Ius rallies against Valley Council proposal
Music and dancing for the future of Mars
GERYON MONTES, Oct. 43 - Hundreds of residents of Mars’ second largest city, Ius, gathered for a pre-election rally at the Geryon Agora here Saturday to oppose the establishment of an official Valley-wide council to oversee development across the entire Valles Marineris.
The proposed council was added to the November ballot by the Urbs Vallis Council, which governs Mars’ largest city at the west end of Tithonium Chasma.
“Our first inclination was to simply ignore the whole thing,” Ius Councillor Seamus Mitsutomi told the crowd assembled on the top terrace of Geryon, which overlooks Ius proper and the chasma to the north. “The Urbs council has no power to unilaterally put itself over the other chasmata, but we believe a resounding defeat will send a stronger message.”
The crowd cheered and held up signs reading, “Mars is our home“ and “We’ll build our own future.”
About 11,000 residents live in the terraced settlements on Geryon Montes, a 360 km mountain range in the middle of Ius Chasma, and about 12,000 in Ius proper on the lower levels of the mountain and on the chasma floor.
“Those of us who came here from Earth know the dangers inherent in adding new levels of government,” said Mitsutomi, a former Urbs development manager. “And our first generation Martians won’t give up the freedom to develop their communities as they see fit.”
In addition to the question of whether to add a Valley-wide Council, all local council seats from Urbs Vallis to Coprates and Orson Welles are up for a vote in the annual election. City residents will also vote on whether to give Urbs Vallis a new name, with popular sentiment favoring Tithonia.
Unanswered questions
There are a number of unanswered questions about the Valley council proposal, Ius Councillor Brynn Gibby said.
The Valley Council ballot proposal does not spell out the exact powers to be given to the council, how the Council seats would be apportioned, and whether it would be empowered to overrule local councils in Noctis Labyrinthus, Ius and Geryon Montes, Melas, Candor and Coprates chasmata as well as Orson Welles Crater.
Urbs Valles, usually called the City, is home to just under half of the Valley’s residents, which could give it a dominating position on the proposed Council.
“The Urbs city council wants to give itself the power to make all our decisions for us, and we won’t let them,” Gibby said. “There’s more of us, and more Martians outside the City now.”
The Valley Council proposal has also drawn the support of Mars DevCo’s new planetary manager, Elric Balvacar.
DevCo controls Ares Port, which handles cargo and passenger traffic from the Valley to the Mars Carousel orbital, which it owns, and its orbital factories. DevCo also owns the Ares Port industrial facilities that it has built.
While DevCo has substantial development rights in Tithonium Chasma, the City Council controls the residential areas of WestHill Terraces and the Habitational Tube as well as the industrial areas extending west of the City and the cargo and passenger tube to Ares Port.
Opportunity knocks in Ius
At the Geryon Agora on Saturday, the crowd was entertained by the dance and musical group, Geryon Samba, the Rayguns electric pop trio and by singer Monique Solis and accordion player Ignacio Beck, who played a lively mix of music based on the Norteño music from the Texas-Mexico border. .
During a break in the music, Cafe du Mont proprietor Janet Depaysage spoke out in favor of local control.
“I wanted to open my cafe in the City, but they wouldn’t let me,” Depaysage told the crowd. “I only just came to Ius, and they not only said ‘go ahead,’ they made sure I had this beautiful space up here on the terrace. It’s been a dream come true for me.”
Another newcomer to Ius, fabric designer Leonie Baxter, urged the crowd to resist City efforts to control their community.
“There’s more freedom and more opportunity here. You are the future of Mars,” Baxter said to prolonged cheers from the crowd.
Since the summer, the Urbs Vallis Council, led by President Claude Paddingbury, has become more stridently opposed to development decisions made by the other chasmata.
That has included demanding halts to the residential expansion in Geryon Montes, which would add habitations for 10,000 people, new industrial development in Candor Chasma, a water mining project in Melas Chasma and to all homesteading in Noctis Labyrinthus.
