Diary:JourneytoMarsbyVictorReznov

Day1:
Today,I,ViktorReznovwillbeburstedoutoftheatmosphere,outofourplanet,fartheraway
fromhomethananyonehasevenbeen.Iamgoingonayearandahalftrip,andmy
destination,isMars.Thefactofthematterishowever,Iamnottheonlypersongoingthrough
thisendeavor.Ialongwithseveralthousandotherpeoplefromavarietyofcountries,arebeing
senttocolonizemars.IamimpressedbyNasasabilitytosendthismanypeople,andeven
moreimpressedwiththestructurestheyvecreatedonMarsforustouseusingonlydrones.It
turnsoutthatspacewasworthstudyingafterall,asearthcannolongersupporttheamountof
peoplewehave.Childlimitsdidnotseemtobeveryeffective,andsotheyaresendingusas
guineapigstoMars,toseeifitisliveablefornormalpeople.Thatsnotallwellbedoing,
assumingwemakeittherewellalsobesettingupextractionsitesfortheresourcesearthis
runningshorton.Allthesedetailsdontmattertomecurrently,asweapproachthelaunchtime.

Iamwritingthisaswelaunch.Everythingisshaking,Ivebeentoldtoputthenotepaddown.

Day2:
Thelaunchwassuccessful,aseveryonehadexpected.Nasahasnothadafailedshuttle
launchin78years,backin2020.Wearenowtobeputintoacryogenicsleepfortherestofthe
2yearjourney.Thiswillbethelastwritingforalongtime.Wishmeluck.

Day713:
Ivebeenconsciousforadaynow,buteverybodyhadtogothroughaseriesofrehabilitations.It
wasthestrangestthingtooccurinmyentire28yearlonglife,wakingupfromthosecoffinlike
freezers.IknewexactlywhereIwas,whyIwasthere,everything.ItfeltlikeIhadsleptanight,
butrealitystruckwhenIattemptedtowalk.Itwasasifeverymuscleinmybodyhad
frozen
..
Getit?Moralofthestory,Imawakeandhopefulthatthesuccesscontinues,tocontinuehuman
kindsprosperity.Thefunnythingis,7yearsagoNasawasalmostretiredforlackofuse.Ifonly
theyhadknowntheusespacehasthingswouldbedifferent.

Day1onMars:
Marsisbasicallyadesert.Weallknewwhatweweresigningupfor,butonlynowdoIbeginto
fearthismayhavebeenamistake.WerebroughttoatrainlikevehicletheycallTheNavRail.
Ihopintooneofthepods,andwatchasthemartianlandscapezoomspast.Onlyasweare
broughttothezonewewillbelivinghowever,doIrealisehowsuccessfullythefundingtoNasa
wasused.Itsahugedeepbluecoloreddome,similartothatofafootballfield,onlydozensof
timeslarger.Thedomeisliterallythesizeofacity,whichisfortunateseeingaswehaveasmall
city'sworthofpeoplewaitingtobesheltered.Theguideexplainsthatthedeepshiningblue
materialthedomeismadeofistheresultofNasasresearch,anewmaterialthatisnecessary
toanymassivestructureonMars.Essentially,ittrapstheheatthatwewouldfinduncomfortable

duringtheday,andreleasesitasamassheatsourceduringtheaverageminustwohundred
degreenights.Werenowbeingshownourlivingquarters.

Day7onMars:
Wevebeenonmarsfor165hours,or7Sols.That'stheequivalenttoabout7earthdays
anyways,soIsupposeImayaswelljustsaydays.Timeislessimportanthere..Althougha
weekhaspassedittrulydoesntmeanmuch.Wewereassignedjobsaccordingtoour
preferencespriortocominghere.ThegovernmentsandNasaworkedtofindtheperfectgroup
ofparticipants,agroupthatshouldrarelyeverhaveanysocialissues,andhavetheperfect
workforceforlifeonMars.Ipersonallycameupasabiofuelengineer,broughtfromtheRussian
Spaceprogram,andwillbeworkingtocreatefuelforallpurposesalongwithateamofother
people.Tocreatefuelweneedhydrogen,aresourceknowntobeonmarsformanyyears.
TherearealsoteamsofpeopleworkingtodrilldeeperintoMars'score,aplaceknowntoberich
inresourcesinnearlyeveryplanetduetohighpressures.Oncewegainenoughofallthese
resources,ouraeronauticalengineerscanworktocreatethespacecraftweneedtosendup
anddowntoretrieveanddeliverthesuppliesviadroneeverymonth,withlessandlesssupplies
being
sent
andmorebeingdeliveredbyusaswebecomemoreselfreliant.Ahugegoalofthis
settlementistoexportmoreresourcesbacktoearth,asrecentlyduetohumanswastefulhabits
resourcessuchasfuels,metals,andespeciallyfoodhaverunscarce.Althoughanew
settlementcantexactlysupplyfood,FuelsandMetals,shouldbeasurplus.

