Chase stood inside a M1 Robot outside of a makeshift laboratory, beside him, the 10-foot-long test chamber hummed with promise. He had printed every component in the habitat’s fabrication bays steel-reinforced panels, and copper waveguides, then assembled them here in the tunnel past the Train. A stack of hydrogen tanks rested against one wall. On the opposite side sat the dual energy source: a microwave emitter and a high power laser projector, each calibrated to deliver precise energy pulses.
He tapped a few commands into the console and watched the chamber door seal with a hiss. Inside, the iron oxide sample lay on a large ceramic tray. Chase took a breath, remembering the mission objective: pure metals for the habitat’s structural repairs, or building equipment and water to top off their reserves. Traditional smelting on Mars would take days and guzzle precious oxygen. Tonight’s experiment could be a great step forward.
First came the microwave heating. Chase activated the emitter, and within seconds the ceramic plate started to glowed softly. Microwaves flooded the chamber, heating the oxide and the surrounding hydrogen gas at once. He could see the gas shift from clear to a faint purple as a plasma field formed. Reactive species danced in the chamber, tearing oxygen from the iron oxide surface in a fraction of the time a furnace would take. Every few seconds September relayed temperature readings, steady at fifteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring the reaction stayed within the ideal window.
When the plasma reached a steady state, Chase brought the laser projector online. A narrow beam of infrared light arced into the chamber and struck the oxide directly. The impact zone flared brighter, the temperature spiking to nearly eighteen hundred degrees. By focusing the laser on specific hot spots, Chase kept the reaction from running away. He could almost hear the hiss of hydrogen atoms colliding with oxygen atoms, forming water vapor that then condensed on the cold walls of the chamber.
The synergy between the microwave plasma and the laser heat amazed him. Where traditional methods required long soak times, this dual approach peeled oxygen from the oxide in under twenty minutes. September calculated that the hydrogen utilization efficiency was ten percent higher than in tests with microwave alone. Chase let out a breath of relief as the plasma brightness dimmed, an indicator that most oxygen had been removed.
He opened the valve on a secondary line of chilled hydrogen, flooding the chamber with cool gas to quench the reaction. Steam hissed as water droplets formed along the inner walls. Through the quartz viewport, Chase watched the droplets coalesce and run down into a collection trough. He checked the gauge: nearly three gallons of water recovered from a single four-pound sample of iron oxide. That yield was twice what they had managed in earlier trials.
Next came the moment of truth. Chase activated the collection tray at the chamber floor and retrieved a metal disc the size of his palm. It weighed just under four pounds, the same as the oxide input. He ran his gloved finger across the surface. The metal gleamed silver and cool to the touch. No trace of rust remained. Pure iron, perfected by his hybrid process.
“September,” he said, voice tight with excitement, “run the purity analysis.” Numbers scrolled across the holoscreen: iron content ninety nine point eight percent, with trace oxygen below permissible limits. He allowed himself a rare smile. In hours they had converted raw Martian dust into usable metal and harvested life-giving water.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor as Chase called to Fara and Janette. They arrived breathless in the doorway, eyes bright with anticipation. Luke peered through the viewport. “You did it,” he said, voice hushed. “You actually did it.”
Chase placed the iron disc through the M1 Robot. “Although this changes nothing in the short term,” he replied. “It will certainly make long term changes. We can manufacture our own tools and repair parts without waiting for supplies. And the water… we might never have to worry again. With that much accessible water we could even consider make concrete” Janette reached out, touching the metal as if confirming it was real.
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Luke had been methodically surveying an ever expanding area, determined to uncover any remaining trains or equipment on Mars. Initially he had thought they were alone on the red planet and felt that his search might be futile. However, that perspective had changed dramatically. Each day, his resolve grew as he scoured the Martian landscape for signs of the tunnel drillers or the location of the AI system known as September. He spent what felt like countless hours in his ZX01 Rover, steadily enlarging his search area and exploring regions he once believed held no secrets.
True to his careful nature, Chase made sure that their search was well planned. Instead of having Luke wander aimlessly through every ancient riverbed, they devised a systematic approach. Luke was required to conduct a thorough examination of designated regions before moving on to the next set of coordinates. Their strategy involved marking off each square on the map, ensuring that every area received proper attention. It was a disciplined effort that paid off five weeks after finding Train Alpha, when Luke finally encountered something unexpected.
Driving east from their train base, Luke navigated very slowly over rocky ground, carefully sidestepping enormous boulders along the way. He discovered a partially buried rover when he reached a point roughly twenty-eight miles from their Train. Intrigued by this potential second discovery, Luke immediately contacted September, asking it to identify the mysteriously abandoned vehicle. The AI responded with a terse note: "Restricted information." Not deterred by the initial reply, Luke then issued another command for a visual examination of the rover to determine if it matched any of their current equipment. The AI quickly responded that the vehicle was an exact match to the ZX01 Rover.
Luke's irritation was evident as he confronted the system about the buried rover. He scolded the AI, saying that it seemed to know everything about the rover and, in his frustrated tone, called it a jerk. Luke ordered that Commander Chase and the crew be informed immediately and demanded that the robot be placed under direct control so a full briefing on the rover’s condition could be undertaken.
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Almost immediately, Chase stepped in to take control of the situation. After a detailed, 20-minute review, it remained unclear exactly what caused the rover to break down. However, the report revealed clear signs of neglect and multiple equipment failures. Chase then asked, in a measured tone, what conclusion September had reached. In response, the AI stated that the precise cause of the breakdown was unknown but that the rover had suffered from numerous failures combined with less than adequate repairs. Based on this assessment, Chase surmised that the rover had lacked a proper maintenance schedule and had been operated to the point of failure.
