大象传媒

By Erin T

Mars. Once we thought it was a useless, boiling hot wasteland, yet today was the start of MISSION: New Earth. Three of the world's best astronauts would make contact with the Mars surface and attempt to create a liveable environment. Why? The earth was in a state of catastrophic failure. Climate change was irreversible, causing arguments between countries, with some even threatening war, and the human race was slowly succumbing to the onslaught of technology. So, Astronauts Jones, Kowalski and Tanaka were called up from across the world to help save humanity.

"Impact in 3...2...1... we have made contact with the Mars surface, over."

"Be careful out there Jones"

"Roger that Mission Control"

Flight commander Gary Jones unbuckled from his chair; boy did it feel good to stretch out after being in such cramped conditions for the last nine months.

"Ready Jones?" asked Kowalski.

"Ready." he replied.

"You are clear to open the hatch." called Tanaka.

This is it, Gary thought, first humans on Mars. He smiled to himself; not a bad thing to be famous for. He grabbed his helmet and secured it tightly onto his head. He reached for the handle on the hatch, worriedly thinking about how this was the only thing between them and the place that was to become the new civilisation for all of humanity.

"Maybe it's best not to give it too much thought" said Tanaka, interrupting Gary's thoughts.

"Yeah..." he sighed. "Ready crew?"

"Ready!" Came the solemn reply.

Gary pulled down on the handle and stepped out of the spacecraft.

The three astronauts set to work immediately, setting up specially designed structures that were to become their homes. They then went off in search of something worth discovering, like an interesting rock sample. They decided to split up, unsure of what exactly they were searching for, but Tanaka soon came upon a startling discovery.

"It's a cavern, but I can't see how deep or long it is" she explained once the others had re-joined her.

"I brought torches so we can explore, it's whether you think it'll collapse as soon as we enter" said Kowalski worriedly.

Grabbing a torch, Tanaka ventured into the cavern, "Kowalski, stay here and inform Mission Control of what we've accomplished so far. Jones, you're with me."

Kowalski nodded and handed another torch to Jones, who proceeded to follow Tanaka into the cavern. The walk down seemed to take forever until Jones noticed something on the walls.

"Tanaka, look! What are these weird paintings?"

Taking a close look, Tanaka whispered, "They look familiar, just like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden."

"How did Earth's creation story end up in a cavern on a barren, uninhabited planet?!" Jones exclaimed incredulously.

Stepping backwards, he tripped over something buried in the ground. Brushing away the sand and rocks, he came face to face with a human skull. Uninhabited? Yeah right...