1
00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:14,840
Speaker 1: Hello, friends, and welcome to sleep Tight Stories. Every week

2
00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:19,280
Speaker 1: we celebrate our supporters through shout outs and personal birthday messages.

3
00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:22,680
Speaker 1: We think this is also a fun way for us

4
00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,560
Speaker 1: to hear about all the amazing places that you our

5
00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:34,680
Speaker 1: listeners come from. Hello to Layela Indra, and Hello to Don,

6
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,199
Speaker 1: Miriam and John from New York City. Good luck in

7
00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:44,319
Speaker 1: first grade, Elephants and kangaroos. Mommy, Daddy and Clarissa are

8
00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,239
Speaker 1: so proud of you and can't wait to see how

9
00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:52,919
Speaker 1: much you'll learn at school this year. Happy belated birthday

10
00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,880
Speaker 1: to Daniel, who turned eight on August twenty seventh, and

11
00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,440
Speaker 1: Hello to de May his sister, who are enjoyed their

12
00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:07,280
Speaker 1: new home in Leesburg, Virginia. Happy belated sixth birthday to Cullen.

13
00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,280
Speaker 1: Love Mommy, listening to bedtime stories with you is my

14
00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:16,520
Speaker 1: favorite part of the day. Love you so much. Happy

15
00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:21,840
Speaker 1: belated tenth birthday to Matilda from Leichardt in Sydney, Australia,

16
00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,000
Speaker 1: and a big hello to her brother James. Mom and

17
00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:32,319
Speaker 1: dad love you both very much. Happiest of birthdays to

18
00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:37,600
Speaker 1: Lydia from Birmingham, Alabama, who is turning nine on September second.

19
00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:43,319
Speaker 1: Your Mommy, Daddy, sister, Aila, and Pop Sophie love you

20
00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,400
Speaker 1: to the moon and back and are so proud of

21
00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:51,760
Speaker 1: the curious, spunky, and kind human you are. Happy sixth

22
00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,720
Speaker 1: birthday to Sophie on September third. Mommy loves you and

23
00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:01,000
Speaker 1: is so very proud of you. Happy birthday to Tallula

24
00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,560
Speaker 1: Moon in Venice on September fourth. Mommy and Daddy are

25
00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:11,600
Speaker 1: so proud of you. Happy seventh birthday to Rafa in Woodstock,

26
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:16,799
Speaker 1: New York on September fifth, Ema, Aba, Eli, and Eva

27
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,560
Speaker 1: love you so much. Happy birthday to Quinn, who is

28
00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,920
Speaker 1: turning seven on September fifth. Love Mom and Dad, you

29
00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:31,399
Speaker 1: are our sweet baby girl. Happy birthday to Jackson, who

30
00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,320
Speaker 1: is turning nine on September sixth. Mom, dad and your

31
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,920
Speaker 1: four older brothers love you very much and are so

32
00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:44,600
Speaker 1: proud of how brave, kind, and curious you are. And

33
00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:49,360
Speaker 1: Happy eighth birthday to Harrison Rents from Greenville, South Carolina

34
00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,760
Speaker 1: on September sixth. Baba, Mommy and Sawyer love you so much.

35
00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:01,760
Speaker 1: Happy birthday to you all. Reserve your special shout out.

36
00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,520
Speaker 1: Please visit sleeptit stories dot org slash support. We can't

37
00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:24,640
Speaker 1: wait to celebrate with you now on to our story.

38
00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,600
Speaker 1: The gang is meeting in the library when mister mccaskell

39
00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:34,200
Speaker 1: shows up. They thought he had suspended the group and

40
00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:38,760
Speaker 1: were surprised to see him. They catch him up on

41
00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,240
Speaker 1: their latest mystery and he tells them that they can

42
00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:46,800
Speaker 1: turn it into English homework. Red thinks that sounds awful

43
00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:54,200
Speaker 1: more homework. Mister mccaskell gives the group another mystery to solve,

44
00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,480
Speaker 1: and they start to make a plan before they head home.

