The rocket comes in for a landing. It safely touches downs as Hank and Terri Henshaw finally reach Mars. After the failure of the first Prometheus shuttle, launch this one was a success. These two are now the first ever humans on the surface of the alien planet.
"This is human kinds greatest achievement!" Terri says proudly.
"Humankinds greatest achievement so far." Hank responds.
"The ground in incredibly rocky, more so than I would have imagined." Terri observes.
"No signs of intelligent life." Hank says.
Hank takes a few steps forward as the ground cracks beneath his feet. After a few more steps the ground opens up and Hank falls deep below the surface.
"HANK!" Terri yells out.
"I'm okay Terri." Hank yells up.
Hank turns on his flashlight and looks around. This chamber appears to be manmade, or alien made at least. He continues down the chamber until his light catches something unexpected. It appears to be some sort of pod, and inside the pod a green skinned being. It almost looks human like, It's… a Martian!
"Terri you better get down here." Hank radios up.
Using some cable, Terri safely makes her way down and the two investigate.
"Is it alive?" Terri asks.
"I don't know." Hank says.
"Should we take pictures of it to send back?" Terri asks.
"Take pictures? Terri, we have to take this with us. This is the biggest discovery in human history, and we did it." Hank says sternly.
"But Superman already confirmed alien life." Terri reminds him.
"Superman was alien life finding us. This is us finding alien life. Get the ship ready, we have to dig this out and stuff it in the haul." Hank counters.
The two decide to bring the alien up. Using their tools from the ship, they dig the pod out. The set up a tow cable to the shuttle, and prepare to haul the pod up.
"It's all set up down here." Hank says.
Terri hits the button to lift the pod up. She is then able to smoothly put the pod in the haul of the shuttle.
"Extraction successful, the pod is in the haul." Terri says.
"Excellent! Nobel Prize here we come!" Hank says excitedly.
Hank looks down and notices something.
"Hm." He says as he investigates.
"What is it? Terri asks.
"I'm not sure." Hank says.
Hanks spots a little white box below where the pod was. There are some sort of alien inscriptions on it that he can't make out.
"We should take this too." Hank says.
Hank begins to take make his way up the cable. When he is half way up, a rumble begins in the area. Before either he or Terri have time to react, a portal opens up below Hank. Out of the portal emerges some sort of alien creature, almost incest like in its appearance. The creature grabs Hank and pulls him into the portal.
"Hank!" Terri yells out.
As Terri yells for her husband an earthquake begins to rumble. A rock falls from above and cracks the visor on her spacesuit. She panics as she is having difficulty breathing. She runs into the space ship and locks it up. Terri begins to take deep breaths as the quake continues. She has no choice; she has to leave. Terri begins to launch the shuttle and gets off the ground just as it begins to collapse beneath her. Terri Henshaw cries, defeated as she just lost her husband on an alien planet.
Clark Kent stands in a familiar location. Here he is once again at the Florida launch site covering the Prometheus launch. Today is a very big day for him as well. Although it was only four months ago Superman was revealed to the world, it was one year ago today that he first put on the suit that his mother sewn for him.
"Look, up in the sky!" A bystander shouts out in excitement.
From behind the clouds the shuttle becomes visible. The crowd erupts in cheers as the shuttle touches down. Clark watches on as the hatch opens and Terri Henshaw steps out. The crowd cheers for her, but Clark notices she doesn't look well. She has a scar on her face and overall just looks defeated. A government agent walks over to greet her. Terri whispers something in his ear and the two walk out of sight. Between the excitement from the crowd, and how quiet Terri was, Clark couldn't make out what she said.
The presenter takes the stage and begins to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I know we were supposed to hear from Terri Henshaw on her mission to Mars, but that will not be happening today. We apologize but that has been postponed until further notice." She says.
The crowd erupts in disappointment and shock. Clark tries to free himself from the crowd and the noise. As the sound begins to settle, Clark uses his x-ray vision to look into the room Terri went into. He sees her talking with the government agent. He tries to listen in.
"Alien life? You're telling me there's a Martian in this shuttle?" The agent asks.
"Yes, and getting it here cost Hank his life. 'cough'" Terri says.
"We have to get it up to Washington, and quietly. The last thing we need is to be behind another alien visitor." The agent says.
Clark takes out his phone to call Perry White. He was surprised to get through. Perry can be a hard man to reach.
"Perry, it's Clark. The shuttle touched down, but I think there are more answers to this story in Washington."
"Then you better get to Washington. Oh, and I'll send down Olsen. He can photograph the event."
"That's not necessary sir." Clark begins to say.
"Kent you're a good reporter, but a photog you are not." Perry says bluntly.
"Yes sir." Clark says says with disappointment in his voice.
Now I have to learn about this alien, and keep a kid safe while doing it. Clark thinks to himself.