Marsians
by Robert H. Stockman
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Table of Contents
1. Hike
Will and Marshall watch golf game, hike to top of Boat Rock, discussing all sorts of things.
DATE: October 10, 2035
2. Aerobraking
Columbus 8 aerobrakes into Mars orbit as sixteen separate vehicles. Will talks to Ethel and Skip about the transport technology, to Érico about Phobos fuel plant #2, Yevgeny about gold exports, and Alexandra about Colorado Biome.
DATE: October 15, 2035
3. Welcomes
Greg talks to the new beautician. Alexandra is uncomfortable with the new space designer. Helmut meets Clara and is attracted. Will lays out plans for the columbiad.
DATE: November 10, 2035
4. Transitions
Will has his eyes treated by visiting lasik optical surgeon; Will talks to Alexandra and Yevgeny about their pregnancy; David calls to propose a stretched Mars shuttle; Will talks to his heads of staff about the offer.
DATE: November 11, 2035
5. Departures
Will talks to the robotics expert before his return to Earth. Tearful farewell when Skip, Brian leave Mars; Clara to join Meridiani expedition; Louisa warns Will of trouble and proposes using the media; Southern hemisphere expedition departs.
DATE: December 1, 2035
6. Colorado
Dimitri complains to Will about Alexandra’s conservative approach to design; Will talks her into new approaches without mentioning Dimitri. Will approves a supercomputer; Alexandra, Yevgeny, and Martha meet to discuss adoption. The Bahá'í Fast begins; Anna Racan’s cousin investigates the Faith
DATE: March 2036
7. Meridiani
The trail clearing expedition reaches the crash site and erects a rock monument; Helmut is overwhelmed; he and Clara grow close.
early March 2036
Greg and Anna are upset Tomas attracted to the Bahá'í Faith. Will talks to Lal about Meridiani and its importance to development. President White is forced to moderate his policies. Charles Kern, head of NASA, calls Will to propose a joint asteroid project.
mid March 2036
9. Equinox
Tomas becomes a Bahá'í, but keeps it secret from Greg and Anna. Stretched shuttle gets a go, annex design is finalized, and C9 size is fixed. March 27: Equinox (northern spring); Will announces a new family leave policy and flight to Earth policy.
DATE: late March 2036
10. Elections
Mars sends out a fast mission to the asteroid Quirinus. Madhu, Ethel, and Alexandra cook up a plan for a statue at Embarcadero. Negotiations with US prove complicated. Annumal Future Forum is held and it is contentious. Elections; Ruhullah the new Clerk of Aurorae Borough
DATE: early April 2036
11. Commissioner
Columbus 8 flyby of Venus, May 11; Magellan 4/Hermes A depart, with cargo for Mars, May 13. Will chosen Commissioner? Asteroid plan/Project Odyssey advances. Meridiani Trail finished; Helmut and Clara get an apartment together in Dawes; Tomas teaches the Faith to Robert Wairimu.
DATE: mid May 2036
12. Caravel
Columbus 8 reaches Earth; Alexandra had her baby in June, proposes the Caravel with several others. Export discussions? Will visits Dawes to plan Meridiani development. Helmut and Clara decide to get married.
Date: Aug. 2036
13. Quirinus
Helmut and Clara are back in Aurorae and engaged. Clara pushes Vanessa about taking their child out on expeditions. Quirinus mission lands. Stark reaches Earth and gets to work planning his return to Mars with a navy nuclear team.
Date: late Aug. 2036
14. Power
Hellas expedition returns with data about a geothermal plant; Adam is taking the drilling equipment on to Amazonis for digging there as well. The Mars population divides between the nuclear supporters and the geothermal supporters. Others favor solar and wind. Caravel plan is complete. Will finalizes French funding for the “Spirit of Mars” statue at Embarcadero. Conjunction Oct. 20. Robert Wairimu becomes a Bahá'í at Bahá'í holy day observance, rattling Greg and Ruhullah.
Date: late Oct. 2036
15. Pax
Mercury 0 lands; Quirinus project
returns; Will meets with Johnny Lind. Will meets with heads of staff and they
pressure him to accept involvement of the Mars Council in the nuclear issue.
Date: Nov. 2036
16. Hearing
Kerns unhappy about hearings. Will
meets with some heads of staff after January 1 and they brainstorm about a new
plan for Project Odyssey. Sebastian and Helmut “spend the afternoon” together,
talk about Sebastian’s retirement to Mars, and they hear that Odyssey will be
scaled back and will use 2 mw reactors.
Date: Jan. 2037
© 2005 Robert H. Stockman