They crossed the mountain range, and, just as Veronica had predicted, there was the sea.
"It's so much water!"Exclaimed David. "I didn't know there was so much water on Isis."
"The oceans are probably always the last frontier to explore on a planet. And a little bit to the north, a desert."Vero told him.
She tested the water. It didn't have as much salt as the sea water on Earth.
"Extracting some of the minerals here, and using them and oil from the thornbushes, that should be good to keep the Cave working again."she said.
"Almost all of these rocks are volcanic."she commented, looking at the red and purple sand on the beach. "It's a nice beach, I grant you. Very nice."
On their way back to Cascade Valley, DaCoP 1228 reported that there was a storm coming.
"We have to get back to Cascade Valley fast!"she said.
When they got there, realizing that the Cave was not functioning, Veronica suggested they shelter in her ship. The people of Isis were afraid, since they had seen it come out of the sky, but realizing they had no choice decided to go in.
"No!"exclaimed Veronica, looking at Roger London and his family. "I don't want any of you on my ship. I don't want anyone related to Mark London! Get out."she said, and stood in front of them, blocking their entrance.
"It is not our custom."said Uncle Jody.
"I don't care about your customs. I will never help any of that tyrant's descendants. If none of you ever had the courage to stand up to him, even in death, I do. And I do not want any of you here!"
"If the Londons will not enter! Neither will anyone else!"
"Then that's fine by me. I'm not forcing anyone."
"Vero! We can't leave them outside!"exclaimed Moira.
"I will, Moira. Who says I can't. This is my ship. I can decide who can go in or out."
"But…but they're not responsible for what their ancestors have done!"
"Neither was the Keeper."
"I don't think she would have liked you to do this."
"Moira is right."said Uncle Jody. "I knew the Keeper. I knew the Lady Olwen. She would not have wanted to leave anyone out on a storm."
"The storm's getting worse."said DaCoP 1228. "Are they coming in, or not? We must close the doors."
Veronica looked at them, and said the only way she would allow them to enter would be if they took Mark London's remains, and she be allowed to throw them in hyperspace, where no one would ever find them.
Years later
Lily looked around her back yard. Here, in the Rift Mountain Range, she could look out over several different valleys, none of course, as deep as Cascade Valley, but deep enough to be considered valley. Cascade Valley. That was where the first settlement landed on Isis. Of course, she had learned in school about the history of the planet. How it had to have been terraformed, because of its unfriendly environment.