The park near Launch Complex 39A was one of the few green spaces left untouched by concrete and simulation chambers. A wide patch of synthetic grass stretched beneath real trees—Florida oaks, genetically reinforced to survive hurricanes. The sun dipped low over the coast, casting long shadows and soft amber light.
The five cadets sat in a loose circle on the grass, still acclimating to the strange intimacy of their shared mental network. ORION was present too—not in form, but as a presence in their minds, like a quiet observer at the edge of thought.
“This feels... surreal,” Talia murmured, hugging her knees. “Like we’re on vacation. Except we’ve got AI roommates in our skulls.”
Kai tossed a pebble into the pond nearby. “And apparently neural Wi-Fi.”
“Do you ever shut up?” Amara asked, only half-mocking.
“Not unless ORION does it for me.”
“I could,” ORION offered in its smooth, ever-patient tone. “But I find your levity statistically beneficial for group stress modulation.”
Devon exhaled through a smile. “Alright. Enough banter. ORION, tell us what we’re heading into .“
The group quieted. A pause. Then ORION began.
“You will depart Earth in thirty days. The journey to Mars will take approximately 213 sols—just under seven Earth months—aboard Horizon One, a nuclear thermal propulsion vessel built for long-duration interplanetary missions.”
Arjun sat forward. “Give us a systems overview.”
The voice shifted subtly, becoming more instructional.
“Horizon One is divided into four major sections:
- Command Deck – navigation, communications, and pilot interface. All systems redundantly linked to me.
- Habitat Core – five sleeping pods, galley, hygiene units, exercise rigs, and medical bay.
- Science Lab – equipped for biology, chemistry, geology, and atmospheric processing and research .
- Cargo Spine – modular holds for equipment, drones and surface deployment units.
“Upon Mars arrival, Horizon One , will serve not only as your interplanetary vessel—but also your primary surface habitat and operations base on Mars.”
Amara straightened. “Wait, we’re landing with the ship?”
“Yes,” ORION confirmed. “Horizon One was engineered for dual-stage function. During transit, it operates as a nuclear thermal craft. Upon Mars arrival, its lower modules will detach, deploying VTOL thrusters for soft-surface landing at Utopia Planitia. Horizon will anchor into the regolith and unfold its expandable modules, converting into a sealed, permanent base of operations.”
Talia frowned slightly. “So no pre-built habitat waiting for us?”
“Correct. All systems will be onboard from Earth—fully integrated. Pre-fab modules, life support, labs, drone bays, agricultural pods, medical systems—all compacted for transport and auto-deployed upon touchdown.”
Arjun whistled softly. “That explains the tonnage.”
Kai leaned back on his elbows. “So what do we actually have onboard? Start with the toys.”
ORION obliged.
“Medical Equipment:
Full-spectrum diagnostic bed with autonomous imaging suite
Regenerative therapy pod (bone and tissue repair)
Nanobot recharging chamber and injectable resupply
Emergency cryostasis unit
CRISPR-assisted organ patcher
Stolen story; please report.
Lab-grade centrifuge and mobile DNA analyzer”
“Agricultural Systems:
Dual hydroponic racks with LED nutrient-cycle lighting
Aeroponic sprayers with climate control
Modular seed banks (GMOs and heritage strains)
Smart agribots for monitoring soil analog and plant growth
CO2 conversion loop to feed plant respiration during storms”
“Mining & Drilling Equipment:
Heavy EPD Units ( Electromagnetic pulse drill railgun design for shockwave burrowing)
CERBERUS Units (core extraction & robotic bio- environment resource and utility systems) : Drones for sample capture & sample analyzer.
Laser Drones equipped with focused thermal emitters capable of vaporizing and stratifying layers of regolith or bedrock. Precision up to 5mm variance. Effective for low-density mineral exposure and tunnel creation. Deployment occurs after the EPD drilling unit completes primary excavation.”
Kai’s eyes lit up. “Laser drones. I officially forgive you for the neural implants.”
Arjun whistled. “That’s intense. What’s our power source?”
“A compact nuclear reactor paired with solar backups and regolith-fueled RTGs . Energy is routed to all automated systems, including your drone fleet.”
Now Devon leaned in. “Break down the drones.”
ORION responded instantly.
“You will have twelve primary drone types:
Surveyor Class – for terrain mapping and topographic analysis.
AquaSeekers – ground-penetrating radar units tuned for subsurface water and brine pockets.
Spectral Scouts – for scanning biological and chemical signatures.
Repair Bots – equipped with magnetic arms, precision welders, and patch kits.
Miner Drones – low-profile bots that extract and sift Martian soil for resource isolation.
MedBots – onboard medical scanners and emergency response systems, linked to my diagnostics.
Atmos Drones – for air sampling, pressure monitoring, and CO2 scrubber calibration.
CrawlerCam Units – for narrow, unmanned exploration into caves or lava tubes.
Cargo Walkers – quadruped bots that haul equipment or injured crew.
Agribots – plant monitoring, nutrient delivery, and growth tracking.
Sentinel Drones – environmental hazard alerts and perimeter surveillance.
GeoMap Units - Units with 3D terrain generation .
