chapter 15
INCALCULABLE DEBT
Exactly twelve weeks after she had addressed the citizens of Mars Colonial following the disastrous Rations Storage fire, the
Secretary General stood once more upon a dais in the Crystal Pavilion overlooking thousands.
A hush had settled upon the crowd as soon as Mei Lo approached the podium. Looking about, Jessamyn saw repeated upon
foreheads the three blue markings she’d seen when she’d arrived home. Crusty had explained them to her: the blue tear shapes
were a gesture of mourning for the three lost raiders.
“Tears’re mighty precious on our world,” Crusty had remarked in approval.
Jessamyn noticed Mei Lo’s forehead remained clear of the marks of mourning. Jess hoped this was a sign that the Secretary did
not regard the Mars Raiders as gone beyond recall. Any doubts as to the strength of the Secretary’s hopes were cleared away
during her remarks at the podium.
“Citizens of Mars Colonial, my friends and my inspiration, I come before you today not to bury our brave lost Mars Raiders. Rather, I
stand here today in order to speak in their praise, to share with you today a few of my own memories and observations of these
three brave souls.
“I first met Cassondra Kiplinger when she was a girl of four winters. Cassondra, or Kipper, was a child of Squyres Station. Any of
you who have visited this austere settlement know that to pass even one Marsian winter in its harsh environs is a noble
accomplishment. Daughter of tellurium miners, Kipper showed an early aptitude for
leadership in a settlement known for the orneriness of its residents. To lead anyone in Squyres Station in any direction is no small
thing.”
She paused for laughter.
“And yet Kipper organized activities that brought life and joy to those around her. Her ‘Inspire a Child to Read for Life’ program is in
use throughout the settlements of Mars Colonial.”
Jess’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
The Secretary continued praising Kipper’s other accomplishments and ended with a call to action. “Ask yourself what good you can
undertake within your own school or neighborhood. How might you contribute to the bettering of your settlement? Be inspired by her
example, as I have been.”
Jess allowed that she might have misjudged her captain in some regards.
The image of a smiling Captain Cassondra Kiplinger was replaced by a photograph of Harpreet caught with her head thrown back
in laughter. It was a familiar sight to all who had spent any time in the old woman’s presence. A murmuring sigh passed through the
Crystal Pavilion.
“I can only say that if you haven’t met Harpreet Mombasu, you must be a cave-dweller of the most reclusive order. More than anyone
else I know, Harpreet stands as an example of all that is kindest, wisest, and most giving among our people. A Mars Raider upon
not one but two missions, she is surely among the most fearless of us all as well. Many, many of you here today found the courage to
follow your own dreams as a result of one of Raider Mombasu’s inspirational school visits.”
A round of thunderous applause rumbled through the building, and Jessamyn joined in.
“As an advisor, she has been worth far more than her weight in water. As a friend, she has brought light and laughter to many.” The
Secretary paused to turn her gaze to Harpreet’s shining face upon the wall. “Very wisely, it has been said of the peacemakers that
they are blessed. Harpreet did more than just help those of us who keep the peace of Mars; Harpreet Mombasu created peace
wherever she roamed.”
“It is spoken among us, ‘Be as generous as a dog.’ At times, it can seem as if our lives as Marsians are composed of lack. I’m the
first to admit our descendants will enjoy a life richer and more comfortable than that which we know.
“But Harpreet Mombasu placed little value upon riches or comfort. Instead, she valued the ‘wealths’ of friendship, peacemaking, and
sharing with others. Might we find our lives enriched if we acted as she did?”
The Secretary turned aside to cough and a young boy stood to offer his water packet. Smiling, Mei Lo, knelt, accepted the packet
and took a slow sip.
“Mmm,” she said to the child. “That’s very good water. I am grateful for your generosity. You remind me of my friend Harpreet.”
The Secretary, standing once more, spoke in a voice that betrayed how close she was to wasting water in a very public way. “And a
little child shall lead them,” she murmured. “And now, if you will allow me to bring to your notice another selfless young man, I would
like to say a few words about Ethan Jaarda.
“There are many ways to be brave. But where we see someone who acts in spite of great fear, we say: that is courage. I have
known many brave adults. Many brave children as well. Yet I have met few who walked so willingly into the heart of what unsettled
them as did Ethan Jaarda.
“Ethan could have settled for a life of ease and prosperity upon Mars. In his twenty-two years he invented more useful objects and
found more solutions to problems than most engineers will in an entire lifetime. We have no patent system upon Mars. But if we did,
my associates at MCAB tell me Ethan would hold more such claims than anyone in the history of Mars Colonial.
“This young man had another compelling reason to remain at home. Ethan bears an alter-ability which profoundly affects his daily
life. Those of you who live with claustrophobia will recognize at once the challenges of a Marsian lifestyle. Our dwellings are by
necessity of compact size. Travel upon the surface of our world is impossible outside of a walk-out suit. We are at all times
constrained by the harsh environment we have chosen to call home.
“Imagine, if you will, how much greater the test of resolve for such a person to contemplate dwelling for weeks at a time upon a small
space-faring vessel. And yet Ethan chose to do just this. As you all are aware, MCC sent two crews of Mars Raiders to Earth. Ethan
agreed to go when I asked him to accomplish the audacious task of disabling the laser array. This, he did, before he was taken
prisoner and re-bodied upon Earth. We owe him an incalculable debt.”
Jessamyn could feel the shift in the mood around her. In twos and threes and then by dozens around the room, people rose from
their seats in silence to award their highest form of accolade.
“This ovation and much more, Ethan surely deserves,” said the Secretary. “In fact, it is my hope that you will join me in calling for a
rescue to be undertaken to bring back to safety Kipper and Harpreet and Ethan next annum.”
Upon the dais, several board members blanched. Evidently the Secretary had not consulted with them before expressing her hope.
But the room went wild with clapping, stomping, and whistling. It was electric and contagious and completely unstoppable. Crusty,
catching Jessamyn’s eyes, raised his brows as if to say, Couldn’t ask for a better response than this.
A pair of the more worried-looking members of MCC’s board had approached the podium and stood beside the Secretary. She
shook her head vigorously, No. The tension upon the dais thrummed palpably, reminding Jess of all Mei Lo had said about her
position being so tenuous.
The Secretary held her hand high for silence, and the audience settled back into their seats. Mars’s diminutive leader spoke softly.
“This is not my decision to make—the sending of a rescue mission. But I urge you, citizens of Mars, consider the contributions
made by these lost raiders. Consider what is owed their bravery, their sacrifice. And as you consider these things, remember also
how you might alter your own lives to reflect all that is best in these three heroes of Mars.”
Looking about her to take in as many faces as was possible, the Secretary then ended the memorial as she ended all her public
addresses. “Work hard. Be courageous. Be bold. And always, be as generous as a dog.” She bowed and exited the dais and the
pavilion, leaving a gape-mouthed board to follow her.
“Well, that was unexpected,” said Crusty. “You got time for a quiet word or two?”
Jessamyn nodded and followed the gruff mechanic out of the crowded building.