“Thanks François. We appreciate your concern. For now, Tendai and I are fine. Trust me, if we need you, I’ll let you know. For now, you guys are safer where you are.”
For the next twenty-five minutes, all three teams kept in close communication while the storm was active. It eventually let out over the small outpost and veered to the north, a direction Vera was glad to see it take, since the two rovers were southeast of the camp.
She was still monitoring the computers when Tendai, already partially suited up, called her on the intercom from the greenhouse.
“Vera, the storage unit outside of greenhouse III looks loose, I think I need to go anchor it before another gust of wind damages it further.”
“What? You want to go out now? I know the storm seems to have calmed down, but it could pick up again at any moment. Can’t this wait? I’d rather you did so later.”
“I know, but it’s pretty quiet out there right now, and as you said, that may not last. I need to go secure that thing while I can. I’ll take ARC 3. It shouldn’t take long.” Tendai sounded determined to go.
“OK, but please be careful!”
“I will”
A few minutes later, ARC 3 was approaching the storage unit outside the greenhouse.
“Vera, I’m almost in front of the-shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…” The radio had just turned to statics.
“Tendai? Tendai, can you hear me? Tendai…? ARC 3...!”
“Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…”
“Shit!”
Outside, ARC 3 and its passenger were at a standstill. The vehicle had stopped abruptly without any warning, and everything in the rover was shutting down. Soon, nothing was showing on any of the dashboard monitors anymore. No lights, not even a bleep from the onboard computer. The whole thing was dead.
“What the f… OK, now what? Vera? Vera, are you there?”
It was no use. He had obviously lost all power. “When was the last time they had checked ARC 3? The vehicle was connected to its solar charger this morning, that much I’m sure of. Regardless, the computer should have alerted me that something was wrong with the batteries…!” He tried to recall who had done the last system check …
“Either myself yesterday morning, or maybe François last night…” The Frenchman often spent the last hour of his work day working in the garage. He loved taking care of the vehicles. His aptitude in robotics had been discovered early on at the Mars First Headquarters. François had a knack for figuring out problems and fixing things. He was almost always working on some technical project in his free time, if he wasn’t playing his Ukulele.
“Either way, there’s no point dwelling on that right now. What I need to figure out is what to do next. I can’t get out without a suit. On that particular point, Dedrick is going to be pretty mad, I have a feeling. And he will be right. I should’ve checked the cabin before I left. I guess I have only myself to blame for that too. I’m the one who forgot to put the suit back in its place yesterday… Ok, so I guess my only choice is to stay put until someone comes to get me. I hate waiting…”
Inside the station, Vera had already contacted the other two rovers. Both were on their way back. Dedrick had ordered her to stay put. He had formally forbidden her to leave the station. The storm had picked up again, not as bad as before, but visibility was still pretty much non-existent. Dedrick couldn’t let Vera take the risk of getting lost. The thirty meters or so that separated her from Tendai were completely filled with flying pebbles and a dark brown dust, an impenetrable fog that was not to be reckoned with.
“Tendai should have enough oxygen for at least another hour. The power may be down, but the oxygen left in the cabin will be sufficient for ARC1 to get to him in time,” thought Dedrick. At least, he hoped so. He really had no way of knowing that for sure, but he couldn’t let Vera take any risk. Unfortunately, to make things worse, the storm had also extended south of the station, which was slowing the return of the rovers.
François and Sabrina reached ARC 3, just as Tendai was starting to lose consciousness.
“Stay with me buddy, hang in there just a bit longer,” François thought to himself, while heading back for the main hatch, the other rover in tow. ARC 1’s backup suit was in its compartment, but there was no way to get it to Tendai without entering the vehicle, which would have exposed him to the outside air and killed him.
“Vera! Tendai is out cold. Get the defibrillator and oxygen ready. We’re on our way. Meet us at the main hatch! Hurry!”
A minute and a half passed before François and Sabrina, their precious cargo in tow, reached the station. Already suited up, the Frenchman jumped out of his vehicle and rushed to the other rover. Accessing the external command panel, he deployed the rover’s cab extension and connected it to the station’s door. He then rushed to the next hatch and stormed inside the station, Sabrina right behind him. Inside, Vera was impatiently waiting behind the other hatch for the air in the pressurizing compartment of ARC3 to get back to normal.
The warning lights finally turned green, the hatch opened, and Vera rushed into the rover.
François, racing through the pod tunnels was already on her heels.
“François, give me the oxygen feed, quick!” yelled Vera as he approached.
“Here!”
Oxygen bottle in hand, she leaned over the unconscious man.
“Tendai! Tendai!” But the dark-skinned Zimbabwean wasn’t responding. She quickly placed the oxygen mask on his face.
“How is he? Any response? Did you check his breathing?” asked François standing behind her.
“No, there’s no pulse… Come on Tendai, come on! Guys, the defibrillator, now!”
Sabrina squeezed by François, the EBP machine rolling behind her, and extended the two pads to Vera.
