Publication Update

I've been reading a lot online lately about the dangers of posting book chapters online. The fear is that someone may steal your fabulous idea and get the book (or one very similar to it) published first. Many literary agents and publishers are strongly recommending NOT posting book chapters for free online.

Furthermore, I've just sent the manuscript out to a publisher. If by some lucky chance, the editor is interested in publishing my humble little book, I'll have to comply with the regulations of whatever contract I sign.

Therefore, I won't be posting any more chapters--at least for the very near future. If you want to know what happens next to Alex, email me and I'll send you some more. I believe those of you who have been following this blog know how to get my school email address (check the school's website if you don't).

Thanks so much for following Alex's story thus far! If I get any more news about getting the book published, I'll post it here. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for me. :)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7:
A RESCUE MISSION

Alex’s head shot up. Turning left and then right, she scanned the moonscape as if expecting her grandfather to pop out from behind one of the boulders or a crater ridge. Was he still nearby? How long ago had he been there? And why hadn’t he returned to Earth?

Scattered across the crater, Alex’s classmates were busy choosing their rock samples. Periodically, excited shouts crackled over the headsets.

“This one’s orange!”

“I found one with a light purple streak.”

Alex watched as Sam struggled to lift a giant rock that was much too big to be carried back. Professor Callahan motioned that it needed to stay put.

Peeking down at the paper hidden in her gloved hands, Alex studied the handwriting on the note again. It had to be Grandpa’s. Did she dare open the note with others around?

The speaker in Alex’s headset crackled, and Professor Callahan’s voice came across the intercom. “O.K., everyone, let’s wrap it up. Take your samples and head back to the moon buggy.”

Alex shoved the note into her bag. Her curiosity would have to wait.

On the ride back to the colony, Alex gripped her bag tightly to her chest. She felt like she had stolen a secret treasure. She was eager to find out what Grandpa had to say, but she couldn’t share her emotions with anyone. As she contemplated what Grandpa might have written, she began to worry. If the note truly was from Grandpa, why was he still here on the moon? When she’d left him on Friday, he had been confident he could repair the Rock Jumper.

And what if it wasn’t really from Grandpa? Perhaps someone was trying to trick her into thinking her grandfather had left her a note. Could Emperor Devlesh’s spies have followed her and be using this as a trap?

Alex’s anxiety over the note increased as the day progressed. Whenever she thought she had a moment alone, she would reach for her bag to pull out the note, but as soon as she did so, someone would appear and she’d shove the note back into the depths of the bag. She would only read that note when she was sure no one was watching.
The opportunity finally came that evening. The girls had spent the early part of the evening cleaning their room for Madame Oberin’s Monday night inspection. Now Alex sat at the desk in her nearly spotless room, struggling to concentrate on a math problem involving complementary angles. Her mind continually wandered to the note that was burning a hole in her bag. On the other side of the room, Carrie sat on her bed with a portable console on her lap. She was reading through a portion of the history textbook.

“Ugh!” Carrie tapped the screen to close the history book. “I’m sick of ancient civilizations.” She tossed the portable console onto her desk. Then she let out a big yawn. “I’m getting ready for bed.” Carrie grabbed her pink-and-white pajamas (despite her curly, red hair, she insisted pink was her color) and headed toward the washroom.

Alex’s heart raced. This was it. She finally had a moment alone.

As soon as the door slid shut behind Carrie, Alex snatched up her bag. Her hands trembled as she pulled the note from the depths of the bag. It had been crushed and wrinkled over the course of the day from the shoving in and yanking out of books. She read the inscription on the outside fold one more time to convince herself it was real. Then she carefully unfolded the page and flattened it on the desk before her.

Alex took a deep breath and read:

Alex,
Repairs not going as planned. Need new oxygen tank and supplies. Meet me tonight outside the exit you used this afternoon. I’ll be waiting behind the large boulder that is shaped like a giant tortoise.
Grandpa

Leaning back in her chair, Alex let out a soft, “Wow.” Grandpa hadn’t made it off the moon after all. And he needed her help. Alex wondered how much oxygen he had left. She knew he had at least one spare tank in the Rock Jumper, but how much more? And what type of supplies would he need?

Alex checked her watch. It was nearly curfew time. Carrie would be back soon from the bathroom and would want to go to bed. Quickly, Alex shoved the note back into her bag along with her space helmet. She clipped her PTD onto her bag and practiced taking her spacesuit out of her closet without making too much noise.

The door to the room slid open.

