The Mars cyclers are large ships placed on a gravity-assisted trajectory designed to “cycle” them between [[Earth]] and [[Mars]], allowing them to traverse this path indefinitely with almost no fuel expenditure (except for minor course corrections). The Chinese colonial effort invested heavily in these ships before the Fall. Half of these cyclers followed a path with a transfer time between Earth and Mars of 5 months, followed by 21 months to get back (16 of which are spent out beyond the orbit of Mars), for a total cycle time of 2 years. The other half follow a similar but opposite path, with only a 5 month period to get from Mars to Earth. Many of these ships remain in operation, transferring people and cargo between Mars and the Earth-Luna system. A few specific ones deserve mention:
The flagship cycler, **Martian Express**, was lost to a TITAN attack during the Fall, one that saw its crew and passengers turning on each other. Though depressurized and abandoned, its derelict hull continues to cycle. Eventually, without course correction, it will drift off path and into space.
The **Peculiar Taste of Silence** was a Chinese government cycler that succumbed to a mutiny during the Fall. It is now a full-fledged [[scum]] barge, catering to the [[Planetary Consortium|Consortium]] and [[Lunar-Lagrange Alliance|LLA]] habitats at either end of its cycle. It is notorious for being one of the best sources of Earth relics, whether legit, fraudulent, or black market. It is also home to a large contingent of [[Uplifts|uplifts]] and other [[Mercurials|mercurials]] who have sought refuge here from the restrictive policies and attitudes they face in inner system habitats. Various TITAN relics have occasionally turned up in the hands of scavengers here, so Firewall keeps an eye on what’s available.
**Dào Yì Yo˘ u Dào** (Even Thieves Have Principles) was another Chinese cycler that succumbed to a pirate attack shortly after the Fall. It has since exchanged hands and become a [[Night Cartel]] operation, used to transfer goods of a questionable nature. It is notable as one of the best sources of illicit weaponry in the inner system.
The **Lazy Eight** cycler also transferred hands, though more legitimately, when it was bought out by an [[Extropians|Extropian]] merchant corp in 7 AF. It is now a major outpost for Extropian affairs in the inner system, with several other anarcho-capitalist and mutualist projects leasing space here.

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