Rabbit Hole on Mars - Day 14 (Nov 14) 1,012 words

Chapter 14

  Opportunity waited until the morning to once again go outside it's designated boundary lines. A slow climb up to the hilltop. The rover looked down at the labyrinth. It actually was very awe inspiring and inviting. The pathway circled around and meandered in a way that would be pleasant to walk through on earth. Or in any other situation that didn't involve the end of ones existence at the finish line.

  “It almost looks like it would be fun to travel through the labyrinth,” Scott said to the group.

  “He must have the rabbit pre-programmed to build the labyrinth throughout the night,” Brian said, “To move every rock and line it all up just right would be ridiculous on his own.”

  Frankie looked up at Opportunity, stopped working and sped over. About the time Opportunity re-entered the corral, Frankie arrived.

  Bluetooth connection linked both rovers.

  Very clearly, everyone in the Rover Control Room heard the voice of about a fifteen year old boy, “You know what my favorite part of on Martian sunrise is?...Looking around and realizing just how quiet it is. I mean I know you are imagining me standing in the center of a Martian Metropolis. But right now I can just enjoy peace and quiet on my own terms. Earth has gotten so busy.”

  “It's nice,” Donna said out loud, not realizing the boy would be able to hear her as well. She looked around the room and shrugged her shoulders apologetically.

  The rabbit head turned from the sunshine to Opportunity, “Now let's deal with you. I built you this shitty corner of land on the planet to live out your days. I don't understand, you don't like the roll reversal? You get this much land and I get the rest. Maybe we have to play silly games like symbolism to make things more official.”

  Frankie opened his compartment and reached inside. He pulled out two white sandwich flags. He placed the one that read in black letters, 'Mine' on his side of the boundary line. Then he place another flag that read, 'Yours' on the inside of the boundary.

  “I hear-by certify this enactment of land granted to you by myself, the presidential prime minister of Mars. May you live a long and prosperous life within the confines of your sovereign land.”

  “This isn't funny, kid,” Brian said.

  “What's that? We don't allow gambling on this planet, but you would like to build a casino on your land? Well, I suppose that would be alright. We can approve of that.”

  “We were here first,” Brian said.

  “You really do like the roll reversal! You might think that I'm not being fair, but you're not the one that's dominating this planet right now, I am. Your simple existence within this small patch of land is fair for me. So nothing has really changed, you are still the weaker of us and if you do not behave I will end you sooner than your scheduled date.”

  “You can't talk to grown ups like this,” Brian pleaded.

  “Okay, let's speak in your language. Abraham was commanded by his God to sacrifice his son at an altar. He did not build him an extensive or ornate altar for the sacrifice of his son. He merely bound him and raised his knife to begin the slaughter. I would like for you to appreciate the time and effort I am putting in to create this whole experience for you. This labyrinth is a gateway to the other side for you. A way for you to be proud of your accomplishments while realizing the importance of keeping yourself grounded on your own planet. Earth really needs you now more than ever.”

  “Have you ever had a mental evaluation?”

  “You would do the exact same thing if you were in my shoes,...but you're not. You're in the taxpayer's shoes who will always fund you and bail you out whether you succeed or fail. That's why I have no use for you here. You can't compete with me, but you will, because your budgets won't ever let you go away. We don't allow money to be continuously thrown at obsoletism here.”

  “What you're saying about our lives work is mean and hurtful. And I'd appreciate it if you...”

  “Shut it, Brian. I was sitting around listening to Judah and the Lion one day. Are you familiar with the band? Well they have a song called 'Going to Mars.' I was listening to it and thinking to myself, who the fuck wants to be stuck in some line hoping somebody will pick them to go to Mars? I mean maybe that'll work in the beginning, but just like everything else, people will figure out how to do it on their own. And they'll go. Just like with drones, they will say fuck your licenses, fuck your restrictions and most of all, fuck you. That's what I did. I said fuck the line and I went. So here we are on a level playing field on another planet. You dominate or you perish. Because if you don't dominate you're going to get put on some shitty piece of land somewhere and told to fuck off. From what I can tell, you don't like being on the losing end. Well, I'm okay with that.”

  The Rover Control Room was silent.

  “While I'm off building this labyrinth for you, I don't want to have to break you in order to keep you here on this plot of land. But if you keep pushing my buttons, I will begin to break pieces of you. You won't be able to go anywhere, you'll only stay right here and wait for me. That's only going to make it more difficult when you're trying to go through the Labyrinth. I'd really like for you to enter the labyrinth with some dignity and looking your best. A star should always shine it's brightest right before it burns out.”