Moses entered the small room and found Vasco da Gama sprawled on the narrow bed, wrapped in a thin gray blanket. The clock display on the wall showed 1:75 Martian time, approximately 4:12 in the time they were used to. It was completely dark outside. He shook Vasco's shoulder firmly.
"Hey, Vasco, get up! It's time."
Vasco mumbled something unintelligible, turning to the other side and covering his head with the blanket.
"Just five more minutes..." he murmured, his voice muffled by the pillow.
Moses sighed and crossed his arms.
"Man, it's one seventy-five in the morning. If you don't get up now, we'll miss the transport. And then, good luck finding a job on Mars! And worse, I'll be screwed! If I'm screwed, you'll be screwed too, got it?"
Vasco let out a long, drawn-out groan, as if moving was a great sacrifice.
"It's still so dark... Feels like the day hasn't even started."
"Welcome to Mars. Here, we work before the sun rises," Moses replied, yanking the blanket away.
"Hey! It's cold!" Vasco complained, sitting up slowly and rubbing his sleepy eyes.
Moses looked at him impatiently and pointed to the device on his wrist.
"Hurry up, the autonomous car is already on its way. Get ready and let's go."
Vasco yawned, getting up with sluggish movements. He borrowed one of Moses' uniforms and put it on without much urgency, still stumbling over his own feet.
When they left the house, the Martian sky was as black as the inside of a cave. The dim lights of the dome cast metallic reflections on the red dust swirling in the cold wind.
A silent autonomous car approached and automatically opened its doors.
As he walked toward the car, Vasco took a deep breath, trying to stay awake. The dry, dust-filled air of the central dome invaded his lungs.
"Cough! Cough! What awful air," he complained, coughing and trying to recover.
Moses let out a short laugh.
"The more you breathe, the less you'll complain."
"I doubt it. This stuff feels like liquid sand!" Vasco retorted, still choking.
"Relax, in a few days you won't even notice it anymore. Now hurry up, the autonomous car is just around the corner."
The autonomous vehicle was already waiting for them, its doors open. They got in and headed toward the miners' meeting point. During the ride, the car passed through deserted streets, with flickering streetlights and buildings worn down by time. The only sound breaking the silence was the hum of the car's engines.
When they arrived at the meeting point, a large open area with metal benches and schedule signs, the place was already full of workers. Many had robotic body parts and wore basic exoskeletons or simple protective clothing while chatting in groups as they waited for the train.
Moses spotted two familiar faces sitting in a corner.
"Look over there, Yuri and John. Let's go talk to them."
"Who?" Vasco asked, still a bit groggy.
"Friends from the mine. You'll like them."
The two approached. Yuri, a light-skinned man with a thick beard, raised a hand in greeting.
"Look who it is! The famous Moses!" he joked with a wide grin.
"And he brought company. Who's the rookie?" asked John, a short and muscular man with a mechanical arm gleaming under the dim light.
"This here is Vasco. He starts training today," Moses said, giving Vasco a pat on the back.
"Hey, guys," Vasco said, trying to sound confident, but his earlier coughing made him seem weaker than he wanted.
"Still getting used to the air?" Yuri teased, laughing.
"Don't even mention it... How do you guys handle this?" Vasco replied, shaking his head.
John shrugged.
"The trick is not to think about it. And don't take deep breaths."
Everyone laughed.
"Is the train running late today?" Moses asked.
"Just a few minutes, but nothing new," Yuri replied. "Oh, I heard they're testing some new machines in the training section. Vasco is in for a treat."
"New machines? Is that a good or bad thing?" Vasco asked, skeptical.
"Who knows," John said, winking. "Depends on how much you like surprises."
Before Vasco could ask more, a loud sound announced the train's arrival. The crowd began to organize, walking toward the metallic doors that opened with a hiss.
"Well, here we go. Let's do this," Moses said, leading the group.
Vasco felt his heart race as he stepped onto the train. It was the first time he was leaving the colony where he had grown up. Following Moses and the others, his eyes scanned the surroundings with curiosity and a hint of anxiety.
The train was massive, with reinforced metal carriages designed to withstand Mars' harsh conditions. The windows were tall and narrow, protected by security barriers that filtered solar radiation. Inside, there were steel seats with thin, worn-out padding and a cold lighting system that cast a bluish glow. The air was better than in the central dome, thanks to industrial-grade filters.
Vasco sat beside Moses and looked out the window.
"Never thought I'd actually leave the colony..." he murmured.
Moses smirked, half proud, half amused.
"Mars is big, Vasco. Today, you're going to see what that really means."
The train rumbled to life, and as it exited the dome, Vasco saw the Martian horizon for the first time.
Outside, the terrain was arid and red, marked by rock formations stretching as far as the eye could see. Low mountains stood like dark silhouettes against the rust-colored sky. As the train advanced, they passed plains dotted with small automated stations and energy towers.
