The Martian Lie

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - The Party - Callie & Richard

It is Hera's idea, of course. She has always been more interested in the fashion trends and social fads throughout history than she has in the social and political movements that I have.
We are at lunch and I am telling her about my idea to send a mission trip to Earth, and also that as much as I want to, it's probably not going to happen. I lack the thing that space travel lacked for decades – the thing that caused it to be delayed for decades after the first moon landing – funding.

"Callie, you have to have a party."

"A party?"

"Yes. You're such a shut-in. Didn't that even occur to you?"

"Um... no. I've written letters, lobbied with office of Space Travel Funding. They say there's nothing to spare. Not while we are trying to establish the refugees."

"Of course they would say that. They can shut out one girl. They can't shut out a group of everyone who is anyone on Mars, supporting the girl, who are willing to donate their Martian Gold to the cause."

"Why would anyone donate though?"

"People love a cause. Did not you even listen to that lecture? In the social trend class? Plus, it just makes sense. Nobody has had anything joyful to get behind in awhile. It'll make everyone so proud of themselves – helping the poor little Earthlings left behind, dying of starvation and drowning."

I make a choking sound in my throat.

"Oh, sorry. I just meant-"

"It's fine. It's a good idea. Too bad I have no idea how to pull it off."

She grins. "That's what I'm here for. I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't willing to take over. I don't do things I don't want to." She proclaims.

"If you don't mind..." I want to hug her. If there's even the slightest chance this could work, I feel like I'm moving toward my goal of getting back to Earth. There's no other way, anyway, at least as far as I have managed to brainstorm.

And she does. Party-planning seems to be as natural to Hera as holing myself up alone in the library with a stack of old-Earth primary sources is to me. She updates me daily on her progress, but it sounds like a foreign language. I smile and nod. It seems to be going well. Some days, she brings a little girl with her. The little girl was given a ticket by a lady Hera met, and Hera has taken her under her wing. The little girl, Sadie, loves Hera and looks at her in awe as she tells me about the details of the party. I ask Hera and she just shrugs it off, says it was a favor to someone she met. I can't believe I'm seeing Hera adopt a refugee girl, but people can surprise you.

Hera started by what she calls getting the buzz out there, which means she started telling "the right people" about the party to get the word out there. Parties to the privileged folk are like the flame to a moth, she explains. I roll my eyes at her, but it seems to be working. There is a buzz. Simon says his parents are excited. Herrera says church members are planning to go. Hera visits a department store to find a dress only to see that gala-style outfits are flying off the shelves and she has to order one specially since her size is gone. Whoever has the same dress as me won't look as good, so I got it anyway, she explains. She buys Sadie a lovely dress and the girl lights up. For her, at least, coming to Mars has been an improvement.