The Mars Project by Julie Steimle (i can read with my eyes shut TXT) 📕

The class groaned when they heard their next assignment. Macbeth was worse than Romeo and Juliet.

“First, let us all read the chorus. Open your texts to page fifteen.” Mr. Humphries listened as the class read together the prologue. All of their voices together sounded fine, though there were several apathetic and tired readers in the group. Mr. Humphries smiled the instant they finished.  “Good, now my Romeo, please start.”

Several eyes turned toward Jeff’s empty seat, including Joy’s—who also peeked at Zormna.

Not hearing any voice, Mr. Humphries looked up and gazed into the class.

“Romeo?” Their teacher rose from the desk then glanced around until he found the empty seat. “Where is Jeff Streigle?”

He looked at Zormna when he said this, but everyone shrugged along with Zormna as he searched the room to see if possibly he was just hiding.

Then Brian raised his hand. “Um, sir?” Standing up, Brian said, “Jeff said something on Saturday about going into the city today.”

Adam then nodded. “Yeah. Didn’t he say he had to visit his case worker or something?”

Brian nodded with a shared look, now remembering. He glanced to Joy who shrugged, keeping her eyes away from Zormna.

Mr. Humphries frowned, nodding like he knew Jeff enough to believe the boy was avoiding that day on purpose.

“I see.” Then, heaving in a long draught of air, Mr. Humphries nodded again. Pointing at a boy in the front nicknamed Sparky, he said, “Alright. Hills, you read Romeo today.”

The boy swallowed a moan. But then he glanced back at Zormna and immediately a large grin cross his face. “Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out.” He winked at Zormna who, in turn, rolled her eyes in disgust.

*

<< Big Z, this is Q.R. What’s your status? >>

Outside the room, a recording of Jeff’s music practice was playing so that it overwhelmed their quiet conversations in the radio room. It was to make sure the FBI would not overhear any of their conversations. So far it had gone through two movements on a stringed instrument not unlike a balalaika, the tune from Home akin to a Celtic folk song—one of his favorites. Then would come the banjo. Jeff had recorded it earlier that morning when Eric and Aaron were putting up the soundproofing in the radio room to further ensure they would never get overheard by spy FBI equipment.

Jeff pushed a button on their hairline radio and thought of the best, concise answer. Speaking: “This is Big Z, Q.R. Our status is good. Project is well. What’s your report?”

The radio sat silent for a moment, and then it buzzed again. << Not so good. The Lazdel medallion has been found. It is official. >>

Jeff closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. All the Lazdel Tarrns were dead. They had proof now. Only four Tarrn lines were left. Trying to fight back the grief that tore at him, Jeff asked, “What of the others?”

The radio remained silent for nearly a minute.

<< I don’t think they’re faring well. There is no sign of the Clendars, good, bad, or otherwise—which is good since they have been known to be the cleverest. But the P.M.s have found many Astrovs and two Zebbas. >> His contact paused. << They keep getting to them before we can. It’d be easier if only we could think like a Tarrn and get them to trust us. >>

Jeff nodded and sighed again. That was a problem. Getting Tarrns to trust… Zormna was impossible.

“Well, keep trying. Remember, if you find a Tarrn make sure you get him trained. We can’t expect one to fight if they don’t have the training,” he responded.

The man on the other side laughed humorlessly. << Getting a Tarrn to fight at all will be a miracle. >>

Jeff chuckled as he wished secretly they knew what he knew. He hadn’t told them about Zormna, and he couldn’t tell them. He felt it was safer for her if he never mentioned her to anyone. No news of the Clendars really was best.

“All right Q.R., sign off,” he said then pushed the radio button.

<< Signing out Big Z. >>

“Find anything?” ‘Uncle Orren’ asked. He had walked into the room as Jeff had signed off.

Jeff looked up and shook his head. “No, Orrlar. Only bad news.”

The middle-aged man known more commonly in Pennington as Uncle Orren than Orrlar Aflov sighed as he sat next to Jeff in the chair. He had a dignified, calm sort of presence, though his eyes were often critical with ideas and silent decisions. And though he often gazed at Jeff as he would someone who needed a firm hand of direction—that never lasted long. They boy frequently surprised him with keener insight than he expected from a seventeen-year-old. Which was one of the reasons why Jeff was the leader of the rebellion and not ‘Uncle Orren’.

“Eergvin hasn’t come back from the city yet, I take it?” Uncle Orren asked.

Jeff laughed. “It’s ok. It got me out of reading opposite Zormna in English, so it isn’t all bad.”

Uncle Orren frowned, almost fatherly. “You’re still not getting along with her? I thought you resolved that at your camp in summer.”

Sighing, Jeff said, “I dunno. Just when I think she’s mellowed out to a likeable person, she explodes back into her old self. I just can’t understand her.”

The man smiled knowingly. “She’s a woman, what’s there to understand?”

Jeff smiled at the remark, thinking about Zormna and the last time he had talked with her. He shook his head. “I just think she could use a little temperance with her temper. Girls can be so irrational.”

That’s when Uncle Orren laughed out loud. “You can’t fool me Jafarr. Zormna, no matter how volatile she can be, can never be accused of being irrational. She just has her buttons. You push her buttons, and she’ll get angry. Have you been pushing buttons?”

Embarrassed as well as a little sheepish, Jeff stopped his knee jerk reaction to deny everything. He knew he had been caught.

“Well, maybe I have,” he said. “You’d just think she would take it better by now.”

