(Page 1 of 2) The Laughter of Mars by Brandon WeeksSUMMARY: Entry in Flash Fiction contest: Mars
"Its not blood."
"Well it is red."
"You are color blind. Its green."
"Its red, and its our death."
"Its our home now, our future."
"That died with earth."
Jack slammed his fist down on the coffee table. Coffee splashed as his mug jumped up in the air. It fell down on its side and rolled off the coffee table to shatter on the floor.
"An omen!" Harris exclaimed.
"Bulls--t old man" Jack growled as he hurried to move his papers and keep them from being ruined. "Damn gravity simulator." He muttered a moment later as he picked up the shards of the mug.
"Man was meant to live on earth."
"Man was meant to destroy earth. It is only his ability to evolve that keeps him alive."
"We are not evolution. We are destruction. We are parasites, but Mars will stop that."
Jack scowled again at Harris' words. The old man was daft. He was to old for the change. He didn't blame him for having trouble adjusting, he could not however, keep from getting annoyed.
"We've conquered mars. It has everything we need. Maybe we can go back to earth in a hundred years, in a thousand years. It will recover eventually."
"Everything you think we need. We need earth, we need home. This is death. We've been sent down the river with flowers and our sword in our folded hands. There is no return and there will be no memory."
"Memory of what old man?" Jack declared as he stood up. He began pacing back and forth. "We survive by forgetting."
Harris sighed as he removed his spectacles. He rubbed his forehead wearily. Jack paused momentarily to examine him. Why did the old man insist on wearing glasses. He really did refuse to accept progress.
Harris slipped his glasses back on and blinked. He rose slowly to his feet and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. It was gnarled and withered, only a ghost of how Jack remembered it.
"You are the future now Jack. I am the past. You must learn from our mistakes."
Jack closed his eyes and saw blood. Harris was wrong. Mars was not made of blood. It was earth that was made of blood. Remember, there was no hope for him to forget. Future generations though, they would never know the horrors. They would live in peace.
Harris struggled to sit back down. "A long time ago, the world was ruled by the Romans. Mars was their god of war. I can hear his laughter as we seek his home for shelter. We have not conquered Mars. It is our death."
Anger welled up in Jack again, anger at Harris, anger at the past, anger at the war, but most of all anger at himself. Despite everything he could not give up hope.
"There is no other choice Harris. Our grave markers are the only thing left for earth to offer. It is certain death there or the chance of life here."
Harris sighed again. He was tired. His face had lost the life that it had once held. "It was not an easy choice for you to make. I know of hard choices Jack. All we have done though is exchange one death for another, and this is no better. I belong on earth. You said the earth will recover eventually. Let us give it our dust. Out here we die but help nothing."
Jack clenched his jaw and turned away.
| 
(5 ratings)