Free Trapped - Mars Born Book One by Arwen Gwyneth Hubbard Page B

evolved from being an occasional field tool when the radios were choppy to an integral part of how all people born on Mars communicate. Nobody really knows why yet, but it seems to be a universal; no matter where on Mars someone is born or in how much artificial gravity. Rumer and I have some, enough that we can hear each other when we are close or with the radio speaker right in our ears, but nothing like the older generations who were born on Earth.
      Before giving us time to answer his first question he continued, “You’re not from Noctis City are you?”
      “No,” I signed, and couldn’t help but laugh. The young man reminded me of one of the  farm goats, or perhaps a puppy.
      “We are from Cradle, I am Emory, and this is my sister, Rumer.” I held out a hand, interrupting him from continuing.
      He grabbed it and shook vigorously a few times too many.
      “Oh. I don’t know where that is, but good to meet you Emory!” he rolled on heels as he spoke and looked around, “This is a lot smaller than it seemed from the sky. I parked my plane near by. I’m trying to get to Noctis City. Are we close?”
      I had to laugh again, “We’re a good 30 or 40 degrees south, and 20 east. We’re still in Argyre.”
      His eyebrows wrinkled. What a funny looking man.
      At this point Rumer interjected. Actually I was amazed she had been quiet as long as she had. “You said your name was Taavi, it is a pleasure to meet you,” she offered a hand and looked him directly in the eyes, “As Emory said we are from Cradle, it’s a crater village in Galle, Argyre Quadrangle, about 200 km from here. And where are you from?”
      “Um.. I am from Aurora, in the Australe Quadrangle,” He spoke at a normal pace for the first time.
      I saw Rumer’s eyes light up.
      “Aurora? Wow! You guys are big, I’ve never met anyone from there in person, only on the nets,” then she frowned, “That’s a long way to fly. That’s a pretty long way to travel by any means.”
      Taavi fiddled with his gloves, “I guess it is.”
      Great job Rumer, make things awkward, I thought into the silence that followed.
      Finally Rumer seemed to relax and put on a smile, “I have to say, it’s exciting to meet another Mars Born. Why don’t we show you the rest of the HabRov, and go upstairs for dinner? You may stay with us until the morning.”

      Once out of our suits I showed him the lower level and we then climbed to the upper deck, only eight meters long and five wide, it was just large enough to not feel cramped. Behind the stairs was a tiny kitchenette on one side and a wash closet on the other, and before us was an open space with a large multi-purpose table, and a lab desk that doubled as our communication center at the back. The ceiling was an elongated geodesic dome, each cell filled with compressed gas, which helped to protect us from cosmic radiation. A rib-like arbor covered in tropical vines mirrored the domes shape beneath it.
      The living areas in HabRovs were one of my favorite places to be. With windows all around one could look out on Mars, and yet be simultaneously surrounded by life. It touched something deeply human in me, I didn’t understand it yet, but I knew it felt right.
      Rumer went to a chest by our collapsed beds and removed a folded bundle of clothes and handed them to Taavi, “Why don’t you go ahead and bathe first, while we begin the food. Do you have any dietary restrictions?”
      “Me? Nah, I eat everything!” he grinned, and I directed him to the wash closet.
      When I joined Rumer in the kitchenette she gave me a strained smile, and silently signed, “We’ll report in the morning, in the mean time we need to be careful.”
      From what I had seen the young man didn’t look like much of a threat, “I don’t think he’ll hurt us. He looks pretty innocent.”
      “I agree,” she responded, handing me a pot, “But, I don’t mean that. We can’t let him mess up the