Mayan Mars takes the reader from the Yucatan rainforest and Mayan culture and religious belief/politics to the modern day cutthroat political and financial wrangling of academia. NASA is launching a Mars Return mission and the collection capsules are to be sealed via explosive welding. Scientist Gustavo Chen believes that bacteria could be trapped in the wavy seal formed by the explosion and suggests new material for the capsule. He's cut off from the project and yet continues to try to get someone to listen to him. He gets a grant to do research in Japan and learns that not only can bacteria be trapped but that the explosion can cause mutation of the bacteria. He's ignored until the mission returns spreading an Ebola-like epidemic starting in the Yucatan and rapidly moving worldwide. A Mayan priest predicted this catastrophe years ago and a modern day Mayan priest holds the secret to immunity and survival. Chen must come to terms with his heritage and beliefs, and move to save what he can.

(Source: Green Grass Press)