Messages from the Deep

A TV
programme is started, called
‘
Life on Mars
’
,
which generates the funding to send the first humans to settle on
Mars. Mariada de Villiers, a South African physicist, is chosen for
the first group to leave on this one-way trip.

While the settlement on Mars is developed, a
break-through is made on Earth into faster space travel, and her
group is replaced and they return to Earth after four years.

Alexander Zhivago is a marine biologist based
at Plettenberg Bay on the southern coast of Africa. He has done
extensive research into the languages and communication of dolphins
and whales.

Breakthroughs are made internationally as
cetacean languages are decoded and understood, and humans begin to
communicate meaningfully with these ancient and wise beings.

Humans overcome the barriers of travelling to
deep space and other solar systems at a most opportune time, as it
appears that life on Earth is increasingly tenuous and
threatened.

A habitable planet, similar to Earth and
called Earth 2, is found, while travelling to it in a few months
becomes possible.

Once again, Mariada is chosen for the first
group to settle there, and so is Alexander. Their friendship is
finally able to grow much deeper. At the same time, they discover
that the local dolphins have deep connections in space and time,
and have very important messages to share.

COPYRIGHT © 2016 by THEO. MARAIS

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ISBN 978-0-620-71303-0 (e-book)

Smashwords Edition

Special thanks to:

Marie-Anna, my wife, supporter and
adviser.

Adriana, our daughter, who inspired and
helped with a big part of the idea, and on whom a central character
is partly based.

Alejandra Vargas-Fonseca, cetacean
researcher, who is in at the deep end.

Elaine Finkelstein, psychologist, for
information on near death experiences.

Manou Marais, my niece, for the cover
design.

PART 1. GOING OUT - MARS (2024 -
2030)

PART 2. COMING IN - CETACEANS (2030 -
2044)

PART 3. EARTH 2
(2044)

PART 4. DEEP MESSAGES (2045
+)

PART 1

GOING OUT - MARS (2024 -2030)

“Arion leaped down into the waves… a dolphin
did submit his arched back to the unusual weight; seated there,
Arion grasped his lyre and paid his fare in song, and with his
chant he charmed the ocean waves. The gods see pious deeds: Jupiter
received the dolphin among the constellations, and bade him have
nine stars.”

Ovid. 43 B.C. - A.D. 17

Mariada de Villiers is lying in bed, bathed
in the light of a full moon shining through the open window. She is
dreaming as her eyelids flicker and her lips move slightly.

She sees her parents, with her father saying,
“Do what you love best, what challenges your brain to the limit,
and what will help develop all life on Earth.”

She sees her grandparents, with her
grandmother saying, “Work hard, look up to the stars, give your
love and laugh a lot.”

She sees her Huguenot ancestors fleeing
Catholic France and, on arrival at the Cape, being told,

“Speaking French is not allowed here. From
now on, you speak Dutch.” And one replying, “My wine will speak for
itself.”

Many faces then flash before her, appearing
to go far back in time, until the face of a dolphin surfaces and
speaks directly to her. “Go beyond Earth. Go beyond Mars. Go to a
planet like Earth. You will find me there.”

A presenter at a large conference introduces
the next speaker. “At this special sitting in 2024 of the
International Space Administration, we call upon Mariada de
Villiers to address us on ‘The history of the Life on Mars
mission.’ ”

Mariada, a woman of about 40 years, begins
her talk. “I am honoured to have been selected to be one of the
first group of four to be sent, in one week’s time, to start a
settlement on Mars.”

As she talks, a giant T.V. screen shows
archive footage of the events she describes.

“The Russians were the first nation to send
rockets beyond Earth’s atmosphere, and the first human in space was
Yuri Gagarin in 1961 in Vostok 1. In 1969, America was first to
land people on the Moon, to take off again, re-unite with their
orbiting space-ship and return safely to Earth, all within a period
of about a week.

Mars was the next target at the turn of the
century and three robot-controlled vehicles with cameras were
exploring the Martian landscape and analysing soil samples.

The Life on Mars mission started in 2013 as a
private initiative, raising funds as a proposed Reality-T.V.
programme which will show our journey to Mars, settling on the
planet and our daily activities thereafter in establishing a
permanent settlement. Advertisements were published globally,
calling for volunteers, and thousands responded. By 2016, a
preliminary group of 16 volunteers was chosen, and I was elated to
be one of them.”

Mariada’s parents switch on their T.V. at
home and the title of the programme is ‘Life on Mars’.

A presenter announces, “For the selection of
the final 16 crew, our show, ‘Life on Mars’, will be screening a
series of elimination rounds of the last 100 candidates now in
2016. This is a system where the voters are in three groups,
consisting of the candidates themselves, the T.V. viewers, and a
panel of experts. At the end of each week for 10 weeks, they will
vote to eliminate the 10 weakest for the first four weeks, and then
the five weakest for the next six weeks, thus eliminating 70
candidates over the 10 week period. In addition, each week the top
10 candidates will be voted for ‘promotion’ on the basis of
excellent performance.

