The Attempt (The Martian Manifesto Book 1)

by Bob Lee

  He heard a small thump behind him. “Let’s go, Chuck. I want to see what our baby has dug up,” Brad said.

  Charles walked over to the rover remote control desk. He saw on the monitor that the rover had stopped drilling, and a message light was flashing on the console. Charles typed a few commands to pull up the message. It read, “Depth, 2 meters. Ice detected. Recommend changing drill bit. Alternative action: utilize ChemCam laser.”

  “Chuck, use the laser. It will give us a quick chemical analysis and we can determine the water composition at this depth.”

  “Spoken like a true geologist, Brad. You don’t care if we zap any poor Martian microbes?”

  “Nah. The laser will be faster in determining if there are any chemical precursors of life. If there are, you can try to bring some samples up. Otherwise, we’re probably just wasting our time. I want to get over to that nearby crater to see if we can snag any meteorite fragments.”

  “Okay, Brad. That makes sense.” Charles issued the command to retract the drill, and moved the arm with the laser over the hole it had created. “Firing the laser now.”

  # # #

  “Warning, Warning, Threat Detected.”

  Probe Spit came to high alert. The hopper had discovered something. The hoppers had limited intelligence, but were good at what was required from them. Spit changed from the hopper audio feed to video surveillance and analyzed the resulting image with its neural processors.

  The creature nearby had multiple articulated appendages. Pointed instruments of destruction were located on some of them. It appeared that it also had optics attached at various locations. At the top, there was a dangerous coherent light attack weapon, which was what had set off the hopper alert. Spit switched the hopper video feed to infrared. Sections of the detected creature had very high temperatures compared to the surrounding terrain. ‘Possible heat weapon’ was added to the list of threats it was compiling. As Spit scanned the intruder, it noticed that the foreigner’s legs were composed of wheels and treads.

  Spit’s analysis was definitive: ‘Robotic, possibly intelligent. Most dangerous above ground.’

  It parsed the list of responses. “Yes, the electro-biosynths will do perfectly to handle this menace,” it determined.

  The factory had just completed the additional three hoppers, so these were dispatched to other sections of the crater rim to cover all approaches. The probe then released three more picograms of antimatter to the factory in order to create two of the response synths. There was still enough antimatter remaining to complete its mission and to create additional defenses if needed. The programmers had planned well.

  CHAPTER 6

  Shackleton Crater, China’s Baojia Moon Base

  Chief Scientist Li Julong stood in front of General Zhou Desheng of the PLA Air Force. “You sent for me, sir?”

  “Li Xiansheng,” the general started, using the formal method of addressing the scientist. The general had ensured that this meeting would take place in his office, where he sat behind an impressive desk on a raised platform. Since there were no other seats in his office, glowering down on the standing scientist would ensure proper respect. “We have been given a new mission from the home world. You will play a crucial role, and no errors will be tolerated.”

  “Yes, General Zhou. Have I not done everything needed so far? We have successfully completed the mass driver, and launched the first test packages into lunar orbit just this week. The incentives you instituted for the North Korean workers have been most persuasive.”

  Li Julong was, of course, referring to the carrot and stick approach that had been used on his charges. China had promised young and desperate North Koreans who had escaped into China full citizenship for themselves, their spouses and children in exchange for a one year work mission to the Moon. Once they reached the Moon, the Koreans were forced to work eighteen hour shifts. Some were tasked with building manufacturing plants to extract water from the Moon’s regolith. The water was used for drinking, and also split into oxygen and hydrogen for breathing and for fuel. Other Koreans were tasked with mining the regolith and creating ore which was converted into tracks for the mass driver. If anyone complained about the harsh conditions, the general had a tiny isolation chamber in the bowels of the Moon for the dissenter. Standing for hours in a cold dark chamber where the slightest movement under low G would allow the sharp Moon rocks to dig into you had an energizing effect on the Koreans.