Day40onMars:
Thusfar,everythinghasgonecompletelyasplannedthankstoNasasresearchthepastfew
years.Wevegatheredenoughrawmineralstobuildasmallarmy,andaredeliveringasmuch
suppliesasthedronescanhold.AsIcreatetheplanforfuelconsumptionIthinkbacktoearth
whereriotsbrokeout,protestingthelackoffundingforNasaandtheirfuelretrievalattempts,
whenpeopleneededitsodesperatelyaroundtheworld.Itamusesmehowdesperatelypeople
desiresuchasimpleresource.SomuchsothatEarthhasliterallyrunoutofit.Nasadidthe
calculationshoweverandrealisedthatalthoughsendingustoMarstookatonoffuel,the
amountwouldquicklyrecoverandthanprofitfromthedrillingwecandohere.

Day90onMars:
TheMarssettlementhasbeenextremelysuccessfulthusfar.Ivebeenabletorationfuelout
amongstfellowMartianbasedoffofmyexpectationsintermsofproduction.Ivebeennamed
chiefoffuelproductiononMarswhichinallactualityisprettyimpressive.Iamafterallthebest
BioFuelengineerontheplanet..Alljokesaside,wevekeptupwiththedemandNasahasset
uponusintermsofresourceoutput.Theeffectspacestudieshavehadonsocietyhavetruly
amazedmeTothinkthatyearsagopeoplequestionedthestudies,isalmosthumorous
thinkingbacktothedesperatecircumstancethatpeopleendedupinbackonearth..LikeIsaid
previously,massscaleriotswereadailyoccurrencebackonEarthduetolackofresources.
With19billionpeopleitwasboundtohappeneventually...Ibegintowonderhowmuchofa
differencethefewthousandpeopleandafewtimesthatnumberinrobotsisreallymakingup
hereonMars.

Day180onMars:
Theseconddropshipjustgothere,bringinganothercouplethousandpeopletoMars.Im
excitedtoseetheincreaseinworkforce,whichIsuppose(lookingbackonit,)makesmylast
entrysfinishingthoughtsalittlebitironic.Wevebeentoldthatourworkhasactuallyappeased
thepublicsrioting,andalthoughwehaventbeenabletomeettheneedsofeveryone,theblunt
andopenefforttosolvetheproblemiseasingthetensionamongsteveryone.Nottomention
withthesuccessNasashadhere,theyhaveapparentlylaunchedseveralhundredshuttlesto
Jupitertoextracttherawgasencompassingtheplanet.Howtheyplantodothathasntbeen
explained,butIcanimagineseveralwaystogoaboutdoingso.Moralofthestory,itsagood
thingwecangatherfrommorethanjusttherockwestartedon.Ifeelthatthesediaryentries
aregettingabitrepetitive,butIvebeentoldbymycolleaguesthattheyarestillinterestingto
peoplethatarentfamiliarwiththetopics.

Day365onMars:
SoitsbeenayearsincewegottoMars,andthisshouldbethelastdiaryentryImake,simply
duetothefactthatIvelostinterestinmakingthemwithhownormallifeseemstobeatthis
point.Toconcludetheseentries,Idliketosummarizewhatshappenedinthepastyear.Last
year,therewereliterallyhundredsofthousandsofpeopleriotingaroundtheglobeduetolackof
resources.Thisyearduetoafewsmallchangesingovernment,andmassivechangesto
Nasasspaceprogram,thoseriotsdontexist.MostofthiswasduetothechangeinourSpace
Program.WevebeenabletogatherasurplusofresourcesfromMars,andhaveaseemingly
endlesssupplyofgassesbeingbroughtbackfromJupiter.TheeffectspacehashadonEarths
humaninhabitantshasbeenastonishing,especiallylookingbackonhowfrequentlyspacewas
seenasuselessbythepublicwhentheywereinsuchdesperateneedofthefundingspace
studieswerereceiving.Moralofthestory,
space
hastheoutlookofbeingessentialto
humanity'ssurvival,especiallyasweasacivilizationprogress.