c. 2026 Rod Ice
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(4-26)
Before the Morningstar III could attain its typical cruising velocity, Commander Hornell Block sent a priority message to his superiors on the Martian homeworld. He expected a stern response, delivered quickly. One that would order him to immediately investigate the unexplained phenomenon at Mare Frigoris, on the lunar surface. Yet upon issuing his plea for direction, the reply came in a form he had not anticipated. One delivered unofficially, via his personal com-link.
The voice in his ear was unmistakably familiar, that of Admiral Corel Nauga. But instead of projecting the usual resonance of a confident leader, he spoke with a note of irritation coloring his words.
“Dammit, mister, what is the meaning of your query about a change in mission status? Do you see signs of distress with the away team from Planet Earth? Is there some cause for concern over their safety on the Moon? Is your worry justified by any evidence being collected?”
The ship steward was caught without a prepared explanation already in mind. He took a deep breath before composing his thoughts.
“Sir, we picked up signs of a nuclear generator in use, at the abandoned base. That facility has been sitting empty for generations. It must mean that someone is attempting to restart operations on-site...”
Nauga growled indifferently. He had just finished a breakfast meeting with members of the Space Force chiefs-of-staff.
“I say again, is there any quantifiable cause for concern, soldier?”
His obedient underling had to admit having no clear reason for alarm.
“Sir, they appear to be transmitting data to a center on the west coast of what was the North American continent. Professor Baines said that there was an independent republic there, called Calimex. We suspect that they must have sent out the team to repair and reactivate the lunar facility. Their capabilities are somewhat primitive, however...”
The top-level official raised his right fist, and exhaled loudly.
“Yes, yes, and your point was what, mister?”
Commander Block scratched the back of his head. He felt uneasy and off-balance.
“I... umm... guessed that you would direct me to take a closer look, sir.”
Admiral Nauga shouted over the com-link with the bark of a chained canine.
“HORNELL, I USED THIS CHANNEL TO AVOID STIRRING UP ANY CONTROVERSY WITH THE BRASS HERE ON MARS. THEIR DESIRE WAS TO SEE THE PROFESSOR AND OUR ERSTWHILE LIEUTENANT TAKEN BACK TO EARTH, AND DUMPED ON THE PLANET SURFACE! SINCE YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THAT GOAL, YOUR RESDPONSIBILITIES HAVE BEEN FULFILLED! WHATEVER HAPPENS ON THE MOON IS NONE OF OUR DAMN BUSINESS. LET THEM DO THEIR WORK. TURN THE MORNINGSTAR TOWARD HOME, AND BE ON YOUR WAY! I WON’T WASTE ANY MORE TIME DEBATING THE MISSION YOU JUST COMPLETED!”
There was a brief interlude of silence between them. Then, the junior officer nodded with acceptance.
“Aye sir, I will order my ensign to engage the C-drive, immediately. We will report to you when our vessel reaches the station dock, in a matter of days...”
A harsh click of electronic relays signaled that their conversation had been terminated, abruptly.
As the sleek craft from Mars disappeared into a vast realm of unoccupied space, activity on the planet below was beginning anew. Judson Baines felt a tingle of excitement, when disembarking from the Digger shuttle. But his partner perceived the ruined landscape differently. Her background in the military had instilled a mindset of regimentation and order. To behold the rural community of mobile homes in such a forlorn state of neglect made her shudder.
“This property is a mess, Juddy! You actually want to live here and do research? How will that be possible with no water, no power, no communications, and no sense of direction?”
The university scholar sighed and rolled his eyes. His red beard had begun to itch.
“Kells, we’ve got the shuttle for now. It’ll be our outpost for the time being. I can rig the propulsion system to function as a generator. During my last visit, I stayed at Lot 13, where my ancestor lived. His singlewide longbox is actually in reasonable condition. There is lots of land in this tract, for farming. We can grow a garden that will sustain us when the provisions run out. I did many of these things out of necessity, before. You’ve been too spoiled with living in the colonies. Everything is done for us, staying in sealed domes and breathing a recirculated atmosphere. This is a real environment now, pure and unspoiled by humanity. Everything has reverted to wilderness conditions. But that can be an advantage for us, I’ll show you how it is possible!”
The resigned officer tugged her hair into a familiar ponytail. Then, she began to walk the perimeter of their adopted living space.
“What were there, around a hundred families renting lots here, at one point? You can see plenty of leftover junk that indicates they left in a hurry. Front doors still standing open, broken windows, toys and yard tools scattered around in the driveways. A disaster for anyone who stayed behind!”
Baines gestured with disagreement. He had read many descriptive entries in the diary of his bloodline progenitor, that indicated a happier outcome.
“T. C. Lincoln was glad to have his neighbors leave, for the most part. They had a different take on events that led to the Great Uprising. Everything blew apart when the social order became so polarized. And there was an energy crisis, when war raged in what they referred to as the Middle East. Tribalism became the norm. A crackdown from their government ensued, with conflict erupting all across the continent. Terrorist incidents multiplied. Suspicion and mistrust ruled the day. Then, Mother Nature rebelled. She had seen her air, water, and soil contaminated by chemicals and man-made diseases. A foul odor of decay permeated everyone and everything. I read all of this in notebook journals that the old hermit left behind. He remained here long after the park had closed. His body is buried somewhere in the front field, east of their office hub, and maintenance building. We’re going to find that little cemetery, so I can make amends for the sins of our brood. Our DNA sequence was revived on the Red Planet. But for him, there was no rescue. Just the hard reality of madness and collapse, and a shallow grave among the pines...”
Strafe could feel tears welling up in her brown eyes.
“You tell the story with so much emotion, Juddy. It almost makes me believe that you were there, in person!
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