Homestead, page 3
“Now it’s your turn to apologize,” Myra said to her son. Then to Belle, she added, “A hundred cycles on Mars is about 190 Earth years.”
“Oh, I didn’t know,” Belle said, staring at her feet. She hated sounding like a fool.
Myra put her hand on Belle’s shoulder. “No worries, child,” she said. “You’ll soon get used to your new life on Mars. This world is so rich and full of new discoveries.”
“Like Water Raiders!” Lucas’ eyes lit up.
“What are those?” Belle said. They didn’t sound like fun.
Myra scowled and waved her son away. “Not something to worry about right now. My husband, Padraig, is back at our homestead. He can fill you in on that topic. We live just to the southeast of here. You likely passed our farm on your way here.”
She pointed in the direction they’d come last night. Belle saw nothing but yellowed grassland and clusters of enormous trees stretching up to the sky.
“We couldn’t see much on the way in; it was too dark. We relied completely on the guidance computer,” Yun said, scratching his head. “Plus, I’m afraid our home doesn’t look any more livable in the daylight than it did last night.”
Myra laughed. It was a great sound — like a flock of happy birds twittering. “That’s not your real house. We call it the front porch. It has no security. Anyone, like us, can just walk in. But come with me. Let me show you how we live on Mars.”
The entire Song family let out a sigh of relief. Even Melody seemed to perk up as they followed Myra back toward the house. She led them into the shack. Inside, there was a single table and two chairs in the middle of a large and very dusty room. At the other end was another door. This one was heavier and more solid than the front door. To the side of the door was a small wooden flap. Myra lifted it, revealing a computer panel hidden behind it. She turned to Yun.
“Do you have your security key code?” she asked. “It should be on your title papers.”
Yun pulled out his datapad and pulled up the relevant page. He entered the endless string of numbers and letters into the computer panel. The panel lit up, flickered red several times, and finally settled on a bright green glow.
“Now, each of you stand here, one at a time,” Myra said, gesturing to a spot in front of the computer panel. “Let the computer scan you so your house will recognize you.”
“It’s just like back home on Earth,” Belle said.
“Mars isn’t behind Earth in any way, you know,” Lucas said sulkily. “In fact, we’re definitely ahead in environmental tech and terraforming knowledge.”
Myra shushed him.
“What?” Lucas looked up at his mom. “Terrans who are new to Mars always expect us to be more backward. I was just explaining the truth.”
Myra sighed and nodded.
“That’s not what I meant,” Belle spoke through gritted teeth as the computer took her image. She didn’t really like this boy. Maybe he didn’t like the idea of Terrans moving to Mars.
Once the scanning was complete, they each had to say their name and a few key words so the computer would recognize their voices. Finally, the computer displayed “Welcome Home, Song Family” on the entrance panel. Then the door clicked open.
Myra led them through the door and down a set of stairs. With each step, a light came on, illuminating their way. It was cold inside, and the air smelled stale. Then the sound of a fan told Belle that the heater had turned on. She could feel the air warming up as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Myra waved her hand in a wide circle.
“Welcome to your real home,” she said. “It’s a little dusty, but I think you’ll agree it’s quite pleasant. The building above is really just a false front, to make it seem more like a home on Earth. It’s a human thing, I suppose.”
They were greeted by a white-walled kitchen filled with equipment that, by Earth standards, was seriously old. There was a refrigerator, a food hydrator, and a microwave oven.
“All faucets are equipped with water purifiers too,” Myra said. “The house has all the modern conveniences you could ask for.”
“I can learn to use these,” Belle heard Zara whisper to Yun.
There was also a small dining table, a living area, three small bedrooms, and two tiny bathrooms. One bathroom held a water shower, while the other was equipped with a sonic shower.
“Mars law prohibits more than one water shower per week,” Melody informed everyone. “Water is even more precious on Mars than on Earth.”
