A Colony on Mars Read online

  The trust department of their bank agreed to handle their financial affairs and they put a local attorney firm on retainer to periodically check up on the bank and receive their mail. The firm agreed to forward their important mail at every opportunity when a ship was leaving. For now they would get their mail about four times a year, hopeful y that would Increase to monthly before their contract was up.

  Mars Colony, Inc. had given each of them a one hundred thousand dollars in advance pay which they had deposited in the bank, wel most of it anyway. They kept out fifteen thousand for spending money although they had no idea where they would spend for on Mars. On the last week before their departure Tim and Carla had paid a final visit to the Attorney Firm that would be representing them and handling their legal affairs for the next ten years. They had left their car with an officer at the bank two days before they left for him to sel , pay off the loan and deposit the rest in their account. They had visited their families, their friends, their dentist's and their doctors. Carla had a hard time saying goodbye to her parents and her brother but Tim only had his father to say goodbye to as his brother had been killed in Iraq in 2106 and his mother had died of cancer when he was a child. His father had remarried when Tim was a junior in high school. Tim never cared much for his stepmother, the feeling was mutual. Tim had an easy time of saying his goodbye's.

  The night before they their friends had thrown them a big going away party. They were wondering if they could get any sleep at the Earth Orbiter or on the ship after boarding. They were both a little under the weather. July 7, 2107: It was already over ninety degrees at 7:30 AM on the morning of their departure. After check in they made their way to the tarmac boarding area of the North Las Vegas airport where they were ushered aboard a Shuttle for their flight to the Earth Orbiter. The Shuttle looked a lot like one of those little commuter jobs but this was one that could take off from a runway on Earth, fly through the troposphere, stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere and on into space. Shuttle are capable of supersonic speeds but when they are used as space shuttles they fly at subsonic speeds until they enter space. At a certain altitude the engines on the Rocket propulsion system kick in and the jet engines shut down. They can return the same way for a soft landing on Earth.

  From the Earth Orbiter they would board the interplanetary ship that would carry them to Mars. The ship they were to board was called Mars Supply Two. The other ship that made the Mars run on a regular basis was cal ed Mars Supply One. They were told that each ship made two round trips per year. “Impressive names for one of mankind's greatest achievements, don't you think, Tim.”

  They were able to get a good look at the Mars Supply Two from a port hole on the Shuttle It loomed much larger than they had expected. Since the ship had been constructed in space and would never leave space weight was not a consideration, nor was size. The ship was assume, It was cigar shaped, at least four hundred yards long and appeared to be about seventy five yards wide at the beam. It was enormous, They later learned that this would be only the second voyage to Mars that this vessel had made. Until last year there had only been The Mars Supply One. This ship was a carbon copy of The Mars Supply One.

  They had a some misgivings about the flight that would take almost two and a half months, but they were given to understand that the ship would be very comfortable and spacious. Their time would mostly be taken up by training and orientation classes so that by the time they arrived at the Mars Orbital Station they would know about as much as it was possible to know about what to expect when they actually reached their new home.

  CHAPTER - The trip to Mars

  July 7, 2107: Upon arrival their Shuttle pul ed along side the Orbiter then matched the orbital speed. They heard some clunking sounds then after about five minutes the door slid open. There were about 35 passengers on the flight from Las Vegas, most appeared to be in their mid to late twenties. Just as with a conventional airliner passengers began to stand up and retrieve their carry on luggage. A young lady in a snappy light blue NASA uniform appeared at the door and ushered the passengers into the orbiter terminal. They found seats in the waiting room. They were seated beside a large man. They assumed the man was to be a passenger on the same flight they were taking, and struck up a conversation with him.

  “Hi, I am Tim Erkin and this is my wife Carla, are you also a new Mars Colony, Inc. employee?” “ Yeah, I was just hired” said the man in a deep baritone voice that you would expect from a man of his size. “My name is Archibald Shrimp, but everybody just calls me Archy. I am from West Virginia, I signed on as a laborer but I am also a part time minister of the gospel. I was cal ed for preachen bout eight years back. I been worken in the coal mines most of my life. I spect we gonna get to know each other pretty wel in the next ten years.

  They had a chance to become only briefly acquainted with Archy before the NASA hostess announced that they could now board and get their room assignments. The thirty five of them were lead through the air lock and into another waiting room, this time on the ship.

  Carla remarked to Tim “That man we just met just does not seem like the kind of person that the company would hire, he talks like he is downright ignorant.” “That's not the impression I got,” Tim responded. “I've been back in those hil s touring the coal mines and that is the way they all talk.”

  A junior ship's officer dressed in a blue jumpsuit, and wearing ensign's bars, started calling names from a roster. White clad attendants lead the passengers off one by one or in groups of two, to the assigned rooms that they would be calling home for the next two and a half months. Tim and Carla were told that since they were a married couple they were entitled to a suite. Their Suite turned out to be an eight by fourteen foot room with a double bed, two folding chairs and a small round table. The floors were carpeted. There was a fairly large TV screen mounted on the wal in front of the bed. There was also a built in dresser and mirror. There was a four foot by five foot enclosure near the entrance that took up part of their space, it contained a shower, toilet basin and mirror. Al in all pretty spartan but what did they expect on a space ship.

