The Mars Adventure: Part 2 Mars, #2

By Melody Martin

All life on Earth has been decimated by an enormous asteroid. Survivors have left Earth and are starting colonies on Mars. Life there is tough and some selected scientists are working to make their new home habital.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melody Martin
• Release date: Sep 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215760031

Melody Martin

I spent 3 years in the Navy. Today I spend My time writing or Painting. I am a very Independent woman Living in Kansas. This is just another stop in my journey through life. I was born in New York in 1941. So, I was alive when they bombed Pearl Harb I grew up on a small farm In Ulster County. The war years were tough but I never went hungry

Book preview

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to an actual person’s, living or a dead or actual event is purely coincidental.

The Mars Adventure Continues

Will We Return to Earth?

Chapter One

Life on Mars

All of the efforts to save Earth failed. The asteroid plowed into Earth at 26 thousand miles an hour (41842 KPH). Radar scans of the surface show no resemblance to the Earth before hit by multiple meteors. One expedition went to Earth’s surface Sulfur dioxide levels were too high to support life of any kind. They returned to Mars as fast as possible. The suits they wore eaten up by acids. There would be no efforts to return for a long time. Almost everyone is adjusting to life on Mars.

Faith and Sabastian learn the basics of counseling from Doctor Wilma Booth (Brown) they deal mostly with marriage counseling. At first, there are many suffering from separation anxiety. Some feel like someone else in their life deserved to come to Mars more than they did.  Many of these feelings are not new; there have been car accidents where only one survived. Some carry guilt for years to come. It is Called Survivors Syndrome. Survivor's guilt is when a person has feelings of guilt because they survived a life-threatening situation when others did not.

Doctor Booth has four other doctors to help her now. There are one-hundred and eighty-thousand people on Mars in the American dome alone. Thousands more housed in the other domes. Back in 2030 experts said it was not feasible to start a large base on Mars. Innovations in rocket propulsion have made a big difference in space travel. The scientists are busy trying to find ways of feeding the greater population. Some work in trying to find a way of compounding medications. A large amount of supplies shipped to Mars but that does not mean there is an unending supply.

Faith has a birthday coming up soon and she will be forty years old then. She decides to go see Mason. She knocks on his door and he invites her into his office. Don is out of the office so Faith feels better about talking to him. Mason, I have not spoken about this to you before. I have a birthday coming up in six weeks. You want a birthday party Faith. Mason, that would be nice, however not what I wished to ask you. I am going to be forty years old. For a long time I promised Sabastian, I would give him a child. I understand Faith; He wants someone to carry his name forward.

My wife was still on Earth when struck. I know she is dead, I just cannot push myself to marry again. Mason, you need companionship, you also need to get out of this office more. There are many smart and attractive women here. I think what we need to do is organize a mixer as we used to call it. Our band will provide the music. Dance with a few of the ladies, sit and talk with them. Magic will not happen unless you take it out of the box.  Okay, Faith, you put it all together and I will be there.

As for your original problem, he takes her writing tablet and types something in. He hands it back to her. Take this to Doctor Booth and if she finds your health is well enough, she can remove the device. Faith smiles and tears run down her cheeks. Mason, I would kiss you but I do not wish to make the other girls jealous. Oh, the heck with it let them be jealous. She hugs Mason and kisses his cheek just as Don walks in. Don says what we have going on here. Faith giggles as she walks out of the office.

Faith walks into Doctor Booth’s office, she seems to be studying a book. She sees Faith, what can I do for you? Are you feeling unwell? No Wilma, actually I feel like I am walking on air. She brings up what Mason wrote and hands her the tablet. She reads it and smiles at Faith. Have you told Sabastian about this? No, I did not want to get his hopes up. I see, let us go into the exam room, I need to draw a blood sample, I will need a urine sample too. Lastly, I must do a pelvic exam. It will only take a few minutes.

