“They’re depressurizing now,” Simon answered, eyes focused ahead. “Another minute.”
A loud beep sounded and the doors began to creak. Cool, moist air rushed in as the cargo bay doors opened.Oh. Anna pushed the long sleeves on her jumpsuit up to let the air caress her arms.This feels like when we had monsoons, maybe? Humid?
The air clung to her skin and coated her lungs as she breathed deep.It smells different though.
Behind them in the cargo bay stood the rest of the androids, all in a line. Watching. Their curious eyes were trained on Anna and the others.
“They’re letting us go first.” Simon stepped forward, pulling Nora’s arm. “Let’s walk out.”
The moment the doors opened, Tilly ran ahead on two strong legs, her limp nonexistent. Nora was already halfway down the ramp, with Simon a step behind. “Wait up! Not so fast, Tilly!”
“Woah! It smells good here!” The little girl turned around, waving her arms wide as she leapt unnaturally high in the air. “Look how high I can jump!”
Holding Simon’s hand, Nora hustled down the steps to stand beside Tilly. Her leg was now fully healed. The gunshot wound from Paul had only left two small scars on her thigh, which were covered by her pants.
But Anna didn’t move from the threshold. Everything in her felt light, bright, matching the sunshine outside. Her foot hesitated as her eyes adjusted. She whispered, “It doesn’t look real.”
Ahead of her lay greenery with flowers everywhere—lush, large ones that swayed in the breeze. It was nothing like anything she had ever seen before. The humid air pressed in on her, sunlight warm on her skin.It doesn’t feel real either.The air smelled like flowers and nature that shouldn’t exist.
She could have stood there, mesmerized, all day. But she focused on her feet, which were enclosed in the same silicone boots the androids wore. The boots were weighted in an attempt to help her balance in the lower gravity.I need to move now. I need to take a step out.
Instead she looked back, finding Atlas’s eyes. “It’s so green; there are more plants than even you have!”
“Yes, there are.” He took a step forward, chuckling, and stiffly held out his hand. “Do you need assistance?”
“Maybe.” She turned back to the new world. “Everything feels unsteady.” Then lower, she added, “It’s almost like I’m drunk.”
A hand steadied her, firmly, on her upper sleeve. It felt solid, and immediately pulled her to lean closer.Oh. Her cheeks reddened. With surprise, she looked up into Atlas’s eyes.
“We can’t have that.” He led her forward. “In addition to the gravity being different, your center of balance is off as well.”
“Thanks.” She gripped Atlas tighter. “I feel frozen.”
“That’s your nervous system getting overwhelmed.”
Overwhelmed? That made her laugh. “I sure am.”
Anna shuffled forward with her eyes on the ground. The first few steps she took were shaky.She carefully climbed down the stairs and stepped on the soil.The dirt still looks the same.But everything else about the Mars surface was foreign as she took those first few steps. “It’s hard walking here.”
“That’s the gravity. You’ll get used to it. Try to jump.”
She did, then stumbled. “Oh. You're right. I almost fell!”
Atlas steadied her. “Maybe not that high.”
Nora, out in front, had Simon holding her roughly the same. Only both his arms were around her, rather than the clinical touch Atlas offered.
Tilly ran ahead, like living here was already natural. She jumped high. And fell. Again. And again. The grass around her quickly flattened from the attempts.
All around them, nature exploded in color. Anna’s lips parted, and her mouth ran dry.This is Mars. Everything is so green. I don’t even know what to say.Out in front of her were trees with birds chirping overhead. And when her eyes traveled farther, she saw clouds in a serene blue sky.No dust clouds.The sky was also blue instead of the decaying yellow of Earth.
Beautiful flowers were everywhere. They lined the dirt path outside of the spaceship, all brightly colored.
Behind them, she heard the other androids unloading, but Anna only looked ahead.
“Atlas!” She tugged his arm. “What’s that plant?”
“Roses. There are lots of different kinds here.”
