I went to the headquarters office of the domed Martian city called Outpost Station 1.  The inhabitants were scientists, explorers, and a workforce of trained technicians sent there by NASA to keep the settlement running properly.  I was greeted by John Harlen, the man in charge.

     “Ah, yes!” he said.  He motioned for me to sit in a chair.  “I've been expecting you!”  He dug some papers from a file.  “You are the biologist the Earth people promised to send.  A Matthew Gates, I believe!  What is your plan?”

     “I know you have scientists close to the North Pole looking for the remote possibility of some form of life,” I remarked.  “I came here for that, also!”

     “Yes! But so far they haven't come up with anything.  You probably won't either, but you can look around all you want.”  He smiled, his blue eyes penetrating my own.

     “A message has come to some radio operators on Earth,” I replied.  “They don't know where it came from, but think it was from Mars.  It was a cry for help!”

     “Probably a prankster sent it,” John answered.  “But I'm assigning you to a Quonset hut as a base for your operation.  Then you can look for this life you speak about.  You will find needed supplies there.”

     “Thanks!” I replied.

     I left, and went to the hut.  Once inside, I found all I needed including a spacesuit in a closet.  Checking the gauges, I saw that both the heat and oxygen units were working and nothing leaked.  But I am a big man and had a hard time getting the gear on properly.  I also got strainers, pans, shovels and other things together and was ready to start.  My grey eyes and youthful face gleamed with anticipation, although, just as the administrator said, I doubted if I would find anything remotely resembling life.  But I felt determined to help the inhabitants of Mars if they existed and really needed it.

     I walked toward some cliffs, although my progress proved to be slower than I wanted.  A stiff wind whipped through the atmosphere at first, but all this would change.  A wild, furious wave of red sand followed.  The sand blotted out everything including the cliffs, mountains and all else that had formerly come into view.  I felt angered.  Neither John Harlen, nor anyone else at the base, had predicted this.  It was a sudden storm that I didn't feel prepared to face.

     Even the compass in my hand no longer seemed to work.  The needle jumped wildly in every direction.  It became a struggle to go anywhere.  After an hour of this I became almost completely exhausted.  I didn't know where I was.  It seemed as if I had gone to hell with no hope of escape.  I had tried to call the base several times, but had not received an answer.  I tried once more, but with no luck.

     Finally I had the sensation of going downward, one plodding step after another.  I thought of stopping and retracing my way, but realized there was nothing to gain.  I continued forward.  The rocks and gravel were pounding on my spacesuit like hail to the point that I felt I would fail in carrying out my assignment, and I might choke to death if the pounding knocked a big hole in my suit. 

     I must have wandered aimlessly for several hours.  Luckily, my oxygen supply had not given out, but I didn't know how much was left.  I pressed forward with grim determination.  I had visions of skulls lying in the sand.  Would I end up the same way?  I hoped not, for survival seemed to be the uppermost thing in my mind.

     I wondered where I was, but realized I must have wandered into a deep depression or even a cave.  But the best way now was to continue into the depths.  In places the descent was gradual, but in others it was steep and jagged.  As I moved forward, the air seemed to be clearing.  I looked around and realized that I was in some kind of cavern.  The walls were made up of red rocks that seemed to stretch endlessly ahead.

     I was ill-prepared for what followed. 

     Two soldiers wearing armor appeared before me in a flat area ahead at the mouth of a tunnel.  I almost did not believe what I was witnessing.  Soldiers could not be here, especially appearing like warriors of a bygone age on Earth.

     One of them yelled something and they rushed at me with swords swinging.  The surroundings were lighted dimly by red bounders shining in the walls of the cavern.

     I whirled around to defend myself and easily dodged the first sword.  I felt amazed at how easy it was to move quickly in the thin Martian atmosphere.  As the lead attacker went by me I caught his arm and wrestled the sword out of his hand.  I waved the weapon in sweeping thrusts and wounded him in the side.  He ran away.  As I moved forward to fight the other, he also ran away to the shadows.  I was cut once on the left shoulder.  But it was only a nick.  I felt lucky that I hadn't been hurt more.