“You’d better hurry if you want to use the washroom,” Carrie warned. “Madame Oberin is already making the rounds.”

“Thanks,” muttered Alex. She grabbed her pajamas and dashed out of the room. She’d have to make a good show of it and pretend she was going to sleep.

Fifteen minutes later, Alex was snug in her bed, but sleep was the furthest thing from her mind. She listened carefully to Carrie’s breathing. When it started to become slow and regular, Alex pushed back her sheets and slowly eased her head up off the pillow. The room was still. Alex swung a leg over the side of her bed and leaned up onto her elbow.

A snort erupted from Carrie’s side of the room, and there was a rustling movement in her bed. Alex threw herself back under the covers. She wasn’t going to take any chances. As she lay there, Alex wondered what would happen if she got caught sneaking around the colony at night. Would the General kick her out of the colony? What would happen to Grandpa then? She supposed that, if she got caught, she could confess that she was going to help her grandfather, but then what? Would the General kick her and Grandpa off the moon?

After twenty minutes of complete silence from Carrie’s bed, Alex decided it was now or never. Once again, she eased herself up on an elbow. The shades were pulled over the window that faced the playdium. Glimpses of fake moonlight peeked from around the shades. In the darkness, Alex peered toward Carrie, who remained motionless. Alex sat up on the edge of the bed. The mattress creaked a bit; Alex paused but Carrie continued to sleep. In one smooth movement, Alex stood up and held her breath. No sound came from the other bed.

Moving as swiftly and as quietly as she could, Alex picked up her bag and grabbed her spacesuit from her closet. When the door slid open, Alex peered out into the hallway. No sign of Madame Oberin. Alex tiptoed across the hallway and down to the girls’ washroom. As expected, it was empty. Alex made quick work of getting into her spacegear. Then she moved her PTD from her bag to a small pocket on her suit. For the time being, she would keep her helmet in her bag.

Back out in the hallway, Alex was relieved to see that no one was around. She hoped the rest of the colony was as quiet as the student dormitory. She hurried down the corridor, around the corner, and to the nearest elevator. The door slid open. Alex had yet to try out the voice commands on the elevator. She was so nervous that she worried it wouldn’t obey her. With a tremulous voice, Alex called out, “First floor.” The elevator door closed and began to move down.

When the door slid open on the first floor, Alex stepped out cautiously. Still no signs of life. The quiet corridor was completely empty. The bright daytime lights had been turned off, and a cool blue glow kept the hallway dimly lit. Alex hoped the General was as strict about curfew with the rest of the colony as Madame Oberin was with the orphans.

Alex debated whether to go left or right. The left would get her to the main hangar faster, but she didn’t know that hallway as well. The right would take a bit longer but was less likely to be occupied. This direction would take her through the school zone; surely no one would be there at this time. Deciding privacy was more important than speed, Alex turned toward the right.

Rounding the corner, Alex discovered that the hallway wasn’t as abandoned as she had expected. Light emanated from the open doorway to Ms. Pullman’s classroom. Alex drew closer. She couldn’t hear any voices from the room, only the faint whirring of a machine sweeping and buffing the floors. Should she try to sneak past the room or head in the other direction?

As she stood in the hallway debating, the whirring grew louder. Whoever was cleaning the floor was about to head out into the hallway. Alex looked around. There was nothing in the hallway to hide behind. She stepped in front of the door to Professor Callahan’s classroom, which slid open, and she ducked inside. She could hear the door to Ms. Pullman’s room closing moments before Professor Callahan’s door closed behind her.

The whirring sound kept growing louder. Clearly, the cleaning person was headed her way. Alex looked around for a place to hide. She opened the door to one of the cabinets that held Professor Callahan’s equipment. Too small for her to squeeze into with her space suit on, she decided. The room had many lab tables, each with a smooth black top and a built-in sink. Underneath the countertop was a set of drawers and cabinets for holding beakers, Bunsen burners, vials, and test tubes.

When she heard the door to Professor Callahan’s room slide open, Alex ducked behind Adam and Sam’s lab table. The whirring of the cleaning machine grew louder. Had she been purposely followed, or was this simply the next room to be cleaned? With her heart beating rapidly in her chest, Alex listened for the methodical noises of the cleaning machine as it swept back and forth across the front of the room.

