Report from Mars City by Guy Finch
An astonished Atlantine immigrant on landing on Mars!
Atlantine migration from Venus to Mars has reached a new peak.
After the last Treen resurgence, the Atlantine people decided that there was little future for them on Venus, and, despite the high cost, have, with the assistance of the UN Government and the Therons, taken passage to Mars.
After Venus, Mars is a bleak and inhospitable planet. However, despite this, the Atlantines have built an impressive city in Atlantine, and are helpng bring forward the terraforming of Mars by some decades.
However, this is producing political problems in the planet's Parliament, as Atlantine representation increases. If they stay a minority party, then they can have little say in the governance of the planet. Given the sheer size of the Atlantine population, however, it is reckoned that 25% of the representation after the next elections could be of Atlantine origin. Given this situation, the question is whether a majority party in the Parliament is possible. Any of the present parties will have to form a coalition with the Atlantines, bringing them into Cabinet for the first time.
The interests of the Earth colonists and the Atlantines are not that far removed, but political commentators are cautious about what the policies of the next Government will be.
