“Calm down, love. Listen. I asked Ladli to turn off the satellite feed. I want to surprise Lars and the Mars First team back home during our conference call tonight. Can you guys turn it back on once you’ve regained some composure, and make up some story about having some technical difficulty, or whatever? Can you do that?”
Ladli spoke first. “How are we going to explain you asking me to cut the feed just now? I’m sure they heard that.”
“Good point… Tell them we had some technical difficulty and didn’t want to alarm them until we got things under control… I don’t know…”
“Hmm, right. Ok, don’t worry. We’ll figure out something.”
Vera agreed. “Yes, sure. We’ll think of something. Oh, my God! I can't believe it!”
“I know, we're pretty excited here too, believe me. We're packing. We should be back at the base within the hour. See you soon,” finished Dedrick.
“Ok,” replied Vera. She turned to Ladli and the two started giggling and smiling again at each other like two kids in a candy store.
#
“Good evening, Lars,” said Dedrick in front of the flat screen monitor.
Dedrick was sitting right up front, with Vera leaning over his shoulder, her hand around his chest, smiling. The others were standing around them. François and Sabrina were seated on top of an emergency oxygen tank container, with Ladli and Tendai standing to their left. Liu was standing just outside the camera shot.
Although Dedrick and his team were using the latest technology to communicate with Earth, it would take fourteen minutes for their message to reach the Mars First team leader back on Earth; a delay that made any conversation extremely tedious, to say the least.
“How’s everything back on Earth? Anything exciting to report? We have some news of our own we’d like to share. First of all, Vera is doing very good. The pregnancy looks healthy and we are all quite excited, I tell you. Another few months and we should have a new member on the team,” replied Dedrick with a big smile on his face. “It’s still hard to believe I’m gonna be a dad, the first Martian dad, to think of it.”
He paused for a second.
“Also, we celebrated Sabrina’s birthday yesterday. Ladli made a pie that almost tasted like one. What was in it, again?” he asked her.
“Hey, you liked it, don’t lie,” she replied, feeling teased.
“I know, I know, it was really good, actually.”
“I agree,” added François. “That woman can cook,” he finished, giving her a lustful look.
“Oh, please,” said Sabrina rolling her eyes at him.
Dedrick giggled a bit and went on.
“We have something else to tell you. Something wonderful has happened. But I’d like to keep the suspense going. Why don’t you let us know how things are on your end first?”
He terminated the recording and pressed “Send.”
About thirty-five minutes later the team was back in front of the screen to watch Lars’ reply.
“Good to see you all. The picture is very good here today, by the way. I’m glad to see you are all doing well. Wonderful, Vera! We are really excited as well! And I must tell you, the arrival of the first newborn on Mars is fueling the media like crazy! Everywhere we turn these days, someone is talking about it. Newspapers, magazines, TV, the internet… You name it. It has become the most anticipated event of the year! We are really happy for you and Dedrick.”
He paused a short instant.
“So, what’s the other news you mentioned? We figured something was up when the video feed we were getting from you guys went from your forage mission to Ladli talking about the new greenhouse setup. Not that it wasn’t interesting, but I know you guys too well. I had a feeling you were hiding something. Now, you have us all intrigued. Waiting to hear back. Lars out.”
Dedrick started a new recording session. At the top left corner of the monitor, the number 42.204 appeared, the first two digits indicating the Martian year, a dating system put in place by NASA back in 1955. This was the forty-second Martian year since, and 204 was what scientists call the Ls number, a degree system adopted to represent the time of year. Dedrick and his colleagues gathered closely in front of the camera.
He turned around to look at his team.
“Ready, guys?”
And, after a quick countdown, they all shouted in unison, “WE HAVE FOUND WATER!”
“We made the discovery late this afternoon, in grid 6-55-B, at a depth of eight and a half meters. We don’t know yet how much there is, but we’ve analyzed it. Ninety eight percent H2O!” added Dedrick.
