Yves Giraud - Kahnu

François carefully took another look at it, zooming with the camera. It was an unusual rock, no doubt. But eventually, they had all agreed it was probably a broken piece from the plateau above, that a lucky set of circumstances had shaped that way, nothing more. Najib kept coming back to the site every time he got the chance, regardless. He always hoped to find something else nearby, something just as unusual that would vindicate him and his theory.

“Another object would multiply the odds, you see,” he had argued.

Najib was convinced another intelligent civilization had lived on Mars. He was a huge follower of the “Face on Mars” movement. Decades earlier, a NASA photo showing a large rocky feature on the red world resembling a humanoid face, had sparked a worldwide debate on the subject. The belief by some that the monument had been made by an ancient Martian civilization, had been rekindled in 2021, when another NASA photo, taken by its rover, Mars Explorer II, had clearly shown a pyramid shaped formation in the Cydonia region. Several dark spots along the ridges of the pyramid, believed to be entrances, had proved to be the most controversial argument. With NASA unable, or unwilling, to send the rover back to the area, the public’s interest had quickly died down. In the end, the pictures had brought up for some, more questions than it had delivered answers, but Najib had his own opinion on the subject. In fact, he hoped Lars and the board would eventually allow him to go check the area. He had suggested it to them many times. The place also offered some very intriguing features. Strange geometric formations, seemingly grouped intentionally, that had many question the possibility of random coincidence. Here again, he felt the sharp geometry of his NS1 boulder was more than a natural formation. He has scoped the surrounding area many times. Unfortunately, he had never found anything else unusual.

“ Either way, I’m glad we got to name the place after you while you were still alive, buddy…”

“Mound Shamsi” and its Najib block had both been suggested to the Mars First committee by the Martian group, in honor of the Pakistani’s discovery. Now, it would also be where the first human casualty would rest, a sad reminder of how fragile life can be.

And although, he would have agreed Najib’s life had ended too soon, François found comfort in knowing that his colleague had lived his dream of going to Mars. A feat only seven others had ever done, in all of human history. And for that alone, Najib Shamsi would be remembered for posterity.

Later that night, the Mars First public relation’s department issued a lengthy statement to the press about Najib’s untimely death, calling the incident a regrettable and tragic accident, but also clearing any wrong doing or negligence on the part of the Mars First company and the colonists. A commemorative event would take place that weekend in Bangalore, Najib’s home town in India.

And all over the world that same night, thousands of small communities and large cities alike joined in large groups outside to light candles and observe a night of silence in memory of a human being who had gone further than most ever could. A funny and loving man many had come to admire. They had followed his training and subsequent landing on Mars on MFN, the media channel Mars First Now, for almost fifteen years. That night, astronauts watching Earth from the International Space Station, reported a significant increase in brightness in many parts of the world.

Regardless of the worldwide sympathy, the tragic event had genuinely jeopardized the whole Martian endeavor and stopped any future missions, at least for a while. The reality of the dangers the Martian explorers were exposed to day after day had suddenly become a great concern across the globe. Alone on a distant planet, far away from any help or anyone, and left to fend for themselves, what chances did they really have to survive? Some felt spending billions of dollars to send people to such an unforgiving place was absolutely irresponsible and even criminal. The incident had refueled serious questions about the whole program. “Did Mars First have the right to send these poor gullible souls to their certain death?” as some news media had phrased it. The company’s responsibility in Najib’s death was being seriously questioned, and it would take another four and a half years to defend.

“Do you still maintain that sending these unqualified, everyday citizens to that hostile and desolate world, millions of kilometers away, is not pure murder? What life can these young men and women possibly expect on a frozen piece of rock, itself devoid of life, where the air is not breathable, the temperature can plunge to minus -133 Celsius, and solar radiation is deadly?” had asked a reporter.

“First off, let me correct you on a few points, if I may. The Mars First applicants ARE qualified. Their astronaut training program takes almost eight years to complete and is as extensive and rigorous as NASA’s won program. Our team members go through countless evaluation tests, and we make sure to provide them with the tools necessary to insure the highest chance of survival possible. They do not get to go to Mars unless our team of experts certifies they have met or surpassed all physical and mental expectations. I would also like to remind you that the first two teams sent to Mars have done very well, in terms of adapting to their environment. And if I may, regarding the temperatures on the planet, -133 Celsius is an extreme, and Mars’ average temperature is closer to -55C. And did you know that temperatures on a summer day can easily reach a comfortable 27 degrees? Of course, this is somewhat irrelevant, since no one can be on the Martian planet without a suit. Now, it is true that certain conditions can be difficult to work in. You mentioned radiation. Over time, radiation bursts from solar flares can have serious consequences on the human body, but as the Martian colonists have demonstrated on several occasions, they can shelter themselves from those rare events, in the isolating the underground booth designed for that purpose.”

Lars was always good at handling reporters and TV journalists without sounding annoyed or losing his temper, even when some seemed biased against the project. He was used to it. But after Najib’s untimely death, many more such accusations would test his patience to the limit.

Regardless, the company had been forced to reschedule the departure of the Mars First 3 ship, to let some of the initial steam fizzle down. The legal actions that had followed, and the amount of time and energy Lars’ organization had had to spend defending and maintaining the integrity and validity of the program, had put a serious financial toll on the whole enterprise. Sending a spaceship to Mars couldn’t be scheduled hastily, and the time window for the launch was precise and short. Departure had to be synchronized when Earth and Mars were lined up on a precise curve, allowing the ship to travel the least amount of time and distance. Even so, the shortest trip to Mars still took about five months, and that window was only available every two Earth years or so, since Mars revolved around the sun significantly slower than its blue cousin.

At first, hoped to be just a step back until the next planetary alignment, twenty-six months to be exact, the ramifications of the Najib’s death had proven to be a much longer ordeal than anticipated, and the entire project had been put on. Luckily, the discovery of liquid water in underground lakes in 2033 would finally change the public’s opinion in the program’s favor, and the green light would eventually be given later that year. MF3 would finally launch in early 2034, five years late.