by Gary Weston
'Sanitation and the satellite. Sanitation is a must do. What's wrong with the satellite?'
'No idea,' said Forbes. 'Breaking up all the time. That's why we had trouble getting through to Stella on her ship. All radio communication is through that satellite. It picks up and transmits. We have to get up there to fix it.'
'We can't afford for that to fail. The way I see it, the medical centre can struggle on for the time being, but if we start a pandemic from bad waste treatment, they'll be unable to cope. What does Ivor need to make it all go away?'
Forbes said, 'A new pumping station. The main pump has had it and the back up is hardly coping.'
'I've had a list from Screwy. No pumps. Not even spares to repair an old one.'
Potts said. 'We have to do something. Surely there's a pump somewhere?'
'Actually, I know of a couple.'
'Anton. Unless you hid one somewhere for a rainy day, we have no spare pump.'
Forbes said, 'Not on Mars. Moon.'
'Moon? We brought everything back from there.'
Forbes smiled. 'Not quite everything. There are four pumps on Moon, running the helium extraction plant.'
'Are you seriously suggesting we bring one of those back here?'
Forbes said, 'As a stopgap. Big Bird is on her way already. They can use the plant to get all the helium the ship can carry, then bring back a pump or two.'
'That makes sense, I suppose. The helium will last a couple of years, depending on demand. Right. I'll send a message to Big Bird and instruct them.'
Forbes got up. 'I'm off to sleep before I fall over. In the meantime, if...'
They were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Communications Captain Anna Graham. 'Commanders. Found you at last.'
'Could have radioed us,' said Potts.
'Not with the satellite out I couldn't.'
Forbes and Potts looked at each other and sighed.
Forbes dared to ask, 'Out completely, Anna?'
'Totally dead,' said Anna.
'Wonderful,' said Potts.
Chapter 34
'Nothing?'
Max Morgan shook his head. 'Not a peep.'
Rocky asked. 'Tried a systems check?'
'About one hour ago. All our systems are fine. Must be a problem their end.'
Ramshorn sat in the copilot's seat. 'Nothing that really matters to us this close to Moon. If we had a problem, they couldn't help us anyway.'
'Best keep it to ourselves about the radio going down. For the time being at least.'
'Agreed. We'll keep trying to call them while the gas crew are busy. I just hope...'
Max waved a warning finger at Rocky. 'Don't even think that, let alone say it. They're fine back there. Just some kind of glitch. We say nothing to the others and carry on with the mission.'
'Fine. Only another couple of days until we land on Moon and we can keep calling Mars until we get a response.'
* * *
'Two birds, one stone,' said Potts. 'You four get practice with the ship, and you sort out the satellite. Stella. Familiarised yourself with the schematics?'
'Yes, Sir. I've already had some experience with the satellite. Any idea of the problem?'
'It could be anything. At least we have a reasonable amount of parts for that. They're unique to the satellite, so haven't been cannibalized for anything else. Of course it means you'll be completely out of touch until you fix the thing.'
Breeze said, 'Does Big Bird know the situation?'
'We tried to let them know, but we doubt if they heard us. Ramshorn and Morgan are two of the best pilots we have. They'll keep going with their mission. But we want them to bring back two of the pumps used on the helium extraction plant to fix our dodgy sanitation system. We need to get a message to them before they take off to come back here.'
'No pressure, then,' said Breeze.
'No more than usual. Go see Screwy Driver and tell him you want all the satellite parts he has and the tools you need. Get take off clearance as soon as you ready to go. Let Anna Graham know as soon as possible.'
'I'll tell her,' said Skye. 'We'll get going.'
'Good luck.'
Chapter 35
'Is this the lot, Screwy?'
'You know me, Stella. I keep an exact running inventory. There's a comprehensive tool-kit on the ship already. I've put together a few specialist items here. Doubt if you'll need them, but best to be on the safe side.'
'If we can't fix it up there, we could always bring it back with us, I suppose,' said Dillow.
Breeze wasn't impressed with that. 'Not on my watch. We stay up there until we fix the damn thing.'
Driver said, 'You get ready and I'll have these taken to your ship. Do me a favour. Don't go losing my tools up there, ok?'
