Free Polaris by Beth Bowland Page A

crashed?”
    “Actually, we’ve never left. Our worlds are more connected than you realize.” D1 placed his arm around Aaron’s shoulders. “Let’s take a look outside.”
    D1 led him down a hallway, through a large game room with billiard tables, large leather chairs, and a majestic fireplace. The room smelled of jasmine and cinnamon. He walked to a set of draperies and gently pulled on the golden tassel. The curtains parted and gave way to a large glass door that led out to a balcony.
    “Whoa! I’ve never noticed this balcony when we’ve walked past this building,” he said as D1 opened the door and they stepped out.
    However, what Aaron saw before him was not Bixie or any of the surrounding communities. Aaron stared out over a suburban city, mansions scattered about as far as the eye could see. He looked up and saw a crisp, cloudless black sky with millions of bright twinkling stars illuminated by two moons that slowly rotated around each other. The moons were huge, as if you could reach out and touch them. Craters were distinctly visible on the surface of each.
    “Where are we?” Aaron whispered.
    “Polaris.”
    Aaron chewed his lower lip. “But how did we get here so quickly.”
    D1 pointed to the left of the moons. “You arrived when you came through the door with Zion. There is your Earth, right past the moons.”
    “It looks like one of the stars. Do all stars have people living on them?” Aaron asked.
    “Hmm, I’d say most of them and all of the planets are inhabited,” D1 answered. “But it seems as though your scientists are a bit slow finding them.”
    “They have a rover that’s landed on Mars,” Aaron stated. “It’s sending back some really cool pictures.”
    “Yes,” responded D1. “My cousin lives there, and he says they’re exploring the desolate area of the planet. Tsk. Tsk. He said it’s equivalent to trying to find a mustard seed in your Sahara Desert.”
    “Why is that?”
    D1 looked out into the sky again. “Everyone knows that inhabitants of Mars lives hundreds of miles beneath the surface.” He turned to face Aaron. “Let me put it another way. It would be like trying to find the people of Earth beneath the ground. Actually, Mars and Earth are very similar—just polar opposites of each other. Earthlings live on the surface whereas the occupants of Mars live beneath it. And Earthlings would have no problems habituating in that area—same oxygen levels as Earth—but I must say the water on Mars is far superior to anywhere else. We order special shipments from there monthly.”
    Aaron’s jaw dropped.
    Zion’s voice was heard coming from the speakers in the ceiling. “Dinner’s ready.”
    “Let’s go get some grub,” D1 said. “I’m starving.”
    “They live beneath the surface,” Aaron thought out loud.
    “Yup. ‘Cause it’s just too darn cold above ground; nothing would survive.”
    Aaron and D1 joined Zion in the dining room. The room was nicely decorated in rich mahogany wood. The walls were a silvery-white color mixed with accents of pastel blues and greens. The simply decorated dining room table held platters of the same kinds of dishes that Aaron’s mother would prepare. After dinner, Zion disappeared into another room and returned holding the ratty old box she’d had earlier with “do not open”written on it. She handed the box to Aaron.
    “For you,” she said.
    Aaron took the package and placed it on the table. He glanced up at D1 before opening it. Inside, he found a small crystal and a piece of wool, which he placed on the table. After taking a sip from his glass, Aaron asked, “What are these for?”
    “The crystal is your key to return here,” said Zion.
    D1 picked up the piece of wool. “This,” he held up the fabric, “is to give you supernatural strength when you need it. Wool has a way of revitalizing you.” He handed the fabric to Aaron.
    “So,” Aaron began, “if you’re away from wool, will you age again?”
    Zion