Dust Storms

Image Courtesy of NASA

When Jacob Densy (Unicore's CEO) planned to build a tourism hotel on the red planet, one stifling aspect of Mars was the dust storms. Martian dust storms have been known to engulf the entire planet in only a few days and can last for months! This is certainly not something that the tourist paying big money to travel to mars expects to see, but with the storms onset so unpredictable, how could the company reliably guarantee a dust storm free vacation? Especially when the journey alone lasted months.
Densy determined that since he couldn't possibly control the weather (yet) the Mars Hotel would have to be fully capable of providing an out-of-this-world vacation experience without ever touring the Martian landscape. To do this, Densy put significant work into the hotel by adding a spa, pool, zero gravity chamber, and low gravity water slide. Last but not least, Densy began offering tours of the underground mines and the underground farming operations. Learn more about the worlds first space hotel here.

Cleaning Up

In the last few decades, scientists have discovered a swath of organisms that survive by literally eating radioactive waste. This is astonishing for several reasons. First, it was presumed that all life had to survive as a result of photosynthesis (carnivores eat herbivores, that eat vegetation produced by photosynthesis). Second, the uniqueness of these organisms suggest that life is far more resilient than anyone had previously thought.
Since their discovery, researchers have sought, unsuccessfully, to grow them in the lab. While many scientists believe these microbes could be the key to understanding evolution and life on other planets, Jacob Densy care's little about the past. Densy, CEO for Unicore Technologies and Mining, instead believes that these creatures have far more important application in the future. For starters, Densy believes significant progress can be made in cleaning up the worlds nuclear waste if they can only unlock the secrets of their regenerative processes. Second, Densy sees application to the Mars colonization effort. If these microbes can generate energy by eating by-products of radioactivity, perhaps they can generate energy for more advanced plant life on other planets.

Learn more about the science that Unicore has  developed here

Two Billionaires, One Red Planet

Elon Musk is the second billionaire to throw his hat into the ring to establish a permanent settlement on Mars. You can watch his 11 minute video above (courtesy of YouTube) if you have the time or take my word for it.

He plans to release information later this year on a massive spaceship that can actually transport life sustaining equipment, as well as, personnel that would eventually occupy the Red Planet. Sound insane? It isn't! In fact, Elon Musk believes he can have humans on Mars by the year 2026 - one year later than his competitors Mars One.

So what if two billionaires find it profitable to establish their own permanent colonies on Mars? Would the two trade? How would leadership be determined? What about politics? Would Mars ever decide they wanted to become independent from their creators much like the United States and Britain? Luckily, in the world of Trials, we've already discovered the outcome. Read more here and delve into our world!

68 Days?

Courtesy of Bryan Versteeg/Mars One

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently released a study suggesting Mars One settlers that plan to establish a permanent settlement on Mars would only survive for 68 days as a result of an oxygen poisoned atmosphere. You can read a summary of the story here - or you can simply take my word for it: There are significant hurdles that tech companies will have to jump in order to truly establish a real settlement on the Red Planet.
MIT concluded that technology would have to be developed in order to filter the oxygen out of the air that plants would produce, as well as, future technology to harvest water from the soil on Mars. Sound insurmountable? Maybe. But humanities desire for space exploration is insatiable and I applaud Mars One immensely for taking this first historic step. Surely, their research will drive the demand for technology that CAN accomplish these incredible feats.
So what if they do it? What if Mars One establishes not only a permanent settlement, but other companies join in. What if you could travel safely to Mars and take a vacation to the Olympus Mons volcano? Would you do it?

In the world of Trials, people already have. Learn more about the futuristic state of Mars here - and Delve into our World!

Meet the Mars 100

Recently, Mars One released their list of the final 100 people selected to take a one way trip to the red planet in the year 2024. You can view the list here. While my hat goes off to these brave finalists, I can't help but to reflect on my own willingness to travel to a distant planet... not on vacation, but for ever. If you'd rather take my word for it than to check out the list of brave souls, I'll gladly give it to you - these people while their hopes are high and their futures seem bright... are in serious risk! Maybe its the hypochondriac in me... but can you imagine the things that could go wrong?! Let me list a few for you - micrometeorites, intense radiation exposure, systems failures on the red planet, food shortages, water shortages, emotional breakdowns as a result of extreme isolation, suicide, cannibalism, and the list goes on.

But what if they succeeded? What if they actually established a colony. What if this really took off?

The book Trials is set to a time after this colony has been established and explores these questions. Explore them with me here!

