20th April
08:46 GMT -5
"Bringing us in no-" M'gann grimaces. "-w."
"The patrol ship again?"
"They're
helpfully reminding me of landing procedures." M'gann's hands move across the controls. "As if I haven't been doing this for over a
year."
"Are they saying anything about the rest of us?
"
"There'll be a security screening, but I wouldn't worry about it."
"Do the people doing it know anything about Human weapons? Or power rings?
"
"Probably not." She smiles the smile of a person who has outsmarted someone very annoying. "So it shouldn't take too long."
A short ridgeline appears on the horizon of the flat Martian desert ahead of us. Ring? Yes, artificial. There's a decent drift of loose sand built up along the near side, disguising its nature from cursory inspection. The Bio-Ship slows as it closes the distance and a portal oozes open in a gust of air. Positive pressure keeps the sand from getting anywhere awkward. The pressure difference appears to be only slight, so they must have developed a way to keep air in even if the entryway is open. The pressure difference between the surface and the inner caverns proper is far more significant. Presumably the difficulty in communicating through sonic means is one of the things which led so many Martian life forms to developing alternatives like telepathy.
The Bio-Ship is moving at little more than jogging pace as we pass through the entrance and start down the tunnel. There's a weak glow which I presume to be bioluminescent coming from the walls but it's rather patchy. Is that just where it grew, or is it a sign of poor repair? I turn to M'gann with a curious frown and she glances my way before following my gaze.
"This is the entrance for privately owned civilian vehicles. There's no rule that says Martians can't go up to the surface, but most of us don't have any reason to go out there. As a result it… Well…"
"Isn't a high maintenance priority.
"
"Right."
The tunnel curves off to the right and downwards.
Martian cities are arranged in a series of large caverns which are more or less on the same level as one another. The buildings are set into the walls or rise out of the central floor area. They also do the Star Wars thing of having fragile looking platforms projecting out into the open air, held up by biotechnological telekinesis rather than more conventional antigravity systems.
What is it about advanced civilisations that makes them think that structurally unsound structures are a good idea?
The darkness ahead opens in the same fashion as the external tunnel entrance and I get a momentary impression of
depth. Buildings like skyscrapers made of rock rise up on either side of a short plaza which leads to a drop into the cavern proper. Ahead, I can see tiny lights in the windows of the stalactite buildings which form islands in the tight streams of aerial traffic.
The first science fiction alien city I've seen in person.
And, yes, there's the slight pressure on my mind from the presence of millions of telepaths lightly probing their environment. A little distracting, but I'll probably get used to it. Don't really get this from the Genomorphs, but they're far closer to being a hive mind than Martians are and instinctively share information from their mundane senses rather than doing anything like this.
There are three standard pattern Green Martians naked but for a couple of straps waiting for us as M'gann brings us down. Just as we touch down she suddenly brightens up and I feel slightly dizzy for a moment.
"M-M'gann?
"
She stares off into space for a moment, then snaps out of it. "Oh! Mom and Dad say 'hi'. They'll expect to see us when we finish here." She prods the cat still curled up on her lap. "Come on Teekl. Time for a walk."
Teekl raises her head and blearily peers up at M'gann.
"Teekl not want walk. Teekl happy here."
"Well…" M'gann looks at me for a moment. "Ah..?"
"Teekl, there's a whole planet of people out there who've never seen a cat before!
"
"Mrww?"
"Never, Teekl.
" I lean closer and she stares back at me.
"Never seen one before. There's a gaping, cat-shaped hole in their lives and only you can fill it.
"
She tilts her head slightly to the side.
"Teekl suppose Teekl grace funny smell people with Teekl magnificence." She rolls to her feet and stretches out, claws momentarily extending. Kinks worked out, she jumps to the cabin floor and starts growing up to her Tiger-sized form.
Kon meanwhile is standing by the exit, helmet in hands. "Am I gunna need this?"
"I'll have an environmental shield around you, but it's a good idea to have it with you. We'll probably be splitting up in an hour or so. M'gann, are you going to be able to park closer to home or is this it?
"
"Uum… I should have a space. As long as D'harr hasn't passed her test yet, and Mom didn't mention it." She stands, walking towards the airlock and patting the wall as she goes. "Been a while since you've been in storage mode, hasn't it girl?" She looks at Kon, then her eyes slide past to the airlock. "It's probably best if I go first."
"Right." He steps away, the Sphere rolling after him. "Are.. you going out like that?"
"Like what?"
He smiles and inclines his head slightly. "Like a really pale Human."
She shrugs. "Martians don't really care about that sort of thing. And.. I'm.. actually more comfortable like this than in my Martian form now."
"Really?"
"Martian.. self image is.. more about how you think than how you
look. I only really became conscious of my
physical image when I moved to Earth, and, well,-" She shrugs, smiling weakly. "-this is it."
"
I like it."
Her smile broadens as he pulls her into a clinch. "
I know you do."
I start to avert my eyes, but their near-kiss is interrupted by Teekl nosing M'gann's legs.
"Show funny smell people Teekl now."
Kon glowers at her. "Maybe we can take her to your uncle Ma'al's place and forget about her."
"Gggggggggggggggggggggggggggg."
"Okay, no dumping the cat." He waves his right arm at the airlock. "After you."
M'gann steps up to the exit, which opens to allow her in. We don't usually bother with an airlock when we're on Earth, but the pressure difference here makes it necessary. Thinking about it…
"Kon, you know that the gravity-.
"
He nods. "Is about a third what it would be on Earth. I'll be careful."
There's a hiss as the air in the airlock is pumped back into the cabin, and then the ship-ooze noise as M'gann exits. Teekl nudges Kon aside for the next opportunity to leave. Uh?
"Teekl, you remember you can
phase, right?
"
"Teekl will disembark with due majesty."
I exhale with amusement.
"Okay then.
"
The Sphere warbles something, and Teekl responds by turning her head away with a snort. Then the airlock opens once more and Teekl struts through.
"Can't you phase as well?"
"Um. I can with my power armour, but this is a civil matter and I thought it was a bit militant.
"
"Yeah, but-" He shrugs. "M'gann said that Martians don't care about that kind of thing."
I nod.
"True.
" I rise slightly off the deck as my armour appears around me.
"See you outside.
"