Trying to figure out how she could make her escape, Alex crawled to the end of the row. She didn’t hear any footsteps over the whirring of the machine, the noise increasing until she felt like she would be swept up into its spinning brushes. Peering around the corner of a lab table, Alex watched a shadow form on the floor three rows ahead of her. The shadow was short and wide, with beveled edges at the top. Within moments, Alex saw a fat tub of a droid emerge from the row of lab tables, hit the wall, and then turn to come back down the next row. Beneath its stout body, a spinning set of brushes was going to town on the classroom floor. Alex ducked her head back. It was only an automated cleaning droid. Alex didn’t know much about these droids. Could it see her? If it could, would it care?

Alex decided not to take any chances. She waited until the cleaning droid was at the far end of the next row. Then before it could turn around and head back in her direction, she scooted along the aisle and out the open doorway.

In the hallway, Alex didn’t waste any time. She wanted to be out of the classroom area before that cleaning droid moved to the next room. She sped past Ms. Pullman’s classroom, then Mr. Trang’s room, and then through the primary grade area. At the end of the school zone, Alex peered around the next corner. No one was in sight. She passed by the dining hall and several businesses including the delivery services and Carol’s Colony Clothing. Then Alex stepped through one of the narrow hallways that led to the outer loop. From here, she didn’t have far to go to reach the hangar.
At this time of night, the hangar was nearly pitch black. A few emergency lights cast long, dark shadows around the rocket ships. Alex felt her way over to the storage area. Here she unhooked two OPA tanks and headed to the dustroom. This small space, Alex had learned that afternoon, served as an equalizer between the colony’s atmosphere and the lack of atmosphere outside. When Alex first met Marta, she had been in the American wing’s dustroom.

In the dustroom off the main hangar, Alex adjusted her tank and attached her space helmet. Leaving her bag in the dustroom and carrying the spare OPA tank, Alex swiped her PTD at the doorway and watched as the door to the moon’s surface slid open.
Nighttime made no difference in this part of the moon. The sun shone as always, yet the sky remained pitch black. Not even stars could be seen. Alex made a mental note to ask Professor Callahan why this was so.

Off to the right, Alex could see the large boulder shaped like a giant tortoise. It was big enough to hide Moon Buggy #3 behind it. Alex’s heart rate quickened again. What if this was a trap? Alex imagined Emperor Devlesh’s spies capturing her grandfather upon re-entry to Earth and torturing him into giving them Alex’s location. If they were able to get her grandfather to admit he had brought her to the moon, would they then try to lure her out of the colony, away from the General’s protection? Cautiously, Alex made a wide circle as she came around the edge of the boulder. She was prepared at any moment to drop the spare OPA tank and run for the entry portal if necessary.

A set of space boots stuck out from the edge of the boulder. The toes were pointed upward. Whoever was wearing them was either lying down or seated with his legs out flat in front of them. Alex crept closer. They looked like her grandfather’s boots. As she drew nearer, she could see a body seated on the lunar surface, its head and torso slumped against the side of the boulder.

Alex tapped the comm link button on her helmet. “Grandpa?” she inquired tentatively.

There was no response. Was she too close to the IMC for her comm link to work?

Creeping up to the body, Alex recognized her grandfather’s space suit. His head was drooping over his chest.

“Grandpa!” Alex hurried over as fast as she could, the moon’s low gravity causing her to bounce along. When she reached her grandfather, Alex dropped the OPA tank and pulled the old man’s helmet up. Through the face shield, Alex could see her grandfather’s eyes were closed, his face pale. “Grandpa, are you alright?” His head bobbed, but he didn’t respond. Alex leaned over his body and examined the gauge on his air tank. He was literally running on fumes. “Oh, my god, Grandpa!”

Alex swung the spare OPA tank over to the other side and pulled out the connection
hose. After disconnecting Grandpa’s old tank, she attached the hose to the OPA tank and switched it on. Within seconds, she heard her grandfather gasp. His eyes flew open and he looked around startled. He was taking in massive gulps of oxygen.

“It’s O.K., Grandpa, it’s O.K.,” Alex grabbed his arms. “You’re alright now. I hooked up a new oxygen tank.”

“Alex?”

“Yeah, Grandpa. It’s me. You’re fine. You were running low on air. I got you a new tank. It’s O.K. now.”

Grandpa’s strained muscles relaxed. “Alex,” he sighed. “I tried to stay awake, but . . .”

“Relax. You’ve got plenty of air now, and I’m here.” Alex settled into a sitting position beside Grandpa. She waited while he took a few calming breaths. “Can you tell me what happened? Why aren’t you back on Earth yet?”

