"Mars Mineral Corporation Excavator 1-A awaiting instructions. Please upload imaging instructions for phase one of the Pyramid Mining Complex."

***

"This is Mars Mineral Corporation Oh-Two-Three. Progress report: The automated excavators are at the new mining location and I'm just waiting for your instructions to upload, I haven't seen them yet. Those guys sure are big, they should have this done in no time. I'd like to schedule a few of my vacations days when I get back. I haven't been able to pick up any of the entertainment channels since the secondary dish collapsed and I'm going a little stir crazy."

***

"Calling Mars Oh-Two-Three. Good morning Ray. The boys in engineering finished up the instructions a few days ago, we're just waiting on satellite time. The military's got the whole system tied up for 'exercises' or something like that. Government workers, eh?"

***

"This is Mars Oh-Two-Three.I just got a screech on the general bandwith and lost all telemetry. There's a major dust storm out here right now, may have suffered some damage. Have sent utility rover out to check the main dish. Please advise of any problems on your end. How'd your wife's recital go?"

***

"Calling Mars Two-Oh-Three. Trust me, you didn't miss much. We're still waiting on the satellite. There's been a total lockout from the network on our end, I've never seen anything like it before... wait, Cindy just came in and said the President's talking about it on the news. She said it looks like he's in a bunker. Let me get back to you."

***

.....-ble.....sure what's hap-.... everyones...-nicing right now..... get back...

***

"This is Mars Mineral Corporation Oh-Two-Three. I didn't quite read that. The utility rover should arrive at the main dish in a few minutes. Did I ever tell you how much I really wish corporate would have sprung to have two of us out here? I hate relying on these bots to do everything while I mind the controls. It wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't that twenty-five minute lightspeed lag between us."

***

...-ash....-ire.. dead...

***

"This is Mars Oh-Two-Three. The rover's checked the dish, there's nothing wrong. This dust storm's playing hell with the telescopes, I can't get a definite lock on your relay satellite. WeatherBot says the storm should be over in fifteen minutes. Please advise.

***

...Static...

***

"I just got the telescopes back up. Rick, Where the hell is the satellite? I can't see it anymore. It should be right in orbit over you. I'm seeing an awful lot of infrared anomalies on the thermal. What's going on down there?"

***

You have reached the emergency broadcast system. Please stand by for an important announcement. You have reached the emergency broadcast system. Please stand by for an important announcement. You have reached...

***

"Rick, what's going on down there? I'm getting a really bad feeling up here, please talk to me. It looks like I'm about to get whatever address the President gave you."

***

"...unfortunately, our negotiations have failed and the time for diplomacy has ended. We have already detected Lemurian bombers on a course for our airspace. Rest assured, my fellow Atlanteans, that our response will be swift and absolute. Godspeed to you all, and may the world always remember the name Atlantis."

***

"This is Mars Oh-Two-Three. Calling anybody still out there. I can see it through the telescope now. It looks like they hit... everywhere. Total devastation. I just ran the scenario through the computer and it's calculating a nuclear winter lasting thousands of years. I'm not expecting anybody to come and get me now. Hell, I might be the only one left. And once I'm gone, there will be no evidence left that we even existed."

***

'Mars Mineral Corporation Excavator 1-A awaiting instructions. Please upload imaging instructions for phase one of the Pyramid Mining Complex."

***

"Now that's an idea! Where the hell is my personnel file on this computer? Funny, they voted me "Least Likely to be Famous" in high school too."

***

Mars Mineral Corporation Excavator 1-A instructions received. File 'Raymond-portrait-image' uploaded. Commencing dig.

***

"In science news, NASA has just released new images of the famed "Face on Mars." It appears today that the "Face" is simply a trick of light and shadow. This anomaly was first reporting back in the 70's, with conspiracy theorists claiming it is evidence of a long-dead civilization..."




[edit on 6-27-2009 by Esoterica]

Really good story. Good luck! S&F For you!!!

Thank you. This is the first story I've posted here and the first piece of fiction I've written in a long time. Thank you for the feedback and good luck to you as well

I loved the plot line and how it ended, this was a great contribution to the contest. Your writing style was a joy to read as well.

I hope you do well in the contest,

wupy