The mars frontier box se.., p.26
The Mars Frontier Box Set, page 26
part #1 of Mars Frontier Series
Once Georgia had finished, a nervous Rashid tentatively asked, "What happens now?"
It was a simple question, but Georgia didn't have an answer. She looked at Megan for help but was met with a shrug of her shoulders. "We carry on. That's what our friends would want us to do. We all came here on a specific mission to prepare Mars for colonization and we will see it through, despite the adversities we have faced today as well as any new ones that will come our way." She meant the words but wasn't sure in her head how they would actually achieve it. That could wait for another day. The crew had no more questions and accepted the position.
"Doctor, can you come with me to the captain's quarters. We need to advise Ground Control of what's happened and the fatalities. I don't envy whoever has to speak with the families."
Once inside the captain's room, the two women hugged each other and sobbed uncontrollably, slowly rocking from side to side. Now was the time to mourn the losses.
Chapter 71
At exactly midday the following day, the Expedition Two crew assembled to bury their fallen colleagues and to pay their last respects. Two graves had been dug by the construction robots near to the cliff face just under one mile from Alpha Base. Everyone bowed their heads in silent prayer as the two bodies, wrapped in the flags of their native countries, were lowered into their final resting places.
Georgia, newly promoted to command for the rest of the mission, said a few heartfelt words about each of the men. Her epitaph for Captain Winter had come straight from the heart. She had not needed to prepare anything for him. Emily Pope had helped her out with words for Commander Anders as she hardly knew the man.
"Before we leave," she added. "I'd also like to take a moment to remember Chief Jim Grant. He may not be dead, but he is lost to us forever and will be missed as much as the captain and the commander. Jim fought as hard as anyone to establish our camp. I have a lot to thank him for." She paused so she wouldn't start crying again. "The three of them have left big shoes to fill. But I know that each of us is up to the task and I hope that you will support me as much as you did the captain. If I make mistakes, and I will, remember I'm not Captain Winter and am not trying to be. But I will do my best. Thank you."
The crew dispersed and trudged in silence to the MEV, leaving Georgia and Doctor Betts at the graveside.
"I would say congratulations on the command, Georgia, but I know this isn't how you wanted it."
Georgia took a long last look at Captain Winter's grave. A temporary marker with his name had been placed on the ground until they could make a more permanent gravestone. That's enough time for grieving, she told herself. Time to focus on the living again. With that she turned and started walking to her speeder.
"Command was something I never considered. Giving orders and taking care of everyone else's welfare was not part of my mission brief. Apparently General Stockton sees qualities in me that I wasn't aware of."
"I'm sure the captain would be proud of you. He saw you as a surrogate daughter." Doctor Betts stepped on to her speeder, as the last of the crew climbed into the MEV.
"Let's see how I do. I want him to be proud of what we achieve before Expedition Three arrives. There's a lot of work to be done, especially with only eight of us. Only then will I know if I was the right choice." Georgia fired up her speeder and set course for Alpha Base, with Megan keeping pace by her side.
"You're a popular choice with the crew. They've not shown it yet because of the deaths, but they'll be very supportive I'm sure."
"Thank you, Megan. I know you'll be overworked with counseling and your physiology research, but I would appreciate it if you could be my deputy. I value your judgment more than anyone else's here."
"You've got it." Megan gave her friend a beaming smile of encouragement. "We'll get through this together. Did Ground Control confirm if the Russians picked up Redmayne?"
Georgia could barely control her annoyance." Would you believe the Russians are denying all the accusations about their involvement with Redmayne? He wasn't working under their instructions or even in contact with the Andropov. They're asking how they could know that Redmayne was up on the plateau rather than here. Apparently, yesterday's flight was a trial run for their lander to shake out some system issues. They touched down briefly but went straight back to the Andropov."
"So he's dead."
"Officially he and Jim were killed in the same accident that killed the others. Neither side is willing to go public about the Sentinels. Personally, I think the bastard made it back to the Russian ship. Part of me wishes I'd killed him when I had the chance. I was tempted for a brief moment."
"You did the right thing, Georgia. I hope the Russians left him to die a slow lingering death as his air supply depleted, but people like that always get a lucky break. He'd better hope he never meets me again though."
"Either of us," Georgia said grimly. She noticed that the MEV had raced ahead of them and was entering the base. There was nothing urgent for her to hurry back for today. Anyway, gliding over the bumps and rocks at high speed wasn't as much fun without Jim.
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NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
For many people, whether or not science fiction followers, Mars symbolizes something more than simply space exploration. It offers a hope for the future of mankind. Perhaps that explains why, throughout history, people have granted the Red Planet a unique part of our collective consciousness, and why so many of us are obsessed with finally colonizing it.
While not the closest planet to Earth, scientists have long considered Mars to be the planet that most resembles Earth. This familiarity continuously fuels our dreams that the Red Planet could one day sustain human life. With its days about forty minutes longer than on Earth, snowy polar caps, and relative proximity, Mars is realistically a suitable candidate for building a permanent human colony. As Earth’s limited natural resources dwindle, the thinking is simple: if Earth isn’t giving us what we need, maybe space will.