“Hoo hoo! Yeah man!” added François in a cowboy style scream.
“So, we are pretty excited here, as you can imagine. We intend to go back tomorrow and survey the rest of the pocket. We’re also hoping to find more sources in the surrounding areas. We’ve mapped out the terrain. Fairly common levels of materials and minerals found almost everywhere else in this part of Valles Marineris. We’re fairly confident this is just the beginning. François and Tendai have also begun introducing some of our plants to the new water. It will take several days before we know if they are any incompatibilities or reactions, but if that comes back negative, it will be very promising. We’re crossing our fingers.”
“Hey Lars, how about sending us some bathing suits?” asked François with a silly smirk on his face.
“Stop it, François! Don’t listen to him. But we’re still waiting on that bottle of tequila you promised us last year, remember?”
“I’m with Sabrina on that one. Some booze would be nice,” echoed Tendai with a smile.
“Hey Lars, what about some coconut rum? And we could really use some Pina coladas as well!” said Vera, laughing.
“Yes, that sounds really good. And some salt for the margaritas!” added Sabrina giggling.
“Don’t listen to them. They’re already drunk… No, I’m just kidding. Anyway, we’re gonna celebrate our own way, tonight. We can use a break. Don’t worry about us, we’ll make it a fun party regardless. Ok, looking forward to your reply.”
Dedrick leaned forward and clicked “Send.”
A few minutes later, back on Earth, Lars was getting ready to listen to the Martians’ new message. He was joined by two of his heads of operations, Sylvia, and Dr. Kovachev.
“Do you think someone else is pregnant?”
“I don’t know, Sylvia. That or they’ve found something at the digging site, today. They sounded pretty excited. That’s why I wanted you both here. I have a feeling this is going to be good.”
The past thirty-two minutes had seemed particularly long to the Mars First CEO. Dedrick wasn’t one for theatrical approaches, but the small group had convinced him to make Lars suffer a bit for his money.
A huge smile exploded on Lars’ face the moment he heard the team’s unified announcement. After listening to the whole message, he began composing his video reply in front of his own camera.
“That’s fantastic! Wow! Guys! This is going to change everything. Now, we have liquid water on Mars. This is huge! I’m so proud of you. We’re ecstatic. Great job!”
Sylvia leaned over Lars and kissed him on the cheek, hugging him from behind. Staring at the screen, she also congratulated the Martian team.
“Thank you, guys! That’s such great news. We are so very happy for you and wish we could celebrate with you. Vera, I’m so excited for you too, love. A baby girl; that’s wonderful. My love to all.”
Fifteen minutes later, the Martian group was listening to Lars’ reply.
“… margaritas and Pina coladas? Ha ha, sounds like a fair request. I’ll see if we can give team three some ‘treats’ to bring along with them. But I can’t promise anything. Either way, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait another seven months before they get there, but I’m sure you’ll gladly wait. And it looks like MF3’s landing will coincide with the baby’s birth, so you’ll have two reasons to celebrate. I can’t tell you how thrilled we are here, guys, and ve
ry proud of all of you for your teamwork and your progress. You’ve done such a good job at adapting to the planet’s demanding challenges. Thank you! You have surpassed our expectations, and I can’t wait to make the announcement about today’s discovery to the media. As soon as I talk to the board, I’ll arrange a conference. NASA is going to be so pissed we got there before they did! Ha ha. Anyway, go ahead and celebrate, you deserve it! I speak for all of us, here at Mars First headquarters, when I say we wish you all a wonderful night! Earth signing out.”
“You think I should’ve asked for ice cream?” asked Ladli to Vera.
“Darn! I bet they would have sent us some,” she replied laughing. “We’ll have to mention it tomorrow.”
Everyone on both sides of the communication screens was gleaming. This was a day to be remembered, and they intended to. April 14th, 2034, the day they had found liquid water on Mars. The first important discovery made by the team since their arrival on the lonely planet. François had promised he would do something special for the occasion.
