Final Major Project

Carnelia
A Novella

*Included is a sample chapter from

chapter 1.
 Chapter One

I was sitting in my blue cushioned lab chair surrounded by a dozen geology books, their

pages yellowed and their spines half-broken from extensive use. The light filtered through the

curved, transparent plastic windows. Well-suited for their purpose, they barely shook in the

thunderous, Herculean dust storms. The room had a dome structure. Rows of circular pigeon

holes had been fitted to the white walls and were filled with science equipment. Two glass

tables and two chairs furnished the bare metal floor. One belonged to me and the other to my

lab partner, Jay.

With a gloved hand, I carefully scooped up my newest mudstone specimen. Its edges

were serrated like shark teeth. The top of the specimen had eroded with age, revealing several

thin layers of rock underneath, bumpy and brittle to the touch. The stone’s surface was

encrusted with tinier rocks and fossilised fragments like jewels strewn on desert sand. They

sparkled when moved slightly, revealing dark rustic hues of yellow and red – a slice of Mars.

My skin tingled with anticipation as I laid the sandstone on the slide. I raised my eyes to the

microscope lens, feeling like a child on Christmas Day. Proof of past life was documented all

over the surface of the small rocky planet in the form of sedimentary layers climbing over

each other like a triple decker wafer. Blanketed in the surface from millions of years of deep

slumber, it awoke in all its glory under my peering microscope.

Something about this specimen had caught my eye earlier today, while I was out on

my weekly rock collecting mission. It had resonated a strong, tingling force in me unlike no

other and I felt inclined to include it in my collecting tray, along with half a dozen other

specimens. They had ranged from colours of the desert sun to pale moonlight clay all

distinctive and bustling with secrets. I picked up the second specimen and rolled it in my
palm, it glided across my hand like a marble. As I absorbed its smooth surface and for a split

second, I noticed it glistening as the lake washed over its body, like it once did billions of

years ago. I heard the water crash against a boulder, it foamed with bubbles, carving its way

through stone. They whirled around each other like dolphins in an aquatic performance and

then popped as they hit nearby rocks. The water trickled down the Gale Crater, past

mountainous terrains as it filled the atmosphere with its gentle melody. I spotted an ancient

volcano simmering in the far distance, spewing out a river of fire which flew down the

mountain, bulldozing anything that dared to step in its way. The lava seeped into the crevices

of the ground, transforming the surroundings into a stunning feat of sparks. Even from afar, I

felt its breath radiating upon my skin, hot and steamy. To my right, blushing poppies giggled,

their stalks moving from side to side, synchronised with the gentle breeze that kissed their

petals.

A flash of lightning blinded my vision and when my eyes fluttered open, the lake was

no more. The ground was cracked and bare, lips yearning for a single drop to quench their

eternal thirst. The grey pebbles lay naked on the lake bed, skin dulled from the harsh sun. The

volcano’s beating heart had ceased. It coughed and wheezed a trail of wispy smoke that soon

dissolved into the toxic air. The poppies lay in a wilted heap over each other as if mourning.

Their papery thin petals were tilted down like the wings of a dead butterfly, torn and tattered.

It was as if a vacuum had sucked all the life out of the red planet, leaving behind a mountain

of bones. My heart sank as the rock crumbled and turned into dust, falling out from between

my fingers.

The ticking of the clock above my head synchronised with my own heartbeat,

bringing my attention back to the here and now. I sat back in my seat and yanked off my

latex gloves, a wave of warm energy rushed from my fingertips to my whole body. There had

to be life on Mars. The smooth pebble was evidence of moving water and water symbolised
life. My eyes fixed on the rocks. It was as if they had communicated to me their yearning for

discovery. Their need to be picked up and caressed, as they whispered their mysteries to me.

For years, no rover, no scientist had believed that there would be any sign of life on such a

barren planet, but deep down in my heart, I knew that Mars was never the ‘dead planet’

everyone thought it was. The moment I stepped out of our space shuttle sixteen years ago, I

sensed the planet’s energy reaching out to me. The answers were always present like a great

notice sign, screaming “I am alive!”. If only we listened to the whispers of the breeze.