  Chief Scientist Li Julong gazed out of the Moon-quartz window of the general’s office, looking down into shadow of the crater. He had lost many of his young Korean workers in accidents while they were building the mass driver at the bottom of Shackleton Crater. But the ends had justified the means. The spotlights outlined the beautiful sweep of the tracks as they ran along the bottom, and then curved up the gentle slope of the small central mound with an elevated ramp at the end. The perpetually shadowed bottom of the crater was the perfect place for a mass driver. Since the temperature never went above 100 degrees Kelvin, they could use massive superconductors to speed the launch packages along the track and up the central crater mound into orbit. And up here on the rim of the crater, solar panels were in perpetual sunlight ensuring power for the base and the mass driver.

  The scientist prepared himself for what was to come next. Many of the workers were nearing the end of their contracted time and were anxious to return to Earth to reap the benefits of their hard labor. They would not be happy. He turned back towards the general. “We are all ready to further honor China with our efforts. What is our new mission, General Zhou?”

  “The People’s Liberation Army needs a new show of force,” the general stated. “The Americans have started another set of war games with South Korea and Japan near the South China Sea. We need to remind Thailand that they are in our suasion. Our sources also have discovered that the Americans have reinstated their plans for a space defense shield. We need to demonstrate to the world that China’s power and technology is supreme. Now that the mass driver is completed, you are to launch packages filled with rocket fuel into Earth orbit. These will be used for missions to refuel our satellites, but we will also hint to the world that the packages could just as easily be ‘smart rocks’ that could bombard cities.”

  Li Julong breathed a sigh of relief. Launching packages was what he had been commissioned to do, and would not require any dangerous work other than the handling of the fuel. He was not surprised that the PLA wanted a launch mission towards Earth. They had been hinting for over twenty years that their future Moon base would have the capability to attack Earth from the high ground of space. Julong bowed to the general. “It would be my pleasure to demonstrate our new capabilities, General.”

  “But that is not all, Li Xiansheng. As you know, the Americans have a small base on Mars. It is regrettable that they were there first, but that matters not. What matters is that they have now launched a group of colonists. We cannot allow them to also have the first colony on Mars. Our honor is at stake. You are to select ten of your finest Korean workers to start a Martian colony. You must select five men and five women.”

  “But if the Americans have already launched their colony, won’t we be too late?” Li Julong asked.

  “Your fellow scientists on Earth have come up with an ingenious use for our new mass driver. The Americans are on a typical coasting trajectory, which will take six months to arrive at Mars. However, if we could send a ship under constant rocket power, the trip would only take one month, allowing us to arrive before the Americans. You will use the mass driver to launch packages of fuel which can be used to refuel the ship at multiple points along its path to Mars. The first package must be launched immediately, which will go into Mars orbit and be used for the landing on Mars. The rest can be launched later. The Korean colonists will depart in approximately four months. The full instructions for the launch packages and trip preparations have been sent to you electronically this morning. Later today we will be receiving from Earth elec
tronics and steering rockets for the fuel packages, which you will need to assemble.”

  “But how will the colonists get to Mars? We can’t launch people with the mass driver. They would be squashed by the huge acceleration.”

  “We will be launching the ship from Earth, and refueling it in Earth orbit with one of your Moon fuel packages that you send. The ship will land here, board the passengers and be refueled for the trip to Mars.”

  The chief scientist mulled this over. It did seem possible, especially since the short trip time would reduce the amount of food and water that would be needed on board the ship. “And where will the colonists stay once on Mars?” he asked.

  “Unbeknownst to the world, a number of years ago we secretly purchased the Mars One assets,” the general said. He was referring to the attempt by a non-profit organization to create a reality show style one-way mission to Mars by 2025 with four colonists. Eight months after its announcement, by December of 2013, over 200,000 people had applied for the mission, which was to be funded by media rights and merchandising. When the unmanned habitat that was to be their home on Mars had malfunctioned, thus delaying the mission, the organization had run out of funds. “We determined that the habitat they landed on Mars can be repaired, and that will be the job of the Koreans we send. Once it is fully functional, we will launch a mission with proper Chinese colonists,” the general stated.

