Marcus was one push of the button away from changing his life and the life of the Marsikons forever. His finger was hovering over said button and he swallowed hard, hoping that he and his friends would come back home alive. In order to save Mars, they needed to go to Earth to get supplies for their latest invention. He replayed in his mind their plan and the shiver run down his body under the spacesuit. In theory, the plan was simple. Reach the Earth, find the woman, and ask for help contacting the President of the USA. But now he was facing the reality: one tiny movement and they could end as dust in the vast expanse of the galaxy.
Marcus, with two best friends, Kosmas and Darius, were in the cockpit of the sleek and shiny space ship. Through the panoramic window he saw the highest mountain in the known universe, Olympus and nothing resembled the landing pad. It was cloaked, and no one could tell, that inside of the mountain was hidden the Marsikon' base with the most advanced technique and equipment in the known world. Their ship was also cloaked, so no one should see them flying away. Not Earthling, and not their enemies, the Martians.
Marcus reverted his gaze to the monitors and tightened his hand on the yoke, feeling his palm grew clammy under a glove. Everything was working as it should. The wind was acceptable for their mission. It was a beautiful day, with no storms. Two moons, Phobos and Deimos, were clearly visible. They stood vigil, like two sentries who saw off their rescue party.
This trip to Earth was the first one after several thousands of years. The three of them had been preparing for it for years now, and no one knew how it would go. The newest fuel, which they'd developed, wasn't tested yet in open space. Everything was very speculative. He'd heard once that earthlings had a genre of fiction called "speculative." Well for him, this wasn't fiction. This was life and death.
Yes, they'd run tests in labs, but still, it was fifty-fifty. Either they would reach the Earth or die trying. But without this trip and supplies, which they would get on the Earth, Mars was doomed.
They were wearing full gear, complete with transparent helmets. But still, Marcus could feel the tension coming from the other two. Darius was always quick to spill a joke in any situation, and had a laid-back attitude, while Kos remained quiet and unshakable. Feeling tension from both of them was a bit unnerving. He would give up everything to hear some of Darius's dark jokes right now. Maybe for the last time in his life.
Marcus gripped the yoke harder and slowly relaxed his fingers. His other hand was still hovering over the red button. Pushing it will change all their lives, for better or worse.
Willing himself to relax, he exhaled and said, "Okay, brothers, we were waiting for this trip for all of our lives..."
"Cut the shit," Darius interrupted him in a clipped voice, "Let's just do this. Push the button already."
Kosmas grunted his affirmation.
Marcus chuckled without humor under his breath and pushed the button.
The only vestiges of the fuel they managed to make for this mission reached the powerful engines, and unimaginable power shoved them through the vast expanse of outer space.
Just as he pushed it, all sounds ceased to exist. His ears popped with eerie silence and his body was pressed in the seat like it wanted to swallow him whole. They've trained a lot for this flight, tested themselves on specially built machines to get used to the overloads, but what he felt right then, was indescribable. Maybe an egg felt like that when it was falling on the frying pan but a million times faster. It was like his insides and outsides were smashed all around the ship. His brain turned to mush, his face almost peeled from the scalp.
It was a hell of the feeling, but all too soon it ended. They stopped abruptly like they were spat out on the other side of the Galaxy, and the Earth had opened in front of them in all her glory.
It was the day when Earth was at its closest point to Mars. And thanks to the new fuel, and the lightning speed it gave them, they were able to reach the Earth's atmosphere in three minutes. It felt like infinity, and at the same time, like just a couple of seconds had passed.
Marcus shook his head, checking his body indicators on his vi-com, and turned to his friends. They were also checking their indicators, but when they glanced up, huge smiles split their faces.
"Yeee-haaa, we did it!" Darius was the first one who has found the voice and punched the air with both hands.
"Yeah, I hope I won't throw up in this helmet." Kosmas even grinned while saying it.
"It was exceptional!" Marcus said breathlessly. Grinning, he added, "I want to do it again."
During those three minutes, he thought that they would simply die from the overload, but now, he wanted to feel it again and again.
But first things first. They needed to land safely and meet the person who would help them to get the supplies they needed, and then they could go back. After establishing a partnership with Earth, both planets would win.
Assuming they don't treat us worse than most of their movies.
