The Arc

The 14th of June 2053 is the day when Clara thought she was going to die. She would cease to be the main character of her own story and would turn into one of those novels that sit in library books gathering dust with no one reading them ever again. 

Ten years earlier Clara was working a dead-end job which, bit by bit, was being replaced by robots. Working in New York wasn’t all it cracked up to be. Clara grew up on a farm surrounded by plants and animals and she loved it. She won prizes many times at county fairs for her impressive vegetables. Nevertheless, times were changing and Clara couldn’t afford the farm her parents gave her when they passed. With great sorrow, Clara sold the farm and went to the city in search of work. 

Her savings were dwindling and Clara could barely afford the room she was renting. Losing the place to live and going to the streets was not an option. With the new policy on homelessness introduced in the US in 2045 any person found without the means to support themselves and without a home would be sent off to Alaska to the labour camps for low-skilled humans. No one she knows has ever come back from there. She might have been depressed but certainly not suicidal. 

One day on her last day of work Clara found an interesting advert sub subway (transportation for the lower classes) which read:

Are you unhappy with your life? Are you skilled in any STEM subjects, farming, and Botanics? Do you want to be a hero and do something incredible with your life? If so, visit us on colonizemars.com and join in the mission to reach for the stars.

Clara thought it was an odd advert. Yes, there have been talks about colonising Mars since the beginning of the century from what her grandparents told her but she was surprised we finally got to a point where it is possible. She was curious to at least find out a bit more about the project. 

As she walked back to her flat after getting her last paycheck and going through overdue bills, Clara remembered the advert she saw that very morning and thought that it won’t hurt to take a look. 

As she was reading she realised that this could be an interesting opportunity. The company paid for any unsettled debts, provided free accommodation, food and she could apply as a botanist having a strong background due to her upbringing. She could do something she loves and gives her life meaning. It was certainly better than being sent off to a labour camp and losing her freedom. 

She was a single child with no family and she wasn’t particularly sociable either. Clara generally kept to herself so missing people from back on Earth wouldn’t be an issue. 

It was settled that this is an opportunity she might not get ever again and so the next day she applied. After a series of tests checking her skills, health, and any underlying medical issues Clara was officially accepted for the program. As she later found out it was going to be named project ‘Sunrise’. 

Amongst the many preparations and training for the one-way journey to Mars Clara had a terrible realisation - there would be no windows anywhere in her new home. The new material, altanium, discovered just ten years ago was the strongest yet lightest material known to men. As such, the need for glass would be costly and potentially fatal. The ship as well as the entire Dome City (or as they liked to call it ‘The arc’) - the new habitation quarters on Mars would be completely closed off. The advancements in virtual reality meant that there would be special rooms where you can select where you want to go and feel like you’re there. That technology is something Clara could never be able to afford. Having a look outside the window and seeing the grim and dirty New York streets she thought she didn't need to see outside and it is not like Mars would be the most exciting place anyway. 

Clara didn’t remember the journey to Mars as, just like the rest of the teams, they were hibernated for the duration of the flight. She enjoyed her new little flat and she excelled in her job. She realised that although she wasn’t the most sociable person when it comes to small talk she was pretty good at teaching and so the Botanics team was doing great at feeding the teams. As soon as Mars is terraformed Clara would begin the fertilisation and farming process. But as the years went by Clara was starting to get restless. She knew that project ‘Sunrise’ would take years but she didn’t realise how long those ten years would last. She never thought she would say this but she missed real sunrises, the smell of the city, and the sheer reality of being there. The projection room started to feel empty and hollow and didn’t satisfy her anymore. As she was getting her weekly vitamin D light therapy she realised she hasn’t seen sunlight for almost ten years. Suddenly a familiar sound came out of the speakers 

Low oxygen. I repeat low oxygen. There has been a breach in the dome structure. Return to your rooms and await further instructions.

Clara obediently started rushing towards her room thinking it’s the fifth time it happened this month. She has asked for a possibility to install some sort of viewing platform or a window but was met with denial. After all, the low oxygen announcements have been getting more frequent and so even if altanium cannot be relied on fully there was absolutely no way for any other material to be used and jeopardise the mission. Due to the strength of altanium no sound waves could escape its walls. That meant that all communication with Earth was controlled by specialised personnel, the ‘Special Communication Unit’, outside of the dome city. Clara didn’t mind as she made enough friends in the living quarters to keep herself busy. 

One of those friends was James Anderson. James always intrigued Clara. She wasn’t sure if it was his good looks or enigmatic personality. James was part of the SCU team which generally kept to themselves. Clara was a hopeless romantic but her shy nature often stopped her from pursuing intimate relationships.

