Depth Charge - red earth

Prologue

Behind the polarised face shield of the space suit, Selena looked across to her mother. She couldn't see all the details of Marie's face, but she observed the nod of her head as the helmet tilted in unison with the movement. Both of them looked behind once more to make sure that Bill was heading back to the main base. There was no turning back; there could not be.

They both switched their attention back to the immense landform that was before them. It was like nothing that existed back on earth. The size of the Olympus Mons shield volcano was deceiving. Its height was three times that of Mount Everest, but its gradual five degree slope made it seem more ... scalable. 

No words were exchanged between mother and daughter. They acted on autopilot as they activated the jet booster systems on their space suits. The suits had been upgraded from what they had used in the final moments of their underwater escape from the dreaded sea creatures. A clear ceramic Malon helmet with inbuilt luminal display, silica aerogels consisting of 90 percent air to protect against extreme temperatures, gyroscopes to provide a similar resistance as would be experienced on earth to combat the low gravity, and woven piezoelectric wires into the fabric to give sustainable power, were just some of the features of the space suits. In addition, multiple moving jet mechanisms attached to the suits made it possible to easily manoeuvre through the harsh and unpredictable terrain of Mars.

Activating the jet thrusters, their feet left the rusty oxide dust beneath them as they headed up and across the bank of the 600km wide edifice. Bill had suggested that they take the shuttle for better protection against the strong winds and dust clouds that they would encounter at the summit, but Captain Mark had ruled that option out. The insufficient atmospheric thickness on Mars would not enable the shuttle to slow down in time for a safe landing. The shuttle thrusters were too powerful for such a technical trip. The lesser powered thrusters on the special suits though, afforded them a more controllable journey.

There were a lot of assumptions about Mars before MASA had initiated the colonization program. This program was, of course, sped up rapidly by the hostile takeover of earth by the deep sea alien creatures. Once humans had reached Mars, they began to find out how little they actually knew about this planet. Selena and Marie knew more than most did; even more than they themselves realised. It was best that their realisations were not complete.

Most scientists thought that the Olympus Mons volcano was extinct, but recent strange surface activities were leading the new inhabitants to assume that the extraordinary energy that first ignited this colossal volcano was still waiting patiently underneath the surface; for something.

As the two white jet suits made their way towards the summit, strong winds began sweeping in on them from the side. Below them, most of the terrain was covered in a thick mantle of fine dust. Mars was well known for its strong and destructive dust storms, but the intensity increased dramatically at the summit of Olympus Mons.

Still no words were exchanged as they propelled closer to their destination. It was a destination that they were trying to reach for a reason that Bill could not comprehend. The soft red glow behind Selena and Marie's eyes seemed to impel them to move forward. Always be one move ahead, a voice inside them was beckoning.

Coming closer towards the summit, the driving winds continued, but now they were mixed with flying particles of dust. The suits were holding up nicely, but it was getting difficult at times to see a clear line to their destination. Below them, they observed six collapsed craters that were nested into the summit. Aiming towards the summit, they began directing their suits towards the highest point of the volcano. The winds intensified, as did the dust, to create an unwelcoming fanfare for the mother and daughter exploration team. A strong gust caught Selena by surprise. Her body began to fly off course, but Marie's space glove quickly gripped onto her leg. Selena was glad that she had her mother back to look after her.