Prodigy (Complete)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Once a prosperous continent for human beings, Africa was now almost entirely turned over to nature. The barren wastelands of the Serengeti were inhospitable for humans, but hosted an array of other life forms. In other areas, dense jungles flourished, providing home to millions of species.

Discreetly nestled in between a natural valley formation rested the world’s largest and most expensive space exploration ship – the Pegasus. Located just a few hundred miles away from what was formerly known as the country of South Africa, the ship’s crew worked industriously to prepare for takeoff.

 “There’s still room on this ship, sir,” Agent Archimedes said. “Perhaps we should allow some more people to board.”

“Nonsense, Archimedes. We’re about to embark on the greatest mission in the history of human civilization. Having more people will be a drain on our precious resources.”

“Yes, but like you said, this is the greatest mission in the history of humankind. We may need more people’s expertise along the way.”

“We would be yielding to the law of diminishing returns, Archimedes. At a certain point, having more people becomes a disutility. Whatever benefits they may offer will not outweigh the costs of having them. I have given this mission more than adequate consideration. In lieu of those who are not able to join us, we will preserve the ideas and contributions of the entire human race in digital archives.”

“But we will be the last survivors of the human species and may need more people to ensure a diverse preservation of our species. A limited bloodline cannot achieve that aim.”

“I have the genetic sequence codes of nearly six billion people, plus the best geneticists on the planet on board, I don’t think that will be a problem.”

“I just want to do what’s right and save as many people as possible.”

“We are saving as many people as possible, my friend. We are preserving an entire civilization. Perhaps not those living today, but the countless unborn generations that are to follow. We must not allow ourselves to get tangled up in the manufactured morality of this current civilization. The concepts of right and wrong no longer exist. This planet is a wasteland and we cannot save everyone. Tough choices must be made for the greater good.”

Agent Archimedes remained quiet.

The crew was hand-selected by the Leader. He had compiled a group of individuals whom he deemed would give the human race the best chance of survival. Everyone on board had vast amounts of medical knowledge. Some were experts in astrophysics and mathematics, while others specialized in survival and combat. There truly was no weak link. Another marked characteristic among the crew was they all shared an undeniable loyalty to the Leader, who would undoubtedly continue to rule post-Earth. In order for that to remain, none of them could know the real reason for the journey, none of them except Agent Archimedes – Maxim Morrison’s lead agent.

Aside from the small group that was accompanying them on the mission, there were hundreds of others involved in the preparations. Maxim walked on to the lower level of the ship in the cargo bay to see if everything was in order before takeoff.

“Is everything I asked for on board?” the Leader asked a worker.

“Yes, sir,” the worker said.

The Leader had a checklist. Among the things on the list were hundreds of species of plants, a stockpile of over a million different types of seeds, a variety of animals, thousands of different kinds of bugs and healthy bacteria, a water purification system, a massive surplus of fresh water, an oxygen generator, a large supply of food, clothing, and medicine, and enough weapons to supply an army.

The lowly service man was standing face to face with the most powerful and important man on the planet, but Maxim’s charming smile made the worker feel comfortable and respected.

“Forgive me for asking, sir?”

Maxim Morrison looked at the man, indicating that it was alright to proceed.

“May I ask why you’re bringing all these different life forms?”

“It’s for the good of humankind,” the Leader said, dismissing the question with a vague answer.

“Have a safe and prosperous journey, sir.”

“Thank you.”

Maxim Morrison made his way through the cargo bay and into an elevator. The elevator ascended to the main deck, which housed the control room for the ship.

“What’s the status?” Maxim asked.

“We’re doing a final systems check. We should be cleared to go shortly, sir.”