Mars Date 85/43
Tamara was far out to see, invisible behind the waves and the gentle curve of Mars, with its lesser radius. Maggie would have been frightened, but she could still see the yellow and blue striped hydrogen-filled balloon tethered to Tamara's waist. It hung in the sky some thirty feet above the water, betraying her daughter's location. And it seemed to grow larger as Tamara slowly returned to shore. Reassured, Maggie leaned back into the warm sand.
The ocean was not at all like the small lake in Antarctica. For one thing, it was cold. The kids were use to it, and they seemed to enjoy it, but Maggie was uncomfortable in anything cooler than a bath. And the ocean was big and powerful. Anyone who swam in those waves and didn't respect them was a fool, and would soon be a dead fool. Several young swimmers employed floating balloons similar to Tamara's, each with its own distinct color pattern for quick identification. Then there was the salt, which was harsh on the eyes and oral cavities. These factors combined to keep Maggie out of the water for most of the year, except on hot summer days. Still, she enjoyed the beach. The sun and the sand were delightful, even into late fall. Maggie wanted to take her clothes off and lie naked in the sun, but Mars was a bit more parochial than Earth. No matter; she was scantily clad, and the sun felt good on her skin.
Earth seemed far away, another world, another life. But Mars wasn't safe for long. Some day the sun would grow, and drive Mars out into space, beyond Jupiter, beyond Saturn, and out to the orbit of Pluto. After that the sun would shrink down to a white-hot ember, its fuel exhausted. What would her descendents do on that day? They could spiral back down to the white dwarf, living off its heat for a couple billion years. Or they could strike out for another star. Do you play it safe and stay home for as long as possible, or do you take advantage of your high orbit and leave town? Well that was somebody else's problem, somebody far away in space and in time.
"Hi Mom." Tamara touched Maggie and startled her. "I've got to stretch out in the sand and warm up."
"Ok," replied her mother, "but then we have to go. It's getting late, and I've got to make dinner, and..."
She was interrupted by the baby kicking inside her. "Quick, see if you can feel your brother moving around." She placed Tamara's hand on her stomach.
"Yes, I can feel it. That's cool, and a bit creepy. How are you going to get him out of there?"
"It's not easy!" chuckled Maggie. "Come on, let's go home. You're father's waiting." They shook the sand out of their towels and packed them in the beachbag. Maggie took one last look out to sea and saw the last four balloons moving towards shore. "It's nice here on Mars, isn't it?"
"Yes." Tamara agreed. "I like it a lot."