Uncle Orren laid a hand on Jeff’s shoulder, sighing like a father giving his son advice. “You’re going to have to get her to trust you before you can joke around like friends.”

Jeff nodded, agreeing now. “I know. I guess I just thought she did.”

His pretended uncle smiled. “Jafarr, if there is one thing I do know about that particular girl is that it takes a lot for her to trust. Look at who she considers friends.”

Jeff made a face, thinking of Darren.

Uncle Orren shook his head and said, “Not here. I mean back Home. Who did she count as friends?”

To that Jeff nodded. “The best of the Surface Patrol, I know.”

Shaking his head, Uncle Orren would not let it rest at that. “Not just the best. How many people? Probably on the whole, three. Two explicitly. She said so herself.”

Jeff nodded.

“I know. The Kevin and his son. And she wished she could tell Alea Arden but the Kevin forbade her. I remember what she said.” Then shaking his head, Jeff murmured, “I can’t deal with someone who trusts so little.”

Uncle Orren leaned in again. “Well, you do have to remember your history. If you recall, you two did loathe each other not long ago. And don’t you still hate her now?”

Jeff stared at the machinery on the table for a minute, continuing to shake his head. “No, I don’t.” Then sighing he added, “I don’t hate her at all anymore. She is just frustrating me now.”

His pretended uncle stood up, smiling a little. “Well, give her some time. Remember, she is trusting you with her life, whether she likes to or not.”

Jeff nodded. Then shaking his head again, he flipped on a switch to the radio and punched in another code.

“I’d better get on and finish this before Eergvin comes back,” Jeff said.

Uncle Orren nodded. He stepped back and opened the door. Walking out, he nodded to the redhead who stood aside the doorway, out of Jeff’s sight. 

“Still in denial?” ‘Eric’ who was Eergvin asked.

The older man nodded, smiling.

“Should I give him a few more minutes to himself before I go in?” Eric asked.

Nodding again, Uncle Orren patted his colleague on the shoulder. “Good idea.”

*

“No, I don’t still hate him.” Zormna growled to Jennifer through her lunch. “But he could have given me the consideration of telling me he was going somewhere. Scrapes, he is always on my case for taking off without telling him. I would expect similar treatment for—”

Zormna stopped when she saw Adam and Sam walk up.

“Can we sit here?” Sam asked, already sitting down.

Zormna smiled and nodded.

Jennifer giggled, peeking surreptitiously at Zormna.

Adam placed down his tray and leaned toward Jennifer with a smile. “So, you’re discussing Jeff’s mysterious disappearance?”

Zormna scowled but said nothing.

“Where do you think he went, really?” Adam asked.

Jennifer shrugged.

“He probably went to where he told you.” Zormna scowled at her mostly uneaten hoagie. The lettuce was soggy and the meat was rubbery. “He probably had to go visit his mother or something.”

Sam glanced at her, confused. “He’s not…?” He stopped himself.

“He lives with his uncle,” Jennifer said plainly.

Coughing, Sam asked, “Why?”

Zormna looked the other way, not saying a word. Jennifer shrugged in response.

Adam then nodded. “Oh, yeah. He said something like his mom wants to know how he’s doing in school.”

Sam gazed at him doubtfully.

“What’s up?” Kevin asked, walking up to the group from his friends and giving Jennifer a kiss on top of her head. She smiled with a glance upward.

“Jeff’s gone,” Jennifer said.

“Gone? You don’t mean for good, right?” Kevin glanced to Zormna.

Zormna peered back at him with a roll of her eyes. “No, of course not. He’s just ditching school today. Gone to the city.”

Kevin nodded, though not gathering it all in. He sat down next to Jennifer where he started to unload his lunch.

“Where’s Darren?” Kevin asked, looking around. He seemed surprised, but glad.

Zormna shrugged. “Who knows? He just better stay away from Bradley and those football players. Bradley still has it in for him because of last week.”

Jennifer shook her head, swallowing some juice. “No, he went to the library. He said he had to finish his Chemistry homework.”

Closing her eyes, Zormna shook her head. “He didn’t do it yesterday?”

Jennifer shrugged. “No. He said something about staying up for the Carl Sagan special Saturday and going to his grandma’s on Sunday. He looked very tired.”

“What about Jeff?” Sam asked, completely amazed how the conversation had completely changed.

Zormna shrugged. “He’ll turn up.” With that, she finished eating her lunch without another word on the subject.

*

“Why don’t you guys just leave me alone?” Darren said, glaring at the pair of FBI agents who had pulled him aside just as school had let out. Zormna was already heading off to cheer practice, and he would not be there to watch out for her while Jeff was away.

“You haven’t exactly been forthcoming lately,” Agent Palmer said, smirking back at him. “Why so quiet all of a sudden?”

Rolling his eyes, Darren muttered, “Zormna won’t be my friend if I keep talking about Mars, you dummy. And I kinda like it when she talks to me.”

“And had she told you anything new—”

“No,” Darren snapped. He propped his fists on his hips. “We don’t talk about that stuff. That’s part of our agreement. We talk about school, our homework, and I help with…”

“With what?” Agent Palmer asked.

Making a dirty face at him, Darren said, “Being normal.”

His partner laughed.

“Ok…” Agent Palmer asked, chuckling, as Darren would not have been their first choice on an instructor for being ‘normal.’ “What about Jeff, or Jafarr? What do you know about him? Something must have leaked in their conversations.”

While glaring, Darren said in the lowest voice, “Only that he’ll kill me if I mess with Zormna.”

The agents shared looks. It was nothing new.

“What