Red Mars

The day of Boone’s assassination becomes a mystical part of Martian folklore. Strange events are recalled around the planet, such as an entire field freezing and pictures of Boone spontaneously combusting. Boone becomes even more of a legendary figure as the people of Mars retell his story. He joins other figures of folklore such as Big Man, Paul Bunyan, and the Coyote.

Chalmers stares into a mirror, reassuring himself of the importance of “will” before he begins his morning routine. He has breakfast with Maya and, in the background, a news report broadcasts images of riots and protests on Earth. Chalmers reiterates his support for the treaty negotiation. He participates in a negotiation conference, speaking directly to representatives from India and China. The two most populous countries on Earth agree to withdraw their demand for emigration rights in exchange for money, as Chalmers suggests. He’s central to renegotiating the treaty, which is a long and arduous process. Chalmers fights the demands of the transnationals, who gained a seat at the negotiating table by paying off smaller nations. They reach a deal, though not everyone is satisfied with the compromise. Sax talks to Chalmers, criticizing the possible withdrawal of transnational funding that may slow the terraforming process. Similarly, Ann worries about the planned emigration. Maya, at least, is optimistic. She and Chalmers have resumed their intermittent relationship in the wake of Boone’s death. She doesn’t know that Chalmers was involved. At night, Chalmers dreams about Boone. These dreams upset him, and he takes out his anger on Maya, bringing another pause to their relationship.

The Mars treaty is finally signed, but Maya is “not at his side” (469). Chalmers compares the result to a car crash, in which the competing interests collided into a cohesive whole. Sax upsets Chalmers, pointing out that the transnationals won’t settle for this compromise. Ann, meanwhile, praises Chalmers for doing his best. A lobbyist for the transnationals, Jahns, angers Chalmers by brazenly working with smaller nations. Chalmers goes to one of the Arab caravans, the Tuqan caravan, which is also a “mobile mining operation” (476). Chalmers joins one of the prospecting ventures, allowing him some time alone to reflect. He watches the news and gets angry. He sips coffee with the Arabs, including his friend Zeyk. Though he reminds himself of the need to be polite, Chalmers can’t help but argue with his hosts. He’s particularly critical of Islam as a unique form of community. The Arabs believe that their faith gives them a stronger bond, but Chalmers doesn’t agree. He keeps notes about his hosts, learning about their culture.

At night, his dreams of Boone “plague him” (483). He recalls the night of the first Mars landing. As a rival to Boone, he negotiated for Boone to be the first man on Mars in exchange for Chalmers being placed in charge of the colonizing mission, believing that this was the more politically powerful option. On the night of the Mars landing, Chalmers drank and yelled at those around him. In the caravan, Chalmers is blunt with his hosts. Unable to refrain from criticizing them, he accuses the Arab community of treating their women like “slaves.” He believes that they should change their culture to be more inclusive. Though they remain polite, the hosts don’t react kindly to Chalmers’s comments. Later, Zeyk invites Chalmers to dine with his family. In his home, Zeyk laughs and jokes with his wife. They agree with Chalmers, Zeyk says, and believe that Mars is an opportunity to build a “Moslem utopia.” This comforts Chalmers.

One day, Chalmers wakes to discover that it’s snowing outside. The environment is changing. Chalmers continues to travel with the Mars caravan as they search for mining opportunities. When they pass a US mining facility, Chalmers enters and talks to the miners. They tell him stories about mining practices that Chalmers presumed were illegal. The transnationals are simply ignoring the treaty. At the same time, many more people are coming to Mars than expected, often under dubious pretenses. Chalmers realizes that he has been outmaneuvered. The miners warn him that the political situation on Mars is reaching a boiling point because the treaty is a “joke.” Many people are simply vanishing into the vast wilderness or joining Arkady’s group of revolutionaries. The other option is to do the transnationals’ bidding. Chalmers resolves to leave the Arab caravan and return to Martian society.

Chalmers returns to Burroughs with a determined attitude. Greed and self-interest, he’s told, compelled the UNOMA to crumble to the transnationals. Dining with Vlad, Ursula, and Janet, he watches reports from Earth about overpopulation, famine, and riots. Janet reveals that Maya is in Burroughs. She criticizes Chalmers for being so naive as to not recognize that Maya loves him. That night, Chalmers dreams of Boone and the Ares. When he wakes, Chalmers seeks out Maya. When he sees her with another man, however, he’s perturbed.

