by T I WADE
The window for a return flight from Mars closed, and the entire crew who had returned from Mars the first time put the delay down to another storm on the red planet. They were correct, but still very worried, and 20 more months would have to pass before the Mars crew would be able to return.
What was a real advancement was that the communication satellites, although several months behind schedule, were due to be the next launch into space in a few months’ time. Then they could try and communicate with the base on Mars.
Chapter 19
Damn Bogeys!
The storm went on and on. In many ways it was good, and in many ways it was not. As Mars explained to the crew several times through the 16-month storm, nobody could attack them. The entire crew could sleep without doing guard duty. The blue shields used their own light to grow plants.
It was completely safe inside the blue shields while the storm screamed outside. It was peaceful, as without a complete atmosphere outside there was no noise, just the movement of red and yellow dust and dirt against the bright blue walls. After a month or so, nobody looked at the raging movement of debris anymore.
Life went on. Crops grew, and chickens laid eggs and new chickens. So did the rabbits and vegetables replace themselves. Nature worked its wisdom at The Martian Club Retreat as she did back on Earth.
All the crew could do was to keep themselves amused, tend their crops, learn from the massive electrical library they had access to, and try to stay sane.
The daily topic of discussion was what to do when the storm abated, as it would be too early to return to Earth, unless the storm lasted years. A plan was decided on by Mars and Saturn to lift off in SB-IV as soon as this storm stopped, and to leave a skeleton crew aboard in orbit. Then the larger shuttle could do what America One had done for them on the first visit—be the eye in the sky for protection. Also, if there was another long storm around departure time, the shuttle would make its way back to Earth.
Several of the crew had planned to stay on Mars for the rest of their lives. After a new head count, 63 of the 99 crew, mostly all the Matts, were content with this being home. Another dozen or so were happy to return to Earth one more time as astronauts, and then would relocate to The Retreat permanently.
These crewmembers didn’t care if the storm raged for months or even years. The storms were a fact of life. The storms gave them safety from any possible attack from any enemy who might still call the planet home.
For others, the old cabin fever set in. Especially for the astronauts who believed that flying spaceships was their life, the monotonous day-to-day of planet living became very difficult.
“I wonder if this is a passing phase of weather on the planet, or if something like a major catastrophe is about to happen,” stated Mars in an astronaut briefing a year and four months after the storm began. They hadn’t flown for nearly a year and a half and it was very depressing for many.
“I don’t know. I just don’t want to live like this anymore,” stated Saturn Noble in the briefing. She was thin and very pale. Saturn was again pregnant. Dr. Nancy had given her the news only a week earlier. Saturn had been sick, really sick, for a couple of weeks. The poor girl couldn’t keep down any food, and the doctor had given her a complete checkup.
Many of the Tall People were sick, depressed, morbid, or plain just uninterested in life. For several this was their third storm, and for several, they would return to Earth not wanting to return.
For the Matts, they seemed to thrive on being kept “indoors” and underground.
“I have been reading up on every bit of information I can find on the history of Mars,” stated Captain Pete.
To the 25-year-old mission commander, even the confined space had made the 60-plus captain look older and more weary. Dr. Nancy had given him a complete checkup only a week earlier. “There seemed to be recordings of storms on Mars being seen through telescopes in the 1930s, and again in the 1960s. Of course the viewers didn’t think them as storms, but just that the surface of this planet just looked smoother than usual, and they couldn’t get their telescopes to pinpoint anything. Since the ‘60s, there are no mentions of any storms, so I reckon like on Earth, things happen in threes, and I just hope that this is the last storm for maybe 30 years or more.”
“Well, I hope you are right, Captain Pete, as both the shuttles are ready for immediate launch and as soon as we get an hour of any type of break we are out of here. The repaired wing ends of SB-IV are complete and both craft, and all of us, are ready to fly.”