Whenever I made a discovery like this, it brought me back to the time I started my

internship at Covance Mineralogy Centre. I began my career as a research assistant at the

tender age of twenty-one. I realised now how little work I actually did, apart from filing or

inputting boring numbers into a database. The lead researcher was a moody man with thick

eyebrows that seemed to be glued in a perpetual frown. We called him Palchov. His grey

beard gathered in clouds around his oval face. He always wore a thick, maroon floral tie and

long sleeve shirt that he sported in a variety of shades of blue. He had a thick Russian accent

and never let me speak when he was present in the lab, always peering over my shoulder as if

I was looking through his private emails. The lab I spent most of my time in was enormous,

with linear LED lights hanging off the ceiling and five workstations scattered across the

room. Sometimes, when Palchov wasn’t spying on me, I stole longing glances towards the

scientists working on their projects. They wore their white lab coats like a prized gown as

they compared the crystal lattices of copper sulphate and quartz with utmost concentration.

“You’re too good for this job,” Franz used to tell me, shaking his head.

He was one of the scientists working in another department at the centre. We met

after I bumped into him on my first day carrying a load of paperwork. I had dropped it and he

had helped me carry it back to the lab. Franz was a German exchange student studying for a

PhD in Geochemistry. He worked part-time at the Minerology Centre as an intern. He had a

full, defined jaw, long beach blonde hair that he pulled back in a messy bun and the most

captivating smile. Looking back, I realised why so many young female interns used to give

me dirty looks as they passed me in the corridors. The first time his fingers brushed against

my skin, I felt my heart drop right out of my ribcage. The rest is history. We got married two

years later, after finishing my internship.

I secured a job as assistant geologist at NASA’s research headquarters and moved

from my sleepy town of Ripley in England to the busy, metropolitan city of Los Angeles.

“Make sure to call me often,” Franz told me as he wrapped his strong arms around

me.

I didn’t shed a tear when my plane took off. I looked out of the circular windows and

felt like my life was just about to begin.

The architecture of the research headquarters blew me away. Its pointy nose visible

from miles away, the building stood an outstanding 200 feet tall. It resembled a silver

scorpion with its long, twisted exterior structure. On either side of it, there were vertical glass

fibre concrete plates that curved upwards. The windows were completely tinted as if smeared

with a thick coat of black paint. Rows of blood-red rose bushes lined the bottom of the

building. I walked past them while the gardener tended to them and noticed water dripping

off their velvety petals. It fell on the black slate paving underneath, joining the growing pool

of liquid below. I was given my own office on the eighteenth floor of the building. When I

stood by the crystal-clear bullet-proof windows, I had the whole of Los Angeles right beneath

my feet. To admit that I felt like I was on the top of the world was a huge understatement.

For months, I couldn’t stand being outside for more than two hours a day. The

constant flashing lights, honking taxis and flood of people weighed down on me like an

avalanche. The city felt like a maze that never ended, with millions of paths that branched out

in all directions. Often, I found myself whirling around all over the place just to find the
nearest coffee shop and by the time I arrived, I wouldn’t be able to eat anything due to a

throbbing headache.

Despite my pitiful attempt at acclimating to city life, I did my job well. So well that I

was promoted to lead researcher at NASA’s geology division within six months. Now, I

could peer over the shoulders of my interns and drop piles of paperwork in their laps to file.

Knowing I was the best in my field, I was offered a position as one of the scientists to join the

Mars 101 programme. I remember hesitating when I read the job description. If I decided to

join the mission, I was never going to come back. Franz didn’t want me to go. Neither did my

parents. I remember the day I visited my mother at the hospital. She held my hand and

begged me to stay.

“Stay here. Start a family,” she told me, “you’ll be much happier.”

I didn’t do it for the money. I didn’t do it for the status. I did it for my soul. As a

child, I often dreamed of being a ruler in a faraway land – on another planet. I dreamed of

discovering strange, fascinating creatures and peculiar looking plants with blue petals and

purple stalks. This was my dream and it had been tossed in front of me. Why on Earth

wouldn’t I grab it with both hands?

I was brought back to reality by the cool blast of the air conditioner above my head. It

blew through my hair as it tried to mimic the natural flow of the earthen breeze. I sighed,

slumping into my seat. A smile crept over my lips as I spun my chair around and faced the

window. The sun’s rays stroked my face, mellow and warm. I closed my eyes.