Kathy said, “No, I don’t. I’m just repeating a theory I heard. I don’t agree with it, so chill out.”
Scout said, “How can I chill out? I just discovered that people who came here for a better life don’t have faith in the government set up to provide that better life.”
Kathy said, “Maybe they’re not fully trusting of DeNoPE’s leaders, and they think their families will break up when the treaty is broken.”
Scout said, “I think we proved that we can defend ourselves pretty well, and it’s getting easier with the influx of new immigrants.”
Kathy said, “You can’t expect everyone to have blind faith in us. I don’t think I’d want to live in a society that had blind faith in the government. Now, this is a happy occasion. You just found out you’re going to be a father. If you want to focus on that good news, I’m here to celebrate with you.”
Scout leapt to his feet and hugged his wife. They did a jig on the living room floor. They kissed and started to pet each other in anticipation of celebratory lovemaking. Kathy’s clothes landed on the couch and Scout’s landed on the television. They celebrated for well over an hour.
When the celebration was over, Kathy put Scout’s hand on her belly. Scout felt his wife for a sign of his daughter, but none came.
Kathy asked, “Do you feel anything?”
Scout replied, “No, not yet. It’s only the fourth week, though.”
Kathy said, “What should we name her?”
Scout said, “I was thinking we could name her Kathy.”
Kathy said, “People who name their children after themselves are lazy. We should give her an original name.”
Scout said, “My mother’s name was Lorrie, and yours was Josephine. We could name her after one of them.”
Kathy said, “That’s just as lazy. She needs her own name, not the recycled name of her ancestors.”
Scout asked, “Do you have a name in mind?”
Kathy replied, “Well, I was hoping to name her something that gives her options.”
Scout said, “So, something like Kathryn. That can be Kathy, Kate, Kat…”
Kathy said, “We are not naming her after me,” in a very gruff tone.
Scout sighed. He really wanted to name his daughter after her mother, but that was clearly not going to happen.
Scout said, “Okay, how about Elizabeth. It’s the perfect girl’s name. There’s a boatload of names she can choose.”
Kathy said, “That’s a very good choice. She could be Liz, Lizzy, Ella, Ellie, Beth, Betty, Lisa, Liza, and I’m sure I’m missing others.”
Scout added, “That’s probably why that name’s been so popular for so long.”
Kathy said, “I was kind of hoping that we could give her an unusual name. She’ll be the first baby born on Mars.”
Scout said, “We don’t know that for certain. There were colonists here 60 years ago. One of them could’ve had a child.”
Kathy said, “If that had happened, it would’ve been known. Those colonists broadcast everything until they died.”
Scout said, “We don’t know that they died for sure. The signal dropped and Earth lost contact with them. It was just assumed that they died.”
Kathy said, “Until I know for sure that I’m not the first woman to give birth on Mars, I’ll assume that I am. As such, I want her to have a Martian name.”
Scout said, “So you want her to feel like a true Martian?”
Kathy said, “Something like that.”
Scout said, “Well, in the old cartoons, the Martian was named Marvin. That seems pretty mundane.”
Kathy said, “I’m sure we can find a name that sounds like this child is different.”
Scout said, “We don’t want her to be too different. Kids can be cruel to other kids if they’re too different.”
Kathy said, “We could name her Elizabeth and find a part of that name that no one has ever thought of using before.”
Scout said, “I’m pretty sure every possible name has been used at some time.”
Kathy wrote the name on her device. She stared at it for a while, looking at the letters and trying to find an unused combination of letters.
She said, “Eli, no that’s a boy’s name. Liz is taken, so is Liza. Eliza, no that sounds stupid.”
Scout asked, “Are you still talking to me, or have you gone into your own mind again?”
Kathy replied, “Sorry, babe, I’m trying to figure out a name in this name that no one’s used before.”
Scout thought about the letters in “Elizabeth” for a moment. Then he had an epiphany.
He shouted, “Zabet!”
Kathy asked, “What the hell is that?”
Scout replied, “The letters from ‘Z’ to ‘T’ in ‘Elizabeth.’”
Kathy gasped, “It’s perfect. We’ll name her Elizabeth, but call her ‘Zabet.’ That way she’ll have a normal human name, but it’s clear that she’s not from Earth. She’ll be awesome.”
Scout said, “You’re her mother, so she’ll be more than awesome.”
Kathy said, “We already had sex, so you don’t need to keep kissing my ass. Besides, I’m having your baby, so I’m not going anywhere.”
Scout said, “I love you, mother of Zabet.”
Kathy snapped, “Quit with the cute stuff. You’re not in a comic book.”
Scout said, “I totally should be, though.”
Kathy said, “No, you shouldn’t. Comic books are for nerds.”
Scout said, “Like the nerds I had in the terraforming crew? Remember when they wrote ‘Turbolift’ on the Renaissance’s elevator?”
Kathy said, “I remember that you reprimanded them and reminded them that ‘This is not Star Trek.’ When did you decide to join them?”
Scout said, “Maybe a little part of me was okay with that. I’ve always loved science fiction. I could’ve totally been Captain Kirk.”