The storm had sand-papered the end of the wings of the larger shuttle until a second Cold Fusion power plant had been connected to the blue shield it was in, and the shield had been given more power than they had ever done before. The shield had only grown several more feet, but at least the wings were now inside the shield and out of harm’s way.
“Mars, remember the crew staying behind will need another water supply before we head back,” added Saturn. The water supply was low. Since much of the liquids inside the caverns and shield were recycled, the watering of the vegetables in the shields only lost several gallons a month. They had done all they could to keep the water internally, but it still disappeared through condensation with the topsoil and the icy cold ground beneath the layers of insulation between the farming topsoil and the surface of the planet.
Large insulation sheets several inches thick had been brought with them from Earth and now the external growth area was completely separated from the planet itself. “We need two water flights to leave the crew with enough water for six years, three oppositions, and to produce 500 gallons of fuel while we are gone. As we discussed over a year ago, 500 gallons will be made here as a reserve in case something happens on our way back and we arrive with no fuel, and there is enough here for two more shuttle water flights,” Saturn continued, playing with Mikey, who was now nearly two.
“At least we will get both ships out of here,” replied Mars. “I would really like one more day to visit that underground base Johnny and I found. I’m sure there are some new secrets down there that could aid our life here at The Retreat. I still can’t believe that I saw running water, or a running liquid, in that cavern where all the dead bodies were.”
“I think we should give it one more search before we leave,” added Captain Pete.
“Will your sentries out there be able to protect the crew while we are away?” asked Dr. Nancy, walking into the room. Dr. Nancy was the only person in the crew who refused to cut her hair short. Even though they could walk on the floor, it didn’t mean that the rest of the human body behaved as if it were on Earth. Long hair floated round slowly and always got in the way, even if it was in a ponytail. Everybody except the doctor had very short Marine-style haircuts. It was just easier while in space, and the norm before launch from Earth.
Anybody could see the good doctor heading their way, as her long blonde hair always swirled about her as if she was standing on the bottom of the swimming pool back in Nevada. She loved her hair, was able to put up with it getting in her way, but always wore a cap when inspecting a patient.
“I believe so,” answered Mars. “The worst that will happen if the base is attacked when we are away could be the destruction of the three shields outside. If that happens, all growth outside stops, but the crew remaining here have enough dried supplies and internal vegetable, plant and tree production to survive. Ruler Roo has left orders with the Matts to close down the power to the shields immediately once attacked. By the way, he and Jo will be returning with us. He wants to collect Joanne and bring her back for good. I wonder if she is ready for retirement up here from her political life?” Captain Pete and Dr. Nancy nodded. “The six initial robotic soldiers are now better armed than ever before with the new 10,000-meter-range lasers we connected to them last year. The six new robots are still under training, and will be programed and ready as the backup brigade within a few weeks,” Mars replied to the doctor.
“Ok. And Mars, if we leave tomo
rrow?” asked Dr. Nancy.
“Dave Black is staying as Head of Security. His security detail is now completely trained in robotic mechanics, robotic instruction, and his crew of three can control the twelve machines as well as I can. Even if I were here, I couldn’t better what Dave’s crew can do. Also, I have spoken to the Matts with Roo. I think for the first time in their lives, the Matts will defend themselves aggressively against an enemy. We have etched what can happen to the crew in their thought patterns enough for them to think about defending themselves.”
“Have we overcome the Matts not firing the first shot yet?” asked Dr. Nancy.
“Unfortunately, no,” replied Saturn. “It seems that our Matts will never fire first,” added Saturn. “It seems that our guys will never think about firing the first round.”
“The old Matts certainly did a number on their way of thinking 10,000 years ago,” continued Mars. “Self-protection from their point of view. I cannot get it through their brain that firing first might save their lives. The enemy will destroy one or more of the shields before our Matt crew will get the idea, but I believe that the attacking force will get a shock from Dave Black, his crew and our twelve robots firing back. Each of the new lasers on our 12 robots, plus the four new crew lasers, are powerful enough to bring down one of their Matt spaceships at 5,000 yards.”
