"Is in panel thirteen, lower level," she replied.
"Good to know." He nodded to her as he rubbed Wanda's shoulders.
...*...*...*...*...
"Mario we're getting a sentinel report, solar flare alert," Wanda said, voice suddenly tense the next day.
Mario looked up then sprinted for the rover. "Direct or sideband?" he asked as they jogged. They were at the clay pit, nearly two kilometers away from safety.
"Sideband. Six minutes, but it looks like we're only going to catch a piece of it, it seems it will strike the planet, we'll be occluded for the first part."
He sighed as they climbed in. "So... two minutes until it catches up to us?" he asked a few minutes later as they frantically drove. The Habs were in sight. Tess pulled up in a shower of dust and dirt near the airlock. Tess jumped out and he followed.
He was about two meters from the Hab Tess was ahead of him. They were moving full tilt, hopefully they wouldn't trip on anything he thought, mind focused on the door. "Yeah, but I think this one is a dozy," Wanda said worried.
He climbed into the airlock with Tess and watched her close the door. "Pumping now. Two minutes," he sighed. "Great. Wanda what's happening?" he asked looking up to the overhead camera. He needed a distraction.
"It's hitting the planet now, horizon in thirty seconds. We need to get into the shelter," she replied. Mario grimaced. "You know, as much as I love you Mario, you all sweaty in a confined space is not what I had in mind to spend the day," Wanda chuckled. "I'm there. Get your butts in here," she said gruffly. Mario grimaced.
"Trying. Air exchanged, equalizing now. Dust is working. Crap override." He punched the override button. "Come on." He turned the lock then threw the door open. He raced out, not even bothering to pull his helmet off.
Tess pounded behind him to the ladder. "Climb climb!" she called. They got to the second deck and to the door. Wanda was waiting with it partially open.
"Get in here! What are you waiting for an engraved invitation?" she yelled. Tess managed to twist past him and get in just ahead of him. Wanda sealed the door behind them. "Thirty seconds of exposure," Wanda reported and then grimaced. She was holding a Geiger counter and ran it over Tess. She shook her head. "A couple rems I think I'm not sure." Her hands were shaking. Tess took her helmet off.
Mario grabbed his wife’s hands and looked into her eyes. "We're fine. Remember we added sandbags to the roof right?"
She grimaced. "The longer we stay here the more your crazy vault is appealing," she said. He chuckled.
Tess smiled as she unstrapped and pulled her breather pack off. "Here." Wanda helped him remove his helmet, and then she kissed him.
"Uh, guys? Hello?" Tess demanded. The married couple was oblivious for a moment.
Finally Wanda broke the kiss. "Stop getting in trouble like this Mario. You die on me and I will never forgive you," she growled, holding his ears. She hugged herself to him. He smiled.
"Then I better not die huh?" He pulled the straps and felt her hands pushing it off his shoulders.
"Damn radiation. I wish Mars had a magnetic field," Wanda sulked. He chuckled. Wanda looked at him.
"That's a problem way above my ability to fix dear. Let’s stick to the small potatoes right now," he replied. Both girls chuckled.
...*...*...*...*...
"All buttoned down?" Mario asked as Tess and Wanda came in through the lock.
"Yeah, what about in here?" Wanda waved.
"Cabinets and samples are secured. Hopefully we won’t rattle too much." He was dressed in his skin suit. T minus five minutes until the asteroid's impact.
"Why the suit?" Tess asked.
"In case of a breach," he replied. He had his pre-breather out too.
Tess froze, then started buckling hers back on. "You know, that's a good idea." Wanda followed suit. "How much time do we have?"
"About four minutes." He waved them to the living room. The telemetry feed was up.
"I bet the seismologists are going to go nuts when they get this data," Wanda observed.
"Yeah. I bet you will too when you see what gets sent up into the atmosphere." Mario retorted.
"Touché," she chuckled. She glanced at the clock. "Three minutes fourteen seconds and counting."
He patted her hand. "No worries," he said. She nodded still tense.
As the countdown hit zero she looked around. "What no kaboom? I was expecting an Earth shattering kaboom!"
