The Dark Side of Mars

By S J Steggles

Our past, present and future begins over a thousand years into the future in an alternative universe where humanity have just started to flourish on a post-apocalyptic Earth. Having harnessed the power of nanotechnology and combining it with arc reactor technology, humanity no longer age and managed to increase their population to the hundreds of thousands.

Arthur, Earth’s prodigy Captain must lead his team to the moon and prepare Earth’s first colony class spaceship, for the evacuation of Earth.

What starts as a basic mission, soon turns into an edge of your seat adventure into the unknown. Arthur will be forced to step up and save his people or let another take his place. Hope can come from the darkest of places, sometimes its mysterious and from an unknown source. Something is waiting on the Columbus, whether good or bad depends on how humanity decides to treat them.

The Ancient Astronauts are shaping into familiar figures of our past as they journey unknowingly towards our timeline.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Aug 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398458871

S J Steggles

S J Steggles is a new and upcoming author, bringing his first book of an unforgettable adventure. The Dark Side of Mars brings together the ancient astronaut theory, futuristic technology and imagination. He was born in Cambridgeshire but has spent most of his life in the southwest of England. When he is not writing Sam can be found relaxing with one of his many pets, usually his cat Merlin, who also enjoys a good book. S J Steggles believes a great story can create change and inspire people to do the impossible. We all have the power to change the world if we look for it.

Book preview

About the Author

S J Steggles is a new and upcoming author, bringing his first book of an unforgettable adventure. The Dark Side of Mars brings together the ancient astronaut theory, futuristic technology and imagination.

He was born in Cambridgeshire but has spent most of his life in the southwest of England. When he is not writing Sam can be found relaxing with one of his many pets, usually his cat Merlin, who also enjoys a good book.

S J Steggles believes a great story can create change and inspire people to do the impossible. We all have the power to change the world if we look for it.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to both Kym my girlfriend and Merlin my cat, both of which inspired me and listened to my endless ideas.

Copyright Information ©

S J Steggles 2023

The right of S J Steggles to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

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

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398458864 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398458871 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

Some ideas never get the opportunity to blossom, without my friend James’s encouragement to start this book, this idea would have been

a seed for a long time.

Introduction

Launch Day

An alarm broke the muted conversations inside the small shuttle, and even though this was just a pre-launch warning, it caused a few concerned looks from the crew. This was to be the only craft launched to prep the Columbus for its full complement, and for some of the crew, this was their first trip. Over the last 200 years, launches from Earth had advanced a lot and even surpassed the abilities of NASA, who collapsed in the dark ages around 2200.

Captain, the magnetic fields are reaching max output, Jennifer said.

This was the moment Arthur and his crew had been waiting for. The Magnetic Rocket Shuttle (MRS) for the Columbus was ready, and most importantly, its bridge crew were ready.

"Sub-lieutenant Demetria, prepare to disengage the MRS shuttle. Lance, let mission control know we are about to launch."

The MRS shuttle was designed using the rocket shuttle sledge idea as a basis, but instead of fuel for propulsion, magnetic fields were used to launch the shuttle into space with zero emissions. This was important as the people of pre-dark age had put the planet on the brink of collapse – most places were too toxic to live and 98% of all life had been wiped off Earth. Although they could no longer survive on the planet naturally, their ancestors managed to build two colony bases that could sustain the people, independent of the planet. Still, they had to leave Earth to let her heal before they came to the end of humanity and disappeared from the universe. Earth was too volatile and the risk was too high.

"MRS, this is Huston, you are clear for launch. Moon base will take care of you from here," Rakel of the British and American Space Federation said, her voice quivering with excitement.

The BASF was named after the only two colonies of humanity to survive on the planet during the dark ages and beyond, the Colony Class was a beacon of hope that they would survive the damages of the past.

Arthur turned in his chair so he could look into the eyes of his crew members. Set the countdown for disengage. Crew, prepare yourselves.

Demetria turned to her monitor and put in the launch command, which set off an echoing countdown throughout the ship.

