Ana and Ed had their first days of work to get to, so Zed found himself wandering the corridors on his way back to their quarters.

  With the contacts in, he could now see each door he passed marked with a label. He passed a series of living quarters with the residents' names appearing above the doors. A few seemed to have been customized with more elaborate virtual signage. The one to his left read “Taylor’s Love Shack” in strobing neon.

  He was now approaching the large door that the Commander had pointed out earlier. Now, though, he could see “HYDROPONICS” written above.

  Well, I could go back to my room and try to figure out some homework—though everything is homework now, technically—or I could poke around a Martian crater base.

  Zed smiled to himself and walked through the door.

  There was a hissing sound as Zed was hit by a wall of humidity. After months in space, the organic odor of plant life was almost overwhelming. Zed breathed in as if he were trying to fill every corner of his lungs with the sweet aroma.

  The door automatically closed behind him. No point in letting the moisture out. The room itself was dim. As his eyes adjusted, it didn’t quite look like a room at all but rather a long, wide hallway.

  Zed saw what appeared to be parallel circles of light spaced in an even pattern down the hall as far as he could see. It was hard to tell in the low light, but he knew the room must be long because it extended far enough that the curve it made around the crater circle cut off his view of the far end. He had no idea how far it went.

  Zed stepped tentatively forward. This wasn’t at all what he was expecting. He had pictured some kind of domed greenhouse, and this certainly wasn’t that. As he moved further down the long room and came closer to one of the bright circles, he saw that it wasn’t just a pool of light but rather a round shaft, about 20 feet across, that descended into the floor. He looked up at the ceiling and saw the shaft mirrored above. They were filled with plants wrapping along their outer walls. Zed peered over the edge with care. The floor was slick with moisture, and he had no desire to tumble into the green depths.

  Without warning, Zed was spun around with belligerent force. He rocked back on his heels and felt his weight pass the tipping point that would carry him over the edge and into the silo. A hand gripped his collar, stopping his spin and momentarily halting his fall. Zed found himself looking up into the diamond-blue eyes of Andy Foster.

  “Yet another reason why children don’t belong on Mars. So many ways to die.”

  Andy didn’t look angry. His face didn’t display any emotion at all, which was somehow more terrifying.

  “One little slip and that’d be it. You’d be plant food before anyone found you.” Andy smiled. “But hey, at least you’d be giving something back to the colony.”

  As Andy spoke, Zed’s mind shifted from “Surely he won’t drop me” to “I can’t believe I’m about to die.”

  Andy’s grip relaxed, then tightened again, causing Zed to slip back with a jerk before being pulled to a rough stop.

  The next few seconds were a blur of motion. Zed felt himself flying through the air, anticipating the bone-crushing impact that awaited him at the bottom of the pit. To Zed’s confusion and utter surprise, he found himself instead lying on the floor, looking up at Andy, who was being held in the same position he had been in moments earlier.

  A gorilla of a man stood with one powerful arm outstretched, and Andy Foster dangled from the other end. Andy looked like a child in comparison to the man. He leaned in close and said something to Andy. Andy nodded vigorously and was set roughly back on solid ground. He immediately turned and scurried to the exit, giving Zed one last sour look.

  Zed looked up into a wide face set with a chiseled brow and nose. The man’s moss-green eyes bore down on him for what seemed like an eternity; then they softened, and he saw the stubbled jaw crack open in a hearty laugh. The man yanked Zed to his feet and gave him a slap on the back.

  “Boy, you gave me a scare. Andy won’t be a bother no more. Some people just need to hear the right words to straighten them out. You all right?”

  Zed nodded without thinking.

  “It’s not often we get new people around here, and certainly no children, as far as I’m aware. For half a second, I thought I was seeing things. Step into my office, boy, so I can get a proper look at you. It’s a bit dimpsey in here.”

  “Dimpsey?”

  “Oh,” the man threw his head back and laughed again. “Sorry, my west country accent really comes out when the old blood gets pumping. I just mean it’s dusky in the trough here.”

  Seeing the added confusion on Zed’s face, the man continued as they started walking.

  “The trough is my domain,” he said, gesturing to the long room. “It’s basically just a big, wide hall that all the vertical hydroponics silos pass through. The hands and I keep the plants going strong, harvest when we can, and make sure the mess-bot is fed enough to do his job.”

