Cryonic Dreams: When Mars Breaks

Two: The Promise of Mars

(Elysium Gateway Station and Space dock, Low Mars Orbit, year 2169)

After four days and twenty-two hours on board the Galileo we arrived at space dock and transferred by shuttle to the Elysium Gateway station. During our voyage, we had sifted through the information Holi had taken from the archives. The official record appeared to be incomplete, either from being digitally redacted or from intentional tampering, so we learned nothing new we didn’t already know. Maryanne had been known to the Robinson’s as Angela Cartwright but had taken part in the NanTech Expedition, recruited as Stephanie Brewster, a research analyst. The reason behind the aliases remained a mystery. What we did confirm was that NanTechs mission on Mars was officially noted as ‘Viability Testing for the Production of Biomedical Nanites in a Microgravity Environment’, and led by the owner and operator, Mr Christopher Phillips of Phillips Enterprise Holdings Incorporated.

With this knowledge, our destination would be the old NanTech facility and our first priority set. Once on Mars, we would need to procure all the equipment needed to reach the remote facility. According to Ian, hiring transport to the remote location was going to be our biggest headache, so he agreed to make the arrangements.

The facility, officially listed as abandoned, was located at Erebus Montes, some 70 kms from the original main colony and landing site at SX Prime, within the Arcadia Planitia, which had, more recently, also been abandoned due to the threat of unstable soils and rising water levels. The closest sizeable population centre was some 4000km away in Arcadia city, on the shores of Elysium Mons, so this was to be our planetfall.

Maryanne had worked at the NanTech facility for two years and had been one of the few survivors, along with Mr Phillips and several others, of an environmental breach, which had claimed the lives of almost all the expedition’s members. After this tragic event the facility was abandoned for two years while an internal investigation was conducted. Information relating to the outcome of the investigation, had not been accessible by Holi so what exactly had happened was unknown. After completion of the investigation the facility was reopened as a biomedical nanite production facility, remaining in operation for another twenty years.

On our way to meet up with our terrestrial shuttle to take us to the planet’s surface, I stopped at the large viewing platform to take in a view of the Red Planet. It was not as red as it once was. Terra forming project events had thickened and warmed the atmosphere and allowed water to flow, noticeable patches of blues, purples, smaller patches of greens, towards equatorial regions and patches of white from frozen surface water, towards the colder regions.

I stood there, watching the steady stream of shuttles arriving and departing, engaging with the station in a dangerous synchronous union, made possible through the mathematical blending of science and engineering that culminated in the absolute precision necessary for the spatial navigation. Inside the station there was almost a buzz-like level of activity, providing a sense of industriousness and accomplishment amongst its employees and its visitors.

The Elysium spaceport was a large rotating station even bigger than Earth’s Terra Nova Gateway. At my last reading, there were ten such stations around Mars with more to be built. Each station serviced part of the planet, allowing people to rotate through the stations every three months. Despite all planet-side cities being pressurised to 1 atm microgravity health concerns were still very prevalent requiring the rotation of personnel to gravity environments and remaining for a minimum of two weeks, to regain health and fitness lost. Pregnancies were particularly susceptible to these effects hence expecting mothers were required to remain on gravity stations for the full gestation period.

I felt someone walk up close. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Maryanne stop beside me. We both peered at the planet, likely sharing my disbelief at being there, and about to set foot on another world. Her presence, pressing me to utter the words.

“It’s so different to Earth.”

Mars was a uniquely different place and despite much automation by robotics and AI, human oversight and validation was intertwined with every process, to create a human synergy with automated systems, providing the population, who were the end user of all products and services, valuable and necessary work. This in turn gave the settlers a psychological sense of purpose and accomplishment, and as the corporations housed and fed its workforce, they were fiercely loyal, ensuring every success in this rugged frontier.

Maryanne looked at me then back to the planet. “Jaxxon says people here are quite different. Is that true?”

“I believe so. It’s got something to do with the hostility of the landscape, requiring people to rely on each other and work more closely, which in turn has hardened the value of trust among the population. I believe it has been developed into its own unique philosophy called Martianluminism. A frontier philosophy centred on the belief that each person carries an inner light, what people used to call the soul, whose clarity, integrity, and responsibility are essential to the collective survival.”

Every individual was singularly responsible for the day to day, every action taken was a reality check having instant consequences for all. The idea of responsibility, evolved, being codified into every aspect of life, creating a culture with trust and unity at its core. The reality of this uniqueness made the idea of a union between the oligarchs and the agency seem all the more incongruent. Yet I hadn’t felt at ease since I had disembarked, the first thing I had noticed was the number of humanoid bots, many resembling the AASID security bots, appearing just as menacing despite being moulded in white. My stomach turned every time I saw one. I so despised them.

We continued to gaze at the planet for a few minutes until Ian caught up with us.

“Magnificent view, is it not,” Ian said, motioning his head towards the world hanging in the window. “A world of paradoxes. Nothing is as it seems. Is it,” he continued without clarifying his statement, then reminding us that we were still on the clock. “Come on, we’d better hurry, our shuttle will be departing in about 20 minutes, follow me.

No sooner had we started behind Ian that Maryanne put her arm out in front of me.

“Wait where is Jaxxon,” she uttered, concern in her voice. Without even slowing his stride Ian answered.

“Don’t worry, Jaxxon has already gone ahead.” We continue to our departure point and boarded the awaiting shuttle, anxious of our pending departure.

Ian had suggested we land at Arcadia city, not simply because it was the closest major population centre but also to reduce our risk profile. Arcadia was not under the control of Stellar, the SOLaR Systems conglomerate. As AASIDs biggest supporter they would know of our escape. We could only hope that Steven’s communication had worked as intended and they were either not looking for us or looking in the wrong places. My sudden recall left me feeling jittery and apprehensive, forcing me to hold my arms tightly. I was longing for the sensations he had made me feel, and thankful for his help, but angry that he had abandoned me.