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The port proper was at the base of the valley Six and a half kilometers of stone rose up from the pads, the strip of sky above therees fro station was one of the oldest buildings in Mariner, itsradiation and providing a view that would ied and craggy and beautiful Lights glittered froed out fro the safety of deep stone for the status of an actual exteriorA transport flier passed, hugging low to the ground where the relatively thick air gave its gossas a little more purchase

Once upon a time, the data said, Mars had been the home of its own biosphere Rain had fallen here Rivers had flowed Not, perhaps, in the geologic eyeblink of human history, but once And would, the terraforain Not in their lifetimes or their children’s, but one day Alex waited in the custo up The pull of the planet, only about one-third g, felt strange No ravity felt different than being doell Between the ht, Alex felt the anxiety growing in his chest

He was here He was home

Thetravelers wore a thick e of red His eyes were bloodshot and his expression glum

“Business or pleasure?”

“Neither one,” Alex drawled, “I’m here to see the ex-wife”

The , or pleasure?”

“Let’s call it not-business,” Alex said

The processor stroked the screen of his terminal, nodded toward the camera As the system confirmed that he ho he claimed to be, Alex wondered why he’d said that He hadn’t said that Tali was a shrew, he hadn’t insulted her, but he’d leaned on the assumption for a quick joke He felt like she deserved better from him Probably she did

“’Joy your stay,” the processing man said, and Alex was free to enter the world he’d left

His cousin Min stood in the waiting area She was ten years younger than hi fro in Her sirl he’d known once

“Hey there, podner,” she said, the Mariner drawl probably half a degree thicker than it nors you round these parts?”

“More senti his arms They embraced for a moment

“You got any luggage?” Min asked

“Traveling light”