Mendez: I mean that we couldn’t find it the other day.
Cardiff: Fine, whatever. That is fantastic!
Cardiff presses her finger against the earpiece firmly planted in her ear.
Cardiff: Long, how long will it take to get back here to pick us up?
A nod of her head demonstrates her active listening to the radio in her ear. She continues her descent down the hill to meet Mendez and Ghent where they stand.
Cardiff: Well, I don’t think we have any other option, you do not have enough supplies, and there is not enough daylight left for that anyway! Get back here on the double; we will be ready to go. Radio when you get close.
Cardiff removes her hand from the earpiece and she looks Mendez in the eyes as she can see the impending question forming.
Mendez: Is he coming to pick us up? How long will it take?
Cardiff: A couple of hours probably. I knew it was a bad idea to let them go out there on their own! I should have listened to my gut and gone with them.
Cardiff looks over Mendez’s shoulder, eagerly watching Ghent as he remains industrious by the pond shore.
Cardiff: What’s with him?
Mendez: You’d better not ask him. He is suffering from delusions, something about day 43 and the end of the world.
Cardiff: Yeah, the day of the sun’s wrath or whatever.
Mendez: He didn’t mention the specifics with me. How come you did not tell me that you had spoken with him about that?
Cardiff: I spoke with him. Yes, I must have just forgotten to tell you, sorry Doctor.
Mendez: Should we take him with us?
Cardiff: Do you want to leave him here alone?
Mendez: Uh, no. Definitely not, but then again it worries me to take him out into the field, especially given the danger involved.
Cardiff: I don’t think that we have a choice in the matter, do we?
Mendez, Cardiff and Ghent all stand near the airlock, awaiting the radio call from Long to say that he has arrived. As time passes, it is apparent that the intense feelings of apprehension are almost more than Mendez and Cardiff can reasonably handle. Hands rub pale faces, and fingers are kept fidgeting to pass the time. In the space of two hours, the time it takes for Long to make his way back to the dome, feelings of nervous nausea and heart palpitation pervade each moment. They move from one location to the next, all to keep an eye on Ghent without him becoming aware of the scrutiny.
Finally, the radio call comes in as the large rig pulls up next to the airlock. Mendez, Cardiff, and then Ghent come running out of the airlock, all suited up. Additional provisions, which will surely be needed, are carried over shoulder as they make haste.
There is little time to explain the events that have transpired as they jump into the large rig. Without pause, the team makes the sojourn back to the volcanic tube, where Lawrence lay unconscious and broken. The time passes slowly as the rig rolls across the endless wasteland to reach the fallen man. Interrogative discussion ensues regarding the happenings that led up to the accident; Long appears calm, yet concerned in his discourse.
Long explains that he had dropped flares and oxygen to Lawrence in the event that he awakens; after a long exposure on the ground in the cavern, so far below the warming rays of the sun, he will inevitably expire from hypothermia or suffocation, whichever comes first.
Upon arriving at the destination, all four team members leap from the vehicle and rush toward the repelling ropes that have already been fastened at the top of the opening. Two at a time, they repel down the wall of the drop.
After so much time waiting to arrive, anxiety and restlessness almost overwhelm their purpose with hysteria. Long quickly brings the rest of the team to the same crossroads that Lawrence had stood with him a few long hours ago. The convoluted passage frustrates Cardiff and Mendez as they cannot know how much further away the cavern is.
As they triumphantly burst from the confines of the small tunnel into the cavern, Cardiff can’t help but to verify what she hopes to be true.
Cardiff: Is this where you went? Is this where he is?
Long: Yes, he is down in there. He slipped off of the larger rock into a cavern underneath. There is ice everywhere; if you step on it you will suffer the same fate.
Mendez: Right. Well, we need to hurry; I doubt that he has much time.
The water condensation from Long’s breath overwhelms the fan in his helmet, and begins to collect on his visor. Once in the large cavern, jagged rock and uneven floor surfaces make this journey a dangerous one for everyone.
As Lawrence opens his eyes, the dimmest of light in the background reveals to him that his mask has a series of cracks running through it. He rolls over and slowly tries to sit up. He lay propped up on one arm as he feels a sharp, yet throbbing pain in his other arm, and another in his pelvic bone. Both are definitely broken from the long fall. The sound of radio signal in his ear increases his situational awareness even further.
Cardiff: Lawrence, do you read me!?
Lawrence: (Coughing) Cardiff! I can hear you! I am hurt and can’t move. Where are you guys?
Long: Lawrence, we are almost there… I threw you some flares and another tank. Can you feel them?
Lawrence: Uh, yeah, yes I have a flare in my good hand. I am going to try and light it, hurry up already. I am getting really cold and I cannot feel my legs at all.
Who the…
As the rest of the team hurriedly rushes to climb up the large rock inside the cavern, the edge of the crevice becomes visible. A sudden flash from within the hole further reveals Lawrence’s natural internment. The rich oxygen environment breathes life to a new demon. Brightly colored flames erupt out of the crevice, and a sudden burst of heat and flame knock the four from their climbing positions onto their backs in the cavern, bringing their approach to a sudden and horrific halt.
