Then he raised his head and opened his eyes again, looking out at the Guardians. “We also remember Earth, our home planet and everyone we left behind. We hope for an end to their suffering, while we also look ahead to a future without war and suffering, free from the xenotrife.” He paused a moment before speaking again. “I want to thank all of you for being here. For your service to me, to Captain Grant, and to Pioneer and the people of Metro. These last few weeks, I’ve seen a group of ensigns and engineers, and even a Commander, turn into one of the most capable group of individuals I’ve had the pleasure of serving with. I know some of you were cut off from a civilian life inside Metro and forced into a path you didn’t expect. Or want. I’m grateful to each and every one of you for your help in keeping this ship secure during our journey, monitoring essential systems and always on guard for potential threats. I think our experience with the enemy proved Command had great foresight in commissioning the Guardians and providing us with ample resources to do our jobs. Even so, every chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and I think that makes us incredibly strong.”

  He paused again while the Guardians clapped and cheered his comments.

  “I know that each and every one of you will pour every ounce of your strength, courage and energy into your duties, and that as Earth falls further behind us and Avalon draws closer, our desire to see Pioneer to her destination will only grow, our strength will only increase and when we arrive, it’ll be as ambassadors of the past to the descendents of Metro, invaluable guides as we embark on a new mission on a new world. That’s something I’m looking forward to. That’s what I’m holding onto as we prepare for these years in space. I hope you’ll do the same.”

  The Guardians nodded their heads in agreement, clapping and cheering again. When they fell silent, Joseph looked at Siraj.

  “For those of you assigned to the stasis pods in the officer’s chambers, Guardian Siraj will take you there now, along with Guardian Rojas, who will ensure your hibernation is successful and make any necessary adjustments. Again, I want to thank you all for your service, and wish you only the best in the years to come.”

  “Thank you, Prime,” Siraj replied for the group. “We wish you the same. Hopefully, we won’t see one another again until we’re in orbit around Avalon.”

  “I hope not.”

  Siraj and the seven other Guardians headed out of the module with Rojas. The remaining twenty Guardians assembled in front of him, and he led them back into the barracks and through to the stasis pods. Each Guardian found their pod, save for Morales and Hoffman, who assisted other members as they stripped and stepped into their assigned chamber, and West, who needed a little extra help.

  It took some time to get so many people into stasis, and fortunately the effort went off without a hitch. Then Joseph helped Morales and Hoffman into their pods in turn, offering fresh farewells to each. He wasn’t supposed to play favorites, and he did his best not to most of the time. But in truth, they meant more to him than the other Guardians. They were his Marines. His Bastards. They had been through the hellscape of war on Earth and made it out together.

  “See you on the other side, Sarge,” Morales said as Joseph closed the lid to his pod. Most of the other Guardians had looked nervous when the gel began filling their chambers. Morales had a big smile on his face, in typical Fatcat fashion.

  And then there were two.

  Joseph turned to West. “Just tell me how you need me to help,” he said as she wriggled in her chair, getting her gown up past her thighs and then up and over her head, leaving her naked.

  “I just need a lift into the pod,” she replied. “They didn’t design these things to be handicapped friendly.”

  “Of course,” he replied. “Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

  She laughed. “Because I have a choice? Joe, it’s fine. There’s nobody else I’d rather do this with.”

  He nodded, bending and leaning forward. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifted her from the chair, putting his hand under her buttocks to support her. Her skin was cold and soft, and he couldn’t help feeling nervous about touching her so intimately.

  He carried her a step to the pod, her face next to his, their cheeks touching lightly. He started to lean over it, shifting his grip so he could place her into the chamber.

  “Joe, wait,” she said, pulling her head back so she could look into his eyes. “I want you to know I’m going to be okay. Even if I never get my legs back, I’ll be okay. I know you worry about all of us.”

  “Some more than others,” he admitted.

  “You’re only human. So am I. I know time will pass in a blink for me, but I also know it won’t for you. I want you to know how much I appreciate you saving my life. More than that. I want you to know how thankful I am to know you. You’re a good man, Joe. It’s been an honor to serve alongside you. And I...” Her eyes began to fill with tears.

  Joseph smiled, his eyes beginning to well too. “I know, Keesh,” he said. “You’re an inspiration to me, the way you’ve persevered throughout everything.Your strength and courage, and your loyalty to your fellow Guardians. We’ve been through a lot together these last couple of years.”

  “That’s an understatement.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “True.”

  They both laughed.

  “I’m proud to call you my friend.”

  “Same here.”

  She wrapped her arms tighter around him, and he pulled her into a stronger embrace. Then he lowered her into the pod as gently as he could, smiling down at her as his tears threatened to fall into the machine.

  “I’ll see you in a couple of centuries,” he said.

  “It’s a date,” she replied. “Thanks in advance for getting us there safe.”