  “Most of my workers’ contracts are expiring,” Li Julong said. “Why would they sign up for this?”

  “Oh, I think you will have no shortage of volunteers. We have a most generous offer for them,” General Zhou chuckled. “Given our alliance with North Korea, and that Kim Jong-un is having difficulties in Laos and is looking to make a grandiose statement, volunteers can have up to ten relatives and their families released from the North Korean prison camps. These relatives will be given full citizenship in China, and guaranteed mates, housing and jobs. They will also have no restrictions on the number of children they procreate for the next two generations. Oh, I think most definitely they will be fighting for a spot on the spaceship!”

  The chief scientist could see how this might work, preying on the weaknesses of his workers and their families. At least the experience that the workers received here on the Moon for the last year would provide them a fighting chance to survive. “I see that much thought and planning has gone into this audacious plan.” Li Julong bowed. “I, of course, am honored to make this new mission a success for China.”

  “Good,” the general said, waving his hand dismissively. “Go read the mission documents that were sent, and start gathering the people and resources for the trip.” General Zhou then leaned forward on his desk. “And don’t forget, Li Xiansheng. No mistakes. I and the world are watching.”

  The chief scientist bowed again as he backed towards the door. “Yes, of course, General.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Bonnie stopped in amazement as she entered her new lodging on the AB cycler. The whole room glittered in some sort of silvery metal. The apartment took up the entire end cap of the habitat, and had a large screen on the far wall which currently depicted a view of the surface of the asteroid. On her right was a padded wall with panels that opened. In front of her was a low silvery coffee table with candles and a fruit bowl. On her left, her daughters were performing slow motion jumps up and down on a couch.

  “Mom, isn’t this great?” her eldest daughter Jean laughed as she floated down for another jump. “I think we found the Taj Mahal!”

  Bonnie was too amazed to scold her children about jumping on the furniture. She walked over to the padded wall and pushed on some of the panels, which then popped open. One was a stocked snack bar. Another was a small area for food preparation, and a third was a small refrigerator. At one end, a long skinny panel opened into a private bathroom which also sparkled with some sort of metal finish.

  As Bonnie slowly took this all in, she felt strong arms hug her from behind. “See, Honey, didn’t I promise you an exciting adventure?” her husband Jeff whispered. “This is just the start of our new life together,” he said as he nuzzled her neck. “I got us the best room in the house!”

  This was the Jeff that Bonnie had fallen in love with—strong, confident and caring. “Perhaps,” she thought, “we can make a new beginning now. He’ll be his old self, since the stress of preparing for our journey is in the past.”

  Behind her, Bonnie hears a loud voice. “Wow,” Sue said, standing in the doorway. “This sure beats my place! I have a little cubby hole with a one-person bed, a skinny closet and a fake porthole that is totally dark.”

  Jeff let go of Bonnie and turned around to face Sue. “You know the rules, Sue,” Jeff said with a frown. “You’re a Bronze. Your cabin befits your station. Perhaps if you had recruited more people and funds for our mission you would have received a better berth.”

  “Yeah, yeah, Jeff, I know the rules. Don’t get your space diapers in a bunch,” Sue said wiggling her head. “I was just admiring the view. What kind of metal is this?” she asked, running her hand along the trim on the door.

  “Planetary Resources has been mining asteroids for a while, and has perfected the technique of extracting precious metals from them. As one of the companies commissioned to outfit this cycler, their robots extracted platinum for this room and Brother Jacob’s. They installed the metal in the two rooms so that they would be showcases for attracting more paying customers in the future.”

  “Well, good luck falling asleep in all this glitter,” Sue said. Jeff frowned at this, but said nothing. He had more important things on his mind.

  “Sue, you can come in here any time you want to visit and stretch your legs,” Bonnie said. “And I’ll sometimes need someone to watch these two. Girls! Please stop that jumping!” Bonnie said, exasperatedly.