Grandpa shook his head despondently. “It should have been an easy fix. Just straighten out the landing gear and repair the brake rocket that wouldn’t fire.”

“So what went wrong?”

Grandpa took a few more deep breaths. “Well, some of the joints I need to loosen are welded into place. Then I broke the one power wrench I had with me. When I got to the brake rocket, I tinkered around with it for hours. Then I realized the part I thought was broken wasn’t broken at all, and I needed a different part.” Grandpa shook his head slowly. He reached into a pocket in his spacesuit. “Do you think you could get your hands on these things for me?” He pulled out a small slip of paper.

“I tried to draw a picture of the last one for you.”

Alex glanced at the scribbled list. Where would she get things like a power wrench?

“I can try, but, Grandpa, what if I can’t?”

“You must. The more I think about it, the more I worry about your grandmother. Those hoverships were a bad omen. I need to get back to Earth as soon as possible.”

“Why don’t you come back to the colony with me? Then you could ask the General for these parts.”

Grandpa shook his head as Alex stood up. Over one edge of the boulder, she could see the entrance to the IMC. Alex froze. Standing in the open portal, Marta was scanning the moonscape. Alex ducked back behind the boulder before Marta looked in her direction.

“What is it?”

“I think I was followed when I left the colony.”

“By whom?”

“Marta, one of the droids.”

Grandpa thought for a moment. “Is there any way you can sneak back in?”

“I’ll have to wait until she goes back inside. Then I’ll enter through another portal.” Alex sat back against the boulder. She read through her grandfather’s supply list again. Some of the items sounded familiar, like the power wrench and various sizes of nuts and bolts. However, a couple items were not ones Alex had much experience with. “How soon do you need this stuff?”

“The sooner the better. Do you think you could meet me out here again two nights from now?”

Inside her space helmet, Alex bit her lip. She was sure she could look up these items on any of the colony’s computer consoles, but getting her hands on them would be another matter. “Where am I gonna find this stuff?”

“Search for a tool and supply room near the hangar. You’ll have to sneak in after work hours.”

“And if I can’t find all of it?”

“Bring me what you can on Wednesday night. Can you get me food, too? I don’t have much left.”

Alex nodded. “Food should be pretty easy. Do you need water, too? You’ll need it to keep the OPA tank running.”

“The water recycling system on the ship is still working. I should be fine.”

Alex took a deep breath and asked the question she had tried to get answered many times before. Perhaps the gravity of their current situation would change Grandpa’s mind and get him to talk. “Grandpa, what happened between you and the General?”

Grandpa sighed. When he spoke, his voice was weary. “Alex, I’ve told you before. We had a disagreement—the kind you never recover from. I can’t ask him to help me.”

“But you could have died out here!”

“That probably would have made the General happy,” replied Grandpa drily.

“Grandpa!”

“Oh, now, take it easy. The important thing is I’m still alive. You brought me the one thing I really needed.” Grandpa patted the OPA tank beside him. “So I’m doing just fine without the General’s help.”

“I don’t understand what the two of you could have fought about that was so awful.”

“Alex. We’ve been through this a hundred times. I’m not going to talk about the war with you. War is not a topic for children.”

“I’m not exactly a child anymore. I’m a teenager.”

“Oh, Alex.” Grandpa dropped his head into his hands. “I forgot how many days have passed since we left Earth.” He looked up at her. “I can’t believe your birthday’s passed already. Before the hoverships arrived, I had thought about how we were going to celebrate your thirteenth birthday. I was going to cook your favorite meal and take you for your first flying lesson. I guess my plans got sidetracked.”

Alex looked down at her hands. She hadn’t meant to make her grandpa feel guilty.

“That’s O.K., Grandpa.”

“No, it’s not. A girl should have a thirteenth birthday party. When this whole mess is over, I promise we’ll celebrate, and I’ll get you the best birthday present you’ve ever had. What do you want?”

“All I want is for you to find Grandma and to get me away from this place.” She jerked her head in the direction of the IMC.

“You got it.” He gestured behind the boulder. “Is your droid still out there?”
Alex eased herself up and peered over the edge of the boulder. The doorway to the dustroom near the hangar was closed. There was no sign of Marta. “The coast is clear. I’m going to enter through the next wing of the colony in case Marta is waiting around for me.”

Grandpa stood up beside her and peered over the boulder as well. The area appeared completely desolate.

After a quick good-bye and promises to return in two nights, Alex left her grandfather and headed across the fine-grained surface of the crater. She kept her eyes peeled for Marta. With the low gravity, Alex was able to bounce along easily, prepared to hop behind a boulder if anyone should appear.

