Brad
Hearing the vivid and sudden notion of Roger intrigued me though, I would not lie. As far as Jane will be free from this monster, it was worth the risk even though I knew it could cost me my life. But I said yes anyway with a smirk on my face and Roger already knew that I would agree upon this trivial cause of his. Aside from that Jane aggressively resisted as she strangled me from my arm saying, “Are you out of your freaking mind”. Why are you willing to do this? Why? You know what will happen if you set off on this uncertain journey. But I was willing to rely on a leap of faith and destiny. I asked Jane to calm down and just think for a while, all of this helplessness would go away, we would even give him the cash prize to make him leave, and you would be free from the futile boundaries he is imposing on you. A moment of silence descended as she was partially convinced and I said to Roger, you better keep your word for it, otherwise I won’t refrain from fueling the fire in your life, trust me! There is a side of me you do not want to see as now I don’t have much to lose. On hearing this, I could see Roger feeling a wave of fear tingling throughout his body.
Moving on further, I contacted NASA via the advert Roger brought to the bakery. They were in complete shock on hearing my phone call as they were not expecting much out of it. My phone call just shook everyone at the receiving end to the very bottom. As I reached NASA’s headquarters everyone greeted me with high hopes on their faces. As firm and resolute as I was, they found it quite fascinating that I was “the guy” for their mission. Watching all the scientists and the engineers cherish my arrival started to make me slightly nervous. They immediately enlightened me about the whole process and situation along with possible uncertain circumstances that I might encounter during my journey, but I was not willing to dig deep as I left the attention to detail to the experts. The first thing they told me was that it would take only 15 to 20 days to reach Mars and as staggering and ironic it was almost every other space agency including China, Japan, and ESA contradicted this claim with pure discretion. But with some esteemed and distinguished upgrades from the aerospace engineers of NASA rigidly claimed that they had the utmost means to prove it.
In light of these aspects, a secret meeting was to be held between some of the certified government officials of the United States and NASA’s scientists on this matter. Everyone was strongly advised to treat it as a matter of complete confidentiality because very few people knew about it. It was scheduled for tomorrow at 2 pm.
The Classified Summit
NASA had invited a few certified government officials to present them with the necessary facts and figures regarding this mission. There was a prominent intensity in the air. 3 government officials arrived at NASA with significant precautionary measures and were taken to the conference hall where the meeting was supposed to be held. The whole headquarters was surrounded by a tight security parameter taking it to a far extent as the officials were well aware of the significance this matter holds. My presence was also bound to be compulsory for giving my consensus to the government that I was willing to go for this mission without any external enforcement.
With a weird tingling sensation at the back of everyone’s head, the officials sat tight, and with a deep breath, the presentation started. The aerospace engineers started to shed light on the diversified aspects of the spacecraft with jaw-dropping upgrades. First and foremost, they aimed to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the spacecraft to reach a point labeled as “Absolute efficiency” where there is no energy expenditure or wastage. The spacecraft was supposed to escape the earth’s gravity with a minimum of force. To convert this wild imagination into a reality aspect, the aerospace engineers of NASA based the power generation completely on an electric model where the rocket fuel was replaced by electricity alongside some brilliant aerodynamics of spacecraft. Replacing the fuel with electricity was one of the major and crucial contributors towards increasing the efficiency of the spacecraft. Because of the electricity, during the takeoff, there was no energy expenditure in the form of heat and all the energy remained conserved, focused on yielding maximized output. Furthermore, eliminating the jet fuel already resulted in significant weight reduction which gave the engineers the idea to bring some necessary alterations to the spacecraft regarding the metals used in its construction.