45
00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:10,320
Speaker 1: The Transfer Student Part twenty one, Charlie, Alexa, and Rachel

46
00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,200
Speaker 1: sat in their chairs, surprised by the sudden appearance of

47
00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:19,880
Speaker 1: mister mccaskell, who had suspended their group weeks ago. Red,

48
00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,640
Speaker 1: on the other hand, was confused. What in the world

49
00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,520
Speaker 1: is a toilet paper waterfall, she wondered, struggling to piece

50
00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:33,039
Speaker 1: together what it had to do with plumbing problems. So

51
00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:38,479
Speaker 1: much of Erth's culture and language still puzzled her. Better

52
00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,800
Speaker 1: not mention this at home, she thought, or Blue might

53
00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:50,480
Speaker 1: start getting ideas he already makes enough messes in the bathroom. Rachel,

54
00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:55,000
Speaker 1: her nose back in her book, glanced up and commented dryly,

55
00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,480
Speaker 1: not the best attempt at a science experiment. Maybe they

56
00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,080
Speaker 1: were trying to turn the bathroom into a swimming pool.

57
00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,800
Speaker 1: I'm just glad you didn't get swept away, mister mccaskell.

58
00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:13,000
Speaker 1: Mister mccaskell chuckled. Oh believe me, Rachel. I was worried

59
00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:17,839
Speaker 1: for a moment, but after years of dealing with shall

60
00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:22,320
Speaker 1: we say, creative problems, I made it out in one piece.

61
00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,800
Speaker 1: Let's hope the rest of the day doesn't involve more

62
00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:33,880
Speaker 1: plumbing adventures. Charlie, recovering from the surprise of seeing mister mccaskell,

63
00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,719
Speaker 1: sniffed and said, Kurt isn't here today. I can call

64
00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,039
Speaker 1: her tonight and fill her in on whatever we discuss.

65
00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:49,680
Speaker 1: Alexa hesitated before speaking, mister mccaskell, we weren't sure you

66
00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,440
Speaker 1: were still leading our group, so we've been solving mysteries

67
00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:58,800
Speaker 1: on our own. Putting her book down, Rachel added, yeah,

68
00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:04,640
Speaker 1: we were told you suspended the group. Mister mccaskell nodded,

69
00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,560
Speaker 1: his expression softening. I know, and I'm sorry for that.

70
00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,119
Speaker 1: My schedule got a bit crazy, but when I heard

71
00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,120
Speaker 1: how dedicated you all were, I knew I had to

72
00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,359
Speaker 1: come back and see what you've been up to. I

73
00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:24,120
Speaker 1: love that you took the initiative going forward. I hope

74
00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,440
Speaker 1: you'll continue the group yourselves, and I can drop by

75
00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:32,760
Speaker 1: whenever I can. Now, who wants to catch me up

76
00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:36,839
Speaker 1: on what I've missed? And please tell me no one's

77
00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:43,000
Speaker 1: trying to create a waterfall out of clues. Charlie grinned

78
00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:48,080
Speaker 1: no waterfalls. But Alexa found a box in her backyard,

79
00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:52,000
Speaker 1: which led us to a scientist named doctor Hart who

80
00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,480
Speaker 1: lived here a long time ago, and she knew about

81
00:06:55,480 --> 00:07:03,320
Speaker 1: an alien invasion. Rachel adjusted glasses. We found documents hidden

82
00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:07,280
Speaker 1: in another chest at the observatory. She claimed to have

83
00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:15,080
Speaker 1: proof of martians on Earth. Red Frowning added, but while interesting,

84
00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,040
Speaker 1: the stuff we found offers no proof of such claims.

85
00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:26,120
Speaker 1: Alexa shrugged. It's definitely an interesting story, even if we

86
00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,280
Speaker 1: haven't found solid proof yet. But following the clues and

87
00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:36,440
Speaker 1: seeing where they lead is fun. Mister mccaskell's eyes widened

88
00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:43,560
Speaker 1: with interest. Aliens buried documents. Now that sounds like something

89
00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:49,000
Speaker 1: worth flushing out. No pun intended, he winked, and the

90
00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:54,160
Speaker 1: group couldn't help but laugh. Then, with a thoughtful look,

91
00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:57,920
Speaker 1: he added, since you all take English class with me,

92
00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:01,480
Speaker 1: why not turned what you've learned about doctor Hart into

93
00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:08,760
Speaker 1: a group writing project. The gang groaned in unison. Mister

94
00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:14,000
Speaker 1: mccaskell chuckled, don't worry. This isn't just any homework. It's

95
00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,880
Speaker 1: an adventure in disguise. You have done a lot of

96
00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,720
Speaker 1: the work already, and this is a chance to write

97
00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,960
Speaker 1: down what you have learned and perhaps add a bit more,

98
00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:29,720
Speaker 1: and I will give you credit for it. Read sighed internally.

99
00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:35,360
Speaker 1: More English homework, she thought, Why, oh why must it be?