10…

9…

8…

They could hear the pulses now from the electromagnets surrounding the launch tube as it throbbed in their ears.

7…

6…

5…

Everyone held their breaths in preparation for what was to come, but nothing really prepared them to be shot into space at around 25,000 miles per hour.

4…

3…

2…

1…

All of a sudden, there was a loud metal click as the shuttle disengaged. Time seemed to freeze in that moment before the shuttle shot like a bullet and neon lights flickered past the window so fast, they soon blurred into one.

Gritting his teeth against the G-force, Arthur kept track of the shuttle’s progress through the launch tube. Get ready, we’ll be coming out in a second.

Suddenly, the neon lights stopped as the shuttle shot out from the ground into the middle of Earth’s oldest but weakest storm. The sky was dark and foreboding – a dark plasma blue with a backdrop of white as lightning threatened to tear the air in half. The howling and screeching of the wind were enough to send a chill down their spines as it threw rain at the shuttle like gunfire. Everything seemed to be vibrating and groaning under the stress as if the shuttle was being ripped apart.

It’s hard to believe that this is one of the calmest storms on Earth for the last two centuries, Lance said, his voice shaking with tension.

Focus on the job at hand, Lieutenant Lance, we’re not here to look at the cloud patterns and comment on the weather, Arthur said, laughing to himself.

Two minutes and we’ll reach the upper atmosphere, Captain, Demetria said. "MRS has pulled half a degree from its course, making alterations now."

Midshipwoman Jennifer, how are the ship systems doing? Arthur asked.

No problems so far, Captain. The thrusters are working at 90% and power’s holding steady, Jennifer replied.

All of a sudden, the chaos of the storms gave way to the nothingness of space and the shuttle was engulfed in a blanket of silence. It hung in the air, a weight pressing down on the shoulders of the crew. The silence stretched and became a gaping void that needed to be filled with anything – the scrape of a shoe, the rustle of the wind…the sound of a voice. After so long on a planet that was constantly screaming as storms raged across its surface, the silence was eerily unnatural and clung to each of them.

Suddenly, the spell was broken as the comms crackled into life.

"MRS, this is MB. Our systems are synching with yours now, we’ll take control from here. Welcome to the final frontier!"

This was followed by a few beeps from the command centre as the co-ordinates were updated and MRS was put on autopilot.

MB, we’re in your hands now, guide us in gently, said Arthur. "Crew, we’ve got two days before we get to the Moon base and then the Columbus, let’s move to the mess deck and relax while we can."

I could do with a drink or two after that, laughed Commander Rachel.

Chapter 1

Impact Event

We should be getting a visual on the Moon base soon, Arthur mumbled to himself.

Demetria glided through the shuttle corridor, navigating items floating in the zero gravity. Finally, she pulled up in the bridge and floated into the helms seat. Navigation shows we’re on course and about to start deceleration procedures, Captain.

Where are Rachel, Lance and Jennifer? Arthur asked, paying more attention to his console than to Demetria.

Still in the mess, Captain. I’ll call them in now.

Rachel’s sleep was interrupted by Demetria’s voice over the comms system, calling them into the bridge. None of the crew had slept properly in the silence of space, although those who had more experience in space were adjusting a lot sooner than those who had only been out a few times.

Rachel passed Lance in the corridor and as she pulled alongside hi, she could see from the bags under his eyes that he was just as tired as her.

Good sleep? Lance asked good-naturedly. Looks like they woke us both up.

Rachel couldn’t help but laugh. I’m guessing it’s the bags under my eyes that gave that away!

It’s more the look that says do not disturb! Lance pretended to cower as he laughed with her.

