Lunara: The Original Trilogy

by Wyatt Davenport

  Up close, the farms lay in rows, extending in strips one hundred meters long, all aligned in perfect symmetry. Each strip waved gently as the wind caught the pool of green algae. The algae converted the carbon dioxide into energy for reproduction, and the byproduct of this photosynthesis was oxygen, which over decades would saturate the atmosphere and enable humans to breathe without aid. Stretching over the planitias, the farms, in only two hundred years, had created a situation in which people only had to wear a breathing mask on the surface. The algae erased the need for a full body suit, and scientists expected that within the next two hundred years, someone would be taking the first unaided breath on the planet.

  Eamonn recognized the lights from Trivium Port fanning across the horizon. Aethpis, the largest colony, faintly glowed to the northwest. The third and last major population on Mars, Zephyria, rested directly below the Protector. The Zephyrian colony consisted of five domes. Four smaller domes surrounded one massive dome in the center, with eight large towers encircling the entire complex. Just like the oxygen farms, each building was positioned to create a perfect symmetry. The rail track, the only irregularity to the symmetry, extended from the colony toward the horizon to Trivium Port.

  Eamonn leaned in his captain’s chair as Jan adjusted course to follow the tracks. They were almost there.

  Five minutes later, Trivium Port shone though the bridge’s window, causing him to squint. The enormous port’s structure nestled in the side of the continuous cliff separating the southern hemisphere, with innumerable boulders and highlands, from the northern hemisphere’s low-lying planitias. This location along the cliffs provided Trivium Port shelter from the violent windstorms, elevation for the spaceships on takeoff, and, in the past, a strategic advantage over the raiders. With the raiders now gone, the six main landing platforms stretched out along the last of the planitia floor, bordering the vast collection of oxygen farms.

  "Lunara mining ship, Protector," a voice called over the radio. You are cleared to land on platform seven. Coordinates are transferring."

  "I read you, preparing now," Eamonn replied.

  High up on the large superstructure, a small platform jutted out the side of the cliff. Two giant spotlights turned on them, guiding their approach. He pointed, but Jan was already firing the repulse engines.

  After a quick maneuver to adjust the ship’s orientation to the cliff, she gently landed the Protector on the pad with a slight jolt as the landing gear fought back.

  Eamonn closed his eyes for a long moment. A single face captured his mind. Madelyn Green. He would make her proud this time.

  The crew prepared to depart as a landing party assembled near the ship. Of their party, only Gwen was accustomed to such a regal welcome. She made sure she pulled her shoulders back and stood erect. Through the portal, diplomats and security guards from the Zephyrian and Aethpisian delegations stood in formation. Gwen’s father and Minister Cortez were dressed in their formal suits, which were completely buttoned up, with crisp, clean lines. Diplomat Sarah Cortez, who was Gwen’s equal, being the minister’s daughter, wore a light blue tunic and dress skirt, cut tight against her torso and wrapped around her neck down to her waist. The skirt ended at upper thigh level, and below that she wore dressy thermo pants. It was a practical and yet sophisticated outfit usually worn by Aethpisian female diplomats. Sarah somehow always made Martian practicality look more elegant.

  Consul Peter Reilly, Consul Marcus Black, and several mayors from Zephyria— James Arton, Robert Arbuckle, and Jennet Lang—stood in suits, along with numerous others Gwen did not recognize. She concluded from their dull grayish-red attire that they were aides. She looked all about for the one person she wished to see the most, and she found her a moment later, off to the side—her best friend, Samantha Burns.

  She had met Samantha, one of her father’s top aides, at the Zephyrian Academy, where they had both learned all about diplomacy and how to run a colony. When she left for Lunara, she regretted leaving Samantha behind.

  Gwen felt eager. She fingered the ramp control pad, knowing that when the landing lights turned green, she would be the one leading the group out to greet the Martian delegation. Truly, Mars was her home. As soon as she passed through the hatchway, she, the diplomatic ambassador of Zephyria Colony, was the top official from Lunara. She even outranked Captain Eamonn Dalton. Her role as diplomat superseded her standing as a member of the crew, and with that responsibility, she needed to convey what had happened on Lunara and the urgency of bringing the attackers to justice. The pressure that was on her made her tense her shoulders.

