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Hello, friends, and welcome to Sleep Tight Stories.
Red and Blue planned for how they would tell Red's friends that they were from Mars, but now that the time has come, Red has no idea how they will react.
So, here's the thing. When you tell your friends you're from Mars, there's this moment where time just stops.
Like, completely stops. Red's sitting there, heart pounding so loud she's pretty sure everyone can hear it, watching her friends' faces cycle through about 17 different emotions in the span of three seconds.
Charlie's mouth is hanging open like he's trying to catch flies.
His glasses have slipped down his nose and he's not even pushing them back up, which is basically Charlie's equivalent of being completely paralyzed with shock.
Rachel's blinking really fast, the way she does when she's trying to process information that makes absolutely no sense.
She's still holding her pen like she was taking notes, but now it's just frozen in midair.
Alexa's got that look she gets when someone gives her the answer to a math problem that's supposedly impossible.
Her head's tilted to one side, and she's squinting like maybe if she looks at Red from a different angle, this will all make sense.
And Kurt? Kurt's just staring, like she's waiting for Red to say, just kidding, or something.
Blue's still bouncing in the desk chair, practically vibrating with excitement, waiting for someone to say something.
He keeps looking back and forth between Red and her friends, like he's watching the world's most important tennis match.
The silence stretches on, forever. Red starts to panic.
Maybe this was a terrible idea. Maybe she should have eased into it more, or Mars?
Charlie finally squeaks, his voice cracking on the word.
The planet Mars, with the red dirt and the little robot things driving around taking pictures?
Well, the rovers are in different sectors than where we lived, but yeah, Red says, trying to sound casual and failing spectacularly.
You lived on Mars? It's not a question. Charlie's just stating it like he's trying to make his brain accept this as actual reality.
Yep. With your family? Yep. And now you live here?
On earth, in Canada. Obviously. And then Charlie does something Red absolutely, completely did not expect.
He grins. Like the biggest, most ridiculously excited grin she's ever seen on a human face.
That is the coolest thing that has ever happened to anyone.
And just like that, the dam breaks. What happens next is complete chaos, but like good chaos.
Everyone starts talking at once. Charlie's practically vibrating with excitement, asking if Red has pictures of Mars and whether she's met any of the rovers and if Martian food is different from Earth food.
Wait, wait, do you have pictures? He's saying, bouncing on the edge of Red's bed.
What does it actually look like? Is it really all red?
Are there cities? Do you have cars? What about... Charlie, breathe, Rachel interrupts.
But she's leaning forward with just as much curiosity.
Red, tell us about Martian society. How does your government work?
What's your education system like? Are there books?
Of course there are books, Blue jumps in.
Just not the messy paper kind like here.
Everything's digital and organized and makes actual sense, unlike Earth libraries.
Hey, Rachel protests. Alexa's in full planning mode, firing off practical questions.
How did you get here? How long did the trip take?
Do other people know? Like, does the government know about Martians?
And more importantly, Kurt adds with a grin, do you have, like, super strength or something?
Special alien powers? I do not have super strength, Red laughs, and it feels so good to finally be able to talk about this stuff.
I'm probably not much stronger than you are, but my vision and hearing are better than humans'.
That's why I notice things others miss sometimes.
That explains so much, Charlie says. Like how you always spot details in our mysteries that the rest of us completely miss.
And why you ace every science test without even studying, Rachel adds.
Well, that's more because Martian education is way more advanced, Red admits.
What you guys learn in high school, I learned when I was like six.
No wonder you're bored in class all the time, Alexa says.
That's so cool, Charlie shouts, then immediately covers his mouth.
Sorry, your mom's gonna think we're weird.
She already thinks you're weird, Blue says helpfully.
She told Red that Earth kids are delightfully unpredictable.
What about the twin moons? Rachel asks. What's it like having two moons in the sky?
Blue lights up. Oh, that's the best part.
Phobos moves super fast across the sky, like you can actually watch it move.
And Deimos just hangs there like it's thinking about something.
And the sun sets, Red says quietly. Mars has the most incredible sunsets. like the whole sky turns this deep red-orange color that you never see on Earth.
Do you miss it? Alexa asks quietly. Red pauses.
Yeah, but Earth's growing on me. This is so crazy, Charlie says, shaking his head.
I mean, I always thought there might be life on other planets, but you're sitting right here, and you're my friend.
And you're from Mars. I'm still the same person, Red said quickly.
I'm still just me. We know, Rachel says gently.
It's just a lot to process. But in a good way, Kurt adds, right?
This is definitely good crazy, not bad crazy.
