Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan fiction based on the concepts and settings inspired by SpaceX and its Mars mission endeavors. All characters, events, and scenarios depicted are entirely fictional and created for entertainment purposes only. The use of real-world entities, such as SpaceX, Elon Musk, or Starbase, is purely for creative inspiration and does not reflect any real events, individuals, or operations associated with these entities. No affiliation with or endorsement by SpaceX, Elon Musk, or any related organizations is implied or intended. The term "Citadel" and other original elements are products of the author's imagination and are not associated with any existing organizations or intellectual properties. This work is not for profit and is shared solely for the enjoyment of fans and readers.
Rain fell softly against my window as I sat, nursing a bitter, lukewarm coffee. My laptop casting a warm glow on another half-finished screenplay. Its protagonist, quite stubbornly, protesting against being born. Just outside, Brooklyn sulked in its predictable grey.
A notification popped up from X, Direct message from @Elonmusk.
I was snapped out of my creative daze.
Say what?
A message from who?
Probably a scam account, I scoffed. Freaking bots. As I began to report yet another fake Musk profile I saw it—the blue checkmark. Time stopped.
“Evan, you’ve caught our eye. You’ve got a particular skill-set our team is looking for. Because of this, Grok has flagged your profile. We’re assembling a team for a high-stakes project. No obligation—but if you’re curious, reply.”
My head began spinning—so many questions.
Why me? A forty-something screenwriter still skating by on freelance gigs. I was living above a dumpling shop in a dank one-bedroom walkup filled with dog-eared scripts, Post-it notes, and the lingering scent of burnt coffee and reheated bao buns? I’d had my share of adventures. I’d hiked the Appalachian Trail, taught English for a bit in Japan, even attempted a few open mic nights after the crowds were sufficiently hammered. But this?
Half-joking, I typed:
“For real? What’s the gig?”
“Very real. With the help of Grok, we’ve been evaluating profiles for a year. Your non-conformist attitude, storytelling ability, and appetite for risk make you a strong candidate. You in? If so, an NDA will be delivered via email, and then full details will follow.”
I leaned back in my creaky chair reflecting on my journey. My walls chronicled much of it, walls plastered with movie posters, photos of my travels, and scribbles from late-night flashes of inspiration. My life was a mosaic of impulsive leaps with a smattering of lucky breaks, here and there, that afforded me my freedom. I felt like I’d squandered my best years. I finally found the nerve to check out of my dismal corporate job to write screenplays in my late thirties, backpacked Europe with no itinerary, performed mediocre stand-up. I’d fallen in love with this second act of mine but this opportunity felt like a leap I could barely believe myself.
I texted my best friend, Sam, he had always been a voice of reason, an anchor that kept me grounded. “Musk seems so intense, Evan, you’re insane to even think about this,” he said, laughing. “But since you quit that desk job you’ve become addicted to jumping into the deep end. This time it’s just deeper, and, dare I say, more absurd.” Sam wasn’t wrong. I craved me a good quest and the outlandish ones always had a way of finding me. If I had a superpower, this was probably it.
Elon’s next short message clarified a little more: The project required eighteen months of prep, including six months in a remote training facility, then a long-term commitment, probably a decade away from home.”
Everything else about the project was still a mystery but my gut told me the entire scope of this entire thing was centered around marketing. I’d heard Elon was being pressured hard by the board of his companies and shareholders to, finally, have professional advertising produced to promote his suite of businesses—xAI, SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, The Boring Company, StarLink.
This had to be it. It would put me on the forefront of technology, getting a glimpse of all the magic unfolding long before the average person had any clue. If I’m being honest, the idea of being a part of it lit me up.
Despite this, doubts crept in. I’d leave my comfortable but sketchy dive bar hangouts, my vinyl collection, the chaos of the city that fueled my writing. I’d found my tribe and built a real following and my readers loved my takes on life—could I give that up for some cryptic “venture”? As exciting as it all was, in reality, I'd be saying goodbye to my freedom, going back to working for the man. And from what I’d heard this particular man was a real taskmaster, expecting himself and his employees to continuously do the impossible.
