The King of Mars

I was always afraid of not being able to get back inside of the Hex. Afraid that they would suddenly decide to manually seal the hatch against unauthorized entry or some other reason, illogical I know, but that would be my luck. So every time I come back to the three foot thick, stainless steel entrance I get an uncomfortable twinge in my stomach. A small part of me always expects to be locked outside, vulnerable to the Martians and the freezing starlight.

Scooping up my iDot (Intimate Data Organization Tool) from its hiding place in the nearby sand, my fingers quickly executed the hacking commands that have become second nature. I let out a sigh of relief when the handheld computer managed to infiltrate the door controls. Luckily for me, the day that I get locked out is not today. I unscrewed the hatch and stepped into the dimly illuminated airlock chamber. When the door swung shut, the sterilizing spray of steam blasted me for a few seconds before the vents turned on and replaced the steam with breathable air. I undid the helmet, sliding it off and shaking the moist, brown hair away from my face. As I was peeling my way out of the suit like a snake shedding its skin, I heard a small cough that scared the living shit out of me.

Swinging my head to door of the airlock, I saw the silhouette of a girl in the dim red light. How she got into the airlock without me noticing, I'll never know. She laughed, "Hey, Aleks." I recognized her honeyed voice, too sweet and too friendly for a girl I didn’t even think would know my name. Rina J’An, the daughter of the Hex’s head overseer. "How was your walk?"

"Oh. Rina. Hi. I was just... I just-" I started to stammer. She laughed again, a musical little sound and stepped closer to me, my thin body half naked. I felt embarrassed. She's beautiful, one of the prettiest girls my age. Her malicious grin was like a slice of Luna against her chocolate colored skin. Her long black hair fell straight over her back and shoulders. Somehow, she managed to show off her little body as she walked slowly towards me across the airlock, even in the coarse, beige jumpsuit.

I, on the other hand, am not quite so delicate. I'm the model of the awkward teenager, pale and pasty, way too skinny. Of course, I also have a horrible tendency to freeze up around pretty girls, just like I was doing now. I could only stand there like a moron as this mythological temptress approached me like something out of the Bhagavad-Gita… y’know, if I wrote it. I wish I could think of something cool and witty to say, but the words never came. She broke the silence before I could think of anything, "I've noticed that you do this quite often, don't you?" Rina said; close enough now where I could smell her flowery scent.

"Not that often really…" I muttered unconvincingly. "Please, just don't tell your father."

"Don't worry, I won't." Rina said. I instantly relaxed. "On one condition."

Uh oh. "...What is it?"

"I want to come with you. Tomorrow."

The thought furrowed my eyebrows. Free walking is something that I and only I do. I didn't like the idea of sharing Mars with anyone else, even this gorgeous girl. "No, it's dangerous." I said.

"That's exactly why my father would have you struck twice if he ever found out." Rina threatened. I grumbled. "Just let me know tomorrow how we're going to do this. I'll leave you to get yourself decent..." She turned her back on me and walked away, becoming a silhouette once more in the dim crimson light. As she turned into the corridor leading back into the Hex, she laughed once more and called out, "See you in class!"

I sighed, stripping myself of the last of the spacesuit. I hung it up and my hands moved to the adjacent spot where I hid my jumpsuit… to find nothing. Wonderful, Rina took my clothing. Standing there in my underwear, I cursed. Well, this will be a challenge.