Slow motion chase on for three wanted in Labyrinth hab takeover
Pursuers closing in, slowly
LABYRINTHIA, Jan. 16 - Pursuit rovers are gradually closing in on the men wanted in the takeover of a family hab here 10 sols ago in a dusty, slow-speed chase through the deep and confusing channels of the Labyrinth.
“No one’s moving much faster than 5 kims (kilometers) an hour, still we’re gaining on them and they’re running out of easy ground,” Noctis Councillor and Supply Chief Icario Fletcher said as he traveled with a search team in a 10-person rover.
Five rovers in total, three with volunteer crews, were searching a wide area of the Labyrinth for three men wanted in the attempted takeover of a family hab about 120 km west of the Grange Hall on Jan. 6, Fletcher said.
“We have search and rescue personnel and volunteers looking for them,” Fletcher said as the rover headed south in a 4-kilometer deep north-south channel. “We have a very good idea of where they are, but we’re kind of crawling and they had a 3-sol head start. We’ll still catch them.
The three alleged hab-jumpers were discovered by a family of five as they returned home from the New Annos celebration at the Grange Hall near where the eastern edge of the Labyrinth meets Ius Chasma.
The family persuaded the men to leave by closing the emergency hatches inside the hab and turning down the heat.
When that didn’t work, a few blasts from a mobile laser drill convinced the men to leave.
Hotwired
An Ares Port official reported that the men had stolen the rover from the shuttle port, and once clear, cut off all comms.
Survey Mars surveillance showed the men were still moving Saturday in a transverse channel in a location about 200 km west of the Grange Hall.
Noctis officials had asked Survey Mars to drop down two survey crews to assist, but the request was declined because those crews are trained for geological and resource exploration rather than criminal pursuit.
“We’re happy to provide location data, but survey crews aren’t really equipped to rescue people who don’t want to be rescued,” said Survey Mars Chief Ian Kuyper.
The stolen rover climbed out of a main channel into a more uneven area on Thursday, and was still traveling south but in a complex landscape that will likely slow them down.
“They’ve run out of easy choices,” Kuyper said. “If they keep south, they’ve got a steep, slow descent ahead of them, or they could turn west and climb up to the plains and run the 800 kims to Pavonis Mons. We’ve got a large station there, and we’d be prepared to meet them.”
The pursuit by two Noctis search teams has been joined by volunteers in three local rovers, including members of the family whose home was entered, Fletcher said.
Two of the volunteer rovers were currently south of the wanted men’s location and would likely head them off at the bottom of a 2,000m slope if they continue south.
Asked if a capture by local residents might complicate any criminal prosecution, Fletcher said that Noctis residents were far more concerned about their own safety.
“Everyone out here depends on their neighbors for help and safety,” Fletcher said. “Any mistake out here will kill you and they don’t need to have any danger added to that.”
He pointed to an incident last June in which a City man was found in possession of four stolen surfsuits and left to walk back to Ares Port by unknown local residents.
“They’d be lucky to be given that option, not that they could lope a couple hundred kilometers back to Ares Port,” Fletcher said. “They’d be best advised to surrender quietly.”
Mars City Council debates city manager or mayor
Residents want a say
TIHONIA, Jan. 14 - The City Council set off a lively debate at its regular meeting Thursday over a proposal to name a city manager to oversee day-to-day operations for Mars’ largest city.
The proposal for a city manager met with skepticism from residents, who questioned the need and advisability of installing an unelected government official.
“Aren’t you the city managers?” second-section resident Jaspar Jackson asked the council. “If you want one person for that job, let’s have a mayor and let’s have an election to choose the mayor.”
Just as the Council asked the people to choose whether to rename the city Tithonia from its long-time and original name of Urbs Vallis, it should also put the question of a city manager or mayor to the residents of the city, Jackson said.
“I doubt that many residents, particularly Earthlings, want to added government officials who are answerable only to other government officials and not the people themselves,” Jackson said. “We know where that leads.”