“Remove his shirt, François. Hurry!” Vera grabbed the pads from Sabrina. François obliged immediately. She briefly brushed the two pads together, placed them on Tendai’s bare chest, and yelled: “Clear!” François barely had time to step out of the way. Sabrina pressed the switch, and Tendai’s body jerked up and back violently. Vera leaned down and placed an ear on his torso.
“Nothing. OK. What’s my charge?”
“Almost there...” replied Sabrina looking at the machine’s gauges… “OK, green!”
“Clear!”
Sabrina pushed the button again, causing Tendai’s body to convulse once more.
“Still nothing. Shit!”
Vera let go of the pads. They swung back on each side of the EBP and dangled at the end of their accordion cords. She climbed on top of Tendai and began performing mouth to mouth, adding several hands-crossed pressures on his chest every so often. Finally, Tendai’s lungs welcomed the forced air and soon, the man was opening his eyes.
“Tendai! Are you OK? Look at me. Look at me! Do you know where you are?”
He seemed a bit disoriented at first, staring silently at Vera for several seconds. Then, he began to smile, looking around at each one of them.
“Well, that was close. You had us seriously worried, you know?”
He smiled weakly at François and managed a soft “Sorry”.
Vera’s back slowly slid down the wall behind her. She sat there, shaking. She tried not to cry, fighting the overwhelming sense of fear. They had almost lost a member of their small group.
“Vera, you’re OK?”
“I’m fine, Sabrina, I’m fine. Just a bit tired,” she replied with an unconvincing smile.
The whole group soon regrouped, and the three helped Tendai into greenhouse II, where he could lay down and get some well-deserved O2 from the plants. Dedrick’s rover and its passengers arrived half an hour later to find Tendai seated at a table, surrounded by Vera, Sabrina, and François, all laughing loudly, a glass of Olympus Mons in hand.
The worst had been avoided. But the lesson had been learned. After that incident, only one rover was allowed to leave the camp at any time, and all three ARCs were checked every morn
ing and evening, and their backup suits had to be in the vehicles at all times. The breakdown was eventually attributed to a simple relay malfunction. A small short in it had caused the battery to drain overnight. Why the computers had not registered the malfunction was another mystery altogether…
After another incident, a few weeks later involving one of the rovers left outside, it had not taken long for Lars to request that a garage be added to the station. Luckily, since the successful landing of MF1 and its crew back in 2025, funding requests for the project had become much easier, and in 2028, a supply ship had delivered the kit-style garage, for the colonists to assemble.
White Veil
It was a particularly beautiful day. Dedrick and Vera had taken a trip to their favorite spot for some alone time. Bathed in the crimson light of a beautiful sunset over the Laguna plateau, the Russian had finally proposed, and the emotional woman had said yes.
The news had created some “disturbance in the Force,” as François had put it. Dedrick had vaguely mentioned the possibility of proposing the previous evening after a few too many drinks, but the Frenchman had attributed it to the Olympus Mons taking and dismissed the comment altogether. Needless to say, he was quite surprised when his Russian friend had made it official. What had made things bad for François was Sabrina’s envious reaction to the news. The next few weeks had been all about how wonderful marriage was, and how she hoped she would get asked too, someday. Her not-so-subliminal hints had been difficult for the Frenchman to ignore.
Regardless, Dedrick and Vera had finally tied the knot in May 2030, in front of the whole world watching from Earth. Ladli had been more than happy to be the bridesmaid for the second time, and Sabrina and Liu had helped decorate the small Martian outpost as best they could. Since Vera did not have a wedding dress, the two women had managed to fashion one out of several white and pink cloths, normally used to cover plants in the greenhouses. Regardless of the unusual look of her dress, Vera was radiant and couldn’t have been more thrilled. The forty-seven-year-old medical officer had become the first woman ever to get married on another world, and she loved it. Dedrick had asked François to be his best man, a role the Frenchman had been a bit reluctant to accept at first, considering his interest in weddings, left alone participate. But truth be told, he was touched nonetheless, and eventually agreed. Performing the ceremony had been entrusted to Najib. Commander of MF2 and team two leader, the Indian man had promised to do a great job. The occasion had also been a wonderful excuse to throw a party. Life on Mars could get quite monotonous at times. The need for some occasional play time was understandable.
“Vera Via, do you take this man to be your husband?”
“Yes, I do.”
Dedrick Sokolov, do you take this woman to be your wife?
“I do.”
“With the power given to me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” A small explosion of applause and yells by their colleagues filled the greenhouse. Tendai reached down the bag he was holding and pulled out a full fist of confetti which he threw high across the room. Countless small pieces of colored paper came flying down everywhere, while the newlyweds walked the center of the room. Ladli moved to the control panel and pressed play. The song “On Mars”, written and recorded by François a few days earlier for the occasion, came on. As the music echoed through the station, Dedrick and Vera started to dance. The dark ballade wouldn’t have been Vera’s first choice for their first dance, but Dedrick had convinced her it would mean the world to François. She had eventually given in.
Leaning against one of the support poles, Francois was watching the newlyweds with a satisfied smile. He turned to Ladli.
“I wrote that one just a few days ago. It’s brand new,” he whispered.
“Yeah, I know,” she replied, unimpressed.
