Blue sunset

The Martian sunset’s something to see. The pink landscape tinged blue by the setting sun is so alien, so beautiful.

But is it worth it? To lose so many other sights, sounds and experiences. I don’t know.

A few years ago I was convinced it wasn’t. That’s a horrible feeling, I tell ya. Being convinced you’d made the wrong decision. I mean there was no going back, not after four years in Martian gravity.

I miss the cold. It’s never cold here … It’s always sort of alright, you know? Atmospheric conditioning and all. I miss warming up with a cup of soup by the fire. It’s funny. I could probably count the times that I did that on one of my hands. But knowing I’ll never be able to experience that again — no matter what — makes me miss it like nothing else.

I guess, all in all it’s not a bad life. There isn’t much work involved; a few hours of fiddling on a computer every two days and that’s it.

I came out here with my girlfriend. That was a rule — couples only. I don’t think they thought that one through. A small habitation pod on Mars isn’t the best place to keep a healthy relationship.

So yeah, we’re all looking forward to 2091, that’s that date of the next landing. Over a hundred people are coming. And the best bit? Most of them are single!

But there are some murmurings. Six years is a long time, and the political situation back on Earth isn’t looking great. That’s the biggest fear, being left in the dark.

But hey. I’ve dealt with the consequences of my choice — I’m going to live and die on this planet now whatever. Once I’d accepted that it became a lot easier to bare.

Everyone’s pretty chill to be honest, even if it’s a bit awkward with all the ex’s. It’s pretty common to go out and play frisbee for a few hours together. That’s a nice feeling. The frisbee flies super far, and you can jump a fair few feet in the air.

You need to be careful though, if you tear through the layers of your suit you’re gonna die. We all knew that from day one, but for all the words of caution it took an accident to really hammer it in. God — you do not want to see a man die like that.

Another nice thing is the solitude. Some nights I wake up in my pod, grab a drink, put my suit on and just go on a long drive in the buggy. It’s electric, so I'm not waking anyone up. I just drive around the plains, feeling the wind fighting against me.

Never on my skin though. That’s another thing I miss actually; the feel of wind and sun on my naked feet. And the sea.

But yeah, in the Summer I drive out into the deep blue dusk. I feel alive on those buggy rides. Sometimes I drive hundreds of kilometers. And you know what I see? Nothing.

Nothing but rusty dust. Huge dunes of soft iron sand, giant basins with river like cracks running through them. All highlighted by a deep blue Sun.

Yeah, living on Mars is alright.