Free Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne Page A

people of the New Dawn could live comfortably for the remaining generations, until the ship reached Paradise 21.
    “This is amazing.” Barliss shook his head. “Probably the greatest find in all of the New Dawn ’s history.” His eyes darted back to Smith. “Have you told anyone of these readings?”
    “No, sir.” Smith held his head high. “I wanted to let you know first.”
    Barliss ejected the memory card of the locator and slipped it into his pocket before offering the device back to Smith. “Well done, Skyman. I’ll see to it the commander is notified immediately.”
    “Yes, sir.” Smith bowed. He waited at the tent flap, scratching his head awkwardly, as if he expected the card to be returned to him, or more accolades to come of his work. Barliss estimated he wouldn’t push for the credit. Young enough to not challenge injustice, Smith didn’t have the cunning to turn his efforts into a greater yield.
    “That’s all, Smith. Ready the team for the morning shift.”
    Smith hesitated before ducking out. In that moment, Barliss caught his eye and squinted a warning. The subordinate cowered. “Until tomorrow, sir.”
    As the tent flaps rustled back into place, Barliss smiled and pushed the hailing button on his communicator. He hid the bottle of wheat beer under his cot and straightened his uniform.
    The late hours of night were settling in, and he was surprised to get an answering beep from the central station. Did Commander Gearhardt never sleep? Barliss turned on the monitor, and the commander’s pale face glowed on the screen like a ghost. Wires ran from his forehead into the shadows in the control room, reminding Barliss of a spider resting in the middle of his web in the bio-dome.
    “Lieutenant Barliss?”
    “Yes, Commander. I have new information regarding the status of our operation.”
    “How diligent of you to contact me at this late hour to keep me updated.”
    Barliss wondered if he was being sarcastic. He cleared his throat. “I’m always at your command.”
    “Right, right.” The commander’s words sounded faint, as if he’d fade away. “Tell me of the progress and your news.”
    “A large lithium deposit was found under my watch. Enough to power generations. It can guarantee our colony’s success.”
    Commander Gearhardt’s head fell back as if the news had hit him in the face. “You’re sure of this?”
    “I’ll send you the readings right now, Commander.” Barliss plugged the memory card of the locator into his computer and transferred the information. The commander’s eyes flickered as his brain worked, synapses firing as he reviewed the numbers. Barliss sat back, awaiting recognition and praise.
    The commander’s pupils regained focus and stared at Barliss. “Excellent work, Lieutenant. As you know, our time is precious. We’ve already fallen a decade behind on our voyage and are forced to conserve our fuel. More and more of our naturally grown food is dying and the food generators are working overtime. I’ll send mining crews down there right away. We’ll take all we can before we leave.”
    “I recommend you put Smith in charge of the mining excavations.” Barliss ran his fingers over the end of the memory card in careful thought. “He’s done a superb job so far and has great knowledge of the terrain.”
    By appointing Smith, Barliss succeeded in removing him from his own operation, so the subordinate would have a harder time finding a way to pay him back once he realized Barliss had profited from the findings. On the other hand, the new position might be enough to pacify Smith’s desire for recognition and keep the man’s mouth shut. Either way, it was brilliant politics.
    The commander flicked a finger and a screen beside him came alive with new information. “Smith is appointed. Now the search and rescue progress: is there anything more to report?”
    Barliss’ neck tensed, but he kept his voice even. “Nothing since my last report,