52 bad short stories.

When I was a child, we had very memorable tunnel trip. I guess on earth they called them "Field Trips". There are no fields here, basically it was time away from school.  We went to colony 1 where the central offices are so we could learn about our government. It was a normal day. We explored the offices. We saw the snake plants. We met one of the elders, Jacob Feldspar, he was one of the original 200 people.  His face was so old. He must have been the last one left at that time, he was at least 70. There are none left now.  His skin was tinged with yellow, and he was wrinkled beyond belief. I have never since seen such a face. Even to this day, no one lives this long.      "It is very important that we retain the cultures established in the beginning. We have these to make our society strong and continue mankind. Having all the different religions and societies on Earth does not work. They are fighting. The weather is terrible. In here we have it all and w...

The place we all like to congregate to eat is called "The Canteen". When Mars was first developing the people who came had lived on Earth with society and these things called "Restaurants". I guess this is the closest thing we have to a restaurant. It was established first as just a place to eat, everyone would come here, and after time everyone started to be able to visit colony 3 to pick up supplies, have their own kitchens in their living spaces, and an economy was forming.  The elders who started Mars established a system of credits. As more people came to Mars over those first years, they started establishing places to buy and produce goods. We needed basic survival things but then established some of the nicer parts of humanity. Better clothes, better foods, better jobs.  The Canteen stuck around and evolved with it. It was established in the beginning by a man name Martin. He is long since dead, but we have an AI version of him call Martin which tends to a lo...

The Martian landscape really is beautiful. All 8,000 residents have amazing views because of the domes that are constructed.  It's hard to believe my grandparents came here with almost nothing. People had been here before them, but they didn't build much, and they died out. They weren't really settlers. It was more like a suicide mission, but they did bring supplies and building materials. Before that there was only robots with solar power moving all over the planet and taking in information for scientists to figure out how to live here. Some of those are still out there, transmitting signals and exploring parts of the planet that we haven't been to yet.  When my grandparents and the 200 other people all came here 75 earth years ago, they had the supplies they needed shipped in advance, plus the advantage of the people who died off and left storage units. The first years were spent in the ships they landed in and building the structures we call home. Sounds like a lot o...

It's not only my parents; it's also my grandparents. We've become Martians. Naturally, there are debates about whether we're still human since we're no longer Earthlings. I am human, yet distinctly Martian—a second-generation Martian. Earth is a three-month journey on outdated commuter ship navigating through an asteroid belt. Very few of us ever depart, and no one arrives anymore. The most pressing issue we face is the growing population, which is our most contentious subject. I've spent my whole life here, born, raised, married, and trained to excel in my community. I can't discern the differences between here and Earth. On Earth, people can freely go outside, but here, stepping outside without a suit means certain death. Our buildings are enormous, and everything is contained within. The botanical dome is my sanctuary; it's where the enchantment unfolds, and I believe it's the closest experience to being outdoors on Earth. I am from Colony 1. We a...

She was looking at new nail polish color- 'totally taupe'. It was a silly thing, but it made her happy. Something had to make her happy. She hadn't been in so long. Her mind was racing with all the things that had happened in the last two days. It started with her mother. Her horrible bitch mother.  "You must move out immediately. When I was 16, I left my parents' home, and you are 18. I think you've been here too long. I'm not helping you either. You have a week to find a new place." She didn't even know where to look. She wasn't even done with high school for another month. Now this? She was raised with this type of extremism. Every time her mother found a new church or a new hobby, she took Julie along with her. Making her part of everything and always telling her she wasn't good enough or doing it right. Then blaming her when things didn't work out.  She had packed up the clothes she had and a few things she wanted and went to her f...

The envelopes that came always smelled like lavender and something she had never smelled. She imagined they smelled like city. He was in a city in America and making a home for her to live. His letters always felt hopeful, they had this amazing feel to them all their own. They came once a week and always had the same message. "I love you and we will build a life together in this place." Puju read the letter intently. This week he said he had found a great new job and was making a lot more money. Some of which he sent to his parents to help out. As tradition she was living with his parents until he sent for her. The lavish wedding ceremony held one year ago was still in her mind and the pictures were scattered all around the house. A house which felt empty without him.  Vikram was their only son and the pride and joy of their life. When he announced his intentions to marry her, they were slightly disappointed. They had wanted to arrange the marriage with a neighbor girl, one h...