Read America One: War of the Worlds for Free Online

once I got there and looked back. I saw what a mess we Homo sapiens have made of this planet. I agree that the love of money is the root of all evil, and will assume that money, or at least the need for it will not go away. Astermine cannot change the greed, or need for money in people, nor is it our job to change the direction of evolution. But, one thing is for sure, we can dictate what our new planet Mars will look like. If it is Astermine’s future destiny in the history books—to bring back all this treasure, so be it. Mars is ours to control once we fight it away from the Matts , or at least attempt to live peacefully with them. We will never fire the first shot in battle on Mars, nor will we let money be the uber-ruler of mankind on Mars. Astermine will bring back this treasure for this planet to modernize itself into whatever evolution has in store for Earth, but Astermine will control what goes on the red planet, at least until the day I’m put underground, here or there.”
    Ryan Richmond got loud applause from that briefing that day, nobody applauded louder than Jonesy, much everybody’s else surprise, and his short speech to his crew became Astermine’s destiny for generations of astronauts to come.
    Without stating it, Ryan Richmond was back in Astermine’s driving seat.
     

Chapter 4
 
Visit to China
    It took two months before the astronauts were fit enough to begin the extensive runway jogs again. Even though they had gained 14 years of extra life, the return to an earth fitness was one of the hardest things most of them had ever attempted.
    Dr. Nancy stayed on as chief medical officer for the two months and planned out diets, training and even work and sleep patterns, much like she had done in space to get the crew fit again.
    Jonesy struggled more than the others with his legs. Dr. Nancy got him on a strict physiotherapy schedule to strengthen his legs while VIN suggested that he go the metal route. He and Suzi never had problems with their metal legs, and passed him easily on every run.
    The underground storage was emptied and closed up for future needs. Several dozen of the freezers still worked after decades of use, and what the base didn’t need was handed out to the residents in Tonopah, and as far away as Las Vegas.
    Nevada Base was again full of crew, and the daily crowd at the gates dwindled as work was found in other locations.
    Television channels grew by one a month, and whenever the Audis and Teslas were taken out for a ride, the crew could see that the roads were getting busier.
    Joanne flew into Canada and got Mary Collins to pledge her government to back a loan of liquid hydrogen for the next visit to Mars, 25,000 gallons of the most sort after liquid in the world. Times had changed and oil was becoming a lesser valued liquid, and few countries mined it anymore.
    Martin Brusk was invited and flew in to visit his old friend. Now he was an older man than the others, and was shocked how young his friends the “older” astronauts he knew, were, and looked. He was finally told the truth about the asteroid and the Matt base in space with its cryogenic chambers.
    Ryan, Jonesy and Maggie were excited to have a flight in Martin’s new hybrid jet, the same one Mars and Saturn had seen on the island. So far Martin had no plans to produce the aircraft until light, mini cold fusion plants were cheaper and readily available.
    Australia had already given Astermine much of its country’s liquid hydrogen reserves, but with Gary Darwin and Mark Price heading down under to negotiate with their country of birth, another 15,000 gallons was obtained.
    Ryan had his own liquid hydrogen manufacturing plant on the base and even running 24/7 would only produce 25,000 gallons before they left. The mission was still far behind its needs.
    It was three months later, and with only 73 days left before the launch of SB IV and SB-V to orbit for the start of their next mission, that the final answer of where there