He laughed. He knew she loved Marvin Martian but that was totally cliché. Within a minute they felt the first rattle. "Shake rattle and roll! Now we’re talking oh baby!" Mario laughed.
"Letch!" Wanda gasped. "Damn what a ride!" She was panting.
"Is it over?" Tess asked over the intercom. In a moment a second shock wave hit.
"Not quite," Wanda replied. They felt the Hab buck.
"We have a leak in hab one, looks like a seal in the airlock ruptured," Tess said, voice all business.
Mario grunted at Tess's report. "Not good. That's going to be a bitch to fix," he sighed.
"I can't get anything from the vault, I'm not sure if it is okay or not," Tess reported.
"We'll have to wait and see. No way am I going inside for at least a couple days. Not until these aftershocks pass," Mario replied.
...*...*...*...*...
A few days later he wasn't at all amused anymore. He planned on having a nice long chat with his little brother when he arrived. The wall of dust was kilometers high. Wanda gasped, frozen in shock. "My god," she murmured.
Mario turned to look. "Oh crapolla." He looked up and up. "That's a big storm." He shook his head.
"Yeah. Uh, We ah... We better batten down the hatches and get inside." Wanda turned and started to hurry.
"Crap. This is so going to suck." Mario jogged to the garages. "We don't have any doors!" he wailed.
"Think of something! Use a tarp or something!" Wanda called back.
"Crap." He looked around. "All the tarps are being used. Not good," he sighed. The cargo landers were supposed to land tomorrow too. His hand bumped the helmet. "Definitely not good." Tess ran past him. "Okay, we need to stop running around like headless chickens and figure something out,” he muttered.
...*...*...*...*...
"So we here that the real reason Mario Irons didn't return from Mars is that he found out he would have to wear a tie at the White house," the comedian joked. Mario chuckled.
Wanda poked him. He looked over to her to see her dimpling. "He's probably right you know," Wanda said dryly. Mario's chuckle turned into a laugh.
They had just finished watching the recordings of the crew being awarded by the international partners. The ticker tape parade in DC had been wild. Millions of people had attended. "Missed quite a party," Wanda murmured. They were also missing their comrades. Team two was stuck in orbit until the dust storms stopped. They had company, the cargo landers, their ERV, and MAV were up there with them. No one could land in this soup.
"As long as I have you in arms reach we can have a party of two anytime we want," he teased. He smiled at her. She blushed.
"For me, am glad," Tess said. Mario and Wanda turned to the Russian. She was tucked up in a chair with a blanket over her legs. "Is bad enough have face on cereal boxes..." she shivered.
Wanda smiled and turned on Mario. "See, you’re not the only one who isn't into all the attention." It was Mario's turn to blush as the girls chuckled.
"Take a look at this picture." The comedian held up a picture of Mario in his suit. "Either he has got to fart or he has the biggest wedgie I have ever seen." Wanda and Tess started giggling uncontrollably.
"Yuck it up girls." Mario laughed. "You're turns coming." He watched as Wanda got her laughter under control and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Victoria secret designers took one look at the Mars suits and decided they were just too last year." The comedian held up another picture, this time of Wanda in her suit with Victoria secre
t lingerie photo shopped on top.
Mario started laughing. The girls were shaking their heads. "Gee I wonder if we can get that shipped out here..." Mario laughed.
Wanda turned on him with a glower. "Don't you dare," she dimpled.
"It's great to have brothers in high places," he teased. "I'm sure he can get you a couple, maybe in blue?" She poked him. "Okay, pink, no that will blend..." He couldn't finish because she sat on him and started tickling him in earnest. Tess laughed.
...*...*...*...*...
Mario looked out the porthole and tried to see the falling MAV. "No sign yet." Tess reported. "It's in blackout now, will cross horizon in twenty seconds," she reported. He looked over to her as he sat down at the desk. "Is... signal... weak." She held her hand to her blue tooth. "Yes, got it." She smiled at them. They smiled back. "Is okay." She looked at the big screen. "Telemetry feed coming up." Mario reported as the screen blinked. Slowly data began to scroll.
"Drog chute deployed... Sixty kilometers out." Mario grimaced.
"What?" Wanda asked coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I was hoping it would come in a lot closer, but with storm..."
