The Secret of Utopia Colony

Chapter 2 - The End of Summer School

Mr. Hailey was a fun teacher, and since there were only five students in his summer class, he could keep an eye on how much each student was learning. Everyone seemed to learn a lot, everyone except Goro. Mr. Hailey just couldn't get Goro interested in what he was teaching, Goro wasn't interested in anything unless it lived underwater.

You would get 100% in all your classes, if you studied your school subjects the way you study your books about oceanography. Mr. Hailey complained. You'll never become a marine-biologist if you don't learn self-discipline, Goro Yort.

Where are your manners? the monkey would ask every time Mr. Hailey seemed to be getting mad, which of course made Mr. Hailey even madder.

Even though she didn't have to Kiyoko usually went to class with Goro, so she could be with her brother, because she didn't see him very often during the school term. Mr. Hailey found things for her to study too, because Goro seemed to try harder when his little sister was around. Kiyoko liked studying, and although she was younger than the other students were, seemed to learn faster than the rest.

Goro couldn't stand it, having to study subjects he wasn't interested in, instead of learning about fish, and other sea-creatures. Mr. Hailey tried to make things more interesting for Goro by showing how the different subjects relate to the ocean-sciences, and Goro began to find his school work more interesting.

Mr. Hailey wouldn't let Arthur build any robots in class. Arthur had fallen behind in many subjects while he was sick, but robotics wasn't one of them. Arthur could still bring his robots to class, he just couldn't work on them. On one very boring day, Arthur decided to have some fun. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small robot bug he'd built during the school term, and its remote control. The robot was a small black bug about the size of Arthur's thumb, he dropped it to the floor, and it immediately ran to the leg of his desk where nobody could accidentally step on it. The remote control was a small white device that fit neatly into his hand, and had a small view-screen that Arthur could use to see out the robot's camera-eyes. Holding the remote under his desk so nobody else knew what he was doing, he turned it on, and the robotic bug immediately came under his control. He started moving his thumb over the controls, and the bug silently started running towards the front of the class.

The class was large triangle shaped room, where the front was a large window looking out over the parkland outside, and the back was the door to the hallway. On the sides of the room were large view-screens that could show whatever Mr. Hailey wanted. On this day there was a view of Jupiter's moon Europa on one, and math questions on the other. The kids desks were designed to turn in any direction, so one kid was facing the view of Europa, another was facing the math questions, and the rest were facing the window, in front of which Mr. Hailey sat at his desk.

When the robot got to the front of the room, it scurried under Mr. Hailey's desk, and to the leg of his chair. Mr. Hailey was reading something, and didn't notice the little robot crawling up the back of his chair. It got to the top of his chair, and crawled behind his head, and then jumped down the back of his shirt.

Ahhhh! Mr. Hailey jumped up screaming. He started hopping around, trying to reach down his back with one of his hands.

Nobody except Arthur knew what was going on, and he pretended he didn't, and quietly turned off the remote, and slipped it back into his pocket. Finally Mr. Hailey pulled his shirt loose, and the little robot fell to the floor, and started scurrying towards the nearest desk leg. Mr. Hailey saw it before it got there, and looked up at Arthur, Arthur, are you missing your robot-bug?

The other kids started laughing as they realized what was going on. Arthur pretended to look for the robot in his desk drawer, and then walked up to Mr. Hailey's desk to get it. Fortunately for Arthur, Mr. Hailey didn't know Arthur had programmed the robot for use with a remote control, or he would have been really angry. As it was, he wasn't that angry, but Arthur couldn't bring his robots to class anymore.

Mr. Hailey also tried to stop Goro from bringing his monkey to class. Mechi had been a total distraction to the students, and was irritating to Mr. Hailey. But the monkey was even more irritating outside of the class, than inside. When Mechi couldn't be in the class with Goro, he sat outside the classroom door, and shouted things at Mr. Hailey as he tried to explain things to the kids. What are you talking about? Who do you think you are? I don't believe you! Close the window! You're not making any sense!

Of course Mr. Hailey didn't find this as funny as the kids. But every time he went to chase Mechi away, the monkey would just come back a few minutes later. Finally Mr. Hailey just gave up, and let Mechi back into the class, at least then Goro was there to quiet Mechi whenever he got too loud.

