Archer Davies was an early riser. Most of his neighbors were hydroponic farmers who slept in sync with the grow lights, but not him. Scientific work defied routine.

 

Recently some unusual radio transmissions had been intercepted, prompting concern among a few members of the Council, and he had been putting in some overtime.

 

Glancing up at the enormous pressure dome covering Jezero crater on his walk to work, he smiled. The micro-thin canopy shielding the colony from Mars’ rarefied air, was a technological marvel.

 

Most Martians were too wrapped up in their own mental pursuits to notice such things, but not him.

 

As he walked downhill from his house on the slope of the Garden sector, alarms suddenly began blaring a warning.

 

“Incursion! Unidentified ship approaching the dome. Move immediately to the nearest shelter and await further instructions!”

 

A ship? It must be from Earth! Is this an attack?!

 

Racing to the nearest shelter and ducking inside, he pulled the hatch shut. His ears popped as the airlock cycled before allowing the inner door to open.

 

“Archer! Looks like someone decided to spice things up today with a little surprise drill.” A lanky figure seated at the terminal stood up and beamed as he entered. “Any idea how long this one will last? I have a scheduled excursion outside the crater planned for this afternoon.”

 

Smiling back, he said, “No idea, Ben. I don’t make any decisions for the Council. I just do all the work and get none of the credit.”

 

“None of the blame, either,” he shot back, grinning.

 

A light next to the terminal flashed. Ben asked, “All clear?”

 

His eyes half-shut, Archer listened to the mind touching his and frowned. “Yeah, but they aren’t saying why, only that they’ve scheduled an immediate Council meeting.”

 

As Archer turned to exit, Ben said, “When you find out what’s going on, old buddy, feel free to let me in on it, OK?”

 

Opening the airlock door, he replied, “Best to wait for official word. It’s good to keep a guarded mind.”

 

* * *

 

When he arrived, all Council members save one were in their seats, and the session had already started. In place of the single chair that normally faced the Council, there were now six.

 

“Mr. Davies! Please find a seat and record today’s proceedings. Clear your mind of everything else. This is very important, and we want you to capture every nuance, no matter how small.”

 

Eager not to keep the Prime Councilor waiting, he took his place near the witness stand and tried to clear his mind. But rising fear mixed with curiosity was making it difficult.

 

The doors to the chamber boomed open as a group of six men strode confidently into the room, followed by the Second Councilor. Shocked, Archer realized that he didn’t know these individuals.

 

“Guardsman Krieg,” the Prime Councilor said. “The Council of Mars welcomes you, although your arrival was unexpected. Please be seated.”

 

All of them were incredibly fit. The average colonist here paled in comparison to these athletic specimens.

 

These were not men from Mars!

 

Once seated at the witness table, the one named Krieg spoke.

 

“Councilors, we come on behalf of the Earth and the Eastern Alliance. As you know, the planet has been at war with itself for generations. But that is now over. Our faction controls over 90% of the population centers and will soon control the rest. We are the de facto rulers of Earth.”

 

The news spread like electricity through the room. “Council members and others present. Please keep your thoughts to yourself. Guardsman Krieg, you have the Earth. What would you have of us here on Mars?”

 

“Your allegiance. Earth began a terraforming project on Mars centuries ago that continues to this day. This very colony was established by our common ancestors. Large areas of the Earth have, unfortunately, been left uninhabitable, but in less than a hundred years, Mars will be an unspoiled paradise. One that we intend to settle.”

 

Silence hung over the room. “Respectfully, Guardsman Krieg, you have already destroyed one world. Why should we allow you to do the same here?”

 

All six men turned to each other and started to laugh. Gesturing dismissively at the diminutive head of state, Krieg said, “Allow?! I’ve been as polite as I could be, but you have no choice in the matter. Earth has bred the perfect super soldier. We represent the apex of human development, and I command millions more like the gentlemen you see in front of you.”

 

Nods rippled through the assembled council members as a consensus was swiftly reached. Now that the intentions of these Earthlings were clear, Archer held his breath in anticipation for what was to come next.

 

“We thank you for your honesty, Guardsman Krieg. Indeed, your science has created the perfect soldier. On Mars, we had a similar program. But unlike you, our aim was peaceful cooperation, not war. On Earth, you bred for physical strength. Here we developed our minds.”

 

Rising angrily, the massive man moved toward the Council table… and froze in his tracks. The laughter from the other Earthlings ceased, and their smiles vanished as blank looks fell over their collective faces. No longer able to control his actions, Krieg’s eyes grew wide with fear.

 

“Now, be seated, Guardsman. And please keep an open mind.”

 

* * *

 

Later that evening, as the light from the dome transitioned to a soft twilight, Ben saw Archer out for a walk and waved.

 

“Hey, what was all that ruckus today at the Council meeting? Did I miss anything interesting while I was outside?”

 

Archer opened his mind to him, and Ben gasped.

 

“Earthlings?! They’re all gone, then?” he whispered.

 

Archer nodded. “Gone, with our envoys to teach them peace. They wanted to muscle their way in but got turned on their heads instead.”

 

He smiled faintly. “I’m sure that soon both worlds will be of one mind in this matter.”