  Zed thought he mostly understood but felt like every time this man answered a question, he created a few more.

  They reached a little alcove off the main hall. It was brightly lit and seemed to have similar amenities to his own family's quarters, just larger. The man gestured to one of the “couches” that had been 3D printed out of the floor. They were surprisingly comfortable considering they were essentially concrete.

  “So you must be Zed, the first little Martian,” the man said, though not unkindly. “I’m Ethan Johns, though most people just call me Johns. I’m the head botanist and roboticist, which in most ways actually means I’m focused on keeping us fed. Just don’t call me a farmer. I didn’t earn two PhDs to have that as a one-word summary. Unless it’s ‘robotanist.’ I’ve always liked that one,” Johns said, holding out a thick palm.

  Zed took it and had the distinct impression that this was what it felt like to put your hand in a bear trap. After a firm shake, he was thankful to retrieve his digits intact.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “So tell me, Zed, what do you think of our fine little settlement? Andy excluded, of course,” Johns said, settling back into a couch opposite Zed. “Have you picked up your CIG yet? You found your way in here, so I presume you’re not wandering about blind.”

  Zed wasn’t sure which question to answer first, so he said, “Uh, yeah, I got my CIG like fifteen minutes ago, so other than looking at hallway signs, I haven’t used it much. I’ve only been here less than a day, so I can’t say much about Naug, but it seems cool. I mean, anything on Mars is cool by default, though I suppose, isn’t it?”

  Johns grinned at this. “You’re certainly right about that, boy. I can see by the look in your eyes that you’re the kind of person who can still see the wonder in things. Some people lose that even before they’re your age, I think.”

  The big man put a hand on his knee and leaned closer to Zed. “I think you’ll find this place is something really special. It’s an island of amazing things. Naug is humanity’s keel, cutting through hardship and space to see if we have a real chance of making it. And make no mistake, young Zed, we’ll make it. We’ll make it.”

  This second repetition seemed more for himself than for Zed.

  “Ah, but you’ll have to forgive me. I tend to wax a bit poetic when I get rolling.”

  “It’s totally fine,” said Zed. He actually found the man’s excitement inspiring. The idea of coming to Mars had always been an exciting one for him. Living on Mars, however, had been a vague concept. His parents had their jobs and responsibilities, of course, but his normal life and teenage pursuits had been something he’d left behind on Earth. It hadn’t really hit him until the weeks before their launch just how much he was leaving behind. Here was someone who was taking it upon themselves to be a forerunner for all that would come after for humanity—to ensure the colony succeeded. That gave Zed a sense of hope for his own purpose here. Sure, it was a bit grandiose, but it was something. Something that would make his time here feel like more than just a marketing box checked for promoters trying to line up more families to settle on Mars.

  “I don’t exactly have a job here, but I want to help, you know? Like, I have my classes and stuff, but I don’t really have a purpose here, and I know it. Commander Jones gave me some art project to do for the mess, but I don’t know how useful that is. I think she just felt bad for me because she saw Andy…” He trailed off. Zed wasn’t looking for sympathy. It was truly the last thing he wanted. Sympathy made him more than a little uncomfortable.

  Johns nodded. “It’s not really my place to say, but I heard about the comments made to you in the mess this morning, and while I didn’t hear what Andy said to you just now, I assume it was more of the same. Don’t let that get under your skin. Andy’s just young and insecure, and you’re the first thing to show up that he felt was below him in the order of things.”

  “He was gonna kill me; I’d say that’s a bit more than insecurity!”

  Johns swayed his head from side to side. “Not to downplay the fright you had, but I think scaring you was the extent of it. Not much sense in killing in Naug. Nowhere you can run. You won’t have to worry about Andy Foster anymore. You have my word on that. I told him if I heard even a rumor of him giving you trouble, I’d tell the messbot to put laxatives in his pancakes for a month.”

  Johns sat back in his seat and grinned like a satisfied cat. Zed smiled back.

  “Understand, life here isn’t easy. It’s downright brutal some days, as you’ll see. Everyone here works hard, and what’s more, they worked hard to get here. It doesn’t make giving you a tongue-lashing any better, but know that it’s not about anything you’ve done. Besides, I have a feeling you’ll have them eating crow by the shovelful in time. I don’t wish anyone ill, mind you, but I do love a good humbling.”

  Johns clapped his hands and laughed, making Zed jump in his seat.