     Someone else called out.  I whirled again to face another antagonist, but it was a woman, the most beautiful person I had ever seen.  She had flowing blonde hair, large green eyes, and a wonderfully lithe body.  The thought occurred to me that the storm had driven me out of my mind—or was I dreaming?  I decided that the woman was real.  She smiled and walked toward me.  She had on thongs and a blue, wrap-around dress.

     “Who are you?” I cried out.

     “I am Genoa, princess of this underworld realm—the new Mu,” she answered.  “Our land on Earth sank beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean.  Some of our people fled to Australia.  They lived there for a long time, but Gart, our great leader, said we didn't belong there.  He built a ship that carried us to space, then here to Mars.  We lived on the surface for a short time, then discovered the Underworld, where there was air to breathe and water to drink—and also land to raise crops and feed us.  But you are different and look to be from Earth at a later time.”

     “I am from Earth,” I admitted.

     Although she had spoken in English, it sounded odd, resembling the language of long ago.  I still found that it was hard to accept that she was even speaking to me, but we both had understood the other.

     “What of the two men I fought with?” I asked anxiously.

     Genoa smiled.  “You outfought them and they have gone to the surface.  They had me in captivity but you came along and saved me from a terrible fate.  I thank you and so will my father Xterra when he hears about it.  Hornea's rebels will also head to the surface to destroy the city base built by the Earthlings.  My father, the ruler of our world, will try to stop them.  He said that your people have a right to be here, and he wants to establish peaceful trade relations with you.  But Hornea, leader of the rebel group, says the city on the surface must be destroyed in order to save us.”

     I now felt engulfed in the politics of Mars, although I had doubts Genoa had told me everything.  Still, I somehow believed her.

     “Please take your spacesuit off,” she said.  “There is air here that we can breathe.”  My oxygen had nearly become exhausted.  I felt relieved to discard the suit.  Genoa patched a hole in the suit with a strange type of liquid before I hid it in the rocks.  She did not have a spacesuit on, but had hidden hers somewhere in the same area.  I found that the air in the cavern was fresh and breathable. 

     “We must hide,” Genoa added.  “Others are coming with Hornea.  They will take us prisoner before they attack if we don't.  They are bent on killing all of you.”

     “That's terrible!” I exclaimed.  “My city base knows nothing of this and won't guess what's happening until it's too late.  Without help they will be destroyed if we don't get word to them in time.”

     “Come with me!” Genoa said.

     I let her lead me into the shadows.  We waited for a time, then heard men coming up through the tunnel.  Hornea's troops passed by.  Luckily they did not see us.  After they passed, Genoa led me back into the tunnel. “We need to find the other ones that come,” she cried.  “My father is leading them to stop the Hornea traitors!”

     “I hope we can find them in time,” I answered excitedly.

     We hurried downward through the cavern, then suddenly burst into a great open area that seemed to stretch for miles.  A great high roof shone down from above, its glowing rocks lighting up a strange new place.  Cities were visible in the distance, surrounded by great expanses of farmland and prairies.  I wanted to see more, but there wasn't time now.  We found Xterra and his army of men only a short distance from us.  I noticed Xterra was a huge, powerful man with a heavy sword strapped to his side.  There was no doubt that he was in charge.

     “This man saved me from the clutches of Hornea's men after I was captured,” Genoa said.  “I am honored by him.”

     “Then I am honored by him also,” Xterra replied, bowing.

     The leader and I clasped hands together in friendship, binding two worlds.

     “Come!” Xterra shouted.  “We need to do double time to stop Hornea from carrying out his vicious attack on the city of the Earthmen!”  He waved at his men and they started running up the cavern tunnel.  I easily kept pace with them due to the lighter Martian atmosphere.  Genoa also stayed with us with a determination that I had to admire.  We stopped just before we reached the entrance to get a short rest.

     “Men!” Xterra declared.  “Follow this Earthman to do battle!  He knows the way!  We owe him a lot.  He saved my daughter, Genoa, from the enemy.  Also, give him a sword.”

     Once I had a sword in my hand, I felt ready to lead these soldiers and remembered to hunt up my spacesuit.  Genoa also got hers.  We put them on.  I noticed that Xterra and his troops were also putting on theirs.  Afterward the men broke into wild cheers and gathered around me.  I led them out of the cavern. 