Definitely good crazy, Alexa agrees. But Red, how long have you been keeping this secret?
It must have been exhausting. Red feels her throat tighten a little.
Since we got here, over a year. And yeah, it's been really hard sometimes.
Is that why you were acting so weird about the Dr. Hart mystery?
Charlie asks. You kept getting all tense whenever we found something.
Because you recognized the stuff, Rachel says, putting pieces together.
The symbols? The technology? Blue's bouncing again.
Should we tell them about the hologram and the facilities and the corrupt agents?
Red looks around at her friend's eager, curious faces.
They're not running away screaming. They're not calling her crazy.
They're just interested. Like this is the coolest puzzle they've ever encountered.
Okay, she says, settling cross-legged on her bed and taking a deep breath.
If we're going to do this, I need to tell you everything.
And I mean everything. Because this is way bigger than just my family's from Mars.
Her friends all shift to get more comfortable. like they're settling in for the world's most important story time.
Wait, Alexa says. Should we be worried about your mom overhearing this?
She's making a lot of noise in the kitchen, Blue says.
Plus, she's got music on. We're good. Okay, then, Charlie says, grinning.
Hit us with everything. So, Red begins, my family are refugees from Mars.
There's this whole situation happening there.
Some people want to stay and try to save the planet.
Others think it's time to find a new home.
My parents were actually on opposing sides.
Mom wanted to stay. Dad wanted to leave.
But we won a lottery that let us come to Earth.
Though that's probably too much detail. But you can't just move to Earth.
Rachel says, can you? People have seen the movies and they might get hysterical.
That's where it gets complicated. Red continues.
There's this secret organization called the AID.
The agents told us it stands for aliens in disguise, but I think the real name is something more official like alien integration department.
Either way, They help families like mine settle on Earth without anyone knowing we're here.
Charlie's eyes are huge behind his glasses.
There's a secret government organization for aliens?
For Martians, Blue corrects automatically.
And yeah, they're the ones who gave us our cover stories, helped us get documentation saying we're from another province, taught us how to blend in.
Wait. What? Alexa says. So your whole backstory about moving from another place?
Completely fake, Red admits. We went straight from Mars to here.
This is insane, Kurt Breeze. How many other Martian families are there?
I don't know exactly, Red says. The AID keeps families separate for security reasons, but we're not the only ones.
Okay. But what does this have to do with Dr. Hart?
Rachel asks, her notebook ready. Oh, that's the best part, Red said grinning.
Dr. Hart wasn't just some random astronomer.
Somehow, she figured out that Martians were already living on Earth.
And instead of exposing us, she decided to help.
Help how? Charlie asks. Blue jumps in excitedly.
She found these old Martian facilities, like really old ones, built by scouts who came to Earth decades ago to prepare for refugees like us.
These facilities contain what Dr. Hart called Martian seeds, Red continues.
Archives of our culture, our technology, our history.
Stuff that could help future refugee families but also preserve our heritage.
She also helped the early scout teams when they first arrived on Earth.
That's incredible, Rachel says, scribbling furiously.
But here's where it gets dangerous. Red's voice gets more serious.
The AID has split into factions. Some agents, like the ones who helped my family, want to keep helping Martian refugees live normal lives.
But others have gotten greedy. Greedy how?
Alexa asks. They want to find Dr. Hart's facilities and steal the technology to sell to Earth corporations, Red explains.
They don't care about preserving Martian culture or helping families.
They just see dollar signs. So there are good guys and bad guys, Charlie says, trying to keep it all straight.
Exactly. And I've met both kinds. Red takes a breath.
Remember when I went on that nature study trip?
I actually found one of Dr. Hart's facilities.
That's where I got the charm, where I saw the holographic message.
You went alone? Kurt asks. sounding concerned.
I thought I was being careful, but the corrupt agents tracked me there.
If Misty and Shade hadn't shown up... Who are Misty and Shade?
Rachel asks. The good agents. They helped me escape and explained about the faction split.
Red looks around at her friend's faces. And now we're in a race to find the remaining facilities before the corrupt agents do.
The room goes quiet as everyone processes this.
So, Alexa says slowly, we're not just learning about your secret identity.
We're getting involved in an actual conspiracy involving alien technology and government corruption.
Martian technology, Blue corrects. Right, Martian technology.
Red nods. Pretty much, yeah. There's a moment of quiet while everyone processes everything Red's told them.
Red's watching their faces, trying to read their expressions.
Are they overwhelmed? Scared? Then Alexa stands up with that determined expression she gets when she's about to organize something major.
Okay, she says. So, what's our next move?
