1 SKYRIDEN, Mars 2134

S01Episode01 -" Deportation"

After 2025 private corporations with unlimited resources in league with major governmental programs developed very fast a space industry. The most important advances in space-tech exploration were motivated by the Interstellar mining & research companies, always in quest for valuable resources and rare or unknown elements.

I was born in 2099 on the AOS-Australian Orbital Station, things were forming a climax that shaped everyone's mind and aspirations before you reached to wake up and realize what you really want in your life and where your place is in this world. Or even finding a purpose to anchor your existence.

I remember one thing before deportation they told me, after 20 years in service to the fucking system not satisfied with our status we tried to break the Interstellar Bank on the Moon that ended unsuccessfully for most of our 8band, only 2 escaped ... " You are too valuable for us, even after this mess you lost status in society "excitizen", but we need you close, the uranium mines from Pluto are not too far for our possibilities soooo...Mars is your best option son, good luck may god help you, SENTENCE 50 YEARS on MARS prisoner 543000831 Sammer McRoller case FK09214777900 immediate deportation! " ...so I think is enough to move on.

They embarked us on the next morning on a commercial shuttle to Mars. In a way, the private Corporation was the government on Mars. Who could imagine, few days ago I was on Earth orbit and today we are flying to Mars.

The flight is short 40 min. or less to reach Mars Interstellar Skyport on the Orbit. All over 800 prisoners squeezed in huge cargo long hall under the huge ship 4th class level. So they don't lose money. It is silent few are talking in a murmur of whispers, they mixed us in a way that you couldn't know the persons near you. The hall had very tight windows higher above near sealing probably to ventilate space on the ground. I was looking around trying to spot some familiar faces from my band, it may appear I recognize someone on the parallel seat road it was Poly Mc. Jonson, he was the only person positive watching news on screens and eating.

In the meantime on screens news were running from Mars, the situation was tensioned there in contrast to peaceful Earth trends people were unsatisfied plus some rebel guerrilla extremists attacks with rockets destroyed some facilities near-neutral zone, just showed fast on the screen corner. Many assumed that when America and EU missions arrived first placing a flag and all planet was theirs, pffffooo and the Russians and all other nations Indian, China, Japan or Brazil, and Saudi Arabian, Iran completed the other side plus many private corporations, explorers reached too. Forming from 2030 the impulse of the great migration, from where from this space programs many stepped in their own way to adapt life on mars uniting with free landers forming in two-generation along 70 years the situation we have today with a huge neutral zone 70% on the habitable zone full with independent communities, rebel tribes extremist renegades and free people, that no one can control or set order. Who could ever imagine this?

Despite the prisoner's status people there had a more powerful effect in making demands for changes in their lifestyle than those on Earth. So their collective voice was important in a way the programs on Mars were important necessities for all parties involved.

The situation was not so bad for us, instead of being captive squished in a cottage on Earth's superpopulated prisons on Mars you are free to move and become a citizen in full rights with all you need as long as you work for them. After the bad news they showed some financials Mar/Usd and MarEUR charts then the opposite extreme of Mars space tourism The Space Island a sphere ship on low orbit than the amazing Laguna Space center on the ground. The atmosphere was breathable in some zone they are using some kind of high drones to hold an ionized bubble all around so the air stays clean. This was Mars a planet of extremes tensions and conflicts on one side and amazing wanders luxury tourism on the other. It was the land of opportunity for many and a prison for others depending on how you see the big picture.

They found there deep underground an element substitute to kevlar used for mining on the Uranus atmosphere. So things were clear why human resources were valued and why many prisoners were pardoned, with the files lost even erased for a new start.

In the meantime we arrived on the Orbital Skyport, extending sentinel grid satellites as far as you can see, very close to due to conflicts in the neutral zone, a guider stepped forward to greet us and present our formalities.

" Welcome to Mars! we are now in docs on the martian orbital Skyport also known as MOS 04, precaution and safety of our newcomers is a top priority, you will all receive a temporary suit until we reach the ground" a colleague nearby raised hand an asked ...

" Precaution for what " and looked around " we are in space, no? "

"Two weeks ago a finish meteorological team was high jacked from the orbit very close to our now location, they are still searching for them"

The sight was majestic below the huge red planet with lights centers and sand cloud storms highlighted in a story epic vision by Sun rays.

After docking doors opened a polite guider stepped ahead making narrative like in a school trip at a museum or zoopark, all we were a guide to pass in a transparent glass tunnel with laser scans followed by a chamber with personal were they give you a blue holographic chip in the right hand, your Martian iDcard IMcode and anew life even a new name for those who choose.

