In the first year after the shipment was delivered to Mars several things happened.
An eccentric billionaire who was fixated on putting people on Mars was inspired to help get a space craft into orbit around Mars with a capsule that could get a few occupants safely to the surface, and then power them up for a return trip with ample supplies of fuel and coolant.
A select crew was brought together to make the journey.
An even more select crew was shown the only working spacecraft that was accessible on Earth. It was hidden beneath the surface of the Earth in Roswell New Mexico.
Several of the people who were taken off planet by aliens assembled and reformed a committee to ease people into the realization that there have been aliens influencing Earth for a very long time.
Designs to terraform Mars for human population were drawn up and started for future colonization.
A recruitment program was set up in order to find more men with vision. But none were found to have any vision let alone total like Mike Bennett. He was apparently the only one in the system.
...
Earth's orbit around the sun takes an entire Earth year. Mars’ orbit around the sun takes nearly twice as long. (686.5 days) when the delivery was made to the foothills of Olympus Mons the Earth and Mars were in a close orbit. That meant that any mission to pick up the goods would be no sooner than 2 years, and on a timetable of close proximity. So, if they missed this window, it would be another 2 years before they could make another attempt. When the space program was run by competing governments, they used governmental controls that were put in place to safeguard assets, people, and even though they didn’t like to admit it, reputation. Space X was privately owned, and not restricted to government safeguards. The risks and rewards were weighed and measured by a different standard. The potential benefits to humankind were astronomical. The risks were minimal and mitigated. Everybody who had been abducted and returned to Earth assured the world that nothing would go wrong. Apparently, it had been preordained, and written in the stars. Assurances did little to ease the concerns of the affected. It had to be a personal choice.
...
“They will still get there. It will just take a little longer than expected.” Sebastian said.
“Why don’t we just go with plan A?” Lane asked. “Everyone is prepared to do what we were expecting. Why go changing it now?”
“We aren’t the only ones interested in this venture.” Sebastian clarified. “It actually speeds up the timetable for the Mars colony and opens new avenues for progression.”
“The stakeholders who are privy to this turn of events aren’t happy with it.” Jonathan chimed. “But they are going to be compensated.”
“How?” Lane asked.
“With extended lifespans for one.” Jonathan said.
“And monetary compensation.” Sebastian interrupted. He gave Jonathan a sideways glance for his efforts and hoped no one would question what he was about to say.
The room grew quiet for a long time before Mike spoke up.
“And if we refuse?” He asked.
“Please don’t do that.” Sebastian pleaded.
“I need to consider both sides of this issue. I expect some counsel from all of you.” Mike said. “The final word on this is mine, right? We have been scouring the planet for people with vision, and thus far, I am the only one who has it. Without me this ends. Now everyone clear out and let me speak with my crew.”
The people stood up and began to file out of the conference room. Some of them reluctantly.
“Sebastian, Jonathan and Lane. Please stay here and let's hammer out the details.”
The room emptied and the door closed behind the last one as they left. Mike sat at the head of the conference room table and leaned his head back in frustration letting out a sigh.
“You really shouldn’t issue ultimatums like that.” Sebastian said quietly.
“Why not?” Mike asked. “If I am that important then I need to have some say in what we do. Isn’t that, right?”
Sebastian and Jonathan shared a look. Jonathan was slowly shaking his head no.
“We have to tell him.” Sebastian said.
“Tell me what?” Mike asked.
Sebastian took a seat, put his palm over his mouth and closed his eyes for a long moment before he regained his composure.
“We have been in contact with a remnant of the aliens in this system.” Sebastian said.
“With whom?” Lane asked, but no one was in a hurry to clarify his statement.
“The aliens.” Jonathan said with a reassuring nod.
“THE aliens?” Lane asked again.
Sebastian nodded.
“I was the one who put the money and book in the safe deposit box. And the note.” Jonathan admitted.
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“But you were with us. How could you have put it there?” Mike asked.
“I did it a long time ago. Before we ever met.” Jonathan said.
The room went still as the men mulled the information out.
“But the note, the prophesy said the delivery would be there in five days. When did you put the contents in the safe deposit box?”
“December twenty first, nineteen hundred and five.” Sebastian said. “It was cold and snowing.”
“Bullshit.” Lane said. “If that were the case then how do you explain the prophecy?”
“The runes.” Sebastian said. “You were the first person to visit that waiting room and examine the runes. The first one with vision anyway. It activated a transmitter in the dome that sent a message calling for the delivery.”
“Bullshit.” Lane repeated.
“How can you believe everything else, but not this?” Jonathan asked. “This is the easiest part to believe.”
“Mike, how did you get that armored box in my exhibit to open? The combination lock that I had tried to jimmy so many times throughout the decades?” Jonathan asked.
“I put my eye up close to it.” Mike explained. “Like the hidden text instructed me to.”
“And what did you do when Lane pointed out the runes on the columns in the waiting room?” Sebastian asked.
“I went over to look at them.” Mike said.
“Exactly.” Sebastian said. “And the same aliens that received that message, and sent the cargo to Mars, have informed me that they want to fake a crash landing on Mars so they can give you a gift. The people of Earth will believe you are gone. There will be an investigation, and committees. But you and the others will be on your way to another world.”
Mike took a moment to think about the issues.
“I still need to think about it. I don’t think they can do any of this without me. I need to think about it.” Mike said frustratedly.
“Then think about it but think quickly. They want a response.” Sebastian said.
