New Earth: Timing Matters
Chapter 5 Continues: Two hundred light-years from New Earth, a ship speaks.
I hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day. The holiday traces back to one—or perhaps two—Catholic priests named Valentine, martyred for lives of faithfulness. Saint Valentine is remembered as the patron saint of lovers, marriages, engaged couples—and even beekeepers. You can read more about Saint Valentine here.
The New Earth series continues this week. Though it unfolds among hyper-jumps, distant planets and advanced technology, it remains rooted in the central theme of The Tolton Path: that love and unity is how we find our way back home to God.
This week we rejoin Tao, Reed and Liberty after their escape from Maxwell Rhodes by stealing his first hyper-jump vessel. Two hundred light-years from New Earth, they must decide what kind of future they are willing to build—and what they are willing to risk to protect it.
You can find the previous entries of New Earth here. Paying subscribers can read the full arc here.
Enjoy the new entry below.
Peace.
Chapter 5 Continues
Tao, Reed and Liberty slipped through space for just under an hour before reaching the hyper-jump bay. It was a gradual deceleration that would have gone unnoticed were it not for Tao’s mental connection to the ship.
Tao rose from his chair. He joined Reed and Liberty in the mess hall. The long window stretched the length of the room, stars now steady and distant.
“You must be starving,” Reed said, “I know I was.” Reed slid a bowl of creamed meat across the long table. “Not bad, either.”
“Glad you’re eating,” Tao said. “That’s a good sign.”
Reed grinned. “Thanks to you! Dying and coming back sharpens the appetite—even for mushed meat.”
Tao didn’t smile. He studied Liberty instead.
“Tell me about this ship.”
“I don’t appreciate your tone,” she replied evenly. “I helped save you both.”
“How did you know where it was docked?”
Liberty stood. “Careful.”
“Max caught you. I saw it. Minutes later, you’re launching us two hundred light-years away. That requires explanation.”
Reed frowned. “You think she’s working with Max?”
“I think timing matters.”
Liberty sipped her water, unbothered. “Max didn’t catch me.”
“I saw you.”
“You saw someone that looked like me.”
Silence.
Reed’s eyes widened. “Your delegation…”
Liberty smiled faintly and nodded.
Tao crossed his arms. “Explain.”
“While Max was declaring himself Supreme Ruler, one of me provided him a distraction.” She began pacing slowly. “Another accessed the corridor grid. Another secured docking schedules.”
Reed blinked. “Clones? How many of you are there?”
“As many as required.”
“Quite resourceful,” Tao said. He knew The Formation could only contain the proliferation of cloning for so long.
“Listen,” Liberty raised her voice, “I wasn’t going to be stuck on the Welcoming Station for who knows how long—I had to get out.”
Reed turned to Tao. “She had to get out. Wait, are you the original or a clone?”
“I’m the original.”
Tao said, “And they all share—“
“One mind,” she finished.
Tao watched her carefully. “And the one Max has?”
Liberty’s expression did not change. “Will not last long.”
“That’s…too bad,” Reed muttered.
“Now it’s my turn,” Liberty said. “Explain your mental connection with this ship?”
“Everyone just calm down,” Reed said. “But that is a fair question. Tao?”
“Kairo,” Tao said. Liberty and Reed looked confused. “The ship’s name is Kairo.”
Liberty paused. “You named it?”
“No. It told me.”
Reed leaned back. “That’s comforting.”
Tao nodded. “It is unusual. This ship’s technology is far beyond anything I’ve ever encountered.”
“Well,” Liberty said, “did Kairo say anything else? Like where we are going?”
“It wouldn’t tell me.”
“I should have stayed on the space station with Max.”
“Look, it’s only been an hour.”
“Don’t want to cross the line on a first date,” Liberty quipped.
Reed said, “I’m sure Tao has other details to share. Right?”
“The hyper-jump put us two hundred light-years away from New Earth. Kairo has us cruising for another five to seven days to a planet.”
“Which one?” Liberty asked.
“It won’t say.”
Liberty tilted her head. “You ever have a girlfriend?”
“No.”
“That explains a lot.”
Reed chuckled. “Communication, Tao.”
“I communicate just fine.”
“Not with women. Or ships.”
Liberty turned to Reed, “We’ve got a lot of work to do if we’re going to figure out where we are going and why.”
Tao ignored them.
Because in that moment, something shifted.
Not outside him.
Inside the connection.
A hesitation.
As if Kairo had reached a conclusion.
And was waiting for him.