Jesus on Mars

Plot summary

A robotic probe on Mars finds an alien object. A second robot confirms a huge alien ship half-buried there, so a human crew is sent to investigate. They are taken captive and led underground to a society where humans and the alien Krsh live together peacefully. The Krsh, once highly advanced, were converted to a human religion long ago. This group follows Judaism but sees Jesus as the Messiah. Their Bible includes the Book of Matthias, written by Judas Iscariot. Unlike mainstream Christianity, they consider Jesus a man, not God. The Krsh originally came to Earth to study humans, offering medical help to injured people on their ship. Another hostile, xenophobic alien species attacked them. The Krsh destroyed that ship but their own was damaged, so they hid on Mars, expecting more attacks that never came. Over time, the Krsh and the humans they had rescued merged into one society. Halfway through the story, it is revealed that Jesus himself arrived among them nearly two thousand years ago and has lived with them ever since. His presence is overwhelming, backed by concrete, scientifically verifiable miracles and a powerful personal aura that convinces even the rational Krsh. Three of the four crew members accept Jesus and convert to this hybrid faith. The fourth, an atheist and the only woman, kills herself. She is later resurrected with advanced technology, but brain damage erases much of her personality. Near the end, Jesus leads a fleet of spaceships back to Earth, reenacting the Second Coming. He wants peaceful contact and offers immortality and endless manna, but they are ready for conflict. Predictably, Jesus is called the Antichrist.