Lost in the Red Hills of Mars

by Jackie Hunter

  “Come with me,” Celine said to Alex as she quickly left the area. She waded into the water without hesitation, not waiting for Alex. She was afraid to talk with him, afraid of what she might hear. Is he insane too? Will I go insane? Am I sane?

  Celine walked into the tent and grabbed Alex’s backpack to see if her O2 pills and food were still in place. Only her empty pill container and empty food wrappers were present. She checked her backpack but found no food or O2 pills. Her heart raced, and her stomach knotted up.

  Alex had come into the tent behind her. He watched her as she searched the backpacks.

  “Celine?” He finally said. “You haven’t changed.”

  “Why should I? Where are my pills? My food? What did you do with it?”

  Alex shrugged. “What did you expect me to do with them?”

  I am alone, Celine thought. She slung her bag over her shoulder and left the tent without looking back. She needed to get away from Alex and her dad. She headed back to her den in the entry cave to regroup. As she stepped into the cave, she noticed that the boulder no longer blocked the cave’s entryway. She listened carefully and heard the humming sound of the soldiers’ mechanical hearts. The sound came from the cave where she had seen the paintings. She chastised herself for not hearing them enter. She knew she had to go back and warn her father and Alex. She frantically sprinted through the lava tube. The worms around her responded to her emotions. They moved in flowing waves as they leaned in her direction and followed her movements. Thanks Spirit they aren’t making noise.

  She entered Alex’s tent. “The soldiers are here.” She didn’t know if she said it aloud or just moved her lips. Nonetheless, Alex understood and ran past her and headed to the mud pond. She dropped her pack in his tent and ran after him. They both swam quickly toward the pond.

  “Dad,” Celine called. He stood on a boulder and watched Alex and Celine. “Dad, please,” she said as loudly as she dared.

  Her father did not move. He seemed angry. Celine mouthed the word, “Soldiers.” Finally, he understood what was happening. He ran toward the pond. Celine had never seen him move so quickly.

  He arrived there just as they did. Holding her nose to keep mud out her nostrils and mouth, she immersed herself completely in the mud. So did Alex and her father.

  ◆ ◆ ◆

  Inside the cave where the paintings had been washed away, the soldiers’ eyes were being used as cameras, scanning and sending back the images. The commander had not heard from Morg and needed to see if he had completed the job. Satisfied that the paintings were unrecognizable, the commander ordered the soldiers to return to the “box.” Like mindless drones, they left the cave to return to the military base deep in the hills, one hundred kilometers away from the Chaos Region.

  Celine heard them leave. She rose up out of the mud, followed by Alex and her father. She trembled as she climbed from the pond. She decided she would spend the night in her dad’s den—with family and close to the mud pond.

  CHAPTER 18

  This One’s Mine

  ◆ ◆ ◆

  Celine reentered her father’s den. She didn’t bother to wipe the mud from her face. Not in her wildest dreams would she have imagined herself or her dad in such substandard conditions. She sat on the dirt floor and crossed her legs as if to meditate, but she couldn’t calm herself. Endless thoughts raced through her mind. Why is Dad acting like this? Why are the soldiers after us? Is Mom OK? Her father sat in front of her, his legs in a crossed position as well. His puffy red eyes studied her face as if he were an inquisitive toddler. He seemed frightened, and his eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She wanted to say, “Don’t cry, Daddy,” but she didn’t know if she could keep herself from crying.

  As she sat in front of him, she looked around and studied the place her dad so proudly called his home. There’s dust and dirt on everything in here, even on Dad’s folded tent where he sleeps. She was appalled. Her eyes rested on the two backpacks lying against the back wall.

  Her dad interrupted her thoughts.

  “You should eat,” he said. He offered her roasted worms.

  “No thanks.” She got up and quickly moved over to the backpacks. She wondered if there would be anything in either pack that she could use. Her heart raced with anticipation. With trembling hands, she opened one of the backpacks. Before she looked into it, her dad jumped up and sprinted over to her. He lifted his assistant’s backpack from the ground and handed it to her.

  “You may have this one,” he said as he gently took the one she was holding. “This one’s mine.” He wrapped his arms around his backpack and stepped out of arm’s reach.