I remember, growing up in the late sixties and early seventies, the enthusiasm and belief that the success of the Apollo space program was merely a steppingstone to vast cities orbiting the Earth and human colonies on the Moon, Mars and beyond. Like millions of people, I dreamed of one day becoming an astronaut, experiencing weightlessness and even walking on another planet.
Fifty years later and I think my time has come and gone. The realities of political indecision and budgetary constraints mean that humanity’s space ambitions have stalled in low earth orbit.
Thank goodness for commercial entrepreneurs who have taken up the mantle on behalf of mankind. Visionaries such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos who have strong ambitions to take mankind into the solar system. While I’m not fooled into believing their motives are solely altruistic, they are creating a path to the stars.
A future beyond Earth.
Creating the characters and settings for the Mars Frontier series is the closest I will get to the Red Planet. Having read countless science fiction authors and watched almost as many sci fi movies and series, it’s finally my time to offer my version of what could happen once humanity finally makes the giant leap to Mars.
When writing the Mars Frontier series, I researched the science behind a human journey to Mars. I wanted the story to be based on what is technologically possible, using the physics we know and understand. That includes the effects of gravity on physical objects and humans, growing and cultivating food sources, rocketry and how to manufacture propellant on Mars to enable return journeys. In places, I have had to take some liberties to advance the story. And, of course, who knows what technologically advanced alien civilizations have developed.
So these are some of the facts I’d like to share with you.
The energy needed for transfer between Earth and Mars orbits is at its lowest every twenty-six months. Previous missions, such as the Mars Rovers, have been scheduled to coincide with one of these launch windows. With the energy constraints of our most powerful rockets, and the need to minimise the journey time, these twenty-six-month launch windows will continue for the foreseeable future.
Using current technology, the lowest energy transfer to Mars is a Hohmann transfer orbit, which would take about nine months travel time from Earth to Mars, about five hundred days at Mars to wait for the transfer window to Earth, and a return travel time of a further nine months. Shorter Mars mission are possible but would require significantly higher energy to leave Earth orbit and to slow down on arrival at Mars.
For the Mars Frontier series, I’ve assumed a high energy transfer time of about one hundred and twenty days. I’ve also taken into account the twenty-six-month cycle for missions and this is roughly the gap between Discovery and Incursion.
I chose Hellas Planitia as the location for Alpha Base because of its depth relative to the surface of Mars, allowing more time for incoming spacecraft to slow before landing. It’s one of the largest known craters in the Solar System and is thought to have been formed approximately four billion years ago, when a protoplanet or large asteroid hit the surface.
The altitude difference between the rim and the bottom is over thirty thousand feet. This means the atmospheric pressure at the bottom of the crater is the greatest anywhere on Mars, suggesting that liquid water could be present under certain conditions of temperature, pressure, and dissolved salt content. For obvious reasons, water is essential for the sustainability of a Mars colony as well as for the manufacture of oxygen and rocket propellant.
Some of the most interesting aspects of Hellas Planitia are estimates of large ice deposits below its thick layer of regolith in the East, large, delta-like alluvial fans spreading into the North of the basin, has fairly diverse surface features and is large, covering near-equatorial to near-polar latitudes.
These facts about Hellas Planitia are also its potential drawbacks as a base for human settlement. Sites of geological interest are far apart, its micro-climate conditions are tough and, because of the relatively larger atmospheric pressure, winds are stronger and dust storms last longer.
Geological structures such as the lava tube I’ve used as the location for Alpha Base were first recognized upon examination of Viking orbiter images in the 1970s. There has been increased interest in the identification and investigation of lava tubes because they could present scientists with information regarding the geological and, maybe, the biological history of Mars.
As gravity on Mars is only about thirty-eight percent that of Earth, Martian lava tubes can be much larger than seen on our own planet. They could be an essential necessity for the long-term protection of astronauts against deadly ionizing radiation and offering a more hospitable closed environment.
Despite the challenges of any potential colonization attempt, it’s clear that humankind has a better chance of survival if we diversify across multiple planets. And while there are explorers who believe there’s something better out there beyond the atmosphere, and billionaires willing to fund them, our passionate love affair with Mars is unlikely to cool soon.
INCURSION
Book 2 of the Mars Frontier Series
Chapter 1
The experience of riding her favorite chestnut pony, Conkers, through the woods just west of Denver was exhilarating to Georgia Pyke. She always liked to return here to get away from the stresses of modern life. The cold, crisp air took her breath away beneath a cloudless blue sky. Hidden birds sang and chirped, creating a soothing background music. The brown and russet leaves a sign that autumn was arriving early this year. Georgia couldn’t remember being so relaxed as she gently swayed from side to side, safe in the knowledge that Conkers was familiar with this route. She'd been riding him since she was thirteen years old and he'd been the best birthday present her parents ever bought her.
