The Martian Heartbeat

The Martian soil, once barren and red, was slowly yielding to the botanists' efforts. Dr. Anya Petrova, lead scientist, watched with pride as the first patches of lichen, engineered for Martian conditions, clung to the rocks. Then, a tremor shook the research base. A strange, pulsating glow emanated from the newly planted soil. Anya and her team rushed to the site, their faces illuminated by the eerie light. It wasn't the lichen. It was something else, something organic, yet unlike anything they had ever seen. It pulsed with a rhythm that seemed to echo the heartbeat of the planet itself. Anya felt a chill run down her spine. This wasn't just a new life form; it was a force, a consciousness, that seemed to be awakening, and it was far more powerful than they had ever imagined.