'Thanks, Screwy,' said Stella. 'Time to get packing.'
'Two hours until take off?' asked Skye.
'We can be ready by then,' said Breeze. 'Time to say bye to everyone.'
'I'll get that look from Shyne,' said Dillow. 'That'll be fun.'
'I'll go see Aunt Anna,' said Skye. 'Tell her we're ready.'
They left Driver to organise the loading of the ship with the parts and tools and went their separate ways. Dillow to make her little girl shed a few tears and Skye to see her Aunt.
In the communications centre, Anna Graham was still trying to get something out of the radio along with her technicians. 'Hello, Skye. About time you paid me a visit.'
'I'd love to have the luxury of the time. We're off in less than two hours. Nothing at all out of this thing?'
'We've maxed the amplification and are picking up a feint signal from the satellite. That isn't much, but I see it as a good sign. There's an amplifier on the satellite, so check that out, but check the alignment of antennas and the solar panels first. It wouldn't take much for things to drift just enough to lose the positioning.'
'You know lots about it.' This got Skye thinking. 'Aunt Anna. When was the last time you went up in a ship?'
* * *
'Joel. We're a team. And I need to get used to that ship.'
Shyne pouted. 'Can I come with you, Mommy?'
'Maybe when you're older. We might not be away too long. As soon as we fix the satellite, we'll be right back here, I promise. And I want to hear all your stories when I get back.'
Joel said, 'At this rate, she'll be a great double act with Craggy.'
'Sorry.'
'I keep thinking we can settle down a little one day. But I suppose we're all in the same boat.'
'I'll be in a ship, not a boat.'
'Come on. We'll see you off.'
The ship was loaded and Joel drove Fawn and Shyne to launch pad seven. 'This is odd,' said Fawn as they pulled up. We seem to have a passenger.'
Skye said, 'You've met my Aunt Anna and Uncle Bob, haven't you Fawn?'
'A couple of times. Hi, Anna. Hi, Bob.'
Anna said, 'Hi. I'm afraid my niece thought it was a good idea I came along for the ride.'
Skye said, 'She knows a lot about the satellite. It makes sense.'
'It does,' agreed Dillow. 'Looks like a girls night out.'
Bob was looking a little anxious. 'I was amazed when she agreed to go. You will look after her won't you?'
Skye gave her uncle a peck on the cheek. 'You won't get rid of her that easily. We'll have her back here in no time.'
'All aboard,' said Breeze. 'We got a job to do.'
Dillow picked up Shyne. 'You be a good girl for Daddy and Aunty Misty, ok?'
'I will. Bye, Mommy.'
It was kisses and hugs and the five women entered the ship. A few minutes later, the take off thrusters lifted the ship into the air and in seconds, they were a speck in the sky, flying out into space.
Chapter 36
'One hour to landing,' said Rocky Ramshorn. 'Stow away all loose gear and buckle up on our instructions. Repeat. One hour to landing.'
Earth and Moon loomed large, and Rocky and Max had mixed feelings about ret
urning. They had lived all their lives on Moon, but had shared with the others the grief and sorrow when the Earth had died. They concentrated on Moon, avoiding tormenting themselves with the sad vista of the still pretty blue planet. They took Big Bird on a slow orbit around the cold grey rock. Morgan keyed in the coordinates of the helium 3 extraction plant. The boring bits were over and it was the time for humans to put their lives on the line in the most dangerous part of any flight. The landing.
The ship, huge, the largest in the Mars fleet, was still a thing of beauty, the pinnacle of Man's ability to create. The young men were well aware of the awesome responsibility they shouldered, but their now considerable experience and calm professionalism abated most of any uncertainty. Max Morgan did the honours.
'Buckle up. Buckle up. One tenth power. Final orbit. Stay buckled up until instructed otherwise.'
Morgan levelled up and took Big Bird down low. The final minutes ticked away as the huge ship was guided to its landing place, just two miles from the last remaining structure on Moon, the vital helium-3 extraction plant.
'Engaging landing thrusters. Shutting down main thrusters. Landing in five, four, three, two and welcome to Moon, people. You can unbuckle and go to work. Have fun.'