By keeping that in mind, to reduce the unsprung mass the iron bolts were replaced with magnesium ones. Aluminum was used for constructing the outer body of the spacecraft and the power center, specifically, the outer shell of the electric motor was made up of titanium. All of these factors delineated that the increased efficiency of the spacecraft was affiliated with weight reduction, minimizing energy wastage, and efficient aerodynamic design. With all these remarkable upgrades the engineers were significantly confident that this modified model would be able to yield a much greater speed, an approximation of 40 million horsepower in comparison to a conventional spacecraft based on jet fuel. As highlighted above there will be no wastage of energy, especially in the form of heat during take-off and in the form of sound as well, which is the basis of enhancing overall efficiency. Based on these facts they stated that the distance can be covered in 20 to 25 days easily. These exceptionalities were enough to convince the officials and get a response of affirmation from them. Followed by that the final preparations began.
Into the Space
The very next day, NASA’s headquarters was packed with tension and anxiousness. Everyone was hustling here and there and the engineers were utterly absorbed in making sure that the Spacecraft was in perfect shape from every aspect. They were trying to eliminate any kind of uncertain marginal error by going through a versatile series of calculations. I being the central point felt like a pillar holding a big building shouldering all the load as they were all just relying on me. After everything was in order, the engineers took me to a room and gave me the space suit trying to teach me the scientific wonders of technology along with the depth of the human mind. After grasping the major functionalities, they showed me the control panel of the rocket, the dashboard clinically resembled the steering wheel of a Formula 1 car. Although, the only difference was the size as it was a gigantic one. Following that at midnight, keeping it confidential to the very last minute details, they walked me into the spacecraft, and at the very last moment, I just turned around and looked back taking a deep breath more like a sigh of not knowing what was going to happen. I embarked on my quest, closing my eyes, and leaving everything on a leap of faith.
Just like that, in a moment of dreadful silence, the rocket flew away into the air leaving the whole world in a state of surprise with its exceptional voice and speed. Within a few minutes, I escaped the earth’s orbit and its gravitational pull with minimum effort. There were no extra parts attached to the rocket that are normally detached after the launch which in turn further contributed towards making it lightweight and swift. Right after dispersing into the dense clouds and bursting out of the sky, I had a faceoff with the astonishing yet terrifying view of “space”. After that, as the engineers instructed, I turned on the artificial gravity and the autopilot, removed my suit, and started to explore the ship. It had an open area like a lobby and a small storage room where all the necessary eatables were stored enough to last a month. I just sat there in the chair taking a moment to dissolve all of this happening instantly over the course of a few days. Just like that, hours went by becoming days and weeks. I engaged myself in some bodyweight exercises like pushups, dips, or crunches to keep the blood stirred and my mind distracted from various worries and unsaid thoughts.
On the exact 25th day the radar at the control panel started to beep in a weird manner which worried me a lot. I sat there for a while looking at the wide screens and suddenly, I could see the planet of Mars ahead of me giving me a death stare at my face covering the surroundings with its red aura. I immediately sent the message to the engineers in the form of electromagnetic waves and geared up with my suit. I adjusted the mode of the spacecraft getting ready for the landing and shortly afterward, I could feel the climate change, and the very next moment I started to descend like a meteor after entering into Mars orbit. In that moment of near death, I braced myself for the deadliest impact I could ever imagine and just closed my eyes. The next thing I knew I was unconscious for quite a while and had a massive crash.
Planet Mars
I don’t know how I managed to survive such a massive crash although I suffered a severe concussion with a few injuries like my left arm was numb, probably because of the shock. After getting back to my senses, I opened the door in fear and anxiousness to see what was out there and yet I found the cold wind rustling in an unholy manner with fades of red smoke all over the place. As I stepped onto the surface I readily fell to my knee. My whole body was trembling and I tried my best not to panic as I realized it was certainly because of the high gravity and atmospheric conditions of Mars. After taking a deep breath I felt my blood circulation dropping drastically followed by severe dizziness. As I struggled to get back on my feet, I saw my spacecraft which was torn apart from the outside. The desperate struggle took more ounces of my power than I imagined but somehow, I got back on my feet.
