This is a story about Jim.
Boring name, isn’t it?
However, this little boy’s life is nothing but boring.
Jim is the first human to be born on Mars, you see.
His birth is a remarkable step forward for humanity and the colonization of the galaxy.
Wherever he goes, he is accompanied by cameras. There is not a single second where he isn’t the center of someone’s attention.
Many will find his life absolutely miserable, but he does not.
Though he does not take a particular liking to such a lifestyle, he is accustomed to it.
In a way, the cameras are a more significant presence in his life than his parents.
One may wonder how his upbringing is impacted by the constant spotlights on him.
To many’s surprise, Jim grows up no different than a boy on Earth does, except the view of his world is more barren than lively.
While his parents are stressed about how to educate and raise him, he simply does what he desires, and never once does he “cross the line.”
His “normalcy” is more unique than anything he is due to his circumstances. Many wondered if he was even a kid at times during his childhood.
As time passes, more babies are born in the colony on Mars. A certain man who funded the colony is tempted to provide the newborns “unique” names but his foolish suggestion is vetoed by nearly everyone.
Jim is 10 when he is enrolled in the first school on Mars with children half his age. The other babies are only born years after his own, so he is the only student in his class. That is, until another similar remarkable individual joins him. The first child sent from the Earth to reside on Mars.
It is no coincidence his one and only classmate is a girl, whose name is Alice.
Unlike him, she does not have a family. Not on Mars, nor on Earth.
Her origin is concealed by the authorities who sent her away from her home.
They claim she is a special child, which is why she was chosen. Of course, as you’re aware, that cannot be further from the truth.
She is merely an orphan everyone deems can survive the trip to Mars, and a perfect, well, “candidate,” for Jim.
It is no surprise, then, that she has trouble adjusting to her new, suffocating life.
Nightmares are frequent for her, and she is prone to sudden tears.
Fortunately for her, then, that her classmate is Jim.
He treats her no differently from another boy she’s familiar with back on Earth.
Sees her as an ordinary girl, he does.
His attitude toward her grounded her more than anything produced on Earth.
As they are the only two children of similar age, they grow closer to each other.
Nothing more than friends, Jim claims.
Of course, the adults will not shut up about how well they’ll be as a couple.
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Alice is greatly bothered by how the adults treat her as a decoration in the life of the Most Specialest Boy Alive.
Ironically, she often finds comfort in his company.
And so, they grow up.
Their bond, though undergone changes, remains stronger than ever.
There is a period when Alice can’t help but find herself drawn to Jim.
Ultimately, she set aside her feelings out of respect for his wishes.
And so, they become young adults, and it is time for them to choose their path.
Neither of them are excellent in any particular field. They are not geniuses, despite their extraordinary conditions.
Jim can choose to become a representative of the Mars colony. Frankly, there is no one better than him to do so with Alice.
Though he rejects the offer, he still helps out with a little issue.
The Mars colony operates under different rules compared to Earth, which means that there is no need for anyone to “work.”
Of course, the capitalists are enraged the people they hired aren’t willing to live under their tyrannical thumb.
However, they soon realize they did not want to piss off the only people who can blow up the most valuable quarry in human history if push comes to shove.
A tenuous relationship was thus established with Jim’s help.
His silver tongue made short work of the negotiation, especially when his inspiring speech was broadcast on every social media platform.
Though the people of Earth continue to view him as a hero afterward, he is content merely reading books and editing the works of aspiring writers.
Alice, on the other hand, decides to become a space botanist, so to speak.
The relationship with the capitalists will not last, and they need to create a suitable atmosphere on Mars so crops can be directly grown on the surface of the planet.
Her work is greatly appreciated by many, and people soon see her as a scientist, not a poster child.
One day, Jim accompanies Alice to a patch of land where the experimental crops will be tested.
To Alice’s utter surprise, they discover technology from an ancient civilization buried in the ground.
Their actions inadvertently awaken a powerful artificial intelligence residing within the technology.
The colonists prepare for the worst as long-dead machines roar to life and surround the colony.
However, only one person is unfazed by that sudden turn of events.
Though Alice understands Jim better than anyone, for a moment, she considers the possibility that he may simply be insane.
After all, who can maintain their nerves while facing an artificial intelligence that may have brought ruin to the once-thriving civilization on the barren planet?
Jim can, apparently.
Everyone watches, with curiosity and fear, at Jim as he communicates with the artificial intelligence.
No one knows what the intelligence is speaking, including Jim, yet he miraculously talks it down.
In fact, he befriends the intelligence all while not understanding a thing it says.
He does not explain why or how he achieved that feat. He still can’t.
It is merely something he can do, he claims. No one believes him.
Regardless, that was a fortunate turn of events for the colonists.
With the artificial intelligence’s aid, the colonists are able to understand it.
Of course, the first thing that people ask is why did it accept Jim’s call for peace.
Its response essentially boils down to, “He’s chill.”
The intelligence also implies Jim appears familiar to it for an unknown reason.
However, no one gives that remark any thought as they are too busy losing their minds over the fact that an ancient artificial intelligence did not destroy the colony because the person who talked to it was “chill.”
Moving forward, the artificial intelligence cooperates with the colonists to build Earth 2.0 on Mars.
In less than a decade, the Mars colony is completely self-sustainable, and Alice becomes the most accomplished woman there.
Jim, on the other hand, continues to read his book and edit any stories he fancies.
Occasionally, he steps forward to mediate conflicts.
For example, that time when the US (and a few other countries) launched an all-out war against Mars due to a certain man’s childish greed.
Or that time when the artificial intelligence threatened to destroy all humans for their hubris and sins that mirror its previous masters after being provoked by idiots.
Jim will casually lend a hand to his home and return to his room, acting as if nothing extraordinary happened.
Once, Alice asks him how he is able to perform so many impossible feats.
Jim merely responds with, “It’s not impossible when you have to protect your home.”
In the seven decades following the official establishment of the Mars colony, Mars has become the ideal location for a human to live in.
A human, not a bag of worms that eats only money disguised as a human.
In time, even the Earth will be changed significantly for the better.
However, for now, Jim continues to lead his “ordinary life” on Mars, sometimes struggling with editing the mountains of stories waiting to be read by him.
And that is the abridged version of the history of Mars until now.
Thank you for reading.