In the future deep space travel is a regular occurrence. After completing a mission to take supplies to Earth 2, or Genesis as the colonists call it, something goes horribly wrong with the space shuttle returning Adam Evans and his crew mates to Earth. The shuttle crashes and Adam and Jason survive, but the Earth they return to has changed greatly.<br><br>When tragedy strikes, leaving Adam on his own, he finds the paradise surrounding him has an increasingly darker side. He assumes he can outsmart it, beat it. The product of a lost past, where men and speech are free, he rebels against the rules restricting him. But is he just setting himself up for failure, for pain and misery? Can he ever hope to outwit the powers that be?<br><br>Then he meets River Boy, the only person in a village full of dirty, animalistic villagers with whom he connects. There is something intelligent about River Boy. Something civilized about him. Yet is Adam’s growing closeness to River Boy going to save him from himself? Or will his stubbornness, his rebelliousness, cost him more than he is able to pay?

Animals

He soon lost sight of the animals, but that didn’t mean they weren’t still following. The undergrowth was so thick and the trees so plentiful that it would have been impossible to see them even if they were only a couple of metres away. He slipped behind a tree whose trunk was wide enough to hide him. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the smooth bark while he caught his breath. 


When his breathing was under control, Adam considered his next move. He was surrounded by jungle and as far as he knew, the bear and the lionesses had given up the chase. Had they not, he would surely have heard the snapping of a twig or the rustling of branches as they approached. Even the birds hidden in the jungle canopy had not been silenced. He stepped forward and cocked his head. In doing so, he caught a snatch of what he thought was laughter. 


Chapter 5