Colony Three Mars (Colony Mars Book 3)

by Gerald M. Kilby

  Jann looked down at an object on the workbench that Nills had been working on. She recognized it. “That looks like a part of Gizmo.”

  “It is. I’ve been working on him for a while… off and on… when I get the time.”

  “Him?”

  “Ah… just doesn’t feel right to call Gizmo an it anymore. I think he’s earned the right to have a more personal pronoun… don’t you think?”

  “Do you think he can be rebuilt?”

  “Yes, eventually. But, how much of the old Gizmo remains…” Nills gestured with a shrug, “…it’s hard to know. His personality had been built up from countless interactions and experiences over a long time. I won’t know until I finish how much is lost.”

  Jann picked up a charred component. It was a small square CPU, like a flat plastic millipede. Its outer surface coated with black soot, many of its pins were bent and broken.

  “Is this from the old Gizmo?”

  “Yeah, it’s toast now.”

  “Can I have it, as a memento?”

  “Of course.”

  There was a brief, awkward silence as neither knew quite what to say. “Are you ready to leave now?” was the best Nills could manage.

  “Yes, they’re waiting for me.”

  He stepped closer to her and held her arms. “I’m going to miss you around here.”

  She pulled him closer and hugged him tight. It was clumsy in a bulky EVA suit. They stayed like that for a moment until Jann pulled back her head. “Not too late to come with me.”

  “No, we’ve been over that. It’s a bad idea. I’m a clone, remember. It would be a freak show back on Earth. No, this is your gig. I would serve no useful purpose.” He smiled. “Anyway, who’s going fix up Gizmo… and build all the machines that AsterX have ordered?”

  “I know, Nills. But I had to ask, just one more time.”

  “Ahh… I’m sure the gravity on Earth would probably kill me anyway.”

  “Yeah, it’s not something I’m looking forward to.”

  “You’d better go, don’t want to miss your flight.”

  She was silent for a moment as she looked at him. “I have to do this, Nills. I have to go.”

  “I know.” His voice was soft. “I always knew the sol would come when you would have to go home.”

  She lowered her head. “I’m not sure where home is anymore, Nills.”

  “Earth is your home, Jann.”

  “It was my home, now… I don’t know.”

  She kissed him and broke away. “Remember me.”

  “You can count on it.”

  She walked out and tried not to look back. Jann kept her head down and pushed her way to the waiting rover. The rear airlock door was open. Dr. Foster and Goldswater were already inside. She stepped in and turned to wave back. A cheer went up. She sat down inside as the door was closed. The engine started and the rover lurched through the main entrance airlock and out onto the Martian surface.

  Jann wept. No one spoke.

  28

  Earth

  Those on Earth that were infected and had survived would now have the same physical benefits that Jann and the colonists on Mars had, fast healing, longevity. They would presumably be the new elite. The bacteria had been eradicated but she had no doubt that samples had been saved and stored in labs all across the planet. How humanity would deal with the consequences of this event would be for historians to report. As of now, though, it was just speculation. Interestingly, those that had gone mad and were now free of the infection, gained none of its benefits apart from being simply normal. Of those that the bacteria had not driven insane, it had varying degrees of reaction. Some descended into the same depressive state that had affected some of the colonists, and became listless, even suicidal. But even those that had come out on top displayed varying degrees of biological alteration. Some healed quicker than others. These quirks of the infection had only become evident on Earth as the sample size was far greater than that of Mars. So now patterns could be seen.

  Speculation abounded as to how this event could alter the course of human evolution. Was this the point were the genus of Homo sapiens forked and diverged, with a kind of new super race branching off from its root? Who could say? But there was no question that things would ever be the same again. It was estimated that, at its peak, over fourteen million people had been infected. A significant number, but still less than 0.2 percent of the global population. Of that number, a significant portion had been radically altered biologically, upward of four million, and another six million to a lesser degree. The big question now was, could this superhuman trait be passed on, could it be inherited?

  These were not the questions that occupied Jann Malbec’s mind as she sat in the back seat of a very large, black, bulletproof SUV. Ahead of her and behind her were similar vehicles, all packed with government security agents and support personnel. Overhead she could hear the ever present thut-thut of a chopper, waxing and waning as it circled overhead. In the front passenger seat an armed agent sat on high alert, eyes darting this way and that, sometimes talking into his cuff, sometimes pressing the discreet earpiece closer to his eardrum.

  Sitting beside Jann, who was now referred to as the Martian Envoy by the various officials, dignitaries and press, was Ms. Teri Denton, a high-ranking AsterX executive, who had been assigned to look after her. In reality that meant fending off the hordes of press, media and lesser mortals who wanted a piece of her.

  From the moment that Jann landed back down on Earth, Teri had been glued to her side like a growth. And even before Jann had spoken her first words to the ground crew, Teri was answering for her. From that moment on it was clear that a battle was starting. On one side was Teri Denton, on the other was pretty much the entire world of press, government officials, media institutions, scientists, advocacy groups, lobbyists, celebrity agents, brand managers, commercial interests, hawkers, hustlers, fans, fanatics and straightforward crazies. She fought them all off with the help of a backroom team of well groomed professional stonewallers. Nothing got through this perimeter defense system that didn’t meet the exact criteria set by Teri.

