THE MARTIAN SCARECROW

by IMAN K. F.

  “My travel date was set, leaving me a week to say goodbye to my few friends at the refugee center, pack my belongings, and enjoy my last few days on Earth. Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to share any information about the job with my friends.” I pause, wondering how they would’ve reacted if had told them I was going to become a human Scarecrow. Most probably would’ve been confused, but I bet some would’ve been excited, and a few jealous. “I wish I could’ve told them all about my job. I was so excited that I’d get to visit another planet, and experience travelling in the great FHX 35, which was a state-of-the-art rocket, equipped with five recoverable boosters.”

  “Oh man, I was also on FHX-35. It was amazing.” Lucas says.

  “Yup” I say with a smile. “So finally, the day arrived, and we left Earth at 3:45 PM on Feb. 19, 2054. Along with me was an amazing crew of A.I. robots and drones. As you probably know in the past, the trip to Mars took around six months, but due to the technology improvements, it now only takes roughly ninety days—depending on the position of Mars relative to Earth. Our trip took almost a hundred days, but I heard the group who’d left earlier had made it in just under three months, since they took advantage of Close Approach.

  “The trip was the experience of a lifetime for me. It probably doesn’t seem as exciting to you since nowadays tons of people have experienced space travel. I even hear short trips using space to pass between countries are becoming more popular, as reliability has been very good, and cost has come down. Back when I lived in New Persia I heard business executives were the ones who initially supported the brilliant idea. The travel—just like most industries—has been focused on marginal changes for so long. Who would have thought we would be able to travel through space to go from one part of Earth to another, and save significant time, not to mention the amazing sight-seeing? This is the type of new idea I was talking about which makes a fundamental change and impact on our lives. It’s a no-brainer that the market will eventually shift more and more towards this travel option, especially for longer distances. Who doesn’t like to take advantage of being able to save significant travel time?”

  “It’s true. I wish I’d invested in the idea myself,” Lucas mutters. “Be a millionaire by now.”

  I laugh quietly. “I’m so glad I got to experience the view from outside Earth. I mean, of course we’ve all seen what it looks like in photos and holograms, but seeing it from above was so surreal. The balance of the blue ocean, with white clouds crossing over them. A scene I will never forget. I mean, that’s the planet I was born in; its gravity held me in place all those years. Seeing it like that made me feel like I was leaving everything I knew behind. A bittersweet goodbye. I was going to a strange place to start something new, and was hopeful for a brighter future, but at the same time I knew I’d miss my home planet.”

  “It is a strange feeling, isn’t it? I was excited, but at same time uneasy about leaving our motherland,” Lucas admits. “What’d you do during those three months of travel?”

  “Well, I tried to keep busy enjoying the fun stuff, like having no gravity, and conducting simple, yet entertaining experiments.”

  “Oh?” Lucas asks, eyebrows raised. “What kind of experiments?”

  “I’m sure you’ve probably done them all yourself in your trips, or have seen videos about them. For instance, at times I let my beverages droplets and food float before eating them; I also moved around the rocket by flying and spinning freely. It was a unique experience, even if the journey was a bit too long. I’m glad I at least had some company. Most of the drones and robots were on standby, but some were monitoring and cleaning the rockets systems. I interacted with a few of them quite a bit, even though those specific units didn’t have enhanced built-in social skills. They were meant more for construction and development work, and were going to join the forces helping to expand the colony’s infrastructure on Mars. Although lacking personality, they had access to a lot of knowledge, and were pretty intelligent. I took the opportunity to ask them as many technical questions as I could think of, but I have to admit, I was already becoming impatient by the middle of the trip. So I started to take sleeping pills to help time pass. Eat and dump, that was my day.”

  Lucas chuckles.

  “Towards the end of the trip my excitement started to grow again. As we got closer and closer to Mars, the view of the red plant became more vivid. Not as impressive as Earth, but still beautiful in its own way.”

  I pause and bring both my rusty-looking hands up to my eye level. I stare at them and say jokingly, “I love the color of Mars so much that I wanted my skin color to match it.”

  Lucas, not knowing how to react to my comment, awkwardly semi-smiles, but doesn’t say anything. So I continue.

  “I was a little worried about the landing, but it went perfect. I was expecting some sort of last minute failure that would make us to go to extreme measures to survive, like you see in the movies, but it was nothing like that. After all, smart humans, with the help of intelligent computers, have developed products that are well-designed and reliable.

  “So we descended on the landing pad, and before leaving the rocket I put on my space suit. We boarded an electric transport that sort of reminded me of a high-tech monster truck, and headed towards the colony, which was just a short distance from EMCC, the colony’s center. I remember bouncing along, staring at the red world around me in awe, hardly able to believe I was actually travelling across Mars’ surface. I couldn’t feel or smell much in my spacesuit, but the sight alone was enough to leave a lasting impression.”

  “I had the same feeling,” Lucas says.

