Binary Cycle - (Part 1: Disruption) Read Online Free Page A

impressive view. To the East and North lay a vast mountain range—the high concentration of sodalite in the rocks gave them a gorgeous bluish-gray color. Even at this distance, the giant redwoods were visible in the rolling foothills. Thriving in the lower gravity of Taran, the trees were enormous, some of them growing a hundred meters in the air. Taran was slightly smaller than Earth, about eighty percent of the size, so there was less gravity. This encouraged most living things things to grow taller. Skyia’s mom said even people were now much taller than the original settlers.
    They had planted the first grove of redwoods not long after their initial landing, and the trees had spread quite rapidly from there. Skyia liked to imagine that those brave men and women had planted the trees to remind themselves of Earth, their lost home. She felt sad thinking about the original colonists and how much it would hurt if she ever had to leave Taran, never to see it again. If only they could see the forest now, the trees so strong and tall, thriving just like the people living here, their descendants. She hoped they would be proud of all that mankind had accomplished since arriving.
    To the south lay Alexendia, a sweeping city of sparkling white spires. This had been the landing site, and first human settlement on the planet. Two hundred years ago, the
Resurrection Ark
had descended from the sky into what was once a deep bowl of grassland. Beyond the city, the land rose up into mountains which protected the region against the harsh winds which blasted through the valley every Dawn, as the air warmed back up after the Long Night. She knew this protection was the reason the first settlers had chosen this particular region.
    Alexendia was magnificent, but Skyia rarely went down into the valley. It was so much nicer up here. The air was so clear that she could see for a hundred kilometers in any direction. From her vantage point, Skyia could even make out the high wall that encircled the city. Inside the matte silver ramparts, the city-dwellers were safe. During the Long Night, the wall became electrified, protecting them against the blood thirsty creatures that stalked the valley. The wall surrounding the base of the Signal Tower Mesa would be equally electrified once Night fell. Nothing would bother her high up on this precipice, and when the time came, she could retreat into the rocky cliff itself, where she lived.
    She hoped she wouldn’t have to be alone this Night. How she wished her mother would return in time to be with her. As much as she enjoyed the company of MiLO, the assistance robot who resided in the Tower, he was no replacement for actual human interaction, and certainly not for her mother.
    Skyia stretched, reaching her arms toward the rolling hills, the mountains, the trees, rivers and grasslands. The glowing rays of two suns tinted the entire panorama in multicoloured hues. Her skin prickled. Up here on the mossy top, she was completely exposed to solar particles which bombarded her at maximum intensity. She supposed she should head back inside the tower soon, but was relishing the freedom and the warm breeze too much.
    As if in response to her thoughts, the communication band on her wrist sent out a trill of beeps. She rolled her eyes, tapping the smooth surface of the band, answering the call.
    “Yes, MiLO, however may I help you?” She half-grinned, wondering whether he would register her sarcasm. She loved teasing the little robot.
    His normally warm voice sounded tinny and metallic through the communication band’s micro-speakers. “I have something to show you. Would you return to the house, please?”
    She suspected that MiLO had arranged some kind of small birthday celebration for her in her mother’s absence, but she wanted to be sure.
    “But it’s so wonderful up here. Is it important?” she asked playfully.
    “Yes. Ah... I thought maybe I’d help you finish writing your report. You’ll need to