by Sean Devney
Walker thought,
It looks almost like Earth.
Yes. Our two worlds were very much alike. We spent much time on Earth. When our world was dying, many Martians went to Earth. You are coming home, in a sense.
Yes, I always wondered about that. What will happen when I arrive? Will you help me?
I can’t do much for you. They won’t allow it.
Who’s they?
The elders of our world. I will do what I can but you will be on your own.
I understand. Thank you.
Ka’al smiled and said,
You will have help when the time comes. Go back to sleep.
Ka’al raised his right hand and Walker awoke in the bed. Edwards turned over and said to him sleepily,
“Is everything all right, John? You were talking in your sleep again.”
“”Everything’s fine. Go back to sleep. I’m going to get some coffee downstairs.”
He kissed her and got out of bed and put on his clothes. He walked down a flight of stairs to a coffee shop. A robot brought him a cup of coffee and he sat staring at it. A moment later, Edwards walked into the coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee. She looked tired. She said,
“Is everything okay? What’s going on?”
“I’m in communication with a Martian named Ka’al.”
“What does he want?”
“I’m not sure. He thinks I can save Mars but I don’t know how yet.”
“Can you trust him?”
“Yes. He wants to help me. I don’t know why.”
“Please be careful, John.”
“I will. The ship is slowing down. It won’t be long now.”
They drank their coffee in silence. The captain came over the intercom and said,
“All right, folks, we are now dropping out of the wormhole. We will be arriving on Mars just a few hours ahead of schedule. Please get ready and ready to your seats. Thank you.”
Both Walker and Edwards got up and headed for their seats.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Walker sat down next to the android. The android turned and said,
“I still can’t break into their computer system. I don’t understand it. I’m supposed to break into any computer system.”
“Hmmmm….it doesn’t surprise me. Well, just keep trying.”
“Yes, I will. When I do get in, what am I looking for?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m looking for a connection between Rocco and the corporation. I want to know what’s going on.”
“All right.”
Walker felt the rockets in the front of the ship blast off but the ship was still flying too fast for a safe landing. He wondered what would happen. Just then, the captain came back on and said,
“All right, folks, we’re now approaching Mars. We will circle the planet until we can slow the ship down. As we circle Mars, you can see the Edgar Rice Burroughs Mountain Range, the Philip K Dick Mountain, the Ray Bradbury forest and the Great Spielberg Desert. There is a complete listings of all of the various mountains and parks in our computer system. Will the flight crew please prepare for landing?”
The ship slowed down as it passed over the red planet. Walker could see farms and lakes. Mars was almost the same size as Earth with a similar atmosphere thanks to the engineers and scientists. But Mars was still mostly a desert planet with deadly sandstorms. Walker saw a sandstorm on the video monitor. It was massive. Walker said, pointing to the storm,
“Wow! Look at that dust storm!”
“Yes, they are quite dangerous. The top speed can be as high as 250 miles per hour. At that speed, small pebbles and rocks can kill. We would not survive in such a storm if we were caught in it.”
“Thanks. That’s good to know.”
Walker saw giant mountain ranges, canyons, lakes and forests. Up ahead on the monitor was New Washington, the capital of Mars. There were other smaller cities around it, including New Tokyo, New London, etc. The population of Mars was 4 million people, according to information that flashed on the screen. The ship was slowing down and Walker felt giant legs drop from the ship and it landed softly just outside the Obama Spaceport terminal. Giant Hercules robots lumbered across the tarmac to begin unloading the ship. The captain came back on the intercom and said,
“Well, okay, folks, we’ve touched down at the Obama Spaceport. The outside temperature is 78 degrees with a nice wind coming from the southwest. There is a subway system that leads to New Washington in the terminal. On behalf of the crew and myself, I hope you had a pleasant journey and good night.”
People began getting up and moving around. Edwards walked over and said, with a smile,
“Hiya, handsome! Want a ride into town?”
Walker laughed and said,
“Yeah! That sounds great! Let me just grab my android and my suitcase!”
“Oh, there’s no need for that. I notified the ship that your suitcase will be sent to my apartment, so you won’t have to deal with the crowds!”
“Wow! You’ve thought of everything!”
Edwards laughed and both Walker and the android got up and followed her out of the ship and down a long tunnel to the main terminal. Edwards turned and said,
“Okay, we’re going to the parking lot to get my car. This way.”
They walked over to a bank of elevators and took one down to a huge underground parking lot. Waiting for them was a black police car. Walker said,
“What’s this?”
“This is, my dear, my police car. It has a computer on board that can talk, a solar panel on the roof. It drives itself anywhere you want and it can even repair itself! The only thing it can’t do is make coffee!”
