Beyond the Farthest Star: Chapter 21

A week later Amy decided it was finally time to return to her apartment in New Tikal. By now she knew that her program was going to work. The nanites had already completed the first part of the plan, and had returned the planet’s atmospheric pressure to normal. She was pleased to see that clouds had already started forming in the sky. It’s about to rain for the first time in centuries, she thought. If that doesn’t get their attention then nothing will. Now that everything is running along smoothly I think I can let the nanites do their job and start work on the next phase to all of this. I’m going to need Miles’ help there, though. This is where things start getting a little tricky.

It was almost midnight on January 30th when Amy materialized inside her apartment. She took a quick look around and was pleased to see that no one had touched it – everything was exactly where she had left it. The security system she had installed before she left told her that several people had stopped by to see her, but when no one answered the door they eventually left. I guess I have been gone a while, Amy thought. Well, I can get caught up on the latest news at breakfast tomorrow – although I am not going to eat that horrible slop they call food. Maybe I’ll bring an apple or something.

The teenager turned out the lights and went to bed. Her plan was to sleep as late as possible, but that did not happen. Early the next morning she was jolted awake by a loud noise. It took her several moments before she realized that someone was banging on the door.

“Just a minute,” she called out. Amy rubbed her eyes, turned on the light, and walked over to the front door and opened it. In the hallway outside the apartment she saw Miles, who was grinning excitedly. “You’re back!”

“Yes, I’m back,” she mumbled. “Do you have any idea what time it is? I didn’t request an early-morning wake-up call.”

“Why, it’s seven-thirty,” Miles replied joyfully. “Not early at all! In fact, we’re wasting daylight. What time did you get in last night?”

“Pretty late, I guess,” Amy replied, yawning. “I’ve been kind of busy lately. But how did you know that I was back?”

“Because it’s raining. Raining! Did you hear me? Water – real, genuine water – is falling from the sky! The Martian atmosphere is back, and now our water supply is coming back as well. Do you know what that means?”

“I bet it means I’m not going to get any more sleep this morning. But I still don’t see how the rain told you I was back.”

Miles grinned. “Somebody had to make it rain, you know. I admit that it may have been a case of divine intervention, as Jesus can certainly make it rain if He wants to, but this time I suspected that God was working through a rather grumpy teenage girl. I decided to stop by your apartment to verify my hypothesis, and there you are! I’d say this case is closed.”

“Now wait just a minute,” Amy protested. “Why do–”

Amy was interrupted when another voice called out to her. She glanced down the hall and saw that Noel Lawson running toward her. “There you are, Miles! I’ve been looking all over for you. Do you realize it’s raining outside?”

“Do either of you realize that I could be asleep in bed right now?” Amy asked.

“I certainly do know it’s raining,” Miles agreed. “In fact, I had just come down to get Amy! This is just too exciting to miss.”

“I didn’t know Amy was back,” Noel commented. He turned his attention to her. “By the way, it’s great to see you! Your ZPE changes are working like a charm – everyone is excited about it. You’ve ushered in a new age of hope and prosperity! But when did you get in? I must have missed the big announcement!”

“I didn’t make any big announcement,” Amy replied. “I actually avoided making announcements because I was hoping to get some sleep. Do people not sleep anymore?”

“You can sleep later,” Noel said. “Don’t you realize that it’s raining? This is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence! I just can’t believe it. When was the last time you saw it rain?”

“Um, a few weeks ago, I guess,” Amy said drowsily. “There was a real downpour when I was out at Falcon Ridge, and I got soaking wet. Rain really isn’t as exciting as you think. It’s wet, and messy, and it turns the ground into mud. I’ve never cared for rain.”

“Falcon Ridge? I’ve never heard of it. Is it around here somewhere?”

“No, it’s actually on Earth. It’s this really high cliff that separates the scribes who live in the mountains from the natives that live in the forest.”

“So that’s where you went,” Miles said. “I wondered.”

“Earth?” Noel asked, surprised. “Do you mean the planet Earth, as in that blue dot that’s in the sky? Just how did you get from Mars to Earth? Do you have a spaceship or something?”

“I don’t need a spaceship,” Amy replied. “This isn’t the 19th century any more, you know. Times have changed.”

“Oh, right. Because spaceships and rocketry are so old-fashioned! These days you can just tap your heels together and think ‘There’s no place like home.’”

“Do what?” Amy asked, confused. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Um, I think we’d better be going now,” Miles said, interrupting. “It’s nice seeing you again, Amy. We’ll leave you alone and let you get some sleep. And thanks for the rain – we appreciate it!”

“Thanks for the rain?” Noel asked. “Why on earth are you thanking her for the rain? It’s just a natural phenomenon – a rare scientific anomaly, perhaps, but it’s natural science all the same. Do you think that she ordered the rain out of a catalog or something?”

“You know, I’m going to go back to bed now,” Amy replied. “Good night.” With that, she shut the door.

Noel shook her head. “I just don’t get it, Miles. Amy is one bright girl, I have to give her that. In fact, she’s probably the smartest person I know! But she has the strangest delusions I’ve ever seen. Do you think that all of her scientific knowledge has somehow unbalanced her brain?”

“Did you say something about the rain?” Miles asked.

“Oh right – the rain! Yes, let’s go. This is something I do not want to miss.”