Silence filled the whole room. Everyone focused their gaze on a screen which was blank, only the blackness of the void could be seen, the depiction of nothingness, the absence of data from Mars. Marco remained motionless in his chair, his cold gaze fixed on the screen, patiently waiting for the Alpha Expedition to re-establish communications from the grotto they were in.

The latest instructions received by the exploration team indicated that they had to send reinforcements from the BlueExplorer base to begin excavation tasks around the pyramid. The base was 80km away and more than 3 hours had already passed since the team had left the base in an exploration vehicle carrying the necessary equipment to carry out the excavation work.

The atmosphere was tense. Before leaving, they detected a fault in the vehicle’s communications equipment, which meant that they had no visibility during the journey to the location of the Alpha Expedition.

All they could do was wait.

After many hours of biding their time, the data from Mars arrived and materialised into audio and video, that flowed through the photons emanating from the screen. Communication with the Alpha Expedition team had finally been re-established.

• Alpha-L speaking – The ‘L’ code indicated that the person speaking was the expedition leader – reporting from the pyramid. The reinforcement from the BlueExplorer base has arrived without a hitch. Excavation equipment is in place and ready to go. Waiting for orders from Earth to start the operation

The reinforcement team consisted of two engineers and an additional member of the security forces. On Earth, after several hours of tense waiting, they released their tension with shouts of euphoria. Marco continued unperturbed with his gaze fixed on the screen.

• Go ahead Alpha Expedition, you may begin – Marco ordered.

After 15 minutes, it was possible to see on the screen how the team received the instructions and started immediately.

The tool they used for the excavation was actually a weapon, but it had been modified to emit a controlled wave of radiation that heated the surface of the ice and melted it. They had four of these and used them at the same time, after which they quickly moved forward.

After several hours of work, the entrance door to the pyramid was released. It was 20 meters wide and 10 meters high and was composed of the same smooth material as the rest of the structure. The only way to identify that it was an entrance was by the lines that formed a large rectangle and which cut the continuity of the surface of the face.

• Alpha-L speaking, we have finished clearing the access to the entrance door of the pyramid. No external mechanism can be found to open the portal. We request permission to force entry with our weapons.

According to the action protocol they had designed for the mission, physical contact with any structure or biological creature on Mars was not allowed unless there is an express order from the command on Earth. Marco and the scientific team received this request cautiously and began a discussion to decide what action to take.

• The images do not show anything clear about how to open the portal. This means that the activation mechanism can be wireless and must react to some type of signal – indicated one of the scientists present. Marco was silent and listened attentively to the conversation of his experts.
• I agree with you – replied someone else – but only if we assume that this species had advanced technology to perform this mechanism. So far we have no evidence of the Martian’s technological level.
• Interesting observation – commented a woman sitting at the back of the room – indeed, we have no idea what the Martian’s level of technological development was and precisely for that reason, I advise against any type of physical contact with the structure. We do not know what could happen and we would endanger the lives of the members of The Alpha Expedition. I would also like to add, that the analysis previously carried out does not show any signs of activity or heat coming from the interior. Either there is no one inside, or everything is off, dead. Any opening mechanism there I highly doubt is working, as there must be no power.
• The fact that they have travelled to Mars has already endangered their lives, doctor – someone else in the room replied harshly – I disagree with your view. It is true that using weapons to force the portal open will lead us to an unknown situation, but in the end, we have no other choice! We cannot stand by idly in front of the door that hides great mysteries yet to be discovered! Furthermore, taking into account that you propose that there is no energy to power the structure, then there would be no way to open the door.

The room was silent. The ideas presented were working in each of the minds present and each one was taking a side. Marco throughout that time remained static listening to each of the interventions and then intervened.

• Right – Marco spoke, imposing his authority – we must make the right decision looking for the perfect balance between calculated risk and stupidity. I don’t want to endanger our team unless there is a real reason for it. We do not yet have all the information necessary to make an intelligent decision. Please project on the screen the video of the reconnaissance flight made by the drone yesterday.

Immediately on the screen the images were projected. The drone had made a reconnaissance flight around the pyramid. You could see a smooth surface on all four faces without any type of imperfection. There was no sign of any kind of mechanism, there were no windows, there was no type of hole or leak that could indicate a ventilation system or something similar. There was nothing.

