An epic science fiction novel about the first crewed mission to Mars will be published soon. Written by Anastasiia Bodko & Anna Malyshkina, The Call to Mars will be of interest to anyone who is looking forward to humanity’s inevitable colonization of Mars.
The story delves into the profound personal and technical challenges and of pioneering a new world. Preparing for such a mission is dramatic and complex and readers will find themselves immersed in the sometimes imperfect emotional and psychological dynamics of the crew. Whether you’re a fan of science fiction or simply curious about our future on Mars, The Call of Mars offers a gripping narrative that will stay with you long after the final page. Here is the first chapter.
Chapter One:The First Step
Standing on the threshold of the UK Space Agency’s spaceport, Olena hesitated to step inside, but it was too late to turn back now. The place was mesmerizing yet intimidating with its sheer size and appearance. The building was indeed enormous — spacious corridors led to numerous objects, laboratories, and other rooms whose purposes the woman couldn’t even guess. Eventually, she took a step, then another, and another, until finally, Olena made it inside. After wandering for a while, she found the right office and entered. Inside was a small conference room with thirty chairs and a speaker’s podium. With about twenty minutes remaining before the meeting, Olena took a seat in one of the rows.
Truth be told, Olena didn’t feel entirely comfortable being here. The atmosphere pressed on her, making her nervously nibble on her nails — a childhood habit. Her thoughts were far away, beyond the walls of the massive UKSA base, and even beyond our planet — her mind had long been on Mars. Years had passed since she turned her life around by deciding to become an astronaut. Still, she knew she was not in her place. This passion originally belonged to her older brother, Svyatoslav, who always had one goal — to explore the galaxy. Not a day went by without him gazing at the sky, wondering when his turn would come to be there among the planets, to become one of the thousands of stars in the infinity of space. Olena still remembered how Svyatoslav, looking through the telescope he received as a gift from their father, would sigh excitedly: “There it is, Mars, mysterious and unfathomable, yet somehow within arm’s reach.”
Every family gathering ended with her brother talking about his burning desire to experience what it was like to walk on the red planet, step by step exploring its vast landscapes, deep canyons, and cold deserts. Being nineteen years younger, Olena followed Svyatoslav in everything, and eventually, his fascination with space was passed on to her. She always believed that her brother’s dream would come true, as astronauts from around the world were already traveling to Mars with the bold mission to explore every corner of it and, moreover, to find a way to become more than just visitors and have a real chance to call it home.
Despite this, the girl never saw herself as part of this dream. Unlike her brother, for Olena, it was just an interest that had no place in her future. However, Svyatoslav was lucky — at just thirty-five, he was accepted as one of the hundred qualified candidates for a potential flight to Mars. It is hard to describe the feelings his family experienced upon hearing the good news. He finally had the chance to fulfill the dream that kept him awake at night and for which he had worked so hard all those years.
Yet, at this very moment, Svyatoslav was not there. Only Olena and her persistent memories, haunting her wherever she went, remained. She felt like a traitor, an anomaly in the world of space, because he should have been in her place. However, her brother would never again step through the threshold of the space center, let alone his own home. Indeed, twenty years had passed since a disease took the life of the young, ambitious man, a disease he had been diagnosed with too late. It is hard even to imagine what it’s like not only to lose the chance to visit the planet of your dreams but also to leave your own.
When Olena gradually learned to control the burning pain and the feeling of utter hopelessness from losing her brother, a new goal emerged — at any cost, to conquer Mars. Since then, everything she did was entirely dedicated to this relentless desire to avenge her brother’s illness. Thanks to her efforts and determination, she managed to enter the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and, later, graduate with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. Even that wasn’t enough, so her educational path continued with another master’s degree in space sciences from the National Aerospace University of Ukraine and advanced training in astronautics at the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Training Center. The more knowledge Olena gained, the greater her chances of becoming a candidate for a Mars expedition became. And so, the situation that had happened to Svyatoslav many years ago repeated itself: Olena passed the first stage of qualification and became one of the astronauts who would undergo testing to adapt to long-term life on Mars.
And here she was, at the UK Space Centre, invited to a conference with all of the participants. The speaker was none other than Dr. William Miller, who was also her brother’s mentor and a family friend of the Symonenko family. Despite his genius and the importance of his position, he remained a friendly, somewhat eccentric old man. Olena didn’t notice how much time had passed as she was lost in her thoughts until she saw the man at the podium in the center of the room. His authoritative voice made her flinch and focus on something other than her own thoughts.
During the next hour, William spoke about the opportunities awaiting future Mars mission participants and the preparation, which would include various team and individual challenges. The final and most arduous of these would be staying in an isolated habitat designed to closely mimic the realities of life on Mars. The five team members would be under constant observation and would have to complete a detailed list of pre-set tasks. Based on the data collected during the training, UKSA researchers would better understand the impact of the mission on the team members’ physical and mental health.
The more Olena listened, the more she immersed herself in her imagination, picturing the experiment in her mind. When the meeting ended, she remained in her seat for a few minutes, analyzing the information she had received. Suddenly, she felt a light touch on her shoulder and immediately recognized who was addressing her:
“Olena, my dear. Long time no see within these walls. I was beginning to think you might have left astronautics behind?”
Of course, William was only joking. Everyone who knew her even a little agreed on one thing: her determination knew no bounds. Olena smiled in response:
“Oh, Mr. Miller. You know better than anyone that I would never abandon my goal. It is an extension of me.”
