Mars' City has a thirst for home-brewed beer
Alcohol still banned in City
TITHONIA, Jan. 41 - Mars’ largest city has a thirst for home-brewed beer, judging by the reception given to a brew pub proposal at the Tithonia Planning Commission’s meeting on Wednesday.
Officially, the meeting was a review of progress toward establishing entertainment areas around the city’s four areas, the WestHill Terraces and the three habitational tube sections.
As part of that review, the commission heard a proposal to establish a brewpub in an unfinished canteen near the new Terrace One Arena at the north end of the third HabTube section.
“We think there’s more than sufficient demand, a certain thirst if you will, for freshly brewed beer in the City,” farmer and nutritionist Mette Ernsthof told the meeting. “And with the opening of the arena, this canteen would provide an ideal location.”
Ernsthof, who would serve as part-time brewmaster, made the proposal with canteen manager Jorgen Juhl, who is managing the buildout of the City-run dining hall.
“As far as I’m concerned, you could open it on WestHill tomorrow,” Commissioner, City Councillor and WestHill resident Beata Bakken said to applause from the audience.
Commission President and City Councillor Joshua Asta put a damper on the enthusiasm, saying, “We have to remind everyone that alcohol remains officially banned in Tithonia.”
Crisp, cool and thirst-quenching?
In December, the City Council approved the commission’s proposal to repurpose city canteens into restaurants and nightclubs, but declined to approve serving alcohol.
The first move toward that was the reopening earlier this month of the City Speakeasy, a clandestine nightclub in HabTube 3 shut down by the city in September, but this time without alcohol.
The nightclub, in a previously unfinished canteen on Terrace 2 near the bamboo garden, has become very popular by offering a more eclectic menu combined with live music and dancing, Tithonia Food Service Chief Luca Creon,
That doesn’t mean residents aren’t bringing home-made drinks, City Safety Inspector Irwin Mather said.
“The problem with the speakeasy was that there was no easy way to test and monitor the alcohol that people brought themselves and kept at the location,” Mather said. “Officially, it’s not allowed inside.”
Ernsthof argued that the brewpub wouldn’t pose the same problems. “You’ll know what’s in it, how it’s made and how strong it is.”
Commissioner Antonia Coyoacan, a third-section resident, asked Ernsthof how she could be sure of the quality, safety and strength of the beer.
“I’m a nutritionist and farmer, and I’ve had a lot of unofficial practice,” Ernsthof replied. “I test everything. Food Service and City Safety can inspect the equipment and run the tests if they like.”
First section resident Annis Nannerl said a brew pub would be a welcome addition to the city’s canteen offerings and its entertainment options.
“City Speakeasy has been a lot of fun, bringing people together from all across the City, and the brew pub could do the same thing in a more casual setting,” Nannerl said.
Canteen manager Juhl proposed to brew a limited amount of various types of beer and to serve it on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. The equipment would take up a relatively small amount of space in the canteen.
Juhl noted that Ius Chasma had recently opened a cooperative brew pub that hasn’t posed significant problems and that Melas Chasma has long had a cantina serving alcoholic drinks and beer brewed off site.
“Still, safety remains the prime concern as we live in a dangerous environment,” Asta said. “If those concerns can be adequately addressed, I believe the commission would be open to the proposal.”
Ultimate approval would depend on the City Council’s approval of serving alcoholic drinks in the canteen, Asta said, adding, “But one more question - what’s on tap?”
Ernsthof smiled. “A crisp, cool, thirst-quenching pilsner.”
City mayoral race kicks off
Candidates have just a few weeks to convince voters
TITHONIA, Jan. 42 - The race to become the first mayor of Mars’ largest city got underway on Thursday as the candidates, including City Council President Claude Paddingbury, announced themselves at the weekly Council meeting.
The other candidates for mayor, who will manage the city and report to the council, include Tithonia Logistics Chief Helena Matara and former City Councillor and Planning Commission President Marcus Wu, who lost his Council spot in the November election.
Write-in candidates will also be permitted in the City-wide election on Feb. 7, the first Tuesday of the month.
As a council member for the last decade, Paddingbury argued that his experience made him uniquely qualified for the new role of mayor.
Paddingbury said he is well versed in all of the City’s critical functions, from farming to environmental and power systems as well as managing relations with Martius Endeavours, the former Mars DevCo.
“I have the most experience in listening to complaints on almost every subject,” Paddingbury said to laughs from the audience, adding, “And addressing those complaints to the best of my ability.”
“It’s not always what people want to hear, but I do my rest to respond and resolve problems,” Paddingbury said.
