The Mars Frontier Box Set, page 46
part #1 of Mars Frontier Series
Redmayne managed a feeble smile. "I know you're doing your best, Georgia. But maybe it's better this way. I've got no future anywhere. At least my final act would be a positive one." He coughed again and this time there was much more blood.
"I never had you as a quitter. I thought you were a fighter. Like me. We're at our best when we're facing insurmountable odds."
There was a long pause before Redmayne responded. "We're not alike. You're a good person and deserve to survive." He stopped to catch his breath before continuing. "I've done terrible things which I hate myself for. You have no idea how hard it is living every day with my memories. If you only listen to one piece of advice from me, it is this. Do not stray from the person you are. If you behave with wicked intent it will slowly catch up with you and it will kill you."
"You made evil mistakes, Tom. But surely you can overcome those. Why give up now?"
There was a further bout of coughing and Tom's voice was now noticeably weaker as he replied, "There's no point trying to fool either of us. Society doesn't want people like me. And I don't blame them. I'm not looking for your pity. But I've had enough of being who I've turned into. I don't want to be saved anymore." Another coughing fit racked Redmayne's body before he slumped into unconsciousness.
Georgia shook him again but there was no response this time. She sat back up, leaning against the edge of the wreckage, confounded and annoyed at the tears rolling down her face.
Chapter 33
"Fifteen miles to target landing zone," Mancuso calmly called out, trying to ignore how strange it felt sitting in the captain's chair. Lexington's pilot, Major Jack Stoddard, responded by applying some minor adjustments on the controls and checking the ship's trajectory.
Mancuso's instruments were showing a three-dimensional image of the terrain below them and he could see the Lexington was just passing over the eastern rim of the Kaiser Crater. At the edge of the image, a pulsing red light indicated the position of the escape pod's beacon, now less than ten miles away. The preferred landing zone was five hundred yards from the pod's location. That was the closest they dared land without fear of the landing rockets injuring Georgia or Redmayne with flying debris.
Out of a sense of hope more than expectation he tried to contact the downed astronauts. "Georgia? Redmayne? This is Mancuso on board Lexington. Can you hear me?" Unsurprisingly, there was nothing but static.
"Does that mean we're too late?" asked Jackson, a hint of desperation in his voice.
"Not at all," replied Mancuso. "There are plenty of possibilities why they're not responding. They must simply be preserving their power packs."
"Ten seconds before retro-firing," said Major Stoddard. If he was nervous at piloting his first sub-orbital flight, he wasn't showing it. Mancuso was pleased by the man's skills under extreme pressure.
Mancuso could now see an infrared image of the proposed landing zone. He adjusted the magnification to get a closer look for any large rocks or other impediments that could damage the ship but was satisfied with what he saw. "You're a go for landing, major."
"Roger that, sir."
One hundred and fifty feet beneath the flight deck, five of the huge rocket engines exploded into life, hurtling towers of flame toward the ground as they slowed Lexington's velocity to almost zero. The extreme power of the engines could be felt through the astronauts' seats like a distant rumble of thunder. And then all was quiet again as the ship bumped gently onto the surface.
"Fantastic job, Jack," said Mancuso as he deftly unclipped his restraints and began the climb down to the cargo bay. "Can you make sure we're ready to return to Alpha Base as soon as we've recovered Georgia and Redmayne."
***
Georgia was sleeping again when she was taken by surprise as the black sky suddenly erupted in the blinding light from Lexington's rockets. The light was so bright she had to shield her eyes with her hand as she watched Lexington descend and land on the far side of the escape pod's remains. She shone the flashlight at Redmayne but there was no sign of movement. "Good news," she said anyway. "The rescuers have arrived."
As she watched it land, Lexington's rockets kicked up dust and small rocks that hid it from Georgia's view, but also showered her in fine particles. She didn't care. She was going to keep her promises to Jackson and Megan and live another day. Perhaps she was indestructible after all, although the pain from her bruised and battered body suggested otherwise.
She tried to stand but her joints had stiffened up and protested at the effort. Her right knee was heavily swollen and wouldn't bend at all. Using the twisted wreckage as a support she eventually managed to stand but the effort left her face covered in sweat. There was no way she would be able to walk unassisted. She could now see Lexington more clearly as the dust settled. The lights from the flight deck were shining like a towering lighthouse. She saw another light as the cargo bay door slid open, revealing the silhouettes of two astronauts and two speeders being lowered in the cradle. She told herself that one of the astronauts would have to be Mancuso but the other could be either Jackson or Megan. At that moment, Georgia hoped it was the Doctor, but she knew that Jackson would be desperate to ensure that she was okay.
With the radio transmitters smashed during the impact on landing, Georgia realized the only way to communicate her presence was with the flashlight. She waved it several times above her head and was rewarded by one of the astronauts in the cradle shining their light in return.
She waited patiently for the two astronauts to roll up. As they passed the wreckage of the escape pod, her personal comms channel sprang to life with the voice of Jackson. "Georgia, is that you? Are you OK?"
"Did we save the base?" were the first words she could think of.
