Oh, I’ve been up on Mars for a while. Trying to save a colony of clones from enslavement.
Really, and how did that go?
It was not right that his ashes be stored in some dusty drawer and forgotten, she would claim them and bring them back to the farm when she got home. That’s what she would do. But, that was just a dream, a fantasy. She was here on Mars, no getting around that fact. If this place was going to be her home then she would make Earth respect it and its people. If all they wanted was to battle for control of Mars, well that wasn’t going too well for them right now.
Jann could sense a window of opportunity opening in the midst of the carnage that now infected planet Earth. Was it crazy for her to even contemplate this? But they might just be desperate enough to do it, she thought. It’s not hard to imagine what people will sacrifice to save themselves from the abyss. Time was of the essence. She needed to act quickly. And above all, what she needed to do was convince.
She awoke to find Xenon sitting beside her bed. His thin aquiline face broke into an elegant smile when he realized she was awake. “Jann, nice to have you back.”
“Xenon, I thought… you were in Colony Two?”
“I was. But since you have requested a council meeting, and are in not any position to travel yet, we decided to come here.”
“Oh… yes, meeting… that’s right. Sorry… I’m still trying to get… my head together,” she looked over at him. “Literally.”
Nills arrived, followed by Dr. Foster. They must be monitoring her remotely, keeping an eye out for when she awoke. She sat up as the doctor fussed. Jann swung her legs off one side of the bed.
“No, you’re not ready to move yet, you need to rest.” Dr. Foster was trying to gently push Jann back in.
“I’m getting out of this bed, even if I fall flat on my face and have to crawl on the floor.”
“Wait a minute,” Nills stalled the protest. “I have an idea. Just stay there until I get back.”
Jann decided to wait, but she still had her legs over the side. A minute or two later Nills returned—with a scrapyard wheelchair.
“I recognize that,” said Jann. “Paolio’s old chair.”
“That’s right, it still works. Come on I’ll help you in.”
By now Dr. Foster had conceded defeat, so she helped Nills guide the determined Jann onto the seat. Jann fiddled with the joystick, the wheelchair jumped back and forth as she gained a feel for it. Finally she looked up at Nills. “I’m starving. What’s there to eat?”
Nills laughed. “Come on then, let’s go find something.”
Jann moved herself to the table in the common room, while Nills organized some food for her. It was only when she started to eat that Jann realized how hungry she was, it seemed she couldn’t get the food in fast enough. Dr. Foster was also at the table, she looked on at this ravenous exhibition with a visible air of concern. Jann considered starting to cough and splutter and clutch her chest, just for a laugh, just to see how Dr. Foster would react. But, in the end she was too hungry to sidestep into amateur dramatics.
The council meeting could not be held until all members had arrived. Xenon had already left in the rover to ferry across the remainder, which would take a few hours. Jann planned to use the intervening time to get a better understanding of the intentions of the asteroid mining company, AsterX, and its charismatic CEO, Lane Zebos. Her concern, apart from her natural state of distrusting anyone until proven otherwise, was the fact that Nills seemed to be besotted by them, particularly Zebos. They were thick as thieves, always talking, discussing, debating. Perhaps it was just a natural maternal instinct within her to feel a need to protect those she loved. Not to see them hurt by false promises and duplicity. After all, AsterX, like COM and Xaing Zu Industries were not here for the scenery.
She pushed the empty plate away, lifted up the coffee with both hands and sat back in the chair. She took a sip of the astringent brew, and raised it up towards Lane Zebos, who had been sitting quietly across from her. “Nice coffee, thanks for bringing it.”
“No problem, it’s Blue Mountain. I thought Nills would really like it.”
“Indeed. So tell me, Lane. Why are you all here?”
There was a sudden silence around the common room, everyone stopped talking and readied themselves in anticipation of the bout that was about to take place. Jann Malbec was back, and she was now going to haul Lane Zebos and AsterX over the coals. No more mister nice guy, the free ride was over.
“Our mission is to salvage the Odyssey on behalf of the ISA.” It was Lane’s sidekick, Chuck Goldswater who answered. Lane raised a hand to silence him.
“That’s just one element of it. The real reason we managed to get the governmental oversight we needed for this mission was to bring you back home.”
“Well, that’s very kind of you to come all this way just for me. But it looks like Mars is a much safer place to be right at this moment, what with Earth undergoing the zombie apocalypse.”
“You said you knew how to kill it. We should get that information back as soon as possible, the longer we wait the more people will be affected.” Dr. Foster saw her opportunity to push Jann.
Jann sipped her coffee. “So you’re just helping the ISA out, is that it?”
“We’re a mining company. Our business is the extraction of physical resources for profit, it’s very simple.”
“So you want to mine on Mars?”
“No, not exactly.” Lane leaned in and pointed vaguely skyward. “Out there, in the asteroid belt, lies the greatest untapped wealth in the solar system. We’re an asteroid mining company, so our mission is to investigate whether Mars can be a waypoint for the exploration of the belt. Our objective is establishing a base on Ceres. From there we can investigate suitable asteroids for mining.”