“How do we give them a response?” Lane asked.
Sebastian blinked hard with a grimace on his face.
“Have you been in contact with them?” Lane asked. “This whole time?”
“Not this whole time.” Sebastian said. “But yes. They contacted me a few times in the last year.”
Mike’s head drooped down, and he bit his lip.
“From now on, I want all of the information on this subject to be brought to Lane.” Mike said as he stood up. “Is that clear? Everything. Are you willing to sift through all of this for me buddy?”
Lane nodded resolutely.
“I want Lane to record you doing your mind meld handshake thing with me. I don’t like secrets especially when they involve me.” Mike said.
Sebastian capitulated wordlessly. He moved toward a handshake with Mike, and each gripped the other by the first knuckle in the others forefinger between their fingertip and thumb. Mike both sensed and felt the exchange as he could sense a quick progression through Sebastian's life experiences and his own being transferred to the other person. It started quickly and increased to the point where Mike was getting overwhelmed, and he broke the connection releasing his grip and pulling away. To Mike it felt like the transfer took about three quarters of a minute. He gained a great insight to the abduction of Sebastian in a world before electricity and technology. The trip to another world. The vision from his perspective. It was diminished by comparison to his own at the same time as being more vivid and radiant somehow. He saw the progression of Sebastian losing vision as time relentlessly plodded on. The effects from space travel were the key. When Sebastian was returned to his world his vision was in a perpetual state of decay. It happened slowly but steadily without ever being renewed. Since it had been so very long since his voyage, his vision was nearly depleted. He needed another journey to replenish the effects.
“You lied to me.” Mike said to Sebastian accusingly. “I saw it in our mind meld. You contacted them, not the other way around. You asked for this.”
Sebastian shook his head slowly in denial, but his past had been laid bare to Mike in the exchange.
“Isn’t the timetable acceptable? You have had vision for a hundred years.” Mike said.
“Two hundred.” Jonathan interrupted.
Mike looked at Jonathan with new eyes.
“Those eggs.” Mike said in realization as Lane sensed the anger building up inside Mike and moved between Mike and the other men.
“They sustain me.” Jonathan admitted. “Actually, they have increased my perception of the vision throughout the years. It is stronger now than it has ever been.”
“You have been digesting the fuel that powers our ships you ingrateful bastard.” Sebastian said frustrated. “You are the reason that we needed an intervention.”
“I am the reason we have found the chosen one.” Jonathan announced indignantly.
Lane physically separated the two men before hostilities overflowed.
“You guys need to settle down.” Lane said calmly.
“You can’t change the past.” Mike said. “We can only do our part in the present to create a better future.”
“Consuming these eggs increases the vision?” Lane asked of no one in particular.
Jonathan nodded.
“Have you tried the eggs? The devilled ones are quite wonderful if you like that sort of thing.” Mike suggested.
“I don’t know that consuming rocket fuel is good for your body.” Sebastian admitted.
“Firstly...” Jonathan said before being halted by a look from Lane. “It’s not rocket fuel. It is made up of elements like everything else. Elements that are similar to ones that everybody eats all of the time.”
“Like partially hydrogenated vegetable oil?” Lane asked earnestly.
“I would not use that as an example, but yeah.” Jonathan continued. “They are more closely related to radioactive isotopes. Not the bad ones, but like carbon fourteen. It is present everywhere carbon twelve is, and we all consume it every day. Everything that is alive consumes it every day.”
Mike and Lane gave him a quizzical look.
“You have heard of carbon dating, right?” Jonathan asked.
Both men nodded.
“All of the carbon is one of two types.” Jonathan continued. “Carbon twelve is normal carbon. Carbon fourteen is a slightly unstable cousin to carbon twelve. It is a small sample of the carbon that is used as the building blocks of life. It is stored in carbon-based life forms as they grow and do everything that they do. It goes completely unnoticed.”
“Then what? How does this help with anything?” Mike asked.
“When a carbon-based life form dies the carbon fourteen breaks down and becomes carbon twelve.” Jonathan continued. “It does it at a reliable and consistent rate. In 5730 years after a life form stops renewing its carbon fourteen intake it loses half of its carbon fourteen isotopes. Another 5730 years after that it is reduced to a quarter. In another 5730 years it is reduced to an eighth. Etcetera. The same thing is happening to the flux molecules in the people who have been exposed to rapid space travel. The natural buildup of these molecules used in the flux fuels are reduced to base elements without them. Like the amino acids in the eggs. The eggs have a high concentration of flux molecules in them. I consume them and it rejuvenates the flux molecules in my system. It enhances their effects.”
Sebastian looked at Jonathan with newfound respect.
“I didn’t know that.” Sebastian exclaimed. “And you used that effect to prime the pump in mister Bennett? Genius. No one knew that you were doing that. Why didn’t you say something when you found out?”
“You guys ran me out of town several decades before I figured it out.” Jonathan said. “I was tasked with finding the one with vision. I noticed my own perception fading so I took a chance. When I did, I was rejuvenated. When I initially drained the fuel, it was so long since my space travel that I couldn’t even see the color. It wasn’t until after I started consuming the eggs until I started to get it back.”
“I remember not seeing the shimmering the first day of the event. Not clearly anyway.” Mike said. “It wasn’t until I ate that egg that it became clear.”
“We aren’t going to find anybody with vision until we get that fuel from Mars.” Lane said.
“I need to speak with the aliens. How do I contact them?” Mike asked.