Kathy said, “What do I see in you, you fucking weirdo?”
Scout said, “You fell for my charms when I laid my Mack down on you.”
Kathy sarcastically replied, “Sure, that’s it.”
Chapter Four
Tourism
The spaceport saw more action in the past few months than it had seen since the war. In addition to the regular visitors and the law enforcement crew from New Mexico, there were a few tourists who came to Mars. They mostly came to see how Martian society worked, but a few were interested in immigrating and wanted to test the waters first.
The captain of the Bulldog, Kimberly Ortiz, radioed to the spaceport, “I’m ready for landing whenever you are.”
The control center radioed, “You’re clear to land at Freedom Landing Pad. You may approach when ready.”
The Bulldog landed on the tarmac and went into the customs receiving bay. The passengers disembarked and customs agents screened them. Then they were taken to a briefing room to learn about Martian rules and regulations. Once the briefing ended, they were issued environmental suits and visitor badges. The environmental suits weren’t necessary unless the visitors intended to go exploring for long periods, but they were issued to everyone as a precaution. Those who were on vacation were issued green badges, while those considering immigrating to Mars were issued red badges. The badges had a tracker, a radio in case of emergency, and a work credit card strip on the back. Every tourist was issued 200 work credits in exchange for their money.
Bob Fink accompanied this group of tourists to their hotel. Every member of the original terraforming team guided a group of tourists in turn.
Bob said, “Now, you may find Martian life to be very different from life on Earth. It’s not for everyone, but it’s the way we’ve chosen. Everyone works to contribute to society. No one is better or more important than anyone else here. Those of you who are considering moving here need to bear that in mind. For those of you who just want to enjoy your vacation, ignore what I just said and have fun. Just make sure to follow our laws.”
Bob took
the tourists to a small bus. It was an older bus, but it looked and felt like a newer model because the crew kept it so well maintained. They drove from the spaceport to the Hotel Freedom on First and Earth.
Bob said, “This is going to be your home for the next two months. Feel free to explore the city or the uninhabited parts of Mars. Just be sure to be in your rooms by 24:30 unless you’re in an approved campsite. Remember that if something happens to you after curfew and you’re not in an approved campsite, we’ll have trouble reaching you.”
One of the tourists raised his hand.
Bob said, “Yes, you have a question?”
The tourist asked, “Do we have to wear this stupid suit everywhere we go?”
Bob answered, “The suit is a precaution until you clear customs. The air’s a little on the cold side for people from Earth, and the solar radiation is too strong for people who aren’t inoculated against it.”
The tourist said, “But we don’t need the suits indoors, right?”
Bob replied, “No, you can take them off inside once you clear customs” While I’m telling you about the rules, remember that there are a lot of sandstorms on Mars. They’re no joke, either. To make sure our buildings don’t get inundated with sand, every building on Mars has a double set of doors. The first door is the entrance, but you have to make sure that door closes before opening the second door. The door in your hotel does this by default. Once the first door closes, a set of robotic vacuum cleaners get rid of any dust. Our equipment can’t handle the fine sand.”
The tourist asked, “So when can we take the suit off?”
Bob said, “I already answered that. You can take them off once you clear customs. However, for those of you going on extended explorations, you’ll take them off when you’re between the doors of the hotel’s vestibule. We don’t want you tracking sand all over the building.”
The tourist group was taken to the customs-processing center where they were searched for contraband. They were scanned by machines, and their belongings were searched by hand.
The group continued to their rooms. There were three types of rooms in the hotel. The first rooms were for single people. They had a queen-sized bed, a television, a computer, a mini refrigerator and microwave combination, and a couch. The rooms for couples had a king-sized bed and the rooms for families had a king-sized bed and a queen-sized bed. All the rooms had internet access as well as television and radio signals from both Earth and Mars. The bathrooms were motion and voice activated. They had a shower with a tub, a toilet, a sink, a soap dispenser, a paper towel dispenser and a pneumatic towel dispenser.
Once the tourists reached the lobby, Bob left the hotel and returned to his duties in Congress. The tourists found their rooms and started enjoying their vacations.
David Jamison was an engineer from Albuquerque. He told the Martian government that he was considering immigrating to Mars from Earth. He was sent by General Rich to spy on the Martians, especially Kathy and Notah.
He thought, “I may be here to subvert the society, but I’m not sure I want to go through with it now. There’s got to be more work here than on Earth. This society’s basically brand new. I’m sure I’d have a better life here, but I don’t want to piss off the General.”
David called General Rich and said, “I’m on Mars. I’ll await your instructions.”
After the delay, General Rich replied, “Just make it look like you’re there to immigrate. Once you gather the information I need, I’ll send you to start your mission.”
David asked, “Did you create my false profile? It would be very bad if they discovered I was a Navy Seal. Remember that Captain Green is with them.”
Rich answered, “Of course I did. I’m not an idiot. Don’t worry about what I do; I’m a professional. I’ll do what I do, and I expect you to do what the hell I tell you to do.”
Rich slammed his fist into the button to end the call. He didn’t like his authority, professionalism or competence being questioned. David just did all three.
