Sedna was excited about flying to Earth and bringing back a suitable small dome.

Newt said, And let's not forget about the water. Right Mister Green?

Yes, of course. I sense that there is sufficient liquid water available here. But it is underground, and very salty. The remnant of an ancient sea.

We have wells, Sedna told him. Frogo knows where they are. Newt, maybe you and Frogo can pick a good place to put the dome while I'm off getting one. Mister Green, thank you for your help. Where will we find you when we need you again?

How about right here? I'm nearly as excited as you are about this plan. Perhaps I can help select some plants from your tube farm to put in your dome when it's ready.

Newt said, That will be perfect!

So that's what they did. 

Sedna flew her drone to Earth. Newt met with Frogo and decided on a place not too far away from their tube where there was water available and the surface soil went deep enough. Mister Green approved. 

Sedna had been droning on Earth less than a day when she told them she had found a dome. "It's a 26 by 48 foot pool enclosure. It comes all folded up in a big box, along with an air pump in another big box. But not too big. Maybe a cubic yard or so each. I can easily carry both of them. I'll show you all the details so you can make sure it will be okay."

Newt and Frogo decided Sedna's dome would be just fine. They staked out a 30 by 50 foot plot of land to put the dome on, and ran a water pipe under ground, deep enough that the salt water wouldn't freeze. They ran the pipe to a spot just inside where the dome would be. 

When she had the new mini-dome ready to go, Sedna flew to Coon Island to visit her mom and told her what they were up to. Dema said she was glad that was off to such a good start, and especially glad that Mister Green had decided to settle in with them for awhile.  

Then she said, "There's something else I've been thinking about. That's your Mars shift idea. I have a few suggestions."

"That's great, Mom. I was hoping you'd say that. I've been kind of bummed that it looked like all I could do was short-cut the muscle mass problem."

"Sedna, I know that you remember who you were before, even a long way back. I know that you've been very good with the shaman dream. And I know it's possibly a good thing that you never had a compelling interest in shifting before, that you never felt the need.

"But now here you are, in a place where shifting can be a useful ability, and wanting to do it, but without experience. And here I am, the old hand who's done it more times than I can count. And not always been smart about it.

"So I've been looking at how to advise you, and what to recommend."

Sedna was smiling broadly. "This is great, Mom. What have you come up with?"

Dema smiled, and opened her Q dream. Better to show you than to tell you, she said.

Sedna was with her. First Dema showed her the muscle dream. She opened her dream awareness to the level of her own muscle cells, and let them know what she had in mind. Deep within themselves, the muscle cells had access to the fat cell dream. So within the dream they could be either. Sedna understood. She could open her own awareness in the same way. Dema didn't have to actually do the shift.

Next came the lung dream. Dema went into a bird dream, choosing one right outside her window. Sedna followed. Together they experienced the bird's breathing dream, how it opened air sacs within its body, letting them fill with fresh outside air. Then its breathing muscles squeezed these sacs and pushed the fresh air into its lungs. At the same time the stale air already in its lungs was pushed on out the other side, and out of its body. Dema and Sedna stayed in that dream while the breathing cycle repeated and repeated, fresh air in, stale air out, never mixing, making full use of the available oxygen.

Next came the oxygen dream. Dema led Sedna to a place near Houston where a cypress tree was festooned with long strands of the bromeliad colloquially known as Spanish Moss. Dema led Sedna to see that this plant did not draw nourishment from the tree, was not rooted there, only adhered to its surface, anchoring itself against the breeze. Together they saw how this plant drew both air and water into itself from that breeze, and used the energy of light to combine the carbon from the air and the hydrogen from the water to make carbohydrates with which to grow its plant cells. They saw how the excess oxygen was released back into the air.

Then Dema showed Sedna how it would be possible to shift her body so that its cells could mimic each of these functions. Excess muscle tissue shifting into fat tissue to provide an outer layer of insulation against the cold. Lungs adapted to draw oxygen from the air more efficiently. And the hair on her head shifted into long strands of bromeliad, taking life for itself from the native air and water of Mars, and releasing oxygen from both for Sedna's use.

Sedna came out of the Q dream, feeling a bit stunned.

"Wow Mom. Do you really think I can do this? Now? With my body on Mars?"

"Mars, shmars," said Dema. "Of course you can. You know your body doesn't have to be here for you to enter the dreams and learn what you need from them. I suspect you've learned enough already. But you have the Q links now if you need a refresher. And it would be best to do this in stages. Do the muscles first, if you haven't already. Give your body a few days to get accustomed to that change. Then the breathing, and then after another few days the hair. 

"And once you've got it where you feel comfortable in your Mars body, shift back to your Earth form now and then. Maybe every night when you're in bed and the gravity isn't such an issue.

"Now get out of here. You've got some flying to do."

Sedna gave Dema a big avatar smile. "Thanks, Mom. You're the best."