Chapter 1 PANIC AND FEAR I was in my pod looking out into space and trying to get a better look at Mars My phone buzzed and I tapped the screen to answer I grabbed hold of a stabilizer bar to keep my balance Floating in zero gravity can be tricky Hey Allison I said Allison and I talk all the time even though she’s on Earth and I was in our space station approaching Mars Normally it would take about six minutes for the phone signal to reach Earth from where we were but Professor Will invented an amazing new phone system so we can make calls just as we would on Earth Professor Will is great his job is to build whatever machines we might need to help us with our missions in
space Hey Are you there yet she asked Not yet and it feels like we’ve been traveling forever I said I wasn’t exaggerating either We’d been traveling for weeks on our way to visit and explore Mars When do you think you’ll get there Allison asked Mom said we’ll get there today but I’ll believe it when I see it Cozzie my little brother zipped into my room on his cruiser Starr Did you see it Hey Cozzie Allison called Cozzie put his face up super-close to the screen and said Hi Allison I wish you could see it too He pointed outside my pod Deimos I shouted Finally We’re here What Allison asked Outside the pod I said I turned my phone around so
she could see It’s Deimos one of Mars’s moons It has two moons Deimos and Phobos That’s so weird she exclaimed My phone buzzed I had another call coming in Tia’s calling I said to Allison I’ll let you go Have fun and keep in touch she said as she waved goodbye Bye Cozzie and I shouted I hung up Hey Tia I said answering her call According to my calculations you should be able to see Deimos she said I’m fine Tia How are you I asked sarcastically Sometimes Tia can be a little abrupt What Oh sorry How are you she asked when she realized I was being sarcastic Fine thanks for asking I said winking at Cozzie Tia’s grandmother Mrs Sosa leaned into view Hi