But that was a risk they had to take.
Marcus locked his gaze on the big blue-green globe with white stripes on it. He was mesmerized by the size of it; it was huge. And it became even bigger with every second. Comparing to the speed, they were going; it felt like they were hovering in one place. But they were still moving, and dangerously fast.
The plan was that they would be spat out of the jump somewhere near the Earth and then would make a couple of laps around and slowly drift closer to the landing point. But they were moving so fast, they were already in the atmosphere and the ship started to shake.
Grins vanished from their faces, and everybody switched to the working mode.
Marcus scanned panels, saying, "With the speed we are going, soon we'll pass the stratosphere. We won't be engulfed in fire...but I'm afraid for our landing."
Kosmos gulped, "You're saying if I'm gonna throw up, I should throw up now?"
"I'm saying brace yourself; it's going to be a hard one."
The landing was quickly approaching, and Marcus was afraid that they really were going to end like the smashed eggs.
Glancing at the map, he saw that they were above North America. Thanks, Mars, at least they were going in the right direction. But here the good news ended. They were supposed to land in the ocean near the West coast, but all he could see beneath them was the land.
Alarms were blazing around them, telling that speed was too high, and the ground was too close. He quickly zoomed out the map and saw, that the West coast was a little farther away. He steered the yoke, and they changed their course as not to pummel into the ground but fly at breakneck speed to West.
Underneath them was only the vast darkness penetrated by occasional little light sources but a couple of seconds later illuminated ribbons, like rivers penetrated it. And then, an expanse of black liquid winked at them with its waves. The Pacific Ocean. And they were going right into it.
In theory, the ship was built with the capability of going in the water at high speed. But only in theory, because on Mars there wasn't any deep water, where they could test it. They could only dip it in the large pool, to check if it wasn't leaking.
The ocean was rapidly coming at them, and Marcus prayed to all gods of Mars that this journey wouldn't be for nothing and that they were far enough from the shore that they didn't stick in the bottom of the ocean like a pin.
A couple of hundred meters before the connection, Marcus said, "Thank you brothers, it's been a pleasure of knowing you."
But right before the impact, the aura of calmness washed over him, and he felt surprisingly sure, that they would live through it.
Darius was shouting, "Shit, shit, shit!"
With the alarms blaring that if a single thing went wrong, they would die on impact, the ship plunged into the water.
They were alive.
The ship was narrow in the front, with the extensive and bulgy back resembling a bullet. When they went in, the water slowed the momentum, but because of construction they almost didn't feel any disturbance. One moment they were in the air, and next – in the water. Ship's lights penetrated blackness, and they saw the small fish colonies swiftly change direction in front of them.
Excitement filled Marcus, and he felt like a kid on a Christmas morning. He'd never seen so much fish, only in pictures or videos. Behind small fish were swimming bigger ones. Octopus almost touched their window but quickly changed direction. They even saw a dolphin at one point with its trademark smile, and it looked real. It was unbelievable, and he couldn't wrap his mind around what he saw. That life existed and was only a glass width away.
"It's amazing," Darius whispered and touched the window on his side, trying to reach this beautiful underwater life.
Kosmas grunted in response, but when Marcus turned to him, he could see the admiration in his eyes.
Now, when they were drifting at low speed, they could see everything around them more clearly.
Marcus smiled, hope filling his chest, "When we'll save our planet, I'll make sure that our oceans have as many creatures like this one. Maybe even more."
Marcus was very closed in showing his emotions, and even now, in the company of his friends, he couldn't let himself fully express his feelings. He could only vow to them and himself to try to make something similar on Mars.
He was the son of the King of Mars, and since childhood, he was taught how to be a King. It was predestined to him, that he would be the savior of the nation and of the planet itself. He had a great role model, his father, and he was supposed to be like him in every aspect. But it was so difficult for Marcus to act like him.
For his father, it was natural to be calm and collected in any situation. Be it some dispute between Marsikons, or attack from Martians, he was prepared and could find the perfect tactic in seconds. From the moment when Marcus started to read, he was present almost at every meeting his father had with Ministers, so he could learn how to rule when his time came. And younger Marcus was always passionate about Martian attacks. He couldn't understand why father was holding back their force, why he hadn't ordered for a full attack, and stopped this war.
