Short Story: Mars One Mission

Sydney had a single wish. Ever since she was a child, she dreamt of visiting outer space. The stars and the planets, the different solar systems and galaxies; she was fascinated by them all. Anything there is to know about space, Sydney knew. At the age of seven, she learned that Earth’s surface only absorbs 50 percent of incoming solar radiation. At the age of ten, she presented her science fair project comparing differences among the planets, including the fact that Venus’ atmosphere is nearly 100 times that of Earth. To become an astronaut was her only aspiration.

In 2012, Sydney applied to be part of the Mars One mission; to be part of a crew who would permanently settle on Mars. The moment she found out she had been accepted, Sydney was ecstatic. She was thrilled—on the edge of her seat. In the simplest of terms, Sydney was speechless. Years of training had prepared Sydney for this mission. Her time had finally

She was starting to miss her home, but alas, it was over 54.6 million kilometres away. She didn’t want to be on Mars anymore, but there was no way back to Earth as this was meant to be a one-way trip.

Late into the cold winter night, she took a walk near the Martian City Hall to calm down. The feeling of the weather was unsettling for her. Of all the seasons, Sydney despised winter the most. Unfortunately, she would have to endure the season for twice as long as she would on Earth. She shivered. There was definitely still some getting-used-to.

Through the shadows of the town, Sydney continued to walk, with only a single street light flickering in the darkness. As she turned a corner, she overheard a conversation between the mayor of the city and the head Martian of the Extraterrestrial Intergalactic Relations Chair (EIRC). Hearing plans for an attack on Earth, Sydney stood in a shock. She planted her body to the wall in hopes that no one had seen her, continuing to listen to every detail of the