Das Unterschloss: Mars’s Impenetrable Underground Metropolis | Red Eden Codex

Das Unterschloss refers to the network of interconnected underground cities of Tharsis, Olympus, Pavonis and Huoxing. Nobody knows for certain who first coined the term, but sources indicate that it was circulating in the Martian vocabulary as early as the 2060’s. The moniker gained widespread use after it was featured in the popular VR game Red Eden in which the player must defend against the invasion of Mars by Eden Directorate forces.

Although Red Eden contained highly dramatized and unrealistic sequences, its depiction of the near impenetrable nature of the underground metropolis is true to the original intent of the city’s designers. Enon Truss, the chief architect of Das Unterschloss, had anticipated that Mars would fall under attack by hostile forces, and so he built Mars’s first city deep underground to protect it against kinetic orbital bombardment.

Each of the major cities has only one or two ports connecting it to the surface. These ports could be sealed off within minutes in the event of an attempted breach. Each port has multiple airlocks so as to provide redundancy in case of a multiple airlock failure. Even if all the airlocks were to fail, the ports are isolated from the main cities via tunnels that could be sealed off. In short, it would be impossible for an invasion force to breach these ports or cause a rapid depressurization event using brute force. To take Das Unterschloss, subterfuge, as depicted in the game Red Eden, would be required.

The cities of Das Unterschloss are fully self-sufficient even without access to the surface. A vast underground network of tunnels connects each city to a myriad of mines and known mineral deposits. Every year, the network expands outward by a few kilometres, a process driven by automated tunneling machines. Geologists merely mark out potential sites rich with mineral deposits and the machines will do all the digging. The underground network not only connects Das Unterschloss to essential mineral deposits but also serves as potential sites for city expansion.

Not all Martians live underground. Some prefer to live on the surface. These are the adventurous types who enjoy the challenges of surviving in the Martian outback. One such challenge is the toxic and highly corrosive Martian dust, a constant source of headache for surface dwellers. Equipment wear out faster in this environment, suits must be thoroughly scrubbed before returning them indoors, and air-filtration units must be constantly checked. Periodic dust storms are an ever present nuisance that could cause equipment failure, and it is never fun to be caught outside during a storm. Furthermore, surface dwellers are exposed to greater levels of radiation than their underground counterparts due to the lack of shielding provided by a thick layer of solid Martian crust. Nevertheless, the surface has its charms, chiefly the (literal) breathtaking scenery. 

Link to full novel and codex (available on Minds.com)

Red Eden chapter and codex list 

Amazon link to e-book and paperback copies of Red Eden: Homeworld Bound 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D56YKNV