EL QARJAOUI Badreddine

The Sound of Rain on Mars

1. First Drop The first raindrop fell at 06:42 Martian Standard Time. Alya Sorin didn’t feel it at first. The hum of the terra-chamber vibrated under her boots, and the air filters hissed with their usual industrial rhythm—but something had changed. Something subtle. The red dust around her boots turned dark in splotches. And then came the sound.