Secret of The Red Planet

by Chris Hawley

CHAPTER TWENTY

  SONIA

  After two scrambled eggs on crispy toast and butter, as only my mum can make and washed down with a cup of tea, I felt better. No more was said about the events of the morning. Mum said she had to go out for a couple of hours and would I be alright at home on my own. I said I would be fine.

  Back in my room I began to think of what I would do for the rest of the holiday before going back to start a new year. First there was Michu. I had a feeling she was thinking of me and I needed to meditate and learn how to tune my mind with hers. Next there was my mission in life. If I was to be a part of the movement to save our planet I needed to start studying. There was so much I needed to understand, the ancient history of Earth and Mars, how the Universe started, astronomy, environmental protection, energy sources, the list was endless. I decided to spend the remaining four weeks of the holiday in the reference section of our local public library.

  But before anything else I had to get a print of that photo of Michu in the high Street. I would have it framed and put it on the wall opposite my bed, so that I could keep myself focused on the way forward. Michu, after all, was my teacher as well as my girl. Having thought that, I felt a surge of gratitude for what she had done for me.

  I dressed quickly and left the house, having left a note on the table to tell Mum I had gone to the library to study. On my way I took the camera into the photographic shop in the High Street and printed the photo as large as I could. With the blown up photo of Michu under my arm I marched off round the corner and into the grey stone building which housed the local library. There was only one person in the reference section, a thin man reading the daily newspaper. He didn’t look up as I entered. I wandered round the shelves for some time, wondering where to start. A young librarian with ginger hair in pigtails, a turned up nose and round glasses came to ask me if there was anything she could do to help.

  ‘Do you have any books on Mars?’ I whispered. You are not supposed to talk loudly in the reference library.

  ‘Come!’ and she led me to a shelf of books.

  She took down a large book and opened it, balancing it on her knee. There in front of me was a large photograph of the Red Planet. A shiver ran down my spine. I felt like saying to her, ‘I was there this morning,’ but I just smiled quietly to myself.

  ‘What exactly do you want to know about Mars?’ was her question.

  ‘Everything under the sun,’ I said softly, smiling at her.

  ‘Is it for a thesis, or something?’ she asked.

  I cupped my hand to my mouth and leaned towards her. ‘Actually, I’m thinking of going there and I was wondering if you would go with me.’

  She looked at me with a strange expression, pursing her full lips and closing her eyes. I guessed she thought I was making a pass at her. I was only pursuing one of my favourite pastimes, flirting with pretty girls.

  ‘It’s okay. I’ll find someone else,’ I said, shrugging my shoulders in a careless manner. Then without thinking, I unrolled the photo of Michu and held it in front of her. She looked at the photo and then at me over the top of her glasses and then at the photo again.

  ‘That’s my girlfriend,’ I said.

  ‘She has strange skin.’

  ‘So would you if you lived underground. What’s your name?’

  ‘Sonia. Sonia Smith. How come she lives underground?’ She looked at me again. ‘Your pulling my leg, aren’t you?’

  ‘My name’s Bill. Hey, listen, Sonia, I need to read lots of book about all sorts of things. I have four weeks before I go back to school. I’ll be coming here every day. Will you help me find the books?’

  She smiled. ‘That’s my job. I’ll be happy to help. It’s a pretty boring place. Nobody comes here except that man over there and he never says a word.’

  ‘You’re a gem, Sonia.’ I could see she liked me. ‘I’ll start with this book and you can be looking for others for me.’

  I took the book from her and went over to a vacant table. I spent an hour looking at all the big colour photos of the surface of Mars. There were pictures of Olympus Mons, Tharsis Montes and the Valles Marineris. One photo showed the dry river beds of the Chryse Planitia. Somewhere there, hidden from prying eyes, was Similaria, with its hundred Martians living five kilometres below the ground. I felt a strange sense of superiority. I looked up at Sonia. She was looking across at me and we smiled at each other. I had another urge to show her the photo and tell her that there was a lot of water underground there. Again I didn’t.

  As I was turning the last pages of the book, Sonia brought another book about the planets of our solar system. It had a chapter on Mars. I read it carefully, comparing it with what Michu had told me. There was a section on the search for life on Mars. The author’s conclusion was that there may have been primitive life at some time in its history but since Mars no longer had a suitable atmosphere, life could not possibly exist on the planet. Good, I thought. That’s how the Martians want it.

  I spent the rest of the day looking at general books on the solar system, which I found interesting. Just before closing time, Sonia brought from the lending section a book called ‘The Mars Mystery’ which she said I could take home to read. I flipped though it casually, glancing at some of the photographs. There were some photos of the Cydonia monuments, some showing the face and the big pyramid. Then I noticed a slip of paper sticking out and I opened the book at that page. Something was written on the piece of paper. ‘I’ll come with you to Mars.’ I glanced across at Sonia, who was putting on her coat and she smiled at me. We went out into the busy street. We said goodnight and went our separate ways.