Dr. Baylor was furious. “Don’t feed it!” She said. “If you didn’t want your ration, I’m sure Stan would have taken it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Stan said. Celine thought he had a silly grin.
“Besides,” Dr. Baylor continued, “when it’s grown up, you might become its meal.”
Celine hadn’t thought about that. Although she didn’t want to admit it, the doctor had a good point. Celine began putting on her backpack and ignoring the puppy. Nonetheless, it ran back and forth to her, as if it wanted to be chased.
Even after they began their short trek home, Celine could hear the puppy following them. She had no idea how to discourage it. Maybe when it’s hungry enough it will go search for food. Just as she thought it, Celine saw a mole-like mound off in the distance. The puppy saw it too and ran toward it. When the puppy reached the mound, it began digging and kicking dirt, moving its feet in a blur. Moments later, it wiggled its way out of the tunnel with a mole-like rodent between its teeth.
“Wow!” she said. Then she smiled with pride.
“What?” Dr. Baylor asked. Then she looked back at the puppy toying with its food.
“What a survivor!” Celine said.
“What a pity,” Dr. Baylor responded.
When they arrived at the Compound at midday, they went through the quarantine entrance. They were thoroughly vacuumed of the red dust that covered their helmets, suits, and especially boots. After they were vacuumed, they each stepped into the privacy booth where they removed their clothing and placed each garment into the extractor that removed all dirt particles and stains. Next, each person went into a cubicle for a blue light shower. Finally, they stood in front of the imager that showed their bodies were normal inside and out—no parasites. Then they put on their sanitized underwear, leaving their outerwear to be inspected by the electronic repair team.
Celine was not her usual self. Her lungs were still dormant, and her O2 pill was wearing off. She leaned on Dr. Baylor for help to the isolation chamber. After Celine was helped to the bed, Dr. Baylor began setting up the oxygen facilitator.
Celine expected to see her mom and Morg waiting outside of the isolation room. Only her sitter, Hannah, was there with a smile on her face and sadness in her eyes.
“Where is my mom?” She asked Hannah. “Is she OK?”
Hannah looked at the doctor who nodded her head, “Yes.”
“We’re trying to get in touch with your mother.”
“What do you mean?” Celine lifted up from her bed.
“Celine…your mom is back on Earth. You’ve been missing for so long.”
Celine’s heart dropped. “I-I don’t understand…Is she with Morg?”
“No.” Hannah looked at Dr. Baylor. Dr. Baylor watched Celine.
“Why did my mom leave Mars?” Celine began to bawl. Tears streamed down her face. “Is Morg here? I want to speak to him.” Celine sniffled.
“We don’t know where he is. Morg went missing months ago. He was lost in the sandstorm when you went missing back in May.” Hannah continued, “Mr. Rittenhouse let your mom out of her contract.”
Celine didn’t hear much after the words “back in May.”
“Back in May? I know I’ve only been gone a week at the most,” Celine said between sniffles.
“No, Celine—” Hannah was about to say more, but Dr. Baylor hushed her.
“What’s today’s date? I want to see a calendar.” Celine sat up completely.
Dr. Baylor didn’t say anything. She pulled up her calendar on her computer. She handed it to Celine. It showed: November 16, 2123.
“Is this some kind of joke? Nothing about this is funny.”
Hannah and Dr. Baylor looked at Celine with bewilderment.
“No. We wouldn’t joke with you about this,” Hannah said. “You’ve been gone for five Martian months.”
“How could you not know this?” Dr. Baylor asked. She studied Celine’s face intently.
Celine didn’t answer. Thoughts were rushing through her mind, making her feel faint.
Five Martian months—that’s nearly ten Earth months. Celine swallowed. “I need to rest now,” she said and closed her eyes.
CHAPTER 22
Isolation Chamber
◆ ◆ ◆
Celine lay in bed inside the isolation chamber. She had not spoken or eaten since learning her mother had left Mars. When the doctor told Celine she had been missing for five months, she didn’t think things could get much worse, but they definitely did.
I found Dad, and now Mom’s gone. When will I ever get my family back together?