Rich thought, “You just got on my shit list, asshole.”
David thought, “I’ll gather the information alright, but I’m not sure I really want to help you. I’ll do what you tell me to do, but nothing else.”
David slept in his room that night, and woke disoriented the next morning. The alien environment wasn’t what he expected and General Rich had not warned him about the disorientation of the first day on Mars.
The tourist group went to the biodome as a group. They were allowed the same food allotment as anyone else on Mars for the duration of their stay. The biodome was no longer just the main structure, and even that building was much grander than in the past.
Bob Fink said, “This is the heart of the Martian society. All of our food is grown in this controlled environment, and we are very protective of it.”
Cindy joined her husband and said, “We need to do a thorough inspection before anyone is allowed into the biodome compound.”
The tourists were issued suits in the vestibule, and entered the vetting room. They went through a medical screening and an invasive search nearly as thorough as the customs search. The biodome staff refused to allow any foreign pathogens, viruses, bacteria or technology into the womb of their civilization. Everyone passed the inspection, and they went into the biodome as a group.
Bob said, “Now that everyone’s passed our inspection, we’re going to tour the biodome. Then we’ll go to the store and get your food for the month.”
The biodome had four floors, each with a twenty-meter roof. There was a hole in the center to allow water to drain to the bottom. The first floor was just as it always was. The second floor was dedicated to animal feed crops like hay and grass. The third floor held medical plants like marijuana, coca, and opium. The top floor held all the controls for the biodome. The control booth on the first floor remained there, but it was used as an auxiliary.
On the second floor, a bridge connected the biodome to the grocery store, butcher shop and crop washing facility across Main Street to the North. On the third floor, another bridge connected the dome to a compost hopper adjacent to the biodome to the East. To the west, a bridge connected the dome to both the fish hatchery and animal grazing complex. Behind the biodome, there was a water pump and water treatment station. Next to the grocery store was the power supply for the biodome complex.
Bob said, “You’ve seen the complex, so you should have an appreciation for what goes into the production of our food. Forty percent of our citizens work in the biodome in some capacity or another. Only the military has more participation at 50%, and most of the military also spends some time in the biodome.”
David asked, “So how do we decide what to buy?”
Bob said, “You can get anything you want. We’ll weigh it, and make sure everyone’s supplies are equal. Bear in mind, however, that we don’t have all the same foods as you have on Earth. We only have space for so much here.”
David asked, “How do you do it for yourselves?”
Bob said, “Oh, I see your red badge. You’re considering moving here. So, what we do is we take 60 work credits, that’s our compensation for working, and use it for our food.”
David said, “So you just pick out 29 days’ worth of food and make sure the weight doesn’t exceed the maximum?”
While Cindy was answering, David reached inside his shirt. He pulled a piece of skin off his chest and attached it to the wall of the biodome. He made sure no one saw him as he attached it.
Cindy said, “There’s some leeway with the weight, too. We’re not going to make someone put food back if they’re one pound over the max.”
David thought, “I’d better make sure to keep them distracted. If I ask another question, she won’t suspect that I’m up to something.”
David asked, “How do work credits work?”
Cindy explained the work credit procedure to the group as they walked toward the grocery store from the main biodome. Then she turned them loo
se in the grocery store. After the tourists finished in the store, the bus returned everyone to the hotel. The vacationers stayed there while the people considering immigration went to the capitol building with Bob and Cindy.
Chapter Five
Martians
Elaine landed the vehicle on Mars. Michael looked out of the windows for any sign of trouble, and he didn’t see anything that alarmed him. Andres gathered the supplies and moved them closer to the door.
Michael said, “This is it; we’re on Mars. Is everybody ready?”
Andres said, “We’re about as ready as we’re ever going to get, so get on with it. Open the damned door.”
Michael said, “Don’t get butt hurt. I know you don’t want to be here, but you’re here now. Deal with it.”
Michael nodded to Elaine and she opened the door. Everyone gathered their equipment and headed to the research settlement. It wasn’t very far, but the equipment was very heavy.
Andres complained, “Why does this shit have to be so damned heavy?”
Michael said, “Because most of it’s water.”
Andres said, “I hate this place already.”
Elaine approached the door to the pod and dropped her bags. She kicked the door open and barged in. She screamed, and her friends dropped their bags to help her.
Michael yelled, “What’s wrong, Elaine?”
The men burst through the door and were knocked out immediately. They woke up several hours later, tied to a bed in the pod.
Elaine asked, “Who the hell did this?”
Andres added, “And why the hell are we naked?”
Michael said, “None of that matters. Let’s just try to get the hell out of here before they come back. We don’t want to get ourselves turned over to DeNoPE.”
Elaine said, “We’re nowhere near the Martian cities, and I made damned sure that we weren’t detected.”
Andres said, “Apparently, you weren’t sure enough. We seem to have been detected.”
Michael asked, “Elaine, how many people did you see before you screamed?”
Elaine replied, “There were five of them. They didn’t look too happy when I kicked the door open.”
Classical: MARS: Book 3 of MARS Page 2