◆ ◆ ◆
With his ray gun in hand, Stan and Dr. Baylor began a cautious trek further into the cavern. Dr. Baylor was first to notice Morg; he looked like a pile of muddy clothing on the floor of the cavern, next to a pond of clear water. He appeared to be asleep.
“Morg,” Dr. Baylor said. Morg didn’t answer. As she got closer, she could tell that Morg was dead. His shattered helmet lay next to his ash gray body. She waved her data recorder over him.
“He’s been dead for at least forty-eight hours…He was a good soldier.”
Stan stood in silence as he stared at Morg’s lifeless body.
“Give me your gun. You go back and help get my patients onto the floater. I’ll download his life signature data and dispose of his body.” Dr. Baylor nodded toward Morg’s body.
“Yes, ma’am,” Stan replied solemnly as he turned away.
Dr. Baylor studied the bruises on Morg’s body. “Massive trauma,” she whispered. “Rest in peace, my comrade.” She set the body ablaze with Stan’s laser gun. “One day, your commander will avenge your death.”
◆ ◆ ◆
Stan and Mr. Rittenhouse helped lift Alex and Mr. Red Cloud onto the floater. When Dr. Baylor noticed that everyone was on the floater waiting for her, she decided to complete one last task before leaving the cave. From a hidden compartment in her medical bag, she took out a rapid-firing atom disrupter. She entered the cave where the paintings had been washed away; she had seen it through the cameras in the eyes of the soldiers.
“We don’t want any trouble from you and your people,” she said, though she neither saw nor heard anyone inside the cave.
“But if we get any,” she continued, “we’re ready for you.” She backed out of the cave, her thoughts protected by her lead cap beneath her helmet.
At the cave’s entrance, she folded her weapon and placed it back in her medical bag.
“We’re not leaving this planet,” Dr. Baylor said before climbing the ladder into the floater. She did not notice the hot lava bubble up from the ground where she had stood nor did she catch Celine watching her through the window of the floater.
◆ ◆ ◆
Celine watched as Dr. Baylor boarded the floater. She could see lots of heat coming from Dr. Baylor’s boots; there was also an abnormally large red aura surrounding her when she entered the floater and took her seat.
Though Celine wanted to ask Dr. Baylor to whom was she speaking, she didn’t. That large red aura meant trouble. She watched as Dr. Baylor’s red aura expanded to Stan, and he rolled his eyes at Mr. Rittenhouse. Then it expanded to Mr. Rittenhouse.
“Your irresponsibility and ignorance caused me so much grief,” Mr. Rittenhouse said in Alex’s direction even though he was asleep and could not hear the comment.
Celine recalled how the red aura had spread from one animal to the other when she and Alex were being chased and how they eventually became angry. She was witnessing the same thing happen right in front of her. She shut her eyes and thought only of the Great Spirit. You are Love. You are Peace. You are Joy. She chanted silently over and over until she felt extremely calm. She opened her eyes and saw her aura had become white and was expanding. The red aura that had been spreading from Dr. Baylor faded pink. She continued to chant; this time she chanted aloud.
“What are you doing, child?” Mr. Rittenhouse asked.
“She’s chanting,” Stan said. “Let her chant. I feel better already.”
Mr. Red Cloud let out a loud snort, causing everyone to turn toward the area where he and Alex lay asleep.
“That’s a good sign,” Dr. Baylor said. Her darkened eyes brightened. She looked at Celine with what appeared to be pride. “You’ve done well,” she said to Celine. “You saved your father and Alex. You’re the kind of hero we need.”
Celine looked at all of the pink auras that surrounded everyone on board. Everyone appeared calm and relaxed. She smiled with gratification. “Thank you, Dr. Baylor,” she said.
THE EPILOGUE
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Celine sat in her quarters, patiently awaiting a call from her grandmother. Her mom’s room replacement, Ms. McAndrew, had moved out and was living with Hannah. Celine was finally beginning to settle back into her daily routine; nothing was normal though. Her dad would be released from the infirmary soon, although he still was not quite himself. The doctor said it would take more time—a few months, maybe—for him to adjust. Her mother filed for divorce and said she would never return to Mars. Celine constantly wondered if any of this was her fault. Maybe things would have turned out better if she had just stayed home and taken her fake Brain Booster. I’m not sure of anything anymore.