After school Arthur, Goro, and Kiyoko would go out and walk in the parks around their school. They talked about everything. Goro and Kiyoko told Arthur more about their home-world, and Arthur told them more about his home in Acadia.

I wish we lived at the coast, Goro complained one day. Uncle Rëôtô’s place is high up in one of the buildings in Kasi City. You can see the Mariner Sea all the time, but he won't ever let me go down to the beach.

Why do you like the ocean so much? I mean, if most other Tenko are afraid of the ocean, why do you like it so much? Arthur asked.

Well, I guess it started about two years ago, when my class took a field trip to Cape-York Province in the Chryse Ocean. It was amazing. We took a train there, and even though I knew there weren't any dragons, I was still scared.

The trains Goro was talking about were the old vacuum-tube trains that ran all over the planet. The vacuum-tube network had been built by the United Nations when Mars was still a group of Earth colonies. The airless environment in the vacuum tubes allowed the trains to fly through the tubes incredibly fast. The trains themselves were like small spacecraft, completely sealed off from the vacuum around them, and floating through the tubes on magnetic fields.

We couldn't really see very much of the ocean, because of how fast the train was going, everything just looked blue, Goro continued. Then the train slowed down as we approached Cape-York City, and suddenly we could see a lot. The city was just a big domed city of course, but all around us in the ocean, there were fish, and turtles, and dolphins, and all kinds of other creatures. It was incredible. It looked so peaceful, and after I'd imagined dragons and giant sea spiders. I couldn't believe it.

Then after we got into Cape-York City, nobody else wanted to go near the windows to look outside, so I ran away. And it was totally awesome, there were kelp farms all around Cape-York City, and I talked to some farmers. They told me all about living and working under the ocean.

Didn't you get into trouble? Arthur inquired.

"Yeah, but you should have seen the teacher's face when she found me. I was standing looking out the window and she saw me, but wouldn't come near the glass, so she called me in Tenkoese. She was terrified of dragons coming up out of the water, and of course none of the people living in Cape-York City know Tenkoese, so they all though she was going crazy. That's when I realized how dumb it is, like, sure, some of the dragons on Gīrödä are big, but it's not like they can eat you if you're in a sub. We've never even explored the oceans on Gīrödä, meanwhile, humans have colonized the oceans on Earth, and made new oceans on Mars, Venus, Luna, and Jupiter’s Moons. When I go back to Gīrödä, I want to be a Marine-Biologist, and go find out what's actually swimming around in our oceans.

Wow, that's big! Arthur was astounded. I just want to build robots. I guess I've never really thought much about the ocean. You'd like my sister, she's always swimming in the ocean around where we live, and she's a great diver.

What are your parents like? Kiyoko asked suddenly changing the subject. She was always interested in other people's parents because it had been so long since she had seen hers.

Great, Arthur answered, and then added, My mom's great, but she worries too much about credit. I mean I know my dad doesn't earn much credit, he's a historian, and he's writing a book on the history of Acadia. You know, stuff like where the old Canadian terraforming colony was, and where the battles were fought during the war, stuff like that. But he's been writing that book as long as I can remember, I don't know if it'll ever be done. He's always buying old records and artifacts and studying them. He hardly ever leaves his study, and we almost never see him. My mom is always scrubbing, and making Samantha, my sister, help. But I won't! There's no point, most of the outpost is in ruined, and nobody ever visits. So why bother? It's boring enough out there without having to clean all day.

Boring! Goro exclaimed. How can you call that boring? You live in an old half-ruined outpost looking out over the Utopian Ocean – the abandoned Ocean! How can you call that boring? Try living in an apartment in Kasi all holidays, not even allowed to go out without a baby-sitter! Now that's boring. You don't know how great your home is!

It's not that great when the power keeps going out. The old outpost uses electricity for power, and it has a way of going out whenever there's a big storm or something, Arthur said, getting up from the grass where he'd been sitting with the others. Come on, its time to go back to school. You'll probably never get to see Acadia, and probably wouldn't like it if you did.

The next day Arthur got a message from Samantha, and showed the others. Samantha's not having fun, he said. I'm glad I'll be going back soon, we fight a lot, but I think she has more fun when I’m there. He handed Goro and Kiyoko a piece of plazper with the message from Samantha, Goro touched the play symbol.