The proposal comes after a thorough reorganization of city officials identified what the Council see as a crucial need for an overall manager, Council President Claude Paddingbury said.
“We’re looking for a manager to oversee all the functions that keep the city going, that keep us alive,” Paddingbury said, adding that most City residents serve in positions that could be seen as government jobs.
“Everyone here depends on City personnel,” Paddingbury said. “The air we breathe, the heat that keeps warm, the food we eat—that’s all provided by people who are in essence government—they work for the City and the City is the people. That’s all government.”
An invasive weed
The danger of installing full-time government officials is that their number tends to grow, WestHill resident Tonio Pollux said.
“Government is an invasive weed,” the agricultural specialist argued. “It just spreads and spreads until it takes over everything. It seems convenient at first, but then it just answers to itself and no one else. We’d do better not to plant it.”
Third-section resident Antonia Coyoacan drew laughs from the councillors and the audience when she noted that the council members were all planting the seeds of government in their spare time, as all of them have full-time jobs.
“We do realize that you’re all doing this after work and on weekends, and that you suddenly got hit by a lot more work,” Coyoacan said. “But then, it’s what you ran for.”
Newly elected Councillor Joshua Asta noted that he has three jobs - first as a structural engineer, working on the construction of the fourth HabTube section, second as a City Councillor and third as head of the City Planning Commission.
“But, I’m a structural engineer for the City, so that’s a government job,” Asta said. “There aren’t many non-government jobs here on Mars.”
Asta moved that the Council debate the question of an elected mayor, and was seconded, meaning the proposal will be discussed at next week’s meeting on Jan. 21.
Tithonia lays out reshuffling after corporate retreat
Who’s keeping the lights on?
TITHONIA, Jan. 14 - The City Council laid out the proposed reorganization of essential services at its regular meeting here Thursday following the sudden handover of oversight by the City's corporate sponsor to the Council and residents.
Martius Endeavours, the former Mars DevCo, ceded control over residential settlements, development and recruitment of workers from Earth to the Tithonia Council and other local councils across the Valles Marineris, the corporation announced two weeks ago.
“We used to kind of run the City for the corporation,” City Councillor Tiberia Hernandez said at the regular council meeting. “Now we’re running it for ourselves.”
The local councils have assumed responsibility for ensuring sufficient supplies of energy, food, materials and equipment as well as managing inter-city trade, with the company playing a supporting role as a contract provider of gear and goods.
With 61,000 residents, Tithonia accounts for nearly half the population of the Vallis Marineris and nearly as many as the other settlements combined, from Noctis to Ius, Coprates and Orswon Welles.
The corporate pullback came along with an announcement of significant cost-cutting involving tens of thousands of job losses following continued declines in the company’s stock and bonds.
Under the restructuring, the company plans to focus on its Mars manufacturing business and on expanding trade with Earth, its orbitals and L5 as well as establishing a base for development in the Asteroid Belt.
As head of the personnel committee, Hernandez, explained the City reorganization.
“Essentially, if it’s for the City and the Tithonium Chasma west of Ares Port, it’s now all our responsibility, excluding existing Martius installations,” Hernandez said. “That means that we need to keep each other warm, fed, clothed and working.”
Feeding Mars since the first potato
Martius, for instance, will retain control of Survey Mars both for mineral survey and development as well as for future residential sites, Hernandez said.
“The City, however, will be responsible for growing its own food,” Hernandez said, “but we’ve been doing that since not long after we grew the first Martian potato.”
Under the proposed City restructuring Agriculture Mars Chief Iris Notting will lead the new Tithonia Farms unit, responsible for food production.
Tithonia Farms will take over agricultural research in Tithonium Chasma on a gradual basis as corporate scientists are reassigned to other locations or transferred to the City.
Notting is currently overseeing the restart of a 25-hectare (62-acre) WestHill farm terrace that was frozen in December by a power fault.
“It’s all thawed out and cleaned out, but it will still be a few weeks before we can start replanting,” Notting said, adding that the terrace only produces a small percentage of the City’s overall food supply. “We’ve a large margin for safety.”
