PROLOGUE

Landing on Mars

• Focus Characters: Wilson Kime, Commander Dylan Lewis, Nancy Kressmire, Jane Orchiston, Jeff Silverman
• Location(s): Mars, Ulysses (interplanetary craft), Eagle II (landing craft)
• Core Narrative: NASA Captain-Pilot Wilson Kime lands the Eagle II on Mars, marking a historic moment in human space exploration. As the crew prepares to exit the spacecraft, they experience a series of unexpected events, including a mysterious voice on the communication channel and the appearance of an unauthorized person in a homemade space suit. The crew is shocked to discover a gateway to a physics lab on the Martian surface, which seems to be connected to a college campus on Earth. Commander Lewis takes the first step onto the Martian surface, followed by the rest of the crew. Wilson is the last to exit the spacecraft and is the first to set foot on the Martian surface. As he takes in the sights and sounds of the alien landscape, he is struck by the magnitude of the achievement.
• Broader Implications: The discovery of the gateway to the physics lab on Mars raises questions about the nature of space travel and the potential for human exploration of the universe, hinting at a larger narrative that will unfold in the story.