The Clone Bible -
Chapter 2 -
In the deep reaches of space, a convoy of Conventionalist ships travels towards the opening to another dimension. They hope to begin a colony without first being detected. Enemy scouts patrol nearby as they skirt the edges of their sensors under cloaking devices. In the main ship, a doctor named Ari, plays a card game with the ship's captain. He picks up the thin, magnetic cards bound to the table, not pretending to understand the game. The captain's wife discerns Ari's hand from the opponents' bidding.
An officer, who Ari had treated earlier, plays across from him.
“I understand you volunteered for this expedition Dr.? You are aware of the danger?”
“I've heard of the previous attempts.”
“Then why volunteer?” the captain's wife asks, eyeing her husband's bet suspiciously.
“If you must know,” Ari says contemplating the cards, “I had a dream.”
“A dream?” the officer asks.
“A vision really. I saw a tree growing up as water flooded beneath it. It grew and grew until the water stopped and it flourished in the sun and air.”
“That's it?”
“That seems a little weak to be risking your life on Dr.,” The captain says playing an ace.
“Imagine a single tree overtaking an ocean,” he pauses. “I can't describe it.”
“I just wonder how a man could leave his wife behind,” the captain's wife says.
Ari went on, “She supports my decision. Margaret wants to end this war as much as anyone. It has become obvious the Ascetics have more resources than us. Their armies are becoming smarter and more advanced. Their victories are more frequent, we could be overwhelmed any year now.”
“Indeed,” the captain replies, touching his forehead before playing the next card. He sighs, adding, “It will take great men and sacrifice to overcome them.”
“Perhaps only great sacrifice,” Ari smiles, playing his only ace, leading back to the captain's wife in the same suit.
Ari's partner plays her last card, making the bid, and says, “I still can't believe there has been no compromise after all these centuries.”
“Conviction can be blinding,” the officer mutters, looking over at a nearby table.
“To ignore generations of children is not conviction, it is evil.”
“You two have no children correct?” Ari asks, trying to shift the conversation.
“We tried,” she says. The captain's hand found hers as Ari looked down at the last useless king in his hand.
"And you Ari?"
"Just a son. He defected a long time ago."
After a long night and many glasses, Ari floated through the halls to his sleeping bag, attached to the wall in a matted chamber. He slept for a long time before jolting from his sleep. Flashing lights and screaming alarms preceded the captain's voice on the loudspeaker, “This is your captain speaking. It appears we have crossed dimensions before reaching the Kappa Gateway. There is a large planet ahead of us. We've tried to maneuver around it, but its' gravity pulls us back. Brace for landing.” More shouts and sounds of confusion erupted in the halls outside his chamber. A horrible cracking preceded a rush of vacuum and all went black.