Blue Sky of Mars

by Christopher R Wills

  Jethro set his headcam to record on infrared and opened the door to the room. It was dark but not black and it was warm. Jethro noted that the door was labeled Power Room, so this was where the power for the Research Base was generated. The only light was from status and warning bulbs on the panels of the power plant.

  Jethro could see the Squid because it was glowing. It glided around the room as if it were in pleasure. Was it glowing at the warmth from the power plant? It was changing colors, orange, yellow, green, blue and two purple colors and then it recycled the colors again but not red; it didn’t glow red until Jethro moved and it registered his presence and then it pulsed red as if to warn him to keep away.

  Jethro kept his back to the wall and his gun raised so that if necessary, he could kill it instantly. He had a bag with him but after the last time he had no idea how he would capture it alive.

  What the hell?

  Someone else entered the room. The Squid turned to face the intruder. Jethro saw that it was Doc.

  She will get herself killed.

  Jethro noticed the wings were stretching and frilling faster and he knew it was preparing to attack Doc so he leapt in front of her firing at the Squid as he did so. He heard more firing which told him others had entered the room.

  “Stop firing.” Jethro shouted the order. He was certain he had hit the Squid. “Lights on.”

  The room was flooded with light, which was overbearing for a short time until Jethro had adjusted to the brightness.

  He turned to Doc. “Are you OK?”

  She smiled at him. “Yes thanks. Sorry I shouldn’t have entered but my curiosity got the better of me.”

  “Good job you’re not a cat,” although Jethro felt that the scratch marks on his body might dispute that statement.

  Doc pushed past him to look at the Squid.

  “Careful. I’m not sure it’s dead yet,” said Jethro.

  “Oh, I think it’s dead Jethro.”

  Jethro looked at the floor area in front of him and saw that Doc was right. The Squid was blasted to a hundred pieces scattered all over the floor and beyond.

  “Jethro? Would it be possible to have all the pieces collected and taken to the lab next to my office?”

  “Sure.” Jethro gave the order.

  As they collected the remnants of the Squid and removed them, Jethro collected the remaining four scientists and told them that the Squid had been found and killed and that there was no evidence of any other aliens in the base. He also told them to prepare to evacuate back to Earth. He could feel the relief as he told them.

  He told Walker to take the Polar Tractor and visit the team repairing the Methuselah and report back with how they are getting on. Then he went to Doc’s laboratory.

  She had the bits of Squid laid out on a large bench in the center of the lab and was finishing assembling the pieces together like some macabre three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle.

  “We appear to have the whole Squid but there’s not much shape left of it.”

  Jethro could see. Most of the arms and the two tentacles were still in one piece as was the beak but the body or head bit was a mush of jelly like stuff with little form to it.

  “I can take samples and run some tests on them. It might give us something.”

  “How long will the tests take?”

  “How long have we got?”

  “Depends on how the repairs on the Methuselah are going but as soon as that’s ready we’re off. I don’t want to stay here any longer than necessary.”

  “No problem. I’ll prepare some samples to take back to Earth.” Doc busied herself with her work.

  “Is there anything I can do?” asked Jethro.

  “Thanks Jethro but no. I’m working. I’m fine. I need to get this done.” The moment was well and truly over.

  “OK.” Jethro left Doc to it.

  But as he headed for the door.

  “Jethro?”

  He turned back.

  “What blood type are you?”

  Jethro knew but just in case he looked at his dog tags. “O Negative.”

  “That’s brilliant.”

  “Why?”

  “O Negative is the universal donor and you carry the anti-virus in your blood. That means I can take some of your blood and give the anti-virus to everyone.”

  “That sounds like a lot of blood.”

  “Not really. Only a small test tube per person.” Doc was smiling.

  “It might only be a small test tube to you but to me that still sounds like an awful lot of blood.”

  Doc laughed again. “I’ll take some now to start the vaccinations.”

  Jethro grimaced.

  She is a vampire.

  “Don’t tell me big hero soldier boy is afraid of needles.”

  “I’m not afraid of needles, but I wouldn’t invite one round for Christmas.”

  “Sit here and roll your sleeve up. I’ll try not to hurt you too much.”

  Jethro wasn’t convinced. He was beginning to think she enjoyed hurting him. But she was true to her word because Jethro looked away through the whole process and he barely felt anything.

  “You’ve done this before. Ever thought of going into the medical profession?”

  Doc smiled. “I told you I wouldn’t hurt you. I’ve taken two test tubes which should give me enough for everyone at the Research Base.”

  “How long will it take for me to recover?” Jethro held the sponge to his wound.

  Doc was already preparing to inject herself. “You’re OK now, maybe ninety-nine percent. I didn’t take much blood so it it may only take a week or two for your red blood cells to replenish.”

  “Why are they important?”

  Doc injected herself before Jethro could turn away. “It’s the red blood cells that carry oxygen to your lungs so you may not quite be at peak physical condition for a week or two.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What’s wrong, Jethro?”

  “I was wondering how wise it is to allow myself to be weakened whilst on a mission.”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be OK. Just no serious physical exertion for two weeks.”