An even-more ambitious future
The start of the race comes just a week after the City Council voted 6-1 to approve adding an elected mayor to city government, and six weeks since Martius announced that it was handing over total civic control for Mars’ largest city to the council.
The council had proposed hiring a city manager to oversee operations but agreed to an elected mayor due to opposition from residents.
Candidate and former Councillor and Planning Commission President Marcus Wu said the City needed more careful oversight and tighter scrutiny of all its operations.
“The City needs to be more cautious overall in its planning and in its execution of those plans,” Wu said. “We’ve been moving too quickly to adopt changes to our city environment and our residential areas. We’re still essentially an outpost on a hostile planet, and we should remember that.”
Newly named Tithonia Logistics Chief Helena Matara said she views the position as closer to the original idea of a city manager.
“The Council and the people aren’t looking for competition in governing the city, or an adversarial relationship,” the candidate and former City Supply Chief said.
Matara says she wants to enable the City to take a more energetic stance in moving toward an independent future. That includes more flexibility in standard things such as residential layouts, and individual choice in everything from home furnishings to entertainment.
“The people want someone who can run the city efficiently, keep us all safe, housed and fed, and lay the groundwork for a more ambitious future,” Matara said. “I can do that.”
Melas Council dives deeper into water project
But how will it get where it's needed?
MELAS, Jan. 41 - There’s a lot of water waiting to be tapped in one of the lowest parts of the Melas Chasma, results from a drilling project show.
“Yes, it’s ice, and, yes, it’s kind of deep, but it’s there and we can get it,” Councillor and project manager Niah Parnasse told the Council. “The problem we have to solve is how to bring it back or send it elsewhere.”
The Melas Council voted unanimously Wednesday to continue the project at its meeting in the Aquarium Dome, which is adjacent to a glass-walled aquaculture pond.
“If our growth continues at the current rate, we will need more water,” Councillor Amara Shah said. “We should stay ahead of that curve.”
Melas current population is about 12,500 and expected to rise to about 13,000 by the end of the annos.
The water mining project was originally approved July 1, 101, by the council.
It is sited in one of the lowest parts of the chasma—and Mars— in an area once covered by ancient lakes and later scoured by massive outflows of water that left jumbled terrain behind it.
Not all of the water poured out, leaving a layer of ice a few hundred meters thick in some places that is buried under the chasma floor, Parnasse said.
“We’ve already found enough for current uses nearer the city, but this is an order of magnitude more,” Parnasse said.
Trucking ice cubes
The site is in a basin about 70 km southwest of Melas and in an area as much as 9 km below the surrounding highlands.
Proposals for transporting the water run from building a pipeline, boring one using horizontal drilling or hauling it out as ice in cargo trains.
That ties in with a proposal for a road printing project to link valley cites, which would cut land travel time by about two-thirds, Councillor and Supply Chief Vita Ravenhill said.
About 1,200 km to the west, Noctis is backing a road-printing project to link it with Ius to the east and Ares Port to the northeast.
Starting the project at the Melas drilling site might prove advantageous as it could provide the water needed for the road printing.
“Can we print a road and pipeline at the same time?” Ravenhill asked.
“It’s a more complex design,” Parnasse said, “But if we can print the road, we can print the pipeline.”
For the immediate future, Parnass said they will continue drilling to delineate the water resource, and ship a limited quantity of ice back on cargo trains to Melas where it can be refined and added to the city water supply.
“It’s less than a two-sol trip each way and it will give us a little bit more water.”
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia23992-melas-chasma/
Homesteading in Noctis takes a bit of daring
Still, it's a boring life
NOCTIS LABYRINTHUS, Jan. 39 - Homesteading in Mars’ Labyrinth of the Night is not for the faint-hearted.
It takes skill, perseverance, daring and a willingness to endure loneliness, says Hobart Talia, whose family of five has been building and drilling out a solitary hab about 120 km west of the Noctis Grange Hall for an annos (two years) and expects to complete it by June, about 300 sols from now.
“We’re a two sols drive and about 80 kims (km) west of any help, so you’ve got to know how to handle everything yourselves,” says Talia, opening up the visor of his surf suit in the airlock between the finished portion of the hab and the new spaces being drilled into the rock behind it.
“It’s not just the gear,” Talia says. “You have to know how to use it and how to handle it and, out here, how to fix it.”
Most crucial is making sure the hab environment is stable and the building is air and temperature tight.
Those last two account for many failures for homesteaders, says Noctis Councillor Catarina Morelli.
