Discovery

by Paul Rix

  The commander assigned Mancuso instead of Grace to help Georgia offload the rovers. He had prepared two speeders and was waiting for her with a satisfied look. The speeders were modified Segways, allowing individual astronauts to stand on a platform and freely move around the planet's surface. Although the speeder's top speed was only twenty miles per hour, the designer had, ironically, called them speeders. Although not as pleasant as driving in the comfort and safety of the pressurized MEV, they were a better and more convenient alternative to walking.

  "I have been ordered to work with you by Commander Anders. What's the emergency?" Mancuso asked.

  "We're heading to Challenger to offload the rovers and MEV. Surveys of the lava tubes start tomorrow so the captain is relying on us."

  "That's quicker than was scheduled," said Joe. "Although I suppose there's no time like the present. And it's a good excuse to be out here. Is there any reason for the urgency?"

  "I'll tell you more about it on the way."

  It wasn't long before both Georgia and Mancuso arrived at their destination. Having pulled up a few yards away, Georgia walked to the main landing fin, opened an access panel, and activated the controls to get them up to the hold.

  ***

  The remote rovers were the size of golf buggies and packed with cameras and scientific instruments. They had been folded for the journey to minimize their size in what were cramped conditions. Ground Control had left no spare inch of room on any of the supply ships and it took some careful maneuvering to release the first rover from its transit clamps for it to be then lowered down to the ground by crane.

  "It will get easier," Mancuso said to encourage Georgia as she struggled to manhandle the bulky rover. "I had similar issues with unloading the first few items from Endeavour."

  Georgia hoped that was the case. It frustrated her how long it was taking. But the rovers had to be unloaded in sequence so they could access the MEV components. Each of the ships could only be unloaded in a specific logical sequence.

  Once the two robotic rovers were safely on the ground, they automatically unfurled their six-wheeled legs, opened their solar panels and slowly set off toward the imposing cliff wall, four miles away. Georgia watched them for a few minutes as she stood at the cargo bay entrance and was pleased to see that they were operating as planned. She contacted Commander Anders to inform him of progress and to advise that the rovers could now be tracked.

  "You were right about timing, Joe. It's going to be tight to complete before the end of the day."

  Joe was loading a pallet onto the winch. "Maybe if you stop daydreaming out of the hatch and help me instead, we'll get this done quicker," he joked.

  "Point taken." She winced. She had to admit she had been distracted by the view again. It was far too alluring, and she hoped that the novelty would eventually wear off. She reluctantly turned away from the scenery to help Joe align the pallet before lowering it to the surface.

  ***

  It was strenuous work to unpack the seven pallets and chassis unit. The original task sheet allowed the astronauts five days to recover from their flight before any physical activity. Because of the impending asteroid, this was only their second full day on the planet and by the time the chassis was lowered, they were both severely fatigued.

  Georgia was sitting in the cradle with Joe as it descended from the cargo bay, stretching her arm when Commander Anders radioed to her. "Pyke? What's the latest update at Challenger?"

  "Commander, we are fifteen minutes behind schedule. We've lowered the chassis and are about to head down to begin assembly," she replied.

  "Excellent work. I'm sure you're both struggling with the effects of the work. Chief Grant is on his way to assist you."

  "Thank you, sir, that is much appreciated." Georgia did not try to hide her gratitude. For the past thirty minutes, she had doubted how they would assemble the MEV before nightfall. Her limbs were leaden, and she could see that Mancuso was moving slower than he had earlier that day.

  Five minutes later, a wave of relief swept through her, giving her a new burst of energy, as she saw the chief approaching. She walked over to him as he stepped off his speeder and clapped him on the shoulder. "You're a sight for sore eyes. And legs! I thought you were working on the reactor though."

  The chief smiled at Georgia and started walking toward Mancuso, who was attaching the main cabin to the chassis of the MEV with a series of bolts. "I was. It took us less time than planned to unpack it and put it in location. I've left the cabling in Rashid's capable hands. I suggested to Commander Anders that you two needed some assistance and I'm always glad to help. Remember, I saw how you were looking early this morning."