Myra and Lucas eyed Melody suspiciously, as she spoke. They don’t like her, thought Belle. I wonder why?
“We can handle that.” Yun sounded cheerful. “On Earth, we had very strict restrictions on water usage too.”
Belle could tell his cheerfulness was fake. She knew he hated sonic showers. He always said it didn’t feel like he was any cleaner just because some fancy vibrations removed surface dirt and old skin.
Belle leaned against a wall as she took in the idea of living underground. There were no windows. It felt like they would be living in a box. Then her hand rubbed against the wall behind her. It came to life — displaying the view of their homestead outside. She stared at the wall. It was just as if she were looking out a window at the stone path that led to the shack above. Beyond that, she saw the yellowish-green pasture and the two barns. She even saw Loki’s head peeking out of his stall.
“It’s a viewscreen?” she gasped.
“Yeah. It’s really cool.” Lucas’ eyes lit up. For a second, he actually smiled. “You can program any of the walls to display what’s outside in real time. Or you can see other locations on Mars, or Lunar Colony, or even Earth.”
“This way you don’t feel so claustrophobic,” Myra explained. “The weather on Mars makes it hard for us to live above ground most of the time.”
“We Martians don’t have a problem with living underground,” Lucas added. “But I’ve noticed Terrans hate the idea.”
“Only at first,” Myra said. She nudged her son. “And in the non-winter months, it can be quite pleasant to spend the day deng yav — upstairs.”
“When there are no dust storms,” Lucas grumbled.
“Does it ever snow?” Belle guessed Lucas would laugh at her for asking, but she didn’t care.
“Not often, and only in winter, which lasts one hundred and fifty Sols,” Myra said. “Winters here are often severe. We rarely leave the house, so it’s important to stock up.”
“Sols?”
Myra looked pleased to answer Belle’s questions. “I see you’re a curious person, Belle. That’s a very good quality to have. A sol is one day on Mars. It is thirty-seven minutes longer than one Earth day.”
Belle caught the smirk on Lucas’ lips. She really didn’t like him.
Sol 98/Summer, Cycle 105
(Myra said that’s how to write the date here on Mars.)
Myra Walker is so genuine and nice. Her son, Lucas, is something else. I get the feeling he doesn’t like new people. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to see each other much after today, but stars, was I wrong!
The Walkers are our closest neighbors. Before they left today, Myra invited us to their home, so Mom and Dad could learn about farming from her husband. I’m quite relieved that someone will be showing us what to do to survive.
But then she dropped the bombshell! She said that since I was still in the sixth grade, Lucas and I would be in the same class. The parents thought that was great news. Lucas didn’t look too thrilled. I know I wasn’t either. Hopefully, the class will be big enough that we won’t have to talk much. Otherwise, I’ll never get away from this grumpy, sarcastic boy.
PS — Things to remember:
1 Mars cycle = 687 days = 1.9 Earth years
My age on Mars = 12/1.9 = 6.32 Mars cycles
8 Sols = 1 week on Mars
Chapter 6
VISITING THE NEIGHBORS
“What a perfect day for a walk to our new neighbors,” Zara said. It was a bright and sunny morning. Low, puffy clouds floated on a gentle breeze.
It made Belle feel homesick for Earth.
“Walk?” Belle looked around. “How far is it to the Walkers’ farm? Why can’t we take Loki and the wagon?” She couldn’t tell where their own farm ended and the next one began.
“It’s only a few kilometers. We’ll take our time and explore a little,” Yun said.
In the daylight, the Songs’ farm looked a lot more pleasant. Large clumps of bushy trees dotted their property as far as the eye could see. Crossing in front of their farm gate was a dirt road that seemed to stretch on forever.
“This is Aonia Road. It links all farms in the area,” Melody said, projecting a holo-map of the area. “It joins the route to Darwin to the southeast and runs to Sun City to the northwest.”
