Alex paced back and forth outside of Trevor's room. He'd agreed to tell the story once. They'd picked Trevor to hear it because he could handle it, and Alex to tell him because no one would believe Alex cared enough to fabricate something so elaborate.

  Of course, Alex knew he was capable of way more than anyone gave him credit for, but they were right about one thing. He didn't make stuff up. And he liked the idea of having Trevor's undivided attention. The power imbalance was intoxicating.

  "Hey, man," Alex said awkwardly after Trevor opened the door.

  Trevor stared back blankly as if waiting for the punchline of a joke he knew wouldn't be funny.

  "Can I come in?"

  "Yeah," Trevor said, moving away from the door.

  Alex took in the room's tidiness and shuddered. What did this guy do all day? Clean his room? He'd never been in Trevor's room alone. He suddenly wanted to tell the story quickly.

  "So, I need to tell you some things, and they'll be hard to hear. Why don't you take a seat?"

  "I think I can handle it."

  Alex frowned but plowed ahead, knowing even Trevor couldn't handle what he had to say.

  "So, remember when we left base and supposedly explored Mars for two days?"

  "Alex, I don't really want you in here. Just spit it out."

  "Ok, you asked for it," Alex said, a maniacal smile on his face. "We found a gigantic fireball at the digsite. It's called an Orb, and we used it to travel back in time to when bird people lived here. The people Sloan saw in her visions are real."

  Alex looked at Trevor, whose eyelids were slightly purple. He waited for Trevor to say something. But instead of speaking, Trevor dragged a chair across the room and sat in front of Alex. His fingers drummed on the seat of the chair as he sat there gathering his thoughts.

  "You traveled back in time? Are you sure you didn't lose too much oxygen and hallucinate all this? Where's Edward?"

  Alex didn't need Edward right now. What he needed was a redo, another starting point to hook Trevor's attention.

  "Ok, let me start over," Alex said, grabbing handfuls of his hair anxiously.

  "Look at my nose."

  "Alex, I'm about to ask you to leave!"

  "No, dude, legit, look at my nose."

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Trevor studied Alex's nose and then tilted his head to the side as if he was looking at something odd.

  "Did you sleep with your nose taped up so that I'd believe your little story?"

  "No. As fun as that sounds, no. I did not."

  "We actually traveled back in time to an early version of Mars they call Merrick. Bird people who are a lot like us live there, except they have wings and snouts. They speak English and don't need space helmets to breathe. Neither did we by the end of our time there. We could breathe their air just fine. I guess our noses started to morph, but we didn't stay long enough to get snouts. I don't need to wear a helmet anymore. I can go without one here."

  This caught Trevor's attention, and he stopped looking at Alex's nose and focused on his eyes.

  "Who doesn't have to wear a helmet anymore?"

  "None of us do, man."

  "Lilly can go without a helmet?"

  "Yes."

  "Where is the fireball?"

  "At the digs site."

  Trevor told Alex to start over a third time, but this last time he held Alex's gaze as he listened to the story. When Alex was done, he sat for a long while, rolling and unrolling the sleeves of his sweatshirt.

  "So if we went outside right now, all four of you could go without a helmet?"

  "Technically, yes, but we've agreed not to because we're unsure what Stone knows about the Orb."

  "If I ask Edward about all this, will he back your story?"

  "Yes. I mean, Edward wasn't with us for most of it, remember?"

  "Yeah, that's convenient."

  "Ask Lilly or…Well, I was going to say ask Ms. Lawrence, but you can't."

  "And if we stay here, you'll take us to Merrick?"

  Alex blanched at Trevor's question, which made Trevor's eyes narrow.

  "Why wouldn't you take us, Alex? Trevor asked.

  "It's not that I couldn't. It's just not stable there. The factions are warring with each other."

  "The factions?"

  "Yeah, I told you there are three factions-Strengths, Movers, and Readers."

  "And I'm a Mover because of my telekinesis?"

  "Yeah, you're getting it."

  "I have to say I think you're full of shit, Alex. This sounds like a game on my PS8."

  "I know it sounds unbelievable, right? It's all true. I'll take you there myself. Just you, though."

  "If it means we won't need oxygen, everyone should go."

  Alex nodded silently.

  "So superpowers, cancer, and now time travel? Are we sure Red Rock isn't actually a reality TV show?"

  "Dude, I honestly can't wrap my head around all that's gone down. One thing we can't figure out is why there are no fossils of these bird people. Their bodies are almost human, except for their snouts and wings. Even the babies have wings."

  "And they all have superpowers?"

  "Yeah."

  "But no one has cancer?"

  "Correct."

  "And they pray to an Orb?"

  "Not so much pray to it as listen to it."

  "It talks?"

  "To some of them. I never heard it say anything. I guess you're special if it talks to you. That's part of why they're fighting each other."

  "And you chose me to be the only one outside the four of you that knows about this?"

  "Yeah. Edward and Lilly agreed you'd be the best at gauging if the others needed to know to make an informed decision about boycotting the launch."

  Trevor's face clouded.

  "I'm afraid this won't inspire unity. I'll keep it to myself for now," Trevor said. "I'm glad you told me. It sounds like quite an experience."

  "Yeah. You know what's funny? I miss them. Like I miss people back home. I miss Merrick like that."

  Trevor smiled, "It sounds like the best damn thing to happen since we got here."

  "It kind of is," Alex said, standing to leave. "I know you're going to run all this by Edward, but he'll back me. Felt great to get that out, man. Thanks for listening. I won't be on that launch home."

  And then Alex left, and the room was silent and eerie.

  "Bird people and snouts," Trevor whispered, collapsing onto his bed. ?

  Trevor let his hands wander to his nose, feeling the flexible cartilage.

  "Ain't no way," Trevor said out loud and went to find Edward because the one person he wanted to talk to about it was his ex-girlfriend, and for right now, it was better she had no idea.