And what if Keanu chose to create Revenants from people none of them knew, the dead of Earth? Rachel simply didn’t know what to expect, if anything.

That much hadn’t changed.

They had been back on Keanu a day, by their internal clocks. But Keanu was in a new place, a new space . . . and aimed toward the home world of the Architects. Soon, surely, they would detect signals, perhaps direct communications. They might be welcomed. After all, this was Keanu returning . . . the original Architect warship launched ten thousand years ago.

They might be shot at. They might be destroyed.

They might be ignored. It was impossible to predict. All Rachel knew was that she and the others would deal as best they could.

She wondered, though . . . had their magic leap meant a farewell to Earth? A door had opened to take them here. Might some other door open to take them back one day?

That would be another adventure.

Assuming anything that had happened in the past twenty years was an adventure. Yes, she had had unusual experiences—but so had those she left on Earth. Love was a unique experience. Parenthood. Work. Accomplishment. Failure.

Death.

Adventure was really just life, the days flowing into and out of each other.

And a new day was beginning.

Acknowledgments

Our families have been silent passengers on Keanu’s voyage for the past five years, so we thank them: Marina, Sayle, and Milo; Cynthia, Ryan, and Alexandra.

We are also grateful to Simon Lipskar at Writers House, to Ginjer Buchanan at Ace and Bella Pagan at Tor/Macmillan UK, and to Nellie Reed and Lauren Bello at Phantom Four.

Special thanks are also due to those who offered encouragement at various stops along the way: Michael Engelberg, Andre Bormanis, and Emily Mayne, and the gang at HeavensShadowtheTrilogy on Facebook.

D.S.G. & M.C.

Los Angeles, March 2013