GrowingOlderHopeWiser

Zoey was up earlier than usual, unable to fall back asleep, so she gave up and grabbed a cup of coffee. She started writing her morning blog. Writing was a guilty pleasure. She was not looking to write the next greatest novel. She enjoyed expressing herself in poetry and prose. Meeting Gregorio fueled this morning’s blog. She indulged in fantasizing about “Gregorio” and his good looks and charm. 

Sunrise on Mars was spectacular on most days; today was no exception. Zoey watched pensively and in silence. The sky’s glow rose like a giant orb, the result of sunlight being scattered and absorbed by tiny particles of dust and ice in the Martian atmosphere. Later in the day, the typical burnt-orange landscape would reveal itself. 

Zoey pulled herself together and began preparing for her busy day at the Gallery. She was to serve as Gregorio’s personal assistant. 

The Gallery was already abuzz by the time she arrived. How could she wake up so early and still be late? Mr. Moritz had an appointment with Gregorio scheduled first. Mr. Moritz was an investor in the Gallery and wanted to protect his assets by checking out the New Director. 

His appointment time came and went, and no explanation was given for his absence. This was unlike Mr. Moritz, who was a stickler for punctuality and reliability. Zoey began calling his office and home when he could not be reached. Then she decided to ride an ATV to visit Mr. Moritz. He lived in HD5, not very far from the Gallery. 

The door to his quarters was ajar and looked like it had been forced. Zoey entered with caution.

“Mr. Moritz?” “Mr. Moritz, it’s Zoey from the Gallery.”

She listened. No response. It was dark inside; the blinders were still set on the dome, keeping out any light. She released the blinders, revealing a horrific sight! Mr. Moritz was tied to a chair, his throat had been slit, and his head pulled back. Blood spilled out of his throat like an apron.

Zoey suppressed a scream and quickly scanned the area, making sure it was clear and that the perpetrators were not still around.

She called Gregorio and told him to come over quickly. The Martian colony did not need a big Police Force because no crime had been committed in the colony’s 20 years. 

10 minutes later, Gregorio arrived. He gasped at the horrible scene.

“We need to preserve as much evidence as possible.” Said Zoey

“We don’t have a proper Police Department, only security 1 Nano Robots. We need the human touch here.”

Gregorio agreed, and they quickly found plastic bags to collect evidence and to protect and preserve any Mr. Moritz might have on his hands. They called the Security 1 Nano Robots, which arrived accompanied by a few humans, including scientists from the colony and a doctor. The Security 1 Nano Robots were surprisingly efficient; they gathered prints from the door and other surfaces, but no weapon was discovered. Zoey and Gregorio turned over the evidence they had gathered. They found a couple of glasses that apparently Mr. Moritz had been drinking from with someone. Did he know his assailant? But the door had been forced, indicating he did not let the attacker in. Mr. Moritz was not a small man; he stood 5’10″ tall and weighed about 230 pounds. Whoever attacked him had to be strong, very clever, and quick.

Inspector Frank Simon was in charge of the Security 1 Nano Robots and was busy securing all the evidence. He asked Zoey and Gregorio whether they had noticed anything. Inspector Frank Simon was old school, used to dealing with gruesome scenes like this. But this was precisely why he volunteered to be commissioned on Mars; he was tired of the ugliness on Earth and wanted to start somewhere fresh and unspoiled. 20 years without a crime was fine with him; he had even grown comfortable enough to put on a few pounds. This was ugly and unexpected. 

To be continued