Merfolk on Mars

Chapter 7

The elevator stopped, and we got out.

"Look," I said, pointing to a sign, "it says viewing platform. Why don't we go up there to get a better look at the city and the people here?"

"I think that's a good idea," Isla agreed. "That will allow us to know which direction this tower is in and how to get there."

We quickly ascended the stairs. And more stairs. And yet more stairs.

As my legs began to ache, I began to wonder if we were already in the tallest tower.

We finally reached the small viewing platform, which was – thankfully – empty. I leaned on the brass railing and gazed over the numerous buildings and walkways.

There was brass and leather everywhere.

These people really needed to see a psychiatrist. There was no way that an obsession of this level was healthy.

"The gears on her dress are spinning." Corvus sounded completely perplexed as he looked down.

Indeed they were. In fact, all of the gears moved, and there were a lot of them. I wasn't even sure which of the dozens of women within our view he was talking about.

Most of the women wore dresses. All of them had gears and a plethora of buttons on their clothing. Not a single person within sight lacked goggles, except for my three friends and me.

Thankfully, no one was looking up here. We all just stood there, still trying to grasp the enormous culture gap we had stumbled across.

"How are they spinning?" Corvus mumbled, still gawking at the street below.

No one answered him. The silence allowed two voices below with British accents to reach us faintly.

"I believe I shall go over to the button shop and pick out another button or two to reflect my recent promotion."

"That is an excellent plan. Will you still be coming to the tea tasting gala? It will be starting shortly. I hear the host has a new version of the recliner chair present for the after tea naps." The woman fluttered her fan, seemingly short of breath.

"Ah, yes! I can't wait to try out those new chairs. Rumor has it that the professor has outdone himself again! I believe I need to obtain some extra buttons before going to such an important event."

They went into a nearby building, and the heavy brass door blocked their voices.

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," I mumbled.

"And we're even farther away from Earth and its styles," Isla added. "There is no way we can walk down the street like this without attracting a lot of unwanted attention."

"What is so fascinating about gears?" Arai asked, looking thoroughly confused, as only a guy can when confronted with an entirely new fashion trend. "They only weigh you down. Much like my sister's jewelry."

"Steampunk only uses steam and mechanical energy," Isla murmured, "so it's a symbol of pride for them. But I've never heard or seen anything like this before. It must just be this place that does it."

"From what we just overheard, the buttons must be some sort of sign of rank," I commented, wondering how we could get a hold of some buttons and gears on short notice. At this rate, I was going to need an entire list just to walk across the city.

Corvus watched another woman walking ponderously down the street and asked, "Why is she breathing funny? Actually, lots of them seem to be having problems."

Isla watched with narrowed eyes for a few long moments. "It's just the women, so it's likely a combination of the high altitude and a fainting device."