I sat on my worn-out couch, closing my eyes, box-breathing, just like I did before a big pitch. I imagined late nights in a studio, the buzz of a film set, ridiculous budgets, the weight of a camera in my hands, being the conductor of a visual orchestra. Then I pictured something bigger: a chance to create something groundbreaking, to tell a story that might very well become my legacy. Life doesn’t open many doors like this.
My gut screamed:
GO!!!
I typed back:
“Count me in.”
A single ping:
“Welcome aboard, Evan. NDA was just delivered to your inbox. Sign, then details soon.”
I opened gmail and clicked through, signing in all the necessary places before second-thoughts had a chance to set in. Grinning like a teenager experiencing his first beer buzz, I danced wildly around my tiny apartment. Whatever this was—it for damned sure wasn’t just another gig. This was the kind of story I’d spent my whole life chasing.
One week later, at exactly 4:20pm, a matte black package arrived. I slid a sleek inner box from the outer sleeve and it was tastefully embossed with the SpaceX logo. Inside the box was an iPad.
As I turned it on I noticed a video file was pre-loaded on the home screen. I took a deep breath and tapped play. Elon appeared on screen, as awkward and disheveled as ever.
“Evan, this isn’t just a film project. You’re one of 100 civilians selected for Mars Colony Alpha. Five Starships are to launch a few minutes apart from Boca Chica in 18 months. The mission: to establish humanity’s first outpost on the Red Planet and make us a multiplanetary species. Your role will be to document the entire journey, the colony, and the future we build together.
Welcome to the Mars mission, Evan. Come prepared for hard work. Excited to meet you face-to-face.”
I stared at the screen, motionless.
Mars?
This wasn’t another corporate gig. Not an elaborate scam. But a chance to make history.
This wasn’t the story I thought I was telling. This was the story I was becoming.
To be Continued...
I'm finally finding the time to read these! Smashing beginning!
Thank you!
That's a hook!
You've honed your storytelling skills with expertise, @ericvancewalton - I love what you've done. It's a story all on its own, but it also hints at more to come.
Thanks Michelle! I appreciate it. I try to throw a plot twist in all of my short stories. It's so much fun to play with. I may decide to expand on this too at some point, maybe serialize it. I hope you and the hubby are good!
I say it as I see it, you know me by now :)
I love the plot twists too, especially if they work really well and can't be spotted a mile off.
I'd love to see the story serialised.
We're all good here, thank you. I hope the same goes for you and yours <3
Thanks for that. : ) I'm glad to hear all is good on your end. We're definitely enjoying summer over here—it's so short in our part of the world.
Hello, dear friend @ericvancewalton
You're an admirable writer; the narrative captivated me from beginning to end. What a brilliant adventure. A decade away from home is no small feat, but it's worth it. But who would say no to a mysterious adventure?
Have a lovely afternoon.
Thank you Luis! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful weekend!
The contrast between your everyday life and the vast opportunities out there is something we can all connect with and find motivation in. It serves as a reminder that life often presents us with surprising chances that test our limits and encourage us to reach for greatness.
I was trying coax the reader into putting themselves in the main character's shoes and feeling what it would be like to have to make that weighty of a decision. I don't think we, as a whole, take part in nearly enough quests these days.
Very nice short story... Would you consider an opportunity like this for real?
Thank you. I wouldn't hesitate going if I was single, even at my age.
When we are disappointed in life, after some time we start getting things that motivate us and the path ahead seems easy to us. Now it depends on us whether we have to live in disappointment or work hard and go towards the path that is showing us and become successful. This is where life begins and this is where the real purpose of life is known.
So true!
Did you watch the series Murder at the end of the world? This kind of reminded me of that. In a totally different way. If you haven't watched it you need to, I think you will get a kick out of it.
No, I haven't seen that series but I think I'll have to look it up now!
It's just one season and only about ten episodes.
Another masterpiece from Eric 😊
You captured that crossroads so perfectly.... that tug between the comfort of what we know and the irresistible pull of the unknown
Thank you, Ruthie!