Melody was always full of useful information like that. If nothing else, Belle could spend the day listening to Melody’s fun facts about Mars. But then Yun told Melody that she had to stay behind and watch their house. The android shut the gate and headed back to their house. Belle huffed.
“You saw how Myra and Lucas reacted to her when they were here,” Yun said. “The Robot Rebellion didn’t happen on Mars, but news travels. They might not be comfortable with robots acting like they’re part of the family.”
Belle huffed again. The rebellion ended almost fifty years ago. Were people really still afraid of androids?
“You know,” Zara said. “If we didn’t have Melody, we might be terrified of androids too. Let’s get to know our Martian friends first, before introducing her, okay?”
Belle didn’t answer. Anybody could see that Melody was special. She wasn’t going to try and take over the planet or anything. She was Belle’s best friend.
“Myra told me that Sun City is where the marketplace is,” Zara said, changing the subject. “You love markets, don’t you, Belle?”
Belle shrugged. She knew her mom was trying to lift the mood. But Belle didn’t want to like Mars, and she missed having Melody around. Her mom sighed quietly.
The road they walked along separated two distinct biomes. On one side was plot after plot of flat grassland. Some of it was fenced in by wooden posts with laser crossbeams in between. Yun pointed out where the Song farm ended and the Walkers’ began. Belle was surprised at how big their land was and worried at the same time. What would they do with all of this land?
On the other side of the road was a lush green forest that seemed to go on forever. Tall trees rose high into the sky. At the top, they stretched out their branches like arms, touching their neighbors. Their leaves wove together to shadow the forest in almost complete darkness.
“Trees were vital for terraforming Mars,” Yun said, looking back at Belle, who stared with curiosity at the forest. “Strips of forestland like this were planted to help purify the air, and to prepare the soil for eventual farming. A hundred cycles ago, much of our farmland was forest too.”
“I thought that removing the forests on Earth was what helped to destroy the air,” Belle said, remembering all she’d learned back home.
“You’re right,” Yun said. “That’s why some forests on Mars will be permanent.”
“Like this one?”
“I don’t know. But I’m sure you could ask your new teacher when you start school.”
Belle didn’t want to think about school. She hated the idea of being the new kid. She dragged her feet along as she followed her parents. They were holding hands and chatting, far too happily for Belle.
The Walker farm was almost exactly like the Song farm, except for the unusual crops growing in the fields. Belle couldn’t make out what they were. Behind the fields were the corrals, where several animals grazed. Belle spotted three horsels that looked even bigger than Loki. Next to them were a bunch of creatures that resembled sheep, but Belle couldn’t be sure. A handful of huge alpacas grazed in another area near a giant barn. One of the alpacas saw the Songs coming and bounded over to greet them.
“Wow!” Yun cried. “I’ve never seen an animal jump that high.”
The sight of this huge animal leaping high off the ground was so amusing, Belle forgot for a moment that she was in a bad mood. She laughed and ran over to the waiting alpaca. With each step, she pushed against the ground a little harder. The land beneath her felt like a trampoline. She soared higher and higher with each leap.
“Look at me!” she cried.
“It’s the gravity difference.” Yun laughed, leaping next to her.
Belle was breathless when she reached the corral post. She’d been so busy missing Earth, that she didn’t think how fun it might be to explore a different planet. She and Yun petted the alpaca for a while, before Zara called them over to the Walker house.
As the Songs walked up the driveway, they saw a small building similar to the one on their own farm. The Walkers had obviously done theirs up to look more livable, but it still had a shack-like appearance. Belle wondered if that was on purpose. Maybe it was meant to act like camouflage. If so, who were they trying to fool?
Padraig Walker ran up to the house as soon as he saw the Songs. He was a funny man with curly gold hair and a sunburnt face. He waved and shook hands as if he couldn’t be happier to meet another person.
“Call me Paddy,” he said with a catchy laugh.
