Mike Sterns 2011

Martian World tree

"Mom, I'm fine."

I sighed.

"But the air, is it-"

"The martian air has been breathable without a mask for years mom."

I leaned back on my bed.

"I just worry, it's not like Earth."

"I'm safer here then I would be on Earth mom."

Mom hummed and then sighed.

"I know it's safer, what with the war and all but I still worry about you."

I closed my eyes.

"This is the only way I could afford to go to college mom, it's free college and"

"It isn't your fault Mike."

It was though, my cancer put the entire family into debt, and even though I was better now, and had been since I got the E-ticket we still struggled to pay my medical bills. So when Austin got hit and I recieved information that I could go to any of the new colleges in the World trees for free? Yeah I took that chance, free room, free board, free classes, free books, and a chance to live in space?

I think at least 90% of the people here are survivors or related to survivors of an attack. I stopped daydreaming.

"I know, I love you mom."

"I love you too Mike."

I turned off the phone and sighed, interplanetary calls got pricey so we had to time our calls. I opened up my trunk and pulled out my Ironwood poster and put it up. Then I put away my clothing and the rest of my stuff and walked out of my dorm. I stopped, he was my age and was for some reason dressed up in a suit.

"Um hi?"

"Robert Price, campus republicans welcome you to Mars U."

Great, last thing I wanted to deal with right now was politics.

"Ok, so I need to get some maps and-"

He smiled, and took my hand, apparently not getting the hint.

"Oh thats great, let me show you around."

No, no.

"So whats your name?"

"Mike Sterns?"

He frowned.

"You're not a liberal are you?"

I don't want drama.

"I'm from Texas."

That earned me a smile. I didn't want to get into politics right now, I just wanted to get my degree and get out.

"Good, it's a nice solid state, I'm from New Orleans and you should see the amount of damage they did there."

This is going to suck, I tried to change the subject.

"So why come to Mars?"

He smiled.

"Believe it or not I'm not here for the free college though that is a nice perk, you see unlike other colleges in the offworld ones the professors are are required to put down their politics, you will see it when you see the master list."

"Ok."

"And at least a third of the professors have to be conservative which pissed off the liberals so goddamned much, of course a third have to be liberal but compromise isn't something they understand. If they can't turn every campus into a place to brainwash people they just flip out and-"

He wont stop ranting, I looked around for any avenue of escape.

"And people get upset when a brother decides to join the party, calling me a uncle Tom, the party's the only reason you'rd not picking cotton, and the first black president? Republican, the liberals talk about equality but-"

I cringed and looked for some way.

"Rob are you scaring the new guys?"

The man ahead of me had a jagged scar on his face, he had a thick Russian accent.

"Just showing him the ropes Sasha."

He sipped something in a brown paper bag.

"Let him be, yes? If you love something let it go, if it was meant to be it will come back to you, yes?"

"I'm just-"

"I'm RA, give him a day to collect his thoughts, is only polite."

That earned him a glare from Rob which prompted him to give me a pamplet.

"He is not so bad, but always the politics with him. Name is Sasha, if you have issue or question talk to me."

"Oh, um so where are you from?"

"Russia, is it not obvious? My grandfather died in Moscow and couldn't afford russian university, this is free if you get in so I apply, I get lucky, you got lucky too, we are all the lucky. You get your spot by lottery."

He motioned for me to follow him.

"We go to cafeteria, the food is shit, but it is food and there is war so we eat it."

We walked through the weird glowing wooden tunnels.

"Mars U was built before terriforming yes? So it's in World tree, it's own seperate root, most of it is below ground, but it's not so bad is at least safe, air is safe, no Endbringers um."

He noticed my Ironwood T-shirt.

"Not that I meant offense, you fan yes?"

I shrugged.

"I got an E-ticket when I was seven."

"Oh...um."

"Cancer."

"Then I understand, but maybe not wear such a shirt in future? Many people here are survivors of attacks, they are struck by the grief and are not always so rational."

I shrugged, and we went into the cafeteria.

"For breakfast there are four kinds of cereal all of them taste like the cardboard. For lunch and dinner, there are vegetables, fish, bread, some rice, and chicken. It is also bad and the portions are small. For dessert? There is no dessert, there is rationing because of war so everything is shit."

He sat me down.

"To wake you up there is coffee."

"I take it that it is also shit?"

"You are fast learner, we also have shitty tang, and bad generic tea in both greenish, and black."

"And milk?"

"Milk is too expensive on Mars, so we have powdered substance which tastes like milk."

He leaned in.

"It is also shit. So rules, no insulting people's religion or race, if you must fight someone do it off campus or in boxing ring, and no alcohol in dorm."

He smiled.

"Unless you share with Sasha then I overlook, yes?"

He leaned back.

"Other then that use the common sense, and try not to be the cruel, we are all refugees here no need for the meanness, yes?"

I nodded my head, and got up to get some cereal I took a bite.

"It really does taste horrible."

Sasha smiled.

"I think you will fit in, yes?"