Bell only knows life on Mars, and barely knows anything outside of the enterprising and brave American settlement. Every country's outpost on Mars is an island -- no one talks to the other colonists, except once a year at trading time. They may be far, far away from the wars back on Earth, but the conflicts aren't so remote. Until a viral outbreak in the community forces Bell and the other children to seek help, and they learn that fear of the unfamiliar has kept them isolated and in the dark for much too long.