With an unrivaled hunger, the flames engulf the entire hidden cavern in heat and light. The rising inferno illuminates each crevice and far-reaching corner in the cavern. The intense heat radiating out of the fully-engulfed cavern threatens to melt some of the components on the team’s pressure suits. Walking with their hands, and their backs against the wall, the others rush to get out of the way of the erupting inferno.
As the flames become satisfied, and the fog begins to clear, they all get up and carefully wander to the rock housed within the cavern, yet again. Cardiff dismisses probable peril as she rushes to the bulge of rock, which houses the crevice atop it. Long comes alongside her. She gives him a lifting boost, and he manages to crawl back up to where he once had been.
Long: Watch out for that ice! There is ice there and there.
Mendez tosses a hand-held light up to him and he crawls over to the edge, on his stomach once again. With a very deliberate press of the switch, the lamp ignites, projecting intense light down into the hole. His head quickly pulls away from the crevice to retreat from the horrific scene below. Long slowly rises to his knees, and braces his hands on his thighs as he leans forward. His helmet comes to rest on the rock face in front of him. Mendez reaches the top of the rock and carefully walks over to him. She tentatively bends over and places her gloved hand on his back.
Mendez: Hey, it isn’t your fault. You do know that, right?
He lifts his helmet a couple of centimeters off of the rock, and then drops it back to its resting place.
Cardiff: Night is coming. We don’t have time enough to stay here and pay our respects as we think that we ought to. We too, will run out of time if we stay much longer.
Long: You re right.
Long rises to his feet cautiously, and then begins to look down the side of the rock to find the best way down. After hopping off of the smooth rock, Long begins to walk back toward the opening, alone. The remaining three can do nothing except stand in the cavern and watch Long walk away. The lights on their helmets reveal the direction of their view, and all lights point up toward Long.
Mendez notices the bag that Lawrence had been ho
lding, before he had fallen, laying on the rock. She reaches down to pick it up, she then straps it carefully over her shoulder. Mendez slowly climbs down the rock in the same manner that Long had. The other two follow her back to the opening of the cavern. Cardiff turns back around to face the utter dark behind her.
Cardiff: Goodbye Mr. Lawrence.
After several minutes of traversing the hazardous tunnel, they finally reach the inclination at the bottom of the drop-off where they had descended before. Long has just finished strapping in and begins the long climb up.
Ghent rushes up the incline and fastens himself to the rope in front of him. He quickly readies himself and begins the long ascent behind Long. The long rays of the evening sun shine upon the rocks standing over the opening above.
Cardiff: So, I can say with the utmost confidence that things have begun to unravel on us.
Mendez: Things are moving too fast, this is much too fast. We haven’t figured out how to stop this yet. Will we?
Mendez holds her hand in front of her, beckoning Cardiff to join her in the ascent. Cardiff visibly shakes her head back and forth, up and down; clearly she cannot say one way or the other. After her display of uncertainty, she joins Mendez at the ropes.
Several long minutes of pulling their way to the surface sees the women crest over the edge. The last red rays of the sun give way to the shadows of the night. Long and Ghent are busy strapping themselves into the rig as Cardiff and Mendez retrieve the rope. This rope had been their portal in and out of Lawrence’s cold mausoleum. A most appropriate resting place, he lay buried a hundred meters under their feet. A more macabre place there could not be than this resting place of ashen ice. Mendez hurriedly tosses the two lengths of rope onto the back of the rig, where she binds them to the rest of the gear.
With a faint hum of the electrical motor, the rig begins the departure for the dome, for their temporary home. In the fading light, only the ground directly in front of the rig is visible, slowing the rate at which the team travels back toward the dome, homeward bound, light one person.
Inside the cavern, the arrival of night is completely meaningless. Utter dark constantly resides within. Time in hours or years is completely impertinent. Aside from the sound of wind moving through the various compartments of the tunnel system, the silence of death pervades each crevice and space, a return to the status quo.
Chapter 13
The ominous humming of the rig’s electric engine wanes as the vehicle comes to a stop in front of the dome. Long reluctantly grabs his air supply and disconnects it from the vehicle. The others grab their gear; sluggishly they begin to walk toward the dimly-lit airlock as it flickers in the night. Long looks at the spare oxygen cylinder sitting next to him, and rubs his glove against the smooth aluminum surface.
Long slowly closes his eyes as he leans forward, resting his helmet on the control panel in front of him. The solace found here in the absence of light is interrupted intermittently by the bright specks of light that flash in his closed eyes. Cosmic radiation produces this sensation as it passes through his body. The flashes are troublesome, although he has come to be accustomed to them. The flashes now appear as recently experienced events that flash before his closed eyes. The scene of flailing arms and the sound of a comrade calling out to him cannot be pushed from his mind. Long’s opening eyes are the only respite that brings relief.
Mendez: I can’t believe that he’s gone.
