Tombs of Phobos

"Sir, the exploratory team believes to have found something on Phobos," explained Trent Sanford, head of the UN Martian Expeditionary Force.

General Olbermyer set his pen down and looked up from his work, "Continue."

Trent sat down in a chair across from the General's desk. He and the General were close friends and had been for decades. He continued his explanation, "The team believes to have found some sort of a door inside one of the craters. They have yet to find a way to open the door and have been advised to await further orders.

General Olbermyer nodded silently for a moment. He then spoke up, "How is this possible? Is there any writing on the door?"

"No writing has been discovered so far. The team has returned to their base camp," Trent explained.

The General began feeling nervous. He suddenly envisioned himself trapped in a science fiction film. This information was beyond his training and years of experience. "Who else knows about this?"

"Just the Need-to-Knows, sir. I was just getting ready to inform the Secretary-General."

"Let's put a hold on that," the General commanded. "If what you're telling me is true, then this goes beyond the Secretary-General."

Guardians of Soma

Kalitha stood high above the remenants of the still smoking battlefield. The dead were beginning to rot in the heat of the scorching sun. The wounded prayed for a quick death so they might join their fallen bretheren in the Afterlife or faithfully clung to life, hoping to avenge their defeat.

A messenger quietly approached the morose Kalitha. When Kalitha failed to notice the messager he carefully cleared his throat.

Kalitha turned towards the noise, "Yes?"

The messenger pretended not to notice the mist that had slowly been forming in Kalitha's eyes since he first began to take survey of the scene. "The General has summoned you to his tent."

"I'll be right there. Thank you." Kalitha dismissed the messenger with a hand wave then turned back to the battlefield. Although he was miles from the carnage, in his mind he could hear the sounds of dying soldiers crying out one last time for their mothers' soothing embrace.