Free Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

through the middle of the mob. “STAND DOWN!”
    And they do.
    The military people who’d been left inside with us stop fighting. Even Juliana Robertson. Blood streams down both nostrils and her eyes are red, but her fists uncurl, and she steps back silently.
    â€œ
What
the hell is going on?” Colonel Martin rages. His eyes bounce between me and Juliana and back again. Behind him, the ten men and women he took with him to the probe spread out as the fighting dies.
    â€œMy husband,” Juliana says through clenched teeth. “He was
killed
, sir.”
    Colonel Martin dips his head. “I know.”
    Juliana’s eyes flash.
    â€œYou are dismissed. Go to the storage area and cool down.”
    â€œSir, he was my
husband
.”
    â€œI know,” Colonel Martin says. “And my friend. You are dismissed.”
    â€œThey
killed
him.”
    â€œDismissed.”
Colonel Martin’s voice bodes no allowance, and Juliana spins on her heel, storming to the room where the trunks had been stored. Several other members of the military follow.
    My people glance at me, and I jerk my head to the other side of the cryo room. They head back, but I notice the way their backs are still stiff, their jaws still tensed. They remain ready for a fight. It’s not over, just paused.
    Colonel Martin strides over to me, fury in his eyes. “This is what you call leadership?” he growls in an undertone. “This is what you call
control?”
    â€œNo.” I bite off the word, then add, “Sir.”
    Amy and her mother draw closer now that the fight’s over. Something in Colonel Martin’s face softens when he sees them.
    Colonel Martin strides forward, drawing attention. “Everyone—shipborn and Earthborn alike—I have news. But first, a warning: if we don’t work together, we’ll never be able to survive this planet.”
    His words are loud and firm, but he doesn’t shout. Still, I watch as the fight leaves my people, and they let go of their anger in order to listen.
    â€œWe did find the probe, less than a mile away, at the edge of the forest we landed in. We were unable to communicate with Earth, but I am hopeful that we’ll be able to contact our mother planet soon.”
    He takes a deep breath. Every eye is on him.
    â€œFurther, we did glimpse the creatures that you’ve been able to hear from inside the shuttle. They are large, reptilian birds, and they do look predatory and possibly carnivorous.”
    At his words, a chill rushes across the entire crowd. This is every nightmare they’ve ever had about the planet made real.
    â€œWe must constantly be aware of the danger this planet holds. And we must fight
that
, not each other.”
    Colonel Martin looks around him at the chaos the fight caused—overturned tables and chairs, blood splatter, ripped clothing.
    â€œIt is clear that we will not be able to stay inside the confines of the shuttle indefinitely, despite the protection it affords us. To that end, our first missions will be aimed at survival: finding food, water, and shelter.
Everyone
will need to contribute to this task. Work will begin tomorrow.”
    He shoots me a disgusted look. “Don’t kill each other in the meantime.”

11: AMY
    Dad pulls me aside soon after he breaks up the disastrous fight. “Is there somewhere we can talk?” he asks gravely.
    â€œThe gen lab,” I say, jerking my head toward it. Briefly, Elder’s eyes meet mine from across the crowded, tense room. If we could only have one moment to ourselves, maybe we could start to make sense of this world. But Elder has nearly fifteen hundred people who need him to answer their questions right now. And I have one.
    Dad follows me to the other side of the cryo room and doesn’t comment, even when the biometric scanner by the door recognizes my genetic signature. He waits for the door to seal shut behind us before saying