However, no one did appear. When Alex reached the next portal, she pulled her PTD from her pocket and held it before the panel. The door slid open, and Alex stepped inside. Once the door had sealed behind her, Alex waited while the moon dust was pulled off her suit and the gravity power increased sixfold. Then she removed her helmet slowly, making sure the atmosphere in the dustroom was properly adjusted for oxygen before shutting off her OPA tank.

Just when Alex thought she was in the clear, she heard a voice come over a speaker.
“Alex Jones. I know you’ve been outside.”

Alex held her breath.

The voice continued, “And I have your bag.”

Chapter 6

Thanks to "Anonymous" who posted that he/she was enjoying the book so far! I hope you keep enjoying the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. Here's the next installment:

Chapter 6:
CARRIE'S NOT-SO-SECRET WEAPON


Madame Oberin! Alex recognized the voice from last night. She had used the same punctuated style when she rebuked the boy who had his feet up on a table. Alex bolted out of her cradled position among the Monkey Pod’s branches. Using her right arm for support, she leaned over some of the branches to peer below. She could see snatches of gray and red clothing below, but she couldn’t see Madame Oberin’s face. Alex wondered how much trouble she was in. Was there a rule about not climbing the trees in the playdium? How was she supposed to have known?

Then Alex thought she heard giggling. That can’t be right, Alex thought. Madame Oberin didn’t seem like the type to giggle. Alex climbed down a few branches until she saw some red, curly hair.

“Carrie?” Alex could see her roommate’s face now.

Carrie looked up and smiled.

“Sorry, Alex. We couldn’t resist.”

“We?” Alex climbed farther down and then hopped to the ground.

Standing beside Carrie was the tall, dark-skinned girl who was able to overhear some of Zero and Magnum’s fight the night before.

“Simona can mimic anything she hears,” Carrie beamed at her friend.

“So that was you? I thought Madame Oberin had found me.”

Simona grinned at Carrie before addressing Alex. “That’s what we wanted you to think. It’s a talent I have that comes in pretty hand from time to time.”

“Here,” Carrie held out a brown paper bag, “we brought you some lunch.”

Alex accepted the bag. “Thanks. How’d you know where to find me?”

“When I didn’t see you for breakfast or lunch, I’d thought maybe that story about your grandpa coming to get you was true.”

“But then,” Simona picked up where Carrie left off, “Adam said at lunch that he had seen you head toward the trees in the playdium.” Simona peered up the tree. “How did you get that far up?”

Alex shrugged. “I used to climb trees at home all the time.” She pulled a sandwich from out of the bag and took a bite.

“There are trees on your space station?” Carrie’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. Simona folded her arms, waiting for an explanation.

Oh, no, thought Alex. What did I say? Alex pretended to take a long time chewing a bite of her sandwich while she thought up an excuse.

“Oh, well, they aren’t real trees. There’s just a playground area with some fake trees. My grandpa used to call me monkey because I would hang from those fake trees all the time.” The part about the nickname at least was true.

Simona and Carrie exchanged glances. It was clear they weren’t completely convinced. Finally, Carrie spoke, “We came to see if you’re really as good a catcher as you looked last night.”

Alex nodded eagerly. “Yeah, I mean, I think I am.” She spoke between mouthfuls of her lunch. “Like I said last night, I’ve never played softball, but my grandpa told me all about baseball, and we played catch sometimes.”

“O.K., newbie, let’s see what you got.” Carrie turned and headed toward the softball field.

Simona leaned in toward Alex. “For your sake, I hope that wasn’t just a lucky catch last night.” Simona turned and headed out of the woods. Alex tried to keep up with the other girls while downing her lunch at the same time.

After getting the gloves and a couple softballs out of the equipment box, the three girls formed a triangle in the outfield. Carrie threw the ball to Simona, who threw to Alex, who threw it back to Carrie. These were simple tosses that were easily caught. Carrie and Simona chatted about which grades were going to have decent teams this year while Alex concentrated on catching the ball without using her power. The softball was much bigger than the baseball she and her grandfather used to toss back and forth. In fact, it was close in size to the coconuts on her home island. Alex had had plenty of practice catching those. With surprising dexterity, her grandmother used to shimmy up the trunk of a coconut tree and then toss coconuts down. Alex never had any problems catching the coconuts back then, and she didn’t have any problems catching the softball now.

