Dramatis Personae

 

 

Columbus 1 Crew: (6 crew: 2 Americans, 2 Europeans, 1 Russian, 1 Japanese)

 

David (Daoud) Alaoui (GoC1) (Moroccan French): Field geologist, Muslim, wife and kids in Fez, politically very liberal, plays guitar, half French by background, writes novellas, was French Air Force pilot,

 

Will Elliott (American): Inactive Bahá'í, master field geologist; the “Moonman”; divorced because of excessive work and time from home; turns 35 in 2021 (born 1986); multiracial

            Mother Katherine Elliott (born 1954): Mexican, Scottish, other ancestry

            Sister Molly Nuri (born 1984)

            Sister’s husband Taraz Nuri (Iranian Bahá'í)

            Sister’s son Paul (born Jan. 2015)

Becomes acting Commissioner, April 2035; permanent Commissioner, May 2036

 

Sergei Alievitch Landsberg (GoC1) (Russian of German Jewish and Kazakh Muslim and Russian orthodox backgrounds): Asst Commander, mechanic/engineer/pilot, plays violin, grown family; wife divorces him on flight out. Mid forties. Gets drunk; brings vodka supply.

 

Ethel MacGregor (Scottish): engineer, computer specialist, some physicians training, divorced, poet, agnostic Presbyterian but had a very Presbyterian grandmother, not a good cook. Was a British Air Force pilot.

            Marshall Stephen, born Feb. 1, 2025 (first child on Mars)

            Elizabeth, born Oct. 12, 2027 (third child on Mars)

            Sister: Gina; her daughter, Karie

            Father: James Ian, born 1950

 

Shinji Nagatani (Japanese): biologist, paleontologist, horticulturalist, physician (MD), warm personality, hates to lose face, never married. Added to the flight at the last minute; had never been to the moon. Born 1982 (38 in 2020)

 

Laura Stillwell (GoC1) (American): Commander, Air Force pilot, conservative Protestant (Presbyterian), a bit inferior on flight, hard to work with, Republican, plays piano, divorced.

 

Vehicles: Elysium, Olympus; Cimmerium, Ausonia. Pavonis was already there and flew back to Earth with the Cimmerium.

 

 

Columbus 2 Crew: 8 total (3 Americans, 2 Europeans, 1 Russian, 1 Brazilian, 1 Canadian)(2023)

 

Madhu Gupta-Anderson (Indian-American): Hindu background, food preparation, dietician, horticulture. Knows classical Indian dance, flute, and sitar. Artist and aesthetician. Cuts hair very well. Organizes plays and artistic performances. Age: 41 (early 2023)

            Samuel, born January 30, 2026 (second child on Mars)

 

Roger Anderson (American; Texas): serious evangelical, geologist, lots of lunar experience, friend of Will but a bit of a rival. Republican, politically very conservative, religiously conservative. From Texas. Plays guitar. Age: 42

 

Armando Cruz (American; Latino) Physician, nominal Catholic, experienced in space medicine. Dentist as well. Age: 44 (GoC2)

 

Sebastian Langlais (German): Geologist. lapsed Christian/post-Christian. Commander of Columbus 2. Plays violin well. German Air Force pilot, engineer, geology secondary expertise, can repair rocket engines. Hates the idea of colonizing Mars. Doesn’t like being told he’s wrong. Overly fastidious and anal about record keeping and organizing things. Age: 46 (born 1977) (GoC2)

            two sons: Helmut (born 2007) and Kristoff (born 2010)

 

Érico Lopes (Brazilian): agnostic, geophysicist, good at repairing fancy scientific equipment and computers. Neo-Socialist. Has a temper. Clashes with Roger politically. Dark skinned and quick to feel discriminated against. Orphaned, from a poor background. Good singer. Age: 29

 

Carmen Segovia (Spanish): Spanish Air Force pilot, engineer, expert with communications equipment. Reconciler, compassionate, friendly. Age: 28

            Corazon, born Oct 12, 2027 (fourth child on Mars)

            Paolo, born Jan. 15, 2033

 

Paul Renfrew (Canadian): United Church of Canada, but not devoted. Engineer, TROV expert, can do horticulture as well. Age: 33 (Died C3)

 

Monica Yevtushenko (Russian): Exobiologist and geochemist. Pilot training. Age: 33. (GoC3)

 

Vehicles: Hadriaca, Apollonaris; Solis, Syrtis; flown back to Earth: Hadriaca, Olympus, Ausonia, Syrtis. [Left at Mars: Solis in orbit; Elysium, Apollonaris on surface.]