“Wow. What will they think of next?”
Edwards said to the android,
“Joe, you can take over the computer system, can’t you?”
“Yes. I just did.”
“Fine. Joe, please open the car, please?”
The car doors opened and both Edwards and Walker got into the back and the android sat in the driver’s seat. Edwards said,
“Joe, take us to my apartment.”
The car put itself into gear and drove off. Edwards leaned over and started kissing Walker…..
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The sun was setting and the city lights came on. New Washington looked like an ordinary Earth city, complete with parks, streets and tall glass and steel buildings. There were construction cranes everywhere. The car drove itself to a tall apartment building and then drove itself down into a parking garage. The car parked itself and Edwards, Walker and the android got out and walked over to a bank of elevators. They took one up to the tenth floor and walked down a long hallway. In front of a doorway was a suitcase – Walker’s suitcase. Edwards smiled and said,
“There you go, John! Talk about service!”
Walker picked up the suitcase and Edwards pulled an electronic key from her purse and slid the key into a hole and the door unlocked itself and opened. As they entered, the lights in the apartment lit up. Edwards said,
“Welcome to my home!”
Walker looked around. The apartment was large and spacious and well furnished. He whistled and said,
“Wow! This is really something!”
Edwards said,
“And it costs less than half of what I would be paying on Earth! Everything is so much cheaper up here on Mars!”
She walked over to her bedroom door and opened it. Two cats ran out – one was black and the other was a calico. Edw
ards said, as she rubbed the cats,
“And here are my two boys! Did you miss me?”
The cats rubbed themselves up against her legs and purred loudly. They stopped and looked at Walker and then walked over to him and began rubbing themselves up his legs. Edwards said,
“Wow! I’ve never seen them do that before! They’re usually scared of new people!”
“Yeah, I don’t know – cats like me for some reason.”
He bent down and rubbed them and they purred loudly. Edwards said,
“John, you can put your suitcase into my bedroom. We’ll go out and grab something to eat and then I’ll show you the town. All right?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“There’s a really good Thai restaurant down the street. We’ll eat there and then take the car out for a spin. Shall we go?”
“Certainly.”
Walker put his suitcase into Edwards’s bedroom and closed the door. The android sat by a window, looking out. Edwards asked the android,
“Joe? Do you want to come with us?”
“No, that is not necessary. I”ll be fine.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Both Edwards and Walker left the apartment and Walker closed the door. Edwards said to Walker, as they walked over to the elevators,
“You know, Joe is so lifelike that I almost forget he’s a robot! It’s weird, isn’t it?”
“Not really. They’re making real progress in AI. One day, the robots will surpass us!”
“I can’t wait.”
They took an elevator down to the building entrance and walked past a robot doorman dressed in a black suit and tie. The robot said,
“Good evening, Ms Edwards!”
“Thank you, Rocky!”
The robot opened the door and both Walker and Edwards walked into the early evening night. Walker said,
“You know, this looks so much like Earth that I feel like I’m back home!”
“Yes, I know what you mean. Whoever designed the city obviously came from New York! The main street is Broadway and it ends at Washington Square Park and it even has an arch just like the real one! We even have a Central Park and a diamond district!”
“Amazing.”
They walked hand in hand down the street towards a cluster of shops and restaurants. Walker looked back and said,
“We’re being shadowed by someone.”
Edwards looked back and said,
“Oh, that’s just a corporation robot. They look almost human. They’re not as sophisticated as your robot.”
“Are they everywhere?”
“Yeah, pretty much. They are the ears and eyes of the corporation. They watch everything that goes on.”
“Do they arrest people?”
“No. They leave that to us,” said Edwards with a sigh.
“So, the corporation runs everything, right?”
“Well, not quite everything.”
“What don’t they control?”
“The weather!”, laughed Edwards.
Walker laughed and they walked into the restaurant and sat down to eat.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
They walked back to the apartment building and Walker took out his cell phone and called the android. He said,
“Joe, come down and meet us in the front. Bring the car.”
A few minutes later, the black car drove itself out front with the android in the driver’s seat. The back doors opened and Walker and Edwards climbed into the back of the car. The android turned and asked Walker,
“Where to?”
“To Sin City. I want to see what that looks like.”
The car put itself into gear and drove off down the street. Walker asked Edwards,
“Okay, so what’s the deal with this place? Who runs it?”
“Sin City is run by a man named Fat Sal and he works for Rocco. Prostitution and gambling are legal on Mars. Governor Ryan pushed the legislation through the Senate and it passed. Now, anything goes! It’s a shame. They’re getting away with murder!”