“That’s enough warm-up,” called Carrie after a bit. “Let’s bring it in, Simona. I want to see if Alex can handle one of my fast pitches.”

“You better go easy on her at first, Carrie,” Simona cautioned.

“If she’s gonna be catcher, she’ll have to handle my fastball.”

“I know. I’m just saying . . .” Simona stepped beside Alex. “Com’n. I’ll help you get your gear on.”

“My gear?”

Simona smirked. “Yeah, your gear. Trust me—you don’t want to try catching one of Carrie’s pitches without this stuff on.”

“Listen to Simona,” Carrie advised. “If anyone knows what it’s like to catch my pitches, it’s her. She was our catcher last year.”

“Oh!” Alex was surprised. Would Simona be mad that she was taking her spot? Carrie seemed really interested in making sure she retained her position; wouldn’t Simona feel the same? “I don’t want to take your spot away from you, Simona.”

“Puh-lease,” Simona intoned. Alex admired the musical quality of her voice. “I’m all too happy to give up the catcher’s slot. Way too dangerous for me. Here—give me your glove.”

Simona took the glove off from Alex’s hand and placed it back in the equipment box. Then she pulled out several new items.

Simona announced each item as she pulled it out of the box. “Chest protector with extra padding—perfect for Carrie’s fastball. Shin and knee guards.” Simona pulled out two of each. “Catcher’s helmet.” Alex noted that it looked like the helmet of her spacesuit, only the front wasn’t solid, just a few metal bars to see through. She pulled it on over her head.

“Kind of hard to see with these bars in front of my face.”

“When a softball is headed toward your face at 90 miles an hour or more,” Simona put it in plain words, “you will be so glad those bars are between you and that softball because let me tell you, girl, there is nothing soft about that ball.” Simona reached into the box again. “Throat protector.”

“Throat protector?”

“Do you want to lose your voice?”

“No.” Alex’s voice was small.

“Neither would I.” She thrust the triangular piece toward Alex. Simona got one more item out of the box. “Finally, your new best friend.” Alex doubted that. “Your catcher’s mitt.”

“It’s huge!” exclaimed Alex.

“You want it huge,” explained Carrie. “I need a big target to aim for, and you want to be able to catch anything I throw at you. Now let’s get you behind home plate and check out your stance.”

Alex’s grandfather had played a fair amount of baseball when he was young. He loved showing Alex pictures of him playing on his high school team, so Alex knew that the catcher had to squat down to catch the ball. She did her best to imitate the posture. Simona walked around to check out Alex’s stance.

“Not bad,” she muttered.

Alex was watching Simona circle her when Carrie suddenly nudged Alex’s shoulder, causing Alex to fall forward onto her knees.

“Hey!” cried Alex. “What d’ya do that for?”

“You’ve got to be steadier on your feet,” explained Carrie. “Try it again. This time spread your feet a little further apart.”

Alex dusted the dirt off her knee guards and steadied herself on her feet again. Then she spread her feet apart a little further. This brought her lower to the ground, and she could immediately feel herself settle into a sturdier position. This time Simona nudged her shoulder. Alex wobbled but didn’t fall.

“Better,” said Carrie. “Now let’s see you catch.” Carrie headed out toward the pitcher’s mound. Simona stepped off to the side.

“Brace yourself, Alex. Carrie’s pitching arm is our softball team’s not-so-secret weapon. This isn’t going to be like anything your grandpa threw at you.”

Simona could not have been more correct. When Grandpa would play catch with her, he threw with an easy grace that Alex had always admired.

Watching Carrie pitch was a completely different experience. Alex checked her stance to make sure she was stable. Then she lifted the large catcher’s mitt in front of her chest, placing her free hand behind it for extra support. The smell of the leather brought back memories from home, but she quickly pushed those aside. When she looked up at Carrie, she was surprised to see her roommate facing straight toward her instead of sideways like her grandpa used to do. Then, rather than pulling her pitching hand over her head, Carrie pulled it down by her side and then swung it forward and up into a full circle rotation, flicking her wrist and releasing the ball near the bottom of the loop. Before Alex had time to realize what was happening, the softball slammed into her mitt, landing her flat on her back in the dirt. A puff of air escaped from her chest. Stunned, she stared up at the playdium ceiling and noticed the fake clouds passing by.

“You O.K., newbie?” Simona was standing to her left.

Alex knew she should respond, but words didn’t want to form in her mouth yet. In fact, she probably couldn’t have told anyone her name at that moment.
She did, however, recognize the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Hey,” said Carrie as she jogged up to Alex’s right side, “she’s still got the ball in her mitt!”