An electronic female voice cut through the pondering silence. “You have a call from Enisi,” Uji said. “But you have five months of lectures and assignments to make up. No calls for you.”
“I missed you, Uji, but I don’t really need a sitter anymore.”
Celine typed in the override code her father had given her.
“Overridden,” she said. Uji disappeared. “I’ll call you when I get bored and start playing Dad’s flute.”
“Greetings, Granddaughter,” said Enisi.
“Good day, Enisi. Grandma, you were right. Everything you said was true.” Celine burst into tears.
“Tears, Granddaughter? You have done the impossible.”
“Nothing turned out the way I expected.” Celine sobbed.
“You found your dad. It is because of you he is safe.”
“But I want my family.”
“Things don’t always turn out the way you want, Celine.”
“Why do adults always say that?”
“It’s because you cannot control what others do, but you can control your reaction to it.”
There was a long silence. “I thought I had done everything right. Things shouldn’t be this way.”
“Little one, you must look inside your heart, not your circumstances, to find true happiness. You have much to be grateful for. You have a father and mother who love you. I love you.”
“I know that, but Mom wants me to move to Earth and live with her. I can’t leave Dad.”
“Well, you don’t necessarily have to move to Earth, but you could always visit.”
“I haven’t told her I’ve changed, and I don’t think she wants me to.”
“This is true. But you are Waya now. And you are her daughter. She will love you regardless.”
“Yes, I am Waya. Dr. Baylor said nothing could change that.”
“So Dr. Baylor knows?”
“Yes, Enisi. And I think she is military.”
“Military? Even on Mars…I told your dad he could not hide from them. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, Enisi. I like Dr. Baylor. I think she likes me.”
“She is manipulating you, Celine. Don’t be fooled by her.”
“Grandmother! Stop!” She paused for a moment. “We might need the military, Enisi. Maybe I can help. Maybe I should help. Maybe, somehow, I can change things.”
“I do not understand your thought process, but you are young. You have plenty of time to decide.”
“Yes, I do. Do you know that Morg died?”
Enisi’s white aura turned pale blue. “I’ve heard. It is his karma. The energy he sent out returned to him.”
◆ ◆ ◆
Later that day, Celine visited Admin’s quarters to say goodbye to Alex.
Their friendship had developed far beyond Celine’s dreams.
“Celine, you’re a star!” Alex blurted out when he noticed her. “You’re in all the media! They are calling you the Sacajawea of Mars!”
“Sacajawea? Why?”
“Because you are a Cherokee, and you led the Rittenhouses to water!”
“Sacajawea was a Shoshone, not Cherokee.”
“Does it matter? You’re famous!”
“Yes, it does actually.” Celine noticed the disappointment on Alex’s face when she didn’t sha
re his excitement. “I guess I can see the similarities,” she said.
“Definitely. On Mars, water is so much more valuable than any ores! Dad said he’s about to prepare the next hundred colonists!”
“Really?” Celine was excited to hear this. “Will there be any children?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Oh.” Celine exhaled. Her lungs were no longer sore.
“I thought you were moving to Earth,” he ventured. “You know, to live with your mom?”
“No, I’ll visit when I’m caught up on my lessons.”
“Got it. Well, anyway, I’m starting a new reality show, and I really want you to costar.” Alex said. “We could call it The First Martian, hosted by Martian Girl and Alex Rittenhouse.”
Celine snickered. “I have five months of lectures and assignments to finish.”
“Oh, you’ll never finish,” Alex responded jokingly.
“I’ll get caught up. You have my Com link, and I have yours.” Celine stared at Alex. He had grown at least six inches. She reached for him to give him a hug. Surprisingly, he didn’t recoil but held out his arms to embrace her. “You’re my hero,” she said. “You’re the friend I’ve always wanted.”
“No, Celine, you’re my hero. And honestly, you’re more than a friend.”
“Good day to you, Alex Rittenhouse,” Celine said proudly.
“And so it is, my best friend. Good day to you, Martian Girl.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
◆ ◆ ◆
Jackie Hunter grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and worked as a school administrator and a middle school math/science teacher in the Richmond area. She is a lifetime member of the National Parent Teacher Association. Ms. Hunter holds a master of education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She divides her time between Richmond and Suwanee, Georgia, where her daughter, Ramirra, and son-in-law, Jerry Stackhouse, maintain a home.
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