Upon hearing this, Miller scratched his chin with satisfaction and looked around, his gaze scrutinizing the room. More and more people were leaving the conference hall until only the doctor, Olena, and four other astronauts remained. Olena noticed their presence but refrained from commenting, knowing there must be a reason for it. Miller cleared his throat and proudly declared:
“I am pleased to introduce you to your future team for Terra Innovare 4.”
Olena nearly fainted upon hearing these words. Standing before a group of astronauts who, like her, were looking around trying to find calm in this unusual situation—undoubtedly outside the comfort zone of any ordinary person—she couldn’t utter a word.
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” William continued, “it’s not as simple as it seems. Even though I’ve chosen your candidacy for the team, it does not guarantee the absolute approval of my decision. I am just giving you a small push, which only you can steer in the right direction. So, let’s not waste time and get down to business. Meet,”—he turned to the others, pointing at her as if she were an exhibit in a museum—”this charming girl named Olena Symonenko. As you already know, she will be the captain of your team. I want to stress that any misunderstandings should be resolved in her presence. You will have to go a long way together, so I suggest you be open with each other.”
Olena’s stunned silence was interrupted by a man who looked around forty, addressing her. His gaze swept over her before he raised an eyebrow in confusion and asked:
“Hello, can you hear me? It’s rude to ignore someone speaking to you.”
Olena nervously smiled and nodded. Of course. It was only a matter of time before someone would address her. After all, that was why William had gathered them together—to find out who she would be working with in the coming years, both in orbit and beyond. Annoyed, the man repeated himself.
“David Foster, second pilot.”
Olena extended her hand for a handshake, but David disdainfully looked her up and down and ignored Olena, leaving her hand hanging in the air.
“I hope you won’t disappoint me because just looking at you, I already regret that I’m not the lead of our team. Sorry for my bluntness, but you… how should I put it? Incompetent. Young, ambitious, and full of dreams that are mostly doomed to remain just dreams. A pretty face won’t get you far in this field, so you’d better work hard to earn my trust as team captain, not to mention the others.”
Ouch. David’s words were quite harsh, but it couldn’t be said that he was entirely wrong. Yes, it was true that Olena was not the most experienced astronaut candidate. Still, hearing someone say this to her face was a significant blow to her self-esteem. “Incredible,” the woman thought, “I meet my team for the first time and already make a bad impression.” Yet, Olena wouldn’t allow herself to be crushed so easily. Svyatoslav wouldn’t back down in the situation like that, right? After a brief pause, she responded calmly and composedly, not letting her emotions take over.
“I understand your concern, but I would advise you not to judge a book by its cover. I am confident that my knowledge is sufficient to lead the team. However, as the second pilot, you can always offer advice and share your experience.”
Despite her feigned calmness, Olena’s hands were slightly trembling. What team? She never imagined that she would be leading a crew. Olena wanted to say something, object, protest, but she only clenched her fists and swallowed these feelings. David’s face made it clear that he was not particularly impressed by her response, but he merely grunted, refraining from further comments.
Instead, the man turned to the other team members, who had already started conversing amongst themselves. They all looked younger than David and Olena. The woman stepped a little closer to them, joining the conversation. The group looked at her curiously as if trying to gauge her personality at first glance. As they introduced themselves, Olena noticed the slight narrowing of David’s eyes, the way Ewa and Olivia exchanged glances, and the way Taras’s smile, though warm, seemed measured. Each of them was assessing her, measuring her worth before she had even spoken.
“We’re glad to meet you. I’m Ewa Nowak, flight engineer, and that sweet thing over there is a team doctor. If something happens to you in space, don’t worry — she’ll take good care of you,” she winked, offering her hand.
“Oh, come on, don’t scare her!” another woman next to Ewa exclaimed. She was of medium height and had long, curly hair. Her soft face features matched her calm, soothing voice. “Olivia Davis, medical officer. Sorry, she’s always like that.”
Olena forced a smile at their exchange, then turned her attention to the last man in the group. His features were unmistakably Slavic, and there was something about him that felt familiar.
“Taras Kostenko,” he said, his voice warm and enthusiastic as he extended his hand. “I’m the scientist of the team.”
Olena hesitated for a moment, the name resonating with her. “Taras? That’s a Ukrainian name, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is! I heard William mention your name earlier and guessed you might be Ukrainian too.”
Olena’s smile seemed like a genuine one this time. “Yes, I am. It’s wonderful to meet someone from home.”
Taras’s enthusiasm was contagious. “I knew this mission was going to be something special, but having a fellow Ukrainian on board makes it even better! We’re going to make our country proud, Olena.”
Olena nodded, finding his optimism somewhat reassuring. Finally, William joined the discussion. The team moved on to talking about the mission ahead.
“I hope everyone understands the importance of preparation before your mission. Mars is a relatively new, unexplored territory, so caution and prudence are advisable. Remember, you’re not just testing new technology but also studying the effects of long-term human presence in space. You face a significant task, and you will succeed only by working together.”
“Working together? He must be joking,” the woman thought. What kind of cooperation could there be when she was meeting these people for the first time? Thoughts didn’t align no matter how hard she tried, but eventually, after brief negotiations with the orchestrator of this chaos, Olena had no choice but to agree to this crazy idea. After all, she wanted to go to space, didn’t she?
Nothing went according to plan, absolutely nothing. But one thing was certain: Mars would not keep itself waiting for long.
