4

“It’s like being in a high-tech hobbit hole,” Zoe said as Mr. Pegg led her, Goo, Dylan, and Samuel through the hab several hours later. He was giving them a tour of what would be their home for the next four days.

Mr. Pegg had already shown them what was inside three of the modules — the rounded, puffy sections of the hab that had made Zoe think of marshmallows when she saw them from the bus. The bedrooms and bathroom were in one, the lab/exercise room was in another, and the common room, where they could all hang out and relax, was in the third.

Zoe wanted to spend every free second she had in the lab. She couldn’t wait to try out all the neat scientific equipment. She, Goo, Samuel, and Dylan had all been given a science experiment to work on — Zoe’s experiment was studying worms.

They’d also need to put in an hour a day on the treadmill that was at one end of the lab module. Real colonists would have to exercise to keep their bones and muscles strong in Mars’s lower gravity. And for the next three days, they were colonists!

“The last module is your galley, or kitchen,” Mr. Pegg said, leading them inside. “There’s a fridge, freezer, microwave, oven, and stove. The oven and stove won’t be functioning during the simulation, but you will get to use the food rehydrator.” He touched what looked like a drawer underneath a cabinet.

“Awesome possum! We get to eat dehydrated astronaut food!” Zoe exclaimed.

“But aren’t the colonists going to be growing their own food?” Dylan asked.

“Ultimately, yes, but the greenhouse modules aren’t ready yet,” Mr. Pegg said. “And the colonists won’t have any crops when they first arrive on Mars, so they’ll need to bring dehydrated food. It’s light, so they can bring more of it. As colonists, you’ll need to be aware of how quickly you use up your supplies. There’s advice on food rationing in your mission binders.”

Just then, Kaylee squeezed into the crowded room. “Sorry. I let you get ahead of me again. There’s just so much stuff in here that I want to show on my blog.” She rubbed the screen of her cell with the hem of her shirt and started taking more pictures. Zoe noticed the screen left an orange

“Well, this is the end of the tour. Any questions before you begin your Mars mission?” Mr. Pegg asked.

“Oh, I do! What happens if the hab equipment breaks?” Kaylee asked.

Mr. Pegg frowned, then quickly flashed a big smile. “I have complete confidence in our equipment,” he answered. “But if something does go wrong with one of the systems during the simulation — which is very unlikely — we’ve made sure the habs will still be supplied with oxygen, heat, and everything else the kids need. They’ll be perfectly safe.”

“And we’ll have Mission Control,” Zoe reminded Kaylee. “They’ll help us figure out any problems. We’re even wearing monitors so they can watch our vital signs.” She ran her fingers over one of the electrodes taped to her skin.

“Are there any other questions from our colonists?” Mr. Pegg asked, turning toward the S.M.A.R.T.S.

Zoe was sure she’d think of a million questions later, but they’d have their binder — and Goo, who remembered everything she read. “I think we’re good,” she answered. The other three nodded.

“Great!” Mr. Pegg clapped his hands. “See you when you return to Earth.”

“Good luck!” Kaylee said. She turned and followed Mr. Pegg through the tight tunnel that led out of the hab.

The S.M.A.R.T.S. colonists were all alone.

Goo had already sat at the table and started flipping through the binder. “Okay, so our most important job is keeping the hab operating smoothly. It’s the only thing protecting us.”

“Protecting us from … what?” Samuel asked.

“You know. The stuff we’ve been talking about since we won the contest,” Goo answered. “The average temperature on Mars is negative eighty degrees Fahrenheit. The atmosphere is only about one percent of Earth’s atmosphere. That means a lot less protection from radiation. And Mars’s atmosphere is only about 0.2 percent oxygen,” she rattled off.

“On Earth, the atmosphere is twenty-six percent oxygen,” Dylan added. “So basically if we went outside without protective gear, we’d freeze to death, suffocate, and get radiation poisoning.”

Zoe shivered. She was excited to be in the hab. After all, being an astronaut was her dream. But it was a little scary imagining living on a planet that was so dangerous.