Martian Settlement: The Fight For Mars

Chapter 10: The Last Step

Location: Martian Settlement, Acheron Fossae

It was a spectacular morning in the Martian Settlement. Birds chirped in the Biosphere and streamlets of sunlight streaked through the honeycomb windows of the Main Meeting Room. Yet it wasn't enough to alleviate the constraint that gripped the hearts of people both in the mining colonies and the Settlement.

The CEOs of the Martian mining colonies shook hands with Jack and Andrea, head of TESAMAS.

"Let us begin," said Andrea. "I call for mandatory restrictions to apply to not just the allowed area for mining but for the amount of material mined as well as regular inspections of mining bases."

"That would be problematic," said Mike Marcus. "It would force some of us to slash our expansion plans and flatten our employment rate, destroying jobs and, if you think far enough, the livelihood of many people."

"I believe it is for the greater good," said Olivia, the head of Interplanetera Mining. "Yes, jobs may be destroyed but this problem can be countered and Mars can be kept a pristine, unpolluted environment."

"Pristine environment," huffed the CEO of Conglomera. "Coming from the person who proposed plans of large-scale terraforming activities."

"And it also depends on what you call 'good'," said Mike. "Destroying peoples' livelihoods to save a planet may be called either 'good' or 'bad'. I believe that people should be valued over the planet."

"If you value people so much, then why do I find this?" said Andrea, cocking her head mischievously.

She pulled out a sheaf of papers and a bio-containment tube.

"Evidence of your bioweapons development program to be sold to terrorist groups which would lead to the death of many people."

"This is fabricated evidence," he denied, his shocked facial expression giving him away. "I do not run a bioweapons programme and your people stormed my base yesterday to dig up dirt on me."

"Stormed?" said Jack, speaking for the first time. "That is a very strong word to use. It was only a reconnaissance mission conducted in the interest of clarifying our suspicions of you which we confirmed via tests in our labs here last night."

Damn guy is good at lying, thought Jack, noting that Mike still managed to keep his genuine "shocked and innocent" face.

"Do you want us to pull in terrestrial authorities?" asked Andrea. "If you truly believe that you do not run a bioweapons programme, you wouldn't mind terrestrial authorities investigating your mining base here and your corporation. In fact, we can have terrestrial authorities here in just two days."

Mike knew he was finished, and the other CEOs knew it too. He could, of course hide the bio-weapon evidence underground and fill the lab with dud "experiment samples" but interrogation would cause some of his staff to crack. It also didn't help that he had two of his staff held in the Settlement awaiting return to Earth.

"I hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but you must answer 'yes' or 'no' to this question now," said Jack.

"If you halt all nefarious activities here on Mars and on Earth and sign the Martian Environmental Treaty, TESAMAS and terrestrial law enforcement may grant you and your corporation leniency. Do you agree to restrictions on the amount of minerals mined and the construction of factories on Mars, banned mining areas – something both of us don't want to discuss now – and regular inspections on your facilities?"

"Yes," answered Mike, signing the document handed to him by his assistant.

"Rius, CEO of Conglomera Mining, do you agree too to this treaty?" asked Andrea.

Rius had been informed by Mike the night before that the Settlement had accessed its database. There was too much incriminating evidence against not just Igneon but also some other corporations. He knew that the Settlement had evidence against his corporation too, but they had not tried yet to force him with it.

"Yes," he said, signing the document.

"I agree to the treaty," said Olivia, signing the document. "For it allows the birth of a new Earth, one free from the perils that nearly destroyed its predecessor."

The next two CEOs promptly signed the treaty without delay or negotiation. They were known for their interest in preservation of the environment and their tendency to do things for the greater good rather than for themselves or their companies.

The last CEO, Amy, agreed to sign the treaty if a compromise was made. She asked for the maximum amount of factories per corporation on Mars to be increased from four to seven but the allowed emissions to only be increased by 0.35%.

The compromise was manageable, both for the corporations and the Martian environment, and with it, the future of Mars was secured.