Fifteen minutes later the blood test and urine sample are tested. Everything looks good.  Doctor Booth says; Faith, everything looks great. If you will take off your shirt, I will give you a local and extract the device. My experience tells me you will have your period within five days. I will put a patch on your upper arm. When it turns green, you are fertile. If a week or two later it will turn blue or red. If blue, you will be pregnant. If red, that means you are not, come back and tell me. We can put on a second patch and the same things will repeat.

Doctor Booth finds the implant and gives her a local. Then she cuts a small incision and takes the device out. Now it is time for instructions. Drink an extra glass of water every day. I will make a note on your tablet so you will not be restricted to the normal. She applies the patch to her arm. When that turns blue, I will have a diet plan and further instructions for you. Thank you, Wilma; I am not going to tell Sabastian until tonight. So keep a lid on this. That is the doctor-patient relationship still carries over from Earth.

Faith goes back to her station. Sabastian is waiting there for her. Where have you been dear? I went to see Doctor Wilma; I have been feeling a little punky. She took my blood and gave me a boost in my water intake. She said nothing was wrong that a little extra water would not cure.

Do you have anything for me? Yes, I do, remember that soil sample you gave me a week ago. Yes, I remember. Well, I found a small root in it. I gave it a little water and put it in a jar with the normal oxygen we have in the dome. It appears to be growing. I tested one of the root hairs and it does not match the genus of anything we had on Earth. This means it is only typical of Mars. Do you have a growth chamber over there? No, that is why I want to put it in yours if you have nothing else in there. Well right now, I have nothing, so put it in there next to the Mylar divider. Then press the green button, it will simulate normal conditions night and day with the proper mix of gasses. It is almost dinnertime. I have to button up a few things first, meet you there. Sabastian leaves and Faith is dreaming up a scheme.

Faith takes small slips of paper, on the first she writes The Old Rocking chair. The second is Behind Closed Doors. The next says Water Me. Another note; Send me the pillow you dream on. She writes on one take a shower. She can hardly contain her excitement when she meets him at dinner. Sabastian asks her you are acting differently today. It is just the shot Wilma gave me. It is weirding me out. He accepts her explanation. After eating, they go to their condominium. Faith says I am going to shower then get comfortable.

She comes out in a robe and hands him a note remember the song the old rocking chair? Yes, now you must follow the hints to find the rest of the notes. The rocking chair was easy, the recliner rocks. He finds a note there behind closed doors. The bathroom is the only door normally closed. On the back of the door, a note the next says Water Me. On the shower, he finds take a shower. When he gets out there is a note pinned to his robe. Send me the pillow that you dream on. He knows what that means.

I know what you want, no wonder you were acting funny. Yes dear, but I must tell you something first. Sit beside me for a while. I spoke with Mason today, he sent me to see Doctor Booth. After giving me a physical she said it would be okay. Please remove the meda-patch from my arm. Sabastian takes hold of the corner and removes it. He still looks puzzled so she tells him. That is where the birth control device was implanted. You mean he stammers. Yes, darling, I was given permission to have a baby. What is the other patch for? When it turns green, I am fertile. If a week or two later it will turn blue or red. If blue, I will be pregnant. Red she will put a new patch on and we continue to try until successful. Tonight I thought we would just practice.

Chapter Two

A Baby Yes or No

Eighteen days later the patch turned green. Every night they check the patch together. It is still a faded green. A week later Faith gets up to brush her teeth and in the mirror, she sees the batch. It has turned blue. She hollers Sabastian, Sabastian. He comes running into the bathroom. What is wrong? Faith points at the patch on her arm. It is a bright blue. Sabastian picks her up off the floor and dances around. Honey, after breakfasts I will go see Wilma. She said she would have some dietary information for me. Can I tell anyone? Tell you what, after I see Wilma we will tell our closest friends together.

