The Last Martians

ForewordThe Mars Settlement Organisation, known as MSO, was formed by thirty-eight countries in 2139. It employed the world’s foremost scientists to make human habitation of the red planet a reality. Just over nine-hundred years later, Mars had an atmosphere similar to earth’s atmosphere. Its temperatures during the seven-month long spring, the six-month long summer and the five-month long autumn was within range for human habitation. But the four-month long winter was too cold for humans to survive outside. The lack of gravity was also still a concern. Although scientists developed medicine to slowly adapt the human body to the effects of lower gravity, these were still not field tested. In theory, Mars was a suitable new home for humans. But a move to the red planet would not be without risks. Risks MSO was not willing to take. Instead, their parallel project of terraforming Venus was far more promising. The decisionmakers could confidently sell the idea of starting a new life on the white planet. In 3159 Frank Anderson, the chairperson of Anderson Lunar Exploration Limited, announced the company acquired the rights to inhabit Mars from the MSO. Frank’s grandfather, Martin, started the company in 3124 after he won a tender to operate mines on the moon. The company was the only entity with the knowledge and experience to settle the red planet and to mine it. Although the cost of space travel meant transporting the raw material to earth would not be cost effective, Frank projected a profit after fifteen years. To accomplish this, he planned to set up factories on Mars to process the raw material. This value added to the raw material would increase his profits before transportation. This together with a projected reduction in the cost of space travel would eventually result in profits. On 1 April 3162 five spaceships launched from the moon, heading for Mars. On board were around twenty-thousand men and women, provisions and equipment to construct the central settlement and the first mining outpost. These would later be known as Dome City and Outpost Alpha. But Frank was wrong. The cost of space travel increased as fuel prices continued climbing. He could not afford to ship any of the commodities to earth. Cutting his losses, he offered his employees an opportunity to return home, but only a small percentage accepted this offer. The majority chose to remain on the red planet. Michael Anderson, Frank’s cousin, was not willing to give up his position of power. On earth he had been the black sheep of the family. When Frank had given him the opportunity to become the first governor of Mars, he had grabbed it with both hands. Although this had always been meant as a ceremonial position, Michael played his politics well and turned it into a position of power. He agreed with the two men Frank had sent to run the mining operations on Mars, to leave Dome City under his control while each of them operated a mining region for their own profit. By this time, they had constructed four outposts. Outpost Alpha was approximately fifty miles north of Dome City. It was mainly a mining settlement. But it also had a small farming community. Factories processed the raw material before they sold it to Dome City. Like all the Martian settlements, it had a large indoor recreational centre, where all residents had to compete in wrestling, boxing and mixed martial arts tournaments. MSO researchers suggested this as an option to slow down the weakening of human muscles because of the effects of low gravity. As governor, Michael Anderson took this suggestion seriously and enforced it as a non-negotiable rule for all the Martians. Outpost Bravo was approximately seventy miles north-west of Dome City. It was mainly an agricultural and forestry settlement, with the related factories. These two settlements were collectively known as the Northern Outposts and were assets of the Red Planet Corporation, owned by Matthew Thompson. He had been a college friend of Frank Anderson. Before Frank had asked him and Andrew Jones to help run the business operations on Mars, he had been a vice-president of operations on the moon. Outposts Charly and Delta were replicas of Outposts Alpha and Bravo. They were constructed five years after the first two outposts. Outpost Charly was a mining settlement and was approximately forty miles south-west of Dome City. Lastly, Outpost Delta was an agricultural and forestry settlement and was approximately thirty miles south-east of Dome City. These were assets of Andrew Jones’ company, Planet Four Corporation. Andrew had started working for Anderson Lunar Exploration Limited when he left school. He worked his way up the hard way, by excelling in every job, starting at the bottom. He had also been a vice-president of operations on the moon, before Frank had given him this opportunity. At first, the arrangement worked well. Both companies supplied Dome City and there were enough profits to keep both the shareholders of the two companies happy. But human nature soon reared its ugly head. Both owners of the business operations became greedy and wanted more than their fair share. When a transporter of the Northern Outposts ended up in a ditch, with a dead driver in the burnt-out vehicle, Matthew Thompson accused Andrew Jones of sabotage. The owner of Planet Four Corporation denied any knowledge of the accident. But soon more ‘accidents’ happened on both sides. Tensions boiled over when a factory in Outpost Alpha caught fire. Only winter, which forced both sides to stay indoors, prevented a full-scale war. But both sides used the four months to produce weapons and to prepare their employees for war. Soon after the temperatures increased enough, the southern army attacked the northern settlements.