You decide to get up and move. As you take a step forward, you feel yourself lifted off the ground slightly and, unprepared for your unexpected "jump," you awkwardly stumble forward. What just happened? Did you lose weight or something? You jump. After soaring what had to be at least ½ of a meter into the air, you land a good second later, astonished at your new jumping skills. You jump again. Wow, this is fun. It feels like one of those inflatable "Moon-walks" that you used to play around in at the local fair. A "Moon-walk?" Nah, the moon soil is gray, and… What are you thinking? On the moon? You must be delusional. You pinch yourself again. Contrary to your innermost desires, the pinch does, in fact, hurt. "Where am I?" you shout quite loudly. Nothing. You decide to stick with your plan to move forward… wherever forward is.

After a good hour of jump-walking, you acquire a good feel for how to actually move in this new environment, so you can walk without actually leaving the ground. You have noticed a few other things as well. Your breathing pattern seems to have changed in some indescribable way. Also, the air around you feels different, but you cannot discern exactly what the unique property is, or what is causing it. It is almost as though you are breathing in an entirely new atmosphere. Could it be? Then it hits you like a sudden downpour during a summer picnic. Mars! You distinctly remember that the gravity on Mars is about 1/3 of that on Earth. That would explain the jump-walking, and the red soil. Could you, in fact, be on the Red Planet? Are you actually breathing the carbon dioxide that comprises the majority of the atmosphere of Mars? Another pinch to your arm assures you that you are not dreaming.

With these thoughts running through your mind, you almost fail to realize that there is a large trench about 1 meter in front of you. The trench is about 2 meters wide, and 3 meters deep. You are sure that you can safely lower yourself into the trench, but the shadows of the trench walls prevent you from being able to clearly make out what is on the floor of the trench.

With your newly acquired jumping skills, you jump over the trench and continue forward

Unafraid of the unknown, you lower yourself into the trench, thankful for a change in scenery