Science Fiction Short Stories

Blood Red Planet

Mars Colonization Collective
Scopra 18, Mars Year 3 (March 3, Earth Year 2401)
To: Levar Nimmons, Chief of Operations, Sol Space Command
From: Ursula Prime-Wobed, Commanding, Mariner Station, Mars
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (FYEO)

As you requested, Lev, here is an informal report of the extinction event on Mars that began at 7:15 AM Mars UT, six days ago: my impressions, opinions, what I saw and think I saw and what happened. FYEO. Opens only with your retinal scan and disappears as soon as so scanned.

We tried to settle Mars for nearly one hundred years and failed every time. Crops would die after sprouting, the atmosphere project failed every time, animals wasted away. The Sirians arrived in Sol System forty-three years ago, and asked permission to settle Venus, with our assistance. We learned so much from them and have allied with their exploration service.

They refused to help us settle Mars for years. They insisted Mars was not a planet but a 'norfal' which roughly translates as 'that which devours'. Mars was to be avoided. They had no scientifically verifiable explanation, just old legends from their explorations. They insisted the asteroid belt was caused by Mars. Again, no explanation. Alec Dawkins, who ran the Mars Colony Project, insisted, "If it's round like a planet, orbits like a planet, and cleans its own space, it's a planet."

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Three years ago, we resettled Mars, this time with the Sirians help. They investigated Mars and said maybe, Mars was now 'norben', or 'that which is dead'.

The terraforming was successful beyond anything the Colonizers projected. In two years, Mars had five million settlers, cities, fields, forests growing, seas and lakes. The Gross Planetary Product (GPP) was two and a half times what we hoped for. Mars Colonization Command expected to complete the twenty-five-year terraforming in seven years (Earth years). Seven years!

A Mars year has twenty months of thirty days, and three months of twenty-nine days. Two months ago, in the month called Violan, the change began.

We didn't know what it meant, or what was happening (still don't). The results of all the testing by Earth and Sirian scientists was that Mars was responding environmentally to terraforming. What happened, as you know, is canals formed all across the surface of Mars. The canals everyone said were a misinterpretation by early astronomers. But here they were. Back again.

In a few weeks the canals grew from pole to pole and around Mars. They were mushy, damp but not with water, and growing. They curved around buildings and sucked up plants and other organic matter that covered them.

We tried to explore them, but when we pierced their surfaces, a liquid much like water oozed out, and the canals crusted over. They became hard enough to drive or walk on. We had no idea how deep they were. The Sirians became quite agitated and planned to leave Mars. They urged us to leave, too. Mayor Dzan, their commander, said maybe Mars had been 'norfee', or dormant, and was now 'norzoo', or 'that which wakes up'. We had no idea what that meant, and they couldn't explain it any better. They planned to leave Mars four days ago. If only they'd left three days before that.

Six days ago, at 07:15 hours, the event started (Scopra 12, Year 3).

We on the Mariner were orbiting Mars and had just passed within the orbit of Phobos at that time. We observed that the canals oozed, and the lands, with everything on them that were between the canals sank. Into the planet. All traces of settlement disappeared. The event was complete in twenty-seven minutes. One-hundred Earth settlers, who were in space flight escaped. Seven Sirians working on the Mariner were the only survivors from their group.

The event was over before we could evacuate anyone. All the farms, fields, crops, animals, cities and town, the space ports, disappeared into the depths of Mars. The canals closed and bare red Martian soil replaced the missing settlements.

One more thing happened the next day. A large spot on Mars' surface, about 100 kilometers around, formed, soft and mushy. The spot took 43 minutes and seven seconds to complete. When it did, it erupted, although it was not like a volcanic cone. Mars spewed a mass into orbit and the blob attached to Phobos, tripling its size. Two small transport ships on Phobos managed to leave before the mass attached.

A smaller mass was spewed at Deimos. It attached and, again, tripled Deimos size. A third mass erupted and formed a small moon that took orbit.

A few hours later Phobos left Mars orbit and left the solar system. When Phobos reached the Van Allen belt, it poofed. Not a scientific word, but poofed it did. Not even the Sirians have a name for what happened there.

The Sirians said the settlement of Mars woke it up. Mars woke, although the Sirians say the planet is not sentient in any way we can understand, but they believe Mars ate the food on its surface and fed its spores. Phobos matured and left in search of a new planetary system.

I have no better explanation. Mariner Station sent drones down, but so far, anything that touched the surface was sucked under. Whatever Mars is, is still hungry. Quite hungry.

As Commander I placed Mars under a 'No Contact' order, along with Deimos and the new, nameless third moon.

The Sirians insist Mars be left alone, and I agree with them. Of course, Sol Command will have to make the final order, but patrols must be established to keep the curious--and stupid, off Mars.

The canals are still there but are growing smaller. Mayor Dzan projected twenty-two Mars months before the canals revert to dormancy, and 'that which devours' becomes 'that which is dormant'.

Ursula Prime-Wobed, Commanding, Mariner Station, Mars
Scopra 18, Year 3

P.S. Send my greetings to Lenore. Let her know I will be on the Mariner for at least the next two Earth years and can't make your fiftieth wedding anniversary. Best wishes. Ursie.