  “Copy that.”

  He stood over her, looking down at her face, his heart pounding. If he were honest with himself, what he really wanted was to kiss her. And looking at her expression, he knew she wanted to kiss him too.

  But that wasn’t how things would ever be. They were both professionals, and there was too much at stake to ever risk giving in to those emotions.

  He put out his fist, settling for a bump and a smile.

  “Sweet dreams, Keesh,” he said.

  “Stay safe, Joe,” she replied.

  Then he went over to the terminal, activating the pod. The top swung closed and locked, the motors hummed, and it began filling with gel. He stood up, looking in at her as the gel overtook her, rising up and over her face. She gasped once, adjusting to the liquid in her lungs, and then settled back as the pod put her to sleep.

  Joseph stood there for a few more minutes, staring in at her. Then he blew out a pained breath, wiped his eyes dry and retreated from the room, locking the door behind him.

  He went through the barracks, already beginning to feel the stark contrast between the module an hour ago and the module now. It would only be him and Rojas for the next two years, until Siraj and Johnson cycled out of hibernation and they cycled in. It was a lot of time to kill, but he would spend it as smartly as he could.

  He still couldn’t manage to land a virtual Bayonet without exploding on impact, leaving a lot of room for improvement there. With enough time and practice, maybe he could even get Goose to stop laughing at him every time he died. He smiled at the thought, already starting to adjust to his new routine.

  As long as the simulator was his only source of excitement, everything would be just fine.

  THANK YOU FOR READING EXODUS, the first book in the Forgotten Starship series. I truly hope you enjoyed it! Please head over to mrforbes.com/forgottenstarship for more information about the series, or flip to the next page to learn more about the Forgotten Universe.

  Thank you again!

  Did you know Exodus is part of a larger universe? If you want to read more while you wait for the next book, there’s plenty to enjoy here. Here are the three I recommend after reading EXODUS. You can get more complete descriptions of each on the Other Books pages.

  Deliverance (Forgotten Colony, Book 1) - mrforbes.com/deliverance

  Another generation starship leaves Earth heading for a new home. At least, they think they are. The remains of Earth’s government have other plans…

  Forgotten (Forgotten, Book 1) - mrforbes.com/forgotten

  This is where it all began. Sheriff Duke is a favorite among fans of the Forgotten Universe. Maybe he’ll become your favorite too? Warning: contains adult language.

  Earth Unknown (Forgotten Earth, Book 1) - mrforbes.com/earthunknown

  The most popular and highest rated Sheriff Duke series. Again, contains some adult language.

  You can also see all of the Forgotten Universe books at mrforbes.com/forgottenuniverse

  Other Books By M.R Forbes

  Want more M.R. Forbes? Of course you do!

  View my complete catalog here

  mrforbes.com/books

  Or on Amazon:

  mrforbes.com/amazon

  Forgotten (The Forgotten)

  mrforbes.com/theforgotten

  Some things are better off FORGOTTEN.

  Sheriff Hayden Duke was born on the Pilgrim, and he expects to die on the Pilgrim, like his father, and his father before him.

  That's the way things are on a generation starship centuries from home. He's never questioned it. Never thought about it. And why bother? Access points to the ship's controls are sealed, the systems that guide her automated and out of reach. It isn't perfect, but he has all he needs to be content.

  Until a malfunction forces his wife to the edge of the habitable zone to inspect the damage.

  Until she contacts him, breathless and terrified, to tell him she found a body, and it doesn't belong to anyone on board.

  Until he arrives at the scene and discovers both his wife and the body are gone.

  The only clue? A bloody handprint beneath a hatch that hasn't opened in hundreds of years.

  Until now.

  Earth Unknown (Forgotten Earth)

  mrforbes.com/earthunknown

  Centurion Space Force pilot Nathan Stacker didn't expect to return home to find his wife dead. He didn't expect the murderer to look just like him, and he definitely didn't expect to be the one to take the blame.

  But his wife had control of a powerful secret. A secret that stretches across the light years between two worlds and could lead to the end of both.

  Now that secret is in Nathan's hands, and he's about to make the most desperate evasive maneuver of his life -- stealing a starship and setting a course for Earth.

  He thinks he'll be safe there.

  He's wrong. Very wrong.

  Earth is nothing like what he expected. Not even close. What he doesn't know is not only likely to kill him, it's eager to kill him, and even if it doesn't?

  The Sheriff will.

  Deliverance (Forgotten Colony)

  mrforbes.com/deliverance

  The war is over. Earth is lost. Running is the only option.

  It may already be too late.

  Caleb is a former Marine Raider and commander of the Vultures, a search and rescue team that's spent the last two years pulling high-value targets out of alien-ravaged cities and shipping them off-world.