  Outside of this ring of steel were even more defense systems, radiating out in ever increasing circles. So, to gain access to the inner sanctum, one would have to pass through a series of tests, each one more intimidating than the previous. The prize, if one succeeded, was an audience with the Martian Envoy, Dr. Jann Malbec. Few managed this herculean feat. And Jann was very glad of that.

  Such was the zeal that Teri exhibited in her role as guardian of this precious resource, that she was always on the alert—and ever present. So much so that Jann was pretty sure that, if not for the fact that it may be viewed the wrong way, Teri would have slept in the same bed as her.

  However, her role also extended to making sure that Jann had whatever she wanted. And what Jann really, really wanted was to pay a visit to her old family farm in El Dorado County, California. So Teri had made it happen. Not an easy task considering it seemed to involve mobilizing a security team to rival that of the U.S. President.

  She couldn’t just fly there and rent a car like a normal citizen. Her fame had denied her that. Nor could she simply do what she wanted anymore. Every tiny detail of her life had somehow become seismic. What she ate, how she slept, where she went, what she watched, how she looked—particularly how she looked. Nothing was sacred, nothing was spared. She couldn’t even stand and look out a window or her photograph would be on every media stream in less than five minutes. It was like living in a fishbowl. She had swapped one enclosed, encapsulated environment, that of Mars, for another, that of celebrity. And like Mars, moving outside the protection of the bubble could be perilous.

  The speech had gone well. Crafted to touch on all that was necessary, hit all the correct points. It was like some ancient diplomatic acupuncture, it soothed the body politic, delivered with minimal pain and maximum effect.

  But what most animated the world’s media was not the su
bstance of the address, nor the seismic event that this moment in the UN represented for humanity. No, what garnered the column inches and screen space was her dress. A flowing scarlet number, replete with full length cape, accentuating her form, highlighting her mystique and captivating all to the point of distraction—which was the whole purpose of it. It was brand Mars: conceived, contrived and designed by Rachel and her team, it was meant to convey a mystical, otherworldly aura, and it achieved it in spades. Particularly with the addition of a tiara that looked like it might be capable of receiving a direct transmission from Mars. But this was all optics, designed to give everyone something to talk about that wasn’t substantive. It was like a TV talent show, UN style. Nevertheless, how she looked mattered more than simply creating a distraction. After all Jann was now in her forties, yet looked like a fresh-faced twenty-five-year-old. She was the physical manifestation of the power of the bacteria to alter human biology

  Jann glanced out the side window of the vehicle. They had been traveling for quite some time on a narrow two-lane blacktop, twisting and turning their way though the vineyards and ranches of El Dorado County. This stretch of road was cutting its way through a forest of pine. Every now and again the tree-line would abruptly end and the land would spread out in rolling hills planted with vines. All about was green and verdant and bursting with early spring life.

  The agent in the passenger seat touched his earpiece, nodded to himself and swiveled his head around to Jann. “ETA in two minutes, ma’am.”

  “I hope it’s not going to be another freak show.” Jann directed her statement at Teri.

  “Shouldn’t be. It’s not an official visit, all on the QT.”

  Jann looked out the side window again but this time she directed her gaze upward into the Northern California sky. “Assuming you’re not counting the flotilla of news choppers that have been following us since the airport.” She had counted four earlier on.

  “Don’t worry, they don’t have permission to land. We’ll get you inside quickly.”

  “You know, if I open my mouth wide enough I’m sure the lenses they have could look right down my throat and see what I had for breakfast.” Jann took her head away from the window.

  “We’re here,” said the agent.

  They slowed down and turned off the road in through an arched gate. Above it, a sign read Green Mountain Crematorium. The driveway was long, and swept through a manicured landscape that would put the Augusta National Golf Club to shame. Up ahead, a row of low brick buildings came into view. The driveway opened out into a parking area. It was empty of vehicles, presumably cleared out by order of the security team. The motorcade moved up to the front entrance and came to a halt under the large canopy that protruded from the front of the building.

  Jann could see several people standing at the doorway, immaculately dressed, hands clasped in front of them, waiting to be introduced. She sighed, “Here we go again.”

  But before she could exit, the security piled out of the ancillary vehicles and took up predetermined positions, holding their earpieces, talking into their cuffs. Only when they were all happy could Jann, otherwise known as the package, be extricated from the vehicle and escorted into the building.

  Jann stepped out and was immediately beset by the funeral director and his wife, an elderly couple in their late seventies. She shook hands and nodded as they exchanged formalities. However, the last member of the welcoming committee she recognized. He was a good deal younger, in his early forties, short in stature with a strange scarlet birthmark extending from his left earlobe all the way down his neck, and under his chin to his Adam’s apple. He made no attempt to cover it up, at least not anymore.

  “Hello, Freddy. You’re looking well,” said Jann.