  Mancuso looked up from his work. "We're doing fine. But as you're here, I suppose you can make yourself useful. I assume you know what a wrench looks like."

  "Yes, Mancuso, and I know where to shove it when navy jocks get too lippy."

  ***

  Even with the three of them it was nearly dark by the time they test drove the MEV back to Endeavour. Georgia was dead on her feet and was looking absently out of the front window as the MEV bounced its way across the terrain. She barely registered that they'd arrived back at Endeavour. The chief tapped her on the arm to bring her back to the present. "Come on, sleeping beauty," he said. "That's definitely enough for one day."

  Georgia could hardly move. Every nerve and muscle screamed from the day's physical exertion and all she wanted to do was sleep. Somehow, she managed to find the energy to put her helmet back on and step through the airlock before slumping in the cradle to be taken up to Endeavour.

  She hardly noticed being helped on board. Captain Winter was waiting for them as they stepped out of the airlock into the crew quarters. Georgia immediately stood straight, brushing the chief's supporting hand from her elbow. If Captain Winter noticed, he chose not to say anything.

  "Great job, all of you. Now I suggest you get some refreshment and rest. Are there any issues with the MEV I need to know about?"

  Before Georgia could answer, Mancuso said, "No sir, it worked like a dream. It's on charge now and will be ready for action tomorrow."

  Georgia was lightheaded and finding it difficult to concentrate. She was pleased that the captain didn't continue the conversation. After staggering to her room, she swiftly drank a pint of water and collapsed onto her bed. She was asleep within seconds and missed the message light flashing on her terminal.

  Chapter 20

  It was shortly after eight o'clock when Redmayne received an encrypted message. He was writing the outline for a research paper in his quarters when the symbol flashed on his tablet device to inform him of the new message. This one was typed rather than video and the first one he'd received since Expedition Two had departed Earth orbit. He had wondered if there was a problem with communications.

  He quickly saved and closed the document he was working on, eager to read the message. However, he was disappointed to discover that the note was short and vague. He had been hoping for more action after what was a mundane mission to date.

  'We are aware of the imminent threat to the expedition and the revised plans for Alpha. We have delayed landing of the Kiev pending asteroid impact and will remain in orbit. Continue with your primary mission and await further instructions. Alex'

  Whoever Alex was, and Redmayne had never met him or her, they knew how to use words sparingly. He had been giving the asteroid a lot of thought since the morning's meeting and had already determined that the Russians would not consider landing until the threat level had reduced. The cosmonauts and taikonauts on board could orbit Mars for many months and wait out the dust storm. It was even possible for them to return to Earth without ever landing on Mars, although Redmayne considered that to be unlikely.

  For now, however, it would be a waiting game to see what transpired. He was a patient man and knew he'd be prepared when his moment finally came. After all, he had been waiting six years to reach this moment so what difference woul
d several days or weeks make? And, he'd given up too much to fail now.

  Chapter 21

  Georgia was awake before six the next morning. Her body still ached from the previous day but was refreshed from the best night's sleep since landing on Mars. As she swung her legs out of bed and sat up, the dull throbbing in her head returned and she let out a soft groan. She reached for the painkillers on the table next to her bed and swallowed two, helping them down with several large gulps of water, hoping their effect would kick in quickly.

  It was still dark outside her cabin window and there was only a pale glow silhouetting the rugged horizon to show that dawn was approaching. Endeavour was quiet and Georgia figured that she was the only one awake. Time to get a few tasks out of the way to keep me occupied, she thought.

  After stopping briefly in the galley for a black coffee and nutrition bar, she quietly made her way to the airlock. She was keen to see if the MEV was fully charged. Although confident that it would be, there was no point in taking any chances with the timescales they had to work to. And, although the captain had ordered her not to undertake any more solo EVAs, she hoped to be back on-board Endeavour before anyone discovered her.

