Discovery

by Paul Rix

  Winter smiled, hoping to break the tension. But Georgia was having none of it. She stood and left the room without saying another word.

  Even though the decision had been difficult, Winter knew he'd made the right one for Georgia's sake. After pondering over it for a few more seconds he remembered what he had been doing and flicked on his computer to complete his report.

  ***

  Georgia stormed into her quarters, slamming the door closed behind her. She'd expected more support from the captain. Megan was only doing her job as a doctor, so it was understandable that she wanted to care for her patient.

  She was confident that her performance over the past few days merited continued involvement in base activities and there was no need for the captain to keep her cocooned in cotton wool. She knew better than anyone how she was feeling.

  It was as if she was being punished for something she hadn't done and so unfair. Georgia vowed to convince Captain Winter to give her another chance once she'd calmed down.

  Chapter 43

  By early afternoon, the chief had made good his promise to clear the rock fall sufficiently for the MEV to exit the cave, although there was still plenty of work to remove all the rocks. Fortunately, the rockfall had damaged none of the construction robots, and Jim was grateful that he'd had the foresight to park them inside the cave before the asteroid strike.

  Captain Winter gathered Commander Anders, Mancuso and the chief to accompany him for the trip. He had contemplated taking Georgia along to check the computer systems but, following their earlier conversation, decided that it would be best to leave her alone. This was, after all, only an initial inspection visit to assess any damage.

  As the MEV drove slowly out of the mouth of the cave, Winter spotted Rashid and Harry King continuing to clear the rocks and damaged equipment. Looking out across the plain, he saw that the dust cloud was starting to dissipate quickly. While there was still a thick orange haze in the air, preventing him from seeing all the way to Endeavour, visibility was now almost half a mile.

  Once they had travelled a short distance, he turned the MEV around to look back toward the cave. There was a large pile of rocks either side of the cave entrance which had crushed several pallets. He didn't know what had been in those pallets and hoped it was nothing vitally important. The rockslide had continued along the base of the cliff wall for almost a mile and the base had been lucky to catch only the end of it. Winter peered up through the clear canopy, trying to see where the rockslide had begun, but a blanket of dust hid the cliff face.

  "It looks like we escaped the brunt of the damage, Lars," he said, turning the MEV back toward Endeavour.

  "We must be due some good fortune," Anders replied grimly. "Let's hope it continues with Endeavour and the other ships."

  They continued in silence, observing the ground for any obvious evidence of the asteroid. Other than a number of medium-sized boulders that must have been flung from the cliff and which the MEV had to navigate to avoid, there was very little sign of any obvious change. As they moved further from the base, visibility improved and the number of new boulders reduced.

  It wasn't long before the towering bulk of Endeavour came into view, the sun's rays glinting from some windows running down its port side. From this distance there were no obvious signs of damage and Winter's optimism began to return.

  As the MEV pulled up beneath Endeavour, they could see the spacecraft was covered by a fine layer of dust, but otherwise seemed intact. Winter and the crew suited up and left the MEV.

  "Jim and Joe. Can you carry out a visual inspection of the exterior? Check there are no hull breaches. Commander, you're with me," Winter said as he climbed into the cradle.

  As they ascended, Anders pointed at the top of the cliff face that was now visible above the dust cloud. On the edge of the rim, they could see an ugly dark groove cut into the rock. It looked as if something had taken a huge bite out of it.

  "That must be where the fragment crashed," Anders said. "It clipped the top of the cliff and carried on along the plateau above where the real damage will be. We were very fortunate. The rockfall would have been far worse if the fragment had struck any lower. We would probably have been permanently trapped."

  "Agreed. Perhaps you're right about our luck changing."

  Once inside Endeavour, it didn't take long for Winter to determine that all systems were fully functional. As expected, he had received numerous messages from Earth, desperately trying to find out if Expedition Two had survived the asteroid. He replied with a summary report of the damage and clarified that everyone had survived. He knew it would ease the fears of everyone at Ground Control and, more importantly, the fears of Kristen and all other family and friends of the crew.

  We dodged another bullet, Winter thought to himself. It would have been ironic if we had been trapped in the base when it was supposed to keep us safe.

  With the inspection complete, he rode the cradle back down with Anders and climbed back inside the MEV to inspect first Eden and then each of the supply ships.

  Eden had not been so lucky. Debris had pierced its delicate fuselage, rupturing a fuel tank and destroying two of the main engines. It didn't need the chief for Winter to know that Eden would never fly again.

  Excalibur had received more extensive damage. A six-foot-wide rock had punctured the ship just below the hold, the hole and jagged metal visible from a distance. As the MEV drew closer, Winter could see that the rock had gone straight through Excalibur before ploughing into the solar farm, leaving a black ugly scar across the field of solar panels.

  Winter decided that, overall, the damage was a setback rather than a disaster. Excalibur was not scheduled to fly again anyway, and the solar farm could be reconfigured, albeit with a reduced power output. It wasn't as bad as he'd feared it could be when he'd woken up that morning.

