a broad blue ocean toward a landmass where a cityscape sprawls out before us. There are skyscrapers of chrome, glass, and stone and greenery and waterways. Elevated walkways and flying vehicles zoom through the air.
I gasp in wonder at the city before me and marvel at the technology and the sheer beauty of the architecture and urban planning. It’s as if the most ideal science fiction city of the future has been constructed on the red planet. The red planet that is now green and blue while Earth is barren and dead.
The shuttle moves through the city along the airways until it comes to what looks like a mansion in the style of Greek revival. Marble columns rise above wide staircases and sweeping green gardens full of grass and paths and hedges. I am astounded at the size of this place as the shuttle comes to a stop on the landing pad. It’s at least forty thousand square feet and looks like the kind of place where a president or a billionaire would live.
“This is the bridal house,” Lieutenant Controi tells us. “This is where all of the potential mates, the Earthling females who have undergone genetic testing, will reside until they are matched. There are one hundred and fifty of you. And you will each be given rooms in wings of the estate near those you were found with on Earth, unless you want to move to another wing with another group. Those of you who have not accepted the infectious disease testing will go to a quarantine house. It is smaller but no less comfortable.”
“So, I guess this is goodbye,” I say to Bobby.
“Sure, yeah, I guess,” she says. She plays it cool, but I can tell she’s scared.
“When you consent for us to test you for infectious diseases, you can return to the bridal house. But we cannot allow potential infections to get loose on the surface.”
The rest of us file out of the shuttle with Lieutenant Controi while one of the other Martian marines flies off with Bobby in the shuttle.
“She should have just let them test her,” Sophia says. “At least then she wouldn’t be alone.”
“Bobby is going to do what Bobby is going to do,” Madeline says. “I’m sure she’ll change her mind eventually.”
“I just want to know who my match is,” Bethany says as we walk up a long path toward the front of the house.
As we get closer, I can’t help express how beautiful I think the mansion is.
“It was constructed during a revivalist phase on Mars over three hundred years ago. Since then, our architecture has taken on a more utilitarian and distinctly Martian flavor. Though I find it no less beautiful than the revivalist structures sprinkled throughout the planet. We have architecture from nearly every era in human history. It makes our landscape quite interesting.”
As a librarian and a lover of information, I am fascinated by Lieutenant Controi’s narrative about the architectural history of the planet. I want to learn more. I want to learn absolutely everything I can about the place that will be my new home.
We approach the front steps of the house and take them up to the porch where we are greeted by several more Martians who open the double doors for us. We walk into a large front hall of marble-tiled floors and white walls adorned with classical paintings and sculptures.
We proceed around a circular hallway toward a staircase that winds up to the second floor. We continue down a long hallway of pale wood floors and a blue runner carpet with gold fringe. At the end of the hall, we turn to the right and continue until we come to a large open room, bigger than my entire apartment. It is furnished with red-and-gold Edwardian-style furniture and mahogany wood. A pale-blue carpet with red-and-green accents covers the glossy wood floor.
Through an arched, open doorway is a substantial dining area with a long table and at least ten upholstered chairs. Around the living room are many closed doors that Lieutenant Controi informs us are our separate suites. Each has its own bedroom, sitting area, bathroom, dining area, and food replicator. We are invited to choose our rooms as we wish.
But first, Lieutenant Controi instructs us on how to operate the informational system. The house is equipped with an AI that is voice activated. We can ask it any question about any subject at any time. The question will be answered by a speaker in whatever