Yves Giraud - Kahnu

“As most of you already know, we have found something in sector 42-21. Earlier this morning, Sabrina, François, and I were on a routine excursion to Candor Chasma. Around 11:20, we spotted a light in the cliff’s face, a reflection of sorts about seventy meters up above the floor of the ravine. Unable to reach it from below, we decided to access the location from above, by going around through sector 42-23, right here. He was pointing at a topographic map of the area on the screen behind him. After Sabrina lowered François and me, we came across what looked like a small niche. What really got our attention is how unusually proportionate and flawless the carved recess looks. I think we can rule out a natural formation. And that’s not all…”

Turning to the large monitor behind him, Dedrick pressed a few buttons on the computer keypad below. A clear image of the orb appeared on the screen, and those in the group who had not seen the images yet, gasped. Staring, incredulous, they all watched the footage taken by François and Dedrick’s helmet cams in silence for several seconds. And then, everyone started asking questions, all at once.

“What is it?”

“Is that—?”

“That’s impossible!”

Dedrick waited a few seconds before waving everyone to calm down.

“No, we don’t know what it is. The computer has analyzed the footage and came back with nothing. It’s obviously nothing we’ve ever encountered before. I’m not sure what to make of it, but I think we need to go back with the right tools and study the place thoroughly. And we should explore the area around as well. It may not be the only artifact there.”

“You think there could be others like it?”

“I don’t know. I’m just saying we should check.”

“I’m sorry, did I miss something? Are you saying this is some kind of alien machine?” asked Vera, confused.

“Not necessarily, I’m just saying we’ve found something. I have no idea how it got there, or who put it there, or why. But there it is. And if we want to find answers, I think we need to go back. As Sabrina mentioned to some of you earlier, we believe the object has been partially buried there, untouched, for quite some time, judging by the amount of debris and dirt at its base. It could be thousands of years old for all we know. I propose we put a team together and take two rovers back there tomorrow. A couple of us will need to stay here with Chasma, of course. I think we should figure that out right now, so we can all prepare for tomorrow.”

After making plans on who was going, what to bring and what time they would leave, Dedrick finally added: “I suggest we all get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us. See you all tomorrow. Goodnight.”

Much later, lying next to Vera in his pod, Dedrick finally fell asleep, hoping he would not have his nightmare again.

The next day’s weather conditions had prevented the group from leaving the base. Several dust storms had rendered the visibility too poor to attempt any outing. The group had stayed put, and shared a few laughs, and tears, watching Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush and The Kid. The two black and white movies from the silent movie era had been enthusiastically suggested by François, when he had found the listing in the station’s library.

Luckily, today’s weather conditions were looking much more promising, and the anxious and impatient explorers couldn’t wait to get on their way to the new discovery.

Less than forty-five minutes after sunrise, the two rovers and their five passengers were leaving the garage, in route for sector 42-23. Sabrina and Vera had chosen to stay behind. Someone had to man the station. Vera had preferred to stay with Chasma. Sabrina, having been there the previous day, had opted to do the same, seven if she had not seen the sphere in person yet. There would be a next time.

Rover 2, occupied by Dedrick and François, was leading the way, ARC 3 in tow.

They arrived at the cliff in record time. After securing the basket to the winch, Dedrick and Liu headed down first and sent the carrier back. The next two passengers, Ladli and Tendai, soon followed. François, having already been on the site, had offered to stay up above with the rovers to control the winch. As they reached the site, Dedrick helped Ladli climb out of swinging basket. Liu was too mesmerized by the sight to help. After carefully securing their footing on the level terrace, the four found themselves facing a site like none they had ever seen. For a moment, no one said a word. At the center of the space, the large spherical artifact was mesmerizing. The floor of the shell-shaped niche was surprisingly flat and smooth. Now seeing the enclosure for themselves, the newcomers had no more doubt. It could not have been carved naturally. Liu slowly approached the object in the middle, transfixed.

She kneeled and stared at it for a moment. Its lower portion was partially buried in and surrounded by a thick band of dirt. The surface of the object was perfectly smooth and round, and void of any imperfections.

“Tendai, can you hand me a scanner, please?” she finally asked.

Reaching into the carry-on bag, Tendai grabbed the instrument and handed it to her.

“Thanks.”

“Guys, before we do anything…” interjected Dedrick, “I just want to remind you that we really know nothing of this thing, so I suggest we all proceed with extreme caution, at least until we can figure out exactly what we are dealing with here. Just be careful, OK?”

“OK,” replied Liu. The other two nodded in their helmets.

The four got to work. Kneeling next to Liu, Tendai pulled a small rod from his tool pocket, and slowly pushed the blunt object in the dirt near the base of the massive sphere. The dirt was dry and cracked in places, but he noticed with surprise that all the cracks appeared to be moving away from the “orb,” as Ladli had called it. Something was definitely unique about the ground surrounding the artifact. Meticulously scanning the object with her thermal imaging instrument, Liu was also surprised by the inconsistencies of the readings. The multi-colored picture on the screen was fluctuating widely, registering huge temperatures changes within seconds. Ladli, staring at the rocky wall behind them, was absolutely amazed at its perfect geometry. She ran her gloved hand on the smooth surface, trying to imagine what tool or machine could have created such an even cut, as dust displaced by her fingers fell to the ground. Dedrick, standing a few steps behind her, suddenly noticed something above her head.

“Guys! Look!”

They all turned.

In the sunlight now partially hitting the back of the recess, a shape was starting to emerge. Large geometric lines and grooves were gradually becoming more and more distinct as the rising sun was quickly engulfing the large terrace. Although the large carving and its deep lines were covered by layers of Martian sand and dirt, the entire sculpture was quickly becoming well defined. It had to be a door or gate of sorts.

Dedrick dropped his analyzer to the ground. His mouth half open, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There it was, the door in his dream, exactly as he remembered it. The huge feature, covered with strange markings and enigmatic shapes, was standing in front of him, as real and solid as the rocky cliff itself.

“What is that?” asked Tendai.

“Whatever it is, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind it’s not man-made,” calmly replied Ladli.

“I totally agree… This is amazing!” concurred Liu with excitement.

“I can’t believe we are looking at an alien structure. Do you realize what this means? This is definite proof we are not alone in the universe. This is unbelievable!” Tendai couldn’t wrap his mind around it.