100
00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:42,760
Speaker 1: She thought quietly to herself, noticing the looks on their faces.

101
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:48,520
Speaker 1: Mister mccaskell cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. All Right,

102
00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,520
Speaker 1: I have a mystery that's a bit different than what

103
00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,080
Speaker 1: I originally thought I might have you solve. It's not

104
00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:59,800
Speaker 1: about missing nuggets or stinky Jim socks, but it's something

105
00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:04,640
Speaker 1: that it's baffling the entire school, especially the younger students.

106
00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:10,560
Speaker 1: Have you noticed that pieces of playground equipment have been disappearing?

107
00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:19,079
Speaker 1: They all exchanged puzzled looks. Red tilted her head playground equipment,

108
00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:24,439
Speaker 1: Red thought, her brow furrowing and confusion. What even is that?

109
00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,400
Speaker 1: She tried to picture it, but nothing came to mind.

110
00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,920
Speaker 1: Back on Mars, we didn't have playgrounds, at least not

111
00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:38,720
Speaker 1: like they do here. We had environments for exercise and games,

112
00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,880
Speaker 1: but nothing called the playground. Is it like those big,

113
00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:49,360
Speaker 1: colorful structures I see outside during recess? She vaguely recalled

114
00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:54,599
Speaker 1: seeing kids climbing and swinging on strange metal bars and slides,

115
00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:59,360
Speaker 1: but she'd never paid much attention. Why would anybody want

116
00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:02,280
Speaker 1: to do that? And what's the point of a marry

117
00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,960
Speaker 1: go round anyway? It just goes in circles? How is

118
00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:11,000
Speaker 1: that fun? She shook her head slightly, deciding it was

119
00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:16,920
Speaker 1: best to keep her questions to herself. Playground equipment like

120
00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:23,040
Speaker 1: the swings and stuff, Charlie asked exactly. Mister mccaskell nodded.

121
00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:28,240
Speaker 1: First it was one of the swings, then a slide.

122
00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,719
Speaker 1: Yesterday the merry go round was nowhere to be found.

123
00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,160
Speaker 1: The strange part is there's no sign of them being

124
00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:43,319
Speaker 1: broken or moved. They've just vanished overnight. The younger kids

125
00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,360
Speaker 1: are pretty upset, and we need to figure out what's

126
00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:50,560
Speaker 1: going on before recess turns into an all out search party.

127
00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:58,600
Speaker 1: Alexa leaned forward, intrigued. So how do you propose we

128
00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:04,800
Speaker 1: get started a stakeout something like that? Mister mccaskell said

129
00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:09,800
Speaker 1: with a grin. I suggest you check the playground, interview

130
00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,520
Speaker 1: the students who last saw the equipment, and maybe even

131
00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,200
Speaker 1: stake out the area after school to catch the culprit

132
00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:21,240
Speaker 1: in the act. It could be a prank, a case

133
00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:26,600
Speaker 1: of mistaken identity, or maybe there's a secret to the

134
00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:34,240
Speaker 1: playground we haven't discovered yet. Charlie's eyes lit up. Missing

135
00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:39,640
Speaker 1: playground equipment. That's so weird. Maybe someone's moving it at

136
00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:47,160
Speaker 1: night or hiding it somewhere. Maybe it's Martians. Rachel adjusted

137
00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:51,559
Speaker 1: her glasses thoughtfully. Or it could be something more mundane,

138
00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,640
Speaker 1: like the groundskeeper moving things for repairs. But we won't

139
00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:00,880
Speaker 1: know until we investigate. Alexa nodded. I guess it's time

140
00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:05,720
Speaker 1: to find out what's going on out there exactly, mister

141
00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,920
Speaker 1: mccaskell said, you have been doing a bang up job already,

142
00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:15,160
Speaker 1: but I suggest you take notes, gather clues, and see

143
00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,840
Speaker 1: if you can solve the case of the vanishing playground equipment.

144
00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:25,359
Speaker 1: After handing out some notebooks and giving a few more pointers,

145
00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:29,640
Speaker 1: mister mccaskell glanced at his watch and stood up suddenly.

146
00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,480
Speaker 1: All right, I have to dash off. I've got an

147
00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:38,400
Speaker 1: urgent meeting in the janitor's closet, he said, with a grin,

148
00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:41,840
Speaker 1: as if that were the most normal thing in the world.

