Episode 45: Jettison Pod

By this time, Mars nearly filled the screen.  Flash tried once again to make contact with Nomicon.

“This is Flash Meridian calling Nomicon,” he said into his handheld radio. “Do you read me?”


“Nomicon 1C3XY56R2LD761947. Loud and clear.  I’m approaching your ship to guide you in. Radio reception at the surface hasn’t been good lately.”



“10-4” Flash responded, “I’m getting a fix on your ship now.” He knew from the serial number that this was one of the Imperial ships. He pulled the visual up on the screen and informed the pilot that he was preparing to jettison his pod in order to follow her to the surface.

The Martian winds had not fully subsided, so Flash was given instructions to utilize the underground landing strip which would open upon his descent.


Flash recalled the last time he viewed the Martian landscape from such close proximity, and questions lingered as to whether this had been in a dream or not. Either way, it was something he could recall, having experienced it in one realm or another. What difference did it make?


The TNI2 silently detached from the mothership, and with just a touch of the booster rockets, began its descent to the surface of Mars. The red terrain loomed, dominating his view, and Flash’s heart raced in anticipation of the drop.

Glancing back, he could see the mothership orbiting, awaiting his return. Ahead of him, superimposed over the rusted red planet, was his envoy, already leaving a vapor trail as she penetrated the envelope of ether.

Shields on the belly of the TNI2 soon insulated him from the friction of Mars’ atmosphere as Flash watched the display of sparks and flames lapping the exterior of his ship.

He couldn’t help thinking of Ash and Krate making this same dive a decade before.

As the TNI2 plummeted toward the surface of Mars, Flash Meridian had mixed feelings. It was a thrill to fall into the atmosphere, to grip the controls of the ship which shook and roared, nearly blinded by the blazing display of friction against metal. The temperature outside the ship was great, but inside, Flash was insulated from the inferno, and oddly, his mind wandered. There was a time, in the early 21st century, that a man traveling to Mars would have been only a dream. Now, while it was admittedly a long trip, it was hardly unique. No, Flash had his mind set on someplace much further away. Soon, Flash imagined, man would cultivate green lawns to be mowed, and instill in the sod-covered red soil pink plastic flamingos and strip malls. It was man’s way. This was not the adventure, but merely a stopping by the neighbors’ as he left town. An off-ramp in the suburbs.

The shaking stopped and the greenhouse of his ship was flooded with even, pink light. It was nearly silent until a voice broke the stillness.

“Bear north 6 degrees and a tracking beam will bring you down.”

“10-4” Flash replied, redirecting the pod.

Below him, Flash could see Martian mountain ranges and canyons that would dwarf any on Earth. He saw one formation that looked remarkably familiar.




As his craft descended, he saw a plain stretching out before him. A section of the plain slid open revealing a long underground corridor. It was Nomicon’s subterranean landing strip. Effortlessly, the TNI2 approached it, and as the pod dipped below the planet’s outer crust, even Flash was impressed by the scale of it. Touchdown was so controlled that Flash barely felt it, and the TNI2 came to a stop behind the Imperial ship that had escorted him here. As the roof slid closed, the hatch opened, and Flash stepped out into what felt like a huge empty warehouse or abandoned train station. While he took this in, he was aware of the hatch opening on the other ship as well. He heard that voice again. “Welcome to Nomicon, sir.”

Flash turned to see a small person approaching. “Nice place you’ve got here,” he said.

“Flash Meridian.” He held out his hand. She shook it and giggled.

“Eva,” she said. “It’s a nickname. My specialty is Extra-Vehicular Activities. Or it was, before I was stationed here.” She sighed.


“I take it you’d rather be out there?” Flash asked, glancing upwards.

“I go up every chance I get,” she answered. “We’ve been underground for months.”

“Take me to your leader?” Flash asked.

One thought on “Episode 45: Jettison Pod

  1. Timouth

    What?!? I found this forgotten outtake in the notes on my phone. 12-24-11

    Episode 46:  

    A message came in over the radio. It was Kid Corvair, foreman of the Nomicon party.  The Nomicon employees were pioneers doing mining and research on Mars. 

    "Nomicon to Flash Meridian", the voice called out, and Flash picked up his transmitter. 

    "This is Flash Meridian", he answered, "Is everything ok down there?"

    "10-4, par for the course. The winds are dying down now.  We're tracking your ship."

    The Nomicon community had adapted to Mars' abrupt surface winds by constructing an elaborate system of tunnels beneath the iron laden crust of the planet. Work and life went on uninterrupted by anything the harsh atmosphere above ground would dole out. 

    "I'd like to come down and see the operation", Flash said, "if you think it's safe to land."

    "10-4, copy that.  The equipment topside is a mess. We'll bring you to the underground hangar.  Is Lander coming down with you?"

    "Negative. I'm on my own."

    The red planet now loomed, filling the screen as The Mother Ship moved into position for orbit.  He passed through the orbital paths of Phobos and Deimos and could make out geological features on the surface of Mars without the aid of any equipment. There were the large canyon systems and the great shield volcanoes, and off toward the horizon, he could just make out the edge of the polar ice cap.

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