“That’s quite impressive, newbie.” Simona looked down at her.

Alex tried to pull herself together. “Impressive?”

“Oh, yeah, most people get so bowled over the first time they try catching one of Carrie’s fastballs that they totally lose their grip on the ball.” Simona and Carrie helped Alex to her feet. “You feeling O.K.?”

“Yeah, yeah, I think so.” Alex nodded slowly. Her head was beginning to clear.

“Ready for another one?”

“Another one?” Alex’s voice veered up into a high pitch. She didn’t want to seem cowardly, but she wondered if she’d survive another pitch like that. “Give me a minute.”

Simona and Carrie headed off to the pitcher’s mound together, whispering as they went. Alex would have listened in if she hadn’t been so busy concentrating on how she was going to catch the next one. After a minute, Carrie yelled from the mound.

“Alright, Alex, let’s see you handle another one.”

Alex squatted down into the catcher’s stance. She wiggled her feet around until she was sure she was as steady as she could get. Then she raised her glove.

Carrie stared her down for a moment before going into her windup. When she released the ball with a snap, Alex was ready for it. The ball was still thrown with great force, but this time Alex only fell back into a sitting position.

“Fantastic!” yelled Simona from the infield.

Alex stood up and threw the ball back to Carrie.

“You’ll have this down in no time.” Simona clapped her hands to encourage Alex.
Alex wasn’t too sure, but it turned out Simona was right. A few practice pitches later, and Alex was able to catch the ball and hang onto it without falling over.
The rest of the afternoon passed with Simona and Carrie giving Alex different catching scenarios. Each time Alex caught the ball with ease.

At dinner that night, Carrie and Simona reported Alex’s progress to the rest of the seventh grade. Carrie was getting more and more excited about their prospects for the upcoming season.

“With Alex in the catcher position, Simona will be free to move to the outfield, where we could use help.”

“Hey!” yelled Yvonne, who knew Carrie was talking about her difficulties catching balls out in left field.

Most of the people seemed excited about having Alex as a catcher. It was Adam who snapped everyone back to reality.

“And what will happen when Alex’s grandpa comes to pick her up? I mean, how long are you really staying anyway, Alex? Will you even be here for the whole softball season?”

The table quieted down and everyone looked to Alex for an answer.

“Oh, well, I don’t know exactly. I mean, it depends on how long it takes Grandpa to make the repairs.”

Carrie shrugged it off. “Alex will be around plenty long enough to make those miserable eighth graders suffer out there. It takes forever to get to the Mars space stations and back.”

Yvonne nodded her head. “Absolutely. Even traveling at top speeds, it takes at least a month to get to Mars.”

Sam snorted next to Adam. “If that’s even where she’s really from.”

An uneasiness settled across the table. Alex played with the macaroni and cheese in front of her. How could she convince the others she was from Mars? She’d never believe that lie herself.

* * *

Sunday was not too different from Saturday. Alex spent a good part of the day working on her catching with Carrie and Simona out in the playdium. They talked a lot about school and the teachers so that, by Monday morning, Alex had a good idea what to expect.

Every morning, the students had math first period with Mrs. Sephora, a thirty-something woman who reminded Alex of a bird. She had a sharp, pointy nose, and her head bobbed with each important point she made. None of the students dared to make a noise in class for fear Mrs. Sephora would squawk at them. In fact, the only student who did much speaking in math was Yvonne, who was clearly Mrs. Sephora’s class pet. Yvonne certainly knew all the answers to the questions, and she got so excited about any new concepts Mrs. Sephora taught them that she would bounce up and down in her seat and clap her hands together. Alex, on the other hand, was much less excited about math class. Her grandmother had taught her basic algebra back home, but these students were already on geometry. She spent most of math being fascinated by Yvonne’s enthusiasm for numbers.

Second period was history, taught by a serious young man by the name of Mr. Trang. His short, dark hair stood up in a little tuft in front, and his face was framed by a set of short sideburns. His lectures on ancient Greece were accompanied by many photos of the Parthenon, ruins of Greek amphitheaters, and early coins with depictions of the goddess Athena on them. During Mr. Trang’s explanation of the differences between Corinthian columns and Doric columns, Alex realized that she wasn’t used to sitting in a desk all day. She wondered how the other students sat through this five days a week! As she looked around the room, she realized that each of them handled the situation differently. Sanyu did a lot of doodling. Adam dozed off from time to time while his buddy Sam couldn’t sit still at all. He was constantly drumming his fingers on the edge of his console or tapping his foot or finding a reason to get up and grab a tissue.

