Free Exodus (The Exodus Trilogy) by Andreas Christensen

executive usually won, but even the power of stalling and renegotiation was something exclusive to the Senate these days.
    “ He needs me too much to cut me off completely, or at least that’s what I thought. But I was kept in the dark about this, and I think that would demonstrate how powerless I am here.” Thatcher shook his head, and smiled wryly.
    “ On the contrary, it just demonstrates that you are not one of his cronies, and I’d say that’s a good thing. You know, there is a reason I called you, and it’s not just to give you bad news. We mean to change the game, and I believe we have the means to do so.” Joe looked quizzically at him, while Thatcher paused for a moment. Then he turned toward the younger man.
    “ Lieutenant Frost here comes from a very prominent family in Houston, Texas.”
    “ Black gold, old fossils, also known as oil,” Frost grimaced.
    “ Yes, oil money from back in the early nineteenth,” Thatcher continued. Money that was used to finance the campaigns of both Holloway and Andrews.
    “ Money that got me into the Academy,” Frost said quietly. Thatcher shook his head and dismissed his comment with a hand.
    “ I don’t think so, Deacon. But yes, there is corruption at work, and we mean to use it to our advantage.” He turned back toward Joe and picked up another file, scanned it for a moment, and then explained.
    “ Lieutenant Frost has been selected for a very special mission out west. He hasn’t been told what it is, but I happen to know that in six months the first candidates for an undisclosed space mission will start gathering in an old air force base in Arizona, and it seems our young lieutenant’s destination is that very same place. Now, that could mean anything, if it wasn’t for his prior assignments, his résumé, so to speak. Since graduation from the Air Force Academy, Lieutenant Frost has been an instructor at the Advanced Tactical School, which turns out most of the scramjet pilots. To understand the significance of this, you need to understand that most instructors at ATS are seasoned veterans, scramjet-certified pilots themselves. What I mean to say is, no offense Deacon, but your comment on money getting you into AFA is a load of crap. You’ve distinguished yourself too much for that to be true. No, to be selected for such an assignment without all that experience, you have to be extraordinary.
    “ When we send a starship into space carrying the hope of mankind, there will be a rigorous selection of candidates. Lieutenant Frost’s specialty is assessing the capabilities of others for extreme conditions, for coping with the unexpected and making do with the resources at hand. It’s a perfect match of the capabilities needed to create a viable colony off-Earth, and the lieutenant is an expert at it himself, as well as assessing it in others. My guess is that he will be on the team of instructors that will also be responsible for the selection of candidates.”
    “ All right,” Joe interrupted. “I can see where you’re going here. Lieutenant Frost will be able to influence the selection of the candidates, and that’s all very well. I like the idea of having someone carrying the torch when the rest of us are gone. But that’s already in play, and I still don’t know how I fit into the picture.” Thatcher leaned forward on the table and stared intently at him.
    “ Senator, Lieutenant Frost’s efforts will be of utmost importance. The crew and passengers of the starship will shape the future of our species. There may be others that will try to save some of their population, most notably the Chinese and the Indians, but we have no way of knowing what that will amount to. So, as far as we know, the ones gathering out in Arizona six months from now will be the most important people on the planet.
    “ If you decide to help us, Senator, you will play an important role, and your actions will be crucial to the outcome of this. You need to gain President