Celine opened her eyes. It’s not a bad dream. She noticed Hannah as she sheepishly peeked over her pillow. Hannah’s sad eyes were watching her.
“You’ve got to eat something,” said Hannah. “Admin is doing everything she can to locate your mom.”
Celine did not answer. She stared blankly. When Hannah left, Celine cried softly. She didn’t care about anything anymore.
◆ ◆ ◆
A month before Celine returned to the Compound, Abbie had boarded Mr. Rittenhouse’s ship. She was tired. She felt empty. As the ship pulled out of Mars’s atmosphere, Abbie looked out the porthole and stared back at the red planet.
Mars has cost me everything: my husband, my only child…Abbie sniffled. And Morg. Mr. Rittenhouse had released her from her contract. It’s ironic how things turned out; I’ve wanted to return to Earth for years, but never this way—not without Celine. Abbie moaned and wrapped her arms around her chest as if a hug could make the pain go away. I should be taking Celine home to meet her cousins. Abbie sobbed.
“May I get something for you, Ms. Voltaire?” asked Mr. Rittenhouse. He looked down at Abbie. He appeared tired, and his eyes were moist. “Before the ship stabilizes the wormhole?”
“No, thanks. I’m OK,” Abbie replied. She shifted in her chair to sit up.
“Mr. Rittenhouse,” she started just as he was turning away. “I want you to know that I really appreciate all you are doing for me,” she said. She gave a soft smile.
“It’s the least I could do,” he said sadly. His lower lip quivered.
Abbie had been so hopeful of finding the children in August when Mr. Rittenhouse brought a floater to Mars. He had flown it over the Cydonia Region, where Morg said he had seen the children. Mr. Rittenhouse had searched the area several times, but he always returned without them, emotionally drained.
The ship’s captain entered the cabin. “We’re ready to launch, sir,” he said.
Mr. Rittenhouse sighed, “Thank you, Doolittle.” He slumped into one of the four empty chairs across from Abbie.
“We’ll be on Earth in thirty-three hours. I want you to think about where you’d like to vacation. Take as long as you need. Heck, take a month, and then you can join us at Earth Base in Florida.”
Abbie nodded. “Thank you.” She placed both hands over her face and sobbed.
Mr. Rittenhouse turned his face toward the porthole. A tear slithered down his cheek.
“Launching sequence has begun,” the captain announced on the intercom. “Launching in sixty seconds.”
The cylinders from the ceiling, above the seated passengers, slid down, encasing them in a sea of fluffy shock absorbers and circulating oxygen and heat. The captain released his control of the ship to the computer command and activated his cylinder. The ship vibrated violently, slipped into the wormhole, and headed to Earth.
◆ ◆ ◆
“I have Celine’s computer,” Hannah told Dr. Baylor. “I want to contact her grandmother, but I don’t know Celine’s password.” Hannah placed the computer on Dr. Baylor’s desk. “I’m sure Celine’s grandmother could cheer her up a little.”
“Leave it here,” Dr. Baylor said. “I will give it to her when she’s wakes up.”
As soon as Hannah had left the infirmary, Dr. Baylor typed in Celine’s password and checked her Com log. Dr. Baylor had been monitoring everyone’s calls and watching them
with cameras hidden throughout the Compound. She looked through Celine’s log until she saw the word: Enisi. “Grandma,” Dr. Baylor said. She tapped the link.
Twenty minutes later, she heard the excited voice of Celine’s grandmother.
“Celine?”
Dr. Baylor leaned into the monitor. “This is Dr. Baylor, Ms. Red Cloud.”
“Oh,” she sighed.
“We found Celine, Ms. Red Cloud.”
Enisi was silent for a moment. “Is she all right? May I speak with her?”
“Not now, she’s resting. When she wakes, I will have her call you if we can get through.”
“I’m surprised you were able to link. I’ve been watching the Martian weather reports.”
“I need to locate Celine’s mother.”
“Abbie’s missing now?”
“Technically, yes. She’s back on Earth, and we haven’t been able to locate her.”
“She’s here? I’ll try to get in touch with Abbie’s mother. I don’t have her Com link, but I remember the name of the company where she works. I’m almost positive she has an apartment there. It’s time I give her a visit.”