  When his new orders call for him to join forty-thousand survivors aboard the last starship out, he thinks his days of fighting are over. The Deliverance represents a fresh start and a chance to leave the war behind for good.

  Except the war won't be as easy to escape as he thought.

  And the colony will need a man like Caleb more than he ever imagined...

  Starship Eternal (War Eternal)

  mrforbes.com/starshipeternal

  Complete series box set:

  mrforbes.com/wareternalcomplete

  A lost starship...

  A dire warning from futures past...

  A desperate search for salvation…

  Captain Mitchell “Ares” Williams is a Space Marine and the hero of the Battle for Liberty, whose Shot Heard ‘Round the Universe saved the planet from a nearly unstoppable war machine. He’s handsome, charismatic, and the perfect poster boy to help the military drive enlistment. Pulled from the war and thrown into the spotlight, he’s as efficient at charming the media and bedding beautiful celebrities as he was at shooting down enemy starfighters.

  After an assassination attempt leaves Mitchell critically wounded, he begins to suffer from strange hallucinations that carry a chilling and oddly familiar warning:

  They are coming. Find the Goliath or humankind will be destroyed.

  Convinced that the visions are a side-effect of his injuries, he tries to ignore them, only to learn that he may not be as crazy as he thinks. The enemy is real and closer than he imagined, and they’ll do whatever it takes to prevent him from rediscovering the centuries lost starship.

  Narrowly escaping capture, out of time and out of air, Mitchell lands at the mercy of the Riggers - a ragtag crew of former commandos who patrol the lawless outer reaches of the galaxy. Guided by a captain with a reputation for cold-blooded murder, they’re dangerous, immoral, and possibly insane.

  They may also be humanity’s last hope for survival in a war that has raged beyond eternity.

  Man of War (Rebellion)

  mrforbes.com/manofwar

  Complete series box set:

  mrforbes.com/rebellion-web

  In the year 2280, an alien fleet attacked the Earth.

  Their weapons were unstoppable, their defenses unbreakable.

  Our technology was inferior, our militaries overwhelmed.

  Only one starship escaped before civilization fell.

  Earth was lost.

  It was never forgotten.

  Fifty-two years have passed.

  A message from home has been received.

  The time to fight for what is ours has come.

  Welcome to the rebellion.

  Hell’s Rejects (Chaos of the Covenant)

  mrforbes.com/hellsrejects

  The most powerful starships ever constructed are gone. Thousands are dead. A fleet is in ruins. The attackers are unknown. The orders are clear: Recover the ships. Bury the bastards who stole them.

  Lieutenant Abigail Cage never expected to find herself in Hell. As a Highly Specialized Operational Combatant, she was one of the most respected Marines in the military. Now she's doing hard labor on the most miserable planet in the universe.

  Not for long.

  The Earth Republic is looking for the most dangerous individuals it can control. The best of the worst, and Abbey happens to be one of them. The deal is simple: Bring back the starships, earn your freedom. Try to run, you die. It's a suicide mission, but she has nothing to lose.

  The only problem? There's a new threat in the galaxy. One with a power unlike anything anyone has ever seen. One that's been waiting for this moment for a very, very, long time. And they want Abbey, too.

  Be careful what you wish for.

  They say Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. They have no idea.

  About the Author

  M.R. Forbes is the mind behind a growing number of Amazon best-selling science fiction series. He currently resides with his family and friends on the west cost of the United States, including a cat who thinks she’s a dog and a dog who thinks she’s a cat.

  He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.

  To learn more about M.R. Forbes or just say hello:

  Visit my website:

  mrforbes.com

  Send me an e-mail:

  michael@mrforbes.com

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  facebook.com/mrforbes.author

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  facebook.com/groups/mrforbes

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  1. Grant

  2. Grant

  3. Cross

  4. Grant

  5. Cross

  6. Cross

  7. Grant

  8. Cross

  9. Cross

  10. Grant

  11. Grant

  12. Cross

  13. Cross

  14. Grant

  15. Grant

  16. Cross

  17. Cross

  18. Grant

  19. Grant

  20. Grant

  21. Grant

  22. Grant

  23. Cross

  24. Cross

  25. Cross

  26. Grant

  27. Grant

  28. Grant

  29. Grant

  30. Cross

  31. Cross

  32. Cross

  33. Grant

  34. Cross

  35. Grant

  36. Cross

  37. Grant

  38. Grant

  39. Cross

  40. Cross

  41. Cross

  42. Grant

  43. Grant

  44. Cross

  45. Cross

  46. Grant

  47. Cross

  48. Cross

  49. Cross

  50. Cross

  51. Cross

  52. Grant

  53. Grant

  54. Grant

  55. Cross

  56. Cross

  57. Grant

  58. Cross

  59. Cross

  60. Cross

  61. Grant

  62. Cross

  63. Cross

  Forgotten Universe

  Other Books By M.R Forbes

  About the Author