Can you imagine if that were real! To have the opportunity to belong to Elon's team, in a mysterious, fortuitous way. The first person protagonist narrator and some elements of the story made me wonder: How much of Eric is in Evan? As always, good story, my friend. Hugs
That's exactly what I was trying to get the reader to feel—what it would be like to have that decision before you. I imagine they'll need all kinds of different people for that mission too, not just scientists and engineers. I'd be cool if a few creatives were thrown into the mix. There's definitely some of me in the character Evan. : ) Thank you Nancy! Enjoy your weekend my friend!
Same to you, Eric! Hope you have good weather
Thank you! The past couple of days have been decent—lots of sun!
Hi Eric! I've found this story as a quiet triumph which is layered, introspective, and emotionally resonant at the same time. Here I've found the subtle weave of memory, regret, and transformation. Tim’s journey feels simultaneously intimate and universal. I like your narrative style too. It’s amazing!
So glad you connected with the story! Thank you!
The descriptions are so perfect and the imagery so vivid.
It’s amazing how one’s story can change in a moment.
You legit moved from being a forty something freelance writer to being a rocket scientist!
Crazy leap!
Love this story!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I sure did!
PART TWO HERE
Because I needed to find it and figured someone else would as well ;)
Thanks for doing this! Great idea.
Please continue what I started :P
Maybe put it together in a PeakD collection? :) (I should do that for my serialised posts of writing, too!)
I most definitely will! How would I go about compiling a PeakD collection? Would that be like creating a "community" just for the story?
Oh no! Nothing that complicated :) PeakD collections are special types of posts that work like magic on PeakD. eg, I've got one for my Art Essays (And Ramblings)
I've got one for my photography. I have another one for my video game reviews.
Step 1
Step 2
:O wow. I voted then didn't get a chance to finish reading, and now came back. That was fantastic, Eric. Really left me hanging there, though. Are you planning to continue this?
Thank you! I will definitely be extending this. My usual modus operandi is to write and publish in the same session but, with this story, I worked on it over three days. It might be a little bit before I publish the second installment but it is coming. I had no intention of doing another one but the idea has grown on me over the past few days.
Ohhh nice. I can't wait!! Three days of work? Must've got quite a story out of it!
Three days of 15-20min sessions for this first installment....I did nearly two full rewrites on it. I wanted to make sure I was really happy with it before I hit post. Thank you my friend!
Hello, dear friend XD@ericvancewalton.
As I have told you on other occasions, I don't consider myself a literary critic or anything like that and, when I submit myself to do so, I do so out of the deepest respect and with the heart as the main critic.
I have to say that I paralleled part of the story with my @hive adventure because I've been frustrated and have thought about quitting and walking away. Even my wife has told me that I spend a lot of work to write because of all the needs and shortcomings. But, I am guided by stories like yours that you have shared and I have read or by characters who persevere and in the end receive their reward. You don't just write your poems well. In prose you have many skills that you have developed as a result of that systematic work and your desire to grow. Thank you for sharing. Happy Sunday. Cheers and greetings.
Thank you very much @tonyes! We all have those moments when we feel like quitting. I've been at that point several times in the past nine years here (and my 30+ years writing, in general). My advice is if you're still enjoying the process of writing keep at it and try not to focus as much on things like post rewards or attention. Just write for you. That's what's kept me going and that is where the real treasure is. The truth is you get a little better with each post you write and you own everything you've written. I wrote as almost a complete unknown for two decades but then when I found Steemit/Hive I had that entire backlog of twenty years of writing to publish. It paid off for me and it could for you as well!
Thanks you very much. Blessings.
Well, you held me right to the end! I think my friend Eric would have loved this mission, or not?
But the real Eric did take a chance all those years ago and made it all the way!
Thank you for sharing your stories with us, dear friend!
I'm glad it kept your attention! If I wasn't married I'd say yes to that mission in a heartbeat. You're welcome Lizelle. Thank you and I wish you a wonderful week!
Thank you Eric, and you as well!
#hive #posh
#hive