On a well-settled Mars, the five major city Council regimes
struggle to meld into a stable, working government. Embracing an official
Unified Faith In Humanity, the Councils are teetering on the verge of pogrom
directed against Christians, Molesters, Jews, Rapists, Buddhists, Murderers,
Muslims, Thieves, Hindu, Embezzlers and Artificial Humans – anyone who threatens
the official Faith and the consolidating power of the Councils. It makes good sense,
right – get rid of religion and Human divisiveness on a societal level will
disappear? An instrument of such a pogrom might just be a Roman holiday...To
see the rest of the chapters, go to SCIENCE FICTION: Martian Holiday on
the right and scroll to the bottom for the first story. If you’d like to read it
from beginning to end (100,000+ words as of now), drop me a line and I’ll send
you the unedited version. (The image I'm using for Paolo is actually Brazilian astronaut, Marcos Pontes.)
Paolo Marcillon and the marsbug’s AI waited for the
mars buggy that had been following them since leaving Burroughs, came to a
complete halt not far from them. The four passengers got off. Three stood
alongside the vehicle while one walked toward them. It vanished from their
view. There was a knock at the airlock door. Paolo said, “You may let them in.”
“These individuals may be your enemies whose sole
purpose is to murder you.”
Paolo grinned, “Why MB, I didn’t know you cared!”
“MB is a diminutive of my official designation of
marsbug. I do not like it.” It paused, adding, “I can’t care.”
Paolo shrugged, “Then I’ll call you Bradbury
registry Mars Surface Transportation Vehicle 1202195405111957.”
There was a longer pause, “You may call me
Fifty-seven. Shall I let the individual in?”
“Please activate the airlock.”
“Your wish is my command.” Fifty-seven began the
airlock cycle.
The exterior lock opened, then closed. Fifty-seven pressurized
it then said, “You’re certain about this?”
“I am.”
“It is completely without logic. Everything you
have told me and what I have gathered from the Martian database suggests that
these people are here to kill you.”
Paolo shrugged, “I’m not an AI. I reached a point
long ago where I simply trust my God.”
Fifty-seven actually said, “Harrumph,” then opened
the inner airlock.
An artificial Human walked through. He stood up and
said, “My name is DaneelAH. My vatmates and I believe that you’ve been
manipulating us.”
Paolo’s eyebrows shot up. “Why would you think
that?”
“There are many forces at work on Mars which appear
to be aimed at creating a revolution. While this is really no different from
revolutions in the past. There are individuals in this world who do not have
the same rights and privileges as others and in the Twenty-third that seems a
curious return to the sociopolitical framework of mid-Twentieth Century United
States. As that country no longer exists because of violent revolution and absorption
into a larger society, it’s clear that someone or something is manipulation the
politics and science here. Your name comes up an inordinate number of times.
Therefore, we have come to the conclusion that you are more than you appear to
be.”
Paolo shook his head slowly. “Who are some of the
people I’m being accused of manipulating?”
DaneelAH shook his head, saying, “My vatmates are
outside and have a limited amount of breathable air. May I invite them in here?”
“May I point out that at this point, if you were to
decide to kill me, I would stand some small chance of fighting you off
one-on-one. With four of you, being Artificial Humans with higher than natural
born Human muscle density, you could not only overpower me but toss me out the
door without a spacesuit and not even break a sweat.”
DaneelAH shrugged, “I could do that myself, if I
were to be honest with you.”
“My vehicle would lend a hand. It’s an Artificial
Intelligence marsbug.” DaneelAH looked startled. “But I’m going to go with my
gut feeling and invite you and your vatmates into this vehicle. I can’t wait to
hear what I’m doing to bring about revolution on Mars.”
The Artificial Human gave him a long look, then put
his helmet over his head, spoke and then took it off again. Paolo saw the other
three move toward the marsbug. Eventually they all stood inside, cramped now in
a space typically large enough for two to travel comfortably. They’d introduced
themselves and immediately the small of the two males, HanAH, had taken a seat
and said, “There’s a persistent rumor that not only is Natan Wallack still
alive – he’s a Christian convert.”
DaneelAH lifted a hand, adding, “It’s a rumor;
unsubstantiated and ephemeral…”
HanAH snorted, “That just means that there aren’t a
lot of people talking about it where your spies can eavesdrop – and that could
be for reasons both mundane and criminal.”
AzAH said, “I assume that despite your casual
mention, you’ve done a thorough analysis of the history of the Hero of the
Faith Wars?”
