Chapter 1: New Arrivals
Summertime on Mars was the best time of year. The weather was perfect and warm. The sky was a constant clear blue, with only the occasional puffy cloud floating by. Even the dust storms, famous for ruining Martians’ outdoor lives, were nowhere to be seen. Belle didn’t even mind being in school twice a week.
“I’m secretly glad your parents had to go away this week,” Belle said to her best friend, Ta’al.
“I’m glad to be staying with you this week too. I would have loved to go to Lunar Colony with my parents, but they didn’t want me to miss school,” Ta’al replied.
“Well, the results of the Olympia Schools Science Fair will be out soon!” Belle said. “That’ll be exciting.”
“Only if we win,” Ta’al said.
“Yeah, and I might win instead, Belle.” Lucas Walker bounced into the living room. Lucas was Belle’s neighbor.
“How did you get in so quietly?” Belle hadn’t even heard Lucas arrive.
“My mother says I have to be extra quiet with the baby around,” Lucas said, peeking at Thea, Belle’s baby sister, in Ta’al’s arms. “That’s a tall order for me. Ha!” He let out a loud chortle, then immediately slapped his hand over his mouth. “Oops, sorry.”
“My mom tells me we have new neighbors,” Lucas said.
“Yes,” Ta’al confirmed. “The Parks have retired and moved to Utopia. They sold their farm to a new family.”
Utopia was on the other side of Mars. Belle had been there only once before, when her family had first moved to the red planet. She remembered it being very dusty. She couldn’t imagine why Mr. and Mrs. Park would want to retire there.
“Then let’s go see if the new neighbors have kids,” Belle said.
Belle’s Journal
Entry 6: Summer, Mars Cycle 106
Our new neighbors are the Senn family. They have three kids — twin boys and a girl. The twins, Alex and Aiden, are a year older than us. The girl is our age. Her name is Ava. She wasn’t home when we went to say hello. Alex and Aiden are great. They’re funny, like Lucas. They moved here from Earth last week and are still trying to get used to things here, like the gravity, and the hybrid animals, and the weird food we eat.
Actually, it sounds pretty familiar to what I first went through. It’s funny. I’ve been here just over a year, but I feel like I’m as Martian as anyone else. I don’t remember exactly when I started feeling like this place is home, but it is now.
___
Adapted from Legacy: Relics of Mars, by A.L. Collins, ©️ by Capstone. Reprinted with permission.
“Summertime on Mars was the best time of year. The weather was perfect and warm. The sky was a constant clear blue, with only the occasional puffy cloud floating by.”
Which story element is most clearly established in this quote?
The moral
The conflict
The setting
The characters