Gritters On Mars

The Trial of Man

Mars had been calling out to humanity since the days of Galileo. From across the empty gulf of space, it hurled its silent challenge, daring mankind to respond. Finally, the people of Earth had an answer. It took the form of an eight-ringed station called New Genesis and the brave souls who had signed on as her crew. Even now they approached Mars orbit.

A cadre of cadets from Global Space Command had been training relentlessly, as had ten new citizens of Luna. Packed with colonist volunteers and commanded by a Colonel Mateo Mendez (yes, that Mendez), they had braved the interplanetary void to answer the challenge of establishing humanity on yet another world.

They were ready.

Or were they? Mars itself was one thing, but was there a greater danger lurking beneath red planet’s sands? High command was worried. A damaged alien probe had nearly brought the mission to ruin before it had even begun. Could the science team unlock its secrets en route? More than a year had passed with no signs of success. Its occasional enigmatic utterances offered no clue. They knew only that something awaited the crew at journey’s end.

Now, with the Mars rendezvous drawing near, they were no closer to solving the puzzle. For good or ill, they would just have to muddle through and confront it. Fortunately, that’s what gritters did best.