The City has also opposed a new underground settlement being built in the Shalbatana Vallis near Orson Welles and about 2,800 km (check) from Urbs Vallis itself.
The moves to limit development outside of Tithonium Chasma comes as growth in the other chasmata is outpacing the City, which is the sole destination for immigrants to Mars coming in on labor contracts with DevCo and which has been losing workers coming off their transportation contracts to jobs in other chasmata or to homesteading.
“The City keeps pretending that it can assume powers it doesn’t have,” Ius Councillor Eugenia Valezquez said. “We’re here to say we're not going to stand for that.”
Exploration group acquires three shuttles from Mars DevCo
O'Ceileachairs to use them for orbital work
ARES PORT, Oct. 40 - The exploration group owned by the O’Ceileachair sisters is purchasing three of the Class IV orbital shuttles that are being replaced by the larger Class V shuttles, Ares Port Manager Ernesto Bosch told the Chaos Courier Wednesday.
The three shuttles are being retired before the arrival of the supply train from Earth that is bringing nearly 2,500 new residents to the orbital and Urbs Vallis.
“We’re replacing those shuttles, and it’s a good deal for all involved,” Bosch said. “It’s a good deal for us, as we don’t have to maintain the aging shuttles and it’s a good deal for them because they get some well maintained craft that they can use in their own orbital operations.”
Bosch said the O’Ceileachair group has also been working to support the completion of the orbital cargo yard expansion, using the first of the three shuttles.
“That’s on target now for completion the second week of November,” Bosch said. “That will give us a bit of time for some shake down tests.”
The other two shuttles will be flown up the Carousel in the next two weeks.
The O’Ceileachairs, who returned over the summer from a two-annos exploration tour of the Asteroid Belt, have established a second orbital shipyard, which was used to refurbish the Jove explorer scout for the new Space Rescue service and is repurposing another ship into a space tug.
Asked how the shuttles would be used, Attracta O’Ceileachair, captain of the Boudicca explorer scout, said they would be most likely support their orbital operations and to provide services to Mars DevCo on an as-needed basis.
“We’ll be lending a hand when the supply and cargo train gets here, helping to get the cargo ships parked in the right berths and in moving cargo,” O’Ceileachiar said. “They can use the new, bigger shuttles to move more people more quickly to the Carousel, and get them ready for the drop down to the City.”
The shuttles also would allow the O’Ceileachair Exploration Group to build out the facilities to support flights to and from the Belt.
“Our main focus right now is on building faster ships to explore and develop the belt,” O’Ceileachair said. “There are nearly endless resources out there that can be developed for use here on Mars and for the people who are going to work and live there.”
Space Rescue on track to rendezvous with Earth fleet
A big loop to say hi
ABOARD THE JOVE Oct. 41 - Three weeks into its first voyage as a Space Rescue ship, the Jove is on target to rendezvous with the supply fleet from Earth in 10 sols, Capt. Hayden Torbay said.
“We’re essentially making a big, elliptical loop,” Torbay said. “We’re losing a bit of our Mars speed, but only some of it, and we want to position ourselves to be in the right spot, moving at the right speed before the supply train starts its deceleration burn.”
Mars travels at an average speed of about 87,000 kph, and Earth at 107,000 kph.
Ideally, the Jove will come up behind the fleet before they begin their deceleration burns to make sure that all the ships successfully complete the maneuver.
The incoming fleet comprises 10 passenger liners and 15 cargo ships, including four orbital manufacturing modules, and is scheduled to arrive in Mars orbit Nov. 30.
“We don’t want to have to play catch-up, although we could. This ship’s that fast,” Torbay said. “Really, all we want to have to do is say, ‘Welcome to Mars.’”
The Jove played an integral role of the rescue of the fast packet Caraval, whose engines failed last summer as it approached Mars and then flew by its home planet.
The mission is also serving as a shakedown cruise for the Jove, which was repurposed into a rescue ship from an explorer scout by the new Space Rescue group based out of the Mars Carousel.