So one day, after another attack from Martians, when several Marsikons died, Marcus demanded an answer from his father. Fury boiled Marcus' blood, and he was ready to take as many weapons as he could and march on Martians for revenge.
But the King looked at him, his face unreadable at first, then softened, and he said, "Son, sometimes people are ready to use whenever methods to gain power, even if in the process their own home and people would be destroyed. The greed for power and money could corrupt even righteous persons. But not all Martian nation is corrupt and violent. They follow their leader, who lost himself to the wrong belief. But I still hope, that someday, we can gain a truce between nations and live as we did before we went underground. I hope, that you, my dear son, would end this war peacefully, and restore Mars as it was thousands of years ago."
That day Marcus understood the most crucial thing about himself. If he continued to live with such strong emotions about everything that happened around him, he wouldn't be able to rule as efficiently, as his father and other Kings before him. And so Marcus started to restrain himself.
It was hard at first, but then he'd found out that music and playing drums helped him a lot more than meditation or martial arts. Through music, he could discharge all accumulated frustration, fury, and sorrow. Since then, Marcus became calmer, could sit through meetings and not react with his heart, but use his head to solve situations.
His closest friends, Kosmas and Darius, had more freedom in their youth. They've never needed to hold themselves in check of what they were saying, they could rant and moan, but Marcus needed to restrain himself, for fear that if he started to show how his deepest emotions, then he'll lose his restraint and be a lousy ruler. He was afraid to make a fatal mistake, that would cost the lives of innocent people.
But at the same time, he liked to listen to their stories, full of fun and emotions. It helped him to understand, that with that kind of his father's ruling, Marsikons were happy in their lives. And he wanted that happiness to never end. But sometimes, he felt the immense pressure from everything and everyone around him.
The people of Mars deserved a fair ruler. This trip to Earth would be a test whether that could be Marcus.
He checked the monitors and saw that they were several kilometers away from the shore. They needed to find a quiet bay, where they can leave the ship and take the boat to the coast. He steered the yoke up to get from the deepness of the water to have a better view and turned the ship around.
"Hey, let's check where we are?" Darius checked the map, and exclaimed, "Oh dear, we're the luckiest trio, we've landed exactly where we needed. Los Angeles, here we go." He sang the name of the city, smiling triumphantly.
"We're lucky, that we're alive. And nothing else matters." Kosmas was a master of few words.
Returning to his reserved demeanor, but inwardly smiling at their words, Marcus expertly navigated waters, going on the momentum and saving the latest fuel reserve.
"Indeed, we are lucky. Let's hope that luck will accompany us for the rest of the trip."
They've found a quiet beach and changed their gear for the custom-made civil suits, which were developed to accommodate an element's temperature. It could be freezing cold or fumingly hot, and still, they would feel the same, comfortable like in a mother's womb. Only their heads weren't covered right now, and Marcus could feel a warm fresh breeze on his face.
Leaving the ship cloaked they took their boat to the nearest dock.
Almost every aspect of this mission was honed to perfection. They took various tools in case something went wrong. Except the Earthling identifications, or passports, as they called it on Earth. Marcus decided it wouldn't be a good start of negotiations if they were searched and were discovered with fake passports. It could lead to imprisonment, and the President wouldn't trust captured liars. They needed to start with him by being honest, and hopefully he would return the gesture.
Each one of them had the vi-com on their wrists, which looked like local smartphones. Marcus connected his vi-com to the local network and sent a quick message home that they'd made it alive. He also checked the woman's address and found out that it was almost two hours of driving from their spot.
"We need to find a car," Marcus announced.
***
Marcus had been preparing for this mission for several years. He'd studied possible candidates who could answer for a plea of help from another planet. In the end, the President of the USA was chosen but it wasn't like they could just land on his doorstep. Such an attempt would end them in prison or some lab where they would be studied and tested. Even if they survived, who wanted that kind of life?
No, he needed a person who was close to the President and who would trust them. To his surprise, he'd found her very easily. Regina Morgan, the daughter of Senator Arthur Morgan, who was the closest friend of the President. The former police detective, Regina Morgan was a person with a troublesome past. And despite who her father was, she lived on the other side of the country and for the last two years, she's been lying low. No one knew what she was doing. From the intel he gathered, Marcus assumed, that she wasn't a fan of high-ranking persons, or she would be staying near her family after she was fired from the force with a scandal.
