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to 10 people. A small tunnel sticks out from the minidome onto an open portion of the deck where a ladder almost reaches the ground. This tunnel has two entrances to allow people to get in and out of the platform buggy when it’s on the surface of Mars. The outside entrance is sealed as someone steps from the inner entrance into the tunnel. Then the inner entrance is sealed before the outer entrance opens. In this way, little oxygen escapes the platform buggy’s minidome. The big entrance of the space station’s dome works this way too.
    â€œWithout,” Rawling said. “You know how expensive the platform buggies are. They take a lot of room in cargo, cost millions to produce, and consume too much valuable energy when we run them. What does it take for a human to survive outside the dome without a platform buggy?”
    â€œHumans need oxygen and water and protection from heat and cold.”
    â€œHow do they get all that now?”
    â€œBig bulky space suits,” I said. “And whatever oxygen and water each person can carry.”
    He asked, “How long can a human last out there until he or she needs to return to the dome?”
    â€œSupposedly a day,” I said. “Only a day. But that’s why we’re here. To get the planet ready for humans to live outside the dome. So that later—”
    â€œLater is 100 or 200 years away. Meanwhile, the entire planet needs to be explored.”
    â€œDo you really have a secret? Or are you doing this to me to keep me interested?”
    Rawling didn’t smile. “Machines. Robots. They don’t need oxygen or water or heat. They don’t take up a lot of cargo space on ships. For the cost of one platform buggy, you can have 100 robots. Robots are ideal, except for one thing.” He paused. “Robots don’t have human brains. A computer as big as a spaceship can’t think and react the way a human can. So we can’t begin to send robots out to explore the planet unless they are controlled by—and think like—humans. Are you with me so far?”
    â€œYes, but it hasn’t been much of a secret. You said—”
    â€œTell me what you know about Earth labs that grow skin and bone for people.”
    â€œWhat does this have to do with—?”
    â€œTell me.”
    â€œSure, I’ll tell you,” I said. “You and Mom made me study it as part of a school assignment.”
    â€œSo you understand that 50 years ago, burn victims had no chance of healing their skin. But now doctors can take a piece of the victim’s skin and grow it into big patches, just like growing a plant, then replace the damaged skin with the new skin.”
    â€œYes, I know. Remember? You made me study it for three months as—”
    â€œYou know about replacement bones and replacement organs and how far that has come since the year 2000. And that doctors have learned how to grow biological plastics right inside the body. They have used steel and cable to rebuild joints. They’ve found ways to join all sorts of artificial materials to human body parts.”
    â€œYes, yes, yes,” I said, trying hard not to get impatient. “Come on. What’s the secret?”
    â€œPut it together,” Rawling said slowly and quietly. “The need for robots with human brains, along with advances in medicine. Add one more thing. Then you’ll have your secret.”

CHAPTER 11
    â€œOne more thing,” I repeated. “I don’t get it.”
    â€œVirtual reality,” Rawling said. “You’ve been in that robot simulation program two hours a day since you were eight years old. Tell me what you know about virtual reality.”
    â€œWell,” I started slowly, “I put on the surround-sight helmet. It gives me a 3-D view of a scene on a computer program. The helmet is wired so when I turn my head, it directs the computer program to shift the scene as if I were there