As they both pulled into the bridge and strapped in, they could hear Arthur asking Jennifer to open the bridge window so they could see the Moon base with their eyes rather than cameras. The crew gasped as one as the window opened to reveal the massive structure before them. Although they had seen pictures of the base, it was nothing like the real thing. One area was like a fishbowl full of trees, crops and pathways, surrounded by a massive doughnut-like metal structure that branched off to other sections of the base. Its surface was silky smooth to the eye and was so blue, it was like looking into the centre of a lagoon. Connected to this structure were mining, refining facilities and the factories that made the components for the Columbus. The Columbus, however, had to be constructed outside of the Moon base due to its size. Evidence of this was all around as AI cranes and engineering bots could be seen going about the final preps for the Columbus. Due to the position of the window and the colour of the Columbus, they had not got the opportunity to see it yet, but they would get their chance soon enough.

"MRS, this is Moon base. You’ll be landing in the next ten minutes. Prepare to disembark, said Beij, one of the AI interface bots. Putting thrusters to full."

Everything started slowing down as the pressure grew and they could hear the thrusters roaring in the background. Over the next ten minutes, things seemed to pass both quickly and really slowly as Captain Arthur issued commands. Suddenly, the ground appeared in view through the window and filled it, this was followed by a loud and satisfying thump and everything stopped…They had landed.

"Rachel, set up the land cruiser and get everyone ready to move on to the Columbus, said Arthur. I’ll finish up here with Moon base and set the rocket up for return."

Rachel and the others started to unbuckle their safety belts and propel themselves down the shuttle corridor. Nobody spoke as they glided into the cargo bay – a mixture of emotions welled up in each of them as the enormity of what they were doing started to set in. If their mission was successful, the Columbus would be ready to rendezvous with the British Colony Shuttle and the American Colony Shuttle six weeks from now. Humanity was in search of a new home, less volatile than the one they were leaving.

Just then, Arthur pulled into the cargo bay. OK, crew, the MB engineers will meet us on board to help maintain the systems during the trials. Moon base itself is being shut down after our launch. As you will have been briefed, all bots have been transferred across in readiness and all equipment deemed useful stripped from the base. From here on out, BASF will be focusing on prepping the evac ships and moving everyone from the colonies while we focus on ironing out the flaws in the ship’s systems.

That gives us six weeks to prepare, more than enough time, Demetria said with a relaxed smile. Let’s get to it then!

"When we get outside, we’ll get our first look at the Columbus, said Lance. Apart from the robots and AI MB engineers, we’ll be the first people to see it."

What are we waiting for? Let’s get started! Jennifer said excitedly.

Rachel finished up tapping in commands to the control console and the door leading into the land cruiser opened up in front of them. Arthur led them down the passage and into the cramped space of the cruiser. Jennifer locked the compartment as the last person came through and then began the sequence to release the cruiser onto the surface of the Moon. The cruiser was only designed for short trips between vessels, so comfort wasn’t considered in its manufacture. Fortunately, the transfer would only take minutes instead of hours. As each one strapped themselves into their seats, they loaded up their monitors and started to check the systems.

Jennifer, what are the engines like? Arthur asked.

Engines fully operational, Captain, powered up and ready to roll, replied Jennifer.

Lance, Demetria, are how are the comms and helm functions? asked Arthur.

Good to go, they replied.

"Demetria, start us moving, let’s see if the Columbus is as impressive as the reports suggest!" ordered Arthur.

The shuttle door slowly began to open, revealing the lunar surface – a cascade of different greys with the occasional black streak showing where lava had pooled who knows when ago. Slowly, the cruiser rolled out of the shuttle and with a soft thud onto the surface of the Moon, it made its way across the surface. The cruiser was about the size of two vehicles with the same number of wheels as both combined, it was vastly different to what they used on Earth. It was engineered to be powerful and designed to move at the slightest touch. The wheels were three-feet wide and were able to hug the ground as if they were made of glue. The compound material for the tires was made for the sole purpose of being utilised in low-gravity areas. The hull of the cruiser was a single piece of highly polished, royal blue tritanium and it resembled a bullet crossed with a vehicle.

"Once we get around the south of the Moon base, we’ll get our first glimpse of the Columbus, said Arthur. What’s our ETA, Demetria?"

