The Mars Tapes

What happened in the past foretells the future.

The United States is using the communication system to monitor the beyond boring transmissions of its astronauts' "mapping" the previously unexplored regions of Mars. Their routine transmissions from the desert-like red surface is of little interest to anyone, except at Mission Control in Houston. There is so little activity that only occasional routine monitoring is being noted by other space agencies around the globe. What is about to be discovered will change the history of humanity. Driving slowly across the desolate red rock-strewn area of the surface of the planet Mars a bored to tears Commander James Shockey continues his job of mapping the unnamed and never explored Red Planet.

Supervising each mile and communication from Colonel Shockey as he continues his exploration of the Mars' desolate surface are the team members at Mission Control back on Earth. The stream of information from Shockey to Mission Control is currently being monitored by Major Lester "Lump" Pierson, a rotund bleary-eyed man who's trying hard to keep his eyes open as he monitors the constant boring messages late at night coming in over the Billgate communication link.

At Mission Control Shockey's voice flows out of the radio loud and clear providing a detailed description of what he is encountering during his 2-mph trip across the Martian landscape. "Lump, I need permission to exit the Tracker." Major Pierson yawning, "What's up, Jimmy?" "I'm not sure, but about 50 feet off to my right I'm looking at something odd, something I've never seen before up here." Lump tried to shake himself out of his sleepy state by drinking a large gulp of Diet Coke. "What are you talking about, Jim?" "I don't know, Lump, I need to get a closer look at it."

"At what?"