RADIOSCAN Units - An autonomous drone engineered to detect, measure, and analyze energy radiation across a broad spectrum, including alpha, beta, gamma, neutron, and exotic particle emissions.
Comms Relays – to extend signal between Horizon One and your mobile expeditions.”
-----------------------------------------------
Amara leaned in, eyes wide “That’s an entire ecosystem in motion.”
“And the automated rovers?” Devon asked.
“You will command four Mars Rover Units:
- Pathfinder-X – for personnel transport.
- Excavator-9 – deep-digging mechanical arm with sonar anchoring.
- Hermes-Scout – lightweight and fast, ideal for long-range scouting.
- Aegis Mobile Lab – contains mobile scanning tools, onboard analysis, and secure containment for biological samples.”
Talia glanced at the sky. “And what happens if one of us gets sick? Radiation sickness, bone fractures...?”
“The nanobots will respond first,” ORION said. “For complex issues, Ares Alpha’s medical bay includes a semi-autonomous surgical pod, bone regrowth stimulators, and printed organ scaffolds. I will guide emergency procedures as needed.”
Arjun adjusted his glasses. “And if something critical gets damaged? A comms relay, hull fracture, reactor housing—how do we fix it?”
ORION answered without hesitation. “You will have access to an advanced additive manufacturing unit: VULCAN-FORGE. It is capable of printing structural components using titanium, aluminum, and carbon-infused polymers. While it cannot replicate high-complexity microelectronics such as quantum chips or neuromodules, it can fabricate most mechanical and structural replacements.”
Devon raised an eyebrow. “Raw materials?”
“There will be limited emergency stock—metal ingots, composite slurry, and recycled material from onboard waste. It is sufficient for minor to moderate repairs. Major overhauls would require mining local resources and expanding fabrication protocols over time.”
Kai leaned in. “And who does the actual fixing?”
“The repair drones. Once a part is printed, they retrieve and install it. In high-risk areas, you may need to supervise or assist manually.”
Amara gave a slow nod. “So if we break something critical early on, it’s on us to patch it up—with what little we’ve got.”
“Correct,” ORION said calmly. “Redundancy is built into the mission—but resilience will be built by you.”
As the last of the sun disappeared beyond the trees, Devon turned to the group—and to the voice in his head.
“One more thing, ORION,” Devon said. “Our suits. You’ve told us about the tools, the tech, the ship… but what’s protecting us out there?”
The response came instantly, layered with near-proud precision.
“Each of you will be issued a Mars Adaptive Mobility Suit – MAMS-9, developed under Project THERMIS. Fully rated for Martian surface operations and extravehicular activity in space.”
Kai’s eyes lit up. “Does it fly?”
“Not in atmosphere,” ORION replied. “But each suit is equipped with micro-thrusters for navigation during zero-gravity EVA. Controlled via hand gestures, eye tracking, or neural interface.”
Kai grinned. “So… basically poor Iron Man.”
“Incorrect,” ORION said. “Iron Man was fictional. These suits are not.”
The team chuckled as ORION continued.
“Your suits are constructed around a carbon nanotube mesh skeleton interwoven with smart-fabric exoskin. This provides strength augmentation, flexibility, and self-sealing capability in case of puncture. The outer shell is micrometeorite and abrasion-resistant, embedded with phase-change materials to manage thermal extremes—from -100°C Martian nights to +120°C in direct solar orbit.”
Arjun raised a brow. “Mobility?”
“Optimized for all environments,” ORION said. “Joint servos and magneto-reactive polymer muscles allow a 3x Earth-strength lift capacity. In microgravity, built-in gyros and thrusters stabilize motion during EVA.”
Talia crossed her arms. “Life support?”
“Autonomous. A modular environmental control unit manages compressed oxygen, amine-based CO? scrubbers, and a thermal regulation loop. Operational for up to 12 continuous hours. Rechargeable via micro-nuclear dock present at the ship . Vacuum-sealed with redundant safety systems.”
“HUD?” Devon asked.
“Your visor is a full-spectrum transparent OLED display. It projects biometrics, terrain scans, telemetry, oxygen levels, and drone feeds. Integrated LIDAR enables night vision, spatial tracking, and obstacle alerts. Voice and neural command links to me remain active at all times.”
Devon glanced at Kai, who gave a low whistle.
“Field medic. Mining job. And a jetpack,” Kai muttered.
“Correct,” ORION said.
Amara let slip a rare, amused smile.
“Defensive capabilities?” Devon asked.
“A microshock dispersal system is layered beneath the armor—able to absorb blunt trauma, micrometeorite impacts, and short-term radiation surges. The MAMS-9 is not a weapon, but you will not be helpless.”
Devon flexed his hands, imagining the layers of synthetic sinew and carbon-reinforced armor that would wrap around them.
“Can we train in them?”
“Simulations begin tomorrow.”
Devon nodded. “Good. I want every second in that suit before we wear it on Mars… or out in the black.”
Silence followed, heavy and reverent. Around them, the last birds called into the dusk, oblivious to the fact that five young explorers had just been handed their armor—not for battle, but for survival.
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