Mars

MARS

The Red Planet was the obvious choice for humanity's first extra-planetary efforts. Its proximity to Earth, frozen water supplies, moderate temperatures, and Earthlike rotation and gravity promised to make Mars a colonization dream. On July 23, 2046 the first man walked on Mars. Hiroyuki Sakai took the furthest steps man has ever taken from the planet earth.

Mars wouldn't be colonized for another 8 years, until China's Bue Li, resulted in a permanent installation on its satellite Phobos. The base itself would be fully automated and remained so for many years. Manned stations and mining facilities followed, but full scale colonization began only after the "Martian Immigration Protocol" is established in 2057. Plans for a second colony begin immediately, and the ION project begins an active recruitment program on Earth. Millions flock to leave the over populated and environmentally stressed Earth. Dissident movements begin to arise based on the selection methods used to enter the Martian colonial missions, Red Sun, a primarily nativist and non-violent movement protests the influx of immigration. Demanding terraforming be reduced until conclusive research into the Red Planet can be made.

In 2062, Under the authority of the ION project, Skywatch erected multiple orbital launch platforms for a series of unmanned scouts to search for mineral resources. These same platforms would also be used to fire ice asteroids into the atmosphere to increase oxygen levels and provide moisture. Augmented water content and limited greenhouse effect (a calculated result of dust clouds raised by the asteroids' impact) are merely the beginning of what is sure to be a centuries long terraforming project.

In 2065, ViriiSoma proposed to the ION Project that they could accelerate Mars terraforming with advanced bioware. Using bleeding edge biotechnology, ViriiSoma initiated this enormous task with an army of engineered microbiological organisms and gigantic terrestrial and orbital bio-structures. The procedure was designed to thicken Mars\' atmosphere by introducing an ozone layer and seeding the planet with oxygen producing organisms. The goal: to eliminate the need for sealed colonization environments.

However, ViriiSoma neglected to account for native Martian life. Mars' micro-ecology, discovered late in the 20th century, was considered an irrelevant factor in the terraforming process. While environmental activists such as Red Sun opposed ViriiSoma's plan, citing the unknown potential of the planet\'s ecology, the ION project dismissed their concerns. Much to the projects chagrin, the microorganisms proved a bigger problem then anyone could have guessed.

As the human population on Mars reached one million. The ION Project completed the star ladder on Mars. Mining operations thrive and prove to be the chief economic gross for mars. The resulting damage to the native Mars ecosystem is largely unreported and neglected, it is notable that around this time Red Sun modus operandi shifts, becoming increasingly violent. U.N. reports indicate it is questionable as too whether or not this is a response to increased violence toward activist groups and declining labor conditions.

Toward the latter half of the century, the progression of the ION Project induces a series of riots and catastrophes. The most notable being the continual failure of the Mercury Microwave transmitter project. Albeit, failure was deemed the result of technical problem but the flood of terrorist cells claiming responsibility cannot be ignored

The most famous and populous city on Mars is Gale Crater City, which is surrounded by a directed energy dome.