• The pyramid must have had some source of energy – suggested one of the scientists present – let’s not forget that the four obelisks are destroyed, perhaps there was the mechanism to interact with the pyramid and open the portal.
• The Sun – Marco intervened – Mars is a planet that has a very thin atmosphere, but it was not always like that. Approximately 3.7 billion years ago, Mars had a denser atmosphere even more so than Earth’s one, and gradually lost it over billions of years. It is very likely that 1700 million years ago, which is the age of this ruin, the atmosphere has since been very eroded, which means that the solar radiation must have been undoubtedly strong. It is difficult to imagine how any living being could have survived under these conditions, but the existence of this structure is irrefutable proof that intelligent life could thrive even in a very hostile environment. I think that if life adapted to that environment, solar energy or radiation from the Sun must have been the main source of energy for the Martians – Marco took a short pause.

Everyone was silent, attentive to Marco’s next words. He continued.

• The flight made by the drone was only limited to circling the pyramid, but we have not seen what’s at the top – pressing a button that activated the communication link with Mars, he said – Alpha Expedition, we have not made any decision at the moment regarding your request to force entry into the pyramid. We need more information before we act. Alpha-L, activate the drone and send it to the top of the pyramid to get images from the top.

The drone headed for the top of the pyramid. Marco was not sure of what he was looking for, he was being guided only by his intuition, but in the past his intuition had given him good results. Images from the top began to be projected on the screen in front of a surprised team. When Marco saw the image, he gave himself the luxury of outlining a slight smile of pride. He was right.

Imperceptible from a distance or from below the pyramid, a black sphere about 2 meters in diameter rested on top. The first analyses indicated that the material absorbed all kinds of radiation and light without letting it bounce off its surface. It was a material that was entirely black. This material had all the necessary characteristics to be used as a device for capturing solar energy or radiation.

• I think we have found our “power button” – proclaimed Marco – however, I sense that a light source is needed to constantly irradiate the sphere. As we have seen, above the pyramid in the grotto, the ice layer is thinner than in the surroundings and allows light to pass through. Probably in Martian times, this structure was not enclosed in a cave and was constantly receiving energy from the Sun. Those ice sheets must have formed over millions of years. The next thing we need to do now is find some way to get rid of this ice cap and make the sunlight reach the sphere directly. I have no evidence for what I am saying, but I strongly believe that we should explore that option.

Immediately in the room, the debate began. There was unanimity in support of Marco’s idea and they were looking for different alternatives to be able to activate the sphere. After much deliberation, they communicated their action plan to Alpha Expedition. The plan was to mount the weapons used for the excavation on the main drone and the back-up drone, configure these weapons to increase power and melt the ice sheet formed over the pyramid. Then, in order to maintain constant radiation, mirrors had to be mounted on both drones to always direct the sun’s rays towards the sphere to make the most of the light during the day.

After several days of work, everything was ready to start the tests. The weather was on its side since there was no sandstorm in sight, something very common on Mars.

The drones were in position. One was outside the grotto above the hole they made and the other was inside the grotto above the pyramid. The mirrors were lined up. Members of Alpha Expedition were also ready to begin the testing. Dawn was gradually coming to Mars. Sunlight gradually illuminated the ice mountains of the Martian North Pole. Suddenly, the light reached where they were. A beam of light hit the first mirror, it was deflected towards the second mirror and immediately the photons completely irradiated the black sphere which voraciously swallowed the energy without letting a single electron escape.

As the hours passed, the drones aligned with the sun so as not to interrupt the energy charge. And so, the day went by without anything happening.

On Earth, their high spirits were still intact. They thought that they probably had to wait a while to charge the device’s batteries before it was put into operation. This is how the first day ended and there was no response from the pyramid.

Marco ordered his team to continue with the operation for another day. At the end of the second day, there were no results either. The Alpha team again requested permission to force entry. Marco remained firm in his position and indicated that they would repeat the operation for up to a week more. On Earth, some of his collaborators began to show their discomfort at Marco’s insistence and the fact of not taking action with weapons to open the door. But Marco was the boss.

On the fourth day, the expedition leader contacted the base on Earth.

• Alpha-L speaking, we have detected an energetic activity inside the pyramid! There are very weak electromagnetic signals, but these have been picked up by our instruments. Apparently, something is going on inside the structure and is directly related to the work we’ve been doing.

On Earth, there was elation once more upon receiving this news. Marco had not only proven that he was the boss, but that he was right when his intuition told him to.

Several weeks passed until they received another communication from the team on Mars.

