Solid Bismuth
28-October-2008, 11:00 PM
The following is the introduction to a multi-part story I am writing for a local Rochester-based magazine. The magazine, Look Magazine, is run partly by my Aunt and is nothing special. Anyway, I welcome any criticism on this introduction. Thank you.
Stealing Mars
Thomas Miller
Introduction
During the years between 2102 and 2146, humans had begun to colonize Mars in hopes of achieving a life better than what Earth could offer. The vast impact humans have had on Earth’s environment brought forth many new issues and reawakened old ones. The idea of colonizing Mars excited everyone. Many wanted to be a part of the mission in some way and those chosen to be the colonists (mainly scientists from various essential fields) were extremely optimistic. It was a fresh start, as if all of the problems of Earth could be simply erased and humanity could finally set certain things right.
This colonization effort was achieved mainly by the United States, Russia, China, Japan and the European Space Agency (accompanied by donations from several other countries and countless private organizations). The countries collaborated with each other in order to conquer such a magnificent aspiration. By cooperating, the various countries were able to create more effective equipment and vehicles at half the cost.
It is now the year 2159 and all 11,366 colonists are now dead.
Unbeknownst to humans at the time of colonization was the fact that Mars was, in fact, already inhabited with intelligent life. These Martians relocated underground long ago to escape their seemingly dying planet’s harsh new conditions. They did not risk ever returning to the surface for fear of the air’s composition being changed among other potential disasters. During this period of change, Mars’ seas began to recede. Before going underground, the Martians took with them 98% of the planet’s water. These Martians were also herbivores and fed off of the primitive plant life that existed on the planet at the time. They took nearly all of the plants underground with them.
When humans began colonizing the apparently barren and desolate planet, they alerted the Martians right away. The leaders of the Martian race were in constant debate of what to do. To them it appeared as if their planet was being invaded. They did not want their sparse resources drained but the constant disagreements on how to handle the situation delayed any action.
August 6, 2146 marks the date when the majority of the human settlements were finished. The Martian landscape was dotted with domes made of 4 foot thick glass, harboring large cities that stretched for miles. The colonies were flourishing. The economy was booming and the scientific and technological achievements were vast. Many of the cities on Mars resembled the cities of Earth. There were shops, restaurants, businesses and apartment buildings lining the walkways. Of course, like earth’s cities, there was also crime and illegal activities. On Mars, a strict gun policy had been put in place, allowing no firearms of any type. But with cargo ships arriving every week, smuggling did occur and a countless amount of weapons found their way to Mars.
January 26, 2147 marks the date when the Martians finally attacked. However, their attack was somewhat of an accident. This first encounter took place when a group of miners unintentionally drilled straight into an underground Martian city. The 36 miners were attacked and killed almost immediately by the Martian soldiers’ sharp blades and spears. Soon after, the Martians realized that the air composition, pressure and radiation of their planet was still habitable for their species.
That day marked day one of the, “Bloody Massacre” an all-out assault on every human civilization on the Martian surface. The assault lasted only 4 weeks and ended with the death of all of the colonists. The Martian soldiers greatly outnumbered the humans 13 to 1 and it didn’t help that the majority of the colonists weren’t armed. The Martians, being a fairly curious, adaptive and intelligent species, taught themselves how to use the smuggled human weapons only 2 weeks after first contact. Within three weeks they had already learned how to operate human vehicles, equipment and other items. The Martians also quickly learned that the humans cannot survive on Mars without protective gear or equipment. The Martian soldiers used this to their advantage and utilized human explosives to create large cracks in the protective domes harboring the human settlements.
Back on Earth, shock and awe was felt by all. After constant debate and disagreement, a decision was made. The U.S., China, Russia and the U.K. decided to donate volunteer soldiers (and draft them, if necessary) to the United Nations to combat the Martians. The total amount of soldiers received was approximately 10,000. Money was taken from the World Bank to help fund the effort as well. The soldiers, affectionately called, “Dust Devils”, went through brutal training exercises to prepare for the harsh Martian conditions. Finally, in 2156, the soldiers were sent to Mars to take revenge on humanity’s new enemy. The 16 ships, concealing the Dust Devils, finally reached Martian orbit during the year, 2159.
