Update 8: Ad Astra Per Aspera
"The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program."
Larry Niven
Welcome to 2060 A.D. (91 A.T.)
In the 21st century we had a great panic in space exploration and colonization, even greater that the 1960' space race to the Moon. This time is not U.S.A. vs U.S.S.R., but life on Earth vs extinction!
Moon becomes the greatest spaceport ever made by Sims yet. The low gravity of the Moon made this world an excellent shipyard. Moon also contain plenty of water and Helium-3, making this world a gigantic mine facility. This brings plenty of rich Sims to colonize the Moon.
Moon evolved into the new Hollywood. There are plenty of luxurious homes on the Moon, with plenty of high-society stuff. SimLunars adopted a simple way of life and also become great traders.
In order to help the rest of Simkind (especially SimTerrans), SimLunars invent the "Aldrin Calendar". This calendar begins from 1969, where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was the first Sims on the Moon in the Tranquility Sea. Using this calendar, 2011 A.D. (Αno Domini) is 42 A.T. (After Tranquility), 1969 A.D. is 0 A.T., 1869 A.D. is 100 B.T. (Before Tranquility) and 2069 A.D. is 100 A.T.. The aim of this calendar is a universal calendar that anybody can use it... no matter if you are Christian, Jude or Muslim.
SimLunars and SimMartian, despite their different lifestyles and philosophies, are excellent allies. SimLunars provides water and Helium-3 to Mars, while SimMartians provides building materials and technologies to the Moon. As you can see, Earth is not the number-one-vital planet anymore.
2057 A.D. (88 A.T.), the first manned mission to Jupiter. There is a planned mission to Saturn for 2069 A.D. (100 A.T.).
2025 A.D. (56 A.T.). Space station Babel in geostationary orbit finally connected to Earth by a space elevator, allowing faster and easier interplanetary voyages.
Here we can see a Mars Express vehicle leaving from Babel, while a Moon Express ship is unloading passengers from the Moon. Thanks to nuclear fusion and nanotechnology, those spacecrafts can reach Mars in only a few weeks!
Here is a cargo ship. Those spacecrafts are vital for trade. This ship carries water from Moon to Mars. Let's follow it.
Welcome to planet Mars. A desert planet, with plenty of promises for a new, better life. It looks an "ordinary" red planet, but did you see something? If you look closely, you can see lines and dots on the Martian surface. What's this? A big project from SimMartians? Are they working on something very big?
An another view of Mars. It seems that SimMartians build plenty of small facilities on all over Mars. It seems that Hope-1, Logic-2 and Faith-3 are not the only colonies. Something very strange is happening on Mars and nobodies knows what... except of the SimMartians themselves.
Here we can see Phobos, the innermost moon of Mars. We can see some night lights too. In the next updates, we'll try to discover if there is something strange on Mars.
SimMartians feel a nice sympathy for the ancient space probes, so they protect them. Those spacecrafts doesn't work anymore, so they are now minor museums for anyone want to explore them. Remember, don't touch. This is Mars Odyssey.
Here is Mariner 9, orbiting the colonized Mars.
An another space probe, called M.R.O. (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
And this is M.G.S. (Mars Global Surveyor).
Orbiting around Mars, you'll see plenty of Martian spaceplanes. Some of them goes from one colony to other, while others goes to the Martian moons for picnics.
Time to land on Mars and have a look at the Martian lifestyle. First of all, the buildings themselves. The design style defined for Mars is called Utilitarian design. As the name already implies it's main characteristic is functionality. This style is defined by its simple and minimalistic building approach. SimMartians doesn't care about luxurious buildings, especially if they don't protect them from the low temperatures, the low atmospheric pressure, the U.V. rays because of the lack of ozone layer, the solar winds because of the weak magnetic field. So without those "ugly" and "unrealistic" buildings, as SimTerrans describe them, SimMartians will be dead! Besides, the Utilitarian design brings also plenty of advantages, like faster construction and recycling. Here are some examples. This image shows homes for the high society of Mars.
The buildings of Mars are also modular. They constructed in a factory piece by piece, carry out by flying helicopters-trucks and assemble by robots like a puzzle.
Some SimMartians take to extreme and live underground!
Despite the conditions on Mars, some colonists doesn't have any problem to use large windows. We can thing that those windows will protect them from U.V. rays and the solar winds, right?
Because you live on Mars, it doesn't mean that swimming pools are such a bad idea.
And here is an interesting mystery. If Mars has lower gravity, why SimMartians doesn't have yet extremely tall skyscrapers? Maybe they just doesn't need them.
Demolishing a building is a very bad idea. Pieces of the building could damage the surround buildings and bring decompression! This is why the older buildings just dismantle by robots. Later the pieces goes to recycling centers for modifications, to make them ready for the creation of new buildings.
Here we can see a factory that builds new homes.
The main source of economy on Mars is mining for metals. Here we can see plenty of mining operations.
Ores are important and Mars has plenty of them, but this is not an excuse for over-mining and turning Mars into a waste land. Recycling and reusing are even more important than the ore itself.
Mars is a cold, desert planet. SimMartians needs plenty of water, but this planet doesn't have plenty of it. This is why SimLunar cargo ships are always welcomed. However SimMartians are still looking for water on Mars, especially underground.
