Callisto 2.0, Susan English [i love reading .TXT] 📗

the Moon when Diana had made a comment about ectogenetic designer babies, how they had been a mistake. Could it be true? Hiroki, Izumi’s brother—an ectogenetic monstrosity?

“We understand this is a huge decision,” said Izumi. “If you come with us, you will be leaving everything you know behind, most likely forever.”

I looked around, at Naomi sitting a few seats away, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She’s thinking of Simon, I realized. She has to choose, and what a choice. Leave the love of her life behind to venture into an unknown future.

I saw Andrea. She was also crying, her arms wrapped around Hadley, who had her head buried in her hands. And what about Pavani? I felt her hand in mine. Would she choose to go? If she stayed, then what? But my decision was made. I had made it the night before, after Sasha had shared with me her speculations, eerily accurate, on the Foundation’s true mission.

“We have located a few promising planets, thanks to Elena,” said Diana. “Though our destination will remain a secret, for our safety. We would have liked more time, time to construct, to terraform, to do things right. But I’m afraid time is a luxury we no longer have.”

There was a hum in the amphitheater, growing louder, the rising crescendo of dozens of confused voices. Diana raised her hand, and everyone fell silent. “In a perfect world, we could give you time to contemplate, to talk it over with your family and loved ones, but we are out of time, so please, whoever is ready to join us, you need to decide now.”

A hurricane of feelings swept through me: giddy, terrified, profoundly sad, hopeful, and a deep rage that to live as we chose, to strive for a better world, we were forced to leave the solar system, our home.

Izumi touched Diana’s arm lightly, then looked at us and said, “You will be able to send messages before we initiate the warp drive later tonight, but after that, we don’t know if you will have another chance to communicate with anyone in this solar system.

If you come with us, you must consider this a final farewell.”

I would have to tell my parents. They always knew I wasn’t one of them. I never fit in, always the outsider. I would make a holocall from Shambhala. They would understand. Or maybe they wouldn’t. I felt my heart contract, and put the thought out of my mind. I couldn’t think about them right then.

“If you choose to remain, we wish you the best, and it has been an honor for Izumi and me to know you and work with you, and to grow together. We love all of you.” For the first time, Diana’s voice broke. Izumi put her arm around Diana’s waist, pulling her 255

close, and Diana shook her head, her expression one of utter devastation, tears flowing unchecked down her cheeks.

Izumi gave her a half nod, then turned to us and said, “What do humans need to be fulfilled? We need the basics: nutritious food, clean water, a safe place to sleep, but we also need a community, a place where we belong. We’re social creatures, after all. And we need a purpose, a reason for our existence. Humans thrive when we feel we are contributing to a greater good. If you choose to join us, you will have the opportunity to help create a new world, a society based on compassion and love. But whether you stay or come with us, you are all part of our family, our tribe.” She paused, looking at Diana’s tear-streaked face, then went on, her face solemn. “This is an agonizing decision, and I’m so sorry. We have many friends here on the Moon, and the Collective is in shock, and will do whatever they can to support us and to protect Arcadia. They are supplying enough shuttles to transport all of us to Shambhala. But we must leave now.” She looked out at us, her eyes glistening with tears, then took Diana’s hand. The two women walked through the airlock door.

Now I, too, was crying, tears streaming down my face. I looked around, at the expressions of shock and bewilderment. Tanya stood up, smiling as she walked to the door without a backward glance. Pavani’s hand slipped out of mine as I, too, stood. I turned to her, and she stared up at me, her expression unreadable. Scanning the room, I picked out my clan, my crewmates.

I found Olivia, she looked lost, and Marta, angry and bewildered. There was Rika, her arm around Zoe, both with expressions of shock, and Gamon, her eyes shimmering with tears. Quinn and Fae were holding each other, crying. Andrea was clutching Hadley as if her very life depended on it, and sweet Mei Xing, a look of utter devastation on her face. Elena and Kamana were both staring at the door, as if in a trance, and Raven had one hand over her mouth, the other grasping Jordyn’s arm. Jordyn’s eyes were downcast, and I could see the tears dripping from her eyes. Then I looked at Naomi, beautiful Naomi, with a heart as big as the Universe. Her eyes met mine and she shook her head no, putting her fist to her mouth—Naomi would not be going with us.

Choking back a sob, I turned away, walking toward the exit.

I heard the movement of many women standing up as I reached the door, a buzzing of voices. Another memory of that first day at Arcadia—the sound was exactly like the swarming of the bees. I heard Yasmin’s voice in my head: The queen leaves the old hive, and I don’t know how they decide, but half the hive goes with her. The bees that swarmed, she had explained, would follow their queen, or queens, in this case, anywhere. Who would join us? How could I survive without Naomi? And Pavani, beautiful, funny, serious, enigmatic Pavani, would she come? I didn’t look back.

I was ready to face the terrifying, marvelous, and unknown future, to become the best version of myself. I took a deep breath and stepped through the open doorway. I am Callisto 2.0, and I am part of something larger than myself. I am the door to the future.

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The End

Or is it just the beginning?

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AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you so much, dear reader, for reading my book! I want to live in Calli’s world, a world in which our indomitable female spirits can thrive, grow, and transcend our culturally and personally imposed limitations, to be the best we can be. I am a better human being having spent time with these remarkable women. I hope you enjoyed their company as much as I did.

For more information and to meet the crew, visit www.shambhalasaga.com.

I would love to hear from you. Here’s where you can find me: website: www.shambhalasaga.com

email: shambhalasaga@gmail.com

Thank you for supporting independent authors!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan English is a born adventurer, a world traveler with an insatiable intellectual curiosity. She holds a master’s degree in physics, once lived on a sailboat in the San Francisco bay, was a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia, and spent five years on the Big Island of Hawaii, where she owned an off-grid, completely self-sufficient farm in the jungle. Now she is happy to be living with her partner in beautiful Medellin, Colombia, the city of eternal spring.

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