Her grandfather was one of the first to set foot on Mars, so Lieutenant Patricia Kelly Elizabeth Strickland, aka Podkayne, has some big shoes to fill. After joining the Martian Navy, Podkayne has decided to sing, but learns that there’s plenty of danger to go around in the Martian Navy, even if you’ve just signed on to sing.
“Mars sucks.” And if anyone’s allowed to say it, Ray Garcia-Strickland is, since his father was one of the first men to set foot there. Ray’s father is now the manager of the Red Thunder, one of the swankiest hotels on overdeveloped Mars. And Ray has seen his share of gravity-dependent Earthies. Which doesn’t stop him from fearing the worst when Earth is struck by an unknown object, causing a massive tsunami. Living high on his father’s glory was okay, but now Ray must literally come down to Earth—and help solve one of its greatest mysteries…
Seven suburban misfits are constructing a spaceship out of old tanker cars. The plan is to beat the Chinese to Mars–in under four days at three million miles an hour. It would be history in the making if it didn’t sound so insane.