Darwin Base

When the Arks were launched, only the US Space Command knew there were actually two different subgroups within the passengers sent to the stars. Those kept in the gray super-armored sarcophagi were part of the secret initiative called Project Darwin. Their sole goal was to breed, build up the population and technology and one day return to Earth and claim it for their own.

The other group, kept in ordinary white sarcophagi, thought their mission was to colonize the target planet, build up the population and ensure the survival of the species by removing our genetic eggs from one cosmic basket. To some degree, the two groups worked in concert but to a much larger degree, their goals were at odds since they were competing for limited resources to accomplish two separate missions.

On top of everything else, the Erklirte, the Ark Lords, kept their mission secret. So they needed a base of operations in the northern woods, far away from New Ark City, so they could work on their plans undisturbed by the would-be colonists. Rei certainly had no idea about this when Keller directed him toward their secret base:

     Up ahead, Rei could see a grouping of six or seven Quonset huts huddled on the edge of a large paved area, mostly blacktop resembling tarmac. The metallic roofs of the huts glinted in the sun to the point where Rei had to tint the windshield a bit. There was a classic two-story tall old Earth-style control tower attached to the farthest building.
     “What is this place?” Rei asked. “I didn’t know it was here.”
     “You can call it Darwin Base,” Keller answered. “And you weren’t supposed to know about it but it’s way too late for that. This is going to be your home for a while.”
     Rei made a guttural sound then shook his head. “Where do you want me to set down?”
     “Over there,” Keller said, pointing. “Past where the two roads merge.”
     Rei slowly drifted across the taxi portion of the landing area, scanning the vicinity as they crossed the first roadway. Parked along the Quonset huts were several flying carts along with the huge transports they had brought from Earth in their Ark. Rei had wondered where those things had disappeared to. He had not seen any of them in over a year. He touched an icon and Junior’s landing gear extended. Rei rotated the craft so that it pointed forward toward the other roadway then set down with the tiniest of bumps.
     Keller unbuckled. “Go join your wife,” he said. “But make sure everything you do is slow. I don’t want you to get shot accidentally.”

This place, Darwin Base, is something that Rei is going to have to check out. There is no way he's going to allow such shenanigans to on, on his home planet.