  “Dad, I need to search it. Trust me. I promise I’ll put it back.” She found herself speaking to him in the tone he had used with her when she was younger—with love and simplicity.

  “Mine,” was all he said as he held the pack tightly.

  “OK, Dad. Fine.” Celine decided she would wait for the opportunity to search it.

  She sat on the ground and opened Mr. Takei’s backpack. The Universe must have smiled upon her because the backpack contained everything she needed for a four-day trek! There was a small folded body-heat tent, four O2 pills, and four packages of synthetic food. Poor Mr. Takei must have been ready to leave for the Compound when he was killed. She didn’t remember much about him, but he always had a wide happy smile. He and his wife looked like they could have been related. Mom said that tends to happen to people who love each other deeply. Funny she’d say that considering she and Dad look nothing alike.

  Her dad had not touched the contents of his assistant’s backpack since Mr. Takei’s death. Everything was neatly packed in its place and ready for use. Judging by the dust on the pack, Celine concluded that it had lain in that spot for months. She looked at her dad sitting in the dirt, rocking back and forth with his arms wrapped around his backpack. She knew the doctors could fix him if he had a broken arm, but she wasn’t so sure what they’d do to fix insanity. She dared not call him insane aloud. Her grandmother had always told her to never say bad things aloud because it’s like telling the Universe to bring it into your world. She tried to imagine how it would feel to live in a cave for months, constantly paranoid and running from soldiers as you lose your mind. No! She mentally rebelled against those thoughts.

  Celine stared at the contents of the bag. She had not had an O2 pill in what felt like nearly twenty-four hours. And though there was enough oxygen in the cave, she was afraid to depend on it. She remembered how sick Alex was when he forgot to take his pill.

  Celine gulped down one of the O2 pills and greedily slurped a water gel pack flat. She had no intentions of eating the glowworms or drinking the Martian water. With fidgety fingers, she tore open a packaged synthetic meal of textured meat and creamy potatoes. She gobbled it down in a matter of minutes. She turned the food packaging inside out to lick the meat juices and the remnants of the potatoes in a corner of the package. Now she only had enough provisions for a three-night trek home. This didn’t concern her as much as having to travel alone. She’d have to cross the canyon and climb the gullet where she fell. Alex wouldn’t be there to assist her. He had eaten all of her rations and his. His clothing appeared old and worn, unable to protect him from the sun’s radiation. She looked down at her clothing. It wasn’t clean, but it didn’t look as abused as Alex’s. She squeezed her eyes shut. Think positive thoughts. You’re going home. You’re getting help. No one can say Dad’s dead now. Morg is going to get what he deserves.

  Celine opened her eyes. Her dad had been silently watching her. He resumed munching on his glowworms. It was difficult for Celine to look at him. His eyes showed internal confusion. He began to doze off, and a sense of relief rushed over Celine. She wondered if eating the worms had caused him to fall asleep so suddenly.

  She moved slowly and quietly toward her father’s bag. She watched him for any signs of alertness. Normally her dad would wake with the slightest sound, but he was curled in a fetal p
osition and completely unaware of her movements. She opened his backpack; inside she found a cloth wrapped around something. She prayed it would be something useful. Quickly she unraveled the cloth to see what her dad had wrapped so carefully. Rocks! She smiled. At least a part of him is still there. Next, she patted the side pockets of his backpack; she felt something solid. She opened the pocket and saw a small case, only a few centimeters long. She opened the case and was surprised to see brown colored contact lenses. She had no idea her dad wore contacts. She shoved the case back into the pocket. For a moment, she wondered if her dad might be a synesthesian like her. No. If Dad had eyes like mine, I would know it. Suddenly, her dad snored.

  Celine placed the bag neatly against the wall. “I’ll be back, Daddy. With help,” she whispered. She slipped quietly out of the den with Mr. Takei’s backpack. Oh, the cloth. Once outside, Celine realized she had not rewrapped her dad’s rocks; she still held the cloth in her hand. She stuffed the cloth into her pocket and zipped it shut. Then she waded into the shallow end of the river, holding Mr. Takei’s backpack high above her head. She didn’t trust Compound-issued bags to be waterproof. She had left her pack in Alex’s tent earlier. Now she realized she needed it, as it contained her climbing gear and her outdoor wear. She made her way back to the area where the tent was set up; she hoped Alex would not be inside, but he was, and he was awake. He sat behind their backpacks. His elbows rested on each one.