“Thank you, Ms. Red Cloud. Celine needs to hear from her mother as soon as possible.”
◆ ◆ ◆
As Celine lay in bed, her thoughts raced over the events that took place while she was in the caves. Nothing about her experiences allowed her to believe she could’ve possibly been in there more than a few days. She retraced her steps. When I left the cave apartment, all of the water was gone. And there were so many more glowworms. She remembered that there was something different about Alex’s appearance. She wasn’t quite sure. He seemed taller and his face dirty and…different. Suddenly, Celine realized what it was that made Alex’s appearance distinct. Whoa, Water Boy had hairs over his lip…Celine began to sob. She startled Dr. Baylor and Dr. Duke, who were discussing her scans and blood samples.
“Celine, I’ve spoken with your grandmother, Ms. Red Cloud,” Dr. Baylor said.
Celine stopped crying to listen.
“She’s going to your other grandmother’s apartment to converse with her about your mother.”
Celine sniffled but took slower breaths.
“Are you OK? May I get something for you? Water pack? Nourishment?”
Celine inhaled deeply and shook her head.
Dr. Baylor handed Celine a buzzer. “Call me if you need me. I’ll be in my office.”
Celine nodded.
◆ ◆ ◆
Dr. Baylor closed the door to her office where she and Dr. Duke continued a heated discussion. Celine strained to listen. They’re talking about me. Celine quietly rolled from her bed and crept toward the voices.
“There’s nothing wrong with her test results,” Dr. Baylor continued. “In fact, her body hasn’t aged more than a few days. There’s been no cellular damage. It’s like she’s been put on ice.”
“I’m not talking about cellular damage,” Dr. Duke said. “And you know I’m not!”
“So you have never seen tapetum lucidum in a human’s eyes before?
“No, I haven’t.” Dr. Duke paused. “Should I have?” he asked sarcastically.
“Well, I have. These people are special. Extraordinary actually. They shouldn’t need drugs to be made normal.”
“Look at this,” Dr. Baylor said. She showed Dr. Duke a photo of Celine’s grandfather, who had glowing eyes as well. “This is Red Cloud’s father. This family has been part of the Eugenics Project for three hundred years. They’ve been bred for the military! You have no right to interfere!”
“You talk about them like they’re animals, Baylor! Bred?”
“OK, so I used the wrong term. But they are special. I wish I had their abilities. You shouldn’t drug them with some fake Brain Booster to dull down their abilities! They’re the saviors of humanity, Duke. We have enemies you know nothing of!”
“I don’t care about that! Her mother requested it. She wanted to raise a normal child.”
Celine could hardly believe her ears. Mom had Dr. Duke drug me to keep me normal. The Brain Booster is all a lie? I’m not normal? No, none of this can be true. Celine’s chest tightened from her sore lungs to her throat. She swallowed in a fruitless effort to stifle a cough. She had to hear more. She rolled her lips over her teeth and clamped down, but she still felt a tickle in her throat. Oh no! Not now! Suddenly she began what seemed like a nonstop coughing fit. She lowered her head and wrapped her arms around her chest. Tears ran down her cheeks, and the coughing continued.
Dr. Baylor opened the door. “Celine, what are you doing up?”
Celine continued coughing as Dr. Duke opened a water gel packet and shoved it into her hand. Celine sucked the water gel from the packet in between bouts of coughing. Gradually the coughing subsided, and Dr. Baylor walked Celine back to her bed.
“Why were you up?” Dr. Baylor asked.
Dr. Duke stood next to the door observing and listening. Celine noticed Dr. Duke had a fearful greenish blue aura around him, but Dr. Baylor’s aura was her normal light blue.
“I heard you talking about me,” Celine replied.
Dr. Baylor rolled her eyes at Dr. Duke.
“I heard what you were saying. You were talking about my dad’s family and something about…a Eugenics Project.” Celine looked at Dr. Duke. “You said my mom wants me to be normal. What did you mean by that? I am normal.” But as the word “normal” rolled from her lips, she knew she was something far from normal. “Answer me!”
