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Chapters (68)
  1. Title page
  2. Dedication
  3. Part I
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty-one
  25. Twenty-two
  26. Twenty-three
  27. Twenty-four
  28. Twenty-five
  29. GAIA YOUNG. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS.MISSION DAY 20. 20:25 MT.
  30. Part II
  31. Twenty-six
  32. Twenty-seven
  33. Twenty-eight
  34. Twenty-nine
  35. Thirty
  36. Thirty-one
  37. Thirty-two
  38. Thirty-three
  39. Thirty-four
  40. Thirty-five
  41. Thirty-six
  42. Thirty-seven
  43. GAIA YOUNG. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS.MISSION DAY 22. 20:05 MT.
  44. Thirty-eight
  45. Thirty-nine
  46. Forty
  47. Forty-one
  48. GAIA YOUNG. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS.MISSION DAY 25. 15:30 MT.
  49. Forty-two
  50. Forty-three
  51. Forty-four
  52. Forty-five
  53. Forty-six
  54. Forty-seven
  55. Forty-eight
  56. Forty-nine
  57. Fifty
  58. Fifty-one
  59. Fifty-two
  60. Fifty-three
  61. Fifty-four
  62. Part III
  63. Fifty-five
  64. Fifty-six
  65. Fifty-seven
  66. Fifty-eight
  67. Also by Chris Beckett
  68. Copyright page

‘Deep was cross with Marius for saying it. “How can you think that?” he said. “These people are lovely and they’re absolutely fascinating.” “Lovely, certainly,” Marius answered. “Really lovely. But fascinating? I’m not sure. What are we really going to learn from them that hasn’t already been learned from . . .” He said some of those funny words they say that you just can’t figure out, and then he said: “Okay, I admit it is pretty amazing that they’re here at all. It goes against what we thought we knew about . . .” He said one or two of those weird words – jenny ticks it sounded like, but I’m not sure – and then he went on. “And, yeah, it’s true, that’s going to make a bunch of people scratch their heads. But that’s not why we came, is it? This trip took a hundred years to make happen, remember, and we can only stay here so long. I’m just worried that all the stuff we’re having to do here to keep these people happy is taking our time away from what we’re really here for.”’

‘So what are they here for?’

‘Well, Marius more or less answered that question. “I mean, look, Deep!” he said. “Look at this incredible life all round us. It shouldn’t be here at all! It shouldn’t be able to keep this air warm enough to live in! Everything we know tells us that the heat should go straight out into space and the surface of Eden ought to be covered with a mile-deep layer of ice. Yet here it is! Humming away all round us! There is so much here to find out and learn, so much amazing science to do. But the way things are going – all these meetings and conversations we’re having to have, and this war we’re supposed to be helping them stop – we may not have the time left to even begin to answer the questions that Eden raises.”’

‘What did Deep say?’

‘I didn’t hear. Gaia asked me something about New Earth, and how far away it was, and why the Johnfolk and Davidfolk were fighting, and I had to pay attention to her.’

‘It’s forest they came to see, not us? Is that what you’re saying? That’s why they’ve gone off on that bike of theirs, to get on with what they intended to do without us getting in the way?’

‘That’s right. I don’t know why anyone would come all this way just to look at bucks and trees, but it seems that’s the reason they came.’

‘But all the stories—’

‘Yes, I know. A lot of stories will have to change.’ She sighed. ‘Those bloody stories. So many people depend on them in so many different ways.’

Thirty-seven