She sighed in his ear. "You’re always expecting one hundred percent," she said. He chuckled. "No one’s perfect." she sighed. They watched the feed.
"Main chutes deployed, craft slowing to four hundred knots. Tail wind is blowing it in our direction. Hey maybe it won’t be so far out!" he smiled.
"See?" She kissed his ear. "You were worrying over nothing as usual," she teased. He sighed and patted her hands.
"As usual you’re right dear," he murmured. They watched as the craft's telemetry stabilized.
"Wait, pull up a plot... show me the overhead map." Tess called suddenly wary. Mario typed at the virtual keyboard. A window popped up with an overhead plot. "Zoom in." Tess walked up to the screen looking at it. "It's going to land on us." Tess observed looking back at them.
"No way. There are beacons all over the place...” Wanda replied looking up and slowly releasing her grip on Mario.
"No it is. Look these beacons are all around us. It is heading for the center." Tess used her finger to trace each of the perimeter beacons then pointed to them.
"If it doesn't land directly on us it might land on the Vault," Mario sighed.
"Crap," Wanda breathed, eyes wide. "Chutes have been cut, looks like she's in free fall again. Wait, retros fired. Three hundred meters above the ground." Mario looked up at the plot. "Come on baby, for once in your life MISS!" Wanda chanted softly, fingers crossed. Tess turned to her, crossed her fingers and crossed her arms over her chest. Wanda did the same.
Tess turned to watch the plot. "Crap, it's..." Mario started to get up. Wanda felt a thrill of concern. Damn it did look like it was about to land right on top of their heads!
"We should get into our skin suits," Wanda said starting to back to the door.
"Is firing emergency thrusters now," Tess reported. "Bring up camera?" she asked turning to Mario. She rushed to the porthole. "I see it!"
Wanda rushed over to her. "Where?" She looked up.
"Crap its close!" She shielded her eyes. "Please not on us, go land somewhere else..." Wanda chanted.
"I think it heard you," Tess said. "Is drifting. Da is coming down. Twenty meters and falling."
Mario nodded. "The ground radar probably got the AI to kick over to avoid landing and falling over. Nice touch." He had pulled up several camera feeds and was watching the show. "Looking good. I can see it, but the dust storm is picking up. I don't think we're going to get to it when it is like this." The craft flared out then touched down in the orange haze.
"Great! Perfect!" They cheered. "Houston control, MAV four has landed. Safe landing, though it gave us some heart stopping moments there. We will get you the footage in a moment," Mario reported over the communications. He looked up and smiled to the women. "Guess we get to have an early Christmas huh?" MAV 4 was the last unmanned lander before crew two arrived.
Tess chuckled. "Da but must wait like any other kid for morning to open presents Father Christmas brought."
Mario smiled. "Well... We could rig some lights..." He struck a thoughtful pose.
"Not on your life," Wanda glared. He pretended to pout.
Tess giggled. "Just like little boy wanting present," she teased.
Wanda looked at her husband then grinned at Tess. "I know, they never do seem to grow up," she said. He rolled her eyes at her. Both women laughed and threw pillows at him.
...*...*...*...*...
"Mario this doesn't look right." Tess looked up from the cargo hold and turned to him. He'd bustled them through a quick breakfast and out the door, even passing on their chores.
"What no candy canes?" Mario joked.
"No, is no reactor. There is a lot of other stuff though," she replied. She pulled out a small package and held it up. "Label is for life support filters."
Mario nodded. "Well at least they got something right," he sighed. "No reactor sucks though, we've run through half the power supply of the first two with the Vault as part of the load. We're going to need more power if we are going to expand and stay here long term." He shook his head as he climbed the ramp.
"No robot either. Huh." He checked a crate label. "What the hell? Solar panels?" he demanded. He looked up then over to another. The packages were long but thin, less than three centimeters thick. "What the devil?" He looked at another larger package. "Yeah, this is the prototype forge unit we wanted," he said pointing to a label on a crate he recognized. He went back to the solar panels. "Well, looks like little brother screwed the pooch." He looked up at the storm.
"Da," Tess replied.
