Today, the inhabitants of Mars will learn the answer to an age old question.

The Answer

      Syles and Teek slowly made their way up the half-mile shaft leading to the planets surface.  Three years had past since the last expedition, which ended in disaster.
  “So, you think anything has changed,” Teek asked nervously as he closed last inner chamber door.
  Syles shrugged.  “Guess we’re going to find out.”
  For over two-hundred generations the inhabitants of Mars had not seen the surface of their planet.  An asteroid the size of small city had taken care of that; the massive, underground shelter they now called home originally built to protect the rich and powerful in the case of just such an event.
  But those times were long ago, and the greed and hunger for power had died with the planet among the fourth generation born underground - and they had learned from their mistakes.
  “Do you think life has begun to reclaim the surface yet,” Teek pressed on, hoping Syles would lie to him.
  They were now at the outer hatch opening to the outside. Syles turned to his lifelong friend.  “What do you want to hear,” he said, raising an eyebrow.  “I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”
  Teek nodded and fell silent.  They both turned their attention to the metal airlock with the round wheel protruding from the middle.  Syles and Teek both knew of metals, but of their composition and construction...well, those were all secrets lost with the great old ones, and the death of their planet.
  “You ready?”  Syles asked.
  Teek nodded and gave him a wink.  Both were scared, but honored to carry out the assignment bestowed upon them.  Syles gripped the side of the metal wheel and turned. There was a loud hiss as the airlocks seal broke, the outside air rushing in to greet them, and Syles and Teek both winced - but for the first time in over two-hundred generations, the air was breathable.
  “Praise the Elders,” Teek said in an amazed whisper, “we’re still alive… and our world is healing!”
  Syles slapped Teek on the back and pushed the door open.  Maroon light flooded into the hatch, and the two friends stared in silent wonder across the sands of their planet.  They wandered forward like two pilgrims paying homage to an ancient god, their trailing footprints a beacon on the virgin soil.
  Syles suddenly stopped, fell to his knees, and began weeping as his lungs grabbed at the fresh air with the greed of a thief.  Teek lay on his back, pulling piles of crimson sand into his sides as if he were hugging the soil, and rejoiced with his friend of many years.  Syles got to his feet, meaning to help his companion up, wanting to embrace him, and then froze.
  The sound of Teek’s joy continued to rise and fall as he wallowed in the sands of their rejuvenated planet.  Then he noticed Syles, his head cocked in bewilderment - his eyes wide with confusion, and a feeling of dread crept into Teek’s being.
  “Syles, what is it,” Teek asked, and became more afraid with each passing moment.  “What’s wrong?”
  Syles slowly raised his arm and pointed.  Teek eyes followed the direction of Syles finger for about fifty yards, and then he gasped.  “What is that, Syles?”
  “Only one way to find out,” Syles said, and began to walk.  Teek followed, his mouth hung open in puzzled wonder.
  Two minutes later they stood before the strangest object either of them had ever seen.  The object was made of metal, but a strange shiny metal casting warped reflections.  There were seven wheels on both sides, and some kind of flexible, metal band wrapped around each set.  It looked like an engorged child’s toy with a retractable, rotating arm attached in the middle.  From behind the object a set of tracks ran off onto the distance, jigging this way and that, turning in a complete circle at one point as if a blind pilot had been at the controls, and then disappeared into a gully.
  Teek looked around nervously.  He kept expecting someone to yell, Hey, what are you doing over there?  Get away from that!  But that was impossible, wasn’t it?   He returned his gaze to the strange object, and said, “How did it get here?"
  Syles let loose a deep sigh.  “There’s only one way this could be here, Teek. And everything we have ever been taught, our entire culture, has to change – must change.”  Syles went to a knee and peered closely at the place where the rotating arm attached to the base.
  “What are you talking about Syles,” Teek asked, wondering if Syles was losing his mind, and then thought - Maybe the air is still poisonous.  Maybe instead of dying immediately we will go mad first, lingering for weeks on end and then die a horrible…, 
  But before he could finish the thought, Syles spoke again.  “I guess I’m talking about the answer to the age old question, my friend,”  Syles reached a hand to the metal surface, running a finger over a small plate to remove the red dust, and exposed four initials – N.A.S.A.
  Teek looked over Syle's shoulder at the inscription.  “What does it mean?”
  Syles examined the red particles on his finger, and then gazed into darkening Mars sky.  He spotted the small, shimmering blue orb beginning to rise above the horizon, and said, “It means we’re not alone…we’re not alone.