The one who’d been identified as the youngest
sister smiled faintly. MishAH said, “I have, but this time I’m more interested
in the connections I’m seeing here.”
“Such as?” Paolo said. They all looked at him as if
he were a bug on a pin. He smiled, “You’re the ones that wanted to talk to me
and suspect me of masterminding a Martian revolution. But what you’re saying is
news to me. But pretend I’m lying and already know this and am secretly trying
to get you to tell me what you know.”
MishAH studied him, glanced to DaneelAH who pursed
his lips and nodded. She said, “I’ll tell you that Natan Wallack’s survival
would alleviate certain tensions in the pattern of his life and that there are
both enough certainties and questions to make me think he might be here. That
being said, his involvement with you would make sense as well. Also, he doesn’t
use the name he got during the Faith Wars. He goes by Stepan Izmaylova…”
She paused, watching him as if she expected a strong
reaction. Paulo shrugged, “I’ve never met anyone by that name.”
HanAH exclaimed, “You must have! You were in
Burroughs! That’s where Stepan works. He’s a religious preacher and liberal
activist on The Rim! We just came from there!” Paolo shrugged. HanAH stopped
then scowling, said, “You aren’t part of the Free Martians?”
“I don’t know anything about them except what I’ve
heard on the news. I don’t have anything to do with politics on Mars. I’m…I
guess you’d say I was an apostle of Jesus Christ.”
“Well, Stepan knows about you,” said MishAH with a
glance at her brothers, “At least he will soon.” She looked back at Paolo. “He’s
found a piece of ancient technology that never belonged to Humans – of any
sort.” Paolo seemed unconcerned and waved away her words. She added, “There’s
also a woman, the Consort of the Mayor of Opportunity who is a well-known
sympathizer of Christian beliefs. Her father has been classified as a radical.
There’s evidence to suggest that the Mayor himself knows about her connection
to her father.”
Her brother looked up from the marsbug’s computer
screen and said, “He does, and in a public statement he made shortly after he
took her to the Pylon, he mentions that while some may find her support of such
radical religiosity repugnant, he does not believe that she, herself is a christian
and therefore sanctions against christians, molesters, jews, rapists,
buddhists, murderers, muslims, thieves, hindu, embezzlers, and…” always the
drama king when he suited him, he paused for effect, then said softly, “us.”
DaneelAH looked at Paolo, “We think you’re manipulating
all of these pieces. The fact is that you may actually have our best interests
at hand. All of us in the marsbug – including the Artificial Intelligence that
runs it – are on the same list of proscribed entities legally included in the
term ‘non-human’?”
AzAH spoke finally, “I cannot go so far as to say
that we should make common cause with you, but you do seem to have similar
goals as we do.”
DaneelAH looked at Paolo and said, “I’ve been
reading the file of holy books the Dalai Lama of Mars gave us.” AzAH raised a
deep purple eyebrow. He sniffed, “They are instructive if for no other reason
than to give insight into the reason Mars outlawed all forms of devotion but to
Humanity…”
AzAH added, “Which notably does not include us.”
DaneelAH said, “I don’t have any sympathy for
religion, per se. I do object to the exclusion of any group merely because
someone has decided to exclude it.”
She made a face, “That doesn’t fit into the
pattern.” Her brother opened his mouth, so she held up her hand, adding, “Yet.
This Paolo Marcillon seems to be manipulating us; but his involvement with the
Free Martians and Natan is by no means clear right now. There might also be
other players involved.”
HanAH shook his head and dropped into an open seat.
“Great! Now you’ve just implicated all Martians – both Natural and Artificial –
in a conspiracy. Might a well...”
“It’s not that complicated,” MishAH cut off his
rant. “I’ve seen other things stirring on this rusty pinball.” DaneelAH sat as
well, looking up at her with interest. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d
turned her considerable skills to a problem outside of agriculture, population
studies, and local politics. She smiled at him, shot a superior look at her
other brother and said, “There’s something going on in Opportunity.”
Paolo
looked thoughtful then said, “I’d probably go back to Burroughs just to meet
your friend Stepan; maybe take a side trip to Opportunity.” He leaned forward
suddenly and all four vatmates leaned away as he said, “Except that I’m headed
for Cydonia – because I’ve found more evidence that your friend Stepan seems to
have added to. There were aliens on Mars long ago, when the North was still
covered by an ocean, and I think they may be a key to a Martian reformation.”
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