  As the sun began to set, and the MEV made its way back toward Alpha Base, exhaustion began to overwhelm Winter as he finally started to relax. It had been a stressful time for the whole of Expedition Two. Perhaps the mission proper could now begin. He certainly hoped that was the case.

  Chapter 44

  "You've got your way again, Georgia. The captain has ordered that I conduct another medical on you. Somehow you've managed to persuade him that you know more about medicine than I do."

  Georgia had just sat down in the galley for her evening meal and looked up at Megan who appeared to be irritated. It had been a week since the change in her health and there was now no end to her energy. She had quietly been making suggestions to the captain that another medical was necessary to confirm that she was fit enough to return to duty. It had taken several days of persistence to convince him, although Winter had not let her know he would speak with the doctor.

  Georgia hovered her fork above her plate and looked directly at Megan. Despite being good friends, there were times when work got in the way of that friendship. "If that's what he thinks is best. When do you want to see me?"

  "Give it an hour to let me set up my equipment. Then come down to the medical facility. Are you sure you want to do this?"

  "Yes, Megan, I'm certain. It's the only way I can prove to everyone, including myself, that I'm not being irrational or delusional."

  "Okay, in that case I'll see you in an hour." Megan turned and left abruptly.

  Jim, who was sitting next to Georgia, turned to her. "You know how to keep your friends close. What was that about?"

  Georgia devoured her last forkful of lasagna, before speaking. "The discomfort from the tumors has eased off. I don't know how but there's been no pain for days. Megan insists that there is no cure for the cancer I've been diagnosed with. She says I'm fooling myself."

  "You can understand why she's saying that. She has the knowledge of expert oncologists and years of research to fall back on."

  "I know my own body, Jim. I'm convinced that I'm recovering from whatever I had. I just know it. You've seen me over the past few days. It's not just a new fr
ame of mind. I am genuinely healthy."

  "There's no doubt that you're back to your old self again. And that has been great to see. But specialists confirmed your prognosis was terminal. There's nothing I want more than for you to be right about this, but I don't want you to raise your hopes. You need to be realistic."

  "I am being realistic, Jim. I don't expect you to understand, just to believe me. I can't explain it, but Megan is wrong. The specialists are wrong."

  "And if they're not. Then what?"

  Georgia had not considered that option. She was certain she was right. "If I'm wrong, then I'll fight it for as long as I'm able to. You know that I've never been someone who quits. But I would appreciate your support."

  "You know that you have it, and always will." Without thinking, Jim reached out and put his hand over the top of hers. No longer surprised by his spontaneous displays of affection, Georgia looked down at their hands touching and smiled.

  Looking back at the worried expression on his face, she said reassuringly, "It's going to be fine."

  Jim left his hand where it was, and she was pleased that he did. His touch, although surprising, felt good, and she was in no hurry for the moment to end.

  "Thanks for caring about me, Jim. It means a great deal to have you on my side, whatever happens. And I want you to know that I'll be there for you too if you ever need me."

  The chief smiled. "I never doubted it for a moment. But you should know I'm not the best at getting close to people or sharing my emotions. Telling you I care is a huge step."

  Georgia laughed out loud. "Yes, I have noticed that nearly all the men on this expedition are the macho, quiet types. Next you'll be telling me it's easier that way."

  "I don't know if it's easier. It's something I've done since I can remember and it's just a habit. I was very awkward with girls when I was much younger. Maybe I never learned to be any different."

  "So what's changed?" Georgia realized she never usually cared what other people thought. Why was she so interested in Jim's feelings?

  "It's not pity if that's what you think."

  Georgia shook her head. "No, that never crossed my mind."

  Jim shrugged, trying hard to find the right words. "I've worked with you a long time now and see how you operate. In the early days, I admired your tenacity. You took no shit from anyone around you. During training, you threw yourself into everything. If the instructors wanted a volunteer, you were the first to stick their hand up. You were always the star. And if it sounds like I was a bit in awe of you, that's because I probably was."

  Georgia was lost for words. She'd kept her head down throughout training, focused on making it on to the expedition short list. She'd known she was being observed and tested by the instructors. Not for one second had she been aware she was gaining attention from her colleagues.

  "I don't know what to say," she spluttered. "I always like to give one hundred percent in everything I do."

  "You've given that commitment to everyone on this expedition, and you may have paid for it with your life. But I know that's who you are, and you don't know any other way. You're amazing. Being on this mission with you is very special, and not just because we're creating history for mankind. I'm so happy you're not ready to give up, because I'm not ready to continue without you."

  Tears began to well up in Georgia's eyes. She wasn't prepared for this depth of emotion from Jim. They had clicked very early on after meeting but so far it had been nothing more than a platonic work relationship. She quickly wiped her eyes, not wanting to appear weak. "Thanks, Jim. That means so much to me. We should continue this conversation after I've proven to Megan that I'm right. But I can tell you I think you're special too."

  She didn't really want to leave at that moment. But the medical confirmation was her priority. And, anyway, neither of them was going very far in the near future. She moved her hand and stood up to leave. Putting her hand gently on his shoulder, she said, "I'll let you know the results either way. But have faith."

