A Martian[1]

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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[▪︎13th July 2003▪︎]

[▪︎Prime Tower, Los Angeles▪︎]

"After roughly a week and two days, our brave astronauts have finally touched down on our planet Earth after their voyage to the distant red planet of Mars.

"Behind me is the Starry Voyager, the shuttle developed by NASA for the trip, and as you can see it's perfectly intact..."

The female news presenter wearing a professional attire characteristic of her profession—also holding a mic—starts swiftly and pauses with a gentle smile on her face as the camera switches from her face to focus behind her.

As she just presented, the Starry Voyager in its full glory with not even its burnished silver plating marred is lying haughtily behind her on the landing strip.

It is surrounded by a sizable number of people or personnel who are either doing maintenance or taking pictures of it.

"....Reputable Astronauts such as Rus Livingston, after meeting with the President and some members of Congress, have been given a heroic escort to their respective homes.

"Our sources suggest that in the next two days, we'll have detailed accounts of what transpired on the gleaming red Planet and if as the conspiracy theorists suggest, the Martians are conspiring to take over our planet. The m——"

"Seraph, any anomalies?"

I ask casually as with a simple wave of my hand, the holographic screen displaying the news bursts into virtual particles and disappears from my view.

Today marks the day when mankind, for the very first time in this world's history, traveled to Mars and came back in one piece.

With Invincible's help of course but not everyone knows that.

As one of the few people on this planet who knows almost everything there is to know about that planet, I know that even with Invincible's assistance something wrong surely went on...

[There are a few. For one, one of the crew members got left behind.]

She says, my eyes narrow at this.

"Who?"

[Rus Livingston. The one currently present on the planet and more specifically in this country is a Martian.]

She announces calmly.

I see. Interestingly enough, Omni-man not too long ago killed our resident Martian and now another one has come to take its place...hmm, should I call this fate?

"What about the other anomalies? What is the current situation on Mars?"

I question as I lean back into the softness of my seat, relaxing causally. Immediately, pieces of holographic images pop up in front of me.

All of them show vivid live images of the situation on the surface of the planet littered with sprawling deserts of reddish sand.

In one of the desert regions, a six-foot-tall man donning a white space suit dirtied by red sand with a violet starfish-like alien creature attached to his head is fighting a squadron of Martians.

[As you are witnessing from our planetary probes and orbs, the real Rus Livingston is currently infected by a Sequid and he or it is actively trying to infect the Martians before it.

[With a live host in hand, it's only a matter of time—by my calculations three months—before the sequids take over the Planet using its inherent hivemind ability.]

Seraph explains and concludes as before my eyes, the Sequid-infected astronaut stretches his hand, and with a cruel grin etched on his lips that lie beneath pure black eyes, a wave of Sequids explodes out of the ground.

The Galant Martians atop their steeds, try shapeshifting to avoid any infection but it's all for naught due to the seemingly endless wave that in an instant drowns them thoroughly.

Hmm, this might be problematic. Their ratio of Sequids to Martians is a whopping five to one so they are royally fucked in this case.

Just like Seraph deduced it won't take long for them to conquer the planet and when they do, they'll set their eyes on Earth.

Well, I guess it was nice knowing them because of the moment they build and sail it towards here...I'm afraid I'll have to exterminate the race—the Sequids I mean.

They are useless with nothing to contribute to society so I'll be doing this dimension a favor...

Then, I can use that as an excuse to annex the Martians. If they refuse, I'll just decimate half of their population to prove a point.

Either way, I'll finally add them to my Empire.

"Continue monitoring the situation. For now, we'll leave them be until the time comes when their greed will compel them to set their eyes on this giant blue pie called Earth.

"Now, show me where our beloved Martian is. I'd like to pay him a visit to see his intentions. I might as well get a shapeshifting slave while I'm at it."

I smile darkly and stand up to my feet, my black and red suit humming gently as the red streaks flash with a glow.

[This is the location of Livingston's condo.]

Two display screens pop up in front of me and on them is live footage of the outside and inside of the condo.

Seated on a couch, behind his living room section, the Martian currently clothed in Livingston's skin and causal clothing is busily playing with a remote controller like a baby holding a new toy.

Nodding, I conjure up a portal and walk into it.

I appear inside the living room of the condo, right behind the couch...

"Aaargh!"

He turns his head to look behind him and almost immediately, he screams in fright and scurries to his feet, his eyes as wide as saucers.

"Who are you and how did you get here!?"

He points at me comically and questions loudly, still surprised, his eyes darting left and right in the room as confusion settles on his face.

"I'm Prime and this is my house."

I say with a mischievous smirk as he takes a step back, just another foot away from making contact with the television screen.

"...Wait, isn't this supposed to be Livingston's home?"

His eyes widen further as he asks nervously, scratching his head in confusion while looking downwards in thought.

"Aren't you Livingston?"

I raise an eyebrow in amusement and ask while folding my arms beneath my chest.

...Who would've thought the next Martian I'd meet would be a fucking dunce? Sigh, this is disappointing.

"...No technically I'm no——I mean yeah, my name is Rus Livingston. Haha, I don't know what's wrong with me."

He almost confesses unconsciously but he sobers up and says, laughing nervously with a strained smile as sweat starts forming on his smooth forehead.

Sighing at the sight of this, I shake my head. This makes him more nervous so his smile becomes strained, his sweat increases, and he swallows audibly, intensely focusing on my visage like a kid who did a bad thing and is afraid of getting caught.

"...I'll make this thing quick to preserve my sanity. Who are you and what are you doing here...Martian?"

I question coldly, my face stiff and stern as a rock. Instantly, as if a bomb just went off, his eyes widen in horror. His sweat now trickling down his spine.

"...I-I d-don't know wh-what you are tal-talking about...."

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