• Alpha-L speaking, just as we anticipated, the energetic activity inside the pyramid has been increasing progressively in recent weeks but today something different is happening! Activating image transmission.

The images began to be projected onto the screen in front of a group of stunned scientists who could not believe what they were seeing. Marco watched calmly without expressing any emotion. The pyramid was emitting light from inside, at least that’s what it looked like. Straight lines were drawn at 90-degree angles on the smooth surface of the pyramid’s walls. These lines emitted a white light. It was the same with the door. The door was this time visible thanks to a white light emanating from the lines that formed the rectangle that shaped the entrance to the pyramid.

• Requesting permission to approach the pyramid’s door – Alpha-L said. On Earth, they gave the green light to the request.
• Alpha team, ready to make the approach – the team led by Alpha-L and composed of a geologist, an archaeologist, 2 engineers and 3 members of the security forces gathered to approach the door of the pyramid.
• Approaching the door. 30 meters to go – Alpha-L explained.
• 20 meters to target.
• 10 meters.
• 5 me… – when they were five meters from the door, something unexpected happened.
• Alpha-L speaking, the door is open. I repeat, the door is open.

The monitoring room on Earth was buzzing with activity. Marco remained calm, but his eyes reflected his surprise and excitement at the event. The door had opened by itself, without any intervention from the Alpha team, or so it seemed.

The Alpha Expedition entered the pyramid. They entered a rectangular passageway several meters deep, illuminated dimly by white light that was being emitted from the edges of the geometrically shaped corridor. They advanced for several meters until they ran into a wall. It looked like a dead end.

The expedition team was puzzled. After many hours of waiting without anything happening, they decided to back down. Without a doubt, the pyramid was gradually activating and we would have to wait longer for it to show all it had to offer.

Days passed and this hypothesis was confirmed. As the pyramid was capturing more energy through the black sphere, the passageway lengthened and more intersections that led to other parts of the pyramid were created. After several weeks the main way was completed. The end of the corridor led to a circular room which, according to calculations, was in the centre of the square area of the structure. But the door remained closed.

Another phenomenon detected was related to the composition of the air and the temperature inside. Once the corridor was created, giving access to the central room, suddenly the composition of the indoor air changed radically and the temperature increased from -120º Celsius, which was the outside temperature, to 20º Celsius. A kind of microclimate had been created inside the pyramid and it was protected by the front door.

During this time, there was no sign of movement inside the pyramid nor any sign of life around it. They were lighting a structure that had been extinct for billions of years. All traces of life had long since disappeared.

The days went by and the pyramid already seemed fully lit both from the outside and inside.  On the outside, the pyramid showed different geometric lines that seemed to represent windows. Other lines seemed to show that behind the wall were large rooms. The light was white and was radiated from all sides of the pyramid. Inside, a large corridor half a kilometre long had been generated until it reached the circular room in the centre of the pyramid. This corridor was cut perpendicularly by 3 slightly narrower corridors that formed squares around the central room. There were no signs of any habitation or room so far, just the central room.

But it remained closed.

The door was transparent and allowed to see into the room. It was circular and the material was the same as the corridor. There didn’t seem to be any kind of artifact inside. It looked completely empty. On Earth, scientists had been trying for weeks to solve the riddle of how to open the transparent door.

