On the surface of Mars, which greatly resembles the mountainous part of our Western U.S.A., everything went off without a hitch. Again, we thanked our technicians. The module was hooked up with a minimum of effort just as the dry runs. Finally the signal was given to fire the return rocket and we were heading safely home. Neither of us felt any effects of removing our gloves and boots, while on the sandy loam of Mars. This was not scheduled, but was an experiment that Jess had decided we ought to make.

"What if the atmosphere is harmful to man from earth?" he asked as we descended, "and we find it out after some of our men die from it? It ought to be found out on this trip!" Without checking this out or clearing it with Space Command, he removed his boots and I removed both my gloves.

The first hint of anything wrong came when we had been earth- bound two days. I noticed a discoloration on my hands. The skin had begun to turn a blue slate color. When I noticed this, Jess removed his boots and found a similar condition on both feet. The discoloration did not spread at first, but the blue intensified slowly. After the first week both of my hands and both of his feet were a deep blue, and had begun to itch slightly. We knew we would have to reveal this informa- tion to Space Control and did.

After thirty days the malady began to inch up our limbs. At the end of our third month in return flight, my elbows had turned blue. It was to Jess's knees. The itching was enough to drive us both crazy, and none of the medications we had on board did a thing to arrest the spread or itch. We tried to brave it out but I was admittedly afraid of death in space.

Our fourth and fifth months were terror such as I have never known. My arms had turned completely blue. It was now in my shoulders and showed no sign of slowing up. Sleep was hard to get, and only exhaustion brought us rest in moments of fitful dozing. Jess's con- dition was spread to his thighs.

We were nearing the end of the journey, but did it mean that we would make it home only to die a horrible blue death? Isolated from our other two companions, we were little comfort to each other. Somehow life began to be dearer to me than ever before. I wanted to live. My body was not in any discomfort except for the incessant itch.

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