"Yes, you're a hero again, sis. How do you expect me to be able to compete with you when you keep doing things like this?" As Georgia had suspected, Jackson was unable to find out if she was dead or alive. The relief in his voice was palpable.
Mancuso added, "we're waiting for formal confirmation that the Chinese ship was destroyed but we witnessed two of explosions. And Stockton says that his satellites are unable to locate Taipei. Where's Redmayne?"
"He's under this piece of twisted metal. I don't know if he's alive but I'm unable to get him out. Can you guys help? And where is Megan? I need painkillers."
Between them, Mancuso and Jackson made light work of lifting the twisted metal and rolling Redmayne onto his back. The small computer display on his wrist showed that the suit was still functioning, but no pulse was being registered.
"It looks as if he wasn't as lucky as you, Georgia," said Mancuso.
Georgia felt hollow. After all, Redmayne had saved her life and that of Alpha Base's crew. "I think this was what he wanted" she said. "There was no place for him at Alpha, or anywhere else. He told me he was ready to atone for what he'd done but I'm not convinced he was prepared to be kept locked up for the rest of his life."
"I hope you don't have any sympathy for him. He ended the lives of some good men because of his greed and selfishness," said Mancuso.
"Don't get me wrong, Joe. He deserved to be punished but I didn't want him to die for us. It's such a waste of a brilliant mind. Imagine what he could have achieved."
"I think we've done pretty well without him so far. I'll admit I'm grateful he helped to save the base but that's as far as I'll go. Do we take him back with us or bury him here?"
"I know you're eager, Joe but I think we should let Megan confirm that he's dead before we consider what to do with him!" Georgia replied. "Let's take him back to Lexington for the Doctor to take a look."
Jackson smiled. "Georgia, I don't know if anyone has told you, but you look like shit."
"Funny you should say that, little brother," she laughed. "Let's see how you look next time you carry out a daring mission. For that comment, you can lend me your speeder. You're walking back." And with that, she hobbled onto Jackson's speeder and made her way slowly toward Lexington.
Chapter 34
Less than two miles from the escape pod, a small craft hovered silently and invisibly. Its two occupants had been paying close attention to the events of the past few hours.
"You have shown incredible restraint, Grant. This was a supreme test of your abilities to not intervene with the events of your species, despite your friends being at risk of annihilation. You have done very well."
"Thank you, Falmas. You do me a great honor and your praise is important to me. However, I find it remarkable after your many years observing humans that you still fail to appreciate their capacity for ingenuity and survival. You're an intelligent species. Georgia Pyke's resilience in the face of adversity is without question. I had little doubt that she would succeed in overcoming the odds and therefore there was never any need for intervention."
Falmas looked perplexed. "Humans are like no other species we have encountered. You are complex, conflicted, territorial, you yearn for peace yet devote most of your time to violence and warfare. I don't believe another six thousand years will be sufficient time to understand your nature."
Grant stood up to stretch his legs. The nano-actuators in his hip and knee joints were slow to respond. A sure sign that they required further adjustment. "I'm sure that's what makes us such a fascinating species to study. Whereas I am quickly learning from you that intervention is not the right thing to do. Even though we have the power to assist, we are not gods. It is right that we should not intercede at the first sign of trouble. Of course," he added, "Georgia and I are exceptions to that rule. You made the right call in saving our lives."
Falmas acknowledged Grant's statement. "I remember not too long ago when you held fiercely different views to our having saved your life. You have come a long way since then. Yet I have been punished for my earlier discretions by being tasked with educating you in the ways of the Sentinels. I don't believe those responsible could have chosen a better way of reminding me that we are simply observers."
"Admit it," said Grant. "You secretly enjoy my company."
"I'm not sure 'enjoy' is the correct terminology. I have learned to tolerate your presence and your strange ways. Spending all my time with you is an... education!"
"I'll take that," replied Grant, who was still getting accustomed to his new body parts and not having human companionship. "You're not the easiest person to live with either. The important question for me is this. Do you think Georgia could be the one you've been seeking?"
Falmas was suddenly very defensive. "How do you know about that? The information is highly classified research and none of your concern."
Grant tried not to sound too smug. He didn't want to upset his new friend. "I told you we were resourceful. How can you not expect me not to discover the truth about this mission? It's been obvious for a while that there was more that you weren't telling me. Anyway, answer the question."
Falmas stared at him dumbfounded. "You are impossible." He finally nodded, slowly. "She could be, yes. I have requested the attendance of Jillnap to witness Georgia Pyke's behavior at first hand. He will be here within six months to commence his examination of her conduct. Only then will we know for sure."
Grant looked back at the view screen at an image of Georgia now being helped onto Lexington's cradle. Involuntarily, he reached out a hand toward the screen longing to be able to speak with her again. But for now, the time wasn't right, and it wouldn't be in her best interests if he tried to warn her of what was to come. He'd met Jillnap twice. Neither occasion had been pleasant and, at the sound of his name, he felt a pang of fear for Georgia's safety. "Speedy recovery," he whispered to the final image of Georgia before the cargo hatch closed. "You're going to need all the energy you have."
