Sci-Fi

The Mandate

A tense and intimate Martian drama about duty, survival, and the uncertain bonds formed under mandate.

In 2068, life on Ares Colony is governed by scarcity, order, and necessity. With survival balanced on fragile systems, even reproduction is regulated. A strict lottery decides which colonists will be paired to conceive, ensuring genetic diversity and population stability. When two strangers are drafted, their lives shift overnight. Neither asked for this role, yet both must navigate the month ahead—balancing personal autonomy against the colony’s demands. As they meet for the first time, questions of trust, consent, and responsibility surface. What does it mean to bring life into a world where every choice is monitored, and survival depends on compliance? “The Mandate” is a grounded, unsettling exploration of intimacy under pressure, where duty and desire collide against the backdrop of humanity’s first fragile foothold on Mars.

Themes

Duty vs. Autonomy, Intimacy Between Strangers

Period

Year 2068

Year

2068

Published

6/11/2025

Revised

9/17/2025