(If you missed the beginning, click here)
Day 13
Wow. Yesterday, I mentioned Noel Kums’s daily message. It was the first one since we left the Moon. I was expecting something similar to the ones he usually sends to Earth. But no. He made a special message just for us. It even included a tour of Base 2, our future home.
Base 2 is not the official name. We will get to decide on one when we arrive. How awesome is that? So exciting! Thomas wants to call it “Base Y.” That’s because Base 1, the original Mars settlement – where Noel lives – is called “Base X,” or sometimes just “X.” He’s joking. I think.
We’ll see what we end up calling it.
The video tour was amazing. I even saw the garages with all the vehicles I’ll drive.
It looked almost exactly the same as what we saw in the CG presentation from two years ago, when they broke ground and we were being selected for the mission.
******
Day 15
So yeah, Base 2. Let me give you a quick overview.
Unlike Base X, it was built around and inside the vast network of caves and lava tunnels that were discovered on the side of Ascraeus Mons. Basically, it’s partly above ground and partly underground. The warehouses, garages, hangars, and such are mostly located above ground, but all the living areas will be in the tunnels. They offer increased protection from both radiation and sandstorms. They’re also much easier to expand since the “walls” are already there.
Using caves as the primary structure for the base is an idea that’s been around for decades, and it’s finally being implemented for our base. In yet another way, our mission is historic. We’re going to be space cavemen; how funny is that?
******
Day 23
Helen is finally over her space sickness. I was starting to worry it would last the entire trip. I didn’t see myself holding her hair over the toilet bowl every other day for the next 180 days or so.
******
Day 26
Everything’s good. It’s a bit warm these days. One of the batteries for the anti-radiation shield has been acting up, so the engineers have redirected the energy from the air conditioning. It’s no big deal. We just wear less clothing. It gives the living quarters a summer vacation vibe. Chad nicknamed them Honolulu.
Noel came up with the idea of connecting the A/C battery with the anti-radiation shield. I’m so proud to work for the greatest genius on Earth. Well, he’s not on Earth anymore.
******
Day 38
We’ve been in space a little over a month now. The Earth is getting smaller and smaller. Meanwhile, Venus is getting bigger and bigger. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t fully grasp the gravitational slingshot thing, nor do I care. I’ve never been very good at physics. I leave the piloting to the pilots and the navigating to the navigators. I’m a land pilot. I drive land vehicles; I leave the space piloting to them.
The good news is that the warmer-than-planned atmosphere on the ship is helping the plants grow faster. The first vegetable harvests have begun. In terms of taste, there’s definitely room for improvement. It could be because of the artificial soil. I’m sure it’ll be better on Mars. Once we mix Earth soil with Martian soil, our gardens should be perfect. The tomatoes and eggplants are already very promising. They can only become even better.
Yes, I’m keeping a close eye on the vegetables because… I’m not sure if I should mention it here… Oh well, why not? Will anyone but me ever read this journal? Maybe it will have some historical value one day? Long after I’m gone?
What am I trying to justify here? I just want to write about it, that’s all, so why not? So… Sally… The head gardener… We’ve been on a few dates, and I think it’s going somewhere.
The funny thing is, we’re not the only ones. People try to hide it, but you can only hide so much in a small space like ours. It’s kind of funny to talk about the largest spaceship ever built as a confined space, especially compared to… But I digress… I mean, if you lock a bunch of single, young, healthy people in an enclosed space for a few months with not much to do for most of us… and a malfunctioning air conditioner on top of it, things are bound to happen. And they’ve been happening.
******
Day 46
Sally and I are a couple! It’s official. That’s the good news.
The not-so-great news is that, before we left, we were told that space capsules don’t always smell like roses, and that turned out to be true. And since the ventilation problems can’t be completely fixed before we get to Mars, we’ll just have to get used to it. Even in the gardens… They have flowers, so you’d think it would be better. Well, most of the fertilizer comes from the livestock, if you know what I mean.
It could be worse. The astrophysics labs are next to the main septic tank, and well, only the people who really need to go to those labs do.
******
Day 62
Sally and I moved in together. Two weeks ago, seeing the number of new couples on board, we reorganized the living quarters. So Sally moved in with me. Arthur, my former roommate, moved in with Emily. Sena (that’s Em’s former roommate) is now roommates with Piotr. They’re not a couple, though. He’s gay. And they may not stay roommates for too long; I suspect something is going on between Piotr and Luckas. Oh, and Sally’s former room is now occupied by Nick. That’s just for my section; I don’t keep track of the whole crew.
We are a little cramped in our small quarters, but the mood is good. It’s the most important thing.
******
Day 65
Historic news today! The UN has granted statehood to the Mars Colony!
Yes, you read that right. Mars is now the first off-world country in the history of humankind!
It’s as amazing as it sounds.
In three weeks, an election will be held to choose a leader. There is no doubt who it will be. Is anyone even going to run against Noel? I seriously doubt it.
It’s funny how everyone on board was a little disappointed at first that we wouldn’t be able to vote (we won’t become citizens until we set foot on Mars), but then we realized that we’d all be voting for Noel anyway.
******
Day 86
Without surprise, Noel Kums was elected Leader of the Mars Colony this morning. It’s worth writing it again: Mars is the first off-Earth nation in human history, and Noel Kums is its first leader!
I get goosebumps just thinking about it, especially knowing that I’ll soon be a citizen of this nation… I am a part of history. I’m still pinching myself.
Aboard the Susan Constant, we had a big celebration. Think of it as a cross between the 4th of July (without the fireworks, obviously) and Thanksgiving (without the annoying uncle). We had such a big dinner last night that I’m still half-full. And you know what’s amazing? A lot of the ingredients in that dinner didn’t come from what we brought from Earth. They were grown on board.
What a day to be alive!
(to be continued)
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Frenchman, exiled on the other side of the planet, DavidB writes. It's not always very good, but who cares, the goal is to write. Sometimes, he also does other things.
MetaStructure is one of his longest-running projects. It was started in the early 2000s. Stopped many times. Started over a few times. Let's hope this time is the right one.
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