The Martian Lie

Chapter 14

We plug in the coordinates to the Appalachian settlement as Earth grows bigger in our window. We settle into our seats and allow the ship to buckle us in.

"Hope nobody has to pee." Jokes Roark. Sienna and I reward him with laughter, although we are both nervous. I'd imagine that no matter how many times one has landed on a new planet, there is an element of nervousness to it.

And just like that, I'm back.

The feeling, the romantic notion, that I had that I would see him right when I landed, is immediately squashed. He's not there. In fact, no one is. We land in the woods in a clearing. It's a little bumpy, compared to the runways of Supply Line 16. But what can we do? Those are now leagues under the sea. We open the hatch, inflate the slide, and jump onto it. We are standing on Earth's surface once again. I am struck once again by the weight change – I feel unwieldy and large. This time, I know it's all in my head and I will get used to it. I am grateful that I don't see the wide horizon, being surrounded on all sides by woods. It would make me feel disconcerted. At first it made me feel free, but that was before most of the population was wiped out by a comet. Now it would just make me feel alone.

I watch Roark and Sienna react to coming home. Roark takes off his helmet and takes a deep breath of the Earth air. It smells like the sea, and it has the elemental, earthy smell that is missing on Mars. I imagine that he feels freer here. Sienna also breathes deeply and stretches, probably also becoming accustomed to the weight change. Roark reaches for her hand and they do a little circle, looking around in all directions at the trees surrounding us until they rest their eyes on me.

"It's good to be back." I say.

"Are you ok?" Replies Sienna. Her response seems at odds with what I said – my face must be giving me away. Because yes, I am glad to be back, but it's also hard to imagine that I am here permanently this time. It was a vacation before. Now Earth is my home. I say as much.

"But Earth is your home. Earth created humanity. It's always been your home, you just didn't live here." She smiles.

I give her a halfhearted smile. "That's a nice way of looking at it." I admit.

"Plus you'll have a little boy toy here who beats the heck out of any pansy-ass Martian you could have found there." Roark jests.

I can't help but laugh at this. "So you're saying Earth men are just inherently tougher and superior?"

"Sienna? Would you agree?" He winks at her.

She blushes. "I would have to say they are a different breed, yes. Less intellectual, more action."

He winks again at the word action and her blush deepens.

"We're going to need to find him soon before I throw up being your third-wheel." I complain.

We each assess our surroundings. Which are relatively far from any obvious civilization. But we all know the plan, because we created it. So we start by putting it into action.

Roark remotes to the shuttle and it releases a small ranger vehicle to the ground. This will be our transportation. We begin removing our spacesuits to our more comfortable under clothes. We are roughly 5 miles from the Appalachian settlement. It is our plan to simply drive there and ask about what's going on. I refuse to get my hopes up that Richard is there. We are going to help anyone who needs it. I tell myself. Just as I have told myself over and over again whenever I think that he might just luckily be there.

We loaded a few supplies into the ranger the day before – basic food supplies, blankets, first aid gear. We are sure the people have looted towns nearby, but stuff like this goes quickly when it isn't being remanufactured. There is even more on the ship, but we don't want to show up empty handed. It's possible people might be hostile since I am Martian. We discussed trying to hide it by saying I was Roark or Sienna's relative, but I am not good at assuming identities, and I also see the advantage of my identity getting out in the word getting to Richard and him finding me. My plan is to let my identity hang out, come what may.