  “Oh, you mean…”

  “Yes. That’s exactly what I mean.”

  Jethro began to wonder if this whole blood taking thing was planned. He wouldn’t put it past Doc to have had the idea before they… and then delayed it until after.

  “Can you send everyone, including the scientists to my office, I’ll prepare the vaccinations. The sooner we get them done, the sooner we have more carriers of the anti-virus.”

  “What about those working on the Methuselah?”

  “I’ll take some vaccinations with us and I can do them when we get on board.”

  “Thanks Doc.”

  chapter 23

  Jethro toured the Research Base to ensure that the scientists were preparing to leave.

  Walker returned with a report from the Methuselah.

  “Not ready yet sir.”

  “How long?”

  “A few more days. It’ll fly but it won’t get us into space for another day and it may take up to three days to repair the heat shields so we can enter the Earth’s atmosphere.”

  “Thanks.”

  A few more days was time they didn’t have. The Research Base was not designed for defense.

  Jethro gave the scientists an ultimatum that their stuff must be ready for transfer in three hours. Anything else they wanted to take to Earth would be hand baggage only.

  He went to check on Doc. She was working in her lab.

  “Found anything yet?”

  She smiled at him. “Yes. I’ve found what a bunch of wusses you and your brave soldiers are when it comes to a needle.”

  “You could have made a vial to drink, like what Colonel Baskerville gave me.”

  “I don’t have the equipment to extract the anti-virus from a sample of your blood.”

  “Did you learn anything about the alien?”

  “Come
and look at this.” Doc moved over to a microscope. “Look at the screen.” She pointed to a large monitor that was attached.

  Jethro saw a blurry grey screen with a load of small blobs and dots swimming about in it. “What am I looking at?”

  “See these dots?” Doc increased the magnification to reveal that the dots were also blobs, tiny blobs. “They’re the anti-virus.”

  “Yes.”

  “This is the alien blood. They already carry the anti-virus, which means somewhere somehow somebody else has got hold of an alien to have been able to get the anti-virus to put in that vial for you.”

  “So?”

  “Jethro. You were given the anti-virus on Earth over three years ago.”

  The gravity of what she was saying slowly began to sink in.

  That meant aliens were already on Earth preparing for an invasion and they might have been there for over three years. Who knows what they have achieved in that time?

  “We need to get back to Earth as soon as possible.”

  “Jethro. I’m frightened.”

  “So am I Doc.” Jethro took her hand. “We do what we have to do.”

  She squeezed his hand back. “You’re right Jethro.”

  “How soon can you get all your stuff packed up and ready to move?”

  “Two hours maybe. Why?”

  “We’re moving out to the Methuselah today whether or not it’s ready. I want us sitting on that craft strapped in at the minute they complete the last weld. We don’t have a moment to lose. Do you need any help?”

  “A hand would be good.”

  “I’ll send someone in.”

  Doc looked disappointed.

  “I need to be out there pushing everyone and making sure we’re ready.”

  “I know.”

  Jethro knew too. There was a time and a place, and this was not the time nor the place.

  Nobody was ready for the sudden move to the Methuselah. They only had one snow tractor, the other being already at the cavern so there would need to be two trips. Jethro insisted that the four scientists make the first trip. He wanted Doc to go too, even suggesting she could start vaccinating the rest of the team, but she wasn’t having any of it because she wanted to wait for the results of more tests on the alien tissue they had gathered. So only Fraser, himself and Doc were left at the Research Base until Walker returned in the snow tractor. That would be at least two hours.

  As the snow tractor left, the weather report was the same as usual at the South Pole, dark, the temperature well below zero, windy and driving snow and the immediate forecast was dark, the temperature well below zero, windy and driving snow. At least it would hinder the aliens if they turned up and Jethro was hoping the weather might delay a possible attack.

  Jethro knew the aliens would come. Everything he had seen about them so far suggested they had superior technology which meant they could probably adapt to any conditions; it was just a matter of time. He hoped he could get the Methuselah off the ground and into space before the aliens came, then they might make it back to Earth.

  But what kind of reception will we get?

  They had trained Jethro to be patient, but it didn’t make him enjoy waiting. Doc was wrapped up in her tests and wanted him out of the way, Fraser was looking out for the return of the snow tractor so Jethro had nothing to do.

  He went to inspect the only part of the Research Base he hadn’t been to yet because it wasn’t important and he hadn’t enough time. There was a large bio-dome at one end of a leg where all the food was grown using aeroponics. Jethro had never seen an aeroponics system before and had only heard of it because his dad had talked about setting up a system in the old chicken sheds they no longer used at the farm.

  He entered the bio-dome and noted that the place looked more like a laboratory than a greenhouse. There were rows and rows of plants individually growing in clear plastic tubes. Each plant was growing through a hole in the tube so that its roots were inside the tube being constantly sprayed with a fine mist of water and nutrients and the green part of the plant was on top of the plastic tube so the fruits were accessible. Not only were there rows and rows but also there were rows on top of rows extending up to close to the roof of the bio-dome.