She did, however, consider the distant glass spire standing taller than the mountains seemed out of place in the woods. Its glass windows reflected the mid-morning sun like an ancient lighthouse guarding the rocky shores. It looked oddly familiar, but she couldn't remember where she'd last seen it. As she stared more intently, she could see tiny craft buzzing around the spire, with some of them landing on the sheer sides. How was that possible? As she considered the problem, the sound of an approaching alarm interrupted her thought process. Why was there a siren in the mountains?
Blearily, Georgia realized that the morning alarm had wrenched her from the tranquility of her aunt's ranch in Colorado. She was still in her quarters in Alpha Base, laying on her bunk in the dark. The dream had been so vivid that she yearned to plunge back into it. Begrudgingly, she rolled out of bed, switched the light on in, looked at her reflection in the mirror and groaned. "You look like shit!" she scolded herself.
The dark bags under her eyes, together with the increasingly unwelcome number of crow's feet, made her look ten years older. An explosion of spots covered her deathly pale skin. Her hair was wild, unkempt and desperately in need of some styling. It was the first time in months she'd taken a good look at herself and the reflection in the mirror shocked her at how fatigued she now appeared. Why had no one mentioned anything to her? With the imminent arrival of her brother, Jackson, on the Lexington, it desperately required drastic action. And that meant makeup! Georgia made a mental note to speak with Megan for some tips.
The last two years living and working in the enclosed environment of Alpha Base had clearly taken a toll on her. She couldn’t recall noticing the rest of the crew looking as ragged as she now did. Perhaps she'd not been paying them enough attention. That would need to change if she wanted to create a good impression to Mars' new arrivals.
After shaking copious amounts of red dust from her hair, Georgia made her way to the crew common room where the rest of the team sat waiting for her. The room looked empty with only Joe Mancuso, Megan Betts and Rashid Qadir. Endeavour had departed for Earth less than a week ago and it was hard to reconcile that there were now only four of the original twelve astronauts who had landed on Mars. Georgia put on her best fake smile and said, "Good morning, guys. Time for the final inspection. Is there anything anyone wants to add before we start?"
She looked around the room expectantly, but no one replied. Now that she took time to notice, they were all as weary and untidy as she was. All except Rashid, who still smiled and looked as enthusiastic and smart as the day she had first met him on Earth at the start of mission training. "Okay, in that case, let's move out."
First stop was the canteen area, next to the common room. Joe had been responsible for this area so there were no surprises that the room looked spotless, with all chairs neatly pushed under the tables. Ration boxes stood neatly stacked on one side of the room and there was no shortage of food. Most of it belonged to the deceased Captain Winter, Jim Grant, Tom Redmayne and Grace Cooke and remained largely untouched. For Georgia, it still seemed wrong to eat food prepared for one of her fallen colleagues. But it could be a useful resource in the event of a disaster. She hoped that they would never be in that situation, even though the odds weren’t exactly favorable.
Joe stepped forward. "All appliances are fully operational. I have topped the freshwater tanks up, replaced filters, and tested for purity and mineral content. You can see the situation regarding ration packs," he said, nodding towards the far wall. "The only items we're running low on are coffee and powdered milk but there are about forty days' supply of each. I've cross checked all inventory on the computer systems and the only discrepancy was three packets of Orio's from Grace's rations."
"I confess. It was me," said Megan, sheepishly. "They were urgent medical supplies."
"No need to guess who the patient was," laughed Georgia. "I can't believe you didn't share them with me."
"It was an emergency," Megan insisted, with her sweetest smile.
"If you'll let me finish," Joe added. "We do have some fresh salad items from hydroponics, and I'll be gathering another crop in two days. So overall, we're in a good position. Especially when Expedition Three arrive with their supplies."
Georgia smiled encouragingly. "Thanks Joe, we want to make our new guests as welcome as possible. Good job."
The team made their way back through the common room and down one level via a spiral staircase. At the bottom, Georgia opened an airlock door that led to the original lava tube. She was still astonished at how much engineering had been involved to seal the opening and line the cave with aerogel before pressurizing it. Now, the crew could walk about without the need for environmental suits. Overhead lights and an array of heaters created a warm and welcoming environment. It made working so much easier and created an open space that didn't feel cramped or claustrophobic. The additional space had also dramatically improved the morale of everyone.
After twenty yards, the lava tube opened up into a large cavern containing the science labs, aquaponics and living quarters. The next stop on the tour was the new living quarters. They had been created using the 3D printers and Martian regolith to create a structure that was two stories tall and could house fifty people comfortably in individual cabins. Capacity could be expanded in the future, but that was unlikely to be for another two years. Showers and toilets were yet to be installed with the existing facilities still located in the old inflatable modules.
Again, Georgia was fascinated with what she saw. Although she had visited the living quarters during their construction, she had yet to move in and she had not seen the individual rooms in their completed state. As base commander, her quarters were currently in the new part of Alpha Base, below the control room, and she appreciated she'd have to make way for her incoming replacement. She made a mental note to put her name on one of the new rooms. She deserved first pick, after all.