After we received our id we were directed to large waiting rooms with buffet refreshments and new clothes with unit number and color badge before descending on the ground. We are now free citizens allowed to speak with other people around, socialize make connections, or reconnect. But I was not so open to socializing and not yet seen my old friend's others were already engaged in groups or reunited, maybe they were assigned in different sections. Every 50 men were allocated to a group unit supervised by a social assistant that finally made us all introduce ourselves. Descend was done with direct dive on straight fall hold by a tractor beam to reach inside of an underground facility with an aerodrome above. During descend ( require to elaborate describe it more later) I exchanged some words with a new Kamarad reserved like me Nestor from AOS too, who already was in a small circle.

Once on the ground, everyone received a card with Mar credits to use as we pleased we had two hours to wander around buy new clothes drink a beer or smoke before train departure on our new home on Mars. Here it was a huge commercial center with a central artesian fountain, parks, stores, plexy glass everywhere, and bars that extended on surface terraces where huge thinner glass windows were unveiling the aerodrome and the majestic martian landscape.

" Come on Sammer let's buy some shorts drink a bear " my new kamarad group already firmed ready roll. " Ok why not let's go " and we all headed to the stores and bars street to feel free again.

After that we embarked on the train, it was a marvel a McLaren high-speed train, they say it reaches in certain sectors over 600 miles and even 900 in the tunnels.

The train started slowly from underground through a long tunnel and gained speed very fast smooth, they were all elated after a while, a light was seen ahead and the train reached the surface in an impressive landscape, the windows were smart glass with holographic showing telemetrics maps and data from the landscape, accompanied by a guiding voice that was heard in all train " we are approaching Dragon Valley the main attraction of this parts as here 12 years ago they discovered dinosaur tracks and a huge fossil skeleton now at the museum institute on Marino Sky" all wandered like kids imagining the tracks. After a while the train entered in another tunnel, lights alighted all were talking and making jokes like people. Thigs went fine for a while then lights pulsated red three times and blank the train continued silence gained respect few voices were heard then the voice ringed loud " We are now approaching neutral zone for 90 km sector above the surface to reach a level 5 risk zone, as part of the secure method used for night pass train shuts downlight or even slows or stops depending on the sensors ahead before exiting the tunnel, conform protocol 5 exercise to educate newcomers. Every passager will activate automatic seat helmet and lateral window shield as a precaution method to avoid accidents that occurred in previous years by rebels attacks or attempts to hijack the train fuel equipment.

In a more precautive collective re-attitude we continued our journey, the train approached to anew tunnel exit this time slow light beams with dust particles filled around. Then in exit, the trail was suspended on a huge bridge ascending from 20 to over 100 m high the arc middle peak with three ways, one was not functional.

As we were rolling slow, we passed near two maintaining units, with mechanics personal that were making repairs on the other sidetrack, passing near they stopped for a while and looked at us concerned exchanging sone words and looks between them, we all seen that, the guiding voice continued " on our left side as you observed our brave mechanics making constant maintenance for the optimal safe functionality of this route", in the meantime a Drakula sentinel passed above the valley, on our right the rocky wall was marked by bullets holes and laser melts traces and rare larger craters of some kind of missiles or old tech like earth rockets.. someone remarked with whispered tone" this shutting marks look very fresh to me" and another colleague nearby asked...

" The marks and laser scars on the right wall... how old are they"

" Theee biipiiiiiiipppp" guider voice biped shot off suddenly, then after a minute, a woman in military uniform entered in our wagon.

The train gained speed, she approached near us and holding a fake smile opened" it is important for one of our planetary major economical source well known Mars Tourism..." holding a short silence" that some things stay were they are SEEN!, for co-financing our major free citizen programs we all benefit" closing with heavy tone to make things clear. While she continued walking in her fancy suit" enjoy the landscape" passing towards the next wagon, on the left the desert extended afar with weird cliffs and in distance we distinguished a similar train skeleton-like owers, demented by all components.... many colleagues closed the windows focusing view, but things were clear we all knew the story.

From curiosity I touched the smart glass to triangulate center info location about the train wreckage in distance for clues, the spot identified as CaseJOR409, then all telemetrics changed to red pulse followed by Classified close to snap off screen fast, similar thing to a colleague nearby this was strange. Things returned to normal ink, in a way we all wanted to see some martian rebels, but things looked calm this time, maybe it was the best...