Fire in the Sky

By Tom Hill

Illustrations by Michael Carroll

         Mason could smell the greenhouse before they reached it. Air circulated through the transparent structure and back into the main base, carrying the mixed odors of damp soil and fertilizer with it. Mason hated the smell and wondered why the people who came from Earth liked it. His mom and dad talked about how the odor reminded them of parks and fields back on their home planet. If he ever went to Earth, he doubted he'd miss the smell of Martian greenhouses!

         But a little nasal discomfort was worth it for the show tonight. The science team promised this would be the best meteor shower in a Martian decade—nearly twenty Earth years! And the greenhouse had the best view from inside the settlement.

         The open doorway leading to the greenhouse glowed as they approached. Artificial lighting kept the plants alive in the first part of the arboretum because Mars dirt covered the roof. The dirt protected the crops inside from radiation but also kept them constantly shaded. During the nighttime hours, when power usage in other areas of the base was low, lamps made these plants grow.

         "Oh, man, it stinks in here!" Mason said, pinching his nose shut.

         "Sure does!" Mariah agreed. Mason stared at his sister. She hardly agreed with him about anything. He decided she was acting this way because his best friend, Tregon, whose purpose in life was to annoy her, wasn't along tonight. He'd been grounded for messing with the communications equipment. Again. He'd have to watch the show on the vidcom in his room.

         “Dad, the strawberries are almost ripe!” Mariah said.

         "Already? Does that mean I'll be able to make some more of that yummy jam?"

         “When they’re ripe. You should come down here and check more often. It shouldn't take a meteor shower for you to check up on the strawberries!”

         They walked down one of the main corridors, flanked on both sides by the plants that provided the majority of food for the settlement. Lights hung suspended about 30 centimeters above the strawberries, giving them a bluish tint. As Mason made his way down the aisle between the trays of growing plants, he wondered what height was best . If they were just a bit closer, could they get away with one less light? Would the plants grow as fast? Maybe he and Tregon could make it their own experiment for science class.

         They stepped through the emergency airtight doors, and brushed aside the heavy curtains separating the artificially-lit part of the greenhouse from the sunlit part. Curtains protected the plants from radiation the same way that the Mars soil protected the plants from above. His dad held the curtain back as he and his sister walked through.

         Mason stopped after the curtains closed behind him. Once again, his eyes had to adjust to a radically-changed light level. This part of the greenhouse wasn't just dark, it seemed pitch black.

         "Whoa," Mason said, stumbling into the back of his dad. "It's darker than an underground closet in here!" He realized why: someone had shut down all the outside lights. Mason couldn't remember the base ever being this dark outside.

         After a moment, he could make out vague forms of people outlined in the pale light of the stars, standing among the plants. Phobos, one of Mars' moons, was out. Its feeble light draped a ghostly sheen on everything outside.

         "OPS, what's the count up to?" his dad spoke into his wristcomm. The light from the device bathed his face in light, and Mason found his eyes drawn to that glow.

         "Definitely on the increase. We had three in the last five minutes, including a nice bolide on camera six." Mason recognized Sam Campbell’s voice. Sam, an avid astronomer, probably had cameras pointed all over the sky monitoring the meteor shower. "The Earthers predicted a peak in about an hour. Fifteen minutes to arrival."

         Mason assumed that the fifteen minute timeline was to an early peak.

         "A bolide!" Mariah yelled. "Mase, remember what I told you about bolides?"

         "Yeah, those meteors that explode in the atmosphere, right?"

         "Yep." She'd told Mason about the research she had done on meteor showers,.

         "I can't wait to see one!"

         Another flash in the sky drew their attention. Though lasting less than a second, the particle that was once part of a comet shot most of the way across the sky. Mason imagined the cloud of dust that Mars was moving through…though much denser in particles than space usually is, there weren't many particles overall yet, or the sky would be alive in flashes. Mariah had told him about incredible meteor storms on Earth, with uncountable numbers of light flashes per minute or even second, though such shows were very rare.

         Mason looked up at the cloudless sky. He liked the view that the lack of outdoor lighting produced. The Milky Way cut a shimmering path across the heavens. Earth, now an evening star, had set, so its pale blue dot was absent. He glanced back at Phobos and saw that it had moved slightly. The moon's 8-hour path around the planet made its motion similar to that of the minute hand of his Dad's old coo coo clock…really hard to notice if you stared at it, but obvious if you glanced at it occasionally.

         "The perspective is entirely different than showers on Earth." Mason heard someone in the crowd say.

         "Yeah. The streaks are a lot faster, and I think we're seeing more detail in them," another responded.

