This place was a complete shithole. Nothing could grow here. No animals existed. Compared to this place, Detroit was a paradise. In fact, I found myself wishing to be transported to Detroit. Even middle of the Summer Detroit. Hell I'd take that in a heartbeat. That's how bad this place was. And that's where I was, standing in a desolate shithole, looking up with envy at the worst even Detroit had to offer. Suddenly I realized that Mars wasn't what they had made it out to be. Yeh, I guess I'm a slow learner. But the brochures made it look stunning. Apparently, somebody is really good at Photoshop. And the commercials with all those super happy people. They said there were beautiful women everywhere for the taking. But this place is a massive shithole. Nothing to offer, not even an ugly woman or a toothless three-legged dog. And even though, I'm still groggy from 18 months in space, I'm really pissed. Now where did I put that sat-phone? It's not in the landing pod and it's not in my duffle bag. I bet they snagged it while I was changing into my enviro-suit. Well, as soon as I find an effective means of communication, management's going to get an earful! email: [email protected] web: www.michaeloster.com