Press Release - Quantum Engine

NASA's research into the quantum engine led to disaster over the weekend when a crew of three crashed the X-87B Quasar style spacecraft in the Mohave Desert. Names of the pilots are not being released because families have not yet been notified, a senior NASA official has told us.

This marks the third failure in over a year since the development of the quantum engine took off nearly two decades ago. Critics of the technology claim that the thrust is simply too unreliable and while scientists at both NASA and Unicore Technologies disagree, this latest setback threatens to unhinge the entire effort.

Responding to critics, CEO for Unicore Technologies, Jacob Densy, told us that while the theoretical engine seems to break every law of physics, they have empirical proof that it works, and once the mechanics are figured out, this engine will change space flight forever.

Read about NASA's successful test flight over two decades ago here.

Early Mars candidates that would leave Earth forever

Research on gene survivability against infectious disease

Abstract: The increased risk of catching antibiotic resistant infectious diseases has compelled scientists, governments, and corporations to strive together towards a permanent solution. Belker and Johnson (2020) suggest that humanity is not evolving at the same rate of bacteria and viruses, concluding that, without intervention, our immune system will find itself bombarded with diseases it cannot defend against. Erikson, et al (2022) identify mutations in coronavirus (a cold causing virus) that allow it to reproduce within the presence of regulatory T-cells undetected. This paper examines scientific gains made within the last few years, explores cutting edge research into advanced genetic coding to increase human immune response, summarizes the authors recent animal research, and recommends human trials begin immediately.

Press release from Unicore Technologies and Mining

CHICAGO - May 15 - Unicore Technologies and Mining® announced today that they reached a deal with Beijing to deploy their genetically modified plants to irradiated land in Kyrgyzstan. This marks the first time that their species will leave the laboratory for real world testing. These plants have been marketed as highly adaptive and customizable to their environment in the hopes that they can undo the damage of war.

Jacob Densy, Unicore's CEO said: "Unicore is fully committed to the stewardship of the global environment and looks forward to working hand in hand with all governments to make this a better place. We can't wait to see what the future holds."

Genetically Modified Plants

These genetically modified plants were created by Dr. Omri Amirav-Drory in the hopes that one day plants would be able to light up the streets without the expenses of electricity. Dr. Jillian Jaspers, with the help of corporate funding, perfected these plants by developing the capability for them to not only generate light, but to share that light as an energy source to be used for photosynthesis by other plants. These and many more GMOs can now exist in a self-supporting ecosystem.

Photograph documenting the "Dead Zone"

... there came a roar as if the Sun and Earth had come together-

The Sun descending and the Earth ascending

To take its place above... the Primal Matter

Was broken, the womb from which all life began,

Then to the murdered Sun a totem pole of dust arose

in the memory of Man

- The Shadow of Cain - by Edith Sitwell

The Dead Zone is a swath of nuclear waste land resulting from desperate terrain denial strategies during the Great East-West War. While there are many zone's, this one stretches from Northern Poland all the way to the Black Sea.  

Enclosure #2843 - Evidence submitted by the prosecution in United States vs Shepherd

Dear Evie,

I miss you more and more each day. It sounds like Titus is really growing fast. I can't believe he's crawling now! How are you holding up? How was the family visit last month?

I suppose you won't get this until after Christmas because the mail is so slow, but Merry Christmas anyways. The thought of spending the holidays without you is painful but we have each other here and I suppose that will have to do. Speaking of here, things are moving along. Each day really drags by but the weeks seem to be going fast. Lets hope it stays that way.

To be honest, most of us aren't quite sure what we're really doing here. Don't get me wrong, we're making a difference - but the governing is so decentralized its hard to really define our enemy - and I'm not sure these people can either. Most of the people I interact with don't have a TV and none of them care who the president is. I hate to say this feels like a waste of time... but it does. I guess the best way I can describe it is like a hornet's nest. They don't really care if you are near them, but if you make one wrong move the whole province will go to war. It's a delicate balance, but we are trying to be careful.

I love you so much,

Jonah

The Planet Mars

The Planet Mars

By S.M. Melton

O, planet Mars, of ruddy hue

How often have I gazed at you!

And as you gleam from out the skies

I watch you still with wondering eyes.

I wonder why you are so red; 

I wonder if your seas are dead;

I wonder, too, as I look at you,

About your people, what they do.

I wonder if they sow and reap,

If they laugh and sing and weep, 

If they have storms of sleet and snow

As we have on the Earth below.

I wonder how those great canals

Have figured in your people's annals.

Though you differ from the Earth

The same great power gave you birth.