…Al-Qahira Ares Auqakuh Bahram Harmakhis Hrad Huo Hsing Kasel Ma’adim Maja Mamers Mangala Nirgal Shalbatanu Simud Tlu…
Filthy Earthlings finally came to Mars. Here the evolution produced us, the proud Little Red People. We do not like those EarthPeople, with their old, decadent culture. But we can not drive them away anymore, they multiply like rats. We will have to forge them into something more noble, wild, free and majestic, worthy of Ka.
We will forge the new Martians.
Locked up in their little city domes they tell each other stories about us, The Red People. We sit, in the corners, we listen, we learn, we choose the whorty ones. And we wait for our victory. Mars will be free.
“They’re like us” earthlings say "— or they look kind of like us when we see them. But that’s because we only ever see them out of the corner of our eyes. If you get a clear look at one you will see that it looks like a very tiny standing salamander, dark red, although the skin apparently does have some chameleon abilities, and they are usually the same color as the rocks they are standing among. If you see one really clearly you’ll notice that its skin resembles plate lichen mixed with sand grains, and its eyes are rubies. It’s fascinating, but don’t get too excited because the truth is you’re not ever going to see one of them that clearly. It’s just too hard. When they hold still we flat can’t see them. We would never see them at all, except that some of them when they get in a mood are so confident that they can freeze and disappear that they will jump around when they’re in your peripheral vision, just to blow your mind. So you see that, but then they stop moving when you turn your eye to look, and you never can spot them again.
They live everywhere, including all our rooms. Usually there’s a few in every pile of dust in the corners. And how many can say their rooms don’t have some dust in their corners? I thought not. It makes a good abrasive when you get around to swiping down, doesn’t it. Yes, on those days the little red people all have to run like hell. Disasters for them. They figure we’re crazy huge idiots that every once in a while have fits and go on a rampage.
So the Little Red People have been living with us and laying low, watching us with their ruby eyes and trying to find out what we’re like, and why we do what we do. And how they can deal with us, and get what they want— which is people they can talk to and be friends with, who won’t sweep them out every few months or wreck the planet either.
They’re watching us. Whole caravan cities are carrying the little red people around with us. And they’re getting ready to talk to us again. They’re figuring out who they should talk to. They’re asking themselves, which of these giant idiots knows about Ka?
That’s their name for Mars, yes. They call it Ka. The Arabs love that fact because the Arabic for Mars is Qahira, and the Japanese like it too because their name for it is Kasei. But actually a whole lot of Earth names for Mars have the sound ka in them somewhere— and some Little Red dialects have it as m’kah, which adds a sound that’s in a lot of other Terran names for it too. It’s possible that the Little Red People had a space program in earlier times, and came to Earth and were our fairies, elves and little people generally, and at that time told some humans where they came from, and gave us the name. On the other hand it may be that the planet itself suggests the sound in some hypnotic way that affects all conscious observers, whether standing right on it or seeing it as a red star in the sky. I don’t know, maybe it’s the color that does it. Ka.
And so the Ka watch us and they ask, who knows Ka? Who spends time with Ka, and learns Ka, and likes to touch Ka, and walks around on Ka, and lets Ka seep into them, and leaves the dust in their rooms alone? Those are the humans we’re going to talk to. Pretty soon we’re going to introduce ourselves, they say, to just as many of you as we can find who seem like Ka. And when we do, you’d better be ready. We’re going to have a plan. It’ll be time to drop everything and walk right out on the streets into a new world. It’ll be time to free Ka."
…Al-Qahira Ares Auqakuh Bahram Harmakhis Hrad Huo Hsing Kasel Ma’adim Maja Mamers Mangala Nirgal Shalbatanu Simud Tlu…
Loosely based on “Mars trilogy” by Kim Stanley Robinson. Three beautiful books that I recommend. Also my God Name is one of the main characters, a mystical leader of the new world.
- – In memory of my missing old hero from the horrible name “Ponsacco” and his vindictive and evil God “Umbreon The Dark”. May they rest in peace – -
- – In loving memory of Pumba, best Sun Dog ever. Companion, adventurer, my friend. 09/12/19 01:57am RIP
12:37 20/04/20 I tied a friendship bracelet around my wrist, and fastened another around Pumba’s leg. Though we may never meet again, now we can be friends until the end of time. Bye bye, Pumba! – -
WHAT IS DEAD MAY NEVER DIE
- – 19:03 A log! A thousandth log! I’m even ready for a flood now. Not that I’m asking for it, Omnipotent One. 27/03/2020 Quarantine Time!