* * *
It was a flight of just twenty three minutes, Dillow and Stella combining their skills, putting the ship into Mars orbit and lined up with the satellite. They used the computer and screen for a visual of the malfunctioning satellite.
Stella said, 'It looks undamaged, but lifeless. Anna. Would you agree?'
Anna stared at the three dimensional image. 'My biggest fear was that it had been hit by some debris. Can we zoom in?'
'Try this. Better?'
'Yes. I still can't see anything damaged. Can we fly right around it?'
Stella deftly used the small thrusters to position the ship to the other side of the satellite. Then she zoomed in for a closer examination.
'Still nothing,' said Anna.
Skye said, 'That's a good thing, right? So if it isn't debris damaged what would your best guess be?'
'Either positioning, power-pack degeneration, or a simple single component malfunction.'
Dillow said, 'I'll suit up and take a look. We'll try checking the alignment first and work forwards from that.'
Stella said, 'Screwy packed the positioning alignment unit. Just plug it in and enter the code to auto correct. If it just turns green, the positioning is fine.'
Breeze went through the equipment Screwy had provided. 'Here it is. Just plug it in and the code is here on the top. One Nine Five Three.'
'Only if the unit doesn't light up green,' Anna reminded her. 'If the light doesn't come, then key that code in.'
'Ok. I'm good to go,' said Dillow, adjusting her airflow. 'At least we should have short range radio from the ship. Watch my back.'
'Good luck, Dillow,' said Breeze.
Dillow entered the airlock. Memories flooded back to when she and Stella had been on their first unplanned flight when the alien ship had revealed itself for what it really was, and split second shooting by Rocky Ramshorn had saved them from being transported into deepest space at blinding speed. Now here she was securing a line to her belt, about to leap into the black velvet once again.
'Hearing me?'
'Hearing you,' said Breeze.
'Opening outer airlock door now. Here I go.'
They watched the screen for Dillow to float by towards the satellite.
'She is so brave doing that,' said Anna.
'We might all have to do that to fix that thing,' said Skye.
'I don't think so,' said Anna. 'You got me this far, and I stay right here.'
Dillow's voice called out. 'Attaching the positioning unit. Ah, jeez. Green. It's aligned ok.'
'That means it's something else,' said Breeze. 'Dillow. Take a good look at everything while you're there.'
'No obvious damage. I'll try the diagnosis computer. Dead.'
Anna said, 'Dillow. That satellite has been in service for twenty years to my knowledge. I'm amazed it lasted this long. It could be the battery isn't charging up from the solar panel, due to corrosion or something.'
'Right. I'm coming in. Can one of you find the new battery pack, please?'
'I have it,' said Stella.
Dillow pulled herself along the safety line and got through the airlock.
'Here's the new battery pack,' said Stella, handing it over.
'And here's the positioning unit. Off I go again.'
Dillow made her way back to the satellite. From her tool belt, she took out a screwdriver and unscrewed the two plugs holding the old battery.
'Dillow. Any signs of corrosion inside the battery housing or the terminals?'
'Gold plated. Clean as a whistle. Replacing the battery. Battery secured. Damn. Still nothing. I'm coming in. We need to think this out.'
Chapter 37
Two dozers were driven out, one by Richie, the other by Mantle. On the month long journey through space, they had been meticulously maintained. One dozer carried the replacement parts for the helium extraction plant. While four men worked on the plant, the two dozer drivers would be scooping up the grey dust to a depth of two yards, piling it close to the extraction housing, ready for processing. Whilst they did that, Rocky and Morgan did a full systems check, confirmed their radio was functioning correctly and attempting to contact Mars. Everything was satisfactory apart from the lack of contact.
'What the hell is going on?' Morgan asked.
Rocky shrugged. 'Your guess is as good as mine. I hate not being able to talk to Amethyst and the kids.'
'And I want to hear Carlotte and Astral. Five weeks of not knowing will be tough.'
'Nothing has happened back there. I have to believe that or I'll go insane. It's a glitch, pure and simple.'
