Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, Earth
Daniel and Lowheart had made it out to the college grounds in silence. Neither man willing to say a single word. Eventually Lowheart was the one to break the silence.
“Do you know why I joined the Marine Corps?” Lowheart asked.
“No idea. You like going to other people’s country and taking their oil?” Daniel replied.
“Funny.” Lowheart faked a laughter. “You’re a funny guy. I joined for the adventure, the excitement all of the wrong reasons. I wanted to be a hero.”
“So what?”
“I no longer work for the Marine Corps Daniel, sure I wear the uniform and that’s what it says on my pay check but in actuality I work for another organisation, a secret one.”
“The one with the satellite.”
“Do you believe that story?”
“Not a chance.”
“I told them back in the office it wouldn’t work, they thought your poor grades were a sign of you not being too bright.”
“I told you…”
“I know, I know the sister.” Lowheart took a deep breath in for a moment. “If you had to guess then what would you say that signal was?”
“I don’t know, some sort of floating aircraft.”
“A UFO?” Lowheart said, sceptically.
“Well yeah but not like aliens, Russian or something.”
“Do you want to know the truth?” Lowheart said. The two men had reached a bench and Lowheart sat down on it. Daniel joined him. “I joined the USMC to have an adventure and the truth is I am part of the biggest adventure imaginable.” Lowheart thought for a moment, thinking over his decision. “Daniel the organisation I work for is called the Martian Operations Agency or MOA.”
“What?”
“Please Daniel, this is much easier if you don’t ask questions.”
“There is alien life on Mars. That signal you picked up was a transmission from one of the tribes. Routine stuff really, actually quite boring.”
“Really?”
“We have a network of satellites that intercept these transmissions and stop them from getting to Earth, every now and then one gets through.”
“I see, you’re crazy.” Daniel went to stand up.
“Daniel the MOA is there to protect human assets on the planet of Mars.” Lowheart hoped that one sentence would stop Daniel from walking away. Daniel stood still. “There are people living and working on the surface of Mars right now and I want you to go and join them.”
“What?” Daniel was shocked. He started to walk away.
“Daniel stay and listen to me, you already know too much.” Lowheart pleaded with him. Daniel turned and walked back towards the bench.
“Know too much? All I know is that you’re a nut job.”
“Daniel, I can’t un-tell you what you already know, if you don’t sit down and hear me out then you will die within the next twenty-four hours.”
“Die, you are threatening me, you’re going to murder me?”
“It will look like a suicide, the sister dying of cancer the poor grades it won’t be hard to convince people.” Lowheart spoke with a mix of fear and hope in his eyes. Fear that Daniel wouldn’t sit back down, hope that he would. “It’s what I do Daniel, my job is to keep the secret of Mars from being found out. Sit back down and I promise your sister’s medical bills will be paid in full.”
“You promise.” Daniel asked.
“I can have her moved to the very best facility, this afternoon if you like. She will receive the very best treatment for her condition.”
“Don’t mess with me.” Daniel said as he sat back down, Lowheart looked relieved.
“Let me start at the beginning. In 1968 Apollo 8 picked up a secret transmission from the other side of the moon. It came from a very old probe sent by the Martian people thousands of years ago.” Lowheart spoke softly, not wanting anyone else to hear. “The probe took a couple of years to translate but eventually we managed to work it out. It belonged to an ancient race of Martians. That civilisation has since died out and inn it’s place there are two distinct tribes living just under the surface in caves. There is the Haissisut a race of mainly farmers, trying to make their way in life, a simple people really.” Lowheart took a deep breath before continuing. “Then there’s the Weona Napl.” Lowheart thought for a moment. “They are the real problem. Quite technologically advanced, ahead of us in many ways. Deeply religious, they believe the study of science, mathematics and engineering to be almost a spiritual pursuit. They are the real military threat on Mars.” Lowheart let what he was saying sink in for a moment.
“You’re crazy.” Daniel said.
“And you are repeating yourself. Admit it though, something about what I am saying rings true. Something inside of you believes what I am saying to be the truth. You don’t know what it is but somehow something about it makes sense.”
“I guess.”
“The Haissisut and Weona Napl have been fighting each other for centuries, longer even. Right now, though is a period of peace, no-one knows for sure how long that peace will last but we believe in preparing for the next war.”
“War?”
“The MOA operates a base on Mars for research and diplomatic work. The US, UK, France, Russia and China all have their own separate bases as well.” Lowheart thought for a moment again, he knew the next bit would be difficult. “And I think you should go and live and work on our base, in their radio technology lab.”
“That’s it I’m off.” Daniel rose and started to walk away.
“No Daniel you’re not.” Lowheart rose and grabbed Daniels arm. Daniel became instantly aware that there was something digging into his chest. “Daniel, I will shoot you if you walk away. We have connections everywhere I won’t go to prison for it. I’ll get a week’s leave and be back to work before your body is cold.”
“What’s happening?” Daniel asked, panicked, and finally realising the dangerous game he was playing.
“Either come with us or die.”
“What about my sister?”
“Come with us and I’ll keep my end of the bargain. Get in the van.” Lowheart ordered. A black panel van emerged from nowhere and pulled up in front of the pair. It’s brakes screeching as it did so. “Get in the van Daniel.”