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First Man On Mercury
Tom Ball
Despite the U.N. cover-up, it eventually became evident that events contrary to protocol and decency had taken place during the first landing on Mercury. It seemed that one “Colonel A.” had stepped out on to Mercury and simply continued running until he died from exhaustion.
Strangely this bizarre episode was to have dire consequences for human settlement on the planet. Just as red Mars had attracted aggressive types, and Venus the romantics, Mercury came to attract the mad and unstable. It was one weird episode after another, a kind of snowball effect until finally the whole planet was abandoned to the lunatic fringe of earth.
For example all the buildings of Mercury were discordant and asymmetrical. And they all took drugs, which made them crazy and sick (just the opposite of what they took on earth). Acting sane was punished by instant deportation according to the mad judges’ rulings.
To be a judge you had to be in the top 2% of madness. Everyone on the planet was ranked according to how mad they were. Simple acts of madness like speeding too fast in your Mars car were considered low level, whereas plans to drive everyone on the planet crazy were considered advanced. People would be judged once a year on their degree of madness.
The judges also served as the rulers of the planet and would only issue visas to newcomers who proved they at least had mad potential.
And Colonel A. was worshipped by an annual mad run. Every newcomer to the planet (i.e. those having lived there less than one year) had to go in it, and they had to run in a mad way that was original and stimulating. Props were allowed. The top 50% stayed on Mercury. The others were deported.