 

 

Columbus 3 Crew (14 total; 4 Americans, 3 French, 2 other Europeans, 1 Canadian, 1 Japanese, 1 Russian, 1 Brazilian, 1 Indian) Five initially committed to two-cycle stay (2025)

 

Dr. Neal Stroger (American, 29), expert lunar geologist, committed to two-cycle stay

 

Dr. Rosa Stroger (American, 29), nuclear engineer, committed to two-cycle stay

            Richard Allen Stroger, born March 2028 (fifth child on Mars)

            Sarah, born Jan. 2031

 

Rick Page (American), director of ISS Garage, expert on fixing shuttles (GoC3)

 

Dr. Jerome “Jerry” McCord: Long-time lunar geologist, potential commander of all of Mars; commands the Columbus 3 flight; pilot; can fix TROVs, knows mechanics. Can do anything. Has been Will’s gentle critic on Earth and now is an alternate power center. (GoC3)

 

Eve Gilmartin (French, 36), physician, committed to two-cycle stay

            Juliette, Jan. 2033

 

Gaston Gilmartin (French) horticulturist, animal care specialist, committed to two-cycle stay

 

Lisa Kok (Dutch) craftsman, food specialist, horticulturalist

            Anna, born March 2029

 

Koyo Takenaka (Japanese) TROV operator and repairer, computer repairman (Go C4)

 

Karol Havlicek (Czech) mechanic, mechanical engineer, metallurgist

 

Linda Dubois (Canadian) exobiologist (Go C3)

 

Patrice Domkowski (French) paleoenvironmentalist, climatologist, meteorologist (Go C3)

 

Lal Shankaraman (Indian, 35): geologist (glaciologist, sedimentologist; has not been to the moon), committed to two-cycle stay

 

Pavel Rudenkov (Russian) civil engineer, construction expert (GoC3, then directs Mars Construction Institute, Moscow)

 

Maria Cardoso (Brazilian) geochemist, chemist (GoC3)

 

 

Vehicles: Pavonis, Alba; Ihabs: Cimmerium, Noachis, Amazonis (Fr). Elysium and Apollonaris, Solis and Noachis fly back to Earth; Amazonis already flew back.

 

 

Columbus 4 Crew (18 total; 4 Americans, 2 French, 3 other Europeans, 2 Russians, 1 Canadian, 1 Japanese, 1 Brazilian, 1 Indian, 1 Chinese, 1 Mexican, 1 South African)(2027)

 

Yevgeny Lescov (Russian) pilot, geologist

 

Alexandra Lescov (Russian), civil engineer, architect, mechanic

            Boris Lescov, June 22, 2036

 

Tang Enlai (Chinese) exobiologist; President of MarTech as of Jan. 2031; first classes, fall 2031

 

Olaf Norlander (Swedish) TROV driver (GoC4)

 

Charles Vickers (American), 31, TROV driver, repairman, and expert on meteorites

 

Martha Vickers (American), 30, psychiatrist

            Caitlin, March 2030 (ninth child on Mars)

 

Jennie Dunbar (American) child care person, cleaner, general stuff

            Jake, August 2029  (sixth child on Mars)

            child, born Dec. 2034

 

Kevin Dunbar (American) nuclear engineer

 

Louise Tremblay (Canadian) chief mechanic, rocket engineer

            child, born Sept. 2034

 

