Generation Starship and its ... kids crew

[Pennarin]

Despite owning some generation starship novels, including an academic-like analysis on the subject, it still hasn't shed light on the identity of a particular story from my youth.

Kids live in moss-covered metal hallways. One day an inquisitive one manages to make a computer screen work, which triggers a silent alarm that the ship's last adult - maybe the engineer? - receives. Once the kid has proven himself capable of doing something else than being a care-free, tribal kid, the adult reveals himself and teaches the kid what he knows. Kid returns to the kids tribe and informs them they are on a ship, bla bla, the ship will come close to an habitable planet but will not stop, and it will mean their eventual deaths. The kids get persuaded to learn from the adult, becoming the ships' crew long enough to make a teleportation device work, using it to reach the planet.

Ring a bell? Been searching for it for 18 years.

[JimF]

I am almost positive that is the 3rd book in Ben Bova's exiles series called End of Exile.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-r.../end-of-exile/

Hope I helped.

Jim

[Pennarin]

We have a winner! Thanks a lot, Jim :-)

Now I can say I've read something by Bova; never thought that would ever happen, or...ever had.
I'm gonna buy that sucker!

[starman03]

After reading this thread and checking out the series it actually seems really interesting and appeals to me, so I've whacked it on the to-read list. Wouldn't have came across it without this thread so thanks very much to you both! :-)