That night they gathered in greenhouse II, and the Frenchman broke out a bottle of special brew he had concocted the year before by fermenting a strange mix of ingredients he was determined to keep secret.
“The girls have their ‘Mount Olympus’ and now we have this,” he had said proudly, still miscalling the Olympus Mons drink. He was holding the bottle and its blue content up high in front of them.
“Oh yeah? What do you call it? ‘Sacre blue?’” asked Vera sarcastically, with a forced French accent.
“Ha ha, you’re cute. ‘Non.’ I call it Eau d’Amour,” he replied, in perfect French.
“Ouch! Wow! That’s strong. What’s in it? Whatever it is, I love it!” said Tendai with a big grin on his face, before pouring himself a full glass.
“So, we know we need confirmation from headquarters, but I’m assuming we can start working on setting up the extraction equipment. The weather has been very favorable to us lately, so we should be able to do some good work tomorrow. What do you all think?”
“Dedrick, baby… don’t worry about tomorrow. Come and dance with me,” said Vera, extending her hand for him to grab, while François was selecting the Stereophonics’ song, “Maybe Tomorrow,” from the music library.
That night, back on Earth, a Mars First employee was alone in his office. He picked up the phone and dialed. In his native language: “Yes sir. We have confirmation. The Mars First team has found water. Lars wants to make the announcement tomorrow… Yes, sir. I agree. It will be the perfect opportunity. I will take care of it… No need. I have someone… Thank you, sir. I’ll be in touch.” And he hung up.
#
Less than two hours later, Lars was reviewing the speech he was about to deliver to a room filled with cameras and reporters. Accompanied by Sylvia, Dr. Kovachev and several high ranked officials from the Mars First board of directors, he was about to report on the latest news from Mars, water and baby included. Key engineers and project managers were present as well. TV stations and internet social media were getting ready to broadcast the event live all around the world from within the Mars First Headquarters in the Netherlands. They had all been invited with the promise of exciting news from the red planet.
Not too far from there….
“Good evening and welcome to Mars First,” said the man in uniform to a young female journalist who had just passed through a life-size x-ray machine. Following the signs along multiple corridors, she eventually came to the door of the amphitheater and pushed her way in gently. A woman seated behind a low table greeted her with a smile and gave her the sign to approach.
“Gina Glenver,” the visitor said quietly, as she reached the table.
“Let me see… Gina Glenver… There you are. Sign here, please,” replied the woman, pointing at a long registry list in front of her.
After the reporter had signed her name, the woman added, “Here is your badge, dear. Please make sure to wear it at all times.”
“Thank you. I will,” replied Gina, as she turned away and started walking toward the large door behind her. She quickly found her seat among the crowded assembly and made her way to it quietly. At the other end of the room, the Mars First officials were seated in a row on stage.
Lars Bruininck, the man behind the podium, began his speech.
“Good evening. On Tuesday, April 14th, 2034, the Mars First team confirmed the discovery of liquid water on Mars. It is thought to be an underground cave containing at least several pockets of H2O. Water! The exact amount has not yet been confirmed, but the water is there. The team was able to…”
Twenty minutes and several questions later, Lars ended the conference.
“Thank you all for coming. Goodnight!”
As the large audience slowly made its way to the exits, Gina made hers against the flow of the crowd, and eventually managed to get Lars’ attention.
“Mr. Bruininck? Mr. Bruininck? Lars!”
“Yes?” he replied, turning around.
“Gina? Is that you? Oh, my God! You look fantastic! How are you?” he added with a big smile.
Lars and Gina had met in New York back in 2012, at a conference hosted by Dr. Neil Tyson-DeGrasse, an American astrophysicist. A short-lived romance had kindled between the two, but life obligations and career responsibilities had ended it just as quickly. Almost five years had passed since they had seen each other.
“It’s good to see you, Lars. Your speech was very impressive. Congratulations on your progress with Mars First. Water… That’s big! And right before the launch of your next ship!”