“Yeah, that’s the point. They want to turn Mars into a safe haven for criminals. This is just the beginning.”
The car drove down a street towards a Vegas like strip, complete with colorful lights and robot streetwalkers. Drunk people wandered the streets. The android suddenly turned and said to Walker,
“Detective? There’s a hostage situation going on at Adams Street.”
Walker said,
“Yeah? Take us there.”
The car turned around and headed back downtown. The street ahead was blocked off by a police barricade. A uniformed officer walked over to the car and said to Edwards,
“Oh, detective! I’m glad you’re here! We have a hostage situation going on up on the third floor!”
“Who’s in charge?”
“Detective Reynolds, ma’am! He’s over there.”
Walker, Edwards and the android got out of the car and walked over to a heavy set man with a rumpled face and watery gray eyes and thinning hair. He had a cigar stuck in the side of his mouth. Reynolds turned around and said, when he saw Edwards,
“Sam! Welcome back! We have two clowns holding some low level drug dealers hostage on the third floor. We’re waiting for backup!”
Edwards turned to Walker and asked him,
“What do you think, John?”
“Let’s see what the android can do. Joe, I want you to go upstairs and take out those two men and rescue those people. Got that?”
“Yes, detective.”
Walker said to Reynolds,
“Pull your men back, detective. The android will handle this.”
Reynolds looked at Edwards and she nodded. Reynolds said into a bullhorn,
“All right, you men! Pull back!”
Walker said to the android,
“All right, Joe. This will be your first taste of a real life situation. Don’t kill anyone. Understand? Good luck.”
The android walked across the street and entered the building. Then, a moment later, there was a shout, two shots were fired and then silence. A window opened and the android put his head out and said,
“It’s all right, detective! You can come up now!”
The three detectives ran across the street and ran up the stairs to the third floor apartment. Several cops followed them. Walker entered the room and saw two men lying unconscious on the floor in the middle of the apartment. There were five people, sitting against a wall, tied up and with gags in their mouths. Walker said to the android,
“Excellent work, Joe! Well done!”
Reynolds looked at Walker and asked,
“Who are you?”
Edwards said,
“This is Detective John Walker of the NYPD. He’s up here on Mars on a special assignment and this is his robot, Joe.”
Reynolds smiled and said, as he shook Walker’s hand,
“So, you’re the famous psychic detective I’ve heard about! Welcome to Mars!”
“Thank you. Well, I think we’ll let you handle this. It was nice to meet you, detective.”
The two men shook hands. Walker said to Edwards,
“I’ve had enough excitement for one day. Let’s call it a day.”
Edwards said,
“Good idea! Tomorrow, you’ll meet Chief Hernandez!”
They walked out of the apartment, followed by the android. They got back into the car and too
k off down the street.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
He awoke with a start. He was standing in front of an old wooden door with an old fashioned iron knocker. He reached for the knocker and pounded on the door. The door swung open and an old man wearing a colorful outfit and a warm smile was standing in front of him. The old man was human, with white hair and sharp blue eyes. The old man said telepathically,
Welcome, detective. This is my home – or rather it used to be a long time ago. Please come in.
Walker entered a courtyard filled with plants, a flowing water fountain and several chairs and tables. Walker turned and looked at the old man. He looked confused and the old man said, with a laugh,
Yes, John! This is me – Ka’al! I’m in my human form. We can change our shapes – or appear to. It’s all smoke and mirrors, as they say. Please sit down. We must talk.
Walker sat down on a wooden chair. In the background, a young child was crying. Ka’al said,
That was my grandchild. A baby girl. She just woke up from her nap. You are seeing the past, in a sense. She grew up to be a fine young woman. Now then – down to business. As I said before, we used to live on Earth for many years. We liked it before it was ruined. There was once lots of fresh water and clean air. It’s all gone now. That’s why you humans are moving to Mars. We understand that. When I lived on Earth with my family, we lived in New York City. We lived on East 63 St and I worked in advertising. I really didn’t like it all that much but it paid the bills. We looked human so no one bothered us. I miss coffee and ice cream. But enough of that. The council has been watching you people come to Mars and they don’t like what they see. They see a growing menace of violence and pollution and hatred. Man has not progressed very far, I’m afraid. For a time, Mars was clean but now, more people are showing up and they are making a mess of things. Now, we can’t stop you people from coming. It was inevitable. But people like Johnny Rocco and his gang are doing terrible things and they must be stopped! And we don’t like the Tyler Corporation – do anything to make money. They are one reason why the Earth is in such bad shape.