The Sharkship was divided into six main sections: bathroom, bedroom, central hall, rear engine bay, and the forward control deck. Meals were simple—every five hours, synthetic food was served in the central hall. Robots stored and dispensed the rations, each batch requiring three hours to synthesize.
Rolina leaned over the round table, pressing the food‑call button. "Red berry flavor today."
A mechanical arm lowered a vacuum‑sealed pouch into her hand. She pierced the black straw and drank until the crimson liquid was nearly gone. "Ahh… full. Fuzzy, dinner time!" she called.
The little dog wriggled up through the metal floor panels, impossibly light despite the steel plating. "Raise your paw." The pup lifted its left foreleg, sighing louder than any normal dog. "Open wide." Its eyes bulged, jaws stretching as wide as Rolina's face, teeth long and sharp like a saber‑toothed tiger. She tossed the pouch, and Fuzzy devoured it whole.
"Good boy. Now go sleep before the giant comes to kick you." The pup scurried back into the floor, magnetic claws scraping metal. Rolina returned to her room, opening her satchel to check her valuables.
"…Huh?… What?! The golden gem's gone!" Her voice cracked with panic. "Sam! The gem's missing!"
"What?! The color's missing?!" Sam leapt from the pilot's chair.
"The jewel's gone!" she shouted. He bolted through the hall into her room. "How? You locked it in the bag!"
"Exactly! It shouldn't vanish so easily."
"Damn it! Must've dropped somewhere. Search!" Sam crawled across the floor, cursing. "I told you to keep it safe, Rolina!"
"Calm down. Yelling won't bring it back." She crossed her arms, thinking.
"You ever value money at all? If we don't find it, I swear I'll sell one of your kidneys!" Sam slammed his fist against the floor.
Rolina rubbed her face. "We've been through worse, Sam. Stop whining."
His face flushed red with rage—until Fuzzy popped his head up from the grate. Both froze, staring. A golden glow radiated from the pup's belly.
"That damn dog ate it!" Sam roared, lunging. But Fuzzy darted away, too quick. He bounded up to the control deck, circling the table until Sam's head smacked the underside with a painful thud. "Damn mutt! I'll deal with you later!"
Moments later, the Sharkship reached Mars. A white energy shield shimmered around the planet. They docked at a small orbital station, greeted by blue‑skinned, bald aliens with long pointed ears.
"Greetings. Do you have any occasions here, sir?" they asked in fluent human speech.
"Mr. Edgar. We're here to meet Zysko," Sam replied.
The inspectors vanished briefly, then returned. "Zysko Roxemitian has been contacted. Your ship is cleared. You have thirty minutes."
Sam nodded. The Sharkship descended through the atmosphere, past the shield, toward a towering mountain. At its peak stood a colossal silver‑glass tree, crescent‑shaped, its branches stretching into the sky. Billions of energy conduits ran from its roots to its crown.
Rolina stepped out to admire it. "Olympus Mons… the Caesar Energy Tree. It's grown so much."
The ship glided lower, past yellow skies and geometric alien cities. Metallic cubes zipped overhead like rocket‑propelled drones. Seventy percent of Martian homes were square structures, and only elite Earth scientists lived here. At the summit near the Caesar Tree rose a massive triangular pyramid temple, fused seamlessly with the tree's roots.
Gravity was weaker here, forcing Martians to wear heavy suits for balance. Rolina sat beside Sam at the controls. "Feels like the ship's shaking."
"Flip the switch next to the right lever," he said.
"I know, it's my ship too. Why so snappy?" she shot back.
"Funny how I'm not the buyer, yet I fly better than the owner." Sam smirked. "Hurts, doesn't it?"
Rolina jabbed a finger at him. "You never let me pilot! And show some respect—I'm the only woman who can stand talking to you."
"Didn't realize you counted as a woman," Sam teased, then pointed out the window. "Look—our blue friend's waving. Zysko."
The short Martian signaled them to land beside his angular home. Sam guided the Sharkship down.