Rivers of molten rock slither across the surface, sulfuric acid rains down, and all beneath an ocean of toxic carbon dioxide. The planet Venus, in contradiction to its namesake, is a hateful place, and though it is now a hellscape, Venus probably started out like Earth. Understanding how these sister planets diverged so radically is one focus of NASA’s recently selected VERITAS mission. As it turns out, Venus’ violent past may be Earth’s future.