Those facilities cleans up the Martian water. It looks like SimMartians really care about this planet, but why? Why the colonists care so mush about the red planet, a lifeless world?
You can't build something without energy. The colonists use plenty of solar power plants, special design to absorb the little amounts of solar rays. In this picture we can also see electrostatic power plants, that trap the power of Martian thunders and provide energy for a really large amount of time.
Nuclear fusion is the best achievement in energy from the invention of the wheel! Still it needs hydrogen, and there is plenty of hydrogen in water. One glass of water gives enough electricity for a metropolis for a whole year. But Mars hasn't plenty of water. This is why SimMartians use nuclear fission power plants. Unlike the nuclear reactors on Earth, the reactors of Mars are 150% safe. Even the problem of the toxic wastes in solved, by using advance nanotechnology to turn them into safe building materials.
SimMartians doesn't care about garbages. They know how to create as less of them as possible. They are not shopping freaks like SimTerrans. However they still make some garbages, but they don't worry about. Recycling is their best friend. They also research for new methods of waste management.
Just like SimTerrans and SimLunars, SimMartians needs plenty of food. To prevent turning a whole planet into a messy farm, SimMartians use underground farms and advance hydroponics systems. In fact, a whole colony can build over those underground farms!
To reduce the need of so large farms, some scientists are experimenting in genetic mutant food... including banana flavored broccoli and blue chocolates.
SimMartians also need ways to go anywhere they want. Streets, roads and buses are fine, but not enough. This is why use a lot of the railroads. There are 3 kind of Martian railroads: Primary, Flexible and Magnetic.
Primary railroads are the most simple. They are important for carrying industrial cargo and passengers. The Martian trains however can't run as fast as the Terran trains, for 2 reasons. The first reason is the gravity of Mars. It's 3 times lower than the gravity on Earth, so derails on the primary railroads will be often in high speeds... especially on the rough Martian surface. The second reason is the atmosphere. Aerodynamic trains doesn't mean better speeds, because the Martian atmosphere is 100 times thiner that the Terran one. The low top speed however has some interesting advantages. The rail-road crossings are much more safe and the railroad curves and slopes can be more steep, making it more flexible.
The Flexible a.k.a. personal railroads are mostly a taxi-train hybrid. All you need is to get underground, get on a personal train and tell into the computer your destination.
Magnetic trains are the fastest trains on Mars. The train itself "hug" the magnetic rail, so derails are a thing of the past. Those trains can reach supersonic speeds without any danger!!
SimMartians also need to be safe and healthy. Hospitals are plentiful. They use genetic engineering and nanotechnology to cure sick and injured colonists.
Is there something worse than burning alive by fire? Yes, blowing up by decompression! This is why leak and seal stations are also plenty in every colony.
Sometimes, criminals from Earth arrives on Mars. Police forces use quantum computers to find and arrest them as soon as possible.
To prevent any possibility for escape, and to make sure that criminals will not suffer by the conditions on Mars, jails are underground.
Education is important for the SimMartians. This is a elementary school. Using quantum computers and the MarNet (Martian Internet), kids can learn anything they want from their comfortable home. Chatting with other students is also possible. You can now have plenty of friend on Mars, no matter where you are. And alike SimTerrans, SimMartians doesn't limited by sitting in front of a computer and just clicking on FaceBook or MySpace.
Who need books, when you have quantum computers? Those libraries provide thousands of Terrabyte of informations, novels, knowledges and stories.
And here is a privet school for richer Sims.
And a college. Of course there are also high schools and museums. We'll visit them in upcoming updates.
Is there something better than having a rest in a park? Sims love parks and SimMartians are not exception. This is a Martian park, that brings a touch of nature. Martian nature, that's it.
Martian plaza, where the colonists can meet and talk. As you can see, telecommunication doesn't replace the face-to-face communication.
An another interesting mystery. What's this? It looks like oxygen. Oxygen?
Thanks to the low gravity of Mars, SimMartians create unique sports like airball and airsprint.
And of course they enjoy life too. Beautiful hotels, large stadiums, plenty of amenities. Who said that mother Earth is the only heaven.
Of course SimMartians doesn't have cruel laws. Graffiti in not a crime, as well as street art. Here is an example. A Sim made a statue of a Terran lamp.
And here is a tree-like sculpture.
An exotic experiment happens on Mars. Quantum computers open the road to the Cybernated Government. Mars is evolving into a cybernated society, in which computers could replace the outmoded system of electing politicians, that in most cases represent the entrenched vested interests. The purpose of this experiment is to elevate the spiritual and intellectual potential of all SimMartians, while at the same time providing the goods and services that will meet their individual and material needs.
At the same time, it looks like Mars is evolving into a spiritual heaven. Take for example this cementary. There are no cementeries for Christians, Muslims, Judes e.t.c.. We are all citizens of the same Universe, no matter your believes.
Yes, something very strange is happening on Mars. SimMartians build communication devices to speak with Moon and Earth. Still Mars has plenty of mysteries.
Something is happening on Mars. What kind of secrets has the SimMartians? Stay tuned!
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