“We cannot lose any more shields,” added Captain Pete.
“I know where to get more,” suggested Mars, smiling at the captain.
“When the time is right, or we get attacked, or we do return to this non-stormy planet, I’ll come shield-hunting with you in those tunnels,” he replied smiling.
Twelve days later the good news went around the cavern faster than a speeding bullet. The storm had abated. There was black sky and stars above them.
Everybody knew what to do, and they grabbed spacesuits, helmets, and the astronauts rushed to the three spacecraft.
Within an hour, Mars had the Matt ship launching out of the dark crater and, with a young 17-year-old Matt astronaut as co-pilot, headed into orbit.
SB-III was 30 minutes behind, and it took Saturn an hour longer to get the crew returning to Earth aboard SB-IV with their personal belongings, and she completed final checks before also heading out of her shield and into orbit.
Dawn over the planet was a beautiful sight for the astronauts, who had felt like moles for what seemed like ever. Even Dr. Nancy and Captain Pete aboard SB-III were happy to be out of their hole. Dr. Nancy was adamant that she was never coming back.
The storm was moving very slowly over to the far side of the planet to where the base was situated, and half of the planet they could see at 200 miles was still a mass of slow swirling clouds of dust.
“I reckon we don’t have long,” stated Mars to Saturn. “I think we must do a water run immediately.” All the astronauts agreed.
Aboard the smaller shuttle was the crew ready to collect water. Even Dr. Nancy wanted to check out the watering hole with her husband for the first time and actually spacewalk over the ice mound where they landed.
Over the next twelve hours, SB-III and the Matt ship headed down and away from the larger shuttle, Saturn, Mikey and the rest watching them disappear towards the red plant.
“Still nobody except us on radar, Dave,” she spoke to the Head of Security manning the base’s intercom.
“Copy that, Saturn. The weather is beautiful down here. There has been a lot of dirt movement. The exploration crew headed out to check on the robots and the edge of the plateau. It seems that the plateau edge has extended out several more feet with the dirt buildup, and the robots are fine, but their accommodation was slightly damaged. We heard that Mars and Put are heading down to collect our water, over?”
Once the dust was cleared by Mars’ thrusters and the ice shone through the red layer, the pilots were surprised that the dust layer was nearly a foot thick this time. The Matt ship had worked for over 30 minutes on hover to clear the landing zone of the freshly moved dust.
Put was one of the growing Matts who had the interest to learn to fly. Like Roo and Commander Joot, only one or two of the young boys wanted to fly one of their ships one day. It would take Put a few more hours of training with Mars before he could fly the Matt ship from the front seat.
Mars landed, the ice seemed as secure as it always was, and Jenny Burgos flying SB-III came 20 minutes later after completing one more orbit.
“This is so beautiful,” stated Dr. Nancy being helped around the ice by two of the crew several hours later and just before sunset. “Leave me alone, I’m not that old, and capable of bouncing around here like the rest of you,” she demanded, and her husband and one other let her go.
“Dr. Nancy, do not get further than thirty feet from the ships,” ordered Mars as he helped fill the first canister with the icy liquid that somehow stayed in liquid form far below freezing. They only had time to fill the first canister before darkness set in and the temperature plummeted.
For the next two days, they filled the canisters they had brought with, and it was so beautiful that it wasn’t possible to think that any storms could possibly ruin the view.
Mars decided that instead of spending a day looking further into the tunnels, the crew should do a second water run. It was a good decision, as in the middle of the second day of the second run, Saturn, 200 miles above them, saw what looked like another storm approaching from the west.