“Until now, we haven’t really had any means of providing much backup to the supply trains,” Jove co-pilot Electra O’Ceileachair said. “We just had to hope that all the ships would work as intended and that everyone would arrive safely. That’s mostly worked out except for the Barsoom and the Stella Mariner.”
The Planitus Barsoom went silent as it approached Mars some 30 annos ago with 97 people on board and was not heard from again.
The exploration ship Stella Mariner lost control and crashed into the far western end of the Noctis Labyrinthus with a loss of 33 lives.
Should any of the ships fail to decelerate properly, the Jove will be able to accompany them as they approach Mars.
The Tea House of the Fire Planet
Mars gets its first tea room
URBS VALLIS, Oct. 43 - City residents got a taste of delicious green tea and a few moments of blissful meditation at the new Japanese-style tea room here on Saturday.
A dozen people walked on stepping stones across the new koi pond in the third Habtube section here, and waited at the entrance to the pavilion designed by City Engineer Shigeru Kashira and his wife, nutritionist Asana Kashira, in Hab 3.
Dressed in the traditional robes known as kimono, the two bowed to their guests, who bowed a bit awkwardly in return, and gestured for them to come up into the pavilion where small cushions were set on tatami mats. In the center stood a black tea kettle on a low table with a portable heating pad set on a square stone.
The Kashiras slipped off their sandals and their guests followed suit before stepping onto the tatami.
“Welcome to our tea house,” Asana Kashira said, bowing again. “The pavilion is for everyone, but for a few Saturdays, we will use it as a tea room to celebrate our first harvest of tea. We have been growing our tea plants for several annos and now we have our first harvest on Mars.”
“We wanted to introduce our neighbors to a simplified version of a traditional tea ceremony,” Shigeru Kashira said. “Which is to say, we’ll sit quietly in our garden, breathe a little and then enjoy some cookies and tea, while focusing our attention and intentions on the tea itself.”
The koi pond is sheltered from the rest of the city by a tall grove of bamboo, with a carefully tended garden around it including a boxwood shrubs, Japanese sedge, fern with green and purple leaves, and black bamboo as well as miniature ‘bonsai’ plants including red maple, Chinese elm and juniper.
At one side, a long scroll hung on a stand, with Japanese characters written in brush strokes of black ink beside a tall vase holding an orchid with two soft-pink blooms.
火星の茶室
“The scroll reads, the tea house of Mars, or the tea house of the fire planet,” Shigeru Kasana explained. “The top kanji, or letter, is fire, the next is planet or star, the next is “no,” a very handy Japanese word, here meaning “of” followed by the two letters for “tea room.”
The Kashiras bowed again and sat on their knees on the tatami mats, and invited their guests to use some small cushions to help them sit in the same posture, although not all were able to do so.
“It’s called ‘seiza’ or correct sitting for meditation, but you can cross your legs if it’s uncomfortable,” Asana Kasana said. “You are welcome to the tea room. We’ll have tea, but not a real tea ceremony. Still, we should try to be peaceful and mindful, for the tea is meant to be a refuge from the cares of daily life.”
She led the guests in a few minutes of meditative breathing to get them in the spirit, and then encouraged them to consider the plants individually, from the miniature ‘bonsai’ trees to a variety of flowering plants, and then the koi as they swam peacefully around the pond.
“We want to be aware and mindful of everything that is here with us, here and now, and through that mindfulness find peace,” she said. “And we shall give the tea the same respect.”
Go drink tea
After the breathing, Shigeru Kasana picked up a platter of small sweets and offered one to each guest. When they had finished, he walked to the side and carried in a beautiful ceramic tea bowl and placed it on the table, and then a bamboo whisk and tea scoop.
He carefully cleaned the utensils before making the tea in the bowl, whisking it vigourously to make it frothy and brought a small tea bowl to each guest, presenting it with the design on the front, for each to admire.
“Arigato,” each said in turn, or “Thank you.”
He motioned to everyone to turn their cups around before drinking. And silently, the group sat enjoying the fresh green aroma of the tea, the sound of the fountains in the pond and the view of the garden.