  They had no more than put their carry on luggage on the bed when there was a knock at the door. It was the their steward who had shown them to their room. He introduced himself as Damian, their steward. He told them to let him know if they needed anything, not that he would get it for them but he would tell them how to get it. They could always reach him or the steward on duty through the intercom mounted on the wall beside the bed. “At the moment though,” he said, you are to go to The Company Room 812 where you will be issued your on board ID cards. They wil be ready for you when you get there.”

  Following Damian's directions they took the narrow stairway down three floors to the eighth floor where they located room 812. They received yellow ID cards with their picture on them. They were told they must wear these ID cards at all times. They later found out that yellow meant they were workers employed by Mars Colony, Inc. The nice young lady that issued them their cards ask if they had any questions. “Yeah, where is the dining room the class room and the bar.” asked Tim? “Here is a map of the parts of the ship that you are authorized access to. I am afraid that we refer to the dining room as the mess hall. The bar only serves soft drinks or coffee. It is called the 'Day Room'

  you will be going to different classrooms from time to time. They are all numbered on your map. You wil see color coding on each floor, you are only authorized access to the top three floors, 8, 9, and 10. Enjoy your trip, these are the best accommodations that you will have in the next ten years.”

  In their exploration of the top floors they found a nice Day Room with a small library, a mess hall that would seat about four hundred diners an adequately equipped gymnasium. They also located several locked classrooms. Peering through the doors revealed some strange paraphernalia inside. Many of them resembled what was probably a rendition of the Martian landscape.

  Upon returning to their room Carla turned on the
TV. They saw a schedule displayed on the screen. Breakfast was from 0600 to 0700, lunch from 1200 to 1300 and dinner from 1700 to 1800, meals would be served at no other hours. The time on the clock at their bedside indicated that it was already 1130, almost time for lunch. There was a button marked personal messages on the remote control so Carla gave that a try. Their names appeared on the TV

  screen accompanied by a message that said that they were both to appear at room 914 for orientation at 1330. There was a message for Carla that said she should report to the mess hall at 0400 for training. There was also a message for Tim. It said that he should report to room 865 at 0730 to begin training. They kinda chuckled and Carla said “Well so much for a long leisurely trip.”

  They arrived at the mess hal at 1200 sharp to find about one hundred people ahead of them in line. They noticed when they got up to the door that the diners were taking a plastic tray, stainless steel silverware and a paper napkin. Then by placing their tray on top of the glass sneeze guard and easing it forward they received a portion of everything offered. Once seated they noticed a selection of sauces along with salt and pepper on each table. The food they found to be institutional but adequate.

  At the Orientation they learned that the ship which maintained artificial gravity had started with 85% Earth gravity. They all acknowledged that they had noticed the reduced gravity and were fascinated by it. “Here is how it is going to work” explained the Government speaker. “We start at 85% but that wil diminish as the trip progresses. By the time we reach the two month mark of this journey we we wil have the gravity down to thirty five percent. That is in order to get you accustomed to Mars gravity gradually so it won't be as much of a shock to your system when you actually arrive there. Prolonged exposure to a gravity of less than 1.0 which is the gravity off Earth will cause stress on your body. This need not be a problem, at least not while you are on Mars but it could be when you return to Earth. You could have dizziness, problems maintaining your balance, nausea and disorientation for several months after your return. There are things that we can do to minimize the effects living in low gravity. After this meeting you wil be given a shot which wil strengthen your bones and muscles, you wil receive a stronger dose of that medication each month of your trip. You wil continue to receive the shots monthly during your stay in reduced gravity, while on Mars and on your return voyage. You wil continue to receive modified shots monthly for the first two years after your return to Earth. It is complicated but the human body tends to circulate blood differently in reduced gravity. The system you were born with was designed to function best at 1g but we have found that system can function just well at thirty five percent of 1g if the proper medication is administered on a regular basis. These shots wil help prevent you from developing osteoporosis and muscle degeneration as well as adjusting your blood flow to and from your heart and brain. Missing the shots could result in serious medical consequences so be sure to get your shot monthly. The shots alone wil not do it. You will be furnished with special vitamins that are to be taken daily. It wil be necessary for you to enter a special exercise room on Mars, and on this ship every day. These exercise rooms are equipped with artificial gravity and wil Increase gravity gradual y by 50% during the hour that you are using the exercise equipment. You wil do some high impact exercise like weight lifting and some low impact rapid movement exercise such as treadmil and bike riding at each session. You wil need to do these exercises on a daily basis. If you shirk these exercises or don't give 100% you wil be shortening your life expectancy considerably, particularly after your return to Earth. Perhaps some of you have already found the gym on this ship and thought, well that is a nice touch for the exercise nuts but it is far more important than that. The exercise is vital and necessary for your survival. Because of the gravity change that takes place exercise periods commence on the hour every hour so plan your day accordingly. You must slide your ID card when you start your exercise period. Anyone who goes 24 hours without exercising will be held accountable. Get used to it as you wil be doing it every day for the next ten years, or for however long you remain in low gravity. Just so you wil know the gravity on Mars is at thirty five percent. The lowest gravity that human beings can tolerate over an extended period of time is 33% so gravity is your enemy. Regular exercise, shots and vitamins are your friend.”