Dismayed by the Martian surroundings my heart started to beat fast as I saw something a few miles ahead. Channeling the curiosity into willpower I managed to take some steps and I encountered a whole civilization more of a kingdom or colony surrounded by thick Martian walls. I saw some people coming out of there on small ships with spears in their hands as they clearly seemed like the guardians. In that moment of fear, my heart skipped a few beats after realizing that life does exist on Mars. The first glimpse of the Martians made me lose my senses completely. Aside from being more enormous than a normal human being they were jacked up like a heterogeneous mixture of bodybuilders and calisthenic athletes. They sort of had some scales on their brown skins with reddish shades, particularly in different areas of their bodies like forearms and chest. Aside from that their legs were like some black leather pants and everyone had a spear in their hand. One of the Martians seemed like a general to me commanding the rest of the soldiers. He had a golden spear in his hand and a specific tattoo on his arm. The tattoo was like a black sun and a golden spear piercing through it.
As I came across the Martians face to face, they also seemed a bit terrified and stunned. I wouldn’t blame them, the surroundings encompassing a torn-down spacecraft alongside me in my spacesuit portrayed me as some intruder for sure. After the staring contest, they readily jumped at me with spears. Based on my condition I could not do much than hold still. One of the two guards struck me with ironic force at my head. My helmet was damaged and my suit started to beep the annoying emergency sound. This made them more precautious and then the general stepping forward with all his might swung the spear at my face and my helmet was shattered in half. I immediately fell and desperately started to gasp for air. Lying there completely motionless, I saw their faces somehow relieved and I heard a dense voice from behind, it’s an earthling. On hearing that, I just gave in to the desperate struggle to keep my eyes open because I could not.
Following that, I woke up inside a specific cell with a Martian guard sitting beside me. The guard asked me to calm down as he helped me get up. It was astonishing along with a sensation of amazement that Martians could easily speak our language, a sigh of relief for me that there is no communication barrier though. I readily started my tale of clarification, telling him that I meant no harm to anyone I was just sent here to make a discovery, and as to my surprise hindering my ability to speak, he said with a smile on his face that “whether life exists on Mars”? I could not find words as I muttered, I also realized that I was able to breathe easily and could not feel the high gravity as well. The guard again smiled and said yes, I adjusted the atmospheric conditions and made them compatible with Earth’s natural habitat. Furthermore, the guard generously offered me some clothes. In simple words, it was like a skin-fitted tracksuit with a red shirt and black pants made up of some elastic fabric, that is all I can sum up. Just as I was struggling to dissolve all of this the general walked in and asked, “Is he ready” The king wants to confront him. The guard replied indeed he is lord Cesar. Up till now, everything about the existence of life on Mars was quite clear as water after knowing that they had a King as well indicating a whole kingdom out there and I would be the first man on Earth to witness this overwhelming sight full of amazement. It was quite overwhelming.
Cesar “The Death’s Incarnate”
General Cesar has been the core of the Martian army for the last 20 years. He has been serving the Martians with a pure manifestation of sacrifice and dedication. At Mars, he is regarded as an utter man of Justice, a man of principles. Even the king never decided or planned something without discussing it with Lord Cesar. Everyone bows down to him in respect and tries to be like him. Cesar is regarded as a man of honor and full of bravery along with a balance of rationality and realism. Aside from that there is another side of Lord Cesar that everyone prefers not to encounter. Specifically, the invaders from other planets and anyone who was caught in some mischief or being unjust to others wished to die before encountering lord Cesar. Per that particular belief, he was labeled as the “Death’s Incarnate”. The golden spear was presented to him as a medal of honor from the people of Mars. He encouraged people to be firm, resolute, and rational when it comes to justice or any decision-making. He encouraged young Martians to learn the art of defending themselves so that they would be able to protect their loved ones. More specifically, he encouraged them to be the best version of themselves, how men should be.
More often Lord Cesar used to refer life to as a battlefield so if you are not strong, you simply won’t survive. A man of sheer will, standing firmly aside his beliefs as he walked inside the cell, I could feel the shifting energy in the surroundings with his presence I just could not help myself to look at him with amazement. Following that, he asked me to get up as I was about to face the Martian king and their people.
