The Settlement
by Robert H. Stockman
Table of Contents
1. Commander
As the Swift shuttle is launching five nuclear reactors into low Earth orbit, Will hears he is the interim commander of Mars Operations until Columbus 3 arrives. He goes to tell Ethel. He tells Roger, who is disappointed (he had been appointed interim by Sebastian). He receives congratulations from Heather Kimball of the Mars Exploration Society. That evening, Columbus 2 heads for Earth. The next day the Elysium returns to the Outpost, after exploring Deimos.
Date: Aug. 16, 2024
2. Politics
Érico’s team that visited Deimos present Will with a piece of Deimosian rock. Will considers ways to reorient the cargo manifest toward self sufficiency, such as manufacturing lubricants and copper wire on the surface, allowing for the import of a rug making machine. Will is asked to endorse the President for re-election and carefully declines.
Date: mid to late August, 2024.
3. Proposals
Will discusses tourism, sale of moon rocks, and sale of lunar real estate with Jerry McCord, who is with Columbus 2 at Shackleton. Mars exploration appeared set to reach a steady level with fourteen astronauts arriving every two years; he wants a breakthrough to keep the number increasing. He realizes that volunteers could play a major role in developing routes across the Martian surface.
Date: early Sept. 2024
4. Marshall
After an expedition returns to the Outpost, the men tour the new basement of Habitat 2, set up with four bedrooms. They talk about how to accommodate Columbus 3 personnel in another month. The women are working on clothes for the baby. Will announces that the French are purchasing the Ihab Amazonis and what to fly it immediately back to Earth. Marshall Stephen Elliott is born a day later. He is healthy. Everyone volunteers to help take care of him. Will says the outpost is now a settlement.
Date: Feb. 10, 2025 (birth)
5. Declaration
Will and Ethel begin to purse the vexing problem of getting Marshall a birth certificate. Their marriages are only partially legal, also. The idea of declaring a civil authority was raised, partly to pressure the governments to resolve the problem. No one wants to go out on an expedition, so they clear a road up Little Colorado Canyon to the top of the escarpment. Governments used the issue as a bargaining chip to pressure the US to establish a Mars Commission. NASA may not send any astronauts to Mars; Congress punishes it for ignoring the Swift. Roger holds out and objects, but then he and Madhu decide to stay and start a family as well, so he is concerned about a long-term residency on Mars as well. Will drafts the Aurorae Declaration and they all sign it on March 12, 2025. They elect Érico the borough clerk.
Date: mid Feb-mid March, 2025
6. Landings
Will learns he will be Commander, but barely; the Europeans insisted and NASA was too weak to resist. After Columbus 3 lands, Jerry and Will have a long conversation about expeditions, Jerry’s desires, the Mars declaration, and NASA’s reduced budget.
Date: 25 May 2025
7. Plans
The other two shuttles arrive and a big dinner is held. Will meets other crew. The rumor of France’s Venus plans is mentioned. One table drinks an extra bottle of wine and Will grounds them the next day. Will announces the administrative structure with five departments and twenty-three sections the next day. The exports section raises eyebrows. He outlines the exploration plan as well. Lal wants to explore Candor; Will works out a compromise.
Date: late May 2025
8. Exports
The shuttles land with supplies, Habitat 4, and two greenhouses. Will talks to Pavel Rudenkov about a new site for the building they plan to build. Will and Lassen exchange messages about Mars; Lassen wants one small expedition only because of lack of ground support, rejects a large dome, and refuses to support exports, but can offer more reactors Mars doesn’t need. Will mobilizes support for Mars behind the scenes and the Mars Exploration Society launches a media campaign to shame NASA about its lack of support. The MES wants sale of land as well.
Date: early June 2025
9. Conference
Jerry McCord complains the people of Aurorae Outpost treat the place like their residence and home, not like another NASA outpost. The crew consider ways to create bigger expeditions without changing the safety regulations. A week later Will attended a big meeting of NASA officials and a White House representative, who agrees to find more money for exploration and pressures NASA to allow exports as well.
Date: early June 2025
10. Nuke
The Automated Cargo Vehicles arrive with the two nuclear reactors. Will oversees their arrival, then talk to Lisa and Gaston about the greenhouses. Roger tells Will that Madhu wants to get pregnant. At 8 p.m. Gaston and Eve arrive in Will and Ethel’s apartment for dessert and coffee. They talk about staying and Marshall’s health. Will thinks about Mars needing to be settled, not just visited. He calls Lassen about how to change priorities to stress more long-term residency by couples.
Date: late June/early July 2025
11. Construction
After they start work on their new pressurized building, Will asked Pavel about building “trench greenhouses.” Madhu is pregnant. Lifter 2 won’t dock properly to its refueling pad on Phobos. On Frisol evening Will sees Carol, Lisa, Pavel, and Patrice drinking and gets mad. Satursol morning a group debates the destination of the first expedition. Shinji tells Will that Karol is still not sober at about noontime, so Will puts him in charge of all interior cleaning for a month.
Date: mid August 2025
12. Gold
Will talks to Heather about the Mars Dome, which will fly to orbit in Europe’s Swift shuttle. He promises to talk to Lassen about the matter. Lal finds gold in Candor and tells Will about it.
Date: late Aug./early Sept. 2025
13. North Pole
Érico leads an expedition to the North Pole and raises the U.N. flag there. Lassen adds Will to the negotiating team to set up a Mars Commission.
Date: Oct. 18, 2025 (arrival at pole)
14. Conjunction
North Pole expedition returns to the Outpost in late November. In early Dec. two expeditions set out to east (Érico) and west (Jerry) to clear the Circumnavigational. As conjunction approaches on Feb. 6, the expedition commanders return to the Outpost for a discussion of the last half of Columbus 3. Jerry gets a tour of the new building [Renfrew], with its Great Room on the bottom floor and ten rooms (4.5 m by 4.5) on the top floor. They have a long meeting to plan the future. NASA agrees to use a Swift shuttle. Sam is born.
Date: early Feb. 2026
15. The Commission
The Commission treaty is signed. Will’s comments talk about the sale of Martian land and the existence of “residents.” Will reviews a report and Érico concurs that they should not fly a crew to Phobos to fix Lifter 1.
Date: early March, 2026
16. Circumnavigation
Érico and Jerry’s expeditions meet in Isidis, completing the Circumnavigational Trail. Paul and Érico discuss plans for weddings and families. Madhu learns she has a spot on her left lung. Will and Pavel tour their first trench greenhouse and Pavel discusses his plans after returning to Earth. Heather reports on a poll that shows the middle class likes a family friendly Mars of explorers, and will support it.
Date: July 15, 2026
17. Accident
Paul hits a bump in the truck and the decompression kills him. The expedition returns to the Outpost and lay Paul in his memorial, even though his body has to be returned to Earth. Érico and Carmen feel they can’t bring a child into existence; Will and Ethel decided the uncertainty means that Marshall needs a sibling; Monika decides she wants to fly back to Earth. Will tells Érico there will be no south pole expedition.
Date: July 19, 2026 and the week after.
18. Departure
The Elysium blasts off into orbit.
Date: September 19, 2026.