The Martian Lie

Interludes

Interludes

I – The Friendly Pastor

When Pastor Herrera saw Richard's truck pull in on a random weekday afternoon, he pulled the white pastor collar out of his desk drawer and placed it inside his black shirt collar. He didn't like it when his parishioners saw him without it, but he didn't like to wear it unless he was around other people. Ever since he lost his faith, it felt stifling.

He went to meet Richard and the very pretty girl who got out of the truck with him.

"Pastor!" Richard waved both his hands. He looked happy. The girl offered a timid wave of her own. She looked exotic somehow, although he couldn't place why.

"Richard!" He waved back. They all continued to walk toward each other until they stood in a small triangle. Herrera noted that he was barely taller than the girl herself.

"Who is the lovely lady?" He asked.

"Callie. A friend visiting from out of town." Richard's voice squeaked at the word town.

"Lovely to meet you. So what brings you two here?"

"I'm just showing Callie around. She said she'd like to see my church before heading back to catch the light-rail in Kansas City.

"By all means, go ahead."

He walked the girl and Richard into the sanctuary. She looked fascinated and did not say much. Almost like a child who has never been in a church before, yet somehow knows to be quiet and respectful.

He had always felt awkward in silence, so he busied himself with telling her what the images on the stained glass windows meant. What the various candles symbolized. What his sermon would be about come Sunday. She nodded politely, all the while maintaining her deer in the headlights look.

He noticed how Richard watched her as well. He seemed quite protective of this girl. Seemed funny how he had never mentioned a girlfriend from out of town before. Richard was a fairly open book. They had beers together regularly in the evenings, living so close. Maybe he'd get more information on this later.

The couple thanked him after a while and made their way across the road to the cemetery. They wandered around there for thirty minutes. He could see the girl's fascinated look at the cemetery as well.

Interesting. Thought Pastor Herrera.

II – The Father's Bait and Switch

The Father sold his dream, but he sold it under a false name. He was a man who had innovated his way to power. He had taken advantage of a system in which he could use free enterprise to create whatever he wanted. He created a way for humanity to move to Mars.

Yet, ultimately, he didn't believe that people should be able to create whatever they wanted, even though he had. People came to the side of the dreamer, only to realize the dreamer didn't believe in them, only himself.

The Father was part of the elite. And he knew, perhaps rightfully so, that only the elite could keep the two planets working together. Although he arose in a system where anyone could come to power, it was important to put in place procedures for him and his kind to keep it once they had it.

Nobody else could do it better.

It was simple enough. He dreamt up the Supply Lines, a somewhat dystopian, communist vision that he nonetheless sold as humanity saving their Earth. He was nothing if not a salesman.

Once the Father was in power, he didn't want to give it up. It is a flaw that has shown its face in lesser men. Men with less at stake than the lives of all the humans on two planets.

Nobody could argue that what he accomplished was amazing. But after he did it, nobody else had a chance to one-up him. Nobody could even question whether or not that was fair.