Lill and Mewe and the Secrets of Mars

Chapter 1

Lill and Mewe

             Lill, a tired dark-haired, blue-eyed girl sat cross-legged on the edge of her bed with one hand holding her book and the other petting Mewe. She had just finished reading a story to her large amber-eyed pet about the struggle between two alien cultures racing to colonize a water-bearing planet in the Andromeda galaxy.

            “We live in the Milky Way Galaxy. That galaxy would be our neighbor,” Lill commented to Mewe.

            Mewe raised her head and slightly cocked it to one side as if to study Lill’s words but made no comment in return. Lill was drenched in soft, gleaming moonlight streaming into her room from the large skylight above her bed. She could almost read by moonlight alone on this late iridescent evening. Lill loved science. She felt science fiction had factual roots, and imagination was all it took to unlock the door to possibilities beyond current knowledge. Wow, she thought, am I beginning to sound like my father? Seems like he could have said those very words.

            This young sky-gazer was particularly curious about the planets and stars that filled tonight’s velvety, black, infinite canvas. They are there all right, and they are real, every one of them, she thought. There are so many I can see, but what about the vast amount of these glistening wonders I cannot see? She started to study them with fervor, began learning their names, and tracked them across the endless night sky. That brilliant star, I need to know the name of that one, she thought. Aiming her new, powerful telescope to the west, she could view this celestial sight via her large skylight, which was a clear solar panel used for lighting and cooling. Lill wondered, Is there life somewhere else? I mean, are there people and pets and flowers and such, and what in the universe would they look like?

            It was just past bedtime, but her mind was still traveling at warp speed. Her eyes fell upon the colorful, woven floor rug she had created with the help of her mom. This triggered thoughts of her mom, a doctor who assisted people in staying well. She was very dedicated to her work at the care center to help people so they may lead a happy and productive life. Mom believed that happiness was a key factor in a long, healthy life. She would be pleased if I pursued her life path, but I already know that is not for me, and I am sure she suspects that. Now Dad is an astro-geo physicist and understands the very things that spark my imagination. She raised her head to see him standing in her doorway.

            “Why are you not you sleeping, young lady? I know it is your birthday, but are you not the least bit tired?”

            “Yes, but I just had to finish my story about Andromeda. And Dad, I found a brilliant star in the western sky! I really need to know what it is.”

            “Really, well give me the coordinates and I will let you know,” Dad said. He told her she was very wise for her young age and never to stop wondering and learning. He promised to teach her how to calculate the distance between objects in the sky based on the Standard Parsec Formula, which is the distance for measuring light-years.

            Then Dad said, “Lill, if there are people out there, even light-years away, we will find them—just hope they are friendly like us, huh? But for now, be patient. Study, learn, and grow, so that you may explore other worlds and perhaps even join me in proving some of my theories.”

            Lill liked that idea a lot. As soon as Dad disappeared from her doorway, she rushed over to her computer to record the coordinates of the star that intrigued her. Then she sent her findings to her Dad with an e-note that read, “Here are my findings. Please let me know as soon as you can; it glows so beautifully!”

            At this very time, the scientists knew of two alien robots on the surface gathering rock and soil samples of the planet. They had been here for a few years, but scientists didn’t want to cause alarm about such events. They needed to confirm the origin of these robot gatherers first. They were confident this was just a peaceful, scientific mission, and since the robots were unarmed, there was no need for contact with them at this time. Scientists theorized the origin to be a planet familiar to them, one they had been carefully watching for quite some time, inhabited by people who were somewhat hostile, but they were not ready to make contact. Nevertheless, Lill’s dad had some facts and a theory: “Perhaps some sol soon we might be welcoming an alien people to this very planet and sharing information about our medical advances and advances in eco-technology.”

            Lill thought she’d better sleep now. It is going to be a busy sol tomorrow, and I have much to learn. She took one last look through her new telescope at her two moons, Phobos and Deimos. She could see their cratered and irregular shapes clearly as they shined brightly in the dark night sky. Lill lives in a subterranean city called The Friendly City, located just west of the Noctis Labyrinthus, or Valley of the Night, and east of the Tharsis volcano region in one of the many enormous caverns. All the people have been living underground for a thousand years or so, ever since the planet’s surface grew harshly uninhabitable. No one really knows the exact date this happened because all information and technical data of the surface were destroyed by meteor showers so long ago. However, they do know their city is located beneath the equatorial area of the planet at 5 degrees latitude and 112 degrees longitude.

            The thermo heat of the many nearby volcanoes of Tharsis warms these subterranean cities. The volcanoes are no longer active, but they still produce heat. The scientists found a way to harness the lesser source of the geo thermo heat along with the natural methane gas to make enough energy to power their underground life systems indefinitely. They found a way to make their shallow air rich in vitamins. Their underground water already contains most of the minerals they need to ensure proper growth and health, especially for the children. Thanks to innovative solar panels providing light, the tunnels are drenched in bright light that rivals the nature of the sun during the sol with ambient lighting during the evening. Each bio dwelling is capable of maintaining a desired level of comfort, lighting, and much more by giving voice-activated instructions to the Identify Biological Environmental Needs (IBEN) computer system. The cavern and some of the dwelling walls are all a warm, natural, reddish-brown hue, which is a color of comfort and well-being for Martians. All of this creates a self-sustaining, healthy environment that mimics  the one on the surface of Mars so long ago.

            Laced throughout the city are beautiful crystal green flowing rivers and placid lakes, pink, orange, and red-striped lily-like flowers that grow from rocks, hydroponic gardens that offer fresh food, learning centers for the children, and care centers for anyone in need. Children of all ages frequent the several large “Amuspheres” that provide different games, activities, and creative contests for all of them. They can ride a transporter like the neon green Automated G-force Elevated Rail (AGER) and travel from city to city comfortably at extreme speeds or simply take a personal Telport if they are in a real hurry. The Friendly City is truly a breathtaking place—the kind of place one would think could exist only in a dream. It is not at all similar to the likes of any city that people on Earth have ever seen. It is made up of part natural caverns and part modern city with shining buildings and transportation system. The people of Lill’s city are content, friendly, and somewhat shy. Their main focus is on education because they are ready to expand their knowledge and broaden horizons so they may effortlessly soar to new worlds beyond their galaxy, trying to answer the question, “What is out there?”

            Then there is Mewe, a colorful ivory, orange, yellow, and brown “felis aquatos,” or water cat, with a distinctive brown and yellow-striped tail and oval webbed paws. Once indigenous to this region of Mars, now this curious creature is almost extinct with only about thirty remaining.

            “Congratulations, Mewe, for winning first place in your swim race!” Lill said.

            Mewe raised her head, looked at Lill and said, “Happy fifth birthday, Lill. I am so tired; go sleep.”

            Lill nodded, chuckled, and said, “I know, Mewe. Me too; I must sleep. We had a long and exciting sol. IBEN, lights out, 68 degrees, and wake me for learning, please.”

 

            “Yes Lill,” IBEN replied.