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This is a science fiction novel that explores the challenges faced in a hypothetical colonization attempt of Mars. What if the dinosaurs were wiped out on purpose? What if we really aren’t alone in our isolated solar system and are being evaluated from afar to determine if we are worthy to survive as a species? What if a force as old as the solar system, and as powerful as gods, wants to help us? Mars Awakened is both a novel of exploration and a modern space opera that pricks at the bubble that suggests we already know everything about the solar system that we inhabit. In Mars Awakened humanity has reached out into space, establishing bases on the moon and fabricating orbiting construction docks to assemble colony ships whose goal is to establish a human presence on the planetary neighbor best suited as a second home for humanity. One such effort has already been launched, an ambitious, low budget attempt of seven ambitious dreamers; Eric Lange, an ex-NASA asteroid capture mission astronaut with a troubled past, is captaining what he thinks will be a routine “bus driver” assignment, ferrying this first small colony to Mars. He has no intention of landing there himself, but fate determines otherwise as he is forced into a hard choice and finds himself leading a race for survival with his displaced colonists as Mars itself is violently remade by unknown and unseen intelligent agents. Thus begins a frantic race to survive using hiding places in eons old lava tubes within giant volcanoes, an escape from a disintegrating Martian moon, discovering how to relate to a host of million year old alien bots, and navigating raging new-born Martian rivers. Back on Earth, Jack Sorrell is a witness to this planetary revolution from his JPL work station monitoring a Ceres wheeled probe investigating ancient ice deposits on the floor of the famous dwarf planet bright spot called Occator crater. Jack's mind is being periodically captured by The Others to make him a reluctant observer