     The outside world of Mars looked barren and desolate.  I stared in horror, realizing that some of my comrades had been killed, as the battle had already started.  The dust storm had cleared.  “Let's go!” I shouted.

     I led the troops into battle, swinging my sword in front of me as I went.  I wounded one and killed another.  I found the light atmosphere of Mars an aid to my fighting ability.  I continued to fight off the enemy, and killed or wounded the opposing forces who confronted me.  I could tell Xterra's fighting men because his warriors had on uniform caps that I could see through their helmet glass.  Hornea's men did not have on uniforms.  Even Genoa, though slight of build, proved to be a formidable fighter as she battled with the enemy forces.  Her vicious stabs and swings sent several into the world of the dead.  The sun shone down brightly through a red sky as we continued to battle.

     I grimaced in pain several times when swordsmen cut through my armor.  But I caught Hornea in my sights and closed in on him.  He was an adept swordsman but no match for my great speed and ability.  He suddenly fell down on the ground.  I pinned him there with the point of my sword.  “Get up!” I demanded.  “Surrender your sword!”

     He arose with a frightened look on his face, then gave me his sword and raised his arms in surrender.  He looked haggard and completely defeated.  I glanced around and was surprised to see the opposing fighters running away from the battle, a disheveled bunch of men unwilling to fight any more.

     I sought out Xterra, who had managed to get through the fight without being hurt, and turned my prisoner Hornea over to his men.  I felt glad that we had saved Outpost Station 1 and most of the men as well.

     “We won!” I shouted in triumph.  “Let's tell the base commander that all is well now.”

     “We must first take care of the wounded, and move the dead for burial,” Xterra replied solemnly.

     “Yes!” I agreed.  “We owe them a lot for what they've done.  But let's enter the base first.  It has a dome that holds in the oxygen.  Once inside, we can remove our spacesuits and our wounds can be attended to.  I am bleeding from several places myself.”

     I was surprised that several of Xterra's soldiers were adept at taking care of the wounded.  One of them treated my wounds, and Genoa's as well.  A group of them put on their spacesuits, then carried the dead and led the wounded back into their cavern some distance away.  This took several hours to complete.  After they had finished, I led all the remaining people through the base to the main office.

     John Harlen seemed extremely happy to see us.  “No need to tell me,” he said.  “I saw it all through my window.  You saved our base and I am highly thankful.  I thought you had perished in that storm, Mat.”

     “I nearly did,” I admitted.

     “But where did these people come from and why did they help us?” he asked.

     “They live in an extremely large cavern.  I became lost in the storm and entered the underground entrance by accident,” I answered.  “Then suddenly, to my surprise, I found these people.  Xterra, who stands at my right, is the ruler.  To my left is Genoa, the Princess of the New Mu.  I think I've fallen in love with her, sir!”

     John smiled and shook hands with Xterra and Genoa, then stated, “Our base was established to attempt to find signs of life, among other things.  But when you came here, Mat, you not only found life, but living men and women like us—intelligent life!  You've made the big discovery on Mars!”

     “This man rescued me from the enemy,” Genoa said.  “We give him our eternal thanks.”  She gave me a loving kiss to prove her point.

     “I am here to sign a peace treaty and establish trade relations,” Xterra remarked.  “We can live together on this world.  My people will be inside and yours on top of it.”

     “I'll have the papers prepared,” Harlen answered in agreement, smiling broadly.  “As for you, Mat Gates, I am assigning you to a new job.  Our mission is no longer just to find life, but to study it!  I am sending you to this underworld to do your part and report what you find.”

     “Sounds great!” I replied with happy enthusiasm.  “But one thing remains unanswered!  Did the radio message asking for help come from Mars?  If so, who was it directed to?”

     Xterra smiled.  “My people did it.  It was sent to anyone who might respond.  If we had not, and the base had been attacked and destroyed, your people would have hunted us down and destroyed us all as a matter of justice.  But you came and changed all that when you led my soldiers to victory.”

     “I don't know about that,” I replied.  “But I found the best thing on Mars.”

     I grabbed Genoa for emphasis and gave her a kiss.