They bring peace?

Chapter two: Titan during descent

The day the fire appeared, it was beautiful, unimaginably so. People from all the nearest cities came to see it that day. Some had begun to pray to it, as a miracle like no other. Some were adamant that we had to get rid of it. The company officials of Tri-Forrus were silent on this matter. They didn't seem to care much. As long as it didn't affect their bottom line.

I, however, was out of the house and cared very much about that. Left with no other choice I appealed to the company for housing. After haggling with bureaucrats and accountants alike I barely managed to get housing, though at a rather large sum of money. Which I was saving for a holiday. I did technically get what I asked for it just wasn't comparable to what I had before this shitstorm.

As I arrived at my new home. No, it wasn't necessarily a home it was just a house, somewhere to lay my head. All I had on me was my communications device. They were lovingly dubbed 'flares' because of how they set off when you get a message or data packet. It's like a small fireworks show either on your wrist or in your pocket. Of course, you could customise your very own fireworks show. To some degree at least. My clothing as well, my laptop and some food I bought using the money I had on my flare, not much but it was something.

Walking my way from the company's offices I was not pleased with my life at that moment, my house had just become one of two things a research experiment that needed to be destroyed or a new site of religious persuasion. I arrived at a not-at-spectacular house by any means, single bedroom, single bathroom, decent kitchen, and dining room, the view was morbid. All the windows overlooked the nature reserve where my actual home was ablaze. "Well damn. There goes the morning walk, not quite sure what else goes with it but so far that's what gets me the most." I babbled to myself. Now that I think about it a rather long while later, little did I know how much would go with my morning walk.

Soon after preparing some traditional Martian cuisine which is just nutrient slop, grey, tasteless and if you left it alone for long enough it would solidify and turn to concrete in your bowl. I ate it begrudgingly. I then made my way to the slab of 'comfort' most people call a bed and drift off to sleep, not thinking about much. Tomorrow my two days off a week would begin. It's similar to a weekend but for the company you can't just have everyone off for two days, they space them out. Some get the luxury of being off for a Monday and a Tuesday, others get Wednesday and Thursday.

My sleep was rough... I tossed and turned. I woke up on the floor dazed and confused. I stood up my left hip tinged with slight pain. "I must've fallen onto my damned hip."

Completely ignoring the pain I get dressed, but can't eat anything... not here at least, no food in the house I'd eaten the only thing I bought last night, that sludge. Coming out of the little alleyway my door is in I noticed a couple of thugs loitering. They don't look like the normal bunch of scum that this paradise rarely produces, they looked 'imported'.

Their skin is rough, with small bumps oddly similar to goose bumps but deeper in the skin. One of them stands out from the rest, his hair is a serene raven black while the others have a heated red. They stand tall... which I know is relative but they are all at least six feet and a bit which is damn tall. From what I've said so far, one would assume they're Martians, but no, they aren't. these particular roundabouts look like earthmen or just people from the earth. Humanities mother planet or what is left of it.