Faith goes to Wilma’s office at 0900. Wilma sees her coming with a huge smile on her face. She smiles at Faith it worked right. Yes, it worked; she pulls up the sleeve of her shirt to show her the patch is blue. She pulls the patch off and tucks in in an envelope. You can add this to your memories. Now, do you wish to know whether it is a boy or a girl? Faith says you can tell this early. Yes I can all I need to do is put another patch of a different kind on your other shoulder. Wilma, I do not know if I want to find that out, no, I do want to know. Faith in the last few days I already knew, before the patch turned blue. The hormones in your body have kick-started the process, it is called mother instinct. Okay, I made my mind up. Put the patch on me. Oh, and how can I tell? That is the easiest of all, blue is boy pink is a girl.

Your body will go through many changes. I made this file; I am going to send it to your tablet. It is guidelines on what you should expect, any changes you need to make, and dietary suggestions. There is a pop-up letting you have more food after you get further along. This is to make sure you have enough food for you and the baby.

Faith goes to Sabastian’s station, would you like to go with me, we can tell all our close friends together. Sure, let us go tell Cynthia first. The stop at each of their friends and give them the good news. Everyone is happy for them and asks the same question. Do you want a boy or a girl? Sabastian answers I would like a boy, but a girl is okay too. If the baby is healthy, then all will be good. The last stop is Pastor John. Sabastian asks him to pray that all goes well and the baby is healthy.

They return to Faith’s station and look at Sabastian’s latest findings. Sabastian pulls back the soil from the Mylar so as not to disturb the root. At first, he is disappointed. Then he looks more carefully, there are a lot more root hairs than there were.  He pushes the soil back where it was to cover the root from sunlight. This might become some sort of a tree or bush. Misting the soil with a little water, he closes the cover on the growth box.

It has been three weeks and Faith comes out of the shower and starts to get dressed for church. Sabastian comes out of the shower and walks to his closet. My dear, you are looking very blue today. I am in a good mood what are you talking about? I am talking about the patch on your shoulder. Faith looks it has indeed turned blue. She almost leaps into his arms crying out; it is a boy, it is a boy. Now we need to think of a name for him. He says I already have. Sabastian Faith Harmony a part of you, part of me. She thinks for a moment, I love it, shall we say it is decided. Yes, we can tell our friends at church.

Monday after breakfast, they go to Faith’s station to check progress on the root. Sabastian opens the door to the climate-controlled box. There is a shoot about 2 centimeters sticking out of the soil. He scrapes back the soil from the Mylar and the root is growing rapidly. This could be big; they decide to let it grow another week before showing Harry and Mason.

People keep coming by Faith’s station to congratulate her. Some even bring gifts Peggy stops one day offering to make some baby clothes got her baby when it is born. That is very nice of you Peggy. Well if it were not for you, finding me and getting me back together with Don. I would be all alone in a crowd of people. Oh, we got permission to have a baby. Doctor Booth took the birth control out of my arm yesterday.

I think he hounded Mason all the time until he gave in. You know how my husband is. Yes, I do, he is the proverbial bull in a china shop. Nevertheless, Peggy, he is a good man. I know, he told me a while back that when he first met you he hated you. He thought he should get a high position here. He told me how you enlightened him and gave him a new perspective on life here. I could see the good in him even though the gnashing of his teeth Peggy. He said I should not tell you, but he said, you sounded so much like his mom. She never raised her voice she always gave him a choice a little less or a lot worse than what he wanted.

Weeks pass Faith is beginning to look as if she ate too much. She had to take a problem to Mason. While she was there, Don was busy at his computer. Mason looks at Faith; I want to thank you for sending Don here. My workload is been cut in half. He is even making decisions I would normally make. Anyway, what did you come here to ask? Sabastian would like to start a new project. It will mean more time outside and the construction of a drilling rig.

He believes that when the lakes dried the vegetation settled into pockets and there might be pockets of oil down there. First, he wants to do high power sonography of the surface. If is sees what he believes then he wants to go with drilling. Okay, tell him to go with caution, there could be gas pockets there too. That would be even better natural gas burns cleaner than other forms of crude oil. Very well, tell him to report progress to me. Thanks, Mason, you always understand new projects. As Faith leaves, she stops and whispers in Don’s ear.