On Mars, everyone lived in a tight-knit group, and if one person had a hard time with something, their closest family members and friends would be all over them. Their survival and well-being relied on interdependence. As one thrived, so did the many. As the many thrived, so did they all.
Of course there was a cost—good luck to space and privacy. It was hard to live in the undergrounds, in the tight space, but that was the only way to save a person from walking out to the surface without special suits and helmet. On a subconscious level, Marcus felt, that Regina also needed help, maybe even more than them. But she didn't need to know, who Marcus was for Marsikons. Speaking of which, he needed to remind his friends about that.
"Kosmas, Darius, in case you've forgotten, I'm reminding you, that Regina Morgan doesn't need to know, who my father is." He looked at them with one eyebrow raised, waiting for confirmation that they understood, how crucial it is.
"Yes, my lord, we know," Darius said with a solemn face, faking Marcus' manner of speaking. "And stop looking at us like we are some teens who don't know how to keep a secret," he added accusingly, and Kos grunted his affirmation.
Marcus suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at them. Of course, Darius was always pulling a joke, even when they were discussing a serious matter. But Marcus wouldn't trust any other men behind his back. Only Darius. And Kosmas. How he wished for his other best friend came out of his inner shell, where he closed himself after his wife died. Before that, he was full of life, smiling and joking alongside Darius. But now the majority of his vocabulary was grunts and nods. Marcus hoped this trip would be the start of a new life for Kosmas. For all of them.
Stepping out of the boat on the pier between rows of beautiful yachts, Marcus pinched a command on the vi-com to send it to the ship. They started walking the long way of the pier to the well-lit glass building. It was almost night, but people were milling around, not giving them a second glance. Good. He didn't want someone to stop them and ask questions about who they are.
"So, how do we get a car?" Darius flexed his hands and looked at the visible part of the parking lot behind the building. "Maybe we can steal one? I watched their movies; I think I can pull it off."
"No, we won't steal anything. We'll ask if we can rent one." Marcus went in the direction of the building.
When inside, they found a clerk behind a long and shiny black desk, who looked at them with a peculiar stare, but quickly caught himself and with a pleasant smile said, "Welcome to our yacht club, what can I do for you?"
"Good evening. We need to rent a car. Do you have an electric one?" He knew that they still used gas on Earth, but he didn't want to pollute the planet even more than it already had been.
Even one person can make a difference, after all.
The clerk did a double-take at three of them but just said, "One moment please." After a couple of seconds of humming under his nose, he announced, "Unfortunately, we have available only one electric car, but maybe you would like something more luxury?"
"Does it use gas?"
The clerk became animated, "Oh, yes! Lots of it, actually. But without it, there wouldn't be so much power under the hood."
"Thank you, but I must refuse your offer. We'll take an electric one."
He watched them with a perplexed expression, but then nodded, "Okay, cash or card?"
"Card." They had a local bank card with an unlimited account, but they didn't have cash yet.
"Could you please pass your ID?" he asked politely. Marcus quickly glanced at the others, who were waiting for his action. He couldn't show this man Marsikons' ID. Either he would laugh at him, or call the police, and it would jeopardize the mission.
"Is it necessary? Maybe we can find another solution in this case?" Marcus answered politely.
The young man was looking at them differently now; a hint of contempt was visible in his gaze.
He folded his hands in front of him and with raised chin said, as if daring, "You can buy it."
Marcus wasn't prepared for such a reaction. He'd read that on Earth you can try and bribe someone. Maybe the clerk was thinking that he was doing exactly that? It was unacceptable for Marcus to do such a thing, so he just simply said, "That will do," keeping his face neutral. "Please proceed with the procedure. There is plenty of money on the card."
And now this clerk was taken aback. He unfolded his arms and opened his mouth, and after a minute or two staring at them, he took the card and completed the transaction.
"Um, sorry," he mumbled. "Everything is ready. Congratulations on the purchase. Here are the key and the documents." He passed him everything with a nervous smile on his face and told them where the car was parked.
They went to the parking lot and started to search for their new purchase: a white Kia Soul.