The final 16 will be chosen from the
remaining 30 candidates according to the most promotions
achieved.

The locations for the elimination rounds have
been chosen in order to subject the candidates to almost every
conceivable psychological and physical situation, to see how they
cope and to test their resilience in these extreme conditions.”

The background footage shows examples of what
is being mentioned.

“In this first week, all 100 candidates were
subjected to basic medical and physical tests and exercises, with
rigorous recording and evaluation of results. They were also
evaluated regarding ability and knowledge in First Aid, emergency
care, diagnosis and treatment of a variety of medical conditions,
nutrition, medicines and other areas.”

The footage shows some candidates in a
simulated clinic’s emergency area. A ‘patient’ is brought in so
that each candidate, in turn and unseen by the others , is asked by
a doctor, “What diagnosis seems likely at first inspection?” and,
“What treatment seems best?” The first patient is a classic First
Aid case, an apparent deep cut to the arm which is bleeding
profusely. When the doctor asks the first question to the first
candidate, a somewhat over-confident young man, he takes one look
at the blood-like substance dripping on the floor, starts swaying
on his feet and, with his legs starting to buckle, has to be
ushered to a chair.

“Based on all the votes cast, the top 10 for
promotion are Mariada de Villiers…” As this is shown, her parents
can’t contain their excitement and they leap around the lounge,
shouting and laughing.

Her parents are back for each week’s
announcements for the next nine weeks.

“Week two was about the technical knowledge
and abilities of the 90 candidates left and covered areas like
fixing and making mechanical and electronic equipment, hydrology
and plumbing, gardening and so on. It soon showed us that some are
all thumbs and are eliminated, while others have green thumbs and
earn a promotion.”

Some candidates are in a large, enclosed
‘tunnel garden’, with transparent sides and roof, such as is used
to grow tropical plants. One candidate nearly cuts off her thumb,
while another has invented a good system for watering all the
plants with minimal effort.

“Week three was a week-long encounter group,
where the 80 candidates were divided into eight groups of 10 who
almost never left each other alone day and night, and were told to
share their feelings about themselves and each other. We had some
encounters which led to an angry outburst and an instant red card
and others where things got too hot with some close
encounters.”

One group of 10 is in a room only slightly
larger than the area taken by the 10 mattresses they use to sit and
sleep on. There are no windows, only an air conditioner, and the
lighting is harsh. A door leads to the bathroom with two toilets,
basins and showers, and the other door leads to a small dining room
and then a door outside, which is ‘no-man’s land’ for the week. An
older man is shown shouting angrily at another, waving his fists as
though about to throw a punch. An official is shown escorting him
out. Two younger women are shown doing a bit more than cuddling up
after the lights are dimmed. They are confronted about this
transgression the next morning.

“Week four was a series of obstacle courses
where the 70 candidates, in seven groups, had to solve problems and
show resilience, patience and stamina in difficult situations. Some
panicked while others were too cool.”

One group is negotiating an obstacle course
with various challenges, such as is used by military trainees. They
reach a wall which looks about 4m high and needs to be crossed by
the whole team. Two of the members calmly take charge and help to
make a pyramid with five members, and the other five then climb up
them and over the top. It is clear that some hate heights and
freeze with fright, while others act rashly.

“Week five was spent in Dome Town in Hawaii
on the slopes of a volcano. The settlement was divided into three
separate villages for the 60 left, and was a simulation of a
settlement on Mars. Candidates needed to continue with the planning
and management of all daily activities, such as using melted ice to
make hydrogen and oxygen for the air to breathe, growing food in
gardens, and recycling all waste and using it to fertilise the
gardens.”

One village has too many cooks who spoil the
broth by trying to boss everyone around, without doing any work
themselves. When nothing works properly, they blame everyone
else.

“Week six was spent in the Himalayas, to test
reactions at high altitudes, with low oxygen levels and in sub-zero
temperatures. Some of the brightest intellects became zombie-like,
while a few others went off at tangents as though high on
L.S.D.”

This is the first test of coping with very
low temperatures, and it is clear that some candidates just cannot
adapt to a climate so different to home. Others seem to come alive
as they tramp through snow and ice and try to cook food.

“Week seven was in the Sahara Desert for the
remaining 50 candidates, with extreme temperature changes, searing
hot in the day and below freezing at night. Some had never
experienced such aridity or been in such smothering sand-storms, as
may be found on Mars, where sand somehow gets between your teeth,
your toes and into your nose.

Week eight was in Antarctica, where
co-operation within the group was critical. The 45 candidates were
flown in to McMurdo Station on Ross Island in October, as soon as
Spring brings slightly warmer weather than the normal Winter
temperatures of —50 degrees Centigrade, at which petrol freezes.
The base is also 3000m above sea level, adding to the discomfort
index. Breathing is painful and the long hours of darkness can
cause depression, aggravated by Vitamin D deficiency and ‘seasonal
affective disorder’ (Winter blues). The group was divided into
three groups of 15, each in quarters normally used by 10
researchers, so the more cramped conditions added to the stress and
tensions for the week. Some candidates were pleading to leave after
a few days.”