<<
NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
Over the past few years, my confidence in mankind reaching Mars in my lifetime has grown enormously. Not only is the commercialization of space becoming a reality, but serious amounts of private and public funding have been made available. Returning to the Moon is now seen as being long overdue. And many plans view the Moon as a gateway for manned missions to Mars and beyond. Technology is now at a stage where it is feasible to send astronauts safely beyond low earth orbit.
But there is little point in sending a handful of missions to Mars without a long-term goal. So, as well as scientific research, future astronauts will have to find a way to make Mars pay for itself.
It is geologically possible that Mars may have concentrated mineral ores, with much greater concentrations than is currently the case on Earth, because we’ve been heavily mining ores and precious metals for at least five thousand years. Various studies have shown that if concentrated supplies of metals of equal or greater value than silver are accessible on Mars, they could potentially be transported to Earth at high profit. The existence of such Martian precious metal ores, however, is still subject to guesswork and requires detailed surveys and prospecting, best carried by human geologists in situ.
You only need to look to the Apollo program. A few as twelve astronauts landed on the Moon, but NASA felt it essential that one of them, Harrison Schmitt, was a qualified geologist. Schmitt was a late replacement for another astronaut on the final mission, Apollo Seventeen. During his twenty hours on the surface, Schmitt was able to confirm volcanic activity had previously occurred on the Moon. The proof was small orange volcanic beads that he admits he would never have spotted remotely through photography alone.
Several mining companies have drawn up plans for mining operations on Mars, the Moon and even asteroids. The potential for finding new mineral rich deposits could lead to a new gold rush in space. But future Mars prospectors will probably find mineral riches in some unusual settings.
On Earth, surface water, ground water and even chemicals left by living things play major roles in leaching, concentrating and depositing valuable metals and minerals like iron, gold, silver, nickel and copper.
So where will we look on Mars for usable quantities of ore?
One popular suggestion is to try the long extinct volcanoes such as Olympus Mons. The large volcanic areas of Mars are similar to what geologists refer to as "Large Igneous Provinces" of Earth. These are locations where, billions of years ago, vast amounts of lava poured out over the Earth’s surface. Elements that are extracted from these locations include chromium, copper, iron, nickel, platinum, and titanium. All of these would be valuable for building and sustaining a Martian colony.
Other potential mineral deposits are the array of large impact craters across Mars. One key reason is that craters offer up exposed rocks to prospect, which avoids having to conduct extensive mining operations. Craters are also locations where there was a lot of heat generated, which sometimes lasted for tens of thousands of years after the impact. Any water frozen in the ground would have been turned to liquid and even steam, which in turn would have leached minerals and elements from local rocks and then deposit them in more concentrated forms in veins of ore and in hydrothermal vents. There are many examples on Earth where this has occurred. The Sudbury impact structure in Canada has ores rich in gold, copper, lead and zinc.
Because of the potential for making huge profits, mining companies are likely to provide funding for Mars missions in return for access to information and prospecting rights. Investment in prospecting for minerals in space may be a high risk strategy, but the rewards could be astronomical.
It is therefore highly probable that the early manned Mars missions will include experienced geologists such as Jackson Pyke. I’ve included his character in the Mars Frontier series to provide the focus of the commercial exploitation of Mars. His sister, Georgia, sees his presence as essential in order to establish continued funding and growth for human settlements on Mars. If valuable minerals aren’t present, then the reasons for staying on Mars quickly diminish.
As siblings, Georgia and Jackson are already close. But with their respective roles on Mars, they now also have a symbiotic relationship that is fundamental to Alpha Base being successful. Each of them has their own motives for success, but they can’t succeed without the other. Relic delves into their reliance on one another. I expect this will be an ongoing theme as the Mars Frontier series develops.
RELIC
Book 3 of the Mars Frontier Series
Chapter 1
TWO YEARS AGO
Jim Grant awoke with a start, confused and disoriented. Where am I? Why is the room in darkness? The blackness was so complete that he couldn't tell whether his eyes were open or closed other than by feeling himself blink. He tried to turn his head, only to discover he was prevented from doing so by a tight strap across his forehead. His arms and legs were similarly incapacitated. He sought any slack in the straps but whoever had tied him here had been very proficient. He was going nowhere. But why?
He knew he wasn't in his personal quarters in Alpha Base, or even in the medical center. It was far too quiet. He should be able to hear the environmental system circulating the air and the sound of computer terminals. He listened intently for any noise at all. In the darkness, the only sound he could hear was the steady beat of his heart. Captain Winter or Doctor Betts wouldn't have left him like this. It was baffling. Disturbingly, he couldn't even recall how he had gotten here or what he had been doing.
And then his memories began to return. Slowly at first but they soon surged back into his mind like a torrent. It took him a few moments to put them into a logical sequence before he remembered everything. The memories of those last fateful moments filled Grant with horror. Captain Winter's death; the explosion in the cargo hold followed by the mistimed leap from Aquarius to the Jetcopter; the look of despair on Georgia's face as she watched him plummet over one hundred feet to what should have been certain death; the final thoughts of overwhelming despondency at failing the woman he was falling in love with.
