The Martian Chronicles

On July 20th. 1976.

the first unmanned spacecraft landed on the planet Mars.

Mankind waited with intense expectation

for the answer to the question that had puzzled him for centuries ...

Is there life on Mars?

Those who had never believed the Red Planet was inhabited

shook their heads knowingly. as if to say.

"We told you so."

But believers pointed out

that the instruments could only scan as far as the horizon.

If the Martians had sent a space probe to Earth. They argued.

they could have landed in even less promising terrain...

the middle of the Sahara desert. for example.

On the whole. the nonbelievers won the day.

However. If the spacecraft had only landed a few miles further on.

things might have been different.

It is January. 1999.

23 years later.

and preparations are almost complete

for the first manned expedition to Mars.

- Missile and internal D.C.? - Affirmative.

- Pressurization complete? - Affirmative.

Status check ... brain safety arm light on?

Affirmative.

- Range ready? - Ready.

Minus - 7 hours to liftoff of Expedition One.

This mission is for unmanned main pad vehicle launch

in departing orbit. To await crew mission linkup tomorrow.

All rocket stage systems checks completed.

Switching command to internal.

Umbilical tubes separated and clear.

Liftoff. Global motion.

We have good movement.

All systems go.

Vehicle clearing tower.

Trajectory within limits and okay.

Main stage burn satisfactory.

Completion level two reached now.

- Here they come. - Any comments, Colonel?

Look this way, please, gentlemen.

Easy does it, Burt.

Where's Spender?

I feel less worried about the launch than about confronting them.

You won't have to say too much.

Just give them a nice enigmatic smile. They'll be happy.

Good afternoon.

Any questions, please? Yes?

Colonel, you've been working on this project for 10 years now.

How does it feel on the eve of the first mission?

I think you'd better ask that after they've made a successful landing.

Yes.

All our evidence points to the fact there is no life on Mars.

Do you expect to find it any different?

No, but then we won't be sure until we get there.

Where's York?

Captain York will be along any moment.

As you all know, this is just the beginning

of a major effort on the part of NATO alliance

to explore the outer planets.

Yes.

Any last-minute changes, Colonel?

Yes, we have decided that Major Spender's efforts

would be of greater service here during the first trip to Mars.

In the meantime, let me introduce Captain Conover,

who is in charge of the scientific end of this expedition.

Captain?

- Thank you, Colonel Wilder. - Keep smiling.

When did you get news on the change, Spender?

This morning from Wilder.

Well, don't sweat it. It's just internal politics.

- You'll make the next trip. - I'd better, I'll tell you that.

The atmosphere on Mars, although thin by our standards,

is certainly capable of supporting life.

Oh, Captain York.

I would like to conclude that the British

have always endeavored to broaden the frontiers of human civilization

by joining in these efforts.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce Captain York.

How are you doing?

Don't worry, John. I won't spoil the moment for you.

How many flights does this make, Captain?

This one will make my 24th liftoff.

Tracking shows parking orbit established satisfactorily.

John, I'd like you to have a look at these when you've got a minute.

Oh, yeah. Right.

Don't forget brunch Sunday. Ruth and I are expecting you.

That a military command, sir?

No, just an order from your elder brother. Be there.

Yes, sir.

Status check ... command on internal?

Affirmative.

- Telemetry and launch conditions? - Affirmative.

Well, I wish I were going with you.

If I know you, Colonel, you'll be up there in a year's time.

Maybe we'll all be up there someday.

- Good luck. - Thank you, sir.

And our prayers go with you.

Test telephone switch to arm. Arm light on.

- Pressurization complete? - Affirmative.

Switching command to internal.

Launch tank is secured?

Launch tank is secured.

All recorders and oscillographs to fast.

Bernier start.

Fore tank pressurized.

Spent fuel contact pressurized.

Ten... nine... eight...

Ignition!

Main stage.

... four... three... two... one... zero.

Clearing tower. Have global liftoff.

Yo. Honey! Keep going. Baby!

Burn looking good.

We're on our way.

- Turnover initiated. - We have it.

One thousand feet. Looking good.

You confirm you have telemetry. Online light indicating?

Affirmative. We have green telemetry.

Roger. We have it back now.

We have green. All systems. Burn normal.

Some vibration during Mach - 1 transition.

We copy. Roger.

Downrange tracking good.

You are go for standard injection engine

and good rendezvous input status.

Roger.

We have lock - on for automatic docking sequence.

Roger.

Forty feet. Green.

Twenty feet. Green.

Closing. One foot per second. Increasing.

Final sequence.

Probe contact engaging...

Locked.

Preparing transfer to main craft.

They live in a house of crystal pillars on the planet Mars.

by the edge of an empty sea.

In the evenings. When the fossil sea is warm and motionless.

Mr. Kay sits in his room listening to his book.

York.

York?

I'm so sorry.

I heard you cry out.

Tell me...

...what did you encounter?

I had a... I had a dream about a man.

He is not from our world.

I have never encountered a thought like it before.

He came down from the sky and spoke to me.

He said, "We are from the third planet.

"My name is Nathaniel York.

There are two of us in this ship."

Go on.

He said, "We come from Earth.

That is the name of our planet."

He used another language, but my mind was able to translate it.

Is it possible that there are people on the third planet?

Our scientists have made it abundantly clear

that there is too much oxygen in the atmosphere to sustain life.

Wouldn't it be fascinating if there were people?

Injection looking good. Do you have vibration?

Negative. Smooth burn.

We are nominal on all systems here.

Confirmed. Transfer to descent stage.

Affirmative. Counting down for separation.

We read you.

- Undocked. - Roger.

Separation normal. moving away.

Five feet.

We have clear view of the main craft.

Looks in pretty good shape after that trip.

We copy.

We're right on track. Sir.

If everything is go. We'll be on the surface at 0400.

Everything is a go from our end, Captain.

This will be our last transmission

until we pass around the back side and regain direct control. Over.

We read you. Have a safe landing.

Thank you. Sir.

Yes.

York. York.

You've been dreaming again.

The same dream?

Yes.

The ship coming down from the sky again.

The tall man York stepping out to speak to me.

He said...

He said I was...

...beautiful.

It was only a dream.

Was it?

Is that all there was to it?

No.

What else?

He told me he would lure me away in his ship

back to his planet.

Even kill for me if he had to.

- It's a sign. - A sign?

There really is a ship

from the third planet.