Threading her arm through mine, she giggles. Blood rushes up her neck and flushes her cheeks. “You’re incorrigible.”
“And you love it.”
With KJ performing a tumbling trot in front of us, we ascend the stairs and enter the red glow of Mars.
****
AS WE REACH THE SURFACEof the planet, the sun shines in the distance, appearing smaller than when viewed from Earth. Outside of the shielding, reddish-orange desert and dark gray rocks stretch to distant mountains.
“It must be a lot of work turning this dead planet into something alive.” Tilly stops to inspect a small square of grass growing in a planter, bending to yank a blade from the soil. “This doesn’t look like it’s from Earth. The color’s off.”
I pluck it from her hand and twist it in my fingers. “That’s because it’s from Baltin. It’s more resistant to colder temperatures. Once we have an atmosphere established, the planet will warm up, but it won’t be quite as hot as what we’re used to.”
“Can you use the soil as it is for plants?”
“Not in all areas and not for all plants, but yeah, some areas can support flora as long as it’s fertilized. Plus, being that the gravity is only about thirty-eight percent of Earth’s and Baltin’s, plants don’t dry out as quickly. The water has more time to settle and be absorbed by the root system.”
“This lower gravity feels weird up here. I have to be careful, or if I go too fast, I get knocked off balance.”
“The gravity is adjusted to Earth’s in the habitat, but out here and in the other sectors, you’ll need to be careful.”
Hmm. I should’ve thought about this earlier.My internal system automatically compensates for gravitational differences, but Tilly has no defense. Which means she could accidentally hurt herself or the baby.
“Come on.” I pull her to the closed-off tunnel leading from our shelter and type in a code to open the half-circle door. “We’re going to take a ride. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
She twists her mouth to the side and raises an eyebrow but remains quiet.
“Stop sulking. I’m about to take you to see the first wonder of this world. The least you can do istryto look interested.”
I slide an arm around her shoulders and step into the tunnel, which is also clear, like the shielding over the habitats, allowing an unrestricted view of Mars.
The hum of machinery underground echoes in the walls and floor of the tunnel like gentle rumbling snores of a sleeping dragon. Several meters to the right, a small tunnel breaks off, leading to a circular room. In it sits twelve vehicles, similar to Earth ATVs, except these have no wheels and are made of ilirium, outfitted with integrated AI and system redundancies to counteract the harsh outside climate of Mars.
“Are we going to drive to your surprise?” Tilly’s voice holds a note of surprise. She shoves the end of KJ’s leash into my hand and mashes her face to the reinforced composite glass shielding between tunnel and bay.
“Yep. These are called Vapors in English.” I enter the unlock code on the door and tuck KJ into a small seat that automatically conforms to his shape. A harness crisscrosses over his chest to belt him in place. His floppy ears stand upright as he looks around with his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.
“I didn’t know Baltins had cars.” Her voice comes from right over my shoulder and her hair tickles my neck. “Can I drive it?” There’s an undercurrent of breathy excitement in her question. “Please?”
Once KJ’s situated, I twist around and lean a hip against the door to block her entry. “For a price.”
Her grin fades and she gives me a wary glance. “And what’s that?”
I answer with a smile and crook of my forefinger.
“I’m not sure it’ll be worth it with that kind of look on your face.” Almost as if she can’t help herself, her body molds into mine and she cranes her neck to stare at me.
“If I let you drive the Vapor today, then you have to ride me tonight,” I whisper into her ear.
“What...?” she breathes. “Oh.”
I pull back and watch color rise from the neck of her black jumpsuit all the way to her forehead. “You blush so easily, but so beautifully.”
She gently shoves at my chest. “And you’re one of the horniest men I’ve ever known.”
“Only for you, Red.” I kiss her forehead and step to the side, ushering her into a front seat. It doesn’t matter what side of the vehicle the pilot sits on as the control screens can be activated in any seat.
After I shut and engage the seal on her door, I walk around to my side and strap in, repeating the sealing process and enabling the life support system with a thought.
