Chapter 1 · The first Contact · Novel

The sky above the settlement was still dark when a bright point of light appeared on the horizon the next morning, low and steadily growing, accompanied by a rumble barely muffled by the thin Martian wind. Mitchell was already outside, his gaze fixed upward, had been for minutes already, though the freighter had only now become visible. "There he is," he said, more to himself than to anyone within earshot.

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The cargo ship approached the ground. Its engines blasted luminous energy against the surface, and for a while the monstrous lander hovered above the Martian surface. Then it moved slowly toward the landing site.

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The freighter touched down, more massive than the previous day's lander, its hull casting a giant shadow. The cargo hatches opened with a deep hydraulic hiss, and as five more crew members climbed out, two heavy rovers rolled down the ramp behind them, one driven by Mikael Heikkinnen, the other by Yuri Leonov. These rovers were an evolution of the lunar rovers used in recent years, modified specifically for the Mars mission. Their tires were wider and their superstructures more robust than anything the lunar rovers had required. For a moment, the entire crew stood together on the same ground for the first time—twelve people who had spent months training together at the lunar base before the journey. Now they stood on the very ground that would one day become a new home for settlers.

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With the arrival of the lunar module, all crew members have now landed. A meeting is taking place in the assembly room. John Mitchell began with an official welcome speech to acknowledge the historic moment. "Today is our first day together in our new home, on Mars. Considering this historic moment in our lives and its significance for humanity and Zheng Company, I would like to officially welcome you as Commander of the Mission. With confidence and positive thoughts, we will master our shared future."

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John Mitchell paused briefly and then continued his speech. "We have no time to rest, no time to settle in. At least most of us do." He paused again briefly, then continued speaking. "The signal we've received since our arrival needs to be investigated. We're therefore departing in an hour. Xiaotong, Anika, Elias, Sahra, Rachel, and I will form the first exploration team. Along with Mikael and Yuri, who will drive us on our first excursion to find the source of the signal."

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John Mitchell concluded his brief speech with the words: "Best of luck to us all." Xiaotong Zheng, the granddaughter of the company owner Weiguo Zheng, who commissioned the development, also said a few words: "Thank you, John. On behalf of my grandfather Weiguo Zheng, I also extend a warm welcome to our community. The future belongs to us!" John ended the brief welcome meeting with the words: "Let's get to work."

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1|N|Anika Sharma was the first to rush to her terminal. As soon as she removed her helmet, her voice rang out in the OrbiBuds. Her fingers finding the familiar keys before her breathing had even settled. "Yesterday's signal is still there," she said without looking up. "Stronger, even." John Mitchell looked at her, and there was no surprise in that look, only confirmation of something he'd suspected all night. "Then we move out," he said, "as soon as the rovers are loaded." It sounded like a simple decision. None of them knew yet how little of what followed would stay simple.

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"And after my tablet is updated. It will only take a few more minutes." Xiaotong's voice could be heard over the Outpost-Ares-Network she had connected to.

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The search begins. The signal is located in the northwest. Mikael Heikkinnen is driving the first rover. John Mitchell is next to him. Xiaotong Zheng and Elias Moretti are in the back seats. John Mitchell: "The terrain here is very flat, according to the map. No large mountains or valleys are expected." Elias Moretti "I'm very curious to see what awaits us."

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Mikael Heikkinnen has allowed the rover driven by Yuri Leonov to overtake. Anika Sharma sits beside him, her eyes glued to the scanner. Rachel Voight and Sahra Carter are in the back, enjoying the scenery. Anika Sharma: "The signal is getting stronger." Xiaotong Zheng: "Exactly the same on my scanner. We're getting closer to our destination."

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They got back in and drove on. The terrain became a bit uneven, but the rovers handled it without difficulty. In the front rover, Anika kept a close eye on her scanner. The readings were climbing slowly but steadily. "Intensity increasing," Anika Sharma via OrbiBuds. "Distance now under ninety minutes." Mitchell nodded, without taking his eyes off the landscape. "Keep it up." He said, just to add: "Our first trip to Mars is for me a mixture of amazement at the landscape and excitement about what the signal might be." Meanwhile, Xiaotong Zheng typed notes into her device and took photos that she plans to send to her family later.

