It was the first of October 1927. Marcus was sitting in the waiting room, a large modern high ceilinged concrete room that in some ways was an ode to its scientific research. The room was filled with streaming light that reflected off a large polished concrete floor. The corporate entity that owned this building had constructed it to be like the great churches of the medieval era yet based on strong modernist forms. Soon Marcus could hear the click-clack of the nurse as she walked in her fitting uniform from some twenty metres away. As her figure became more apparent he saw she was carrying a small box that she held in front of her body as though it may have contained a jewel of great importance. Her hair was jet black and kept in a bun with a fringe of the style of those heady modern times. She had pursed red lips and a serious expression that fitted the surroundings. All actions of science were of the highest merit. One had to have an air of authority and seriousness when dealing with scientific research. Soon she was in front of Marcus and put the box on the small table next to him and his rather thin steel chair. 

Within moments she opened the small box and pulled out the vial. It was glowing red, then blue and suddenly green. It seemed to morph in its eery glow. Marcus was surprised to see her so adept with the needle and the vial. All of her movements were exact and precise. Only seconds later the needle was in his arm, the liquid now set upon his body. He felt a little lightheaded. His blood pressure dropped and some of the liquid dripped down from the injection site as the nurse held a small cotton bud on it. Marcus gave a little smile with the nurse simply watching him but not saying a word. Within moments she had packed the small box and turned and left Marcus on his chair click-clacking away. Marcus slowly sat up, rolled his sleeve back down and picked up his jacket to leave. He went to the conveyor belt as it took him to his pod. Soon he lay in the glass pod with its heavy metal rivets holding this marvel of technology together. It whisked him away at great speed through the network. While he lay down in the pod with the lights reflecting from all angles he thought of how far society had come.

When the Mars colonists had found rare metals in the Martian soils they needed most of Earth’s population to be readied for deployment on Mars. The only way to survive was to have the injection and be sent to do a tour. Once the injection was taken humans could breathe the Martian atmosphere and help the colony grow. Science had shown the way forward in every way. The human race was connected through space and time. Getting to Mars only took a few days from Earth and most of the solar system had either orbiting space stations or colonists. Soon Marcus was in his home, a rather small yet efficient room that started playing a Beethoven violin concerto. He was ready for Mars yet it was his first time and he had heard all sorts of stories of the stifling heat on Mars yet also those celebrated cool evenings with the Earth rising like a small blue star. He was anxious yet also excited. From what most people knew about Mars most of the colony was underground with observation stations on the surface. Marcus would be leaving tomorrow and he readied himself for bed. Mars would be his new home for a few months and then he would be back. It would be lovely he thought to have a few photos from Mars on his projection wall.