The Colony on Mars
Christopher Carbone
As of right now, we have two options: Choose to act by sending help
to Earth or to leave them there to die.
Earth May 8, 2050.
The day was beautiful, not a cloud in the luscious blue sky. People were
participating in their leisurely activities. It seemed that the whole world was at peace
with itself. However, that was silenced by a brilliant blue light. Out of nowhere, a portal
appeared and strange metallic objects were pouring out of it. The alien invasion on
Earth had begun.
Mars May 8, 2050.
It was another boring day for John Freeman. As president of the Mars colony,
you would think it would be lively, but it wasnt. John had an appearance that none
would expect from a president. Short, chubby, and unshaven. In fact, he was chosen to
be president because he was the most educated in political matters. It was 8 years
since the establishment of the colony, and he was tired of it already. Signing papers,
signing more papers, or maybe the occasional appearance. He was promised a new life
of luxury and peace, but that was a clear lie. There were over 100,000 people living in his
colony. Assuming there would be absolutely no work for him (again), he decided to take
a nap. For some time, he was undisturbed. But a sudden ringing woke him from his
slumber. He looked at his computer and noticed that there was an incoming message
from his pack-a-day secretary. He didnt want to talk to her but he was obligated to.
What do you want Sherry? Im in the middle of something important right now.
Mr. President, check the footage on Earth, NOW.
Curious and annoyed at his secretary's sudden outburst, he clicked on the link his
secretary had just sent to him. It was a footage of a strange creature firing at people.
Below the video were the words Real life alien invasion. At first, John thought this was
some kind of prank, but more and more videos kept on popping up. John then called for
an emergency board meeting.
The board members rushed to the meeting without delay. All of them were
nervous and they didnt have their usual witty remarks. John was at the center of the
room shaking uncontrollably. People attempted to calm him down, but he snapped at
them. When the meeting began, John was still shaking. As he stood up to address the
members, he couldnt bring himself to speak. When he did, it was with a low, raspy
voice.
I presumed you saw the footage from Earth correct? All of the board members
nodded.
Mr. President, are we in danger of an attack on the Mars colony?
No, Austin, it would appear that the aliens are not aware that there is a human
colony on Mars. As of right now, we have two options: Choose to act by sending help to
Earth or to leave them there to die. There was a severe tension in the board room now
and all eyes were now on John.
As president of the Mars colony, my sole responsibility is to look out for my
people. If we act now, what would we do. Our fastest spaceships would take at least 10
days. We arent equipped to deal with a full scale alien invasion. If we do send help, we
are endangering our colony as a whole too. When I was selected for this job, I promised
to make the best decisions I could, and choosing to not act seems like the best decision
for me now.
The room was in silence when he was finished. No one said anything except for
the vice president, Russell Cambridge.
Mr. President, if I were in your situation, I would do my best to help the people
back at Earth. Im an Utilitarian so I believe in the greater good. What you are suggesting
is selfishness. Dont forget. We were citizens of Earth one time too. By choosing not to
act, we are partly responsible for all of the deaths to come. When he was finished, he
was met with mixed reviews. No one else was eager to share their opinion and the time
to make a decision had come. Typically, only the board members vote without the
president. The president only votes when there is a tie.
To some surprise, it was split 50/50. Not one side yielded to the other. The
decision now rested on the president. He wasnt expecting this outcome and this greatly
surprised him. He then delayed his decision until tomorrow and went to his secluded
office. Honestly, he didnt like either option. Mars only had a militia of 2,500 men and
they werent that powerful. He then opened up his laptop and checked on the status of
Earth. They were holding their ground for now but they were slowly losing. He couldnt
send his army but there was something he could send instead.
Mars May, 9th, 2050.
When morning came, John was confident in the decision he reached last night.
Everyone else, however, was all jittery. Everyone got in their seats and it began. John
was asked if he reached a decision and he smiled.
Everyone I have decided to help our fellow Earth. However, we are not sending
anyone. We will send them a bomb. John was then attacked with questions and
comments but he paid no attention to them. Our spaceships are equipped with a
nuclear reactor capable of leveling our entire colony. The aliens came to Earth through a
portal, so why not just send the spaceship in there and blow up the portal. The one
advantage we have against them is the element of surprise. By the time, they detect the
spaceship, it would already be too late. I hope you agree with my decision.
When John was finished, he was met with utter silence. Then one person started
clapping and it then turned into the entire room. It was then decided that they would go
with that plan. The spaceship could be piloted manually from the control room in Mars.
It would take approximately 10 days for the ship to reach Earth, so John prayed that the
resistance can occupy the aliens in that time.
Mars, May 19th, 2050.
It was the day. Either the plan worked or millions of people would die. John sat in
anticipation at the tracker. It was one minute out now. The aliens were so busy
occupied with the resistance from Earth that they didnt bother to look at what was
behind them. As it approached the 10 second mark, John couldnt resist the urge to
begin counting. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, DETONATION! It worked. The spaceship went in
the portal. Everyone started cheering. However, nothing happened. They waited a
couple of seconds to eventually a minute. By then, John realized something was wrong.
He quickly excused himself and went outside. He didnt understand what went wrong
with the plan. He thought it thoroughly and was confident in its success. Then, a bright
light appeared in the Martian atmosphere. He looked up and saw a portal. In the portal
was a lone solitary object going towards him. It was the ship. Seconds later, the colony
on Mars ceased to exist.