Chapter 1: The Girl on the Edge
Allie's eyes snapped open as harsh sunlight pierced through the gaps in her tattered curtains, stabbing her eyes like a sharp dagger. She instinctively raised her hand to shield herself, only to find her arm covered in a thin layer of red dust. This was Mars' greeting, omnipresent and all-pervasive.
This world was unique. Mars and Mercury were connected by a magical mountain range called Kunlun. Scientists called it a "conjoined binary system." Imagine Mars and Mercury as two enormous balloons, with Kunlun Mountain as the string connecting them. These two "balloons" pulled at each other, orbiting an invisible center point in an eternal waltz.
Simply put, it was like two sisters holding hands and spinning in circles. They were forever face-to-face, gazing at each other.
"Damn soundproof walls!" A roar came from next door, followed by the sound of shattering glass. Allie sighed; this was everyday life in the Third District slums. She sat up, her silver hair falling messily over her shoulders, contrasting with her pale skin. A flicker of exhaustion passed through her rare purple eyes, yet they still shone with a stubborn light.
Allie dragged her tired body to the kitchen and opened her last packet of instant food. The microwave emitted a shrill "beep-beep," as if mocking her situation. She mechanically chewed the tasteless food, her gaze falling on the blinking red indicator light on the wall.
"Power's out again," Allie muttered to herself. She tried to turn on the faucet but heard only a hollow echo from the pipes. "Great, no water either." Water was a scarce resource on Mars, both rare and expensive. Power outages and water shortages were standard in the slums.
Allie quickly put on her faded red work uniform, her only decent piece of clothing. She stood in front of the mirror, examining herself. At eighteen, her face already showed the burdens of life, but those purple eyes still sparkled with an indomitable light. She took a deep breath and pushed open the rickety door.
Allie's home was perched atop a tall mound of earth, offering an excellent view.
On the crimson horizon stood rows of towering domed cities. These cities, with their streamlined metal structures, contrasted sharply with the red sand dunes of the surface. The transparent domes of the cities reflected the weak sunlight filtering through Mars' thin atmosphere, twinkling like gems embedded in the desolate landscape. The dust kicked up by distant sandstorms seemed to cast a mysterious veil over the scene, evoking images of the pioneers who once battled the elements here.
But here in the slums, there were no gems, only dust.
The sun stretched like a giant fire net, enveloping the entire Third District. Allie felt like an insect trapped in a steamer, each step incredibly difficult. The buildings lining the streets were low and dilapidated, their walls covered in cracks as if they might collapse at any moment. Mounds of garbage piled up along the roadsides, emitting a foul stench, with oversized Martian cockroaches occasionally darting out.
"Hey, pretty thing, wanna have some fun?" A man with a brutish face suddenly blocked Allie's path, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. Allie recognized him as a member of the local gang, the "Red Sand Demons."
"Get lost," Allie said coldly, trying to sidestep him.
"Don't be so cold," the man reached out to grab Allie's wrist. "We can give you a bright future."
Allie quickly stepped back, naturally assuming a defensive stance. Just then, the sound of police sirens came from the distance. The man spat, glared at Allie viciously, then turned and disappeared into an alley.
Allie breathed a sigh of relief and quickened her pace towards the abandoned factory. This once-thriving factory had now become part of the slums, its crumbling outer walls covered in Mars' distinctive red vines, looking from afar as if drenched in blood.
The factory interior was dark and damp, filled with the smell of machine oil and rust. Allie skillfully navigated between workstations, sorting and packaging damaged parts. The work was tedious, but at least it provided a basic livelihood.
"Allie, you're just in time," a small, thin girl waved to her. "Can you help me? This part is too heavy."
Allie walked over and easily lifted the part that looked heavy. "No problem, Lena. Are you okay? You don't look well."
Lena shook her head with a bitter smile. Her complexion was indeed poor, with obvious dark circles under her eyes. "The power went out again last night. My brother's ventilator couldn't work, so we spent the whole night manually giving him oxygen."
Allie frowned, about to say something when suddenly a shrill alarm sounded. She quickly turned to see thick smoke billowing from one corner of the factory.
"Fire!" someone shouted.
Without hesitation, Allie rushed towards the source of the fire, grabbing a fire extinguisher on the way. She saw several workers trapped in the smoke and immediately charged in.
"Follow me!" she shouted while putting out the flames. "Follow my voice, come this way!"
Under Allie's guidance, the trapped workers successfully escaped. However, just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the voice of the foreman, Arnold, sounded behind her.
"Allie! You causing trouble again?" Arnold was a burly middle-aged man, his face covered in scars and his eyes fierce.
"I'm not causing trouble, Mr. Arnold," Allie tried to explain. "I was just saving people."
"Stop pretending to be a hero!" Arnold roared. "Every time something happens, you're there. The repair costs for this will come out of your wages!"
Everyone lowered their heads in silence. Allie felt a wave of despair, knowing that her already meager wages would become even more pitiful. She suppressed her anger and continued working. Lena sighed softly beside her, wondering when this kind of life would ever end.
After work, Allie dragged her tired body back to her rundown apartment alone. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw a red eviction notice pasted on the wall.
"Final warning: Pay all arrears within three days or face eviction."
Allie collapsed on the floor, feeling unprecedented pressure.
She absolutely couldn't end up on the streets. The "Red Sand Demons" would surely kill her, not to mention those giant bugs active at night and the rust-smelling underground tunnels. Allie shuddered and straightened up. No, absolutely not!
But with her current wages, there was no way she could gather enough for six months' rent in just three days. What could she do? Allie racked her brain for ideas... Stay with Lena? No, that wouldn't work. Lena's place was already cramped with eight men and two girls in such a small space...
Just then, she noticed an advertisement for an underground roller racing competition stuck behind the door. It was an extremely dangerous but lucrative competition, mostly participated in by fearless daredevils.
Allie bit her lip, knowing this might be her only chance.
"I have no choice," Allie said to the empty room. "I have to try."
She stood up and pulled out a worn backpack from under the bed. Inside was her most precious possession—a pair of roller skates. It had taken her three years of savings to buy these second-hand racing skates. Though they looked a bit shabby, they worked well. This was the only thing she truly loved. Whenever she put on the skates, the feeling of gliding like the wind made her forget all her troubles.
"Mom, please watch over me," she said softly. Though her memories of her mother were very vague, she always felt her gentle encouragement from a corner of her mind.
She pushed open the door, put on those worn roller skates, and began to glide slowly.
In the moonlight, Allie's figure was like a silver lightning bolt, gracefully gliding across the rooftops. She closed her eyes, feeling the caress of the wind as if transported to another world. She looked towards the distance, where the prosperous upper districts were brightly lit. She could almost see the rich's laughter and merriment and an endless supply of clean water. Allie clenched her fists, a flash of determination in her eyes.
No matter what, she had to enter the competition.