The Martian sun, dimmer than Earth's, hung low in the sky, casting a pale, cold light. Fine dust floated in the air, forming swirling patterns in the wind. The scene was both beautiful and desolate, and Vasco couldn't look away.
"It looks... endless," he said, almost to himself.
"It is. And dangerous too," Moses commented. "This planet doesn't forgive mistakes."
After 15 Martian minutes of travel, the train began to slow down. Vasco noticed the terrain changing. The ground looked darker, and enormous metal towers they appeared on the horizon, with lights blinking in synchronized rhythms. Soon, a colossal structure came into view: the Eternal Night Mines of Mars, the largest mines on the planet, bringing together workers from various Martian colonies.
When the train stopped, Vasco stepped out along with the other workers. In front of him, the Martian ground seemed to open into an abyss. The hole was so vast it looked like a world of its own, with suspended metal platforms on multiple levels and giant cranes operating nonstop. Drones and robots were everywhere. It was organized chaos.
'Welcome to Eternal Night,' Yuri said, stopping beside Vasco. 'The place where the Sun never touches.'
Vasco looked down into the depths of the mine, which vanished into absolute darkness. The lights from the machines and platforms illuminated sections of the abyss, but the center remained shadowy, like a bottomless pit. A chill ran down his spine.
'It's bigger than I imagined...' he murmured.
Moses laughed, placing a hand on Vasco's shoulder.
'This is just the beginning, Vasco. Today, you see it from above. Tomorrow, who knows, you might be down there.'
As the group walked toward the workers' meeting point, Vasco couldn't stop staring at the vastness ahead. It was terrifying, but also fascinating. For the first time, he felt the weight of the world beyond the colony—and realized his journey had barely begun.
Vasco noticed a constant buzz around him. The groups waiting to descend into the mines were engaged in animated discussions. The most repeated word among them was 'aliens.'
'Did you hear that, Moses?' Vasco asked, curious.
Moses shrugged, but before he could answer, Yuri joined the conversation.
'That's all people have been talking about since yesterday,' he said, sounding annoyed. 'That Dyson Sphere. A Type II civilization. Feels like something out of a movie.'
John let out a sarcastic laugh, shaking his head as he walked.
'And that whole idea that we arrived too early in the universe?' he said, crossing his arms. 'Humans always thought they were special, huh? Now they find out there's someone out there so far ahead of us that we wouldn't even know where to begin understanding.'
Yuri nodded, visibly frustrated.
'And you know what irritates me the most? X Company drops a bombshell like this as if it were brand new, but do you really think they just found out? Of course not! I bet they've known for years. They're only telling us now because they can't hide it anymore.'
"Maybe it's better not to know what they're hiding," Moses said with a cynical tone. "If we find out, it'll just be one more thing to worry about while we dig holes."
John scoffed, adjusting something on his mechanical arm.
"Digging holes while there are people out there building stars. Now that's humiliating."
Vasco, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke.
"But don't you think it's... incredible? Knowing we're not alone?"
Yuri raised an eyebrow at him.
"Incredible? Maybe. But what if it's not just a discovery? What if they decide we're a problem?"
John let out a bitter laugh.
"Or worse, what if they've thought that for a long time?"
For a moment, silence settled over the group as they absorbed the unsettling thought. The colossal pit of Eternal Night seemed even darker under that idea.
"We should focus on surviving here," Moses said, breaking the heavy mood. "Leave the aliens to the people who have time and money to worry about that."
The others chuckled lightly, but the tension remained in the air. Even with the hard work ahead, the thought of what might be out there never completely left their minds.
As Vasco was still trying to process John and Yuri's words about the Dyson Sphere and advanced civilizations, a sudden silence took over the meeting point. Only the sound of machines in the background and rhythmic footsteps stood out.
A tall, broad-shouldered man emerged among the workers. He wore a pristine black uniform with silver insignias on his chest. His scarred face carried a stern expression. His sharp gaze scanned the crowd, stopping directly on Vasco.
Moses leaned in and whispered,
"Oh no, Vasco, I think the old wolf just found you."
"Who's that guy?" Vasco asked, trying to seem calm.
"Commander Othon," Yuri replied. "Ex-military from the Martian Fleet, now the rookie trainer. Tough guy. Doesn't bother with being friendly."
Othon stopped in front of Vasco and looked him up and down.
"Vasco da Gama?" he asked, his voice deep.
Vasco nodded.
"Yes, sir."
The commander crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.
"I hope you came ready. Your training starts now."
Moses gave Vasco a light push and whispered,
"Good luck, explorer. You're gonna need it."
Vasco took a deep breath, cast one last glance at his friends, and walked toward Commander Othon.