Old Mars

“Who was he?” Ali asked.

“The Martian who figured out how to keep memory alive.”

“No wonder they built a monument to him.” Ali paused and surveyed the slender spires, now cleaned of the occluding dust. “It’s sort of ironic the way your dad and granddad are working together now.”

“Yeah, also kind of appropriate. And I’m still going to Cambridge. They’re just letting me do it as a correspondence course.” She smiled at him. “I’ll miss you.”

“It won’t be forever.”

“I thought you were staying on Earth.”

Ali looked around. “I’ve got a lot of memories here. I’d hate to abandon them.”

He gave her a hug, and she watched him walk back to his ultralight. She then headed home. Daddy-Kane and Noel-Pa were making breakfast, and, with so many people to feed, they could probably use some help.

MICHAEL MOORCOCK