I arrived. The hot breeze swept around me. I could almost feel the dirty seeds in my dirty hands. Jack ran out of the transport and into the fields. He flit through the field, stopped suddenly, bent down and picked something up, ran off again, and made straight for a large oak tree which he promptly scaled. I lost sight of him in the shade of the leaves. Here in front of me was the house, squat and long and painted green, the fields, a copse, the oak tree, and beyond the dirty waste, the horizon. I put my hand in the ground and felt the dirt. It was warm. I saw Jack jump out of the tree and dissapear into the copse.
"Jack! Come help you sister with dinner!" Elizabeth yelled.
Cadmus and Balthasar were unloading their gear into the house. The sun was hanging in the air like a bouy in still water. I broke up the clumps of dirt in my hand and rolled the little pebbles around with my fingers.
"Boy, why don't I take you for a tour of the farm. The other boys are busy with your gear." I looked up at David. He was talking to me.
"Yes, sir. I'll brief them on the terrain after supper."
"Good. Let's go."
We started behind the house and headed toward the barn. David walked briskly, I followed behind him. We walked into the barn, up into the loft, and then out the door. We walked to the silo and the storage room, then to the tool shed and the drying house. He took me through the fields, showed me the big oak tree, walked me to the copse, pointed to Jack's hiding spot, walked me toward the cusp of the terraformed fields, and stared into the wastelands. He never said a word. That's what I liked about David. He crouched on his haunches, I followed. We stared. We stared until the sun dropped and touched the land. He stood up.
"Your hand. Its dirty. Wash up before dinner."
"Yes, sir."
"You been on a farm before?"
"Yes, sir."
He started back toward the house.
"Time for dinner. Sarah will be amiss."

Sarah was a young girl, no more than 13. She was wearing an apron and serving the table with Jack. She didn't make eye contact. When the table was set we sat down.
"Boys, this is Sarah, our daughter. Sarah, this is Cadmus, Aaron, and Balthasar."
She nodded her head and stared at the table. "Welcome home."
They all bowed their heads and held hands. Jack reached his hand out and put it on my rocket arm. I reached out my hand and held onto Cadmus' rocket arm, he did the same. Balthasar held hands with Sarah. This was a prayer. We had read about them. Balthasar shifted, and looked down. David stared at us. I put my head down. David began:
"Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Mars as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses, just as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen."
To which they all replied, "Amen."