New Worlds

It was the first time Grace would arrive on Mars, and the last. The Mars One Settlement was, after all, a one-way trip. On Earth, her job had been to encode and study DNA as species after species went extinct. Earth was slowly dying and the wealthy and educated had the earliest opportunities to leave the waning planet behind. The Mars One Settlement needed brilliant young minds to establish the colony. What drove Grace to forsake Earth’s dying familiarities? Earth had strict and extensive laws about cloning, even as its entire ecosystem rapidly collapsed. On Mars, Grace could do more than document an extinction. She would serve as lead biology researcher. She could potentially bring bees back, if they could synthesize a viable environment and keep it stable on the Red Planet. She could manipulate DNA to ensure Earth’s flora and fauna could thrive in Mars’ harsher environment. She could even edit human DNA to adapt better to living conditions on new worlds.

Grace would live in one of the shimmering high-rise apartment towers that circled the settlement center, a zoo of sorts, housing all the plants and animals they had already brought successfully to the Red World. Each high-rise had a steady ribbon of water trickling down the sides from the very top that served a dual purpose; the water served as a shield against the more intense Martian radiation, and it hydrated the atmosphere. As a bonus, it made for a lovely rain affect that reminded the Martian immigrants of home. Many of the occupants, Grace included, kept a variety of plants on their rainy balconies. Barely a trickle would reach ground level but what little moisture did was lapped up thirstily by the dry Martian concrete.

Years had passed when Captain Steven Marshall first came to Mars One. He was immediately assigned to an exploration team destined for a reputably hospitable planet in a nearby galaxy. Eliptus 5 was said to have a similar atmosphere to Earth, with rainforests and weather much like how the Amazon once was. Grace performed Captain Marshall’s pre-mission physical, enhancing his DNA to be able to process the denser atmosphere and heavier 70% Earth Gravity of Eliptus 5. “This enhancement will last you long enough to knock out my list,” Grace informed him. She had prepared a request for samples of the soil, air and water from the proposed landing site. Martian law stated that these samples must be analyzed before any intentional sampling of living organisms was performed on new worlds. It certainly slowed the scientific process, but it was Mars One policy, and no one violated Martian law.

Grace would not see Captain Marshall again for nearly a year. He was in for his post-mission exam where Grace gauged his body’s reaction to the foreign environment on Eliptus 5. As she went about her tests, he described the new world. “It took longer to get to E5 than the actual mission itself,” he began. Grace drew several vials of blood, nodding as she worked. “Landing was a pain because everything is covered with thick forests and scrubland. The trees are as wide as the landing pod, and bigger. It seems to be a docile environment primarily populated by plant matter of one kind or another. And when it rains, the water feels soft when it falls on your face.”

Grace remembered rain. Real rain, falling from the sky in plump droplets splashing on her cheeks as she ran from her car to her front door. Ed waited for her there with open arms, strong and sturdy. He wiped the rain from her face before kissing her deeply, as if they had been apart for ages instead of days. Grace had been traveling for work and arrived just in time for her long-time beau Ed to leave for another military assignment. It was par for the course when two high-profile careers dared to intersect and attempt a relationship. They both knew what they were in for with the other; they knew their relationship was only company passing the time before Grace achieved her highest goal: saving the human race from Earth’s impending death by manipulating DNA. She couldn’t do that on Earth, and Ed couldn’t go to Mars.

“Dr. Vantrelli?” Captain Marshall interrupted her thoughts. “How soon can you get the samples analyzed? I’m eager to get a return trip approved.”

“Oh. Uh,” she started and shook the memory from her head. “I’ll have them done by the end of the week. Council will have my report Monday, and they should make their decision immediately. I’d say it’s safe to choose your crew for a landing party. Choose wisely, Captain.” Grace wasn’t in the mood for more chitchat. Her heart throbbed at the sudden memory of Ed that intruded her mind against her will. She had locked Earth memories away in her mind. Her work left no room for regret or nostalgia. She would never return to Earth, and she would never stand on a new world. Her place was at the colony, leading the other scientists who got to travel and reap the benefits of the genetic improvements she pioneered. By the time she perfected the process, she had been exposed to Mars’ .38 Earth Gravity for far too long for her body to adjust correctly to stronger gravitational fields like the new Eliptus 5. Even if it was permitted, she couldn’t return to Earth because she would be crushed to death the moment she landed.

“What will you test the samples for?” Captain Marshall asked.

“Radiation, pathogens, signs of life and sentience, chemical make-up…” Grace could list dozens of tests yet to be done on the long-awaited samples from Eliptus 5, and frankly, she was eager to get to it. She was grateful this was her last clinical assignment for the day. She would retreat to the solace of her private lab in her apartment to analyze the precious samples. As was expected, they proved to be remarkably like those of a pristine young Earth. Of course, the minerals in the soil were new, but they were structured much like samples from Earth, from before. The water was simply mineral water, with both familiar and new micro-sediments. The air sample was the purest she had ever seen, with slightly more oxygen than Earth’s air, but without the heavy pollution that choked the earth to a slow death. Grace drew up her report for Mars One Council and delivered it in person to the Board. Eliptus 5 could support human life!

All of Mars One was buzzing with talk of the new world. A fully staffed landing party was put together immediately and sent back to Eliptus 5 to establish a camp. Half of the crew would stay behind and colonize. Samples of any number of organisms would be brought back for further study on Mars, but the Counsil was in a hurry to put as many boots on the ground as possible. The returning ship brought numerous samples of natural resources. Wood, minerals, metals. These resources, paired with Grace’s genetic modifications, would provide the crew with everything they needed to establish a colony on the new green planet. Developers were always improving the speed of deep space travel and by the time the third installment of crew were sent to Eliptus 5, it was ready for a mass migration. Earthians could finally escape the hell that remained on the desolate planet and thrive once more.

Despite the excitement, Mars One would not lift the ban on Earth-bound travel. There was a bright and pure new world ready to welcome mankind but Mars One did not intend on sharing. Eliptus 5 would be a springboard colony, a stop along the way to other habitable worlds yet to be reached. It had alloys and minerals that enabled even faster space travel, and still Mars One would not lift the Earth-bound ban, nor would they send word back to Earth about the new world. The Earth-bound message remained the same: send more. More people, more resources, more supplies.

Grace was beside herself with frustration. She didn’t agree with Mars One’s decision to keep the new discovery from Earth. The planet was dying with trillions of people on it, and here was an entire planet suitable for life. The Elites of Mars One wanted to keep Eliptus 5’s riches for themselves. Indigents sent to Mars from Earth would serve as laborers harvesting the natural resources from the new green planet. They would serve in the meteor fields, harvesting precious metals and frozen water. They would fill the menial positions in the colony, preparing food and recycling refuse. Mars One had big plans for the unsuspecting indigent immigrants already on their one-way passage from Earth.