Alien Earth

Alien Earth
Megan Lindholm

A classic science fiction adventure from the backlist of Megan Lindholm, who also writes as Robin Hobb.Generations ago humanity abandoned Earth. Now they have returned.Far from home, the Human race tries to atone for killing Terra thousands of years ago. Rescued by the enigmatic Arthroplana in their mysterious Beastships, they have been inserted into the fragile ecologies of the alien twin worlds of Castor and Pollux, where they must make no impact, where every drop of water must be returned. Humanity has adjusted – or tried to.Despite the constant watch of the Arthroplana and the Human Conservancy, John Gen-93-Beta has agreed to captain the Beastship Evangeline on an unthinkable journey to a dead planet… Earth.And so begins an engrossing voyage of discovery for five travellers: John, his First Mate Connie, stowaaway Raef, Tug the Arthroplana and the Beastship Evangeline herself. On a planet none quite expected, each learns the power of being human.

Voyager

Megan Lindholm

Alien Earth

Contents

Cover (#ulink_f5f5fa29-aacc-5042-94c9-c478a228b89b)

Title Page

Prologue

The table was cold and hard under his back. Metal.

1

“I HATE THESE DAMN SCREENS.”

2

IN COMPARISON TO the quiet of Evangeline’s gondola, the corridors…

3

SHE WAS WALKING TOO FAST. Connie consciously slowed her stride…

4

TUG FINISHED THE SEARCH of his archives. He signaled Evangeline…

5

“TOOK ONE A PIECE and left three in it.” He…

6

“CONNIE.”

7

RAEF STIRRED DROWSILY; his hands touched the unwet slickness of…

8

“BY THE WAY, Talbot is dead.”

9

“AWAKE, SWEET PRINCE.” Saccharine sarcasm. Tug must have been practicing…

10

“SO,” TUG FINISHED, “our point-by-point comparison demonstrates that Nero Wolfe…

11

JOHN STARED AT THE SCREEN. He was five days into…

12

SUMMONED. He wanted her to … chocolate. Brown, thick, sweet…

13

SHE LIFTED THE HAND she’d had clamped over her own…

14

BOREDOM. Tug’s anxiety had finally given way to an all-consuming…

15

“TUG!”

16

“IT’S GOING TO BE hot today.”

17

SUN ON HER SHOULDERS and the top of her head…

18

[/ / / / /]

19

EVANGELINE WAS SO CLOSE, she had become the horizon, a…

20

SHE HAD LEFT RAEF ALONE, with his own thoughts. It…