Plazper was a common way for people to send each other messages, where Arthur lived. It was actually a thin sheet of plastic, containing a micro-chip, a mesh of wires, and electrically charged gas, which is called plasma. When someone touched the play symbol, a sensor in the micro-chip activated the message, by sending pulses of electricity through the wire mesh, causing the plasma to form into the image of the person talking, and a small speaker played what the person was saying. Plazper was also used for all kinds of other documents, like legal contracts, blueprints, and maps.

A picture of Samantha appeared on the piece of plazper that Arthur had just handed Goro.

Hi Arthur, the image of Samantha said. When are you coming home? Of course we only fight when you are here. Still, it's lonely here without you. Mom’s stressed out, like always. I guess there's some bill that she's worried about, and dad says he doesn't have the credit to pay it. But you know dad, he'd probably just spend the credit on some old book if he did have it! I've hardly seen him in days, he's always in the study. Os'Surale is even weirder than last year. Yesterday he told me not to go walking around the cliffs at night, because ghosts will get me. Isn’t that weird?

Don't bring home anymore of those weird robots of yours! She said, suddenly looking totally angry. If you bring home another robot, it better not be creepy!

Suddenly she calmed down again, Mom's making me work harder than ever. We wash and scrub and clean all day. I don't know why, nobody comes up here. Tell me more about Goro and Kiyoko, they sound like fun. Bye.

Samantha seems nice, Kiyoko said as she watched the message.

She sounds lonely, Goro said handing the piece of plazper back to Arthur.

Hi kids, Mr. Hailey said walking up to them and handing Kiyoko and Goro a piece of plazper. I received a message this morning from your Uncle's office.

Goro took it and touched the play symbol in the bottom corner of the sheet of plazper. Their uncle's assistant, Ms. Klennis' face appeared, Mr. Hailey, Ambassador Yort has broken his wing, and can't look after the children at home these holidays. He wants to know if you could keep them with you, and has transferred a large amount of credit to your bank account to cover the rest of the time. Please confirm this with us as soon as possible. Ms. Klennis, Martian Attaché to Ambassador Yort.

Oh no, Goro said. He and Kiyoko didn't want to go back to Kasi City, but the thought of staying on at school for the whole holidays was worse. I don't know why we can't go back, he said to Mr. Hailey. Kiyoko and I won't disturb Uncle Rëôtô.

Well, you clearly can't go home, Mr. Hailey said. It looks like you're here for another month. To tell you the truth, I'm not happy about this either. I had plans to go visit some old friends in Highveld Province. And you've already learned everything you missed during the term, but your uncle has transferred a lot of credit to my account, so what can we do? I wish it didn't have to be this way, he said, as he walked away.

The three kids looked at each other, each thinking the same thing. Arthur was the first to say it. You could come home with me, to Acadia! You could meet Samantha, and swim in the Utopian Ocean. How about it?

Goro and Kiyoko stared at Arthur, it sounded great, spending the rest of the summer in an old outpost, overlooking the ocean.

I don't think it'll happen, Goro said after a few seconds. Your parents aren't going to want a couple extra kids hanging around all summer.

They won't mind, Arthur said excitedly. And if Mr. Hailey transferred that credit from your uncle to my mother, then she could pay that bill Samantha was talking about.

Let's do it! Kiyoko said eagerly. Let's go to Acadia! Uncle Rëôtô would let us, you know he would.

Yes but how do we even ask him, Kīyökö? Goro said using the Tenko pronunciation of Kiyoko for the first time since Arthur had known them. I mean if we call him up, we're just going to get Ms. Klennis, and she won't want to bother uncle with something like this. Besides, Mr. Hailey thinks it's his job to keep us here. I doubt he would even call uncle's office to ask.

Then let's go without asking! Kiyoko said.

The two boys stared at her in surprise, not knowing what to say. 'Go without asking.' They both liked the idea, but could they do it?

It would be okay if you came home with me. I'm sure it would. Arthur said, although he wasn't really sure what his parents would think. Once you're there, my parents would let you stay. And when they called Mr. Hailey to explain it, he'd transfer your uncle's credit to them. I know he would.

