The Rise of Earth by Jason Fry Read Free Book Online Page B

of the Defense Force, that’s all. If a day comes when they no longer need us, we’ll be thrown away.”
    â€œNow you’re being paranoid,” Carlo said.
    â€œAm I? Speaking of paranoid, why haven’t you shared this opinion with Mom and Dad? Or with Aunt Carina, since you think she knows better than them?”
    â€œThere’s no point talking about it with Mom and Dad. They’re from another time—one they can’t admit is going away.”
    â€œI don’t think that’s it. I think it’s because you’re scared.”
    Carlo snorted. “Scared? Of what?”
    â€œOf not becoming captain, of course.”
    â€œReally? And who am I going to lose to? You?”
    â€œNo, not me,” Yana said, then inclined her head at Tycho. “Him.”
    Carlo flipped his hand dismissively, but he wouldn’t look at his brother and sister. His eyes jumped everywherein the medical chamber—from the hissing equipment to the doctor’s computer console to the humming lights—but they avoided his siblings’ faces.
    â€œThe crewers like Tycho,” Yana said. “He listens to them, while you can’t be bothered. And he sees things. He makes connections. You don’t. All you do is fly.”
    â€œI fly a lot better than either of you do,” Carlo snarled. To Tycho’s surprise, he sounded more hurt than angry.
    Yana heard it too.
    â€œYou are scared,” she said. “Because you know Tycho’s catching up with you.”
    â€œTyke’s had some lucky breaks. But it won’t be enough. I’m twenty, and the two of you are just sixteen.”
    â€œThat doesn’t matter and you know it.”
    Now Carlo turned to look at them.
    â€œThat’s where you’re wrong, Yana. Mom’s getting old.”
    â€œMom’s what, forty-five?” Tycho asked. “That’s not exactly ancient.”
    â€œIt is in our profession. You know what they say, there’s regular years and then there’s captain’s years. She’s not going to be captain forever—I don’t think she wants to be captain forever. If there’s no more privateering, and she steps down, who would she pick as her replacement? It wouldn’t be you, Yana, and it wouldn’t be Tyke either. It’d be me. For the good of the family, you both need to accept that.”

6
THE DEFENSE FORCE REQUESTS
    T ycho could never sleep the night before his family returned to space. He woke a little after 0400, blinking at the simulated starfield on the ceiling above his bed, and scrubbed at his eyes. He’d just given up and decided to get out of bed when his mediapad chimed softly on his desk.
    Curious, Tycho padded over, halfheartedly trying to restore order to his pile of dark hair. The sender’s recognition code was a nonsensical string of characters. Hewent to delete it, then stopped.
    The subject of the message read Cybeles .
    Almost unwillingly, Tycho opened it. He already knew who’d sent it.
    I’M SORRY WE’VE LOST TOUCH. THE SITUATION IN THE CYBELES IS DANGEROUS. PERHAPS I COULD BUY YOU A JUMP-POP AT THE PLACE WE USED TO MEET?
    Tycho stared at the message as if it was radioactive. He went to delete it, then changed his mind and began typing angrily.
    THE LAST THING MY FAMILY NEEDS IS ANY MORE OF YOUR HELP. YOU’VE PROVEN TO ME THAT YOU’RE A LIAR AND A CHEAT. DON’T CONTACT ME AGAIN.
    DeWise must have been at his console—Tycho wondered idly where that was—because the mediapad beeped just a few seconds later.
    TYCHO, THIS ISN’T ABOUT YOU AND ME. WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE CYBELES THREATENS ALL OF US. WE NEED YOUR HELP—AND YOU AND YOUR FAMILY COULD USE OURS.
    Tycho shook his head.
    Forget it , he typed back, then waited for the next beep.
    YOU KNOW HOW TO REACH ME IF YOU RECONSIDER. PLEASE DO. UNTIL THEN, STAY AWAY FROM THE ICE WOLVES. LEAVE THEM TO US.
    Tycho archived the