“It is. We couldn’t be happier.”
But he did not really feel like talking about Mars right now. Seeing her again after all this time had suddenly stirred all kinds of emotions and feelings in him.
“But, what about you? What’s new? Do you still live in New York? Still working for the New York Post? Do you want to get a drink somewhere? Or how about a coffee? Are you hungry?” He suddenly realized how nervous he was.
She smiled.
“Yes, a coffee would be nice.”
“My car is outside. This way,” he said, smiling back at her and pointing to the staircase behind him.
Lars had only one rule about inviting women back to his place. He simply didn't. Not that the opportunity presented itself very often anyway, but his work at Mars First headquarters didn't give him much time for anything else. Recreation was always at the bottom of the list for him. He had pretty much been a single man all his life, had never married and didn't care to. He was so secretive about his love life that some of his close friends suspected he was gay. He was not, and was in fact strongly attracted to the opposite sex, but didn't like to mix work and pleasure, and didn't care to be seen with a companion. Lars also had a bit of a paranoid personality, which made him suspicious of anyone he didn't know well. As for Gina, if the evening went as he hoped, he had a place in mind. A small studio apartment in Amersfoort that he rented year-round, and where he often retreated when he needed to clear his mind. Or in a case like tonight, have some privacy.
In the meantime, across the Mars First compound, in a quiet area only guarded by a skeleton crew that night, two employees were busy making their way along a small corridor to a restricted area. After reaching one of the labs, one of the two men entered a series of numbers on the pad, and the door opened with a light “click!” They carefully skittered along the walls, making sure not to be noticed by the security cameras, and finally entered a chamber with walls as white as snow filled with delicate machines and rocket parts. Hiding behind a large container, the taller of the two men aimed a device at the three cameras in the room and “froze” their picture one by one, while the other approached a large turbine. After removing a small cover from the side of the engine, he pulled a very small disc out from his pocket and placed the object under a row of electrical wires, before closing the cover back.
“Ok, done,” he whispered. The tall man pressed the remote agai
n while facing each camera, and the two men exited the room and quickly disappeared back down the dark corridor.
A few minutes later, one of them was making a call on his cell.
“Did you get the codes?”
“Yes. He didn’t suspect anything. What about you? Did you do it?” asked a woman’s voice at the other end of the line.
“Yes, it’s done.”
“Good,” said Gina before hanging up.
The tiny device the men had just managed to hide would never be found before Mars First 3 departure, and they would use the access codes Gina Glenver had managed to steal from Lars to render Mars First’s remote access to the ship’s computers inoperable. The consequences would be devastating.
The next morning, Lars was surprised to find himself alone in his Amersfoort apartment when he woke up. Gina had left a simple note on the kitchen table, “Thanks for everything.”
MF3
Six days later, the crowds outside the launch area at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, was nothing compared to the number of viewers around the world glued to their TV sets to see the departure of MF3, the third manned ship to be sent to the red planet. The Mars First reality show, Mars First Now, and its constant coverage of the astronaut training since the mid 2010’s, was greatly responsible for the public’s interest. The team members of MF3, Italian commander Antonio Bardino, Swedish medical officer Ebba Andreasson, Danish mission specialist Jessie Bruun and Australian geologist Daniel Patel, had become celebrities, just as had all the others before them. However, the estimated ninety million viewers worldwide for today’s launch paled in comparison to the 800 million who had watched the departure of MF1, almost exactly nine years earlier. The Mars First project had gained a great deal of notoriety at the end of that year, with an estimated two billion watching the historical landing on the red planet. This third mission had already become old news to some. Just like the first manned missions to the Moon, nothing had ever compared to the first landing. And by now, to those in a rapidly growing world, full of responsibilities and restrictions, Mars didn’t sound quite as fascinating as it once had.
Kahnu (The Guardians of Tomorrow Book 1) Page 12