FICTION

A TRIP TO THE EXCHANGERS

Helen 1-W-1 FPE

The trip to Mars had been uneventful after blastoff, as our space- craft functioned perfectly. As pilot of the landing module, I became the first earthman on the soil of this forbidding planet. I may well be the last unless the medical technicians can find a way to combat the effect of the Martian atmosphere on the skin of earthmen.

Four of us were aboard the Marty One as it left the launch pad in late January, 1978. The six month journey was fantabulous as far as sight seeing is concerned, but never have I encountered such boredom as we endured, once the novelty wore off. There were ex- periments to be made; data to be recorded, transmitted and received to be sure, but in a twenty-four hour day there are a lot of minutes with nothing to do but try and amuse yourself.

Joe Drake, Tod Hunt, Jess Marshall and myself Barry Newbill. These were the names on this history-making flight. Another first for the good old U.S.A. It was quite an accomplishment all right. I was proud to be selected for piloting the module. It would have killed me, to have been chosen to sit it out in the spacecraft orbiting the planet and watch someone else descend to the surface of Mars. I have always wanted to be in on the action, and I certainly did get in on it this time around.

The schedule called for Jess and I to set down in the fairest spot that we would be able to find, and spend one hour gathering samples of dirt, rocks, minerals, plant growths, etc. These were to be sealed in a compartment designed for this purpose, and then we were to link. up with Marty One. To avoid contamination of the other two men, we were to remain in our module all the way home.

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