“Water detail, it looks like a new swirl is forming. The center eye of the next hurricane, or whatever you call these storms, is now visible about 2,000 miles east of the western edge of your crater. I wouldn’t have noticed the change in the planet’s look if this new center hole wasn’t so prominent. The crater is 14,000 miles wide, so I believe you have at least sixteen hours before you had better get out of there. I will be able to give you more accurate information once we can judge its overland speed…hold on, we have new radar contact Oh God! Seven UFOs incoming towards base from the west, twenty miles out, travelling very fast. Bogeys climbing through 5,000 feet, Mars… Over!”
“Martian base to SB-IV, you won’t believe this, but we have just had a formation of spacecraft, seven flying high over the base,” added Dave Black. “Several crew said that they looked exactly like the last visitors. Suggest you return before dark. We have all the alarms going off, and the crew are heading down to the lowest level, over.”
The surprise radio messages from The Martian Club Retreat was patched through to those on the ground by the shuttle above them, which made everybody’s blood run cold for several seconds.
Mars was about to return to the water’s edge for a last bucket of water when the message came through. He checked his numbers. They had filled 23 of the 30 canisters they had brought with, and the remaining three being filled would total 25 full canisters. It had to be enough for now.
“Saturn, keep them in radar contact if you can. We’ll be out of here in twenty minutes. Jenny, warm your thrusters. Crew, close the three canisters and get them in the cargo bays. Let’s go!” The spacewalkers waddled to the ships carrying the three remaining canisters.
Within ten minutes, the cargo bays were closed and the last two crewmembers were entering the ships. Johnny had got into the Matt craft first, but couldn’t mentally turn on the thrusters. Mars wanted Johnny as backup instead of Put, who would go with the shuttle. Johnny had eyes like an eagle.
Jenny had had her thrusters warming and running on idle, which was safe for the crew outside.
Mars got into the forward seat, ignited the thrusters, and called Saturn for an update.
“Bogey’s, seven of them circling the base at about 100 miles, altitude 30,000 feet. I have seven minutes before I head over the western horizon. Storm moving towards you at about 400 miles an hour. It looks like your water collection is over. The storm is big. It covers as much of the planet as we can see from up here. I bet this isn’t the same storm. It couldn’t have run its way completely around the planet. Captain Pete, I think
your one storm theory is all wrong. Bogey’s still circling. I’m increasing thrust to 80 percent, reducing altitude rapidly and will be back over the horizon at a hundred-mile altitude in 17 minutes, Saturn, out.”
“Copy that Saturn, eight minutes for thruster heat for launch, over,” replied her husband.
“Three minutes until launch,” added Jenny Burgos.
“SB-III launched first and rapidly gained height to exit the 14,000-foot-high walls of the crater, which would put them back on the same altitude as the normal planet’s surface.
Saturn was off the air as Mars lifted off the ice and headed up, surprising Johnny Walls in the back seat how fast the craft could fly. Six minutes later and halfway back to the base, and just below 5,000 feet above the Martian surface, Mars Noble caught up and passed SB-III. Both craft were flying low to hide, and they wanted surprise on their side. Most radar systems struggled to find contacts below 5,000 feet, and Mars hoped that if the enemy had the same sort of systems, that they would also have the same problem.
The Matt craft he was flying didn’t have radar like the shuttle did, and he relied on SB-III to give him information.
“Seven enemy ships 390 miles ahead of us and heading west, away from our base. It doesn’t seem that they have noticed us yet, over,” stated Jenny, her sister flying the ship, and she had the laser through her three cameras locked on the three closest enemy craft. “Commander, they look identical to your ship, except I can see a large thing sticking out of their forward area like a refueling nozzle. That must be their gun, and its looks like they have a big one, each.”
“How long until we catch them up?” Mars asked.
“They are flying pretty slow, I’d say about 500 miles an hour, we are four times that, so, say, in ten minutes, over.”
“SB-III, let’s slow so that we can surprise them closer to when SB-IV is due to come over the horizon, say, in 12 minutes. Reduce height to 1,000 feet, or until you begin to lose radar contact.”