The Extradimensional Reappearance of Mars Patel by Sheela Chari

Author:Sheela Chari [Chari, Sheela]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781536227413
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

It was so good to hear Randall,” Julia said. “Toothpick, I mean. All of them, of course,” she added quickly as they continued through the forest.

“Mars, too,” Caddie said. She had barely heard his voice, but when he said her name, she felt a glimmer of his thoughts for the first time. Amazing! He was in some kind of underground chamber. And he was feeling hopeful. Now Caddie was feeling hopeful, too. Mars and her friends were alive, and being here in this abundance of foliage and fresh air had lifted her spirits, along with a sense that she was connected to the universe and its internal mechanisms again. Even those sounds she was hearing—the constant murmuring—were strangely comforting. It was like the forest was talking to her. And her headache seemed to be gone.

“Do you think they heard us?” Axel asked as they stepped over fallen logs, their feet crunching yellowed fern leaves. “About the breathable air? Because it’s a game changer. We could actually live on Mars, not just survive.”

“And without the body odor,” Julia said as she maneuvered her rover around the logs blocking her way.

“I’m sorry, did you say body odor?” Axel said.

“No offense,” she said, “but that’s one of the drawbacks of Colony life. All that recirculated air and body odor coming back at us. Yuck. Now we might get to breathe fresh air and not smell each other.”

“Ha, ha,” Axel said. “BO does suck.”

“I’m also curious about what Toothpick said,” Julia said. “Did he say missing adults?”

“Yeah,” Axel said. “Like it was missing kids before. And now adults, too?”

“I wish Toothpick were here,” Julia said wistfully. She blushed. “Because he could tell us about the flora and fauna here, right? And help strategize. There’s an awful lot going on.”

“Aren’t you like the chief strategizer or something?” Axel asked.

“Sure, but it helps to know stuff,” she said. “Also, strategy isn’t just about strategizing. Sometimes it’s about being intuitive, too. Right, Caddie?” She glanced at Caddie. “You’ve been quiet. Are you OK? Is your headache better?”

“Yes,” Caddie said absently. While Julia and Axel were speaking, the murmuring was getting louder in her head, but she still couldn’t understand what it was. It was like hearing the chorus to a song when she couldn’t quite make out the lyrics.

“You must be glad to talk to Mars,” Julia said. “I know how close you both are.”

“We are,” Caddie agreed. There was a part of her that wished she could go back to sixth grade when they were still on Earth, at the school dance, when Mars had snuck into the gym and found a way to avoid Oliver Pruitt’s drones just to keep his promise and be with her. But she also knew that time was gone. Because surely there wasn’t ever a way to travel back in time, was there?

The three of them now came to a clearing where the ground was covered in velvety moss, the trees heavy with rainwater and damp branches. It smelled of home.

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