Five minutes, Captain, she replied. "Switching to autopilot and synching docking commands with the Columbus, bay 12 has been left empty for our arrival."

Five minutes later, they got their first glimpse of the Columbus. The sheer size of the vessel was enough to make them feel like an ant in the presence of giants. Unlike the cruiser, the Columbus was as black as an empty void seeming to suck in all the light around it. It was perfect for blending into the background of space but it did mean they had to squint to make out its shape. Looking to the rear of the ship, they could make out four antimatter rockets, which they understood were able to move a few degrees to assist the four smaller side engines located halfway along the ship. These rockets were all connected and fed from the engine room; however, there was a ten-foot-thick lead barrier between the rockets and the crew.

Looking at the hull, there was no clear indication of what was located where and how the internals worked. But they were able to make out the loading bay, which was so large and yet only took up a small portion of the rear of the ship. It was located just after the engines and went straight through from one end to the other. The opening was about 100 by 100 metres, giving so much space to launch, land and hold hundreds of ships. If they squinted hard enough, they were able to make out some of those ships. Surrounding the openings were pulse cannons, which were silver and seemed to stand out against the dark backdrop of the hull. There were also bay doors that held various land-based machines and vehicles – they were not held in the launch bay so as to save space for launching and landing.

There were many more hatches and compartments with enough technology and resources to colonise and maintain it for the next thousand years. The only resource that had a variable for a duration was the fuel for the antimatter engines, which could be used up in weeks if the circumstances allowed. The front end seemed to curve forward forever, similar in style to an egg. They could make out one of the four observation deck windows which seemed to be colossal in size, at least half that of the launch bay. Although they could not see it from the outside, the internal mechanism of the Columbus was a rotating habitat zone which spanned nearly two-thirds of the ship. They were able to access this and the other sections of the ship through the central column and its specialised rooms to deal with going from a rotating area to a stationary area. The habitat zone was woodland paradise with villages and wildlife all around. It was hard to comprehend that they were out in space in a space ship.

Soon, the cruiser was in the Columbus’s shadow, and slowly, all they could see was bay 12 opening up as if to greet them. As the cruiser entered bay 12, the neon lights lit up in the compartment and the door closed behind them before they came to a stop. There was a loud rush of air as the room was pressurised and the cruiser doors beeped before opening. They were finally on the Columbus!

It had taken a week before the crew had managed to successfully get all the systems operational on the Columbus, and now, they were going through final flight checks.

Everything’s set, Captain. Ready to take off when you are, said Demetria.

Lance, it’s time to get in touch with BASF and give them an update, ordered Arthur.

"Houston, this is the Columbus, do you copy?" stated Lance. For a minute, the only response was distorted crackles.

Lance, boost the signal, something’s causing interference down there, said Arthur. The crew could hear the concern in his voice.

…Bus…ston…er… the comms crackled and then they heard, "Columbus, this is Houston, we’ve got severe tectonic disruption down here causing multiple eruptions—"

Suddenly, the line went dead.

Looks like we’re on our own from now, crew. Let’s take her up and do a circle of Earth, Arthur said. Jennifer, tell your engineers to get the stargazer up and running, start with objects 50 million miles away and build.

Beij and Benji, let’s get the stargazer systems up and running, send some bots to keep an eye on the engines, we don’t want to overpower them accidentally, ordered Jennifer through the comms.

Demetria, keep it nice and slow so we can build up speed as we check the systems, Arthur said. Rachel, how’s the life support systems through the ship?

All compartment pressures are holding, oxygen levels are rising throughout the ship, replied Rachel. Everything seems to be going smoothly, Captain.

The work that had gone into building the Columbus was too big a task for mankind to build on its own; the increased risk of failures and imperfections in ship build could have been catastrophic. Because of this, the BASF built a team of robots and AI engineers that would build it to perfection, and that’s exactly what they did.

We’ve pulled 80,000 km from the Moon, starting Earth orbit now, Captain, said Demetria.

As they orbited further and further around Earth, something bright