Was the jolt real or in my head? Maybe both. A static shock shot through my skull and I opened my eyes to see the blinking lights of the instrument panel. A sense of relief washed over me. The ship had never been fully tested prior to launch, but it was the only option we had. The hybernation system seemed to have worked. One moment I was bracing for liftoff, clinching a crease in my seat cushion, and the next moment I was resting safely on Earth with no memory of the journey. I guess that means, against all odds, the ship’s other systems worked as well. That is, if we were actually on Earth. The sunlight coming through the cockpit window was so bright my eyes closed involuntarily. They had been in utter darkness for six months. Tears ran down my cheeks. Back in darkness I was suddenly aware of the panic setting in. My chest was tight and my arms and neck were numb. I turned away from the bright window and slowly opened my eyes. There were my crew member, still resting peacefully. Their presence was calming. I wasn’t alone. I decided to take a quick look around outside while my crew came out of hybernation. I initiated the exit sequence. The ship scanned the outside air, the window shields went up blocking out the light, and the exit hatch unlocked. I heard the ramp deploying outside and waiting to hear the thud of it hitting the ground. A sudden shriek from outside caused me to jump and take a few steps back. The ramp gears strained to a stop, but the shrieking continued. The ship shook violently and then the shrieking trailed off, either getting quieter or farther away. Something outside was alive, and it sounded large, terrified, and angry. We weren’t alone. After a long while listening to the quiet hum of the ships standby system, I gathered my courage and began the exit sequence again. This time the ramp touched down and the exit hatch swung open. The air felt thick in my lungs. Like inhaling honey. I felt a sudden rush of energy and excitement. I forgot about the shrieking…whatever it was. A few steps later my head was spinning. I knelt down at the top of the ramp to rest. I had been stationary and weightless for months and now I was moving through air as thick as the water on Mars. It was exhausting. I hung my head and took in gulps of air, and just as the air was quick to tire me out, it was quick to energize me again. I stood up and looked around, my eyes adjusted to the light, and what I saw was nothing like what I had expected. The experts had been very wrong. I was born and raised on Mars, as were my parents. A third-generation Martian, but 100% human. In school, I was far more interested in studying Earth than Mars. Earth had so much more color, water, and life. At least it used to. We were taught that everything on Earth was turning to dust as the planet overheated. That’s why we migrated to Mars. Believe me, I questioned the logic of moving from a planet that may become arid and lifeless to a planet that already was. My teacher assured me the Grand Plan made sense. According to our history books, in the year 2029 an international group of environmental experts predicted the Earth would become an dystopian desert wasteland by 2100 due to the impact of human-related carbon output on the climate. One year later, a collection of allied countries developed the Grand Plan to build a settlement on Mars. Construction was started on the Ark E-Type, a ship that would carry humans, livestock, food, water, and building materials to Mars. The immense Ark, with 24,000 crew members and passengers, left the Earth’s orbit in early 2045 headed for Mars. Six uneventful months later, the Ark landed safely on Mars. While the Mars settlement was under construction, crews from Earth were supposed to build additional Ark ships in Earth’s orbit. Ideally, when the Mars community was ready to support more humans and animals, ships from the Ark fleet would be ready to take them there. The ships would then return to Earth for more passengers and supplies while the Mars crews used the newly delivered materials to build more accommodations. This cycle would continue until enough humans were transferred to Mars to stabilize the climate, and until suitable construction materials could be sources from Mars. Communication between Earth and Mars was slow but consistent, and both teams seemed to be on schedule. The Mars settlement had become a stable, adaptable, and scalable town with the original Ark at its center as a sort of sports center and office complex. So on December 25, 2089, after a modest celebration ceremony, the Governmental Body of Mars proudly informed Earth that Mars was ready to receive another ship. There was no answer. Several attemps were made each day for months, but still no answer. Was it a technical issue, or had the scientists been right about the end of humankind? Had the end come faster than expected? Was it too late? The settlement was stable, adaptable, and scalable, but not sustainable indefinitely. The decision was made to use the materials and technology available on Mars to build a ship capable of carrying a crew of four to Earth to investigate, and to hopefully confirm more Arks were on their way to Mars. My crew was trained on space travel and Earth survival. The Earth survival training focused on how to find water, gather food, and build shelter in an arid dystopian environment. Scanning my surroundings from the ramp of my ship, I quickly realized my training was worthless. I was in awe. I didn’t realize my mouth was hanging open until a large insect flew in. I gagged and spit, but I’m pretty sure I swallowed most of it. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I turned to see my crew staring at me. They were awake! I told them about the ramp and the shrieking whatever it was, and we decided it was probably for the best I hadn’t gone exploring outside alone. At length we made our way out the exit hatch to the ground. We were told Earth would be a dystopian wasteland with crumbling infrastructure, abandoned buildings, and mass extinction. What we saw when we looked out across the landscape was crumbling infrastructure, abandoned buildings, and an abundance of life. We seemed to be in the middle of what had once been an large city, but every structure was covered in lush green plant life. We were shown pictures of Earth cities, forests, jungles, and rivers back on Mars, but what we saw was all those images morphed into one. The sounds of birds, wind, and running water, combined with the vibrant greens, browns, and blues washed in sunlight filtered through thick clouds, was overwhelming. I was in a trance. A faint voice barely registered in my mind, but I ignored it. A moment later, another voice. A loud yell and the trance was broken. All three sets of eyes were on me. “Oh, sorry. What?” I said. “Where are all the people?” I hadn’t thought of that. Before I could reply, a loud snarl came from the dense undergrowth of a nearby stand of trees. I suddenly realized, regardless of beauty, this may still be in a dystopian world.