  “But what can I do?" Zed said. "I’m not like my parents. I have zero skills when it comes to math or engineering. I’m certainly not doctor material. The sight of blood puts me into full-on fire hose puking mode." Zed mimed a gag, and Johns grimaced.

  “No, we certainly can’t have that now. But everyone has their own talents. What are yours? Just because it won’t help keep people alive or the air filters running doesn’t mean it’s of no use to Naug as a whole. Even a math moron has his place,” Johns said kindly, crossing his arms over his barrel chest.

  Zed knew the answer but found he was embarrassed to give it. Something about being in a place entirely comprised of the brightest minds—well, the brightest minds and Andy—made him feel silly for being passionate about something that seemed lesser.

  “I mean, I’m sort of an artist.”

  “Sort of an artist,” Johns parroted. “Well, are you or aren’t you?”

  Zed straightened up. “I am an artist. Not like drawing or painting, but when it comes to 3D stuff, I’m pretty good. I’ve made some XR experiences and even a couple of games. I haven’t even had time to mess with making stuff with the CIG yet, but if it’s as powerful as it seems, I bet I can put some amazing scenes together for the mess. Ya know, like the Commander asked for.”

  “Is that so? Well, that’s quite an opportunity then, isn’t it? To show the Thabisa herself what you’ve got.”

  Johns sat quietly for a moment but never took his eyes off Zed. Zed found he couldn’t meet that gaze for long, so he looked around the room instead.

  What the space lacked in decor, it made up for in character. A glance was enough to explain why Ethan Johns referred to himself as a robotanist. The mix of tools and machine parts, layered with dirt and grime, stood in contrast to the relatively clean rooms and hallways he had seen up to this point. This space felt more like Earth. The dirt, the moisture in the air, the hints of green, and the artificial sunlight he could see in patches along the wide corridor—it all reminded him of where he'd come from. Yet instead of making him feel homesick, he felt excited that such a thing was possible on this new world. Was that all Earth was? Wet dirt and plants? Maybe that was enough.

  “You may have come at a very opportune time, young sir,” Johns said, startling Zed from his reverie.

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “Listen to me, Zed. My one goal in this life is to make sure this colony succeeds at all costs. I don’t see the poisonous air or the freezing temperatures as the primary barriers to that goal. No, sir. The biggest hardship on Mars is Earth. The resources and purse strings are at the whims of people who quickly forget why we’re here. Mars needs something special. This discovery at the crater cave may be just the ticket, and I have reason to believe you may be able to help. That’s all I’ll say for now, but are you interested? Will you help me give Mars a place in the solar system?”

  Zed wasn’t sure what he’d expected Johns to say, but it wasn’t that. It sounded far too grand for the cramped room, but when he saw the look in Johns’s eyes, he believed every single word of it. And really, it didn’t matter if the big man was completely off his rocker; it sounded like a reason to be here, and that was enough right now.

  “Uh, I mean, yeah, of course. I’m not sure how I can help with all that, but yeah, I’m willing to give it a go if you think I have something to offer,” Zed said, realizing how weak his voice sounded next to Johns’s roaring baritone.

  Johns slapped Zed’s shoulder, and Zed felt his arm go numb.

  “Proper job, Zed! I’ll be sure to let you know more as I can.”

  Zed just nodded at this, still unsure what contribution he could possibly make.

  “Say, have you had a stroll yet? Gotten some fresh air?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean have you gone outside? As in, outside Naug.”

  “Oh,” Zed said, surprised at the thought. “No, I mean, I haven’t even been here a full day. Is that even allowed for someone like me?”

  “Someone like you? Zed, you’re the first kid here; there’s no rulebook as of yet. Maybe it’s time to do a little trendsetting, eh?”

  Zed grinned. He couldn’t wait to tell Miranda and George about all this. He knew George had to be pissed about Zed beating him off the ship, even if it wasn’t his fault. He’d be livid if Zed made the first surface walk too. But then he thought about what going outside really meant.

  “I’ve never done a spacewalk. I mean, I had some suit training back on Earth, but it was just to get used to the suit and how it works. I’ve never done it in actual space and not with the suits you guys have here—just a training room back at NASA.”

  “Well, that’s good enough for me!” Johns said.

  “It is? I mean, I won’t mess up and die?”

  Johns shrugged. “Maybe. Welcome to Mars!”