This will be the third of my Unofficial Uncle Scrooge Adventures, co-starring Terra. I've other drawings already started.

The basis of this unoficial adventure is the recent invention by Gyro Gearloose of a spaceship drive (yes I know, he's done this several times already, but if Carl Barks can ignore it, so can I.). Unfortunately, a Brutopian spy has stolen the plans, and are building a Mars ship as fast as they can, intending to claim the entire Red Planet for Brutopia. (Brutopia is a Soviet style dictatorship Barks introduced late in his career.) The only hope to prevent this is to construct a small, fast spaceship that isn't man-rated, but *can* send Terra to Mars before the Brutopians arrive.

Terra is a ward (and confidential secretary) of Scrooge McDuck -- an orphan of unknown origin. Neither she nor anyone else knows she's a Kjola. But as she grows into her teens it becomes obvious that she's superhuman, and she not only follows the ducks on their adventures, but saves their pintails from time to time.

Since Terra is all but invulnerable, she can explore Mars without the need for heavy equipment such as a spacesuit, bottled air, or even food and water. The landing capsule carries little more than her, some hiking gear, a couple of television cameras (to record her landing), and a good radio to communicate with Earth.

In brief, the story is about little more than spendingn 21 days wandering around a region of Mars I've called Barsoon Regio Vulcans. It has a volcanic cinder cone complex, a complicated canyon, and several sharp ridges. Terra's route is shown on this map.

In the end the Brutopians choose to land right next to Terra's ship. She returns to find they've blown it up and are busy burying the scrap metal, trying to obliterate all proof she was there. They didn't expect to find Terra herself was *impossible* to obliterate. Moreover, her entire 21 days has been documented on video (hidden) as well as a voice journel transmitted to Earth. There isn't much the Brutopian astronauts can do but go home in disgrace.

Terra prefers not to return with them, but wait until a properly outfitted expedition with Scrooge, the boys, and Gyro arrive -- expected in only another week or so.