  "Good luck, Georgia," he called out softly as she left the galley and strode confidently toward the medical center for the tests that would ultimately define what future she had left.

  Chapter 45

  Megan was calibrating an expensive looking scanner as Georgia entered the base's new medical center. The room was more than double the space of Endeavour's medical facility, with the ability to expand into an additional module as Alpha grew over subsequent missions. A variety of unopened pallets and boxes, together with spaces in a number of racks on the near wall were clear evidence that she still had some unpacking to finish. Most of the equipment had been taken directly from Endeavour but there were plenty of additional medical stores on one of the supply ships.

  Megan's expression showed it still irritated her at having to perform the medical. "Apologies for the mess," she said in a monotone voice, indicating the boxes. "I wasn't expecting visitors so soon. Rashid was scheduled to help me, but Anders diverted him to help the Kings."

  "I see you're pissed at me, Megan. I'm not questioning your medical ability, but I really need to know what's happening to me. I don't want it to affect our friendship."

  "Georgia, it's fine. These tests are a waste of time, that's all. I've had other patients who have been in denial of their diagnoses and imagined that they've somehow miraculously cured themselves. None of them have."

  "Maybe I'll be the exception that proves the rule," Georgia responded, trying to sound hopeful.

  "Maybe," responded Megan, with no conviction. "Hop onto the bed and let's get started."

  Doctor Betts spent the next ninety minutes conducting a rigorous examination together with a comprehensive suite of tests. It was clear to Georgia that she was determined there would be no room for doubt in anyone's mind. The doctor quizzed Georgia in depth, searching for any clues on why she considered she had recovered. Georgia answered each of the questions as honestly and completely as she could. Had she changed her daily routine in the past week, eaten anything that tasted strange or acted differently?

  "Other than that we're on Mars, have worked desperately hard to set up Camp Alpha before the asteroid struck and worked through countless minor issues," Georgia responded, ironically, "no, nothing unusual has occurred. Only that fainting experience four days ago. But you checked me out. Has that got anything to do with my current state?"

  "I'm not making any wild guesses. Let's just see what the results show."

  Finally, all the tests were complete, and Georgia heaved a sigh of relief. "Can you tell me anything now? Any initial findings?"

  Megan was looking at a few readings on her computer screen. Absently she replied, "Not yet, Georgia. I'll be sending the information through to Ground Control. I'm only a flight surgeon, not a specialist oncologist. You'll have to wait until morning but I'm sure we'll hear first thing."

  "Let me know as soon as you get the results. And thanks again for doing this."

  "Remember. Whatever the results, I am always here for you."

  Georgia nodded. "Yes, I know."

  Chapter 46

  Despite being physically exhausted, Georgia lay on her bunk, unable to sleep. There was far too much going through her mind following the medical examination. She knew it had been foolish to have expected Megan to provide the results on the spot. There were blood tests, scans and what had seemed like a million other tests to review forensically before giving the ultimate diagnosis. But the not knowing was eating away at her.

  Although confident that she was right, even if it was irrational, there were still nagging doubts that she couldn't quite shake. Alone in her room, in the darkness, listening to the gentle hum of the environmental systems, those doubts began to fester and multiply.

  After taking two sleeping tablets prescribed by Megan, Georgia eventually drifted into a fitful sleep, filled with vivid dreams. She found herself back on one of the supply ships. It was pitch black, and she was running away from something. A moment later she was falling and rea
ching out for something to grab on to, but her hand grasped only thin air. She continued to fall for an eternity, twisting and turning in the air as she fell. Suddenly there was a bright light, and she was lying down in a strange room. It reminded her of a science fiction movie, but she couldn't remember the name. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her left leg was at an unnatural angle with several inches of her shin bone protruding through the broken skin. She screamed, but no sound came out.

  Georgia woke suddenly, sweating. Briefly disoriented, she looked around until she remembered where she was. Glancing at the clock on her computer, it surprised her that she'd been in bed for less than three hours. The dream had been so real. She blamed the medication and lay back down. Cuddling her pillow for comfort it wasn't long before she was asleep once more.

  The dream was there, waiting for her. She was still in the bright strange room but this time she wasn't alone. Two tall alien looking creatures were leaning over her. They were looking at some type of machine and talking to each other, but she could not tell what they were saying. Her body was being gently lifted before being lowered into a tank of clear viscous fluid. She was completely submerged except for her face. She could sense a tingling sensation across her skin. It wasn't unpleasant but Georgia could not compare it to anything else she'd experienced.

  In her dream, she was trying hard to communicate with the alien creatures, but they were paying her no attention. She was becoming frustrated at being ignored. She wanted answers. Why was no one listening to her? In her frustration, she focused on the aliens' characteristics. There was something odd about them. Georgia couldn't decide if they were machine or organic but knew there was nothing to fear from them.

  One alien noticed that she was looking at them. He leaned toward her, stretching out one of his long arms. Finally, I'm going to find out what's going on, she thought. The creature opened its mouth to speak...