‘Hello Bill! My name is Michu. That is my Martian name but if you like you can call me Michelle. That is the nearest I can think of in your language.’
I was too stunned to speak. I sat with my mouth open, while a million questions raced through my mind.
How is it she looks just like a human? Martians were supposed to be small and green, with antenna sticking out of their heads and to speak with strange, hollow voices.
How does she know my name? It is as if she were expecting me.
How is it she knows how to speak in English?
Those were only some of the questions that perplexed me.
‘I know you are confused, Bill,’ she said, smiling. ‘Aliens are when they come for the first time. You wonder why I am not green and speak in a strange hollow voice. And you are surprised that I know your name, and that I speak perfect English. Yes, you are quite right. I can read your mind too.’
I smiled weakly but I wasn’t ready to speak.
‘Come, let me help you out of your seat.’ With that, she undid my seatbelt and held my hand as I climbed out of Silver Streak and stood beside her, still inside the big bubble.
Michu was small, at least thirty centimetres shorter than I, but with lovely pale, translucent skin, dark eyes and short curly hair. She had a warm smile, which showed a set of beautiful white teeth. She was dressed in a simple tunic in two pieces, top and leggings, made of a course grey material.
‘You can take off those thick sweaters now,’ she said. ‘You’ll not need them on Mars. You will be travelling inside a bubble.’
I was grateful to discard those uncomfortable clothes. I peeled off the two heavy sweaters as Michu continued.
‘On Mars we travel around in bubbles that automatically adjust to the perfect temperature for the body and not only that, oxygen and atmospheric pressure too, though not quite the pressure you are used to!’
I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
‘Of course, you know that the atmosphere here is only one hundredth of that found on Earth,’ she went on. ‘Therefore outside, there is very little air to breathe. But don’t worry! We discovered a long time ago how to extract oxygen from water. Our homes are supplied with it. The air outside is mostly carbon dioxide: not very suitable for Earth people!
‘But trees depend on carbon dioxide, don’t they?’ I had overcome my shyness at coming face to face with an unexpectedly pretty Martian.
‘It is true. But trees give us away.’ She smiled.
‘Give you away how? I asked.
‘Orbiting spacecraft have cameras, so our trees have to grow in bubbles too,’ she replied. ‘Otherwise they would be seen.’
‘You grow trees on Mars?’ I was shocked. ‘How do you get the bubble round the roots?’
‘No, the bubble doesn’t go round the roots. You will see, soon enough. We have an orchard and a tree nursery near here to increase the supply of oxygen and to provide the fruit that is very important in our diet. In fact there are many small orchards on Mars.’ Then she added proudly, ‘Of course they are not all as well managed as ours. Are you surprised?’ Michu looked intently at me.
‘Amazed! Earth scientists are still trying to decide if there is life on Mars. They would be very surprised to see you and hear about fruit and orchards and making oxygen and all that,’ I said.
‘We keep a low profile for a good reason. It is not that we are afraid but the truth is we are not ready to be invaded by an army of clumsy Earth people. Sorry to be blunt, but they don’t always have much respect for others, even if we look the same. And when they find we can live here comfortably, they will all want to come. And then they will destroy our planet, like they are destroying theirs.’
‘Mmmm! But Michelle, Michu,’ I said. ‘There is something I don’t understand. We have sent several spaceships to Mars, with powerful cameras and everything. How come they haven’t seen you?’
‘Ah!’ Michu threw back her head and laughed. ‘It’s quite simple, Bill. In the bubbles we are invisible.’
‘But I saw you coming.’
‘That’s because we wanted you to see us. We didn’t want to frighten you.’
‘Do you mean to say you can make yourselves visible or invisible at will?’
‘Exactly! Our bubbles have an important feature. As a precaution we materialise an extra skin all round that we can see out of but doesn’t allow those outside to see in. What do you think of that?’
I nodded. ‘Cool!’ But now I had a hundred and one questions in my head.
‘I know you have a hundred and one questions in your head,’ she said and gave me a knowing wink. We both laughed.
‘I think I am going to enjoy my visit to Mars,’ I said.
‘You can be sure of that, Bill. Now no more questions for the moment. There will be plenty of time. I have been given the pleasant task of acting as your guide during your stay on Mars and there are many things I want to show you.’