Timothy Thomas, roughly 12 years old, only partially grasps the significance of what is happening. Timothy and his family, his father, his pregnant mother, and his two younger brothers, survivors of the war on Earth, arrive on Mars for what the children are told is a vacation. They are told that all the Martians, including those who survived the chicken pox epidemic, are now dead. When the family takes a boat up a Martian canal, and their rocket explodes at a distance, Timothy realizes that they are staying on Mars permanently. Timothy’s younger brothers ask their father, William Thomas, when they will see Martians, and William promises them they will soon.

William steers the boat under a degraded dock, and the family waits until he feels safe enough to continue. He tells them that another rocket, containing his friend Bert Edwards, his wife, and four daughters is expected to land soon. Before the landing, William encourages his sons to pick which of the Martian cities most appeals to them, and the family will live there. His brothers express trepidations about living on Mars; Timothy is also scared but recognizes the need to keep his emotions in check, seeing that “now it was still a game, still a family outing, and the other kids must be kept playing” (237).