The Boy From Mars by Robert DeLaurentis

Author:Robert DeLaurentis [DeLaurentis, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-07T00:21:47+00:00

Thomas, Eno, and Elly spent the rest of the day shopping for supplies. It was late afternoon by the time they got back to Elly’s house.

“Anybody home?” Elly called out.

Rosario responded in Spanish from the kitchen.

“Thomas and Eno are with me. We’re going downstairs.”

Elly led the boys to a converted basement with a large couch and TV, where Thomas noted a framed poster of a man with a beard. “Is that your father?”

Elly laughed. “No. That’s Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, and Charlie’s namesake. You’ve never heard of him?”

“We don’t really study Earth scientists,” Eno said, “except those responsible for building the Station. The creators of synthetic nutrition, water conversion, and radiation protection.”

Thomas put down his supplies and noticed a small glass globe filled with clear liquid sitting on the shelf. Inside was a tiny replica of a ship of some sort. “What’s this?”

“A snow globe,” Elly said. “Inside is a model of Darwin’s ship, the Beagle.” She shook it, setting off a flurry of waves. “It’s the one he sailed on to the Galapagos Islands to develop the theory of natural selection.”

Thomas looked to Eno, who shrugged as if he had no idea.

“Evolution?” Elly said. “How organisms, animals, change over time?”

“Mars is a dead planet,” Thomas said. “We don’t have organisms.”

“And thankfully no animals,” Eno said.

“All I can say is you don’t know what you’re missing,” Elly said.

“We should get to work,” Eno said.

“And I should get a status report on Muir Woods,” Elly said, turning on the TV.

Thomas put the snow globe back on the shelf and pulled a glue gun and two large cans of adhesive out of his backpack while Eno removed a length of marine rope from his.

Elly checked her watch. “It’s almost four, and we can’t dig up the mirrors until dark, so we have a few hours to kill. There’s a video game console under the TV if you’re interested.”

Eno inspected the TV, while Thomas wandered over to a circular object on the wall. It was divided into small triangular sections, each with a different number.

“What’s this?”

“Dart board,” Elly said. “It’s a game. Want to give it a try?”

“You’ll have to teach me how to play.”

“It’s simple,” Elly said, finding some darts. “You throw these at the numbers and work your way around the board in order.”

Elly handed Thomas a dart. He casually tossed it toward the board, where it landed in the smallest circle at the center.

“You hit the bulls-eye.”

“Is that good?” Thomas asked.

“You can’t do better,” Elly said. “Sure you haven’t played before?”

“He’s Games Champion back on the Station,” Eno said.

“My turn,” Elly said. But as she aimed her dart, the doorbell rang. A man’s muffled voice echoed from above. While she couldn’t hear what he was saying, his tone sounded serious.

“Hold on. I’ll be right back.”

In the foyer, Rosario was closing the door, a business card in her hand.

“Who was that?” Elly asked.

“Some men want to speak with your father.”

“Did they say what it was about?”

Rosario said something in Spanish and handed her the card.

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