Determined to learn more, Chase requested that the M1 Robot be connected to the rover in order to download any available information. September explained that the rover held very little onboard data because the central system stored most records. Undeterred, Chase insisted on retrieving all possible information. Although the AI initially flagged the data as restricted, it confirmed that the rover did include a map of its recent travels, which could be downloaded through the robot interface. When Luke connected the diagnostic robot to the newly discovered ZX01 Rover, he discovered to his frustration that the rover had no power. Forced to return to base, Luke retrieved a battery pack and installed it in the rover. Once the battery was in place, the robot logged into the rover’s minimal computer system, and Chase assumed responsibility for the broken unit by adding it to the equipment list. He then instructed September to download all the available information, and the team spent time sorting through the data.
The process of retrieving the information was, in itself, a test of patience. The team knew the rover held little memory on its own, with September serving as the repository for nearly all records. Yet they had to play the VornTV game, following protocol even when the technology offered limited cooperation. Once the download was complete, Chase determined the rover’s final mapped route from the software records. Luke then retraced the final journey of the damaged rover, eventually arriving at its endpoint only five miles from another portal entrance—where he discovered Train Beta.
Excitement sparked in Luke as he issued his next command. “Great!” he exclaimed, directing September to open the portal in front of the rover. True to its programmed nature, the AI responded by stating that the command required the commander’s permission. Exasperated but compliant, Chase quickly granted permission. The system then asked if Commander Chase agreed to take over Train Beta and assume responsibility for its occupants and equipment. When Chase inquired if there were any occupants aboard, September confirmed that Train Beta was empty. With a resigned sigh, Chase accepted responsibility, and the portal doors opened on command.
The entrance to Train Beta revealed a collection of equipment that appeared to be nonfunctional at first glance. Luke then directed the M1 robot through the narrow portal leading into the primary tunnel. Once the lights were activated, Luke discovered that the tunnel’s walls were coated with a lime green polyurea finish. Over the next 24 hours the crew carried out a full inventory. They found that Train Beta housed a full stock of food, identical to the supplies in both Train Prime and Train Alpha. With the combined inventories, there was little risk of running out of food before the projected two-year deadline. The modules were complete and contained equipment matching what had been reported in previous surveys, and outside the train various devices were stored. In particular, two external printers caught their attention. A careful audit of consumable materials such as metal powders confirmed that their quantities were consistent with the records. This finding supported the crew’s theory that after the previous occupants perished, September had had to perform an automatic inventory and restock essential supplies, a discovery that lent further weight to the suspicion that a home base might have existed on Mars.
Chase requested another survey at the far end of the tunnel. Luke maneuvered the diagnostic robot deeper into the passageway until, at its very end, the robot’s camera revealed a grim and unsettling sight: a stack of bodies clad in VornTV uniforms. This is where the similarities with the other Trains ended, unlike the other corpses they had investigated, these one showed unmistakable signs of a violent struggle, with blood evident on faces and even lingering under fingernails.
Tears welling in her eyes, Joanne repeatedly murmured, "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." Luke, barely able to remain composed, noted that the situation had grown even worse, pointing out the disturbing presence of blood on all of the remains. The shock of witnessing disfigurement and evidence of a struggle unsettled the entire crew. The chilling discovery raised even more questions: Who had they been fighting? Had this been an internal conflict, or was there an external enemy out there that the crew might have to confront?
Jacky led a thorough review of all the equipment found outside the train. He explained that nearly every piece was in poor condition, showing clear signs of heavy use and questionable quality. Many items featured prominent repair jobs, and it was evident that the people who had operated this train struggled with the printing equipment, leading to shoddy and rushed fixes. In Jacky's assessment, much of the equipment was already broken, and the poor quality of repairs only confirmed his suspicions about the lack of proper expertise.
When Chase inquired about how long it might take to repair and restore the equipment to operational status, Jacky's sigh carried the weight of the situation. He admitted that although his team was slowly improving their techniques, they were stretched to the limit. The relentless cycle of equipment repairs and the constant replication tasks were beginning to take their toll, and mistakes were becoming more frequent. What troubled Jacky even more was the thought of finding additional equipment, he believed they already had more than they could realistically manage.
Chase was taken aback by the news, yet he reassured Jacky that every piece of equipment was vital. He stressed that the mission needed as much operational hardware as possible and acknowledged the tremendous challenge faced by the repair crew. Yet, he expected Jacky's team to move swiftly and efficiently, with the promise that once this equipment was made fully operational, there would finally be a chance to take a well deserved break.
Chase felt a knot of anxiety as he reviewed the data from the far end of Train Beta. That evening he met Kaya in a quiet module. He asked her to examine the bodies and compile her findings. Seated across from him, Kaya activated her wrist scanner and began: “My key observation is inconsistent treatment of the remains. The bodies at the bottom of the stack were sealed in storage bags. They show signs of death by asphyxiation and appear well nourished. The more recent bodies are thin and malnourished. It is not clear whether they were killed by outside attackers or if they turned on one another. September please display my full report.”
Kaya zoomed the hologram. Scars and tissue fragments appeared beneath the fingernails. September’s timeline places the first deaths two years ago and the last one year ago. That suggests an attack followed by a breakdown once supplies ran out.
A shiver ran down Chase's back, “I don’t even want to think about the circumstances that would cause that situation.”