Long: Sorry, what did you say?
Mendez: Why don’t you come inside, and we’ll talk about it?
Long: I guess I will have to at some point, won’t I?
Mendez: You don’t have to.
Long: I know what you meant.
Long cautiously bounds down from the rig. Dust and small rock are compressed under his boots. With his gear in hand, he walks into the open airlock. Mendez turns from her place next to the empty rig and walks toward the airlock to join everyone else.
The nuisance of silence fills the airlock, even as the air from inside the dome rushes in to fill it. Even after everyone removes their helmets, not a single word is uttered. Mendez is the first out of the airlock, and she walks briskly down the dark pathway toward the plaza. She fights the impending sorrow and anger that begins to fill her mind.
Doctor Mendez draws in a deep breath; she closes her eyes and exhales slowly through her mouth. The exterior light on the dormitory building provides an obvious deception for her as she opens her eyes. Under the backlight of the exterior lighting, a figure stands at the top of the steps and waves in a welcoming fashion to all who look on. Mendez looks over toward Ghent and Cardiff as they walk down the pathway toward her. Neither of them looks on toward the figure, and neither looks up at her either.
Mendez: It can’t be. My eyes deceive me.
She looks back toward the figure to see him walk back into the dormitory building; the door shuts slowly behind him. His silhouette reveals his movement down the well-lit hallway into Lawrence’s room. Another deep breath and she closes her eyes to purge her mind of the deceitful vision. The same quick flashes of radiation fill her eyes in the dark.
Mendez opens her eyes, slowly at first, and returns her gaze to the dormitory. Cardiff and Ghent walk up alongside her. Cardiff places her hand on Mendez’s shoulder and squeezes it slightly to let her know that her inner turmoil is visibly apparent.
Cardiff: Doctor, I know it’s been a rough day. What else is wrong?
Mendez: Aside from the terrifying event in the control center earlier today, the fact that you almost shot Lawrence dead and the fact that he is indeed now dead? No. Everything is perfectly fantastic.
Cardiff’s bright green eyes glisten in the distant light from the dormitory. Her lips move while remaining closed, as if she is trying to figure out what to say. Cardiff simply nods her head while fighting back the emotional quiver of her jaw. She takes a few more seconds before responding to the comment that Mendez has made.
Cardiff: Well, I think the best thing to do right now is to get some rest. Where’s Long?
Long: Right behind you. I just walked up, what did I miss?
Mendez: I guess we are just turning in.
The water in the pond is smooth as glass; neither wind to disturb it nor anything within it disrupts its perfection. Doctor Mendez turns her troubled mind to the stillness of the pond. Remaining completely focused on the pristine calm of the water, her feet become compelled to move along the path to it. Two minutes later she arrives at the bank of the pond. The faint starlight above illuminates the crystal clear surface. She reaches for her sleeve pocket, from which she retrieves her smooth glass marble. The red glass swirls within it mesmerize her as she holds it in front of her, allowing the faint light to pass through the marble.
The gravity of the current situation slowly settles in as Mendez sits on a large round boulder, which is resting on the muddy shore. The course boulder rubs her pressure suit abrasively as she settles on the rock. In her mind, Mendez recalls the events of the day. The complete silence around almost encourages her to break it with a voice for her inner monologue.
Mendez: I have seriously underestimated the challenge that I would be facing out here.
Her depth of thought is interrupted by a very quiet disturbance, the origination lies out in the middle of the pond. Cascading through the dark water, a series of bubbles erupt, tearing through the surface. This disturbance sends waves out toward the shoreline on all sides. Her hand comes to rest firmly at her side upon the rust-colored rock. She moves the marble out of her focal point. Without moving her eyes, her view comes to rest upon the rippling in the pond.
Silhouette and shadow, cast from above, distract Mendez from her resolved focus on the pond. A faint clanking sound of feet on the glass ceiling above reveals the exact position of the source to her. She quietly moves to sit up off of the rock. After her shaky legs come to support her, she steps backward until her feet come to rest on the path. What starts out as slow and well-coordinated footsteps evo
lves into a stumbling sprint; a rock-laden path threatens to trip her up. Her rapid, terror-bound flight back toward the safety and solace of the light seems too long to her as she tries to avoid tripping. The safety of familiar companionship feels well out of her reach.
Mendez presses on in her quickened pace as she stumbles up the steps outside the dormitory building. She whips open the door to the building, and while standing in the doorway she looks back out into the darkness, unsure of what she is thinking or feeling. The path down to the pond is obscured in the darkness, it is impossible to see while standing in this soothing light. Despite her curiosity, and her desire to resolve the mysterious feelings welling up within her, she decides to move both feet into the dormitory hallway. She notices that the dormitory building has a lock built into the door. Inner discourse once again is vocalized, unintentionally.
Mendez: Why would you need a lock on this door, here on Mars?
Cardiff: I don’t honestly know why you would need a lock on the door out here. I suppose that the engineering team thought it better to err on the side of preparation instead of leaving something undone.
Deeper Into the Void Page 13