  “Next I would like to discuss the matter of time and date. The time that we use on the ship and the time that is currently being used on the planet is Greenwich mean time and the calendar is the ordinary Earth calendar that you have used all your life. We use Greenwich Mean time based on the 24 hour clock. We do this because an ordinary wrist watch can provide you with this information instantly The 24 hour clock is also called military time. The United States military has used this 24 hour day for over two hundred years. Please never refer to AM or PM again when giving someone the time.”

  Since humans seldom go to the surface of Mars and when they do, it is for only one hour or less at a time, it is more or less irreverent what time it is on Mars or what the date is. scientists have worked out a Martian clock and calendar. The display also gives the current temperature and wind speed. If you are planning work on the surface it wil be necessary to consult the Martian clock and calendar that has been posted in several places in the Government cavern and adjacent to each elevator. You can continue by the same time and date that you have always used. It is important that humans only go out on the surface when the weather is warmest and the light is best.

  “It is inevitable that a certain amount of work wil have to be performed on the surface but it is important that you know that you can not even tolerate the surface for one second without suffering serious health consequences. Fortunately we have developed Mars suits which are similar to space suits in appearance but quite different in many ways. They are special y equipped to handle the outdoor conditions on the planet. While wearing one of these suits in the middle of the day a man can work on the surface for up to an hour under optimum conditions but in no circumstance is it safe to work outdoors in a Mars suit for more than an hour at a time without coming in and removing the suit for an hour before venturing out again. Twice a year there are winds that blow across the surface at speeds ranging from two hundred fifty to four hundred miles per hour. If you are caught in one of these winds you wil be found dead if you are ever found at all and it won't matter whether you are wearing a Mars Suit or not. So no one is allowed on the surface to do any kind of work without obtaining a slip from the project safety engineer. The average temperature on the surface of the planet is -55 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmest temperature ever recorded on the surface of the planet was eighty degrees. Mice introduced to the surface for even three seconds just explode. Don't think that you can venture out through an air lock even for a second it would probably be fatal. Surface conditions are constantly monitored by the project safety engineer who has been thoroughly schooled in determining when outside work can safely be performed ”

  “You are each being given a vitamin box with the date on each compartment. You wil be given a new box a few days before the end of each month. You absolutely must take that days vitamins every morning after breakfast. It may be desirable to take vitamin supplements on Earth but on Mars it can mean the difference between life and death. If you find that you have missed a day then report immediately to sick bay for a shot. It is vitally important on Mars that you properly maintain a human body that was never intended to be there in the first place. We don't want you to feel any trepidation over the things I have just told you. If you go by the rules you wil be fine. You wil be able to return to Earth safe and sound.”

  “Now for an interesting little demonstration of artificial gravity. My assistant on the platform above me is going to drop a rubber ball at my feet. Go ahead and drop the bal Fred.” The ball hit right in front of the speaker but instead of bouncing back straight up to him it careened off into the audience, coming down near the back of the room where a woman prepared to catch i
t. Instead of her catching it the bal hit the man two seats down from her in the chest. He picked it up and the speaker said, “great, now throw the ball back to me.” When the man threw the bal he was off by about 20 feet. “What does this demonstration tell us? We are in artificial gravity in a relatively small enclosure. Even though this ship is as wide as a footbal field and four times as long it is stil relatively small as space objects go. Artificial gravity behaves differently from planetary gravity. The larger the object the less difference there is between artificial and planetary gravity. On Mars which is a planet that generates it's own gravity the ball would behave more like it would on the Earth but not exactly. You will eventually adapt to the differences without realizing it but at first it will seem strange to you because by that time you wil have become accustomed to the way gravity behaves on this ship. This difference could cause some nausea and equilibrium problems in some people but it is not serious. It is a temporary condition, it wil pass. It is caused by the inner ear trying to adjust to the new environment. If it causes you too much distress go to sick bay. They will issue you some medication that may help.”

  “Are there any questions at this time?” “Yes,” a woman in the audience asked. “I thought it took six months to reach Mars even when Mars was at it's closest point to Earth, how is it that this voyage is going to take only two and a half months?” “The six months and more voyages were based on launching a vehicle into space and then shutting down the engines and allowing the space vehicle to continue on to its destination at the speed that it had attained when the engines were shut down. On this craft the engines are never shut down because the ship is powered by nuclear energy. We wil continue to accelerate for about half the journey then wil decelerate for the second half. That reduces the travel time greatly. At the maximum that we wil reach on this trip the ship wil be traveling at about one hundred sixty seven mil ion miles per hour, about one fourth the speed of light. Mars is much too close to Earth to go much faster than that. We would run the risk of overshooting the planet entirely and leaving the solar system. A far more sophisticated ship than this is presently under construction that wil exceed the speed of light but at the speed of light it would stil take approximately four and a half years to reach the next solar system knows as Alpha Centauri.”