  “Why are you here?” he said with authority. Celine thought he seemed rather silly.

  “I need my backpack, Alex.” Celine found herself standing more erect, ready to deal with a confrontation.

  “It’s going to cost you,” he said. He chewed on a cooked worm as if it were meat jerky. “What’s in the bag?”

  “Nothing,” she said. She wrapped her arms around the backpack. “It’s mine.”

  He chuckled. He watched her every move. Celine felt as if she was being watched by a predator ready to pounce, rather than a friend. Not to mention, the aura around him was red, and that made her uneasy. Celine’s mind worked overtime. She wasn’t sure how to deal with this new irrational Alex. She noticed his ray gun on the floor. “I have credits,” she lied. “In my backpack.”

  Alex smiled with delight. “Credits?”

  “Yes, open my backpack. You’ll see.”

  Alex took his eyes off of Celine for a moment and eagerly opened her backpack as if he were unwrapping a gift. Celine needed only that moment to race over to the ray gun and snatch it from the ground.

  “Alex, get away from my backpack,” she said sternly. She pointed the gun toward the ceiling.

  Alex looked up at Celine and then at the ray gun. “Oh really, Martian girl?” he said with a grin. He paused to yawn twice before lumbering toward Celine. She fired and burned a black spot on the ceiling of his makeshift tent.

  “Stay back, Alex. Please stay back.” Celine wondered if Alex could sense her extreme reluctance to use the ray gun. The idea of hurting anyone or anything was painful for her.

  “I’m not letting you leave here!” he said. He looked angry but also heavy eyed.

  Celine looked at the ray gun’s setting; it was still on high. She quickly reset it to low. She took her eyes off Alex for a moment, and he was upon her in seconds. He snatched her hand, and the gun fired. Celine looked at his face. His mouth was frozen wide open in surprise. A tear ran down his cheeks, and he slumped to the ground. “I’m so sorry, Alex,” Celine moaned. Alex rolled his eyes. He was very angry and in control of his facial expressions, but he was immobile from his neck down. Celine didn’t want to face Alex’s rage when he regained his mobility. She quickly grabbed her backpack and helmet. She poured the pink water from her helmet and shook it dry. A metallic stench rose from it. She took the cloth from her pocket and dumped a heap of glowworms from Alex’s helmet into it. Then she tied the cloth like a little bag and placed it in the outside pocket of her backpack.

  “These might come in handy,” she said. Where’s the Navi? It didn’t take her long to find it inside Alex’s backpack. The battery was low. For a moment she wondered if it still worked. She looked at Alex who was still lying in the dirt. “He’ll be OK,” she mumbled. “I have to get help.” She ran out of the tent and headed for her den. She felt as though she was in a bad dream. Her heroes, Alex and her dad, could not save her. She’d have to save them and herself.

  On the way to the den, her thoughts were interrupted by the eerie sound of a man moaning softly. It didn’t sound like Alex or her dad. It was a pathetic yet familiar voice. The quiet sobbing was coming from an area further into the cavern, past her father’s den.

  Her normal instinct would be to locate and help someone in need, but she was afraid. Could it be someone else from the Compound who has gone mad in this place? She wanted to help, but more than anything, she wanted to leave for home in the morning. She couldn’t jeopardize her chances of getting out. She left the cavern and headed to the entry cave where she would hide in her den.

  She was surprised yet glad to see the soldiers had not replaced the boulders in front of the cave’s entrance. She could see the dark violet night sky from the opening. She could see only one of the moons, Phobios. Its lopsidedness fit her nightmarish mood. The only good thing about the cave was its warmth. She could see fog rising from the frozen surface. Soon she would have to face it alone. Her fear of freezing to death in a Compound-issued body tent reared in the back of her mind. She’d preferred Alex’s tent, but he had damaged it; it was spread wide between two stalagmites.

  Thoughts of her normal dad resurfaced. When she was a youngster, he had taught her how to swim in the holographic pool. She remembered being afraid of lying on her back and floating in the pool; she thought she might bump her head on the surrounding walls. But her dad told her courage was like regular exercise: the more you practice courage, the more courageous you become. He wouldn’t let her give up. She was soon one of the bravest and most skilled swimmers in the Compound. Thanks, Dad. I’ll need to draw from that pool of courage right about now.