“So why cozy up to the ISA, surely they’re no longer viable as a space exploration entity?”
“As far as they’re concerned, you’re still an ISA astronaut, on a mission.” Chuck blurted.
Nills had joined the group around the table, but had remained silent until now. He burst out laughing. “Ha… you obviously haven’t been reading the newspapers lately.”
Lane gave his sidekick another look, to imply he should let him do the talking from now on. “Perhaps it was a naive dream to imagine that cooperation between international space agencies was the way forward for space exploration. That dream ended when COM landed the first settlers on Mars. I remember watching those landings. I was a kid then, it was what inspired me to pursue a career in space engineering. Even then I could see the future, and it belonged to corporations, not governments. But it is still a fallacy to assume that the privateer has it all their own way. There are laws governing what we do and how we do it, namely the Outer Space Treaty. And where there are laws there are politics. So in a sense, government still controls the exploration of the solar system. Those corporations who have the ear of government are those who will be the chosen few. Like a royal seal or a blessing from the Pope. It’s almost medieval.” He waved a dismissive hand. “It’s very frustrating.”
“So you needed to get into bed with the ISA so you could get oversight?”
“Correct. You see, AsterX are small fry. China is so powerful it can do whatever the hell it likes. COM too has become a monster, taking up a lot of political bandwidth. Their involvement with the ISA was the worst thing that the international space agencies could have done. It fractured them technologically. But they still have significant political clout, with tendrils leading right in to the heart of the UN itself. They can, and do, effect changes to the Outer Space Treaty.”
“So the deal is you get to land on Mars and they get their spacecraft back?” said Jann.
“That, and they get to bring their astronaut home.”
“And what makes you think I want to go back?”
Lane shrugged. “That’s up to you.”
Jann placed the now cold coffee back down on the table. She was a bit unc
oordinated, it spilled when she set it down too hard. “I’m tired… I need to rest again.” She moved the wheelchair back. “Nills, can you help me?”
Dr. Foster stood up to help as well. “I’m okay.” Jann raised a hand to her. “Just Nills.”
He lifted her into the bed in the medlab. “We should move you into an accommodation pod and out of here.”
“It’s fine for the moment.” She was propped up with a multitude of pillows. “Do you trust this guy, Zebos?”
Nills sat down on the edge of the bed. “Insofar as I trust anyone. He is genuinely interested in exploring the asteroid belt. Deep down he’s just an engineering nerd. I can relate to that. We’ve been talking a lot about it. How Mars could work as a waypoint.” Jann’s eyes closed. “Anyway, enough of my rambling. You need to rest before the council meeting.”
Her eyes popped open again. “No, go on, I’m interested to hear it, don’t stop.”
“Well, we think we can build the craft here, on Mars. They would be robotic, initially. Simple enough engineering, although we would need specialist components from Earth. But it could be done in Colony Two. The one-third gravity here makes it considerably easier. Once a suitable asteroid is identified by one of the robotic scout missions, we send up harvester robots. The ore would be shipped back here for processing in Colony Two, we do a lot of that already. Then the final product would be shipped back to Earth.”
“Do you think this is actually possible, I mean, in reality?”
“Absolutely, and it could be very lucrative.”
“For AsterX.”
“And for us. The main thing, though, is it would give us a future, Jann.”
“Yes, I can see it would.” Her eyes closed again.
“Jann, I’m sorry but I have to ask.”
Her eyes opened again and her hand went to his. “Sure, what is it?”
“Are you really going to go back to Earth?”
She looked at him and squeezed his fingers. Her grip was weak. “I don’t know, Nills. I can’t say because I really don’t know where home is anymore. Anyway, if the WHO is correct then there may not be an Earth to return to, at least not the same one I left.”
“But you know how to kill this thing, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. But before I tell them, I want to know what’s in it for us, for Mars.”
25
Ultimatum
Jann emerged several hours later into the common room, now full of colonists. What constituted the governing body on Mars was now assembled. Nills, Xenon, Anika, Rachel, and several others that had been added to the council by merit of their knowledge. The only one that was missing was Gizmo. Not that the little robot was a council member but, it had always been a kind of counselor to Jann. Able to analyze a complex situation and present her with the decision forks and their respective consequences. She missed Gizmo, and felt a deep pang for its loss.
Also at the meeting were the crew of the AsterX mission, at Jann’s request. No one was quite sure what was going down but the anticipation was palpable. When everyone was seated Xenon called the meeting to order. He stood. “The colony council session will now commence.” He paused. “The only item currently on the agenda is a general discussion of the epidemic that now afflicts Earth. I would ask Rachel to update us on the latest media analysis.” He sat down.
