Episode 9: First Reunion on Mars

Sushi, Beer, and Underground Dance Party

18 March 2301 — XE-1, Villa Dome Sector

Three weeks have passed since arriving on Mars. Everyone has begun settling into life in XE-1. Vera spends nearly every day redecorating her apartment. Seb’s workstation overflows with hologram data and resonance research — he is trying to understand whether higher-dimensional Sagittarius frequencies can affect the human nervous system and human-AI interfaces simultaneously, a possibility that troubles him deeply.

The group reunites at Vera’s place for a gathering: sushi, German beer, and techno music. The conversation flows easily at first. Then a woman named Toshiko arrives — someone Firo knows from before. She is a UN security investigator. She and Firo move aside to speak privately. Evie watches from across the room. She cannot clearly see their expressions. But she feels something she cannot name — not jealousy exactly, more like standing outside a room where people are speaking a language she was never taught. Firo and Toshiko share a history she can never reach back into.

Anaïs comes quietly beside her. “Jealous?” Evie shakes her head. “No.” Anaïs smiles softly and asks nothing further. She understands Evie better than anyone. Some emotions Evie will never say out loud.

In the corridor, Firo speaks quietly to Toshiko. His voice is low: “Mars is more dangerous than we imagined.” Toshiko’s expression darkens. “I know.” And then: “Some things are already starting to go out of control.”