Week 4 - Alternative Mars

In an alternative universe, on planet Mars, a world inhabited by a human-like species is thriving under constant technological advances. In this world, the concept of rulers never developed, and communities co-exist peacefully in relationships based on trading and recreational activities. Common beliefs were never constructed into religions, and science is the driving force of this civilization. The time period is roughly the middle of the 22^nd century, but the wormholes that are spread around the globe have been around for centuries, ever since the first space-time tear was discovered in the early 19^th century. These wormholes enable the human-like Martians to travel immense distances in very short times, whether on the face of the planet or to other galaxies and universes. Of course, not everyone is permitted to worm-travel, and a special permit is required for those who would like to assume the privileges and responsibilities of worm-traveling. In this iteration of our solar system, Mars orbits around two suns, one yellow and one orange. The radiation isn’t dangerous thanks to a stable and healthy atmosphere, fueled by the abundance in vegetation. Only thirty-eight percent of the planet is water, but the soil is extremely fertile in the one continent of Gampant, sustaining lush vegetation year-round with very little tending required. The Martians are very similar to humans, they are about two and a half times taller than Earth humans, and their skin is very pale, nearly transparent. There is only one language in this world, and it is non-verbal. Martians communicate through expressions and subtle eye movements, comprising words and sentences through eye-darts and blinks. Transportation is done through wormholes, or through zero-friction bullet trains that are capable of traveling around the planet in two Earthly hours. The abundance in wormholes, combined with the planet’s unusual orbit, has begun creating some disturbances in time flow, and some worm-travelers have experienced some very unusual physical changes, like their biological clock going backwards, causing them to age in reverse. Other side effects of these bizarre circumstances include days that fluctuate in speed, days and years that repeat, and the occasional disappearing week. The events that happen during these missing timeframes are still etched into the Martians’ minds, but they never actually live them.