Our? Red asks. her heart skipping a beat.
Did you seriously think we'd let you handle this alone?
Kurt says, looking at Red like she's lost her mind.
Red, this is huge. This is like save the world level important.
Plus, Charlie adds, adjusting his glasses, you're our friend.
Friends help each other, even when it involves Martian technology and secret government conspiracies.
And honestly, Rachel looks up from her notes with a small smile.
From a research perspective, this is the discovery of the century.
Of course we want to help. Red feels a surge of relief at their words, but she needs to make sure they understand what they're getting into.
Are you sure? This could be dangerous. The corrupt agents aren't exactly friendly people.
Red, Alexa says seriously, sitting back down and looking her straight in the eye.
We're the solving a mystery club. This is literally the biggest mystery any of us will ever encounter.
We're not walking away from this. Besides, Kurt grins.
How often do you get to help save Martian cultural archives from corporate exploitation?
This is like being in a real-life action movie, except the stakes actually matter.
Exactly once, hopefully, Rachel mutters, still scribbling in her notebook.
Blue claps his hands together excitedly.
So we're really doing this? All of us together?
All of us. Charlie confirms. And there's this serious note in his voice that Red's never heard before.
We're a team. And just like that, the Solving a Mystery Club becomes something bigger.
They're not just friends anymore. They're partners in the most important mission any of them have ever faced.
Welcome to the Resistance, Blue says dramatically.
Don't call it that, Red laughs, but she's grinning too.
That's when Blue's phone buzzes. He glances at it casually, then his face changes completely.
Like, he goes from excited, to confused, to worried in about two seconds flat.
Uh, guys? he says, his voice suddenly serious.
I just got a message from Lyo. Red's head snaps up.
Lyle? Right now? Who's Lyle? Alexa asks, looking between them.
This kid Blue knows, Red explains quickly.
We think he might be, like us, from Mars.
Another Martian? Charlie's eyes go wide.
Here in town? Blue's reading his phone, his expression getting more and more troubled.
He says... Blue pauses, reading carefully.
Tell your sister the watchers have been asking questions.
The old places aren't safe anymore. Meet me at the playground tomorrow after school.
Bring the circle. The circle? Rachel asks, pen poised over her notebook.
Red's mind races. The circle within the circle.
It's what Dr. Hart mentioned in her message. a symbol that identifies the good AID agents from the corrupt ones.
But how does Lio know about that? Charlie asks, pushing his glasses up nervously.
I have no idea, Red admits, feeling a chill run down her spine.
But if he's warning us that the corrupt agents are getting closer, then we need to move faster, Alexa finishes grimly.
Blue's still staring at his phone like it might explode.
There's more. He says, the new student isn't what he seems.
Trust no one at school except your sister's friends.
New student? Kurt asks. What new student?
There haven't been any new students, Rachel says, flipping through her notes like she might have missed something.
Not yet, Red says slowly. a cold feeling settling in her stomach.
But if Lyo's warning us about someone who hasn't shown up yet?
Then he knows things he shouldn't know, Charlie finishes, his voice barely above a whisper.
Red feels like the room is spinning a little.
Either Lyo has access to information about corrupt agent plans, or he's connected to the Martian community in ways she hasn't figured out yet.
Neither option is particularly comforting.
We definitely need to meet with him, she decides, tomorrow, after school.
All of us? Blue asks. Red looks around at her friends, her team now.
They're all nodding, determined expressions on their faces.
All of us, she confirms. If we're doing this, we're doing it together.
For a moment, they all sit in the quiet of Red's room, processing everything that's happened.
The weight of secrets is finally gone from Red's shoulders, replaced by something much better.
The knowledge that she's not alone anymore.
You know what, Charlie says suddenly grinning, this is probably the best day of my entire life.
Finding out your friend is an alien, Kurt asks with a laugh.
Finding out my friend trusted me enough to tell me she's an alien, Charlie corrects, and that we get to help her with something this important.
Rachel closes her notebook with a satisfied snap.
Tomorrow we meet Lyo and get more answers.
But tonight, we're officially the coolest mystery club in the history of mystery clubs.
The coolest mystery club in the history of the galaxy, Alexa adds.
Blue beams at everyone. I told you they'd be awesome about it, he says to Red.
And Red realizes he was right about all of it.
Her friends don't just accept her for who she really is.
They're excited to be part of her world, part of protecting something bigger than any of them.
Thanks, guys, Red says quietly, for everything.
That's what friends are for, Alexa says simply.
And for the first time since her family came to Earth, Red feels completely, perfectly at home.
And that is the end of this part. Good night.
Sleep tight.
