The Great War of the Worlds

The Shine of Mars

It was a cold night in March, near Paris. That night, not many people decided to walk around Meudon, indeed, why would anyone? The fields near the observatory were silent, only interrupted by the sounds of crickets and small lizards that roamed the ground. The tranquility that was breathed in the fields of grass and hedges was broken by the sudden appearance of a monument two centuries old, thirty meters tall and fifty meters long.

The silence of the environment was perfect: the fewer distractions, the better concentration Antoniadi and his colleagues would have. That night, they sought to verify the claims of his colleague, the Spaniard Josep Comas i Sola: that Schiaparelli's Martian channels did not exist. To do this, they would use the powerful 83-cm telescope of the astronomical observatory located in Meudon.

- Hey! Eugène-. They asked.

- Tell me.- He responded from the chair next to the mirror machinery.

- How long will it take for the instruments to be ready? We have everything ready for the notes and measurements.

- Yeah-. Spoke another man-. It's almost ten o'clock, Antoniadi. We wouldn't want to wait until the sunshine to observe Mars.

- Don't worry, I have almost finished-. He whispered-. If it weren't for those students, I wouldn't have to readjust the contraption now-. A few hours before, the Meudon Observatory had received a visit from the Astronomy Department of the University of Paris, and although Antoniadi had mentioned it in advance to the rector of the institution, it seems that they did not take any consideration when it came to avoiding having those students touch the delicate astronomical machinery.

It had only been a few weeks since they had begun their observations of the red planet. Taking advantage of the fact that the planet at that time was in opposition, that is, at the closest point to Earth, where it would not be again for two and a half years. The last few nights over Paris had been clear, so viewing conditions were perfect. With the data collected so far, Schiaparelli's theory, fought tooth and nail by Percival Lowell, seemed to lose strength. Little by little, Eugène Antoniadi had been supporting his Spanish counterpart, becoming convinced of the more than probable natural and geological formation of the canali of their red neighbor. Today's observation would be the culmination of his little study-a mere formality.

- Well, it's ready. Antoniadi declared himself satisfied-. Gentlemen, we can now begin our final observation session.

- I'm glad to know that we can start before the sun rises, professor-. At the comment, those present could only let out a timid laugh.

- Laughter for tomorrow at the bar; tonight we'll write down data, gentlemen.

That night, they kept observing the planet for several hours. They adjusted the instruments to capture the best possible image of Mars, taking detailed measurements and records of the features observed on the planet's surface. They stayed focused on their work, collaborating with each other on every step and detail to be recorded. Every half hour, they swapped observers and rotated, giving each one the opportunity to appreciate the wonderful but rusty surface of Mars. And just as they had been observing, they once again confirmed the apparent homogeneity of the red planet's dead wasteland.

The great canyons and basins, once opened by the great floods and lakes that covered the distant world, are now only the vestiges of what was once a planet that, minimally, had the foundations for life. The only thing left of it now were the traces of what may have once been a world welcoming to life, now dead. Only covered by extensive plains and valleys, some a few thousand times larger than the Grand Canyon of America. The only glimpses of color were the characteristic red of the rusty stone and the white of the polar caps of water and CO2.

Finally, after midnight, they concluded the observation session. The data collected, although conclusive, would be analyzed in the following days to prepare detailed reports on the observations made. While they were collecting the instruments and preparing everything for the closure of the observatory, Antoniadi continued observing through the telescope, which caught the attention of one of his colleagues, who asked him:

- Why haven't you picked up yet?

- I want to make a few last observations before leaving. We must take advantage of the opposition of Mars; otherwise, we would have to wait two years until 1911 to observe it fully again.
- Aren't all our observations from the previous days enough, professor?

- When you feel passion over something, you always try to enjoy it as much as possible, don't you think?- He mentioned, looking away from the telescope. His assistant couldn't help but reflect on it for a few seconds.

- Mmmm... Yes, that's true; you're right-. He concluded. Although I think you should at least take a break, we've been at it for several hours.

- Do not worry; it won't take me more than five minutes. If you want to rest, you can go now; don't worry, I'll close.

- Well then. Rest assured, professor.

- See you tomorrow, ah... and give regards from me to your wife.

- I'd better give them to her when she wakes up, right?

- Yes-. He laughed-. I think you're right, maybe I should rest a little.

- Sleep well-. He said goodbye to him and then left the telescope room and went out to meet the rest of his companions, moving towards the French capital.

As soon as his colleagues left the complex behind, Eugène gazed with admiration at their distant neighbor. The emotion of it made him remember those moments of youth and childhood where we all felt that sensation that overcomes our body-a chill! Would it be excitement or cold? A small blizzard flooded the room as it poured through the openings in the ceiling. Eugène proceeded to blow hot air into his hands; no doubt cold, which made sense, as it was March. Even so, being able to appreciate Ares at a moment as special as the opposition in one of the best observatories on the continent was something unique, and should be taken advantage of. In the following minutes, Antoniadi made some small notes on the rocky appearance of the planet, and to himself he reflected - "it is undoubtedly a fascinating world, but it is not alive. Comas was right; the channels of Mars are just mere geological formations. The fact that there are certain continuities with a peculiar geometric linearity does not indicate that they are artificial. These natural patterns are already seen on Earth; it is logical that they also occur in other worlds." He looked away from the eyepiece, left the pen on the table next to his chair, and closed the notebook on it. -"Deep down, it might be a shame that there is no more life outside of Earth. But what matters is being faithful to the truth, and the truth is science."

Having satisfied his desires that night, he got up and went to the set of tables that were a few meters away, along the wall. He took his briefcase and began to put away his instruments and materials. He returned to the table next to the eyepiece and put his notebook and pen in the pockets of his jacket. Ready to head for the exit, he alone would have to go to the pulley room and, with them, close the opening in the roof to protect the lenses of the telescope. But before opening the exit door, something within him desired to take one last look at the planet before saying goodbye to it for a while. In the end, he left his briefcase on the table, sat down and looked through the eyepiece again at that barren but beautiful, marvelous world.

- Magnificent, Ares, you are magnifice... Eh? - Confused, Antoniadi had to blink a couple of times to get a good look. And then, still confused, he couldn't deny the evidence-a glare. Mars had released a flash of light, similar to what would be seen in an unlit hallway, which was illuminated in an instant by a flicker of light produced by a flashlight. But this one had a subtle difference; the light, initially dim, appeared from one of the ends of one of the most notable geological formations on the equator, running from end to end along the great canale and as soon as it reached the opposite side, it stopped, shining with an intensity that covered the western half of the planet, all to dissappear as fast as it came to be. All in just milliseconds. Stunned by that event, the Greek-French astronomer could only mention:

- Wow... how... How curious?