Starship Legacy: A Novel by Not Elon Musk

Good morning! Page 20 of the novel is below. If you would like to read the rest of the novel, please check out https://not-elon-newsletter.beehiiv.com/ 

Page 20:

The next hour passed in a blur of data collection and analysis. The rover pushed deeper into the tunnel system, each new sample adding weight to Sarah's carefully unstated hypothesis. Luke watched her work, noting the way she methodically ruled out alternative explanations, her usual enthusiasm tempered by scientific rigor.

"Another gas pocket," Mark reported, his eyes fixed on the environmental readings. "Similar composition to the last one. Methane content is... interesting." He shared a look with Sarah, who nodded without looking up from her analysis.

Ben guided the rover around a gentle bend in the tunnel, its lights revealing more of the same smooth walls, but now with subtle discolorations that might have been meaningless on Earth. Here, preserved beneath the Martian surface for who knew how long, they took on new significance.

"You know what Houston's going to say," Ben said quietly, his hands steady on the controls despite the weight of their possible discovery. "They'll want us to stop. Wait for a dedicated research mission."

Luke knew he was right. The protocols for potential biological discoveries were clear – document, verify, and wait for specialists. But they were also supposed to gather enough evidence to justify such a mission.

"How's the rover holding up?" he asked instead of addressing Ben's implied question.

"Three hours of battery left. All systems nominal." Ben adjusted the camera angle slightly. "Though these humidity levels are starting to push the environmental tolerances. Might want to think about modifications for the next run."

Sarah looked up from her tablet, her face a mix of excitement and professional restraint. "Luke, look at this pattern." She transferred her display to the main screen, showing a time-lapse of soil composition changes. "The organic compounds... they're not just present, they're organized. These molecular structures don't form naturally. Not like this."

Luke studied the display, remembering similar briefings back in Houston, endless hypotheticals about what they might find on Mars. None of those scenarios had quite matched their current situation – potential evidence of past life, buried right beneath their existing base.

"Mark," he said finally, "start compiling all the data. Every reading, every analysis, every image. I want a complete package ready to transmit to Houston." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "But first, we're going to get one more set of samples. Ben, take us to the end of our relay range. Sarah, what depth do you want for the final core?"

"Four meters," she replied immediately. "And if possible, I want atmospheric samples from any void spaces we find in the core. If these organic compounds are breaking down, they might be releasing trace gases we can analyze."

As Ben guided the rover forward, Luke found himself thinking about that poster of Musk again. The billionaire had dreamed of making humanity multi-planetary, of building cities on Mars. He probably hadn't imagined they'd find hints that something else might have beaten them to it, even if only at a microscopic level.

The rover's lights caught something ahead – a subtle change in the tunnel's texture. Mark leaned forward at his station, frowning at new data streaming in.

"Temperature's rising again," he reported. "And these humidity readings..." He trailed off, double-checking his instruments.