I’m the firstborn of Mars. My name is “Martian the First,” Martin for short. My parents were friends with benefits. They conceived me against the commandments of the mission during the third cargo trip. They hid me from the government on Earth, with the help of the rest of the crew and the people already here. For sure they would have received a mandatory order of abortion because only genetically engineered embryos should develop, and none were ready yet for trials on Mars.
The following year, two more unplanned births came along, Caroline and Marcus. I’m their senior for a few months.
Since Caroline turned two weeks old, the three of us became lab rats. Every person here has a purpose, so we got one too. Also, vasectomy became a prerequisite to join the mission. That was the outcome when a new group of terrestrials didn’t keep the secret.
Our parents could not raise us, because people had to return to Earth every eighteen months and as the organization financing and leading the mission is very precise with the resources, we, the Martians, won’t ever go to Earth unless we become vital members of a crew.
Everyone who has come here talks about how blue and watery the Third Planet is, 87% of the surface is water. The ancestors caused the extinction of thousands of species, but there are still a variety of animals and plants. What intrigues me is seeing animals different from humans.
Aside from my curiosity about the other planet, this is my home. I don’t feel nostalgia for things I have never experienced. I’m used to living most of the time underground, studying and taking care of our greenhouse; protected from radiation, toxic dust, and freezing cold.
What I like little to nothing are the experiments on us. Some secondary effects have been disgusting. At least, my tolerance to carbon dioxide and low temperatures has increased. Therefore, I need less oxygen than the Earthlings and suffer less than them.
Half a year ago, my mom surprised me. She pulled the right strings to come back for my 8th Martian birthday, which is equivalent to 15 Earthly years. We had kept in touch since she left, but the delay of fifteen minutes in the live communications was annoying. It’s warmer to have her here. Caroline and Marcus are not that lucky, but I share my mom. As a gift, she allowed me to wear a suit now that I was big enough to fit in one. Sometime later, she did the same for my friends.
Tomorrow, I’ll start the training to control the miner droids that collect many kinds of ore. We use a small proportion to make spares and parts, and the rest goes to Earth. That pays the bills.
Marcus is becoming an expert on electromagnetic fields to protect us from solar radiation, and Caroline is doing an outstanding job designing better 3D printers to make whatever we need.
When we are done for the day, we go outside to contemplate our two moons and that little luminous point that people call Earth.
Written by Lunyzbreid Lopez
You can leave your comment down below. I’d like to know what you think of the story. Thank you for reading.
0 Comments