Read Online Crusade For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 2) by Adrian D Roberts - Free Book Online
Authors: Adrian D Roberts
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freighter only left ten days ago, so we still have at least thirty days.”
“Oh. I didn’t realise.”
“What’s it like out there in space?” Hanna asked in wonder.
“To be honest, it’s amazing. I started out flying orbital and atmospheric fighters. I love flying in the open sky, but it didn’t compare to how it felt once you left the confines of a planet. It’s impossible for our minds to truly comprehend it, until you actually get out there. We spend our lives on the surface of a planet hemmed in by walls, buildings, trees, mountains and even horizons, but out there…” Valerie paused for a moment as she stared off into the middle distance, not focusing on anything, trying to find the right words. “There’s none of that. When you look out into space, you really are looking at the infinity of the universe.”
Scooping up a large dollop of ice-cream heavily covered in chocolate sauce, Valerie luxuriated in the flavours before swallowing and continued. “Nothing we experience on a planet can truly allow you to comprehend the enormity out there. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about one hundred thousand light years across. Our fastest ships could go from one end to the other in about seventy years, but we’ve never done it.”
“Why not?” Deni asked with a frown. “Someone on Life X could do it easily.”
“True, but why would we want to?” Valerie replied. “We have never seen any indication of any other intelligent life. The number of planets with their own individually evolved eco-systems are very few. We have the technology to see if a world orbiting a distant star has the right conditions for life, but there’s no reason to go. We have more than enough stars to visit within the area already colonised by humanity.”
“Hang on,” Hanna interjected. “There are only twenty-five systems in the Pantheon. Surely there are other places people can go and live to get away from the Privileged, further out.”
“Twenty-five systems doesn’t sound like much, you’re right. It’s when you consider the Pantheon is about one hundred and thirty light years across. There are three and a half thousand stars within that volume of space. The Boundary surrounding the Pantheon, is three hundred and thirty light years wide. If you include both the Edge and the Wild, human space is one thousand, two hundred light years across and contains over three and a half million stars. With all of that, mostly unexplored, within six months travel of Olympus, why would we want to go further?
“Yes, we could leave the Privileged far behind, but in reality life would be hard. Colonising a world isn’t easy. Then, you need huge amounts of money for the terraforming. If you’d managed to find a habitable world with its own eco-system, you still need to fund the ship and supplies necessary. Even if you have overcome all of that, in all likelihood, within a few years, the colony would still be in the same state as the Pantheon is now.
“Throughout human history, there has always been the Privileged in one form or another. From the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, over seven thousand years ago, to the Kings and Queens of Europe, five thousand years ago, to our modern day, there has always been a small part of the population who hold the majority of the power and wealth. It’s human nature.”
“So nothing will ever change,” Hanna said questioningly.
Shrugging, Valerie shook her head. “I doubt it. It’s built into our DNA. At heart we’re animals, with the same instinctive responses as all the others. Even a Stone Dragon, evolving on a completely different planet to us, has the same instincts. It’s keyed to survive and mate. Everything the Dragon does will be with that in mind. Humans are no different. Our first instinct is always to go with the choice which has the least risk to us personally.”
“So your saying, to change the system,
“Oh. I didn’t realise.”
“What’s it like out there in space?” Hanna asked in wonder.
“To be honest, it’s amazing. I started out flying orbital and atmospheric fighters. I love flying in the open sky, but it didn’t compare to how it felt once you left the confines of a planet. It’s impossible for our minds to truly comprehend it, until you actually get out there. We spend our lives on the surface of a planet hemmed in by walls, buildings, trees, mountains and even horizons, but out there…” Valerie paused for a moment as she stared off into the middle distance, not focusing on anything, trying to find the right words. “There’s none of that. When you look out into space, you really are looking at the infinity of the universe.”
Scooping up a large dollop of ice-cream heavily covered in chocolate sauce, Valerie luxuriated in the flavours before swallowing and continued. “Nothing we experience on a planet can truly allow you to comprehend the enormity out there. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about one hundred thousand light years across. Our fastest ships could go from one end to the other in about seventy years, but we’ve never done it.”
“Why not?” Deni asked with a frown. “Someone on Life X could do it easily.”
“True, but why would we want to?” Valerie replied. “We have never seen any indication of any other intelligent life. The number of planets with their own individually evolved eco-systems are very few. We have the technology to see if a world orbiting a distant star has the right conditions for life, but there’s no reason to go. We have more than enough stars to visit within the area already colonised by humanity.”
“Hang on,” Hanna interjected. “There are only twenty-five systems in the Pantheon. Surely there are other places people can go and live to get away from the Privileged, further out.”
“Twenty-five systems doesn’t sound like much, you’re right. It’s when you consider the Pantheon is about one hundred and thirty light years across. There are three and a half thousand stars within that volume of space. The Boundary surrounding the Pantheon, is three hundred and thirty light years wide. If you include both the Edge and the Wild, human space is one thousand, two hundred light years across and contains over three and a half million stars. With all of that, mostly unexplored, within six months travel of Olympus, why would we want to go further?
“Yes, we could leave the Privileged far behind, but in reality life would be hard. Colonising a world isn’t easy. Then, you need huge amounts of money for the terraforming. If you’d managed to find a habitable world with its own eco-system, you still need to fund the ship and supplies necessary. Even if you have overcome all of that, in all likelihood, within a few years, the colony would still be in the same state as the Pantheon is now.
“Throughout human history, there has always been the Privileged in one form or another. From the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, over seven thousand years ago, to the Kings and Queens of Europe, five thousand years ago, to our modern day, there has always been a small part of the population who hold the majority of the power and wealth. It’s human nature.”
“So nothing will ever change,” Hanna said questioningly.
Shrugging, Valerie shook her head. “I doubt it. It’s built into our DNA. At heart we’re animals, with the same instinctive responses as all the others. Even a Stone Dragon, evolving on a completely different planet to us, has the same instincts. It’s keyed to survive and mate. Everything the Dragon does will be with that in mind. Humans are no different. Our first instinct is always to go with the choice which has the least risk to us personally.”
“So your saying, to change the system,
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