The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3)

by Neal Shusterman

He heard a door open and turned to see Astrid coming out of the Viewhouse. She looked triumphant. “There will be a planet for Tonists!” she announced. “Kepler-186f, but I’m naming it Aria. It’s the farthest planet on the list, 561 light-years away. Cirrus calculates we have only a forty-four percent chance of reaching it without a deep-space accident, or a self-destruct scenario!” Morrison looked at her, a bit mystified by her glee. “You do understand that there’s a fifty-six percent chance that your ship won’t survive the journey….” “If the Tone is real, then it will protect us,” she said. “If the Tone is true, then we will reach our new home and prosper under a sky we can call our own.” “And if the Tone is false, and you’re blown to smithereens by a space rock?” “Then we will still have our answer,” she said. “I guess so,” said Morrison. Astrid let her shoulders drop and shook her head, gazing at Morrison in pity. “Why do you hate me so?” she asked. “I don’t hate you,” he admitted. “It’s just that you’re always so sure of yourself.” “I am unwavering,” Astrid told him. “With so many things in flux, there’s got to be someone who stands firm.” “Fair enough,” said Morrison. “So tell me about your planet.” According to Astrid, Kepler-186f was one-and-a-half times the size of Earth and had a 130-day year. But what struck Morrison most was the length of the journey. “1,683 years,” Astrid told him brightly. “I won’t be there to see it, because I plan to live a natural human life...