Next was a double period of language and literature with Ms. Pullman. Sam came bounding into the room shortly after Alex. He threw his stuff down at his place.

“Jan,” he called to the teacher, “I gotta go take a leak.”

“Samuel!” yelled Ms. Pullman

The class grew quiet. “Not again,” groaned Yvonne softly.

“What, sis? I got to go to the bathroom.”

Ms. Pullman fixed Sam with a stare. “Sam, you know what I mean.”

“I’m sorry I said ‘leak,’ but I really gotta go.” Sam hopped up and down.

“That’s not what I mean, Sam. Well, it was what I meant, but I also mean, that is not the proper way to address me. Now sit down and do it right.”

Sam rolled his eyes and headed back to his seat.

Alex turned to Carrie and whispered, “Did he call Ms. Pullman ‘Sis”?”

Carrie nodded, “Yeah, they’re siblings. Weird, huh?”

Back at his desk, Sam sat down and raised his hand.

“Yes, Sam?” Ms. Pullman addressed him with uber-politeness.

“Ms. Pullman,” Sam sat upright in his chair and his voice was sing-songy, “may I please use the restroom facilities?”

“Why, yes, Samuel, since you asked politely.”

“Oh thank you, Ms. Pullman, I am forever indebted to you.” With a bow that dripped with sarcasm, Sam left the classroom to the tune of snickering classmates.
Lunch and recess passed quickly as everyone discussed the field trip that afternoon with Professor Callahan. Arguments arose over how long it had been since a teacher had taken them outside. Was it when Ms. Pullman wanted them to write that descriptive paragraph on the moon’s surface or was it when Mrs. Sephora had them measure craters and rocks?

With their spacesuits on, the eleven seventh graders and Professor Callahan discussed the afternoon’s task while standing in the main hangar of the colony.

“Today we are heading out to the water extraction plant in the Cabeus crater,” explained Professor Callahan. “I want to show you how frozen water was first discovered on the moon way back in 2009 and how we now convert that ice into the water we use here in the colony. Grab an OPA tank from the storage area, and I’ll meet you on Moon Buggy #3.”

The students turned and headed toward the storage area behind them.

Yet again, Alex felt like a fish out of water. They all knew what they were doing and where they were heading except her. However, she quickly learned that an OPA tank was an Oxygen-Producing Algae tank. It was more efficient than the old air tank she had used on her journey to the IMC. These tanks had a container for growing algae. As long as an adequate water supply was available and the plants had access to sunlight, they could continue to produce oxygen.

Moon Buggy #3 was like an open-air bus. The students bounced along as Professor Callahan drove them to the Cabeus crater, passing the farming towers that Marta had mentioned back in General Fratelli’s office. Alex scanned the horizon. Had it really been only three days since she had first walked across the moon’s surface? She thought about her grandfather and wondered if he’d had any luck finding Grandma yet.
The water extraction plant turned out to be fascinating. Enthralled, Alex listened as some of the plant employees explained how they drilled for the frozen water that was locked deep in the moon’s surface for thousands and thousands of years. Normally, any water on the moon would evaporate immediately because of the extreme heat of the sun and lack of atmosphere to hold the moisture in. However, this end of the crater was constantly in shadow, and so water vapor that may have ended up on the moon due to meteor crashes many, many years ago was still frozen.

Professor Callahan elaborated, “The moon’s surface is 250 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun, but in the shade, the temperature drops to -230 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Once they were outside the plant, Professor Callahan instructed his students to pick up some of the rocks in the shady part of the crater and put them in their bags. They would compare the temperature of these rocks with ones from the sunny side of the crater.

Alex grabbed a few small rocks from the surface and then remembered that she had left her bag on the Moon Buggy during the tour of the plant. She ran back to the lunar vehicle. When she pulled her bag off her seat on the buggy, she noticed a piece of paper sticking out of it. That wasn’t there before, Alex thought. Someone must have stuck it in there during the field trip. Curious, she reached for the paper. The page had been folded several times. On one side was written To: Alex, From: G.

Alex ran through as many names of her new classmates as she could remember: Carrie, Simona, Yvonne, Adam, Sam, Sanyu, Jack, and who was that quiet boy who could read lips? Oh yeah, Clark. None of their names started with G. Who would have left her a note? She looked back down and realized she recognized the handwriting. Grandpa!