“We’ve had to rescue a few people stuck in surfsuits in their tractors outside the habs bleeding air and heat,” Morelli said. “Sometimes they can fix the problem and get back in, but it can also be a total loss.”
The Talia family hab is tunneled into a low crater rim in a major east-west graben (channel) that opens north of the Grange Hall.
The region is criss-crossed by long, deep valleys with steep walls soaring as much as 5 km above the valley floor.
So far, Talia says, the most dangerous moment was when the family returned from a New Annos celebration at the Grange Hall to find that three men in a stolen rover had taken over their hab.
“That was a bit more interesting than we’d want, but my wife Candice convinced them to leave with a laser drill,” Talia says.
The three men were arrested after a long, slow chase across Noctis and are now awaiting trial in Tithonia Superior Court Jan. 50.
The Talias are building their hab as the anchor for a village, which is typical of Noctis, where most settlements began with a small group of people doing the preparatory work to make it easier for others to join.
“It’s harder when you’re the first one, but it’s not easy for anyone,” Talia says. “The work is the same, but you have more backup and support in case something goes wrong. And something will.”
Martian Igloos
As a planned anchor hab, Candice Talia says they’ve received a lot of support from the Noctis Council.
“Noctis is all scattered communities, not like Tithonia or Ius, where they’re mostly building onto what is already there,” says Candice Talia, installing wall garden panels in the hab’s partially finished garden dome.
The Talias already had a lot of the necessary skills and equipment after operating a cargo train for five annos (about 9 years).
Their main route was between Ares Port, Noctis and Oudemans, but the family took a few trips to Ius, and one grand tour of the settlements from Melas to Candor and Coprates.
“We had the cargo tractor, we had the family caboose (mobile hab) and the garden car. That gave us shelter, power, water and food,” Candice Talia says. “So we researched a spot we think will see a lot of growth in the future, and essentially parked our tractor and got going.”
The first step was setting up a balloon hab, which they leased from the Noctis Council, and using that as a base to begin drilling into the hillside.
The drilling residue goes into the conditioner to make it suitable for wall printing.
“We set up the ballon hab, and printed a dome around it, deflated the balloon and printed another right next to it, a bit like Martian igloos,” Candice Talia says. “We’ll build another dome, or two, for the next family and use it as a garden until then.”
So far, the hab includes the two exterior domes, a main living area with personal quarters off to one side, and a newly completed interior garden space that will not only provide food, but also serve as a parlor, when guests come, and as a connector to a similar space for another family’s hab.
“We are hoping that we will have wanted guests some day,” says Talia with her three children Hobie, Kelley and Harding beside her.
Hobie, named after his father and the oldest at 8 annos, spends his morning studying and the rest of the day helping his mother and father in building their new home.
“I qualified on the drill sled, so I get to operate that, with my Da besides me,” Hobie says. “It’s fun work to do, and it’s a really good feeling when you get another section all done and livable.”
“With all the drilling, we joke that it’s a boring life,” Hobie says, “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Learn About Noctis Labyrinthus
Oh Fortuna! Vasco back to Mars after survey trip to Belt
Not staying planet-side for long
MARS CAROUSEL, Jan. 40 - After a 3-annos survey of the asteroid belt around Vesta, Capt. Bartolomeo Vasco returned to Mars Tuesday on the explorer scout Fortuna, saying he’s ready to go back out.
“I’m going to take a little time on Mars. Feel the weight on my feet, and visit with old friends around the Valley,” Vasco told the Chaos Courier aboard the Mars Carousel. “But, space exploration is my life, and I’ll be back out there soon enough.”
As the second-largest object in the Asteroid Belt after Ceres, Vesta makes an ideal base for future exploration and development in the region, Vasco said.
To that end, Vasco says he has been in contact with the O’Ceileachair sisters, who returned from their own voyage to the Asteroid Belt in August after rescuing the fast packet Caraval which lost power on approach to Mars.
“I’m interested in their idea of building a way station between Mars and Vesta,” Vasco says. “If we can provide fuel and provisions, that will make exploration that much easier.”
- Alfwinna Webster, Mars Carousel Correspondent
Rescued family back in Ophir Labes
Building the second truck stop on Mars?
OPHIR LABES, Jan. 42 - Two parents saved by their young son’s emergency call, flew home with him on Tuesday on the Air Mars intercity shuttle whose crew rescued them four days earlier.
Max and Tori Graziella and their son Emmanuel were rescued by the shuttle crew on Friday after the parents were trapped in the tunnels behind their hab by a jammed air lock.