  I smile to acknowledge his comment. “I took a look at the compound as we got closer to EMCC. My first impression was awe at the series of dome-shaped buildings along with the couple rectangular ones, interconnected via narrow corridors. Most of the buildings were made of solid white composite sheets, along with partially transparent panels to usher in the natural light. I am not sure why I am giving you all this information; it’s not like you haven’t seen this yourself,” I chuckle and then continue, “anyways we were greeted by group of people We were greeted by a group of humans upon our arrival at the center. Soon after, I got to know pretty much everyone. At the time we had a human crew of fourteen, and about three dozen robots and drones, but more people joined as the colony grew. Working towards the goal to make EMCC as self-sustaining as possible, solar panels were installed all around the EMCC exterior. Long, electrically heated rods were placed in the ground, which helped melt the frozen water layers that were discovered under Mars’ surface. Then the melted water was collected in sumps and pumped to EMCC electrically. As you probably know about 96% of Mars’ atmosphere is carbon dioxide. Advanced oxygen generators were used to turn that into oxygen and carbon monoxide. And as part of our sustainability plan, the farming had also started, which was where my Scarecrow job came in. Fertilizers were brought initially from Earth, and at EMCC human waste was also collected to be used as future fertilizer.

  “When I first arrived, the farming process was in its early stages. Drones had already planted the seeds, and robots had finished installing the water distribution system. It was an amazing start, but obviously it was still going to be a long journey before the colony would be fully self-sustainable.

  “Everyone was inspired: we all knew what we were working on was something noble. For the first time, I truly felt good about myself. Even if my job was going to be fairly basic, I would be contributing to this critical initiative, something that could eventually become the only chance of survival for our race. My future seemed promising. I finally had a purpose and a plan, and I’d made up my mind to work as hard as I could. As weird as it might sound, I wanted to set the bar for future Scarecrows. I thought, maybe even one day I could develop my own program for upcoming Scarecrows. I was even thinking about writing a book. I’d already picked a name for it: ‘The Martian Scarecrow.’”

  “Sounds like a great
idea,” Lucas says.

  ”Thank you, I just wish I’d had time to write it,” I reply. “I figured Scarecrows could very well become a legitimate job in the future and, as a pioneer, it would be important for me to share my experience. And sure, maybe I was getting a little carried away, but I am telling you, I was all in.”

  “If you’re gonna do something, do it well,” Lucas says.

  “Exactly,” I reply. “So I got to know my two counterparts, Luiz and Soraya, right away. Luiz was from South America, and was a fairly chill guy. He was also a refugee, and pretty dang smart. He had become a whistleblower on a major company, regarding their unethical environmental acts, which ended up costing his employer heavy penalties, and ultimately, bankruptcy. From what I recall, the company had been receiving significant government funding to clean up water pollution, but instead of using that money to better the environment, they began paying groups to introduce even more pollution, just so they could keep the funding coming. Can you believe that? Poisoning the environment in exchange for funding that was specifically for decreasing pollution?”

  “Greed is a powerful motivator,” Lucas responds.

  “It’s depressing people think like that,” I say. “So while Luiz was still with the company, he uncovered these shady dealings. He spent a lot of time contemplating his options, but eventually decided to share what he’d uncovered with the government. Because of this, the company ended up going bankrupt, and a lot of people lost their jobs. Hence, Luiz ended up with many enemies. Even received a few death threats. Eventually, the situation became so bad that he had to flee the country. His story went viral, and the U.S. government offered him refugee status.” I pause, recalling Luiz’s goofy laugh and big smile. Always trying to make others laugh with him. “Poor guy’s body defense mechanism wasn’t very strong, though. He didn’t last long.”

  I see Lucas’ eyes widen inside his mask, but I wave a dismissive hand. “I’ll tell you about it later. Right now I want to talk about my other counterpart, and the love of my life, Soraya.”

  Saying her name instantly reminds me of her gorgeous face, her perfectly tanned skin, and her sweet, sweet smile. Tears build up in my eyes, and slowly slide down my cheeks. I stare at Lucas’ eyes and say, "Soraya is a jewel—that’s also what her name means. I miss her so much, Lucas. Promise me that you’ll keep her name anonymous in the piece you’re writing. Her identity needs to stay protected.”

  “I promise,” Lucas says without any hesitation. His tone and facial expression show a genuine sense of empathy. I breathe a sigh of relief, eased by his response.

  I wipe my tears and take a few deep breaths as I try to push my deepest pain back inside. “We had this spark between us, something I never experienced with anyone else in my entire life. She is beautiful not only on the outside, but also the inside. A kind and caring soul, but at the same time she is one tough lady. Soraya has worked hard her entire life.”

  “Tell me about her,” Lucas says, and pushes a button to turn off his recorder.