  As the cradle slowly descended, she realized that the winch mechanism was noisier than she remembered. She was sure that the sound would disturb someone, but it was too late to turn back. Instead, she looked down at the MEV bathed in spotlights, and urged the cradle to move quicker.

  Once inside the MEV it took her less than five minutes to complete the start-up sequence and confirm that the two banks of batteries were fully charged. The systems check was all clear too. It satisfied Georgia that the MEV was ready to start its mission. She patted the computer console, taking a small amount of parental pride in her baby not letting her down.

  Stepping out of the MEV's airlock, she stopped moving when she noticed the chief walking in her direction. Even though it was still too dark to see Jim's face, his bouncy step as he strode in her direction was unmistakable. Georgia had a sinking feeling but caught the humor in his voice as he asked, "Couldn't you sleep?"

  Georgia laughed and held her hands up. "Yes, you caught me, Detective Grant. I've been very naughty but I'm not sorry."

  Jim laughed. "I may have to take you in for questioning, miss." He continued, keeping up the pretence. "This place isn't safe to be out at this time of the morning."

  "I promise never to do it again. What are you doing out here, anyway?" Georgia asked, happy to have some friendly banter with Jim. "If you were planning on checking out the MEV you're too late. I've already done it."

  "The sound of the cradle woke me up. I came to see who had the nerve to disturb my sleep. I should have known it would be you!"

  "Maybe you should try wearing earplugs."

  "To be honest, I came down to check out the MEV as well. I had no idea anyone was out here until I saw someone had lowered the cradle."

  Now that she had company, Georgia wasn't ready to go back inside. The surrounding landscape was brightening and there was a faint mist hovering over patches of ground that were in sunlight. She had the sudden urge to go exploring. The scene took her back to her childhood when she'd wake up on cold winter mornings. She would often get dressed and sneak outside to be the first person to leave footprints in the crisp fresh snow.

  "Do you fancy going for a ride on the speeders before breakfast? We can check the legacy ships and be back within the hour."

  The chief looked doubtful. "The captain won't be happy."

  "Only if he finds out. And I'm not going to tell him," she replied mischievously. "Come on! Live a little."

  "Okay, but only because I know you'll go without me, anyway."

  Georgia beamed as she stepped onto the nearest speeder and drove quickly toward the rising orange sun. She knew that she had caught Jim off guard, as she heard him curse under his breath. She looked over her shoulder to see him following a short distance behind, dodging the stones and dust that her speeder was kicking up.

  Georgia's visor adjusted to compensate for the sun now shining directly in her face as she reveled in the scenery, enjoying the rhythmic bouncing of the speeder over the rocky terrain. It was a wonderful sense of freedom she'd not felt for a very long time.

  Georgia hardly noticed as she passed Challenger, Intrepid and finally Aquarius. She was focusing her attention on the immense solar farm next to the Legacy ships. Flimsy solar panel sheets had been delivered on Excalibur with construction robots building the farm. They covered an area roughly the size of three football pitches and were designed to provide enough energy to satisfy the power requirements for Expedition One.

  Six years on and the requirements for Alpha Base far exceeded the output the solar farm could generate. The nuclear reactor Expedition Two had brought with them would now provide the energy demands with capacity to spare. But instead of being obsolete, the solar farm would be re-purposed to support the propellant depot, once that began operating. The solar panels gleamed dully in the sun, having accumulated a layer of dust while waiting for humans to arrive.

  The Expedition One ships stood like a pair of monoliths marking the location of the solar farm. "Are they still operational?" Georgia asked. "In theory, the batteries should still have enough juice to at least give us access. Let's take a quick look and find out."

  The chief raised no objections as their speeders kicked up a trail of orange dust behind them as they bounced effortlessly over the small rocks and stones that littered the floor of Hellas Plain. Georgia paid close attention to her heads-up display to ensure she had a sufficient supply of air. She still had nearly five hours' worth, which she figured should be plenty with Endeavour less than thirty minutes away at top speed.