         "Well, they are much closer to us here than they were on Earth." A third voice chimed in.

         Another flash. This one lasted longer and had a hint of color to it.

        Mason lost himself in the display, watching the fiery ends of comet dust particles. He wasn't counting specifically, but it did feel like the flashes were more frequent.

         One streak caught his eye as it ended in a brilliant pulse of light. The meteor exploded.

         "Did you see that bolide, Mariah?"

         "No! Where was it?"

         Mason pointed to the location in the sky where the streak had ended.

         More and more streaks of light flashed through the sky as time went on, and Mason got lost in the feelings of surprise and awe that came with each one. Then, he noticed a glowing dot in the distance that moved differently than the others. Where other meteors tonight seemed to come from one particular point in the sky (Mariah told him it was called the radiant), this one actually appeared from the east, like a small version of the rising sun. It also looked like…

         "Dad," Mason said, pointing to the new point of light. "What's that?"

         "Keep your eye on it, son. I think you can figure it out."

         In the time it took him to ask his father about it, the point of light had gotten noticeably bigger, but not much brighter. For a moment, it looked like it was headed right for the base, but Mason saw now that the object was going to pass to the north.

         "Is it a SLAM package?" Mason asked.

         "Yep!" Mariah said, and Mason could hear laughter in her voice.

         "And you knew about it?"

         "Yep!"

         The slowdown period was complete as the fading ember raced past the base. Mason could barely see it arcing by. Earth sent SLAM packages occasionally, delivering non-breakable items to the colonists. The craft were shielded to get through Mars' atmosphere, but then simply crashed into the ground at about 300 km/hr. Having no parachute or landing system they could deliver much more cargo.

         "Wouldn't it have been better to delay the SLAM package until after the meteor storm?" Mason asked.

         "We thought about it." His dad answered. "Some people were nervous about bringing it in with all those meteors out there. The problem is that the prediction for the big peak came while this SLAM package was late in flight. We knew there'd be a shower, but only recently did Earth predict a storm. In the end, we realized that SLAM packages were tougher than average spacecraft, and most average spacecraft made it through meteor storms in the past. Besides, we didn't have enough fuel on board to change the arrival day so late in the flight. Apparently, it all worked."

         The meteor show continued. Some streaked through the sky, some dissolved in a shower of sparks, some pulsed in an instantaneous flash of light.

         Mason heard his wristcomm click, and then an announcement came over the device. "Seismometers have detected the landing of the SLAM package. Time is 36 minutes 22.47 seconds after the hour. Winner of the pool will be announced in the morning." The adults bet on exactly when the SLAM package would hit the ground. Chores were a favorite thing to bet. Once, when his dad won, Mason and his family were excused from their cleanup duties for a month.

         "Dad, how did you…" Mason couldn’t finish his sentence. The biggest flash he'd seen so far this night lit the scene in an otherworldly light. For a split second, he tried to process the direction the light was coming from, based on the shadows it cast. Then came a roaring, crashing sound. While the crashing echoed, another loud noise pounded his senses. His arm stung. Then his ears popped like they did when they depressurized for a trip outside. Someone screamed. The air in the greenhouse became a rushing wind. An alarm blared.

         "Lights!" his Dad called, and the greenhouse lit up on the verbal command.

         Mason blinked as the lights came on. He looked around at the crowd. A lady was lying on the ground, bleeding. Mason couldn't tell who it was. The air was fogging up. His dad rushed over to help. As Mason turned toward Mariah, a glint caught his eye -- a hole in one of the glass panes! No wonder the moisture in the air was condensing to snow!

         "Mariah! Are you OK?" He shouted over the rushing air. His hearing aides began to ring in the dropping pressure.

         "What was that?" Mariah’s voice trembled.

         "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be fine. Dad is right over there."

         "Mason, you're bleeding!"

         He reached to where she pointed and felt his shirt. It was torn and wet. When he pulled his hand away, there was blood on it.

         "It doesn't hurt much, so it's probably just a scratch. Don't look so worried! I'm OK." His arm did hurt a little, but Mariah didn’t need to know that. Besides, they had bigger problems than a cut arm.

         The base-wide public address system crackled to life. Sam's voice boomed over the speakers. "This is OPS. A bolide explosion has damaged the base. There are multiple leaks. Personnel are instructed to evacuate any leaking section and seal it off from the rest of the base. Report injuries and affected areas to OPS."

         "All right, that's it. Let's get out of here," his dad ordered, over the roar of leaking air. Mason couldn't hear the words, but he read his dad's lips out of habit. His implanted hearing aids didn't work well in noisy environments. He could hear Mariah, who was close, but anyone's distant voice was drowned out by the roar.