Marcus was determined to reach the woman as fast as possible, but something stopped him, and he looked around in confusion. Glancing at his brothers, he saw, that they were searching the parking lot, oblivious to this eerie sensation.
And then it hit him. He wasn't wearing a helmet. He could breathe fresh air. Not far away the dark water was splashing gently, stirred only with a soft breeze. The ocean. Somewhere in the distance, he heard birds chirping. He was on the Earth and only now it finally dawned on him, that they made it here alive. They've flown almost sixty million kilometers in the nick of time. The rush of adrenaline made his heart beat faster and his gut clenching.
He looked in the sky and saw a red planet. But it couldn't be Mars; it was too far away. No, it was also a Lunar Eclipse tonight, and because of that, the Moon was red. He felt homesick, wishing to get back as soon as possible. But he also wanted to explore Earth's advantages, which he'd never felt or seen in person, like the ocean and the fresh air.
Deep longing ran through him. Longing for Mars to be the same, as it was many thousands of years ago.
"Kos, Dar," he called after his friends, and when they drew near, he said in a choking voice, "I'm happy, that you're here with me, and that we're alive."
They clapped him on the shoulders in unison and Darius replied, "I feel you, brother. And don't worry, we'll return our Mars. Kos would find a way, right Kos?" he grinned, and Kos grunted in confirmation.
Marcus smiled a little, feeling support from the two closest persons in his life, besides his mom. Despite him being in his father's presence almost all the time, emotionally they weren't close. He'd never felt the bond of a father and a son, rather like the King and his apprentice, who must be the ruler when the time comes. Which would be oh so soon.
A combination of elation, anticipation, and a bit of dread filled his limbs, and with the renewed hope for the Marsikons' future, he went further in search of their Soul.
In the middle of black, golden, and red luxury cars were standing a white one, like a sore in the eye.
"Press the key button, maybe it's not ours," Kosmas said.
Marcus also hoped that it wasn't their car, but when the lights blinked at them in the invitation, his elation deflated a bit. It was a nice car, but too small for them, and it reminded him of a fridge box.
Darius guffawed and slapped Marcus on the shoulder, "Oh, Mars, I don't know how my legs alone will fit in this box, not to tell with the two of you."
Kosmas growled something in agreement, but Marcus only said, "Let's try, maybe it's not so bad after all."
Darius jumped in the backseat and sort-of folded himself three times until he resembled a toddler lying in a too-small bed. Marcus and Kosmas sat in the front, their shoulders rubbing. The Soul had a mechanical transmission, and Marcus tried to remember from his studies how to operate it.
He started an engine, put the stick in the first position, pushed the clutch, and then stepped on the gas, releasing the clutch. For one second, they were moving, and then the car abruptly stopped. He tried it for the second time and after two heartbeats of driving the result was the same.
Now even Marcus growled, "My foot is too big for this pedal."
"With the speed, we are going, I would get there faster running. I'll wait outside for you to get more speed and then will jump inside, 'cause my legs are cramping already," Darius whined.
"Shut up, Darius, and don't move," Marcus growled, and Kosmas smiled a little. He was enjoying it too much.
"And you, Kosmas, what are you laughing at? Maybe you want to try?"
Kosmas was shorter than the other two, but where he lacked in height, he gained in pure muscle mass. Maybe for him it would be easier to get the car moving.
Kos growled, got out of the car, and with a loud bang shut the door. Marcus could bet that he left a dent.
Kos walked around the car, and Marcus got out giving him space, not bothering to sit down in Kos's seat. Let's see how he would manage it.
After a couple of tries, Kos managed to drive for a couple of meters without stopping, and only then Marcus took his seat on the passenger side.
Darius laughed at them, repeating that he would be already at their destination. And he could because he was the fastest runner on Mars.
Annoyed, Marcus closed his door. "Probably you have smaller feet."
But Kos only smirked in response and put the pedal to the metal, swiftly shifting gears and joining night Los Angeles traffic, which interestingly wasn't light.
"You think that Regina Morgan will help us without problems?" Darius asked in the middle of their drive.
"She swore to protect and help people, and when she'll hear, that we need help to save Mars, she'll come to our aid without problems," Marcus said truly believing in his words.
Little did he know how wrong he was.