  He shook her hand and smiled. “Not as good as you. You look just the same as the last time we met. You haven’t changed a bit.”

  Jann laughed. “Looks can be deceptive, Freddy.”

  He gave a lopsided grin and he leaned in a bit closer to her. “I’ve been saying that very same thing to people for years.” His voice was soft, as if what he was saying was meant for her ears only. He stepped back and extended his hand towards the interior of the building. “Come, this way, everything has been prepared.”

  They walked in through the front door into a wide, marble floored atrium, its tinted glass roof casting a kaleidoscope of colored light around the space. They moved to a large private office off the atrium. It was thickly carpeted with a wide oak desk dominating the central position. Around it were spaced several comfortable chairs. It was where the rituals of death were discussed as options in taste and affordability.

  Sitting in the center of the desk was a modest urn. It contained all that remained of Dr. Jann Malbec’s father.

  Mr. Turlock took up his position behind the desk and placed a hand on the urn. “As requested we have extracted your father from his… resting place in the mausoleum.”

  Jann looked at him for a moment. “Thank you. You’ve been very kind. If you don’t mind, though, I would like to conduct this business with just Freddy—for old times’ sake.”

  Mr. Turlock looked crestfallen. He looked over at his son and like a fallen warrior passing the baton to his heir, he deflated and smiled. “Of course.” He stepped out from behind the desk.

  Jann swung around to the retinue of handlers and security agents. “Alone, if you don’t mind.”

  Security staff talked into cuffs and Teri’s face reconfigured itself into a look of utter rejection. She was being cast adrift from her charge. Her reason for being no longer wanted her around, albeit for just a few minutes.

  “Certainly,” she answered. “By all means, take as much time as you want.” They were ushered out the door leaving Jann and Freddy alone. There was a moment’s silence. “Drink?” said Freddy

  “Really? You have alcohol here?”

  “It’s not against the law. And, well… a lot of people who come and sit in here, really need a stiff drink. It helps to get them through it.”

  “Yes, I see what you mean. What have you got?”

  He opened the door to a cabinet concealed behind the desk and lifted out a half empty bottle of Chivas Regal and two glasses. “Whiskey okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  He poured two glasses and then produced a tray of ice, from a freezer underneath the desk. Jann dropped two ice cubes in her drink as Freddy sat in the chair opposite her. They raised their glasses and clinked. Jann sipped her drink, sat back and looked directly at Freddy. “I’m trying to remember the last time we saw each other. It was graduation day, I think.”

  “Yeah. Long time ago now.”

  Jann looked around the room. “So you never did anything with your college degree?”

  “I worked for a while as an intern for a lab up in Seattle. But, my father got ill so I came back to look after the business. I ended up staying, even after he recovered.” He gave a sort of shrug. “I know it seems a bit odd. Being a funeral director is not generally a career path for a biologist.”

  There was a silence for a moment as Jann cast her mind back to a simpler time, when exams were the only stress. She had never paid him much notice until their final year when they started to gravitate toward one another. He, like her, was a bit awkward, self-conscious of his birthmark. He kept to himself and had few friends. But, it was during some college get together that they struck up a conversation and realized they were from the same neck of the woods, and knew a lot of the same people. One thing led to another and Jann found herself waking up beside him the next morning. In the end, nothing really came of it and they went their separate ways.

  Freddy nodded at the urn that stood on the desk between them. “So what’s the plan?”

  “Take him back up to the farm and sprinkle the ashes into the stream that runs through the property. It irrigates the vines, so he gets to be part of what he created.” Jann touched the side of the urn. “It was his wish.”

  “Have you been back t
here yet?”

  “Not yet. It’s hard for me to do anything these days, without a major mobilization of troops.”

  “It’s in a bad way. I took a trip up there a while ago, just to see. Everything is either overgrown, running wild or dried out to a parchment. I’m afraid the house has been broken into a few times. But Sheriff Morton informs me it’s just souvenir hunters, nothing too serious.”

  They didn’t speak for a few moments and Jann realized that he was used to sitting here with people who needed a moment to compose themselves. So he kept silent as Jann thought about what she was going to do. She had been putting this off for a while, but her father had made this request in his will, so she felt duty bound to fulfill it.

  “Would you come up there with me, now, today?”

  Freddy thought about this for a moment, and hesitated. Jann put her glass down on the desk and leaned in. “It would be nice to have someone with me who…” she looked away and gazed out the window across the gardens. “Well… someone who I actually know.” She looked back at him. “Strange as it may seem, Freddy, but you are the closest thing I have to a personal friend on this entire planet.”

  He looked at her for a moment considering this request. “Sure, I’d be honored.”

  “Just so you know, as soon as you step out there with me, your face will be all over the news feeds in five minutes.”

  He smiled. “You forget, I’m used to people staring at me all the time.” He turned his face and raised his chin to best display the birthmark down the side. “I’ll make sure to present my good side.”

  “Thank you, Freddy. It’s hard to do this on my own.”

  “No problem. Doesn’t mean we’re dating though.”