Jul 27, 2016

Hey all! Short update!

Due to a few orders rolling in, we still need several orders until we reach 100 and I can post chapter six. Would love for this to happen this week!

I’ve been very busy and don’t have much time between work and family, so here are the updates:

• The web-site has been updated with character backgrounds for six characters (eight if you count Mars and Rigel)
• I’ve added an event to the facebook page for the book.
• Inspired by some other authors here on Inkshares, I’ve made a Spotify playlist (which may change). Check it out!
• “What happened to Chapter four?” you may be asking. I’m still working on it and will release it to you readers once we hit 125 orders! Chapter seven will come at 150 orders!
• I may ask Inkshares for an extension if the book gets a decent amount of orders in the next month but doesn’t make the cut.

For now, here’s the background for Mars:

Humans have long been fascinated with Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, often called the "Red Planet" because of its red hue as seen in the night sky. It is named for the Roman god of war. 

Ever since humanity has contemplated space travel, we have dreamt of going to Mars. In recent years the draw has become even more pronounced as we have discovered frozen water and even liquid water on the surface. Among all the other planetary bodies in the solar system, Mars is the most like Earth. It has an atmosphere, a better temperature than most, decent gravity, and a close to 24 hour day.

However, there are several hurdles to living on Mars. Its atmosphere is extremely thin and unbreathable - the air is much thinner than even the top of Mount Everest. Although the temperature is occasionally bearable, it is on average much colder than Earth and can be incredibly cold at times, causing even carbon-dioxide to freeze. In addition, the "soil" on Mars is contaminated with perchlorates, which can adversely affect human health, acting as a thyroid inhibitor and lung toxin.

Despite these hurdles, many prominent figures have announced their desire to "colonize" Mars in the coming decades.