  I smile, give him an appreciative nod at the gesture. “Well, she was born in Morocco. Had a difficult childhood. When she was only five, she lost both her parents in a car accident. After that she was taken to foster care, where she was soon adopted by a young couple. Unfortunately, after a few years, her new family fell apart once again as her foster parents decided to get separated. Soraya ended up getting caught in the middle of a custody battle, and suffered enormous emotional distress. Due to the mother’s history of drug abuse, her foster dad ended up winning custody.” I clench my hands as the words pour out, my heart sad, thinking about what she’d been through. “Soon after he won custody, Soraya’s dad fell into alcoholism, and became abusive towards her. During her teenage years, she was beaten regularly, for any tiny thing not to his liking. Other times for no apparent reason at all.”

  “Poor girl,” Lucas says, shaking his head.

  “Once she finished high school, she found a boyfriend who was about ten years older than her. Thinking life would be better anywhere away from her foster dad, she decided to move in with him. Then she landed a job as a cashier at a local grocery store. Things were finally looking up, but that only lasted for a few months. For some incomprehensible reason, her boyfriend started to become abusive as well. She put up with it for a few years, but things progressively got worse. It got to the point that one day he chased her with a knife, accusing her of being unfaithful. My guess is he was somewhat bipolar. It’s the only reason I can possibly think of for someone to treat her like that, especially if you knew Soraya. The knife incident was the last straw, and she finally decided to leave the country. She had inherited some savings from her biological parents, and similar to my case, she found out about the Vendettas through a friend. They got her to America.”

  “What a relief,” Lucas says.

  “I’d seen her in the refugee center a few times, but never had the guts to talk to her. Plus, I was so stressed about finding a job that I barely had a chance to focus on anything else. Luiz, Soraya and I barely knew each other, despite the fact that we were in the same compound. I’m sure if we’d been feeling secure and stable, things would have been different, but our time was limited and we needed to give it our all to secure a future. Safety and security are essential needs for everyone. Without those in place, how can anyone possibly focus on anything else? But once all of us had found jobs, we began exploring our other needs.

  “The three of us were in weekly rotating shifts, split between morning, afternoon and night. For example, I’d do night shifts for a week while Luiz covered mornings, and Soraya the afternoon. Then the week after we’d all rotate. At the beginning Soraya and I casually hung out after or before our shifts, but it quickly became clear that we had a thing for each other. We just had so much in common. Both of us were excited about our futures, and ambitious to build a better life. She was more socially open than I was, and I loved it. She would light up any room, wherever she went. In just a matter of a few weeks, we’d already grown fairly close. I frequently sacrificed sleep so I could spend more time with her. The emotion and physical attraction between us was undeniable, but there was an issue: sex was banned between scarecrows.”

  “No way!” Lucas says looking surprised.

  “Tell me about it,” I say. “But in our contracts it was clearly stated that sex was forbidden. The way I understood it was that Xsociety wanted to eliminate any chance of pregnancies for Scarecrows. The job’s physical demand would be impossible for pregnant women, and since they wanted to be fair to both genders, they had banned us from having sex with anyone in the colony. We could kiss, but couldn’t take it any further. Luckily, we had a virtual option. Soraya and I had hologram sex sessions with each other many times. Obviously it lacked physical touch, but satisfied our needs—at least to some extent. We spent our days planning the most romantic getaway we could imagine, as soon as we had finished our Scarecrow jobs.”

  My voice softens as a sense of longing hits me. “I still fantasize how amazing it would have been to make love to her. Whenever we hugged, kissed, or even simply held hands, it felt like tons of energy was being transferred into my body from her. You can’t imagine how hard it was hard for me to break her heart, but I had no choice; I had to do it.”

  Lucas crosses his arms, looking down into his lap. “Life’s not fair. I wish things would have worked out for you. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, both physically and emotionally. What you’re still going through…” His voice trails off.

  I pause, studying him. He seems lost in thought. Maybe overwhelmed now that he knows more about my past. But I don’t want him to feel sorry for me. Sure, I’ve been through difficult times, but it is a path I chose. I am sharing my story so that maybe in the future, somehow, my story will help someone.

  CHAPTER 6

  A few more seconds pass in silence. I fake a cough to get his attention. Finally, Lucas lifts his head, and nods at me to show he’s re
ady to go on. .

  “It was hard at the beginning,” I say, “but I’ve made peace with it the best that I can. I’m glad I got to experience genuine, romantic love, even if it was just for a short period of time. My uneventful Scarecrow shifts were more bearable knowing that I would get to spend time with Soraya afterwards.

  “When Luiz and Soraya first arrived on Mars the seeds had just been planted, and when I got here we were still in the early growing stages, mostly of potato crops. The entire farm was enclosed and sealed with protective walls to retain the supplied air by the oxygen generator units. The rectangular farm building had a high ceiling—about thirty feet or so. The colony’s plan was to grow some fruit trees inside in the future, so they’d made the walls tall enough to accommodate their growth. The side walls were made of the same material as the rest of the buildings, and had large windows. Its fully transparent roof faced the sky, allowing sunlight to shine in during the days, and made for a beautiful view of the stars at night. The lights were mostly kept off during the day and kept dimmed at night to reduce electricity consumption. Our smart glasses worked well in low light, and even enhanced our vision. The soil and atmosphere conditions were controlled to optimal temperature and humidity.