  The light turned green, and she opened the hatch and walked down the gangplank from the Protector. When her foot first hit the platform, the first stride she had taken on Mars in almost two years meant more to her than anyone could have discerned from her rigid posture. A giddiness rushed through her, to her surprise. She hadn’t been expecting the joy of her return to overwhelm her.

  Eamonn and Seth followed behind her as she walked toward the waiting group. As they took a turn, Gwen saw Seth adjust his breathing mask several times. Gwen realized that after fifteen years, he had forgotten how cumbersome the mask was against his face, and the straps at the base of his neck would irritate him for a few days until he became comfortable with it again.

  As she came up to the welcoming committee, her dirty, sweat-stained Lunaran uniform made her self-conscious, but she held her poise. She always could. Her Zephyrian pseudo-royal status slowly came back into her awareness, and her father’s expectations pushed into the forefront of her mind. She had hidden those expectations from her mind for almost two years.

  Her father eyed her attire with his condescending stare that irritated her. She wasn’t one of his aides. None of the crew had brought a change of clothes when they left Lunara, and the dry shower didn’t provide the lasting freshness that was desirable for such an occasion.

  She nodded to him, soothing his disapproval. She could hear Seth’s boots shuffling up behind her.

  Seth’s shoulders tightened. The wind against his face whispered all the terrible memories of Mars. Mars wrapped around him like a boa constrictor; the barren nothingness of the rock formations along the surface lay in wait, the harsh atmosphere tightened around his throat, and the politicians extended their fangs that were dripping with reassuring words intertwined with deceit.

  As he stood there, trying to act as dignified as possible, he decided that he shouldn’t be in this group, but as lead pilot of the starwings, he was technically third in command. Ty would have told him, "Duty calls." He never liked these affairs, but it was too late now. Eamonn had ordered Jan to stay aboard and make sure no one tampered with the Protector or any of the data logs until the captain had a firm understanding of what had happened. So Seth filled out the delegation from Lunara.

  He turned toward Gwen, obeying her orders to remain still until she introduced the group. The wind made her brown hair wave elegantly, and as she stepped forward, her face turned into a noble silhouette against the Martian sunset. She was Princess of Mars, and for the first time, he witnessed her royal status.

  A small man, dressed in a white suit jacket filled with pendants and other decorations, greeted them in a dignified voice.

  "Welcome to Mars, I am Minister Kaelin Cortez, minister of Aethpis Colony. This is my daughter Sarah Cortez and one of my top diplomats."

  He shook their hands firmly.

  Seth observed the man’s worn face speckled with age spots, something he didn’t expect in a man who in other respects looked about the same age as Ty. If Ty could see this minister, he wouldn’t grumble about his age, Seth thought.

  "Welcome to Mars," Sarah said and bowed. "I hope to make your stay as pleasant as possible."

  Sarah was a cordial-looking woman with a polished smile. Her olive skin was set against dark hair.

  "Thank you. I am Eamonn Dalton, captain of the Protector and head of the lunar mining operations." Eamonn offered his own bow to the woman.


  Seth had no doubt that Sarah Cortez had received the same training in diplomacy that Gwen had. Sarah’s poise made him feel as if he was flailing his arms as he stepped forward and greeted her.

  Gwen moved up to introduce her father to her colleagues. The chancellor had been waiting patiently behind the minister. The flags of Zephyria, a simple blue and gray vertical stripe, flapped in the wind to his side. "This is my father, Chancellor Damon Arwell of Zephyria, and I think everyone knows me here. These are my crewmen, Captain Eamonn Dalton and starwing pilot Seth Smith."

  They all exchanged greetings.

  "And this is Samantha Burns," Gwen said to her colleagues. "She is a diplomatic aide to my father and my best friend."

  "You know it isn’t proper diplomacy to introduce someone with personal affections, Gwen," Samantha said.