The couple, whose hab is about 16 km southwest of the Ophir Labes (ancient landslide) and 200 km from Coprates, rode the Friday shuttle to Ius and then the Monday shuttle to Candor and Coprates.
Tuesday morning, the shuttle took them back to their hab, on its way to Orson Welles and then orbit.
Shuttle mechanic John Belmonte replaced the faulty lock and left them with two spares and some advice, “Always have another way back in. and an extra hand or two.”
Asked what they planned to do now, Max Graziella said they had discussed opening up an inn and cargo train supply station with several Coprates council members once their hab was complete.
“What we want is to open the second truck stop on Mars, after the Noctis Grange Hall,” Graziella said. “We’re on the major route and it’s a convenient stopping place for trains coming to Coprates from all over the Valley. Coprates says they’ll provide support and invest in return for a share. We’re considering that seriously.”
- Jenna Maris, Orson Welles Correspondent
Learn about Ophir Labes, an ancient landslide
Rockets jam Sprockets in Marsball round two
TITHONIA, Jan. 42 - The Hab 1 Rockets jammed up the Fabrica Sprockets to win the City League Marsball second round opener 62-47 on Thursday.
The Sprockets kept to their strategy of focusing on short-range, one-point meteors, but the Rockets’ tight defense limited their scoring opportunities and highlighted their weakness at longer-range comets.
The Rockets, however, played to their strength at the long ball from the start, scoring 18 comets for a total 38 of their final 62 points in front of 303 fans at the Terrace One Arena in Hab 3.
“Our defense kept them outside where they’re weaker, and we took advantage of openings from outside, where we’re strong,“ said Rocket forward Ronaldo Sepulveda, the high scorer at 20 points with 8 comets and 4 meteors.
Both teams stand at 1-1 now. Next week, the WestHill Pulsars (1-0) meet the (0-1) Hab 3 Quasars.
- Deroy Duval, Sports Correspondent.
Calendar
Noctis hab-jumping trial set for Friday
The trial for three men charged with rover theft and endangerment in connection with an attempted hab-jumping in Noctis Labyrinthus starts in Tithonia Superior Court on Friday.
Ares Port logistics workers Cosmo Izar and Elio Ginan and senior mechanic Murgo Sonestro, are accused of trying to take over a remote Noctis family hab and stealing a rover from Ares Port.
Valley council review immigrant applications
Valley councils will hold a threedee meeting to review applications for positions from immigrants paying their own fare from Earth orbit. Live on Council Vvideo. 18:00 Tuesday
Noctis council to discuss Oudemans' ties
Noctis Council will discuss a proposal to represent Oudemans residents at its Feb. 4 meeting. Postponed from Jan. 44 meeting. Grange Hall Feb. 4 14:00. Council video.
“Olympus Mons”
Documentary adventure threedee about life on top of the tallest mountain in the solar system Stage 3 Hab 1 Terrace 8, Jan. 49-55, 18:00, 20:00, 22:00
City Strings
Features an engaging rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon among other selections. Mariners Hall. WestHill Terrace 4. Thursday. Friday 1300, 1600 and 1900.
Dance at the Cubbies
City Residence hosts a weekly dance party outside the Cubbies, or contract worker dormitories Friday, Cubby Terrace at 18:00 Friday. Hab 1 Terrace 3. All resident are welcome.
City Social
Mix and mingle with new arrivals and old hands. Hab 2. Terrace 4, by Tithonia Gardens. Friday 17:00
City Farmer’s Market
Saturday. Stalls available by appointment. Fabrica (Industrial) Tube Terminal Saturday 0900-1500
Geryon Stuff Swap.
Find your stuff a new home. Find new stuff for your home. Two items per person. Geryon Agora. Saturday. 13:00-15:00.
Geryon Song Share
Acoustic players swap songs. Geryon Agora. Two sessions. Saturday 16:00, 20:00
Coprates Swing Session
Kick up your heels at Schiapparelli Hall. Friday 18:00
Coprates Raas / Garba
Dance troupe takes it to outer space. You'll be in orbit. Schiapparelli Hall. Saturday 16:00
Melas Karaoke
Brush up on all your favorite songs and get ready to sing solo, in groups or just sing to yourself at the Bottom of the Sea cantina. Friday 20:00. Melas.
Marsball Week 5
WestHill Pulsars (1-0) meet the (0-1) Hab 3 Quasars. Thursday 20:00 Hab 3 Terrace One Arena
- Merry Grace, lifestyle correspondent
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APPRENTICES Aquaculture. 8 annos and up. URBS 62128
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Photomosaic: Viking Orbiter: NASA/JPL-Caltech