  Ding, ding, ding.

  The soft dinging sounds apparently came from some hidden speaker. Then, Bonnie heard Brother Jacobs’ voice. “Please gather now in the central module. All must attend. Commander Olstein will provide us with a briefing, and Jeff and I will be distributing work assignments. Please gather now in the central module. Attendance is mandatory.”

  “C’mon girls, let’s go. Chop, chop!” Sue said as she clapped her hands and winked at Bonnie. “Let’s go learn more about our new home.”

  “Let’s be first!” Jean shouted. She grabbed Julie’s hand and the two of them skipped down the corridor, diving through the tunnel at its end. Sue followed them down the hallway, and then struggled to get through the tunnel connecting the modules.

  “Let’s go, Honey,” Jeff said, taking her hand. “We have lots to do still.”

  # # #

  “Arghh! There’s only plain water down that hole!” mission biologist Charles Winston groaned. The analysis of the gas emitted from the hole by the rover’s laser had shown no organic elements. “I just don’t understand it. Where there’s water, there should be life. Underground here on Mars, any life would be protected from the harsh surface environment and should be thriving.”

  “Don’t take it so personally, buddy,” Brad said. “We’ve got lots of exploring still to do. Why don’t you take a break and go check your messages from home. I’ll program the rover to head over to that crater where the meteorite landed and then I’ll exercise while keeping an eye on the monitor. Maybe we’ll find something interesting over there.”

  “Sure, Brad,” Charles said to the geologist. “But I’m starting to dread those messages from Terri. She always has something more for me to do. She doesn’t seem to understand how busy we are here. I have to go check on those plants in the greenhouse constantly and test the new strains for viability. Oh, well, call me when we reach the crater.”

  Charles stood and went up the central ladder. At the top, he walked over to his room and entered. There on his terminal it showed that he had five messages. Two were from his parents, and he checked those first. They were simple well wishes, asking him if he was eating properly and getting eno
ugh sleep. He made a short video for them. “See, folks. I’m doing fine,” he said as he spun his chair around. “Miss you both, but I’ll be back before you know it. We still haven’t found anything major here, but we’re still looking. Take care, and I love you!” He then pressed ‘Send.’ The message would be delivered to them in about ten minutes, given the speed of light and the current position of Earth.

  He then checked the three messages from his fiancée Terri. He opened the first one. Terri popped up, looking beautiful as usual in a business suit and her long brown hair. “Charles,” she started. “I’m still waiting for you to prioritize the list of honeymoon locations that I sent to you yesterday. You know how long it takes to make these preparations, don’t you? I want you to research each one and write the benefits of each and why you would chose it, as well as any negatives. Then I need for you to write a possible itinerary for each one. Please get this back to me right away.”

  Charles groaned. Didn’t she realize that he would be back in two years, and there was plenty of time for this? He opened up the second message. “Charles,” she started again, this time with a frown. “I was checking your e-mails from last week, and you still haven’t sent to me a list of your groomsmen for the wedding, and whether they have girlfriends or wives. I have three single women as bridesmaids, and I want to match them up properly by height. If you haven’t contacted your friends yet, please do so immediately. Be sure to send to me the height, hair color and weight of each of them.”

  “Oh my God,” Charles muttered. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He clicked on the third message with dread.

  Terri started this video with, “Which do you think is better?” She was holding up three swatches of cloth. “Should the bridesmaids be in pink, blue or green?” Well, this one was easier, at least, he thought. Terri had gorgeous green eyes, so green gowns would match nicely. He hesitated for a moment, trying to think about whether this was a trick question that would get him into trouble. After a minute of coming up with nothing, he captured another video to send. “Darling, you have such beautiful green eyes, you should pick green for the bridesmaids to match.” Hedging his bets, he added, “But no one will notice, especially me. I’ll only be looking at you the whole time.” Nodding in satisfaction, Charles pressed ‘Send.’