149
00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:48,360
Speaker 1: The kids blinked, momentarily thrown by his words. Uh, the

150
00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:55,760
Speaker 1: janitor's closet, Charlie echoed, raising an eyebrow, Yes, the janitor's closet,

151
00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:01,880
Speaker 1: Mister mccaskell replied, his eyes twinkling with me, mischief, you'd

152
00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:06,240
Speaker 1: be surprised what needs straightening up in there. Let's just say,

153
00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:13,359
Speaker 1: mister clean and I have some unfinished business. Rachel squinted,

154
00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:21,280
Speaker 1: clearly suspicious. You're going to clean mister mccaskell chuckled. Oh,

155
00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:25,160
Speaker 1: if only it were that simple. But don't worry, it's

156
00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,840
Speaker 1: nothing too messy. I'll check your progress on the mystery

157
00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:34,080
Speaker 1: later in the week. He waved and walked out of

158
00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:38,320
Speaker 1: the library, heading down the hall, but instead of turning

159
00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,800
Speaker 1: towards the teacher's lounge or the office, he made a

160
00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,480
Speaker 1: bee line for the janitor's closet near the gym. Read

161
00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:50,400
Speaker 1: watched him go. What kind of English teacher has urgent

162
00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:54,520
Speaker 1: business in a janitor's closet, she wondered, And why did

163
00:13:54,520 --> 00:14:00,800
Speaker 1: he seem so strange about it? She shook off the thought,

164
00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:03,920
Speaker 1: but a small part of her couldn't help, but wonder

165
00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,480
Speaker 1: if there was more to mister mccaskell than met the eye.

166
00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,920
Speaker 1: He had the strangest sense of humor, which Red really liked,

167
00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:17,400
Speaker 1: but sometimes his behavior seemed out of place with the

168
00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:22,480
Speaker 1: rest of the teachers. Maybe he is just eccentric, or

169
00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:29,160
Speaker 1: maybe there's something else going on. Well, this is a

170
00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,200
Speaker 1: bit of a surprise, Alexis said, tilting her head. What

171
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,240
Speaker 1: about our doctor heart mystery? Red, can you bring the

172
00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:42,240
Speaker 1: box tomorrow? I'd like to have another look at it. Sure,

173
00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:48,040
Speaker 1: Red replied mentally, calculating her bag's capacity. If I leave

174
00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:51,160
Speaker 1: my chemistry book in my locker, it should be easier

175
00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:58,120
Speaker 1: to carry. Charlie's eyes widened in astonishment. You actually carry

176
00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,280
Speaker 1: that big book home. No one hauls around books like that,

177
00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:09,720
Speaker 1: Rachel cleared her throat pointedly. Excuse me, I'll have you

178
00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,880
Speaker 1: know there are several of us who carry big books around,

179
00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:19,200
Speaker 1: she said, hugging her own heavy tome closer. Charlie's cheeks

180
00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:24,800
Speaker 1: flushed with embarrassment. Oh ah, right, I forgot about that, sorry, Rachel,

181
00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:29,800
Speaker 1: he mumbled. Then, turning back to Red, he added, Red,

182
00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,960
Speaker 1: if you can manage to get that box on the bus,

183
00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:37,560
Speaker 1: I could help you carry it to the classroom. Red

184
00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,680
Speaker 1: took a small step back, noticing the telltale twitch of

185
00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:47,920
Speaker 1: Charlie's nose he was about to sneeze. I appreciate the offer, Charlie.

186
00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,520
Speaker 1: I'll bring it tomorrow, she said, hoping to avoid any

187
00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:58,920
Speaker 1: unexpected germs. Rachel packing up her things looked thoughtful. Why

188
00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:02,040
Speaker 1: don't we set aside the doctor heart mystery for now

189
00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:06,200
Speaker 1: and focus on the one mister mccaskell gave us. I

190
00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:10,240
Speaker 1: think Kurt might prefer this one anyway. It seems like

191
00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,480
Speaker 1: understanding doctor Hart's work would require more time in the

192
00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:20,400
Speaker 1: library than digging around in a backyard. Alexa side a

193
00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:24,600
Speaker 1: note of disappointment in her voice. Okay, I guess that

194
00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:28,040
Speaker 1: makes sense. I should get going, though, or my mom

195
00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:33,520
Speaker 1: will start worrying I've been abducted by aliens again, she added,

196
00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:37,360
Speaker 1: with a roll of her eyes. Yeah, it's almost time

197
00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,200
Speaker 1: I get home, Charlie said as he pulled out a

198
00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:45,720
Speaker 1: small thermos from his bag, grimacing as he unscrewed the lid.

