“I’m telling you, Zak, they’re up to something out there. The way those drones go over every two minutes? I never see that many drones in Tierra Nueva. Do you seriously think they’d be paying that much attention to some college teacher’s boring little science project? GSAF is covering something up.”

“Even if they are, though, what are we supposed to do about it?” I asked. “It’s their land. Why is it any of our business what they’re doing with it?” It was a stretch, but I needed to be sensible. The last thing I wanted was to end up like Henry, constantly looking over my shoulder or, worse, posting rambling manifestos on the internet.

“Because GSAF is supposed to represent us! Do you not listen to anything I’ve been saying all these years?” He stood up and started pacing, his chainmail clinking with each step. “Everyone on Earth is all patting themselves on the back for making such an egalitarian new world, where everyone’s supposed to be equal, blah blah blah. Look at how pretty and diverse it is, people coming from all over Earth to live and work together. But who’s in charge? That’s right. White Europeans and Americans, as torquing always. Do we have any say in who our governors are, or what the laws are, or anything? No. All the decisions come wrapped in a nice little bow from GSAF headquarters on Earth, with a built-in police state to enforce it. Has Mars ever had an election? No. Are there any native-born Martians in the GSAF government? No. We don’t even have a voice on the Council. If that’s not the textbook definition of imperialism—”

“Henry, calm down!” I said. “We haven’t even been here that long. It’s not like torquing Columbus sailing in to enslave and pillage the Native Americans or something. Everybody who’s here now came from Earth. GSAF represents all Earth nations equally. We’re all in this together.”

Henry whirled on me. “You know what, Isaak? I am so tired of you making excuses for them. Every time I try to talk to you about this, you always laugh at me or try to shut me up. Even now, when you and I both know something huge is going on out at that dig site. Or did you forget about that coin and your Little Green Men?”

My face colored. I hadn’t forgotten it, exactly, but I’d gotten so wrapped up in the day-to-day dig activities. I guess I was having so much fun playing archaeologist, I stopped thinking about what we were supposed to be looking for in the first place. But no way was I going to admit that.

“Of course I didn’t forget,” I said. “Tamara and I were going to try to look at the arch earlier, before Condor showed up. I just—”