Before the opening of the space elevator, Chalmers visits Pavonis Mon. Since it’s located at the base of the space elevator, this town will become an important trading hub. The new workforce is already arriving; many must live in cramped tents while the infrastructure is being built to house them. Already, they seem to be living in slums. Chalmers explores the new base of operations. He resumes his old work and quickly reestablishes the old relationships that helped him renegotiate the treaty. The space elevator becomes operational: A long, gigantic cable connects an asteroid to Mars. Transporters can move up and down this cable, dramatically reducing the cost of moving goods on and off Mars. The people living in the tent slums complain that private security forces are exploiting them. Organized crime “gangs” develop, and security forces demand protection money. Chalmers hears these complaints and tours the tents, giving sincere advice on how to campaign for better working conditions. When they try to strike, he preaches the necessity of compromise and bureaucracy. He wants to use their examples as evidence against the transnationals.

Chalmers wants to talk to Phyllis, whom he knows is closely aligned with the transnationals. He makes the five-day journey on the space elevator up to the asteroid Clarke. Immediately, he meets Phyllis. He says that Mars lacks the infrastructure to support the people that she and the transnationals are sending down the elevator; she responds that the 100 lived in far worse conditions. Chalmers makes diplomatic threats against Phyllis and the transnationals, but she holds strong. Chalmers leaves, feeling as though he wasted his time. Speaking to the US government, he eventually obtains the president’s agreement to pressure the transnationals. He believes that this will slow the influx of people to Mars.

Despite Chalmers’s efforts, the Americans and Russians in the tent cities riot. They kick out the security forces. Chalmers meets with the American rioters, who claim that organized crime groups attacked them in a “race rage.” Chalmers suggests that they were manipulated into rioting by the transnationals, who are searching for an excuse to solidify their control over the local population. By the time Chalmers reaches an agreement with the group, they cheer for him. Chalmers then follows Maya into a meeting with the Russian rioters. He helps her reach a similar compromise. That night, they sleep together. Following this, their relationship resumes. They rarely speak about the past, only the current political moment. Chalmers receives news that an entire town has vanished. He investigates, meeting a woman who tells him that many people are fleeing the towns to join the Martian underground. Chalmers contacts Arkady, who reiterates his belief that Mars should strive for independence. Chalmers refuses to accept this. He feels that Mars’s links to Earth should remain close.

As Chalmers returns to Elysium, a group of Mars newcomers asks him to give a speech. The speech is a success, and Maya congratulates Chalmers. She tries to follow him into his offices, but he insists that he wants to go for a walk. He’s in a café sipping coffee when Maya finds him. She wants to know whether something’s wrong. Chalmers considers telling her about his role in Boone’s assassination but decides against it. Maya tells Chalmers that she loves him. Internally, he debates whether she knows what he did to Boone. They retire to their rooms.

Weeks later, the situation on Mars deteriorates. Korolyov, a city on Mars, was turned into a giant prison. When Chalmers speaks to the prisoners, he reminds them of their precarious position: The Mars atmosphere is still deadly, he tells them, so they’re in a dangerous position. The transnationals have many security resources and control the equipment that makes Mars livable. When the prisoners compare themselves to historical revolutionaries, Chalmers becomes frustrated and cuts the conversation short. During this time, he learns that Arkady has gone into hiding. He’s no longer on Phobos. In addition, he learns that the emigration to Mars has resumed. The space elevator has come into transnational control; the US no longer has jurisdiction over the elevator. Chalmers and Maya go to Pavonis Mons, hoping to negotiate with representatives of the transnationals, including Phyllis. She’s responsible for the transnationals’ hostile takeover. Chalmers learns that Arkady’s followers have risen up in Nicosia, declaring it a free city.

Chalmers travels to Nicosia to speak to Arkady, but Arkady is already gone by the time he arrives. Instead, they talk over video. Chalmers insists that Arkady’s revolution can’t succeed; Arkady believes that he can triumph. The conversation ends. Next, Chalmers speaks to Nadia. She’s in Burroughs. She’s close to Arkady but doesn’t necessarily agree with him; however, she can’t convince him to take a different course. In Nicosia, Chalmers speaks to Alexander, Dmitri, and Elena. As he passes through a crowd, however, someone calls out to him about his previous visit to Nicosia (when Boone was killed). The comment sparks Chalmers’s paranoia. He calls the UNOMA security forces but they don’t arrive in time. The security systems spring to life and shut down the city. The tent over Nicosia that regulates the atmosphere collapses. Outside, people start to die. The Martian Revolution begins.