Pokémon Mars

Chapter 5: Ironville

The group were fortunate that Courtney picked them up. The buses that left only a few minutes later were stuck in a long line on the highway. There were only 10 entrances to Ironville. Four buses, or eight rovers, could fit in each airlock. Every time, the airlocks were pressurised to open the gates to the city, then depressurised again to admit the next lot of vehicles. While the airlocks were pressurised, the buses – or spacesuits for astronauts on rovers – were depressurised.

The first views weren't of the city. They were of cleaning chambers that blasted the dust and rocks off the incoming vehicles. Once they were clean, a green light appeared and they were finally allowed in to the city. Courtney took off her helmet. She told her friends that they could do the same. Jin wasn't the only one who was too busy looking out of the window. Joshua and Nessie lifted the twins up so they could see, but they were glued to the views, too. Construction sites lined the road. Canals ran towards the skyline. The buildings were squat by Earth's standards, but by Martian standards, they were skyscrapers. Every window on the horizon glowed. It was only noon, but thanks to the dust storm, it might as well have been midnight. As disappointing as it was to see nothing but whirling dust beyond the bubble, it was incredible to see that orb of light on the horizon, because it was awe-inspiring that so many people and Pokémon lived on Mars.

A Charjabus passed. It carried construction workers on their way to the underground railway, an extension of the Ironville Metro, that would connect the city to the spaceport without opening any airlocks. The workers at the construction sites wore short sleeves. It was -62 ºC, or -80 ºF, outside, but thanks to the Pokémon using Sunny Day, others with the Drought Ability and the bubble itself, it was as warm as a summer day on Earth.

Billboards advertised everything from clothes to gadgets to guided tours. The exceptionally wealthy could even take trips to the small settlements on the moons, Phobos and Deimos. Damson's face was everywhere. He advertised the tours, clothing and tinned food as well as his concerts.

The first metro station appeared beyond the first populated buildings. Mercury's shutter never stopped clicking.

'Do y'all wanna go straight to your places?' Courtney asked, 'Or are we going to the lab?'

Everyone replied at once that they wanted to go straight to their residences. After the long journey, constantly watching the Pokémon, they didn't mind letting others take over for a few days. As the buildings grew taller around them and people filled the pavements, the Team Aqua bus turned a corner to the Delta Lab 1 that the two teams shared, which would also be the new group's Ironville base. They dropped off the Pokémon, supplies and scientific equipment there.

'How many people live here now?' Joshua asked, 'The last count I saw was from two years ago.'

'About 400,000 live here in Ironville... but there are at least 8,000 more at the research stations all around Mars... and another 5,000 on Phobos and Deimos.'

'Whoa... this is insane!'

Signs illuminated familiar names like Wail-Mart, No. 1 Pharmacy and Hexagon Coffee. Thalassa's eyes wandered from the streets to the storm raging around the bubble. She was glad to see familiar things, but at the same time, their presence made the whole experience feel underwhelming. Nyx felt the same way. What was the point? It made sense that scientists travelled there, but why would anyone else go so far, to such a desolate and dangerous planet, just to pretend they were still on Earth? If Mars was supposed to be a better world, why replicate Earth at all?

Jin didn't care. He was on Mars. It wasn't a replica of Earth to him. Whatever he did, wherever he went and whatever he bought, he would know he was on Mars... and he was a scientist, so he would see the real Mars beyond the bubble. He couldn't wait. Joshua and Eden didn't say anything more, but the childlike awe in their eyes suggested they agreed. Nessie certainly did. She was as excited as the restless twins.

It was a new city, even if it was nothing more, to Mercury. He would photograph anything. There was beauty to be found in the most boring suburbs. As Jin or Eden would have said, he would know his photos, no matter how boring, were taken on Mars. Callerya simply couldn't wait to start their project, but until then, she just wanted to sit in a real, grounded restaurant that served pizza.

'We're on fucking Mars!'

Jin couldn't stop grinning.

'And one day, those dust storms ain't even gonna be a problem anymore, 'cause we terraformed this hellhole!'

Courtney giggled again. If the combined intelligence of everyone in Team Magma couldn't do it, she doubted Jin would see any significant change in his lifetime, but she did believe these new arrivals would contribute valuable knowledge and efforts that would lead to change at some point, even if it was hundreds of years away.

'Good luck...'

Thalassa's thoughts plummeted back into the depressing void she found herself in on the ship. Was it even morally right to terraform another planet, a dead planet, just to turn it into another Earth? Then again, Mars was dead. The Ares program existed for 49 years. Vast amounts of research were conducted before. Nothing ever lived there. A dead landscape couldn't feel anything. It didn't matter what people and Pokémon did to it.

The bus turned on to a canalside road. Everyone but Thalassa craned their necks to see the skyline reflected in the clear, glassy water. A Pokémon Center's frontage glowed at the foot of a tower. Even Thalassa looked up when Callerya nudged her to point out the Magikarp splashing in the canal.

'Goldeen!' Jin yelled, 'I see Goldeen! Poliwag!'

They were the only Pokémon in the canal. In the grassy grounds of the town hall, beyond an 'I ❤ IRONVILLE' sign, more wild Pokémon roamed around: Growlithe, Meowth, Pichu and Rattata. Callerya even spotted an Eevee. In the town hall's parking lot, a Venonat leapt out of a dumpster. It was covered in Grimer slime, which suggested they were in there, too. As the new arrivals took their first breaths of Ironville's air, three Pidove flew over their heads. A dropping slopped onto Jin's shoulder.

'Some things never change, huh? But who cares?! We're on Mars!'

A long line would soon form outside the town hall, but they were early enough to wait only three minutes to receive their addresses and keys. As promised on the ship, Mayor Rudolph Rhisiart shook their hands.

'A very warm welcome to Ironville!'

He had been there for all of the Ares program's 49 years, arriving when he was 12, but he showed no signs of disillusionment or Mars madness. He didn't want to leave the city he loved. It was warm, safe and familiar in the bubble, but cold, deadly and depressing outside; though ominous signage reminded everyone that safety was never guaranteed anywhere on Mars.