When everyone had finished, Shigeru collected the cups one by one and took them to the side, but cleaned the main tea bowl and utensils once again, leaving them on the table in the center. He bowed to his guests and walked to the side.
Asana Shigeru stood and bowed to the guests and said, “Thank you so much for coming to our tea room. It is a work in progress as the garden, but we hope to see you again. Please take a moment to look at the tea bowl and utensils and enjoy the garden.”
The Kashiras are inviting residents to join them for tea Saturday on the hour from 10:00 to 14;00, Hab 3 Terrace 1, south side. RSVP essential as only 12 guests will be admitted for each session. Sorry, no scones or cucumber sandwiches. That’s a different kind of tea time. This is the Hab 3 koi pond. not the one in Tithonia Gardens. Message City Parks to RSVP
A flower by any other name
Tithonia blossoms in City Garden
URBS VALLIS, Oct. 43 - While the Tithonia Gardens isn’t officially taking a position on a possible new name for Urbs Vallis, it does want residents to come admire the bright yellow, orange and red blossoms of its latest display.
“There’s also called Mexican sunflowers—as well as tithonia,” Chief Gardener and botanist Eseld Bloman said, walking along a meter-tall border of bright blooming daisy-like flowers, “We just like them because they’re tall, pretty flowers.”
The floral displays comes less than two weeks before city residents get to choose a new name for their hometown, or keep Urbs Vallis, when they vote in the Nov. 6 election.
Among the specific choices are Urbs Valllis, Tithonia and Tithonium City after the chasma, but write-on choices will also be accepted.
While the flower show comes in time for the election, the Tithonia blossoms are a little out of season, well for Earth, Bloman admits.
“They’re really a summer flower, but they provide a nice contrast to all the masses of chrysanthemums, which have a more muted tone.”
Which one does Bloman prefer?
“Well I work with the City, so I can’t say,” Bloman said. “But these are very pretty flowers, don’t you think?”
- Merry Grace, Lifestyle Correspondent
Calendar
Longer months ahead
Forty-six days hath September and 47 for October . . .
It’s that time of year. The shorter, dusty months are coming to a close, and the months will be getting longer for the next 300 sols until April arrives.
Sure, we could have had months more or less the same length, but what fun is there in that? And seriously, 12 months are enough for anyone.
Anyway, our months are based on degrees of solar longitude, rather than the waxing and waning of Earth’s great big moon.
Since Mars has an eccentric orbit, we get eccentric months.
Get ready for election rallies
There are a slew of election rallies going on next week. Urbs Vallis Council members will make their case and take questions from the public on Friday and Saturday at 18:00 on Terrace 8, Hab1, outside Council Hall.
Noctis Labyrinthus hosts a candidates’ forum Saturday and Sunday at the Grange Hall. Ius candidates will host town halls at the Geryon Agora on Saturday and the Ius Forum on Sunday at 16:00.
Candor hosts its candidates forum Saturday 16:00 at the main residential gallery. In Melas, the Bottom of the Sea Cantina is hosting a town hall for all candidates Saturday from 14:00 through 18:00.
Coprates candidates will make their case Saturday at Schiapparelli Hall from 14:00
City farmers' market
Going green with veggie envy? Get to the City farmer's market. Stalls available by appointment. Industrial Tube Terminal. Saturday 0900-1500
City Strings Quartet
Quartet performs selections from Dvorak’s American Quartet. WestHill Terrace 4 Friday-Saturday 19:00
“A Different Shade of Blue”
Romance comedy threedee. Girl meets boy. Boy gets silly, Boy comes to his senses. But too late? Stage 3 Hab 1 Terrace 8 Nov. 1-7, 18:00, 20:00, 22:00
City Social
Mix and mingle with new arrivals and old hands. Hab 2. Terrace 4, by Tithonia Gardens. Every Friday 17:00
- Merry Grace, lifestyle correspondent
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The header photo is the iconic mosaic of the Valles Marineris hemisphere of Mars from 2,500 km above the surface taken by the Viking Orbiter. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
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Photomosaic: Viking Orbiter: NASA/JPL-Caltech