ONN: ARES and the Council of Martians Finish Negotiations

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Originally Published on August 24th, 2490
Orbital News Network/Grant Jones Reporting

After a week of negotiations after the spectacular and violent Siege of Olympus Mons, the Board of Directors to Advanced Research and Experimental Systems, and the Representatives to the Five Clans, also known as the Council of Martians, has reached its conclusion.

It is being reported that all of the demands originally set on the Declaration of Independence, released on June 18th, 2490, are being met. If you need a refresher, these are the demands on the document:

For corporations operating on Mars to be regulated. Commercial entities are meant to offer goods and services, never to have a say in the life of people of all walks of life.

For corporations to stop exploiting anyone and everyone not living under their corporate beliefs. Corporations have a habit of defining anyone not playing along their rules as criminals or undesirables, that ends now.

For all defense/offense systems, military grade and otherwise, orbital and otherwise, to be immediately surrendered to the full control of the Council of Martians. Just because ARES and New Geneva retreat, does not guarantee other organizations, corporate or otherwise, won't try to take over the planet. That will never happen again.

For ARES to vacate immediately Olympus Mons and to move the brunt of their military forces out of Mars and its Moons. For years, be it by sins perpetuated by ARES, or its predecessor, countless Martian Holy Grounds have been desecrated, destroyed, or otherwise buried. Olympus Mons is to become the greatest Martian Holy Grounds, and a representation of the new era for the planet, a matter of Faith that does not concern any corporations whatsoever.

For ARES to remove any and all experimental and testing facilities from Phobos and Deimos immediately. All controversial testing, as well as human experiment trials end now. As advanced as ARES is, they can surely find an asteroid where to conduct their atrocities in peace, without affecting the lives of any more Martians.

For ARES, New Geneva, and any and all Corporations that have had a hand in the atrocities committed on Mars on behalf of corporate progress, to pay no less than five hundred billion credits in compensations to damages done since the first corporate occupation of the planet, and the different massacres and wars that corporations simply called "Conflicts". Martian lives are invaluable, but these funds will be employed to improve the quality of life of all Martians.

In the next few hours, the last of ARES personnel will be leaving Mars, and currently, SolBank is processing multiple deposits to the accounts of the Five Clans for distribution, any and all corporate assets left on the planet as well as Phobos and Deimos are now property of the Council of Martians. In an unconfirmed report, we're being told that the amount of five hundred and ten billion credits is being transferred through different deposits.

It's being reported that the rebuilding works on Hades Colony and many other locations that were attacked and almost destroyed during the work have already started, and there are immediate plans to revitalize the Water Merchant Guild, as well as the Martian Heavy Works mining industry. Olympus Mons will be repurposed as Martian Holy Grounds, as well as an education center where the collection of their holy and historical texts will be kept for all Martians. SolBank is the first corporation to enter in talks with the Five Clas to offer goods and services related to banking and financials, it is expected that SolBank will be taxed 10% of their monthly operations.

When it comes to global communications, Mars has launched its own HoloNET protocols identified as the Hermes Network, still able to connect to PublicNET, MediaNET, BountyNET, and ShadowNET, but is no longer regulated by corporations. Transactions through SolBank will continue without an issue.

Mars has suffered catastrophic damage on several of its regions due the War, some regions, such as Hades Colony, have suffered the brunt of the attack. Without protective biodomes or geodomes, Martian Sand has entered the colony and has started to claim most of it, it is said that works to rebuild are already under way. There are reports of, as unbelievable as it might sound, acid rain on some regions of Mars, the rain is described to be red in nature, and as a result of several nuclear attacks, there's now a deep tinge of crimson in the air that doesn't appear to be particularly toxic, most of the Natives are already calling this "The Time of the Red", perhaps an allegory to the religious figure the Red Father which most Natives share.

Surely, in the coming months, more news concerning Mars and this new era, this new Time of the Red, will flood the NET.

What are your opinions and thoughts on this very historic moment? Do you think Mars will be better now that corporate influence is gone from the planet? Do you see many corporations trying to offer their goods and services there? And what about the cultural aspects that these changes provide? Mars is a harsh planet with harsh conditions that will put many to the test, would you consider Mars a desirable location to visit, and maybe even live in? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.