The Martian Chronicles

Twenty years have now passed since war annihilated most life on Earth. Hathaway, another member of the Fourth Expedition, still survives on Mars with his family, a wife, son, and two daughters, who spend most nights debating whether life still exists on Earth. When he sees a rocket flying toward Mars, he is ecstatic that help has finally come. He and his family had missed the last of the rockets 20 years before, and Hathaway admits to his family that in the long wait for help, he would have killed himself without them. He celebrates by drinking a bottle of wine he has saved for the occasion, and “the wine ran down over the chins of all four of them” (210).

Hathaway is pleased the next day when the rocket lands to find it is commanded by Captain Wilder, who was the captain of the Forth Expedition in “—And the Moon Be Still as Bright.” Wilder has been exploring the universe for 20 years after authorities on Earth wanted to prevent him from “interfer[ing] with colonial policy” (211) on Mars, but he and his crew are heading back to Earth and agree to take on Hathaway and his family.

Overjoyed, Hathaway invites Wilder and his crew for a large breakfast. After exchanging what news they have—war still rages on Earth, Sam Parkhill and his wife have returned to Earth, the surviving Martians appear to be dead, Walter Gripp refused Wilder’s offer to return with them—Hathaway introduces his family to Wilder and the crew. Wilder is taken aback, however, as he had met Hathaway’s family 25 years previously, and they haven’t aged since. After sending one of his men to investigate, Wilder discovers the graves of Hathaway’s family, who died in 2007, and realizes that Hathaway built robotic versions of his family.

Hathaway’s heart gives out toward the end of breakfast, and he dies. When his family is given the news, they are unperturbed and relate a story of Hathaway automating a nearby town to give the impression of continuing life. Wilder and his crew bury Hathaway with his family but decide to leave the robotic family operating. After they have gone, the robots continue to perform their roles, gathering each night around a fire, talking and laughing. The robotic version of Hathaway’s wife watches the Earth every night, though she does not know why.