Is There Life on Mars?

01-03-2309

The Earth isn’t that shabby a place when you look at it. Or at least, it probably isn’t if you’ve just come from a place even more miserable.

First, it is uncharacteristically hospitable. A vast array of diverse flora and fauna populate every possible inch of its surface, even the frigid bits. The excessive amount of liquid-water, taking up nearly two thirds of the rocky planet’s surface, is likely to blame for such abundance of life. A dense atmosphere cycling this H2O keeps most of the smooth land lush and vegetated, while lending erosion to geomorphology, drastically changing the surface of the planet over a short period of time. In short: water makes Earth an ever changing place of thriving multitude.

Once you get used to there being so much grass and many, very large trees everywhere, there are still many wondrous sights to behold. Enormous metropolises like New Tros City and Knossopolis DT, that shape and govern the relatively advanced civilization. Each city on Earth houses their own cache of modern sky-scrappers and culture rich monuments, making them a must for visitors. Giant peaks that dominate the sky for miles around, reaching as high as a third the size of Olympus Mons. Vast oceans of blue crystal water, greater than those that beat on the white sand of Callisto. Majestic rivers valleys that bring life and nutrients together and support many civilizations.

The race of Earthlings are a beautiful sight themselves, if I may insist. Usually pale skinned with blonde or brown soft hair and handsome features. Eye color is vibrant and always varies but, through much contact with the people of Ganymede, tends to be blue. The people are mostly congenial and well mannered and very accommodating–caring so much for friend and kin they’re known for being nosey and protective. Other recognizable traits are charm, tenacity and cleverness; often making them apt for surviving most social climates. They possess neither pointy ears nor antennae, though make up for them by having 5 other keen senses. No gills, wings, or claws but are granted speed, agility and intelligence to facilitate a Darwinian sense of the word ‘fit‘. A meek people, but a resourceful one capable of anything.

Luna is an enchanting moon, a larger satellite than is typical of a rocky planet of this size. The geosynchronous orbit keeps the same familiar side Earthward at all times, allowing the inhabitants below to grow accustomed to her face, and to create extravagant mythos about the appearance of the other side and the inhabitants over there. The dark side, though, is very rugged and boring, heavy cratering typical of a satellite this size. This resulted in maria of lava on the bright side that bleed out from millennia of meteor strikes that go ‘through-and-through’. In other words, impacts sizeable enough to disturb the core of a planet create tectonic and volcanic activity on the opposite side because of simple physics.

Not nearly as drastic as the wounds left by impact events in Martian History. The much more minute meteorites that mashed into our moon made smooth, dark, mineral rich floodplains of new terrain. They formed into aesthetic shapes upon the body’s surface, often mistaken as oceans of water by primitive Earthling astronomers then misnamed to suit. Luna is plentiful of these since it has acted as a shield for the Earth, intercepting much of the potentially harmful fallout from space.

The settlers that came from the planet below have adapted to Luna’s harsher climate; a thinner atmosphere and less liquid water means people spend more time indoors or in enclosed rovers and work vehicles. Tectonic inactivity means many settlements are localized to craters, the largest at Kepler, Copernicus and Tycho–the foremost being the moon’s capital city and governing center. Kepler City hosts the Earth’s Interstellar Spaceport, Selene; almost all lines going through the system make a stop here, and if you’ve ever tried to leave the Inner Worlds, you’ve likely had to transfer flights there. Copernicus is the bustling city of sin, also known as The Entertainment Capital of the World, that might single handedly supplement half of Luna’s fiduciary needs.

As for the rest, like on most of the green Earth, an important farming industry powers the economy in the flat lands. Tourism to mountain resorts accommodates the life on the rockier, dark side. The Lunarians there lead long healthy lives in the cold weather and high altitudes, making it a popular place to travel to or live for a while. Just make sure to avoid religious zealots and military test sites. The moon is not as densely populated as Earth, but with her help, it’s expanding almost as quickly as Mars.

I wouldn’t say I’m not proud to be from Earth. I should feel privileged to have been born on such a prosperous and nurturing world, a place that allowed me to be free to do and think as I pleased. Even if it has an ugly past, and perhaps made an enemy or two over the years, I guess I have some lasting respect for my homeland. Enough to at least not call myself a Martian after legally becoming a resident like everyone else. I like to think I try to honor my roots by continually proving I can do anything.

I’m still an Earthling and I’ll die an Earthling–no matter what planet that may be on.

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