Myra and Lucas soon joined the group. Within seconds, the parents were all chatting like old friends. Belle and Lucas stood staring at each other in silence.
Myra and Paddy began showing the Song family around their farm.
“Alpacas are one of the few Terran animals that haven’t struggled to adapt to life on Mars,” Myra said, pointing out their herd. “Except that they seem to grow bigger with each generation.”
“What’s wrong with your sheep?” Belle said.
Lucas snorted.
“They’re shoats,” Myra said. “Hybrid sheep and goats. Scientists cloned the first shoats to adapt to Mars. Since then they’ve become a natural farm animal here. They’re our own version of livestock. Aren’t they cute?”
Belle didn’t think so.
“So you only have two dozen alpacas?” Yun asked as they passed the grazing animals. “How is that enough to survive?”
“The authorities are very serious about limiting livestock,” Paddy said. “Mars’ ecosystem is much more sensitive than Earth’s. They outlawed cattle because the methane gas they produced damaged the atmosphere. Alpacas are the new cows.”
“The large numbers of cattle on Earth helped to ruin its atmosphere.” Lucas had his hands on his hips, and spoke as if he knew everything. Belle couldn’t stand him.
“Now, Lucas,” his dad warned. “You know we learned from the mistakes of the past. So now we have a better life here. Livestock numbers are purposely kept low. Only a few farms are allowed to have animals. You’re lucky the De Sousa family retired. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have received a livestock license. We live mostly on turken fowl and shoat. Alpacas are farmed for their milk and wool. Their meat is a rare luxury.”
Paddy pointed out the crops he was growing — millet, beans, and a hybrid squash-zucchini.
“These require less water than traditional crops. Water is our most treasured resource.” Paddy led the Songs to an area behind their house. “That’s why we spend so much money and energy on securing our water tanks.”
“Where is the tank?” Belle couldn’t see anything but a large backyard.
“You’re standing on it,” Paddy said proudly.
“So it’s underground? Why do you keep the tank hidden?” Zara asked.
“Raiders,” Lucas whispered with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“Raiders are never funny,” Myra scolded her son. “And I don’t like you scaring our new friends.”
Paddy crouched to the ground and lifted a patch of earth. Hidden underneath was a computer panel similar to the one that opened Belle’s house door.
“Water Raiders,” he said. “They often try to steal our water. They’re organized and ruthless. That’s why it’s vital to secure our tanks like this. Replacing the water is expensive. It can break a farmer’s livelihood.”
Belle felt a shiver go through her body. “What do these Raiders look like?”
The Walkers shook their heads in unison.
“We don’t need to think about that now,” Paddy said, replacing the patch of grass covering the computer panel. He put his arm around Yun. “Let me show you how you can secure yours.”
Myra slipped her arm into Zara’s. “No more unpleasant talk. Let me show you our barn.” She put on a smile, one that Belle could tell was forced. As much as Belle wanted to hear more about Water Raiders, she went along with Myra. Lucas dragged his feet behind her.
The barn was a high-ceilinged, double-story building. It smelled like rotting vegetables. The floor was covered with brown and tan wood shavings. On the ground level were pens that held the funniest two-legged creatures Belle had ever seen.
“What are they?” She crouched down to look through the netting to get a better look. They had tails like turkeys. Their faces were a strange mix of turkeys and chickens — and they stank.
“You’ve never seen a turken?” Lucas said.
“They’re a hybrid fowl,” Myra said. “We’re allowed to have more of these than alpacas, because they’re smaller and don’t pollute as much. They smell unpleasant, but they’re quite delicious.”
Belle whipped around with her eyes wide. “You actually eat these?”
Myra laughed her bird laugh again. “That’s the farming life. We have to eat what we grow. So we eat some of the turkens, and we sell others at the markets. They also provide us with eggs, which we sell too. Their feathers are made into household items, and we grind up their bones into feed for our mealworms. We don’t waste a thing.”
