Olympus Mons
The largest mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons is the only natural monument large enough to truly represent Martian ambition. Several smaller cities, farms, and prisons populated by rock-breaking chain gangs cut deep into the slopes of Olympus Mons, the most prominent of which is Hecate Base: the main training facility for the Martian Navy. The base has undergone renovation in the past few years, but few things change in the massive steel facility visible from low orbit. Sure, the crappy handball courts are gone and the Steel Cactus Mexican Grill is a Thai place now, but the complex still contains the pride of the Martian cadet corps. The slopes of Olympus Mons also host a dizzying array of towns and small cities. Syria Planum enjoys its closeness to Olympus, with a preponderance of Algerian and European immigrants leading to a long tradition of dense and complicated native Martian folk music going back generations.
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