Colonization (The Seamus Chronicles Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

out to no one.
    “There’s one more life raft in the right bulkhead. Get it.” Mom directs me while she and Grace muscle the third raft to the cargo ramp.
    I’m on my feet and following closely behind my dad to the right bulkhead. I don’t actually know where it is so I’m glad he’s helping. Liam’s broken leg is putting a strain on me that I don’t like.
    “I got the raft. You go load water and food.” Dad says to me before we get to the bulkhead.
    We don’t need water, we need water purification. I know there was a box of filters in here somewhere, even that would help. Grace gave me crap about carrying it when we were reloading; she thought I should have left it for one of the girls.
    “Liam, where’s the filter box? This water is really pure, even if we can only filter it we might be able to drink safely.” I try to explain quickly so we avoid needless work and conversation.
    “I haven’t seen it. If you’re sure, help me get these boxes of food into the raft. We need to clear this place out so we can find things.” Liam is hobbling with his cast but the crutches have been discarded.
    The first box I grab is heavy. I think I can hear cans banging together inside. Liam remembered a manual can opener just after the apocalypse hit; let’s hope he remembered one for this trip.
    I lug the box of cans to the raft and drop it in heavily.
    “Careful!” Liam yells at me.
    He’s right and there is no time for an argument. I nod and then go back into the plane to get another box of food.
    We go on like this for several minutes. I lose count of how many boxes I grab but I feel good about working hard. Even with his cast Liam matches me box for box and I actually suspect that he is managing to carry boxes far heavier than the ones I am finding.
    Dad is surveying the ramp and water is lapping up over the edge. He probably wants to raise it some but there is no need. Water is also coming in through the crack between the ramp and the floor of the cargo bay. We can’t stop the flood and will need to write off the bottom of our pile of supplies.
    In the stack of supplies I see a box labeled “Water Purification” near the top. Hopefully this is a complete package. I have to walk around Liam, who is trying to get a box off the floor. Reaching up on my toes my fingers just grasp the sides when the whole stack sways towards me and then starts to fall.
    My balance disappears and I begin to tumble backwards. Boxes, some heavy, some light, fall on top of me and all around. This is Liam’s fault and I want to pummel him!
    When the commotion stops I begin to clear boxes away from my face. A few of them move more easily than I had expected, at least Liam is helping me.
    “Careful Seamus.” Sofie is smiling down at me after removing a box from my face.
    She doesn’t look good but I’m glad she feels well enough to have made it back to the plane. Her movements are slow but she manages to help me get out from under the pile and onto my feet.
    “Get in the raft with Jake and Remmie.” I tell her.
    With a few wobbly steps she is to the edge of the ramp and ready to step into the raft. I’m right next to her and hold her hand for stability. Once she is settled I turn back to the problem of supplies. Standing still probably makes me look lazy, but I want to find the water purification box before I do anything else.
    There! I found it. Stepping carelessly on top of other boxes I climb over to my prize. It’s not very heavy and I lift it up over my head. This is going in the raft with Sofie so our prized possessions are all together.
    “Mount up!” Dad calls out.
    Henry and Liam climb into one of the rafts and Dad and Mom get in another. Grace is sitting between Sofie and Remmie, comforting them. That leaves me to be alone in a raft, or to climb in the ambulance raft and figure out how to tow a supply raft.
    If only we had a motor of some sort. My reactor! It’s not a motor, but how can I leave it here? We may need it