April 2000: The Third Expedition Summary

Captain John Black and his crew of sixteen men find themselves, as ordered, on the opposite side of Mars from that of previous expeditions. One crew member passed away during the flight, and many of the others have been ill, but have recovered. Upon landing, they discover a Martian town that closely resembles a small town on Earth, complete with geraniums, elm and maple trees, brick houses, churches, leaded-glass windows, porch swings, pianos, and even sheet music for a song titled "Beautiful Ohio," a composition from Earth. While archeologist Samuel Hinkston attempts to explain this oddity by assuming the previous expeditions influenced the development of the planet, Black points out that those men were only on the planter two years, even if they survived, and that they landed on the opposite side of Mars. Thus, their influences...