Free Exodus (The Exodus Trilogy) by Andreas Christensen Page A

Andrews’s trust. He already knows that you don’t agree on certain parts of his politics, but since you’ve been careful, he doesn’t know what kind of rebel you really are.” That last comment was said with a wry grin.
    “ You do have his ear, at least to a certain degree. Now use that. Develop a trust with the man; influence him as much as possible. There are issues that can significantly alter the chances of actually preserving something of what this country once was. Such as whether or not to accept certain of the more prominent candidates, such as leading scientists with views that differ from the mainstream, the choice of commander for the mission, whether there will be a large security or military contingent, or whether to allow the rich to buy passes with donations. We actually have a good number of supporters in that group, believe it or not. There are more of us than you could possibly know, Senator, and some are in a position to really make a difference. As for selection, if we get a good number of people on board that are able and willing to think for themselves, there will be hope. While Lieutenant Frost works on the selection of individuals, you may be able to influence selection policy. We may even have a plan that would place us on the inside of the loop, to practically take over the entire project—quietly of course. That plan involves you. And that, Senator, will be your true legacy when the time comes to start all over on a new world.”

Chapter 5
April 207 4 ~ Somewhere in Arizona
    The hangar was open on one side, facing east toward the airfield. The morning sun still sat low on the horizon and lit the interior where a group of people, obviously figures of authority, a few uniformed, most civilians, was gathered on a raised podium. As Maria Solis entered the hangar, a man in a dark suit stepped forward to the microphone, tapped it lightly, and started speaking.
    “ Everybody, come closer. You all need to hear this.” There were a couple of hundred gathered in front of the podium, and they all stepped forward a bit. Maria stayed back, but followed. A blonde girl her age smiled at her.
    “ Hey,” the girl whispered. “You know what this is all about?” Maria shook her head, and the girl continued.
    “ My high school principal came and took me out of class just the other day. He said he didn’t know anything, but he had orders to get me to the airport as soon as possible. Guess it’s something special, with all the suits up there.” She grinned with the whitest smile Maria had ever seen.
    “ I’m Geena, by the way.”
    “ Maria here,” she said. Then they quieted down as the man began speaking again.
    “ I’m Daniel Shaw, director of the Exodus Project, as it is known. Actually, it’s more of a program, with many projects going on simultaneously, but somebody, somewhere decided to call it a project, so what the heck. The details of the project will be revealed to you gradually as it evolves, but I’m here today to welcome you all. You are to be part of a selection process for a space mission.” There were gasps and surprised whispers that were quickly subdued by Shaw’s raised hand.
    “ Hear me out, please.” He paused and looked out over the audience.
    “ Now, to most of you the idea of a space mission will sound absurd. You are lawyers, business people, soldiers, librarians, high school students, dentists, and so on. That will all be explained to you later. But let me tell you this. In two weeks there will be about ten thousand others, give or take, with just as diverse backgrounds, gathered on this site. All of you will have been chosen for some reason, and there will be others with similar backgrounds as yours.” Maria looked around her, and now she saw others that looked like they could be in high school too. She wondered what would be the reason for taking kids out of school like this. She would miss so many classes; there had to be something really serious going on.
    “