Four people sat in the rocket, flying off the deserted planet. They had left at the perfect time, as Dad was clever and figured out something was wrong right before the Taco Disease hit. Now, as they made their way through the dark and seemingly secretive infinite space, Mom checked the signals coming from Earth. Nothing. It was dead. After the 4.6 billion years Earth stayed alive and the many centuries mankind had dominated the planet, the phenomenon had somehow killed everything in two weeks, except for themselves and another family following right behind them. Mom dared to look back, and saw the dead Earth, once their home planet, the brown sphere far off.

Mom tried to process the information: There was no more of mankind than them and another four. They were all on their own now. It was all up to them. The pressure was indescribable. No one was there for them if they fell. One slip and it's all over. Yet she couldn't manage to tell her kids that future generations were entirely on their shoulders. They were just too young.

Mom's thoughts were interrupted just then by young Maddie's screaming, "I see it! I see the Red Planet! We're almost there! Are we going to see the Martians? What do they look like?" she breathlessly said.

Dad replied in a low tone, "Yes, we are. We'll arrive in an hour. Sit tight! We're almost to the Martian soil!"

David, Maddie's older brother, feeling Dad's shaky voice, knew something was wrong. He asked, "Dad, how come we are moving to Mars? Why are we leaving Earth?"

Dad sighed, giving a sideways glance to Mom, said, "Son, you will know when you grow up. But, you see, Earth can't support life anymore. So we will go to Mars and start a new civilization over there."

"Along with the Martians?"

"Yes, along with the Martians."

A fruitless hour passed and they finally arrived. The kids hurriedly jumped up and rejoiced, as they couldn't move their legs in the cramped spacecraft for such a long time. Gleefully, the children asked, "Dad! Mom! Let's go exploring! Let's go find the Martians!"

Their innocent eyes, so large and ignorant, seemed to burn into their parents' minds. How would they explain the situation to the children, that no one was alive except for them and another family coming later? And who knows if the others would even make it? Storms arose out of nowhere in space. One strike and they could be done for. "Dad!" David ran up to him. "Can we please go see the Martians now?"

"Yes, we will all go."

And so the four lonesome people walked through the sand dunes. Nothing stirred. They continued farther and farther away from their landing site until they found a small river. Standing over it, Dad announced, "I've found the Martians."

"Where, where?" The kids looked everywhere.

"Right here," Dad pointed to the crystal clear water.

In the water, there was a reflection of four people: Dad, Mom, David, and Maddie.

The silence was unbearable.