  "I might look the part, but I will never be a proper diplomat," Gwen countered.

  But Seth knew she was wrong. Her face had gained poise the moment she stepped up to the committee. She displayed an elegance and grace that he had not seen during her time on Lunara. The change in her took Seth aback. It seemed that on Mars, something glowed within her and fueled her confidence. What did she find on Mars that was so appealing?

  "I missed you," Samantha said with a welcoming smile. "We’ll talk later." She gave Gwen a hug.

  "Welcome back, Gwen," Chancellor Arwell said with a smirk. He turned to Eamonn. "I believe we met on the viewscreen. Come this way. I believe a tour is in order."

  Gwen grabbed her father’s arm. "Father, what about Lunara? Shouldn’t we take some action right away? Why are we touring?"

  "As I told you before, developments have progressed since we talked last time. Our communications with Lunara have been somewhat successful. The colony is back under our control. You can thank Minister Cortez and his security forces. We will talk more about it in the briefing. All is safe, I can assure you."

  They all looked at each other with quick glances. His explanation was too perfect.

  "If you had seen the force sent to Lunara, I don’t think you would be so casual about ‘somewhat successful’ transmissions. You need to confirm it without any doubt," said Seth, glaring into the unwavering eyes of the chancellor. "We don’t want to tour Mars. We want to talk with the people on Lunara and find out who did this to us."

  "Mr. Smith, I can see you are upset. The debriefing is scheduled in one hour. The nonaligned colonies must be given time to travel and review the preliminary information before we can present this to you or anyone."

  "What about Ty Falloom?" Seth said. "Did you speak with him when your fleet contacted you?"

  "I have seen communications from him, personally. He is fine and back in control of the colony."

  Seth stepped toward the chancellor. "Hold on a second. I don’t know what you are trying to pull here, but we want to speak with him right away."

  "Seth." Eamonn used his arm to push Seth back a full stride. "The chancellor gave us welcome news." He turned toward the delegation. "Our last few days within the ship fed our paranoia. You will excuse our zeal."

  "It is understandable," the chancellor said. "But the minister and his forces took back Lunara, I can assure you. The reports are clear. Please, allow us to show you our hospitality before the debriefing begins."

  "We would be honored," Eamonn said.

  Seth set his teeth. He found it hard to believe that the rescue fleet had been successful this fast. "Someone should tell the crew Ty is safe."

  "I’ll escort them to the meeting," Sarah said, approaching the group. "I can guide anyone from your crew down as soon as the Protector moves to the hangars."

  "Thank you, Miss Cortez." Eamonn waved Seth to proceed to the elevator and turned with the group toward it.

  Seth didn’t move. His eye caught the terrain below the platform. He was back on Mars, the place that had taken his mother and Chloe’s entire family. Was it still the same place as fifteen years ago? His gaze shifted toward the gangplank. Would Chloe be safe?

  Hearing footsteps coming up behind him, he turned to find Gwen grabbing his hand. With a smile, she said, "Come on, silly. She is safe here."

  "You are probably right," he murmured. "But I still have a bad feeling."

  Everyone fit into the large elevator. Seth stared in wonder through the glass-bottomed floor. The tracks wound down the side of the cliff. The view out of the window overlooked the entire port; all six platforms sprawled along the ground, the maintenance hangars stacked in columns and dug into the side of the cliff, and the main dome that was their final destination looming downward.

  "As you can see below, Trivium Port is very active. There is always something to do around here," Minister Cortez said, pointing to the farthest two platforms from the complex.

  Stirred by the minister’s voice, the whisk of diluted oxygen from the vents above tensed Seth’s shoulders. He never liked the dirty air. Mars had outlawed it for most circumstances, but some still existed.

  "Those two platforms are dedicated exclusively to ore shipments from the mines on the polar regions and Argyre Planitia, plus several other smaller mining facilities run by our governments. The closest is used for meteor stones. The rest are used for general traffic and private commercial businesses.