Planet Mars
Coming out of the cell, I had my first glimpse of the Martian colony or shall I personify it as a proper civilization? It seemed like a highly advanced era of artificial intelligence, some insane technologies I encountered on my way to meet the Martian king. The whole colony comprised of gigantic shiny green marbles carved into circular and oval shapes supported by red pillars acting as a base. The guards surrounded almost every corner of the kingdom. They used to wear some wrist gadget and after tapping on it a cluster of holographic images will open. These images mainly included the overall view of the colony, the selected weapon like a spear alongside a shield or a laser beam cannon. People were flying over small hoverboards and ships like jet skis having a hybrid sound emitting red smoke. Some were black and green and had a red canon on each side. It seemed like living in 2070 or the 80s, labeling it as a pinnacle of technological revolution.
On the way as we crossed the door of King’s premises, most people were already gathered there and again I was getting the stares. The throne room was like a huge round-shaped chamber having golden walls on which there was an enriched collection of engraved stones. Admiring the walls as I looked up, the ceiling felt like an art gallery though. There were some aesthetic portraits made with a combination of some sort of calligraphy and some stones. It seemed to me like a series or hierarchy of events that the ceiling conveyed as a man sitting in the dark all by himself, accepting the pin-drop silence and solitude, and having a strange aura around him. That aura then transforms into a smoke fading away from the person into a circular shape on the other side of which was space and solar system. It confused me a lot but I was sure it was something related to the myths about some Martian legend. That was all I could presume while grasping so much at a time.
The King
Finally, as I was presented in front of the King. The king was an old age Martian having dull skin, a black spear, and golden foil-like something wrapped around his head I am sure that acted as a crown. Along with that the king had a green gown and was losing his sight because of some fatal illness. Although one of the very things that the guard enlightened me with was, the king might seem like an old ill lion but he is far more superior than any of us could imagine. Even though he was partially blind I could still see the light in his eyes as he at once grasped my presence. The King sniffed in the air and looked up saying I know you don’t pose a threat to us. I stammered as the words dispersed and vanished in my mouth before even coming out. Well, it is not every day that you interact with a Martian king on another planet and that king can easily assess your thoughts and the words coming out of your mouth. While stammering I managed to bring it to their kind notice that, we just wanted to discover the presence of life on Mars, nothing else.
I felt like he just lowered his gaze on me and gave a smile followed by something I was not really expecting but everything has been so unexpected, deranged, and unpredictable. The king said “What is it that you seek earthling? I found that question quite eccentric and replied I just told you. The king abruptly interrupted me and said again, “What is it that you seek earthling?”. Now I realized what he meant and I just got overwhelmed by the scars engraved inside my skin and exclaimed my sorrows by saying I want to prove that I am not weak, I seek strength and power to protect my loved ones, I want to prove that I can withstand the cruelty of life and can take care of the ones around me. I refuse to go down, no matter what life throws at me and I won’t tarnish my beliefs because of some mere baseless condition that I have to fulfill to prove my worth. I told him that I was sent on this quest knowing for the fact that it was almost impossible to return but if I somehow made it back home, I would be able to prove myself. You cannot even breathe properly without additional aid, the king said. Do remember Earthling, “A man conquers the world by conquering himself”. A suspicious silence descended there alongside eyes full of anxiousness as the King out loud called Cesar and he after replying yes, my lord both nodded in a curious affirmation with a smirk on their faces. The king ordered Cesar to teach me the hidden mysteries, to conquer past my limits, to replace validation with fulfillment, and to render me into the man I was destined to be.
To be continue
Hassan Toor
Hassan Toor is a proficient graduate, who holds insight in Marketing, Programming and Fiction. He has worked as an Assistant Manager for an e-business organization and is currently completing his Master’s in Business Studies from Lahore. In Addition, a Pioneer who rejoices in Character Nourishment, raptures Productivity and contemplates Journaling. In excess of that, he also shares some interests with Soccer and Music.