199
00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:51,720
Speaker 1: What's that, Redd asked, noticing the unusual greenish tint of

200
00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:56,440
Speaker 1: the liquid inside. Yuch, she said to herself, it's green.

201
00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,920
Speaker 1: Charlie sighed, holding thermos at arm's length as if it

202
00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:07,600
Speaker 1: might explode. It's mom's latest miracle cure. She calls it

203
00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:12,480
Speaker 1: cabbage cucumber cure. It's supposed to boost my immune system

204
00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:19,639
Speaker 1: or something. Rachel wrinkled her nose. That sounds disgusting, Charlie

205
00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:24,840
Speaker 1: finished for her, nodding, Yep, it tastes exactly like it sounds,

206
00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,840
Speaker 1: but mom swears by it. She says it's packed with vitamins,

207
00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:33,159
Speaker 1: and nothing cures a cold like a good dose of

208
00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:39,399
Speaker 1: green goodness, he added, imitating his mother's chiper tone. Alexa

209
00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:44,639
Speaker 1: couldn't help but laugh. Cabbage cucumber. That sounds like something

210
00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:48,760
Speaker 1: you'd feed a plant, not a person. Tell me about it,

211
00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:54,679
Speaker 1: Charlie muttered, before taking a reluctant sip. He shuddered, his

212
00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:59,440
Speaker 1: face contorting as the bitter taste hit him. Ugh, it's

213
00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:06,280
Speaker 1: like drinking a salad without the dressing. Red took the

214
00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:10,000
Speaker 1: public bus home, which, though it took a bit longer,

215
00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:16,280
Speaker 1: she actually preferred. The stainless steel interior with its cool

216
00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:21,760
Speaker 1: metallic sheen vaguely reminded her of parts of Mars. At

217
00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,080
Speaker 1: least it doesn't have those bright colors everywhere or that

218
00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:30,359
Speaker 1: yucky yellow exterior, she thought, feeling a small sense of comfort.

219
00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,040
Speaker 1: On Mars, she could walk to wherever she needed to go.

220
00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:40,560
Speaker 1: Occasionally her class would venture to remote areas of the

221
00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:45,879
Speaker 1: settlement to learn about energy processes or explore the deep interior,

222
00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:51,800
Speaker 1: but generally everything she needed was close by here, though

223
00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:58,880
Speaker 1: everything felt so spread out, so disconnected. Why does everything

224
00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:02,400
Speaker 1: on Earth have to be so far apart, she wondered,

225
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:09,040
Speaker 1: still baffled by the sheer size of it all. When

226
00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:13,119
Speaker 1: she finally arrived home, she slipped off her shoes, an

227
00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:17,960
Speaker 1: old habit from Mars, and quietly headed straight to her room.

228
00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:22,640
Speaker 1: She wanted to avoid the possibility of running into Blue.

229
00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,520
Speaker 1: Not in the mood for his antics right now, she thought,

230
00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,000
Speaker 1: shutting the door behind her with a soft click. The

231
00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:34,640
Speaker 1: familiar surroundings of her room offered a brief rispite from

232
00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,359
Speaker 1: the chaos of Earth, and she breathed a small sigh

233
00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:43,840
Speaker 1: of relief. Red plopped on her bed and stared off

234
00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:48,320
Speaker 1: into space. Her gaze drifted to the small collection of

235
00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:52,840
Speaker 1: items from Mars she kept on her desk, a rock

236
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,520
Speaker 1: from one of the outdoor expeditions, a photo of her

237
00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,920
Speaker 1: class in front of the settlement's dome and a piece

238
00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:04,320
Speaker 1: of Martian soil sealed in a glass vial. No one

239
00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,240
Speaker 1: was supposed to bring anything of their life on Mars

240
00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,760
Speaker 1: with them, but she hid these objects in the lining

241
00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:14,840
Speaker 1: of her bag. Before they left. Her mother found them,

242
00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,600
Speaker 1: but because nothing was identifiable as Martian, she let Red

243
00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:26,560
Speaker 1: keep them. On Mars, life had been simple, predictable, and

244
00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:32,119
Speaker 1: small in a good way. Here everything was loud, bright

245
00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:37,360
Speaker 1: and vast. She missed the quiet, the familiarity of her

246
00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:43,040
Speaker 1: old home, where nothing was ever too far away. Then

247
00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:48,320
Speaker 1: she heard a banging on her door. Ugh, she groaned.

248
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:56,879
Speaker 1: It was blue. And that is the end of this part.

249
00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,720
Speaker 1: Good night, sleep tight,