Live Blogs Let's Read John Carter of Mars

DrRockopolis2010-12-14 19:18:53

Well, settling into home again. Sitting in front of a fireplace, which needs a few more logs.

Also, should I refer to it as Barsoom or Mars?

Woola's not looking too good, either, being half starved (good thing there's fresh meat), and there's no sign of Dejah. The company is appreciated, though.

They continue onwards, stumbling upon a massive building, four square miles and two hundred feet tall. Talking into the intercom, he begs for food and shelter. He's let in, past three twenty foot thick steel doors. Whatever's here must be important.

An old dude, but he has food! And he's wearing a giant gold chain and pendant; in it is set a large gem, sparkling in nine colors, two of which are indescribable (Octarine and Nonarine?). Over dinner, they converse. As usual, John can read but not be read. I wonder how he'd do in a Martian Poker game?

• He mentions looking at him through a scanner, and commenting on the alien layout of his brain and organs.

It's a solar plant, basically, for the Martian oxygen factories. They separate out the ninth ray of light, store it here, and pump it out to five factories around the planet, where it turns into oxygen when in contact with the ether of space. Man, I miss ether.

• They keep thousand year reserves, and the big worry is the pumps, of which they have nineteen spares. Well, pumps, and attackers insane enough to destroy the world.
• Although all red Martians know the basics of oxygen creation, only two people at a time know the secrets of operating the plant. Seems like a pretty crippling weakness.
  • He switches off every day with the other guy; he's been doing that for about eight hundred years.
  • The necklaces symbolize their position, and they are inviolate among all of Barsoom, for the work that they do, although they don't want to test that with the green Martians.

He gives directions to the nearest settlements, but mentions they're at war with Helium.

Along the way, the guy mentions the locks are sensitive enough that they're keyed to particular thought words. Unfortunately, the other thought John picks up is that the guy worries he's revealed too much and must terminate John for the good of Mars. John decides to leave while the old man is off checking the machinery.

After more wandering he finds another settlement, but it's locked up tight and there's no reply. He camps out, and upon awakening, he's surrounded by armed red Martians; muscular albino dude wearing a barbarian harness and traveling with a ten-legged horror dog. He tells them his tale, omitting mention of Dejah, Princess of Helium. They, the House of Ptor, on the nation of Zodanga, are incredibly hospitable, putting him up for several days, giving him clothes, money, a mount, red dye for his skin (to look more Martian), and directions to a city where he can join the military. They say they're sure he'll be able to repay them if lives long enough.

• Wow, it's strange, you hear stories of the generosity of strangers, and it's Crowning Moment Of Heartwarming, but it still sounds...unreal, I guess. I suppose it's appropriate for the season.

Comments

TheGirlWithPointyEars Since: Dec, 1969

Dec 15th 2010 at 5:24:36 AM

There's the Fridge Logic of how anything evolved on Mars that needed oxygen in the first place if they have to go to the trouble of making it... unless they're originally, say, from Earth and are terraforming it. I won't examine this too closely :p

I like the Red Martians, though. Very hospitable :)

DrRockopolis Since: Dec, 1969

Dec 15th 2010 at 6:52:05 AM

I believe the idea was that it's a Gotterdammerung Mars; Barsoom used to be lush and green, but by now it's a mostly barren wasteland where air and water have to be manufactured.

Dejah made mention, in explaining a mural, that there used to be an great Crystal Spires And Togas empire of Irish White Men with Red Heads. Among other things, they're ancestors of the Red Men (having interbred with the Black Men and the Yellow Men, and not forming the Beige Men), and for having there Empire collapse, as is the tendency. In retrospect, That Came Out Wrong, but one assumes the end of the Empire coincided with the ecological disaster.

• Interestingly enough, the current Red Men claim to have matched or even exceeded the technology of the ancients (oxygen plants), if being lacking in their luxriant culture.
• No one's brought up John looking like a White Martian, so I guess they still look different?
  • Earth is a Lost Colony of White Martians and John was a throwback?
    • There was a Sci Fi novel with a similar theme, totally can't remember the name, just that there was weird lightsaber dueling and that the empire were kinda racist pale giants.

Also, White Martian sounds like a cocktail.

TheGirlWithPointyEars Since: Dec, 1969

Dec 15th 2010 at 6:59:23 AM

Also, White Martian sounds like a cocktail.

Yes, it kinda does :p

Ah, one of those 'Mars was once lush and green, but no more' explanations. That makes more sense, thanks :)

arbane Since: Dec, 1969

Dec 15th 2010 at 9:34:03 AM

Dr Rockopolis: IIRC, White Martians are all blond, John's got black hair. (Going by memory here, pardon me if I got it wrong.)

DrRockopolis Since: Dec, 1969

Dec 15th 2010 at 10:35:21 AM

Ah, "The decoration of the walls was most elaborate, and, unlike the frescoes in the other buildings I had examined, portrayed many human figures in the compositions. These were of people like myself, and of a much lighter color than Dejah Thoris. They were clad in graceful, flowing robes, highly ornamented with metal and jewels, and their luxuriant hair was of a beautiful golden and reddish bronze. The men were beardless and only a few wore arms. The scenes depicted for the most part, a fair-skinned, fair-haired people at play."

• Strange, I forgot the part about "Like myself".