City Engineer Shigeru Kashira, who is overseeing the construction of the fourth section of the City HabTube becomes Tithonia Building Chief, responsible for both new construction and maintenance of existing structures.
“The corporation has not rescinded any resources needed for the new HabTube section, but they are not dedicating any new resources, that is personnel or funding, to the project,” Kashira said. “That means it’s all ours.”
Plasma specialist Ajax Tornach now oversees the Tithonia Power, which is tasked with managing power supplies from Ares Port and arranging purchases of backup compact fusion units to reduce dependency on Martius Endeavours’ two fusion plants.
“The power fault that froze a WestHill farm was a warning that we need to make sure that we have more backup and more ability to share and distribute that power,” Councillor Joshua Asta said.
Tornach said the City will look to purchase backup compact fusion units from Candor Chasma for each of the residential sections and their attached farm terraces.
“We can reduce dependence and increase reliability,” Tornach said.
Among other appointments, long-time City environmental manager Iolanthe Rhea was appointed head of Tithonia Environmental overseeing air, water and recycling.
City Supply manager Helene Matara now leads Tithonia Logistics, managing production and trading of essential supplies.
The Council named City Catering Chief Lcuas Creon as head of Tithonia Food Service, overseeing the city canteens.
Tithonia residential supervisor Giulia Villanova, who was responsible for settling former residents of the Cubbies, or worker dormitories, into new housing and placing nearly 2,000 new arrivals into the worker dormitories in November, was named Tithonia Housing Chief.
“After getting all those people settled in such as short time and with less confusion and conflict than ever, she’s ready to take on this job,” Hernandez said. “The hardest part of any job is the interpersonal problems, and Guilia’s great at it.”
Calendar
Valley Liaison meeting to be rescheduled
A joint meeting of all the Valles Marineris Councils to discuss the appointment of a Valley-wide liaison to manage inter-chasma affairs will be rescheduled to a later date after the Friday Jan. 15 meeting was postponed indefinitely following the Jan. 14 Tithonia Council meeting. The councils want to assess the proposal in greater depth before bringing it up for public comment, Ius Councillor Seamus Mitsutomi said/ .
Oudemans seeks Labyrinth ties
The Noctis Labyrinthus council will hear a proposal from Oudemans Crater residents for closer ties and potential inclusion in the Noctis government after being given the choice by Martius Endeavours of continuing or discontinuing corporate oversight as part of the research base in the crater about 200 km south of the Grange Hall. 14:00 Saturday Jan. 23, Grange Hall.
City and Ius Councils to discuss strategy for Earth arrivals
The Tithonia and Ius Councils will hold a joint informal video meeting to discuss the strategy for funding new Earth arrivals now that Martius Corp has stopped support for vetting and transporting new workers from Earth, its orbitals and Luna. 18:00 Tuesday Jan. 19 Ius Forum. Live video on council channels.
Get cosy at the Cubby party
City Residence hosts a weekly dance party outside the Cubbies, or contract worker dormitories Friday, Jan. 22, Cubby Terrace at 18:00 Friday. All resident are welcome.
City Strings
Ensemble performs selections from Dvorak's "New World Symphony," Mozart's "Night Music" and some surprises as well. Refreshments. Mariners Hall. WestHill Terrace 4. Saturday-Sunday 13:00, 16:00
“Hidden Moon”
Tales from the dark side. Adventure threedee from the unseen side of Luna. Stage 3 Hab 1 Terrace 8 Jan. 21-27, 18:00, 20:00, 22:00
Samba Marte Dancing and Music.
Hab3 Terrace 2 by the bamboo grove. Friday 19:00. Saturday Family dance 14:00. Kids get to make noise
City Social
Mix and mingle with new arrivals and old hands. Acoustic music by acoustic duo Harris and Fitz. Hab 2. Terrace 4, by Tithonia Gardens. Friday 17:00
Trouble Men
Rayguns electric pop trio. Geryon Agora, outside Rick's. Saturday 21:00
- 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