'It shouldn't surprise us,' said Morgan, eager to agree with his friend. 'Everything we got on Mars is old and worn out. There's only so much patching up we can do. Did you smell that sanitation plant lately?'
Rocky said, 'Did I? Man. The wind blows in the wrong direction, I'm grabbing my helmet. I hope they got that fixed by the time we get back.'
'I'm staying in orbit until they do. Time for a feed and a couple of beers.'
'You packed beer?'
'Just a couple each. Pilots perks.'
Rocky laughed. 'Pilots perks. I'll drink to that.'
Chapter 38
Dillow took off her suit and sat in her one piece undies. 'And I say we drag the damn thing in here and work on it in comfort.'
Breeze wasn't convinced. 'Then we'll have the nightmare of repositioning it.'
Anna said, 'We have the tools to do that.'
'Ok,' said Breeze. 'We'll vote on it. I say no.'
Skye said, 'No. Only as a last resort.'
Stella said, 'Every time one of us space walks, we risk our lives. I say bring it inside.'
Dillow said, 'You heard my opinion.'
'Stalemate,' said Breeze.
Skye said, 'We haven't heard Anna's vote. Aunt Anna?'
'Me? You want me to vote?'
'Why not,' said Skye. 'Your opinion counts as much as ours.'
'Can we even get it inside the ship?' asked Anna.
Expecting that, Dillow had figured it out prior to re-entering the ship. 'If we take off the solar panels, I believe so.'
Breeze said, 'Ok. If we can get thing in, we bring it inside. At least in zero gravity, we can manoeuvre it easily enough. We've had a long day. I say we get some sleep and tackle it fresh.'
'Good idea. I'm off to bed, then,' said Dillow.
'There are sleeping rooms on this ship?' Anna asked.
'Yes,' said Stella. 'Four. Fitted out for human sized people.'
'Oh. There's five of us. It's okay. I'll sleep in here.'
'No need,' said Stella, 'Breezy and I will share a room.'
'I can't expect you to do that.'
The four younger women shared knowing smiles.
'The least we can do is make our guest comfortable,' said Breeze. 'Time for bed.'
Hiding their smiles, Stella and Breeze took off to share a room. The lights were dimmed, and off they went for a well earned rest.
Chapter 39
Marcia Potts shared her husband's burden. She undertook her own responsibilities stoically. In many ways, Marcia's work was similar to those of his. Keeping Mars functioning. Years before, they had least got the option of working in with Earth and Moon. In her unofficial capacity as the “hoarder of Mars” a title she was proud of, she traded, swapped, begged, borrowed, even stole if she had to, to prepare for the inevitability when the Earth finally succeeded in the ignoble art of self destruction. She could see it clearly, when most around her buried their heads in sands of either the grey or reddish brown persuasion. But the cupboard was almost bare.
Marcia's “cupboard” was actually a sealed hanger. It once had boasted complete vehicles, hundreds of containers of clothing, thousands of various tins, and packets of foodstuffs, relics of bygone ages to remind them of their parent planet, tons of spare parts, and containers of obscure, but ultimately useful items. Daily, she would take her recpad with the list of requests from people, to ferret through the items to fulfill their wishes.
She prided herself of an eighty percent strike rate. But that was then, and this was now. She was lucky to have a fifteen percent hit these days. There was a significant bounty of goods to be re-utilised after the great migration of Moon folk to their new homes on Mars. But the ever growing population had gradually depleted it.
Marcia sighed as she stood in the barren wastelands that was now her hanger. There were days she didn't set foot in the place at all, because of the depression she now felt on doing so. But today was different. Today was special. It was a little girl's birthday. A special present was desired. She looked at her recpad, adjusting the brightness for the dim light in the hanger.
'To Mrs Potts,' she read aloud. 'We have a birthday soon for Sapphire Stone. Tragically, Sapphire's parents were killed during the volcanic eruption, two years ago. Sapphire unfortunately lost her left leg but survived and has a wonderful disposition and never complains of her disability. If there is any possibility of an old fashioned teddy bear you could spare, this would bring much joy to a brave little girl. Sapphire never asks for much, but I know how such a simple present for her fourth birthday would mean to her. Thank you, Iva Hart, supervisor of the community orphanage.'