2

By this point, however, Barrow had taken control over the expedition. Of course, it was unthinkable that the Association was not represented in the crew. For this role, Barrow selected a relatively unknown photographer named Robert Hood.

Due to his early demise, relatively little is known about Hood. It seems likely that his photography was acclaimed primarily because of Hood’s own handsome appearance, as if it was somehow imparted to the subjects before his lens.

When Welles learned that Barrow had added a representative to the crew, she insisted that a military observer also be included. And for this position she selected George Back, the hero of so many training accidents.

With this growing roster, both Barrow and Welles agreed that the mission should include some kind of doctor, and while they were thinking so helpfully, they made room for an engineer or some person who might know what to do if something broke. The most obvious choice for this latter role was Akaitcho, who was the Investigator’s chief designer. This technical genius, as famous for his rags to riches story, as for his innovative mind, was twice as old as some of the other members of the crew.

As for the doctor, Welles argued strongly for the famous psychologist, Juana Richards, who had discovered irrefutable evidence that female genitalia did not, in fact, hinder intellectual development—a belief commonly held by Martians of that era. Welles wanted Richards along because she didn’t trust the men.

As I said previously, the Martians were often guilty of barbarous cruelty to their women, usually because of jealousy. Growing suspicious that the women were having sex with other men, they beat them and sometimes even deserted them. Quarrels over females were frequently fatal—even for the males, for they were decided with savage weapons of one sort or another, and the parties were usually inebriated. Such was the strife to which they condemned themselves in treating as property creatures who have the inclination to dispose of themselves; and we cannot expect to find any consistency among people who’s society was based on such a contradiction.¹

Flinders protested these many additions to the crew, and, with an uncharacteristic lack of foresight, pointed out that none of the new members of the expedition had any experience as astronauts. Barrow and Welles immediately decided to include two more crew members who had such experience. However, there was some difficulty in locating suitable candidates. For, you see, this particular Martian tribe was so bad at space-flight that they had long ago ceased sending living beings beyond the atmosphere of their planet. While Barrow and Welles frantically combed retirement homes for former astronauts hale enough not to be outrageous, one of the other Martian tribes still pursuing spaceflight let it be known that they had plenty of experienced astronauts who were quite young and lively, and that they were willing to loan a few out.

These two experienced astronauts, from the tribe called the Chinese, brought the crew to eight Martians and one cat.