Michiko Suzuki (Japanese) meteorologist, born 1994; 12 years younger than Shinji

            Yuki, late Aug. 2030 (tenth child on Mars)

            boy, Jan. 3034

 

Jacques Deschanel (French) eobiologist/paleontologist

 

Therese Deschanel (French) environmental specialist (plants, mammals, birds, fish)

            baby, Nov. 2029 (seventh child on Mars)

            baby,  May, 2032 (fourteen child on Mars)

 

Francisco Almeida (Brazilian) TROV driver, cook, horticulturist (GoC4)

 

Andries Underwood (South African) geologist/Petrologist

 

Sridhar Pradhan (Indian) geochemist (GoC4)

 

Eammon O’Hare (Irish) electrical & software engineer

 

Irina Lesz (Polish) laboratory assistant

            Patrick, late Dec. 2029 (eighth child on Mars)

            Twins, late March 2031 (11th and 12th children born on Mars)

            Mary, born Aug. 25, 2033

            Theresa, born Aug. 2034

 

Enrique Delrio (Mexican) welder/construction specialist, craftsman

 

 

Vehicles: Olympus, Hadriaca; Amazonis, Ausonia, Syrtis, Daedalia; Amazonis and Cimmerium fly back to Earth immediately. At end of Columbus 4, Pavonis, Alba, Ausonia and Syrtis fly back. Left at Mars: Hadriaca, Olympus, Daedalia.

 

 

Columbus 5 Crew (18 total; 4 Americans, 1 French, 4 other Europeans, 2 Russians, 1 Canadian, 1 Japanese, 1 Brazilian, 1 Indian, 1 Chinese, 1 Korean, 1 Iranian). Population on Mars rises to 47 adults (2029)

 

Radha Bhatt (Indian), biologist/ecologist, Lal’s bride, age 32.

            Aditi, Downs syndrome, Apr. 2032 (13th child born on Mars)

 

Thierry Colmar (French), TROV specialist, gay

 

Silvio Diponte (Italian), lawyer, businessman, accountant, age 35

 

Julia Diponte (Italian), robotics expert, age 34

            child, born Jan. 2034

 

Gregory Harris (American), inactive Catholic priest, 40 (born 1989), nurse, hair dresser, “mission generalist,” chaplain, housecleaner

 

Zachary Hersey (American), TROV specialist, gay

 

John Hunter (Lakota, American): chemist/geochemist, Lakota dancer, and flautist, brings tobacco and peace pipe. Age 37 (born 1992).

 

Ruhullah Islami (Iranian): Geophysicist/geochemist, born in 1982 and named for Khomeini; uncomfortable with a Bahá'í Commander (47 in 2029)

 

Pete Theodoulos (Canadian-Greek); Commander of Columbus 5 to Mars; Geologist/Volcanologist; 45 in 2029 (Go C5)

 

Tina Hvitmer: Danish, journalist who is a geologist

            child, born Mar. 2034

            child, 2037

 

Boris Ivanov: Russian, sociologist who is a geology lab technician

 

Tatiana Ivanov: Russian, Architect/interior designer who is a half-time construction technician, and also is a poet/artist

            child, born Mar. 2033

 

Kimberly Irion: American, eobiochemist

Married Ananda, Dec. 2032

            Mahidol, born June 2035

            Sirikit, 2038

 

Yasuo Matsuzawa: male, Japanese, fabrication specialist (GoC5)

 

Taehun Kim: Korean, metallurgist and waste handling technician (GoC5)

 

Ernesto Alves: Brazilian, male, horticulturalist, cook’s assistant, oil painter and artist

 

Li Qingtian: Chinese, male, field geologist and geology lab technician (leave C6)

 

Christina Csakany: Hungarian, horticulturalist and construction specialist

 

Vehicles: Apollinaris, Elysium; Solis, Cimmerium, Ophir, and Hellas; Solis, Daedalia fly back to Earth immediately. At end of Columbus 5, Hadriaca, Olympus, Cimmerium, Ophir fly back. Left at Mars: Apollinaris, Elysium, and Hellas.