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The Rovers proved to be very comfortable and pleasant. Sarah Carter asked the group: Everything alright? Elias Moretti answered on behalf of everyone. "Well, I have no problems. Don't worry, Sarah. The equipment works perfectly." Mikael Heikkinen said, impressed, "The Chinese Rover drives superbly. Well-sprung and comfortable."

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Mikael stopped the rover. Through the rover window, the blue glow was now clearly visible on the horizon. Xiaotong Zheng stared intently at the energy scanner. "The scanner is showing a stable energy signature. Eighty-seven percent," she informed the rest of the crew. "We should take a closer look at the glow." "Okay, let's go," decided John Mitchell. And the rovers set off again toward the small crater.

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A short time later, Mitchell held up his hand and pointed at something blue hovering above a small crater. "Stop. We're here," he shouted into the microphone so the two drivers could hear it on the radio. The rovers stopped. Anika, Xiaotong, John Mitchell, and Elias got ready to get out. The drivers remained seated. Sarah scanned the team's health status with her handheld scanner. She noted with satisfaction that everything was fine.

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A hologram. Sumerian characters. The direction of the energy source indicated by the scanners suggests there is something much larger beneath the surface. Xiaotong Zheng Sumerian cuneiform script simulated. My tablet is performing an initial translation. Anika Sharma "My translator shows it as a strong warning to leave the region." John Mitchell "Of course, we won't do that. After all, we're here to find out what it is."

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Xiaotong nodded to herself. "My grandfather talked about it for years. Ancient Sumerian texts, hints of a rescue... and of Mars. Most people thought he was a crackpot. No one believed him, even when he presented his findings, which were more than just circumstantial evidence." "And now the confirmation is right in front of us," Elias Moretti added in amazement. They looked at the hologram, which had changed color.

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Mitchell stepped closer and examined the floating sphere without touching it. The blue and red light reflected in his visor. "Can we read more into this?" Anika shook her head. "Only fragments. It warns of something that lies beneath the surface and could be awakened... and of those who guard it."

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Suddenly, a rumble was heard. And the ground in the crater began to vibrate. At the same moment, the sphere shrank until it disappeared into the ground. Elias Moretti reacted, "Hey, what's that? It feels like an earthquake under my feet. The vibration is getting stronger." All four of them quickly moved away from the crater's edge.

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Xiaotong Zheng shouted, "Get away from the edge! Back!" The grumbling just stopped. John Mitchell said laconically, "That's it for today, I guess. Did you record everything?" Anika Sharma was the first to answer, "Oh yes. It will be easy to analyze everything later" "Okay. Let's go home," said John Mitchell. And they set off for home.

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As the settlement came back into view, John Mitchell spoke over Intercom: "I'd say that the encounter with the hologram has shown that it was right to begin the mission. We'll examine what we saw earlier more closely starting tomorrow, once the evaluations are available."

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Anika Sharma confirmed: "Weiguo is obviously right. We'll make some interesting discoveries." Xiaotong Zheng nodded with satisfaction: "I'm pleased about that," but added with a skeptical look: "I hope, however, that the encounters we might have will be peaceful. The threat on the hologram wasn't harmless."

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Xiaotong Zheng and Miyako Hebiishi were chatting in the cafeteria about the day's main event. "The area where the hologram is displayed obviously has sensors that can detect 🤘visitors🤘, and then the hologram scene starts," Xiaotong explained. Miyako Hebiishi confirmed with a brief nod. "Once we have the data and scan a larger area next time, we'll find out just how intelligent the device is."

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Anika joined the two and brought news: "I just learned via the Nibiru Prime-Earth link that the analysis of the transmitted data has confirmed the existence of enormous caverns deep inside Mars." Miyako Hebiishi added: "The onboard computer also registered that a signal was sent into space at the same time as the hologram appeared. So we can assume that someone will find out about our visit." The team only arrived two days ago, and events are unfolding rapidly.

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Xiaotong, a little excited, is on the phone with her grandfather at the end of the day. "Yéye (Grandpa), I'm back at Outpost Ares, looking at the starry sky. Today was an absolutely fantastic day! It looks like we've discovered traces of civilization. You were absolutely right about everything! You were absolutely right about everything! I'm fine, but totally exhausted. I'll get in touch again after the next Mars expedition—say hi to Grandma and tell her she would like the gravity here. Wǎn'ān (Good night), best man! 😉"

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