"Yeah," Mario sighed. "Well, let’s get this unloaded and what we got." They started pulling crates and loading them on the back of the rover. Tess drove the first load to the garage. He spent the time waiting for her to come back pulling more gear out and leaving it at the boarding ramp. "I can see leaving out the hydrogen and fuel reactor, we can make plenty of fuel, we're even making the carbon, zeolite, aluminum, and iron catalysts now, so that's not a problem anymore. But we need a reliable power supply!" He grunted as he hefted another box.
"You almost finished there ladies?" Wanda looked up and waved. She was helping Tess unload on the other end.
"Almost done," he sighed. "I'm going to need you to drag these out Tess; no way can I pull them out on my own." He looked over to her as she climbed into the rover and started toward him.
"What are they?" Wanda asked.
"Looks like the forge, some airlocks parts, another greenhouse, and a really big package or two I can't identify."
He motioned for Tess to turn and back up to the ramp. When she had completed the maneuver she got out and hooked up a line to the rear, then tossed him the free end. He bent and attached it to the bottom hooks on the forge pallet. "We'll just drag these off to one side for now; I think there are a lot more small packages to go as well." He moved aside as she pulled the pallet down the ramp.
Once the plastic pallet hit the dirt it dug in. "Crap, stuck, hang on or you'll tip it," he cautioned. He went over to the pallet and tried to dig the end out. "Nope. Okay, need another plan." He looked around for a moment.
"What if we lift end up, attach to rover?" Tess suggested.
"Yeah, but we'd have to get a crane to lift it. This sucker is heavy," he sighed. "Okay, I know they had to put the stupid thing in the center for center of mass, but damn!" He shook his head.
"Cargo master just isn't your forte is it honey?" Wanda teased.
"Nope," he growled. He shook his head. "You know what, leave it, let’s work on the smaller packages and then come back to it." He climbed around the package and back into the hold. Tess unhooked the cable from the rover and tossed it to the ground.
"You know your only delaying the inevitable," Wanda replied.
"Yeah, maybe, but this way we don't spend all day trying to get one multimil
lion dollar paperweight to move," Mario replied. He came out to the edge of the hold and started dropping small bags.
"What are those?" Wanda asked.
"Fuel bladders. We have a few, but it looks like we now have a whole lot more." Mario tossed another bundle down. "There are some more sand bags, looks like a couple packages, and a plastic extruder as well." He hefted another package and dropped it to the ground.
"Hey watch it!" Tess called up.
"Oh sorry." He smiled as he walked back into the hold. She was moving packages to the rover.
...*...*...*...*...
"Luigi! What's this all about? Why solar panels? You sent us paper thin solar panels and wind turbines that will shred in this storm! What the hell were you thinking?" Mario demanded and then hit send. He leaned into the camera and tried not to snarl. After a moment he remembered the time lag and just about threw himself into the chair to wait for a reply.
"Sorry Mario, but that's the best we can do. Powers on high nixed any more reactors, the greens got their way." Luigi sighed. His image was jumping and filled with snow and static.
Mario finally switched it off but left the audio on. "Luigi, what are we going to do with these? We can't use them for months, maybe years no thanks to you!" He shook his head. He picked up a small panel and looked it over.
"Well, the good news is we can use them in the future. Mario, I am looking at the long term here," Luigi replied.
"All right," Mario replied sourly.
Wanda came in, brushing her hair after her shower. "Read him the riot act?" she asked.
"Not exactly," Mario admitted and then shrugged.
She shook her head. "Why the hell not? You and I both know we need those reactors if we are going to expand!" She sat down across his lap. He oofed.
"It's complicated dear," he sighed.
"You mean it's got politics written all over it," she replied, wrinkling her nose.
Tess nodded from the doorway. "Da. Smells from even here." She wrinkled her nose too.
"I thought that was just me," Mario smiled. Wanda poked him.
"Mario probably told you politics are involved so I won’t belabor the point," Luigi started speaking. "Fortunately we have enough in the kitty for this MAV, two more cargo Landers that should be landing just after crew two comes in; the SSTO's and the first two plasma drive flights. After that things get a whole lot more dicey," Luigi sighed.
First Steps (Founding of the Federation) Page 25