  The whole growing structure was like a massive library of plants and it was managed from a control desk. Jethro looked at the control desk and saw that the screen showed a command “select plant”. He selected “tomato” from the touch screen. The next command was “select age”. He had a choice of “seedling”, “flowering”, “fruits developing” and “ripe”. He selected “ripe” and as soon as he selected it he heard a sound behind him.

  He turned to see the rows of plants rotating and shifting up and down. When they stopped a small robot on tracks with forklift arms wheeled into the middle somewhere and returned to him with a short length of the clear plastic tube with three tomato plants growing from it. Three ripe tomato plants.

  Jethro loved tomatoes and looked around guiltily as if he was doing something he shouldn’t and picked two small between orange and red-colored tomatoes. He took a bite of one.

  It was delicious. Sweet firm and juicy.

  He looked over the whole aeroponic system.

  Dad would love this.

  Jethro recorded some film of the control system and a tour of the whole dome. He was looking forward to showing Dad and Mum this. If he ever got home.

  Barp. Barp. Barp. The lights in the bio-dome flashed.

  Something was wrong.

  Jethro ran from the bio-dome towards Doc’s lab. He saw Fraser on the way.

  “What’s going on?”

  “The aliens are attacking sir. And there’s a lot of them.”

  “Get your suit and helmet on.” Jethro looked at his watch. An hour until the Snow Tractor returned. “I’ll get Doc. Head for the Snow Tractor Garage. We’ll meet you there.”

  chapter 24

  Alice: “Just time for one more story, Ted.”

  Ted: “Shall I do the one about cruises?”

  Alice: “If you’re OK with it, yes. At least it’s news.”

  Ted: “I’m OK. The travel industry reports that since the release of the film Kraken, bookings for cruises have sky-rocketed and there are not enough ships to fuel the demand.”

  Alice: “That’s strange, Ted. I would have thought demand would go down. You said that film Jaws caused beaches to empty when it was released.”

  Ted: “I think the difference is that when Jaws was released everyone knew sharks were real. So the threat was not imaginary.”

  Alice: “So people are rushing to book hoping to see an imaginary beast that could kill them all?”

  Ted: “Sounds strange when you put it like that Alice. Maybe we should get a shrink… sorry about that, a Psychiatrist in the studio to explain this to us.”

  Alice: “Good idea Ted. So that was the World News for today. Remember people, unlike other news channels we deal in facts. We don’t make this up.”

  chapter 25

  Jethro ran to the lab where Doc was working.

  Bang.

  Behind him Jethro heard a big explosion and was thrown to the floor. The automatic airlock doors closed behind him. When he got to the lab Doc was already throwing stuff into her briefcase.

  “We have to go,” Jethro said as he closed her briefcase. “Get your suit and helmet on.”

  She grabbed a suit and started putting it on, Jethro grabbed one too.

  Bang.

  Another explosion that rocked the lab and knocked things off the shelves and onto the floor. Jethro took Doc by the arm and examined her helmet. It was on OK.

  The lights in the research center had gone out, but there was emergency lighting so they could just see where they were going. All the emergency airlock doors had operated. Jethro stopped by a wall map to see which was the quickest way to the Snow Tractor Garage. He made the decision that the shortest route was to go outside.

  Bang.

  Both Jethro
and Doc were thrown to the floor but not harmed. It sounded like the Martians were systematically destroying the entire base which meant outside was probably not the best route as they might meet. It would also take them out of the minimal security the Research Base offered them and exposed them to the Martian Winter.

  Come on Jethro make a decision.

  Jethro helped Doc get up and brushed some dust from her suit and face helmet. He tried to speak to her through the suit communications but it wasn’t working so he gave her a thumbs up. She repeated the gesture but her eyes gave away her true feeling of fear.

  Jethro put the briefcase in her hand. He made sure his gun was set to maximum power, then with his free hand he pulled Doc towards the outside airlock beside her office. She resisted and wanted to go the other way. Jethro shook his head then pulled her to him and gave her a hug and before she could react, he pressed the airlock door and as soon as it opened he pulled Doc into the airlock.

  When the inside door shut, Jethro opened the outside door. There was a snowstorm and it was dark, which was perfect. Mars’ strongest winds were only around sixty miles per hour and because of Mars’ thin atmosphere the effect was very weak and wouldn’t blow them over as that speed might do on Earth. But it blew the snow around, which might help hide them as they made their way towards the Snow Tractor Garage.

  Jethro couldn’t see the garage but he knew which direction he was heading. He could see the Research Base initially as they worked their way around it. Or he could see the remains of the Research Base because domes and legs were completely missing and, in some places, only ground ruins remained. Jethro hoped Fraser and Chang had made it out of there.

  When they reached the ground ruins of Leg Charlie, Jethro turned out with his back to the leg and pulled Doc with him. The Snow Tractor Garage was about a hundred meters away from the Research Base.

  The Research Base was expanding and therefore expecting a new dome and two new legs when the summer came. They were meant to attach to leg Charlie, which is why the Snow Tractor Garage was adrift from the Research Base by a hundred meters; it was to accommodate the new extensions when they arrived. They would need a lot more than a few extension legs and a new dome by the summer.