  The radio suddenly crackled with the voice of Captain Winter, and Georgia immediately knew that he was not happy. "Pyke! Grant! What the hell are you doing?"

  The chief, being the senior of the two, replied. "Good morning, sir. I thought we should get ahead with a few tasks and check out the two old birds. We'll only take thirty minutes and it will be useful to know how much work it still requires getting the solar farm online."

  "We'll be back for breakfast, captain," Georgia chipped in, ignoring Winter's irritation. "By the way, the MEV is fully charged and ready to be loaded."

  They heard Winter sigh in defeat. "Okay, you've convinced me this time but don't make this a habit. I'm supposed to be the captain so, next time, clear it with me first. Make sure you're both back inside Endeavour at the earliest for a full debrief. Winter out."

  Two minutes later, they arrived at the first of the Expedition One ships, Merlin. From a distance, it looked the same as the Expedition Two supply ships. It was only as Georgia drew closer that she could see it had become weathered during its six years on Mars. The landing feet were covered in several feet of red dust and the bodywork looked like it had rusted. But it was only the effect of the dust where it had lodged in welds and joins.

  Jim rubbed the tail fin with his gloved left hand to brush the accumulation of dust from around the access panel. He slowly unfastened the screws that held it in place and lowered the panel to the ground. "Here goes nothing," he muttered as he keyed in the access code. He couldn't hide a surprised grin as he was rewarded with a green light and the display lit up.

  Unfortunately, it was not the same story with the second ship, Merlin. This was the ship that had provided the solar sheets and the construction robots. The three construction robots now stood motionless, directly beneath the crane boom arm, their power supplies long depleted. Looking up, Georgia could see that the cargo hatch was still open, waiting for the next delivery to be requested. After opening the access panel, it was soon obvious that there was no power left in the batteries.

  "It looks as if I'm going to have to jump start this one," the chief said, making a mental note to add it to his ever-growing list of tasks. "Luckily, I don't think there's any equipment on board that's urgently required. Most of the solar panels were deployed by th
e robot crew before the power ran out."

  He re-attached the plate before they started the long return journey back to Endeavour.

  They had already passed Challenger when, as they crested a low mound, the chief laughed out loud and released a huge shout of joy. Alarmed by the sudden outburst, Georgia slowed down. "What's wrong, chief?"

  "Absolutely nothing, Georgia. I'm sorry if I startled you. I guess it's just the exhilaration of being here. It's intoxicating! How lucky are we to be here on Mars? We actually made it. Billions of dollars and millions of miles and we're now two of the first humans to land on a new planet. And look at us. You'd think we were out for a Sunday drive. Thank you for being a rule breaker."

  "I am so glad you feel the same as I do," replied Georgia. She had never seen the chief so effusive. "I don't remember the virtual reality training being this much fun or giving the sense of space and freedom, or how the crater wall would loom above us. Impressive doesn't even come close to describing it." She tried to tilt her head back to see the top of the precipice. "It must have been spectacular when the meteor impacted. And look at how uniform the rim is. There's some sign of weathering but I bet this cliff face has hardly changed in millions of years. The benefit of no atmos—"

  Georgia suddenly stopped her speeder and pointed at a spot on the crater's rim almost directly above the Endeavour's landing site. "Chief, up there on top of the ridge. I just saw something glinting in the sunlight. It looked metallic." She looked again but whatever it was had gone. She pointed to help Grant see where she had been looking, but he saw nothing unusual.

  "It may just have been a rock outcrop catching the early morning sun," Grant said. "If that's the case, it will give the geologists an easier time if minerals are accessible on the surface."

  Georgia wasn't convinced, but she had no alternative explanation. However, it wasn't long before the scenery made her forget the experience as they completed the journey back to Endeavour.