To Be Continued
Stealing Mars
Thomas Miller
Introduction
During the years between 2102 and 2146, humans had begun to colonize Mars in hopes of achieving a life better than what Earth could offer. The vast impact humans have had on Earth’s environment brought forth many new issues and reawakened old ones. The idea of colonizing Mars excited everyone. Many wanted to be a part of the mission in some way and those chosen to be the colonists (mainly scientists from various essential fields) were extremely optimistic. It was a fresh start, as if all of the problems of Earth could be simply erased and humanity could finally set certain things right.
This colonization effort was achieved mainly by the United States, Russia, China, Japan and the European Space Agency (accompanied by donations from several other countries and countless private organizations). The countries collaborated with each other in order to conquer such a magnificent aspiration. By cooperating, the various countries were able to create more effective equipment and vehicles at half the cost.
It is now the year 2159 and all 11,366 colonists are now dead.
Unbeknownst to humans at the time of colonization was the fact that Mars was, in fact, already inhabited with intelligent life. These Martians relocated underground long ago to escape their seemingly dying planet’s harsh new conditions. They did not risk ever returning to the surface for fear of the air’s composition being changed among other potential disasters. During this period of change, Mars’ seas began to recede. Before going underground, the Martians took with them 98% of the planet’s water. These Martians were also herbivores and fed off of the primitive plant life that existed on the planet at the time. They took nearly all of the plants underground with them.
When humans began colonizing the apparently barren and desolate planet, they alerted the Martians right away. The leaders of the Martian race were in constant debate of what to do. To them it appeared as if their planet was being invaded. They did not want their sparse resources drained but the constant disagreements on how to handle the situation delayed any action.
August 6, 2146 marks the date when the majority of the human settlements were finished. The Martian landscape was dotted with domes made of 4 foot thick glass, harboring large cities that stretched for miles. The colonies were flourishing. The economy was booming and the scientific and technological achievements were vast. Many of the cities on Mars resembled the cities of Earth. There were shops, restaurants, businesses and apartment buildings lining the walkways. Of course, like earth’s cities, there was also crime and illegal activities. On Mars, a strict gun policy had been put in place, allowing no firearms of any type. But with cargo ships arriving every week, smuggling did occur and a countless amount of weapons found their way to Mars.
January 26, 2147 marks the date when the Martians finally attacked. However, their attack was somewhat of an accident. This first encounter took place when a group of miners unintentionally drilled straight into an underground Martian city. The 36 miners were attacked and killed almost immediately by the Martian soldiers’ sharp blades and spears. Soon after, the Martians realized that the air composition, pressure and radiation of their planet was still habitable for their species.
That day marked day one of the, “Bloody Massacre” an all-out assault on every human civilization on the Martian surface. The assault lasted only 4 weeks and ended with the death of all of the colonists. The Martian soldiers greatly outnumbered the humans 13 to 1 and it didn’t help that the majority of the colonists weren’t armed. The Martians, being a fairly curious, adaptive and intelligent species, taught themselves how to use the smuggled human weapons only 2 weeks after first contact. Within three weeks they had already learned how to operate human vehicles, equipment and other items. The Martians also quickly learned that the humans cannot survive on Mars without protective gear or equipment. The Martian soldiers used this to their advantage and utilized human explosives to create large cracks in the protective domes harboring the human settlements.
Back on Earth, shock and awe was felt by all. After constant debate and disagreement, a decision was made. The U.S., China, Russia and the U.K. decided to donate volunteer soldiers (and draft them, if necessary) to the United Nations to combat the Martians. The total amount of soldiers received was approximately 10,000. Money was taken from the World Bank to help fund the effort as well. The soldiers, affectionately called, “Dust Devils”, went through brutal training exercises to prepare for the harsh Martian conditions. Finally, in 2156, the soldiers were sent to Mars to take revenge on humanity’s new enemy. The 16 ships, concealing the Dust Devils, finally reached Martian orbit during the year, 2159.
To Be Continued