  "The main complex, which is encased in a dome, is mixed with the same atmosphere as Earth. Trivium Port is a joint effort between the Aethpisian and Zephyrian peoples. A half a million people reside here while another million shuttle in and out of the station every day using the Superhub. Trains leaving on the hour can take you to either of the colonies before that hour is over, and gliding along the magnetic rails, your ride is smooth and easy."

  "Mars has grown since I last visited," Eamonn said. "You should be commended for your work. The dome was only half built when I left."

  "When were you last on Mars?" Minister Cortez asked.

  "About five years ago. I used to run ice from the northern pole down to the oxygen farmers in this planitia."

  "The unstable ice shields of the northern poles, and now you mine meteors on Lunara," Minister Cortez said. "You are a risky man, Captain Dalton. Very exciting."

  "Atmospheric conversion is complete. You may take off your breathing masks," the elevator attendant announced to the group. "Prepare for departure."

  Moving cautiously, as the rest of the crew had, Seth took his mask off and hooked it to his belt. He breathed in deeply and was relieved to find fresher oxygen than their masks had supplied. The elevator started with a jolt, eventually twisting downward along the cliff.

  The group split off into smaller groups, and Eamonn and the minister engaged each other.

  "I just want to say, thank you for helping Lunara," Eamonn said.

  "Not a problem, the Aethpisian people are here to help."

  "What is the atmosphere like now? The terraforming project is of interest to me."

  "The scientists estimate it will take approximately two hundred years for it to be bearable without the masks. However, a mask’s oxygen converting filter can last up to one month, a full two weeks longer than when you were last on Mars. As a result, we are able to move farther around Mars each day."

  "Are the caves ready for tourists yet? The holotube mentioned something about that on our way in."

  "The Trivium caves are one of our best attractions. Since we installed breathing muzzles on horses, you can ride in luxury," the minister boasted. "We also pride ourselves on the arts in Aethpis, and we have many museums and theaters. You should come and enjoy our hospitality."

  Gwen nudged Seth, and he noticed the chancellor eyeing him.

  "So how do you like Mars?" the chancellor asked.

  Seth bristled. "When I was on Mars last, thieves and raiders controlled much of the territory away from the colonies, and politicians were in the pocket of many of the raider leaders. Old Zephyria was an unpleasant place for me. Gwen keeps saying Mars has changed, but I don’t believe Mars will ever change."

 
"Frankly, Mars was on the path to destruction. Ten years ago, after the war ended, Pierre Cortez, Kaelin’s father, split the government into two factions. Pierre didn’t want one controlling body over the people. With two colonies, we can grow and expand independently, with checks and balances on one another. The colonists rallied, and we built this society."

  "What motivates citizens to create the colonies?" Seth said. "No one does work without personal gain."

  "Most obvious, each colonist works for the common goal of survival of the human species, but they also work for personal goals. Each hour of service earns social credits for living conditions and luxuries. More social credits move you up the ladder in the colony to better quarters, more variety of food, and other benefits. All people are cared for, and we do not leave anyone, pardon the expression, out in the cold."

  Seth twitched in anger. That phrase, "We do not leave anyone out in the cold," struck a big nerve with him. He instantly flashed black to the nights he had spent with Chloe huddled against a heating coil in the vast, barren lands of Mars. He had survived many nights running from farm to farm.

  "Are you okay?" the chancellor said.

  "I’m fine. Please continue," Seth replied. "The oxygen mixtures are playing with me mind. My focus is sharpening, though. It’s been fifteen years."

  "I understand. As I was saying about the workers, no matter how little work they want to do. Almost everyone works because we share our resources, so making the colonies better is in everyone’s interest."

  "Father, Mars Medical came to examine Seth," Gwen said.

  Seth’s eyes darted to Gwen. he wanted to say, Would you shut up? but instead, he tried to block the reflex that stiffened his body as anger surged through him. Hans Bauer was harassing him, and he didn’t want it to become idle conversation. Gwen and Parker did a good job of blabbing about his situation to everyone on Lunara. The chancellor’s role in the government made Seth uncomfortable, and talking about his concerns to a government official didn’t seem smart—especially when millions of miles didn’t seem to be enough to buffer him from Mars Medical.