Maxwell Empire Scripted Book 4 Chapter 6
Scott and Simon and mining on Mars
Mining on Mars and the asteroids provides minerals for Earth industry because deposits of minerals on Earth have all been extracted that is economical and it is cheaper to mine out of this world. Scott and Simon are witnessing a spaceship leaving which will mine minerals on Mars.
SCOTT
That spaceship looks like a baby version of Maxwell 09.
SIMON
Yes, Scott, it does not need to be aerodynamic so it just consists of a framework.
SCOTT
A framework with suitable cladding for holding stuff where necessary.
SIMON
There do look to be lots of boxes housing the things necessary for setting up a mining site on Mars.
SCOTT
Perhaps they call it Mars Miner 01.
SIMON
More likely Mars Miner 101. They have been doing this for a long time.
SCOTT
So it has been filled up with ice blocks brought up the Space Elevator.
SIMON
Yes, it is ready to go.
SCOTT
The rolls of cables on the front of it are smaller.
SIMON
Yes, with the cables for Mars Space Elevators being shorter they will not need as many connecting the engines to the Miner.
SCOTT
So it is ready to start up the Space Elevator.
SIMON
The ship will soon depart from the top of the Space Elevator.
SCOTT
Up there it will be travelling at a velocity above Earth escape velocity, so it is a case of “Mars, here I come”.
SIMON
Assuming that robots do talk to planets.
SCOTT
Then in a few weeks it has got to Mars.
SIMON
It must look good seeing the cables roll out behind the engines and then all fly off.
SCOTT
Then going into orbit around Mars and installing its Space Elevator above the mine site.
SIMON
Now that assumes all the mine sites are near the equator.
SCOTT
They won’t be, will they? We should know that stuff.
SIMON
We do know that stuff. We have just forgotten it.
SCOTT
It does show that improving Education Inputs is possible.
SIMON
Yes, when you research that you could make a better glue.
SCOTT
We will have to assume the mineral is mined all over and trucked to the Space Elevator.
SIMON
Well, mined in their patch, anyway.
SCOTT
Otherwise the potential for robo wars.
SIMON
Not being people they don’t have wars.
SCOTT
Now if humans were involved in that it would mean possible wars and an awful lot of stuff to keep the humans alive.
SIMON
Yes, just as well robots can do all the work.
SCOTT
Literally all the work. Mars Miner 101 or whatever will set up his factory in Mars Space City, send down his, sorry, or her, miners and start mining.
SIMON
It will be back here in a couple of months with a load of mineral. It seems there are a lot of Mars Miners.
SCOTT
Well, with lithium being such a necessary component of batteries it is no wonder.
SIMON
That is true. No batteries means just about no anything.
SCOTT
Seeing the robots do all the work and there are billions of them that is a lot of batteries.
SIMON
And hence a lot of lithium.
SCOTT
Mars must be losing a lot of weight with us carting it all here.
SIMON
Yes, the action in Mars Space City must be a case of go, go, go.
SCOTT
With no humans usually it means no rotating segments. Or just one or two.
SIMON
Humans certainly do take a lot of looking after.
SCOTT
With all the Mars Miners you would not think they were about to start another one.
SIMON
It looks like it. Perhaps hauling rocks wears you out quickly.
SCOTT
They are pretty basic. One can be made in less than a year.
SIMON
Anyway, so much for rocks. We don’t want to miss our bus.
SCOTT
Right. America, here we come.
