Chapter 206: Engine Accident Caused by the

We, the entire cabin crew of Bay 3, welcome all colleagues to Mars; the ship is about to enter the atmosphere, please note…

Aisaike didn't carefully listen to the purser's announcements, but continued to watch the outside scenery through the porthole.

The proportion of Mars' surface visible through the porthole kept increasing, indicating that the Precursors II they were aboard was now passing through Mars' thin atmosphere.

Once fully inside the atmosphere, the view outside the window differed somewhat from what was seen outside the atmosphere.

Although the soil is reddish‑orange, it hardly differs from Earth's barren zones, and even the sky is a deep blue.

As for this, the staff, including Aisaike, had long grown accustomed to it.

Moreover, upon seeing this scene, the coworker who had suggested going for drinks even said, "The weather in Mars City is great today, perfect for a drink!"

Just as that coworker said, the weather in this area is fine.

Martian soil contains a large amount of iron oxide, i. e., rust, which makes it look like a fiery red planet because the surface often kicks up dust storms, lofting rust‑laden dust.

But when the weather is good, as it is now, it presents an environment similar to Earth's.

As for their destination, Mars City built on the equatorial plains of Mars, the surrounding temperature can rise above 20°C, and even the lowest temperature will not drop below -6°C.

No wonder many people on Earth speculate that Mars' environment hundreds of millions of years ago might have resembled Earth's, and could even have been more conducive to life.

Since Umbrella and the UEG jointly built Mars City and carried out detailed exploration of Mars, numerous microbial fossils have been found, proving that Mars once indeed possessed an environment capable of nurturing life.

However, up to now, humanity has not yet found any traces of advanced life having existed.

Next, the Precursors II flew for a few minutes, and Mars City came into Aisaike's view.

Mars City actually consists of numerous 'dome districts'.

More than ten of varying sizes, like districts covered by huge 'glass caps', they surround the largest central district, forming a colony with a population exceeding four million.

The so‑called 'glass cap' is actually made of battleship‑grade α‑titanium alloy and amorphous carbon glass with the same strength as the ship's hull portholes, thereby constructing the domes that protect the colonial districts.

From afar, the dome formed by the α‑alloy frame and amorphous carbon glass looks like a half‑round transparent honeycomb stuck onto the district.

Although Mars' atmosphere is inferior to Earth's, it far surpasses the Moon's, so colonial cities need not be built underground.

Between the districts, there are many sealed passages and tunnels for vehicles and rail trains to travel.

The Ares Starport mentioned earlier by the purser is located in the eastern part of Mars City, second only in size to the central district, and its dome is roughly rectangular.

At this moment, above the starport, a Precursors II belonging to Umbrella and two Precursors I belonging to the UEG are docked.

Thanks to the technology brought by the Griffon, the transport craft serving as a shuttle can quickly pass through the starport's top‑mounted air vents emitting a pale blue light, directly entering and exiting the domes and the hangars of the Precursors‑type vessels.

The widespread use of the new air vents greatly boosted the efficiency of extraterrestrial and cosmic construction.

Afterward, the Precursors II carrying Aisaike and the others also hovered above the starport.

Actually, the actual flight doesn't take long; the time‑consuming part is the wait, which is why each cabin is equipped with a cabin crew service team.

But the engine malfunction and delay they encountered today are extremely rare.

It probably isn't an anomalous phenomenon…

Forget it, Aisaike stopped thinking about the engine accident; after all, it's enough that we reached Mars safely.

The cabin crew continued to serve everyone, and after a twenty‑minute wait, it was the turn of the people in Bay 3 to transfer to the transport craft.

The transport craft carried Aisaike and company away from the Precursors II, after a brief exposure to Mars' atmosphere it passed through the air vent into the starport interior, and finally landed on the apron.

The terminal extended a jetbridge that connected to the transport craft, allowing Aisaike and the others to proceed to the terminal.

After disembarking the jetbridge and arriving at the open area, the Bay 3 crew headed to the baggage claim area beneath the terminal, while the dozen or so workers walked at the rear of the line.

"Ah~!" a coworker yawned, stretching his arms high: "Got to drive the SCV again, sigh."

"Don't complain; driving the SCV is always much safer than fighting the anomalous MTF."

"That's right; I heard intelligence agents are even more dangerous, and the first to encounter anomalies are that mysterious bunch."

At that moment, a blond‑haired man in black work pants and a desert‑colored shirt, and a similarly dressed blond‑haired woman, were the last to step out of the transport craft, passing by the group of workers still chatting.

"Hey, Kelake." A coworker leaned close to Aisaike and whispered:

"Do you think those two are intelligence agents?"

"Who knows?"

Aisaike shrugged, indicating he didn't care; he just wanted to finish this colony‑building task quickly and then go home early.

The man in work clothes, unaware that he was being teased by Aisaike's coworker, instead instructed the woman beside him:

"Later I'll take you to get a general overview of Mars City, and then I'll bring you on a trip to Mars's moon one and Deimos, because you'll be spending a considerable length of time in the Martian colony."

"Although the colony's total population is under five million, the company's plan is to make Mars a construction base, so you must never let your guard down, Shirley."

"Don't worry, Uncle Kennedy." Shirley accepted it humbly.

Taking a closer look at Shirley, who has a short female haircut, her visage resembles that of William BoKen, an Umbrella researcher, and also bears some likeness to BoKen's wife Annite.

Shirley's true identity is the daughter of the BoKen couple; she was 12 in 1998 and is now 26.

Accompanying her to the escalator heading to the baggage claim area, the 'Uncle Kennedy' was Leon S. Kennedy.

That coworker surely never imagined that a casual remark made just to find a topic would, by sheer coincidence, target the genuine intelligence officer—and moreover, a top‑rank one, Leon.

Earlier, Aisaike's coworkers had wondered whether the engine glitch was caused by an anomalous phenomenon, and in a sense that was entirely correct.

After all, any vehicle tends to be ill‑suited to Leon.

What's more unexpected is that 36‑year‑old Leon still looks very young, keeping his timeless blond‑split hairstyle.

If outsiders didn't know the truth, they'd merely see Leon as a newcomer who had just joined Umbrella and been assigned to Mars.

(End of chapter)