Chapter 3 “Lost in martian dreams”

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"Tell me, Oliver, did you have sex with Tegan?"

"What?!"

"What makes you think I slept with your girlfriend? I haven't seen her in days!" Oliver retorted angrily upon hearing Ellis's accusation.

Ellis's girlfriend had been bedridden for two weeks, nowhere near Oliver. Their relationship was strained, often marked by heated arguments whenever they were alone. Oliver had never approved of Tegan, and he frequently advised Ellis to end the relationship. However, Ellis seemed oblivious, driven by his infatuation, unaware that Tegan was only with him for his wealth—a fact known to everyone.

Ellis grabbed his bag, shooting one last glare at Oliver before storming out of the school.

"Sigh! What could she have told him? This isn't the Ellis I know." Oliver shook his head, continuing his search for his phone, luckily finding it soon enough. Closing his locker, he gathered his things and left the school.

"Oh no! I left my key in his car!" Oliver exclaimed, rushing toward the park, but Ellis's car had vanished, its screeching sound fading into the distance.

Oliver's upbringing was devoid of parental figures, raised in an orphanage and left to fend for himself at age ten, a product of the new world system. The solitary house he inhabited was a gift from the elderly man who had taken him in before passing away. Spotting a bicycle nearby, Oliver wasted no time, swiftly mounting it to chase after Ellis.

Attached to the bicycle's handle were three identical blue buttons. Pressing the first one caused the bicycle to elevate, followed swiftly by the other two, transforming it into a power bike.

Speeding up, Oliver pursued Ellis.

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*Bang!*

Oliver was abruptly awakened by a loud noise at his door. Opening his eyes halfway, he spotted three masked figures. Before he could react, one of them swiftly injected something into him, causing him to slip back into unconsciousness.

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Dawn broke when Oliver stirred awake once more, realizing he was in an unfamiliar place—a house. Confusion gripped him as he observed Amy, Sean, three other girls, and four boys, all asleep alongside him. Ten of them lay scattered about the room, each deep in slumber.

Peering out the window, Oliver was shocked to witness motorcycles and flying cars navigating the roadways. He was far from Earth—this was Mars. The landscape, a stark contrast to Earth, featured dry, rocky terrain, devoid of plant life except for ice in the polar caps.

Humanity had transformed Mars, once barren, into a habitable planet through terraforming, altering the atmosphere by releasing greenhouse gases and melting the polar ice caps to create liquid water. They'd even created a magnetic field using superconducting rings, shielding Mars from cosmic radiation and solar winds.

"How do you think Earth looks now?" A girl emerged behind Oliver, whispering softly.

"Forget it. The past means nothing now," Oliver replied, shaking his head, moving toward the others who were waking up, bewildered.

Sean, Amy, and the rest stood up in confusion, peering outside. "How did we get here?!" they exclaimed.

One girl gasped, covering her mouth. Silence filled the room as everyone exchanged bewildered looks.

Touching his face, Oliver recollected the events from last night, remembering men entering his cell before everything went blank.

"You're right, Oliver. I experienced the same," Sean spoke up. The others nodded in agreement.

*Ring* *Ring* *Ring*

Tension gripped them as a telephone rang—a foreign object to them. Drawing closer, one of them answered, and a deep voice echoed through.

"I know you're all confused, seeking answers. You've been injected with a genetic serum, enhancing your abilities. You're tasked with a mission that, if successful, will save both Mars and Earth. Consider my offer. In five days, come to the location beneath this telephone."

The voice ceased, leaving the teenagers in a trance. Oliver snapped out of it, contemplating the enigmatic words. "What did he mean? What's wrong with Mars?"

"He mentioned saving Earth, but that's impossible. Earth's beyond saving," someone remarked.

"I don't care about the mission. I only care about my family," one boy said, walking out, followed by the others.

Seated at the lone table, Oliver neither tried to stop nor persuade anyone to stay. Even he was perplexed. Only four remained in the room now—Oliver, Amy, Sean, and Felicia.

"He's right. I'm concerned only about my family," Sean sighed, departing.

Meeting Amy's gaze, Oliver recognized her concern—she might have individuals behind her captivity.

"I understand," Oliver nodded to her. She reciprocated and left. Left alone with Felicia, silence lingered until she broke it.

"Why are you still here, since the rest are gone?" she inquired, her calm demeanor raising suspicion.

"I've got nowhere else to go," Oliver confessed.

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