  She once again thought about the climb she would have to make without Alex’s help. I won’t worry about that now. I’ll have to climb on my second day out. I need to take one day at a time. I can do this.” She almost made a song of the words. “I can do this,” she chanted.

  She crawled into her small den. It’s too cold on the surface, even for the soldiers. She slept seated with her back against the wall of her den and with Alex’s ray gun resting in her lap. After drifting in and out of sleep for a while, she decided get up and go back to the entry cave to see if the sun had come up. A part of her wanted to start her journey, and a part of her wanted to wait for someone from the Compound to rescue her. At this point, even Morg’s help would have been welcomed. She eased out of the den and headed to the entry cave. Once there, she peered up through the opening.

  The sky shone hues of reds and pinks, no clouds in sight. She could even see the small bluish dot, Earth, among the stars. Normally, she would have called this a beautiful sky, but not today. Today, it would be her partner and provide her with some sense of comfort. Thankfully, there was no storm coming; she was safe—at least for now. Can’t sleep. The sun will rise soon. I might as well stay awake.

  She hoped her father and Alex would not wake until she left. Having to use Alex’s ray gun again didn’t appeal to her. She would never forget that look of agony in Alex’s eyes. She didn’t want to inflict pain like that on anyone ever again.

  I have to leave this place while I’m still sane. Remembering the beautiful lady from the painting made her wonder if she even still had her sanity. Maybe I am not sane. But one thing’s for sure, I don’t belong here. I’ve got to get back to the Compound.

  She looked over at the lava tube that led to the cave paintings. All of the tubes were silent. The glowworms seemed dormant. She was glad they showed no reaction to her when she walked through the tube to the cave where she thought she had seen the lady. She had to see if a
ladder was there. It would be concrete proof that she had experienced something extraordinary. Her eyes searched rows of apartment openings for the ladder. There was nothing. Celine’s throat tightened. “I’ve got to get out of here,” she whimpered.

  Celine moped back to the entry cave and from the cave’s opening, she saw the sun-brightened sky. She went back to her den to retrieve her backpack. She unsealed it and took out her radiation suit and boots. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She removed the armband that had blocked her life signature. Now, she desperately wanted to be found. She put on her outdoor wear and boots. She pulled her helmet over her head and fastened it to her suit. Slowly, she put on her gloves. Well, this is it. No one’s coming for me.

  She noticed the soldiers’ large boot prints in the dirt as she stepped outside into the light, but they were nowhere in sight. Celine looked up at the sky. “Clear day,” she said quietly. “What a great partner.” She squinted as she faced the east. She thought about her Cherokee ancestors who traveled westward toward a desert on Earth. She imagined hundreds of them traveling to their death. “Just me,” she whispered, “but I’m going to survive.”

  With her head bent toward her chest, she walked out into the cold windy gales and began her journey back home. “I can do this. I can do this,” she whispered over and over as if she could will her success. “Three days to the Compound. I can do this.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Chaos

  ◆ ◆ ◆

  Celine looked back at the Chaos Region before beginning her descent into the canyon. It didn’t seem beautiful anymore; it almost seemed like a large scab on top of the Martian surface. Ripples of angry red hills with dark volcanic ash in their folds nestled between deflated and lopsided volcanoes. The terrain lived up to its name—and so had the experiences she had endured while inside those hills.

  She patted her backpack pocket where she had placed some of the cooked worms. I hope I don’t end up needing these. She turned and faced the eastern horizon. The brightness of the sun made her squint; it was not that the sun was any brighter than usual, but after spending days in the dimly lit caves, her eyes needed time to adjust. The sun unfortunately did not provide her with the warmth she had experienced while in the caves. There are things more comforting than warmth, she thought, like family and the familiarity of home. She shivered as she realized it was time for her to get moving. Now that she was back on the surface, she could feel the usual chill in the air—a harsh farewell to the warm, dark, underground world. The sun was still low in the sky, peeking through coral-colored haze, with a salmon-colored backdrop. As she gazed out over the terrain, she had mixed emotions. She loved Mars, but she was afraid of it. After all, its terrain could be the death of her.