Mr. Hailey would be happy if he didn't have to look after us, Kiyoko said. He could go and visit his friends, like he'd planned to. You know Uncle Rëôtô would let us stay there once we were there.

Okay, they'll probably just send us back here anyway, but it's worth a try. Goro said, suddenly changing his mind. At least we'll get a chance to see the Utopian Ocean. We can all go together. We'll tell Mr. Hailey that we're going to the station to say goodbye to Arthur, but then get on the train too.

Great! Kiyoko said excitedly.

What's going on here? Mechi demanded in a copy of Mr. Hailey's voice, sensing the excitement but not knowing what it was about. Goro reached up and scratched Mechi behind the ear.

We could take our luggage down to the station the night before, and leave it in a locker, Goro said. We could book our tickets then too, we can just trade in the ones we were going to use to go to uncle Rëôtô’s in Kasi City. So it won't cost anything.

Once they'd made up their minds, there was nothing that could change them. They took their luggage down to the station the day before their planned escape, and put it in a locker. Mr. Hailey didn't think much about it because kids usually took their luggage down to the station the night before and put it in a locker. To the kids the whole thing seemed too easy. The other kids were too busy to care about what they were doing.

The next day Arthur said goodbye to Mr. Hailey, Thanks for all you've taught me. I think I'll be okay next term. Goodbye.

Goodbye Arthur, you'll be fine next term, Mr. Hailey said. They shook hands, but Mr. Hailey suddenly pulled his hand back when Arthur's little bug-robot ran out of Arthur's sleeve towards Mr. Hailey's hand. How can you walk around with that little robot running all through your clothes?

Close the window! Mechi demanded at once. Mr. Hailey looked at Mechi, but didn't say anything, he was tired of arguing with a monkey.

Can Kiyoko and I go to the station with Arthur to say goodbye? Goro asked. Mechi suddenly started laughing, and Goro quickly gave him a soft slap across the mouth. Stop laughing, there's nothing funny.

Mechi covered his mouth with his hands.

Sure, you can go say goodbye at the station, Mr. Hailey said, glad the monkey wouldn't be around for a while.

The three kids walked away, smiling at each other.

Mechi of course had to have the last word. Don’t you know how to close a door? Why do you always leave the door open? he asked as they left Mr. Hailey's classroom. Mr. Hailey immediately got up and slammed the door shut, hearing the monkey's cackling laugh as the kids walked down the hallway.

I wish I never had to see that monkey again! he muttered, with no way of knowing that his wish was about to come true.

Arthur, Goro, and Kiyoko arrived at the train station early, and took their luggage to the baggage portal, so it could be automatically loaded when the train arrived. The train pulled into the station a few minutes later. The train floated into the station above a magnetic track, from one of the vacuum tubes, and pulled to a stop in front of the kids. It looked a bit like a huge metal caterpillar with a long central passage, and many small cabins along the sides. The doors opened and a few people walked out onto the station platform. The kids entered the train, and walked through the long passage until they found an empty cabin and sat down. Each cabin was the same: with four seats, and a large window. No one had stopped them, or questioned them. They were excited, but nervous all the same.

I hope your parents let us stay, Goro said, petting Mechi to calm him down. Mechi had already told several passengers to wipe their feet, and when an old man looked as if he wanted to take the empty seat in the kid's cabin, Mechi had started barking and scared him away.

After a few minutes the train lifted into the air above the magnetic track, and slipped quietly into a vacuum tube. As the train left the station, the kids watched as they passed through the towers of Anasazi City, and then watched the towers disappear behind them. Well, we did it, Arthur said. And it wasn't that difficult. Was it? It's going to be great having you guys staying in Acadia! Samantha will be happy meet you.

I can't believe we're going to Acadia! said Kiyoko. Do you really think your parents will let us stay?

Chapter 3 - The Old Outpost

The train shot through the vacuum tubes at incredible speed, crossing the Martian sub-continents of Noachia and Xanthe in a couple hours.

The planet Mars had once been a dead world, frozen, with a poison atmosphere. Planetary-engineers, also called terraformers, from Earth had changed all that, converting the planet to an Earth-like world, with two oceans, two ice caps, many seas and