“I’m not the one to explain it to you,” said Dr. Duke. “It’s a family matter. Talk with your mother about it.”
“I would…if she were here!” she exclaimed. Her aura beamed red.
◆ ◆ ◆
Abbie had not had a vacation in fourteen years. While resting in her little cottage near the ocean shore, she was disturbed by a knock at the door. It was the resort manager; he came with a message in hand, courtesy of Abbie’s mother.
“Thanks,” she said in a soft voice as she closed the door and unsealed the letter. “Return home immediately,” it read. Thye must have found the children. She didn’t want to hear the bad news but prepared herself for the worst. She gathered her things and made her way to her mother’s apartment where she was surprised to see her mother, Ms. Red Cloud, and Mr. Musk, one of Mr. Rittenhouse’s representatives, waiting for her.
“Abbie, sit down,” Mr. Musk said. “I have good news for you.”
“Oh, good news?” Abbie crossed her arms in front of her chest and sat on the edge of a chair next to the window. She began to feel mocked by Mr. Musk’s radiant smile.
Mr. Musk continued grinning. “Your daughter is alive, and she located your husband! He’s alive as well!”
Abbie’s eyes widened; she fell back into the chair. Her jaw dropped, but she was speechless.
CHAPTER 23
On the Com
◆ ◆ ◆
“Your mother has been located,” Dr. Baylor said to Celine in a neutral tone.
Celine sat up in her disheveled bed. The covers and sheets were twisted around her body, and her hair was a mess of tangled curls.
“She’d like to speak with you. She’s on the Com now.” Dr. Baylor placed Celine’s computer on the bed next to her hand.
“Mom, when are you coming home?” Celine cried out.
“Celine, how are you feeling?” Abbie replied.
“I-I’m fine.” Celine responded in a raspy voice. “I found Dad, Mom. You need to come home quick. He needs your help.”
“Your dad can take care of himself. I’m not worried about him. I’m worried about you.”
“He’s not well,” Celine emphasized.
“I’ve been told. I’m sure Dr. Duke will be able to handle him just fine.”
Flashes of Dr. Duke’s conversation with Dr. Baylor pierced Celine’s thoughts. She turned to look at Dr. Baylor. “Has the rescue team found Dad and Alex yet?”
“Celine, your mother is righ
t. You need to rest.”
“Why is no one answering my questions?”
“Ms. Voltaire, I think Celine’s had enough excitement for today. You may call her tomorrow,” said Dr. Baylor.
“No! We can talk now,” Abbie said.
For a moment, Dr. Baylor seemed a bit taken aback. She then softened her face and cracked a smile at Celine.
“I’ll be in my office. Buzz me if you need anything.” Dr. Baylor made her way to her office, closed the door behind her, and turned on an intercom so that she could monitor the conversation silently.
“Celine, I want you to come to Earth. I want you to live here with me.”
“Live on Earth? Mom!” Celine was frustrated with the unnecessary complexity of the situation, but she was also utterly confused.
Abbie squeezed her lips together and looked down at her hands resting in her lap.
“What about Dad?” she continued. “I want us—I want us to be a family again.”
“Celine, it’s not that simple. And you don’t always get what you want—you know that.” Abbie spoke in a motherly tone.
Celine felt like her world was falling apart. She wanted to tell her mother what she had overheard between the doctors, but she realized it wouldn’t be the best time given the distance between them.
Abbie softened her voice. “Darling, promise me you’ll think about it. You could have a wonderful life here.”
Celine sniffled. She turned her head away from the computer screen.
Abbie sobbed. “I love you, Celine. You belong here with me.”
“I love you too—and I love Daddy, and I love Mars,” Celine sobbed. “And…” Celine didn’t know what else to say. I’m not normal anymore like you wanted. Will you even love the real me?
Abbie rubbed her pale knuckles. “You don’t have to decide right now.”
Dr. Baylor entered the room. She took Celine’s computer from her lifeless hands.
“Ms. Voltaire, it’s time for Celine to rest now.”
“I will call you tomorrow, my love,” Abbie said, with sadness in her eyes.
Lost in the Red Hills of Mars Page 20
