The Caves of Mars (Mars, Part 2)

Read Part 1

Slowly, very slowly, the red planet seems to grow bigger and bigger as our ship is coming closer. I haven’t been in the cryo-chamber since my birthday three days ago. It wasn’t necessary anymore, as we would arrive at our destination very soon. This was also the reason my two friends, Victoria and Brian, had been awake to celebrate with me.

It had been a nice birthday, the best in a while. To be honest, I didn’t have any good birthdays after my father died in an oil platform accident, so this was a first in many ways. First good birthday since Dad died. First birthday not on earth. I wonder what my next birthday would look like? I never imagined I’d spend my 16th birthday on Mars.

I walk along the ship’s corridors, lightly dragging the palm of my hand across the walls. All this will be repurposed after we land. There have been some preparations, certain materials should have already landed on Mars long before we arrive, but the main work still needs to be done. There is no atmosphere, no plants, no life, nothing. The whole terraforming process is still ahead of us.

”So much about becoming an actress when I grow up”, I mutter. Dreams have no place on a foreign planet. Everyone will be required to do their part for the community, which will mostly be agriculture. Potatoes here I come!

Green lights suddenly start blinking everywhere. Moments later, an announcement is broadcasted through the speakers.

”Dear passengers, dear crew, this is your captain speaking. It has been half a year since we left our home to search for a better life on a different planet. You all have suffered consequences from the long journey, but it won’t be in vain. We have just entered orbit and will land on the surface in a few hours. All non-essential personnel is asked to return to their cabins.”

My heart beats faster. Finally! I’m so nervous that it’s hard to breathe. The way back to my cabin feels short and incredibly long at the same time. When I open the door, I see my mom already sitting on her bed. She gives me a big smile.

”We’re almost there, Hannah”, she says. ”We made it.”

I grin and sit down next to her. Together we just sit there, looking out of our tiny window. The surface of Mars slowly takes up all the room and all we can see is a vast, red desert. Our new home.

The landing is rough. We were warned, but there is always a discrepancy between what you imagine and how it finally turns out. My mom and I cling to each other, holding each other close. All admiration for the beautiful sight is gone, as the spaceship shakily makes its way down.

Finally, the fall ends with the ship hitting the ground with a loud crash that makes everything shake so hard, I almost fall to the floor. Then we don’t hear anything anymore.

”Dear passengers, dear crew”, the captain’s voice cuts through the silence. ”We’ve successfully landed about two meters away from our planned point of impact. No important parts of the ship have been damaged and it looks like the supplies we sent here before mostly arrived. Please put on your assigned spacesuits and prepare to leave the ship.”

I laugh out loud. Then I hug my mom. We survived.

Together, we put on our space suits and help each other to adjust and check everything. A hole or poorly closed gap would be fatal as soon as we get outside.

Outside.

I take a look out of the window. Next, to the ship, I can see the metallic shine of the airlock, which leads to our new home.

Scientists from all space agencies had worked together, sending solar powered robots and various materials to Mars. The robots dug through the basalt rock to create entries to the naturally occurring lava tube caves which spread out under the planet’s surface. The robots increased the size of the caves, secured them and sealed off leaks. As the last step, they had installed airlocks and pumped oxygen into the reconstructed caves, to create a breathable atmosphere.

If everything had worked as planned, it would be totally safe to take off our spacesuits in there, as the ground above us would shield us from most of the radiation coming from space and other nasty dangers. Like freezing temperatures or seemingly endless sandstorms.

But only if everything had worked as planned. We don’t know if it has, nobody had the time to check. The other ten spaceships would arrive several days after us. We’re the first.

I try to suppress the fear that tries to make a home for itself in my mind. I can’t be afraid, not here.

Just as we practiced a dozen times, my mom and I take our places in line to leave the spaceship. The hatch opens and the first humans on Mars carefully shuffle towards the airlock.

The airlock is huge, bigger than I expected it to be. It looked so small from the spaceship, but I should have known that that’s unrealistic. After all, it was constructed to allow about a hundred people at once to get inside. It needs a certain size.

An hour. It takes an hour until my mom and I are finally lead into the airlock. I should not complain; the pressurizing and depressurizing process takes almost half an hour each. We’re the second group that can go inside.

Two hours after I first stepped on the surface of Mars, I finally enter the caves.

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References:

Mars Cave-Exploration Mission Entices Scientists

Will Mars colonists live in robot-dug caves like these?

Mars, Underground

Caves: the hidden side of planets

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