Back Door to Mars

INTERPLANETARY ARCHAEOLOGY begins in North Carolina USA around mid 21st century. John Cayman is a thirty year old college professor, who teaches a graduate level course in Interplanetary Archaeology. He especially includes emphasis toward his own version of Forensic Anthropology and vigorously pursues his lifelong dream of practicing his science on Mars. However, gaining support from his university and the US government has proven to be somewhat unfruitful. The government's disapproval of his long sought after Martian voyage sends John and his wife Winona scurrying on an unscheduled ski vacation hoping to renew their strength and leave the overwhelming disappointment behind. Returning from the mountain John and Winona have a frightening brush with an alien spacecraft. John eventually shares the spacecraft experience with an old acquaintance, who happens to be the highest ranking general in the US Military. General Carley, a savvy politician and a personal friend of the U S President, exhibits an unusual interest in John's description of the spaceship. Finally, John has a significant alley for his Martian quest and together they fight to overcome powerful opposition from Eric Rudman, one of the world's richest men. The General's experience and knowledge of Washington Politics, as well as his friendship with President Goforth helps to finally gain the government's support for the Martian voyage. John and his associates have an exhilarating adventure on the surface of the Martian planet. They are quite taken aback when they discover a domed city with an entrenched human society. It consists of Blacks, whites, Jews and Muslims thriving peacefully under a very unique system of government and a highly sophisticated infrastructure. John and his friends are surprised to learn that these Martians have ancestral ties to Earth. A Megalosaur swallows John but he is later reborn through cesarean section and Martian technology. While the experience of being dead and seeing what awaits him has a sobering and life changing effect but the fact that his rebirth occurred on Martian soil bodes greatly in his favor, as it gains him the important status of Martian citizenship. The explorers return to earth amid great fanfare. However, the media attention is short lived due to the government's urgent request for John and Winona's assistance. The President had ordered exploration of the strange underwater cave, which they had previously discovered but kept secret in deference to the importance of the Martian excursion. A dim red beacon deep inside the cave leads them on another Martian adventure, only this time without a spaceship. John and his companions are startled, when a dimensional doorway opens near a strange flashing beacon and within minutes they are all standing before the Martian leader. The Martian leadership explains that while developing their dimensional abilities, Martian Scientists had secretly used the planet earth, especially North America, as a test ground for several years. But since John is now a Martian citizen, they decided to honor him by offering limited interplanetary diplomacy to the US President.