I join Rebekah and Zach at the sledge and we set off encouraged by the thought of the promised dawn.