“I used a recording program I created when I was still at Mars First, back on Earth.”
“Yep. I remember.” Ladli didn’t seem the least interested. But Francois went on.
“Listen, right there. Can you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“That sound, in the background, like water.”
“What are you babbling about, Francois?”
He shrugged his shoulders at her. “The bubbles. You don’t hear that?” He had an arm extended toward the control panel Ladli had been at moments earlier.
“Oh, that? Yes, sounds like something under water.”
“It’s one of the Blobus Viscus tanks. I placed a couple of mics next to it when I was recording the song. I like it in the background, gives it a whole new dimension. What do you think? Pretty cool, right?” Francois seemed quite satisfied with himself.
“That’s great. Good for you. I’m gonna grab a drink. Want anything?” Ladli did not give the Frenchman time to respond. She was already walking away.
Francois leaned back against the pole. Sabrina approached, drink in hand. She was giggling, looking at Francois with a mischievous look. He instantly knew she was already feeling the effects of the Olympus Mons. That could only mean one think. He was in trouble.
“Hey baby.” Sabrina rubbed her hand along his chest. “What are you up to, French guy?”
He moved her hand back to her side.
“Nothing, just hangin’. What about you, hun?”
“Just looking at Dedrick and Vera. They look so happy, don’t they?” She leaned her forehead on his shoulder, still watching the newly married couple dancing.
“Yeah, sure. I guess. You know me and parties. Not quite my thing… I think I need another drink. Want anything?”
“Hold on, there, cowboy, What about us?”
“What, what about us?” Francois feared he knew too well what she meant.
“You know…” she replied, looking at him with love.
He knew it was coming. They had been a couple for almost fifteen years. She rarely mentioned it, but he knew she loved the idea. To the Frenchman, marriage was not something he was against, he just did not see the point. Anytime the subject was brought up, Francois was always quick to argue that getting married was not a guaranty of love or happiness. Plenty of people got married, only to get divorced just as quickly. Those discussions rarely went well. Tonight, he would have to expect a long talk on the subject. Sabrina was in one of her nostalgic moods. He would just have to do his best to stand his ground. Secretly, he wished himself good luck.
On Mars
By François Menardais
Gm
I always knew you would come back in time
D11/A
To tell us of the beauty you have seen
Ebma7/Bb
And how you find your soul inside a dream
Cm9
Falling
Gm
Far away, a storm rages on Venus
D11/A
Lightning bolts are crashing to the ground
Ebma7/Bb
And it rains on Mercury, 'cause you don't want me to see
Cm9
The real You
Ebma13/Bb Gm7
But it’s love you’ll find, when you expect it least
Dm11/A Ebma13/Bb
And your heart and mind can no longer resist
Gm7 Dm11/A
The flames of Mount Olympus will burn
Gm
On Mars
Gm
Welcome to the carnival of chimes
D11/A
Would you spare a vision for a dime?
Ebma7/Bb
No, I can’t tell the future, but I’d offer you a smile
Cm9
If only, you were mine
Ebma13/Bb Gm7
But it’s love you’ll find, when you expect it least
Dm11/A Ebma13/Bb
And your heart and mind can no longer resist
Gm7 Dm11/A
The flames of Mount Olympus will burn
Gm
On Mars
The small colony now counted two married couples, and on
e very concerned Frenchman.
The accident
“Najib? Dedrick? Guys, I’m having trouble hearing you. Can you repeat the last transmission?”
Vera had been monitoring the small group from pod one since they had left the garage, two hours, forty minutes earlier. She had just figured out that this outing was her seventy-ninth spent at the station, while her colleagues were out in the field. Dedrick had asked her many times why she so often volunteered to stay behind. Mars was out there, and the excursions were the best part of the day to most of them. Wasn’t she tired of being cooped up inside all the time? She always responded the same way. She loved the station and preferred staying home.
Sabrina figured she worried too much about all of them to feel comfortable letting someone else monitor the group. So most of the time, Vera preferred to stay in contact with them from the station, especially ever since the incident with Sabrina’s suit a few months earlier. It could have been tragic, had she not been only a few meters outside the station. That had given her just enough time to get back inside before losing all her oxygen.
Today, the mission was exploring sector 421, a rocky and treacherous area, but a promising segment of Candor Chasma for potential water deposits.
“Dedrick? Can you repeat?”
“I said, we’re coming back. The cave didn’t lead anywhere. We did some probing down three of the lowest areas. The samples all came back negative. Looks like that fissure was not made by water after all. Or if it was, there is no trace of it now.”
The members of the group were slowly emerging one by one, from the narrow passage out of the cliff. A week earlier, François had noticed the depression at the foot of a cliff while driving by the area. Judging by the shape of the embedded ridge, the team had speculated that water could have carved part of it.
“That’s alright guys, it was a nice try. I’m glad you’re on your way back. We have a storm coming from the west. If you hurry, you should be here before it hits us. By the way, Dedrick, can you pick up some milk and a dozen eggs on your way home, I wanna make pancakes in the morning.”
Kahnu (The Guardians of Tomorrow Book 1) Page 9