         His dad motioned for four people to pick up the injured woman. Then he turned to Mason and Mariah. "You two, with me."

         They hurried down the hall between the plants, carrying their injured. The heavy curtains ahead waved in the artificial wind caused by the leak. Then Mason stopped.

         "Dad. I know where the leak is. We could fix it."

         "You heard OPS son, we've got to get the wounded out and seal off the greenhouse. Besides, you're hurt."

        Mason gestured to his bleeding shoulder and moved his arm to show that the wound was superficial. "This is nothing, Dad It's just a scratch, I know I can fix the hole." He glanced at Mariah. "We can save the strawberries!"

         His dad frowned. "All that greenhouse training is finally paying off. Still, there could be other leaks."

         "Can't we try?” He pointed at a box near the doorway. “The repair kit's right there. It will only take a minute, and I know where the hole is. I saw it. The hole is clean. There are no cracks in the rest of the pane, so a simple patch pane will do it."

         His dad stopped and thought for a moment. He nodded. "Everyone out.” Mariah protested, but their dad crouched in front of her and said, “Wait by the door for Mason and me. We'll be there soon."

         Mason could see her eyes twitch as arguments flashed through Mariah’s mind in split-second bits. Then she said, “OK, Dad—but you'd better save those strawberries!” She left with the rest of the group.

         He turned to Mason. "Let’s give it a try."

        "Yes!" Mason ran ahead of his dad to the Day-Glo repair kit labeled "LEAK." He opened it and found variously-sized replacement glass panes. Remembering the size of the hole he saw, he grabbed two panes that he thought were larger, as well as some lubricant to let the replacement pane slide along the broken piece. His dad slipped on a breathing mask and handed one to Mason.

         The PA system boomed over the sound of the rushing wind. "Greenhouse 2 is clear and sealed off. Greenhouse 1, report your status."

         His dad shouted into his wristcomm. "This is Greenhouse 1, most people are clear. We are attempting a quick repair on a visible hole. Will update status as necessary."

         “There it is!” Mason pointed to the gash in the side of the greenhouse. He had to shout now, as the rush of air was louder near the hole.

         “That’s bigger than I thought. I’m amazed the glass didn’t crack.” His father paused. “I don’t know if this is going to work.”

         “We’re going to try, right?”

         “Yes, but I’m going to stay right up against the glass while I put the patch on. I’ll need you to hold my belt in case the main pane gives way.”

         Mason nodded. He and his dad moved towards the hole. As they got close, they climbed up onto the racks holding plants, trying hard not to crush any, but some plants went underfoot. Mason had never been on top of a plant stand before. He glanced around the greenhouse to see what it looked like from his new perch and saw something that made him shudder. “Tregon!”

         His best friend, grounded for the night, must have snuck out of his room and hid in the darkness. Now he lay sprawled across the floor, unconscious. The rise and fall of his chest indicated that Tregon was still breathing, but Mason could see a badly-bleeding cut on his head.

         Mason moved to help Tregon, but his father held him back, shouting, “We have to fix the glass first. Whether it works or not, we’ll help Tregon afterwards.”

         Staying close to the curved transparent wall of the greenhouse, they were clear of most of the air rushing out of their home through the hole. Mason pulled the protective covering off the larger replacement pane, smeared lubricant on one side of the glass, and handed it to his dad.

         His dad took the repair piece of glass and set it against the broken piece. He then slowly slid the patch over the hole. The patch moved easily at first, but as it choked off the exit route, Mason could see his father strain to push it further. This meant that the patch was getting pressed on by the escaping atmosphere, forcing it against the glass with the hole, making it harder to move. The sound of rushing air around them changed as it had a smaller and smaller route out of the greenhouse.

         A sudden whistle sounded as the unpatched portion of the hole turned into a sliver and then was sealed off. Suddenly, the roaring in his ears stopped. Had his hearing aid failed, or was it really that quiet? He couldn't even hear the normal background hum of fans and pumps.

         They listened to the silence for a moment. Mason let out the long breath he was holding. "We did it!" He jumped down to check on Tregon.

         His dad spoke into his wristcomm. "Callahan to OPS. Leak in Greenhouse 1 is sealed. Evacuation and seal-off no longer necessary, but we’ve got an unconscious victim here with a head wound. We’re going to need a backboard to move him."

         His wristcomm relayed Sam's voice back. "Acknowledged. A medical team is on the way. Thanks."