• It probably needs even more energy – said one of those present.
• We have been irradiating the sphere for over two months, we’ve managed to turn the structure on, it seems that nothing else can be done. How much more energy would this room supposedly need? I don’t think the problem is there. There’s something we’re not seeing … – replied another scientist.
• The Martians, from what we’re seeing so far, seem to have been very austere. The only thing we’ve been able to see so far is a 500-meter-long corridor, other corridors that form several squares around the central hall and nothing else. There are no doors, no rooms, no habitation, just the central room. We’ve been here for more than two months and haven’t made much progress – said one of the colleagues with an air of frustration.
• I think we’re not seeing things in perspective – Marco intervened. Always with a tone of authority – we haven’t asked ourselves, for example, why was the door opened in the first place? All we did was charge the pyramid with energy, but then the door opened on its own; was it by chance? Was the pyramid designed to open automatically after injecting energy? It doesn’t seem to make sense to design a building that is so easy for any enemy to enter. I believe the door was opened for some reason and this is where we should be focusing. At first glance, this room is special and doesn’t seem to open easily, we have conducted several inspections with the exploration team, approaching the door, even touching it and nothing has worked. On the other hand, we have verified that the composition of the air inside the pyramid once we go through the main door changes drastically compared to the outside.”
• Indeed Marco – interrupted Patrick, the Head of the Space Division of Bluelife – once we go through the door, the composition of the air inside the pyramid changes. And the pyramid is able to keep this composition intact from the outside. It’s as if the door of the pyramid, still open, prevents the outside air from infiltrating and changing the internal composition. I have received the results of a study done on the composition of gases inside and our scientists suggest an interesting theory. They believe that the composition of the air inside the pyramid is equivalent to the composition of the atmosphere of Mars approximately 1.7 billion years ago. By doing an inverse simulation of the planet’s atmospheric loss ratio, they calculated that, at that time, the gas composition was similar to that found inside the building today.
• Interesting – Marco replied – and according to the readings of our instruments, the air inside the pyramid is not 100% suitable for us, but it is, in a certain way, breathable at least for a period of a few hours until our organism begins to feel the ravages of not receiving an adequate amount of oxygen, and also because of the other gases that are toxic. Is that right? – he asked openly to the rest of the team.
• Yes, that’s correct – answered a member of the team – this is why, according to our protocol of action, we still wear the suits inside the pyramid as a safety measure.
• Well – answered Marco – I think the time has come for us to take our first high-risk action. And this time, it’s worth trying despite what it may mean for the person who will perform the action. A member of the team must approach the door of the central room devoid of his astronaut suit, I would even say, naked.
• B-but Marco – Patrick answered – what kind of idea is that? What’s your hypothesis?
• Patrick, we can stay without our suits for a few hours breathing this air and the temperature is 20ºC. I think that somehow, the pyramid needs to see us or detect us as we are. I firmly believe that the fact that the door to the pyramid has been opened is no accident. Now I have this hunch. We have to try and prepare the assistance equipment to take care of our volunteer when he is unable to breathe.

After a silence in the room, the majority decided to support Marco’s initiative.

Alpha-L volunteered to perform the operation.

When time came, Alpha-L was surrounded by his colleagues ready to assist him in case of respiratory and heart problems. He then removed his space suit as well as his clothes. So, he was presenting himself as he came into the world. Showing up in front of the pyramid like a homo sapiens, an intelligent mammal from planet Earth.

Alpha-L approached the door to the circular room. At the moment he could breathe easily, although the air was heavy, he felt his lungs trying very hard to extract the little oxygen present in the mixture of gases he was inhaling. The situation could not last long or his life would be in danger.

His vital signs were stable for the first few minutes. Then little by little Alpha-L began to feel that his body was heavier, his heart rate increased to try to compensate for the little oxygen he was breathing. Almost an hour had passed, the blackout was imminent.

Suddenly, the edges of the front door lit up with more incandescence, emitting a very powerful white light that engulfed the hero astronaut who was putting his life at risk. The white light transformed into several beams of light that seemed to try to read Alpha-L’s body. He eventually lost consciousness while his companions came to help him.

The door opened.

While the rescue team helped Alpha-L, the others entered the circular room.

Inside, several beams of light from an energy sphere in the centre of the room began to draw a three-dimensional holographic image. Mars was shown before them as they had never known it. A clay-coloured planet with large blue oceans and a dense atmosphere. You could also see what could be considered as countries or large cities spread over the entire surface. Geometric shaped objects drifted through the constantly moving white cloud skies. Mars had a warm climate and a slightly blue sky.

For the first time, humans had come into contact with the history of an extra-terrestrial civilization. The projected images told of the life of Mars at its peak. A series of unintelligible characters also appeared which surely added more information to what was being seen, it was undoubtedly Martian writing, impossible to decrypt. However, the pictures spoke for themselves.

The hologram showed Mars from space as if it were seen from some space station orbiting the planet. Suddenly, the image began to move towards the surface and head towards one of the cities. In it, always from above, one could see millions of Martians in the streets as tiny moving dots, vehicles travelling on gigantic highways and many large buildings with perfect geometric shapes. The city was surrounded by several pyramids, each with 4 obelisks, exactly like the pyramid they were in, but apparently smaller in size.

It was a planet with life.

Suddenly, the hologram quickly moved away from the surface and again showing Mars from space. The image began to slowly fade and instead the beams of light began to draw something else. In front of the stunned members of the Alpha Expedition, the dominant species on this planet materialised before them, from approximately 1,700 million years ago.

A being with human appearance.

We had found our older brothers.