“There’s a very confused picture evolving. Rumor, counter-rumor, and conspiracy theories abound, reflecting a fragmented message being disseminated by the various governing authorities. Reading between the lines, I would say the situation regarding the spread of the infection is worse than anyone is admitting to. The general population is trending towards panic. I’m monitoring the intensity and frequency of several keywords and using these as a measure of general levels of anarchy. Best guess, I would say ten Earth days, maybe two weeks at most before the start of civil breakdown.”
Chuck Goldswater jumped up. “This is crazy, if you know how to stop this pandemic then you must tell us now.”
Lane grabbed him by the arm. “Sit down and keep quiet.”
“But…”
“Now!”
Chuck sat down and folded his arms.
“Please forgive my associate’s emotional outburst. It’s a stressful time for all. Please continue.”
Jann now took up the baton. “I think you are under the mistaken illusion that any of us here actually give a shit about Earth. Apart from myself and two others no one else has connections to Earth. And to you, they’re all just clones.” She looked Goldswater straight in the eye. “One could argue they are products of the machine, a machine whose only concern is the acquisition of ever greater wealth, and the self-aggrandizement of the egos that control it. What is happening on Earth, right now, is an unfortunate by-product. It is a self-inflicted wound, not of our making. Yet, by an ironic twist of fate it seems that the tables have turned and it is we who have the power of life and death on those who seek to enslave this place, these people—my people.” Jann moved the wheelchair back from the table, and stood up, placing both her hands on the table for a moment as she established her balance. She stood up straight and scanned the council.
“That said, we’re not monsters. We will not sit idly by and see Earth destroyed. That would be immoral.” She directed this last word at Goldswater. “No, we will do what’s right, but first there is something Earth can do for us. In two Earth days time there is a UN meeting in New York. Is this correct?” She directed her question at Lane.
“Yes, you’re correct, two days.”
“At that meeting I want them to declare Mars and the twin moons of Phobos and Deimos an independent, self-governing planet.”
“Have you lost you mind? That’s totally crazy!” Goldswater jumped up. He was apoplectic.
“Chuck, sit down, and don’t open your mouth again.”
“Bullshit, Lane. I can’t listen to any more of this crap. It’s clear her mind is gone, the brain damage is affecting her thinking.”
“Chuck, if you don’t stay quiet I will personally eject you. Now put a zip in it.”
He reluctantly sat down.
“Much as I hate to say this, but the AsterX dude has a point, Jann,” said Anika. “How do you suppose we get them to do that?”
“Thank you.” Goldswater nodded at Anika.
“Hey, don’t read too much into it, you’re still an asshole,” Anika hit back.
“Well, it’s very simple, really. We withhold all information on how to kill the Janus bacteria until they do.” There was a momentary silence around the room.
“Put yourself in their position,” she continued, “…they don’t really have any other choice.” Jann lowered herself back on to the chair and moved it into the table.
By now the room was abuzz with astonished chatter. All except for Lane Zebos. He remained very quiet, staring intently at Jann.
“Okay, let’s assume for a minute that they, whoever they are, were in agreement. An independent Mars in return for salvation. I still don’t think you fully understand the sheer political complexity of obtaining such a resolution to the treaty. There would be a multitude of parties that might see this as an opportunity to stick it to the superpowers of the US and China. There would have to be unanimous agreement.”
“No, there doesn’t. You see, Lane, it was you who gave me the idea. And it’s you that is going to fast track this for us.”
“Ah…” A laugh escaped from him, unintentionally it seemed. “I don’t mean to belittle your… proposal, but I think you have grossly overestimated the influence AsterX has in these matters.”
“You’re a partner with the International Space Agency. And, as you said so yourself, they may no longer be capable of getting people off the ground, but they still have political muscle. Through them we can go direct to the people who matter, the ones who can get this done, quick and painless.”
Jann caught Nills’ eye. A wry smile broke across the corner of his face.
“Jann’s right.
You’ve told me this yourself, many times,” said Nills.
Lane argued, “It’s just not that simple. I mean, the political and economic machinations of this proposal are labyrinthine. Not even a master analyst could fathom them.” He stood up and started to pace. “Okay, let’s say by some stroke of magic they agreed to this, and I can’t see how they would, but let’s say it actually happened. You give them whatever snake oil you’ve conjured up, they can just turn around and say, it wasn’t you after all it was us, and the whole deal is null and void. I mean, there’s no way on Earth, or Mars for that matter, that they will agree to this and then actually adhere to it. They’ll say, yeah sure, and then find a way to renege at the very first opportunity.”
“Yes, I know that. But it will still be law. And if it’s law we can defend it. Not ideal but it means we have opened a new front.”
Lane sat down again and looked at her.
“Look we’re going to do this. You can help us if you want. If not, well, that’s fine too, it’s your decision. But just think about this for a moment. As a freely independent and self-governing planet, any requests to land on, even orbit, would require our approval. This, of course, would extend to mining rights. Particularly if Mars were to be used as a waypoint for the exploitation of the asteroid belt.”
Colony Three Mars (Colony Mars Book 3) Page 16