* * *

         Mason stopped at the infirmary to bandage his arm and check on Tregon. His friend had woken up soon after arriving. Though he seemed fine, the medical team wanted him to stay the night. His mother was already at his bedside, angry at him for sneaking out of his room, but also relieved that his injuries weren’t more serious.

         As always, Tregon played the joker. "I wouldn't have worked so hard to escape my room if I'd known I'd just end up in an even smaller one with no holovid access!"

         Then Mason made his way back home. He joined his dad and sister at the family table just as his mother walked up with several mugs. "Here we go, hot chocolate!" she said.

         "This is over the top, Mom! What's the occasion?" Mason took a mug of his favorite drink. Chocolate wasn't produced on Mars yet, so any supplies had to be shipped in from Earth in SLAM packages. That scarcity made the confection a rare treat.

         His dad took a mug as well. "First off, your idea saved Tregon’s life. If we’d just evacuated, he’d be dead by now. Secondly, while you were in sickbay, I went up to OPS to check on the overall base status. It turns out that Greenhouse 2 was sealed off and evacuated. It will require a lot of maintenance before going back in service."

         "What do you mean, dad?" Mason asked.

         "The inside of Greenhouse 2 is down to Mars temperature and pressure right now. In order to fix it, we'll need people on the inside to replace or patch the broken panes, which means they'll need to be in surface suits. The best way to get people in is from the outside, which means they'll have to cut open other panes, which means more work. In the future, we'll put an exit hatch on the greenhouses."

         "Maybe they could let air into the greenhouse, then go back in and patch the panes like we did." Mason mused.

         "Won't work. The door into the greenhouse opens against the pressure. There's no way to open it fully until the holes are patched and we pressurize the place."

         "What about the crops in Greenhouse 2?" Mariah asked. "I have some experiments in there."

         Their father shook his head. "I don't know. Plants are pretty hardy, but we don't have a lot of information on how Earth-normal plants survive in Mars conditions. They'll be exposed for at least a day. Maybe you'll have a new experiment to report on, recording how different plants react. We also need to look at our food supply, based on which plants survive."

         His mom chimed in. "So, by patching Greenhouse 1 while people were still in it, you saved Tregon, the recovery time, and the crops inside. That deserves a hot chocolate."

         "Why did OPS tell us to evacuate, when the patch worked?" Mariah asked.

         "Well Buttercup, when we started here on Mars, we looked for people who had experience in space to teach us how we could do things the best. They were very helpful, and we still use most of the procedures they taught us. Sometimes, like now, their approach doesn't work for our conditions."

         "What's different about the old ways of space travel, Dad?" Mason asked.

         "Humans spent a lot of time in Earth orbit with a rescue ship attached to their space station. If the station leaked air, the procedure was to seal off the leaking section. If you couldn't seal it off, you jumped aboard your rescue ship and flew home. Bases on the moon had similar procedures, and that's where we got our ideas."

         "Because Earth was so close!" Mariah added. "They could evacuate because Earth was at the most three days away." She took a tentative sip of her hot chocolate.

         "That's right, Mariah," their father continued. "Here on Mars, we're choosing to stay, so we have to face our problems in a different way – Mason’s way."

         "Well, duh,” said Mason. “We don't have enough ships to send everyone home at once, it's a seven month flight that we can't even make right now, and we'd need to put our suits on just to get to them." Mason said. The Earth return craft were close, but not docked to the settlement.

         "Don't dismiss the old ways too quickly." his dad cautioned. "When we have people in Mars' orbit, the procedures they used in Earth orbit will be valid again."

         "But what about the air we lost tonight while you and Mason were patching the hole?" his mom asked.

         "We lost some, but we have the reserves to cover it. I think we'll need larger reserves so we can take more time if something similar happens again."

         "How often will this happen?" Mason asked.

         "We're still working on that. Tonight, the bolide exploded pretty close to our base. That specific event will be rare, but we'll need more information to put together a good model. Maybe meteor strikes will be like lightning on Earth. People see lightning all the time, but it rarely strikes anyone.”

         "People see a lot of lightning on Earth?" Mason had seen a few lightning flashes in the sky, but conditions had to be just right. His mother and father looked at each other and smiled.

         His mom explained. “The Earth has different weather patterns than Mars, and lightning is pretty common.” Then she looked at the coo coo clock, and jumped. "Finish up your hot chocolate, you two. I want you both to get a little more rest before we start the day."

         Mason took a big swig of his drink. "Dad, can I go with you to get the SLAM package?" He asked every time one arrived.

         "We'll see, son."

         Mason's mind raced. That's the first time he didn't say no right away. Excellent!

THE END