She liked to walk past James’ room hoping for the courage to express her feelings to him. One night as Clara was walking by she heard James singing and she couldn’t help but to listen in. His voice was quiet and cracking down as though he would burst into tears at any moment. 

One day we will walk through emerald fields

And we will swim through sapphire waters

We will fix what went wrong

We will dance again, we will continue

After a long winter returning birds fly home

Ice melts and the world starts anew

Can we ever start again

You’re no match for any men

In a day or two or maybe more

Weeks or years I still believe

That the world will turn around 

And the sun will rise for us as long as we exist

This caught Clara completely off guard. No one has ever sung her a love song and it was clear to her now that James was still in love with someone. She couldn’t even compete with that kind of love. Her eyes started swelling up and she hurried back to her room before anyone would notice her crying. 

The next day Clara noticed James sitting on his own and he seemed down. She thought they could still talk even if they were never meant to end up together. As Clara tried to cheer James up he initially seemed to get even sadder. The sadness then unexpectedly turned into anger. He looked at Clara and said ‘You just don’t understand'. Clara was flabbergasted and told James that she understands he is still in love. James stood up in anger and blurted out ‘You don’t get it’. Clara was now getting frustrated as well. ‘Well tell me then what I do not understand?!’ - said Clara.

‘We don’t have much time...we are...we are…we are’ - James looked into the distance as he kept repeating the same words.

‘We are what?! James tell me what is going on at this instant!’ - shouted Clara.

‘We are...running out of oxygen. We’ll be out by Sunday and no one is coming for us’ - said James almost as though he was bored and thinking of something else already. He was still looking into the distance and avoiding Clare’s stare. He turned around and left in a hurry. 

Clara shouted after him but James didn’t turn around. She didn’t want to cause a scene and ran back to her quarters. She couldn’t believe it. This just didn’t make any sense. Was this not an issue beforehand? Why is no one coming with help? It must be those damned dome structure breaches which ruined the oxygen supply and help wouldn’t get here in time…

Everything continued as normal. It seemed that no one knew that anything was wrong yet. Clara withdrew back to her shell and stopped speaking to anyone. She was still in disbelief that all her efforts would go to waste. She wanted to change the world and she will never get a chance to do it now. It was all completely pointless. There was no fate worse than death. 

The 14th of June 2053 is the day when Clara thought she was going to die. She would cease to be the main character of her own story and would turn into one of those novels that sit in library books gathering dust with no one reading them ever again. 

Eventually, an announcement came through the speakers late at night for everyone to gather in the dome amphitheater. Clara has never seen all of the terraforming teams gathered all in one place before, it was quite a sight. She knew what was coming and felt grateful she had time to come to terms with dying. 

Finally, the announcement ended and Clara was so shaken she felt completely frozen. This is not what she expected. 

‘Project Sunrise members. We have created Project Sunrise for one reason only - for humanity to endure. We must survive. Thank you for participating in our largest to date self-preservation quarantine project. Over a decade ago we received intelligence that the United Republic of East Asia was working on a biological weapon aimed to reduce their numbers due to overpopulation and lack of resources. The weapon could not be controlled and it started spreading quickly. We have tried everything in our power to protect our people and I’m afraid to say that we have failed. We have failed as human beings and as you are listening to this recording you are the only ones left who were protected from the fatal biological weapon which has wiped out almost all of the human population. Your expertise in terraforming Mars will be used to re-establish humans and our societies. Our knowledge has not been lost. You see through all this time you have been in a secret base on Earth rather than sent to Mars. We…’

As she listened to the announcement Clara was so shaken she felt completely forzen. This is not what she expected. Is that why there were no windows? But what about the flight? Oh yes, they were asleep throughout it…. She was in a strange haze as everyone started walking through the exit. She suddenly felt her hand being grabbed and realised it was James. 

‘Why didn’t you tell me the truth!? How could you…’ - cried Clara quietly.

‘Some fates are worse than death Clara. For a long time that is how I felt about ours. Knowing but powerless to do anything. Powerless to help my colleagues. My friends. My family. But I do not anymore. We have a new purpose now’ - said James.

They kept walking together quietly with their hands interwoven. Clara was lost for words and still in shock. As they went outside for the first time in ten years, the sun was rising from the East as it has for millions of years. It’s the sight Clara so desperately wanted to see but hoped she would never get to see again. 

As they stood there together for a while, she heard a faint melody sung by James and smiled when she realised the song’s true meaning.

One day we will again walk through emerald fields

And we will swim through sapphire waters

We will fix what went wrong

We will dance again, we will continue

After a winter returning birds fly home

Ice melts and the world starts anew

Please let us start again

You’re no match for any men

In a day or two or maybe more

Weeks or years I still believe

That the world will turn around 

And the sun will rise for us as long as we exist