A Mars Odyssey

by Michel Poulin

  With the other astronauts watching them go, Denise left the crew lounge, a seething Larkin at her back, and went to a storage compartment on the opposite side of the lounge, where she closed the door behind the geologist before pointing an index at him.

  ‘’Mister Larkin, you may be the chief geologist, but I am the team commander on Mars. I believe that our people worked hard enough today, including spending a full six hours out in spacesuits, and need some rest. There is absolutely no need for us to burn ourselves out right now. Your extra samples can wait until tomorrow.’’

  The disdainful expression that came to Larkin’s face then irked Denise to no little degree, but not as much as the words he said next.

  ‘’Well, I still disagree with that opinion and I intend to refer the matter to Doctor Denisovich, on the FRIENDSHIP. We will then see what he thinks about this.’’

  ‘’WHAT I SAID WAS NOT AN OPINION, LARKIN, BUT AN ORDER! IF YOU START PLAYING IN MY BACK, THEN IT WILL BE COMMANDER LARSSON WHO WILL BECOME CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. YOUR GEOLOGISTS WILL STAY IN THE LANDER TONIGHT! UNDERSTOOD?... IS THAT UNDERSTOOD, LARKIN?’’

  ‘’Yes!’’ said the geologist in a less than convincing tone before brushing past Denise and storming out of the storage compartment, leaving behind a fuming Denise. In her opinion, this was no place or time for inflated egos and uncooperative attitudes, not while stuck on Mars for months. While she didn’t like having to do it, she now saw no alternative but to send a private report of this incident to Janet Larsson, lest Larkin started to badmouth her in her back.

  08:48 (GMT)

  Wednesday, April 27, 2044

  Main cargo bay, Cargo Lander Number One

  Underground rotunda, Melas Chasma

  Having entered the main cargo bay of one of the four cargo landers now parked inside the huge underground rotunda that would become the first permanent base on Mars, Jason Terlecki looked around the still unpressurized compartment, which was packed nearly full with base prefabricated modules. The main cargo bay formed a doughnut-shaped compartment wrapped around the nuclear rocket engine of the lander. That nuclear rocket engine was presently functioning in power plant mode and providing a steady six megawatts of electrical power, power that was already being used for multiple purposes. Like the three other cargo landers, this lander had its external floodlights lit and oriented in various directions and was helping to illuminate the more than 460 meter-wide rotunda, thus facilitating the job of the astronauts from the manned lander, parked in line with the cargo landers and now connected to each other by pressurized flexible, telescopic circulation tubes. On top of illuminating the rotunda, each cargo lander also had a high capacity cryogenic fractional distillation unit, which had been activated automatically once on the surface of Mars. Those cryogenic distillation units were now busy pumping in the rarefied atmosphere of Mars, to then cool it down until it turned into a cryogenic liquid under a pressure of six bars, so that the CO2 in the Martian atmosphere, which accounted for 95.3% of it, wouldn’t simply turn into dry ice. Then, that liquid Martian ‘air’ was slowly heated up, so that each basic element in it would be distilled via evaporation and collected into separate tanks. Apart from the liquefied CO2, which was then further treated chemically to separate part of its oxygen from it, the process wielded as well the two percent of argon and 1.9 percent of nitrogen gas contained in the Mars atmosphere. The nitrogen, once mixed with oxygen extracted from CO2, would provide fresh air for the astronauts. It was also going to be used as a fertilizer component, mixed with the treated, sterilized feces and urine from the astronauts. As for the argon, which was to be kept in its liquid, cryogenic form, it would be stored away for future use, when cargo shuttles would be available to bring that liquefied argon to Mars orbit, where it would be available to refuel the fuel tanks of the magneto-plasma engines of interplanetary spaceships like the H.S.S. FRIENDSHIP.

  Walking onto the sole wide surface not packed with modules, which was actually the floor of the lift platform used to lower cargo components down to the Martian surface, Jason eyed the nearest pile of modules, stacked three-high in the 5.5 meter-high cargo bay: they did not appear to have been damaged or even disturbed by the landing on Mars. Jason smiled to himself when he remembered an episode on Earth, when discussing with other engineers and space administrators the best way to build a Mars base out of prefabricated elements. One young engineer had argued that disassembled module elements would save a lot of precious space in the cargo landers, compared to fully assembled but collapsed modules. Jason had then made the group buy a number of standard commercial shelving sets requiring assembly and had told the group to put on spacesuits before they tried to unpack and assemble the pieces, which included lots of small screws, nuts and bolts. It had taken less than half a hour before the group members had given up in frustration, unable to manipulate properly the smaller parts with their spacesuits’ gloves. That had closed for good the debate about assembled versus disassembled modules. Consulting his electronic data pad and comparing the serial numbers painted on the sides of the modules frames with his list of base components, Jason then moved off the lift platform and went to the cargo bay command panel, where he punched a command for the lander’s computer. As robotic arms came alive and started undoing the tie-down straps fixing the modules to the floor, Jason called by radio Denise Wattling, who was waiting outside with Roberto Calderon and four other astronauts, ready to start assembling their base.

  ‘’Denise, this is Jason: I am going to start unloading the base modules out of Cargo Lander One. Once each module is out and on its wheels, push it in temporary position, with one meter between the sides of each module and with about ten meters between the double rows of modules. That will leave us more than enough space to then roll and deploy the central hallway modules between the double row of unitary modules. Please keep to our master base building plan when rolling the unitary modules in their respective places.’’

  ‘’Don’t worry about that, Jason: when I was a young girl, I was very good with Lego building blocks.’’

  ‘’Hey, I also loved playing with Lego blocks when I was a kid. In fact, I still do! Well, I am now going to move the first module. Please stand by!’’

  Punching another command on his control panel, Jason made the overhead traveling crane of the cargo bay roll along its circular ceiling rails, positioning it over the first module to be taken out. The crane’s manipulator arms and clamps then grabbed solidly the module and raised it a bit before rolling sideways to then put it down on the lift platform. On Jason’s command, the lift platform went down smoothly, until its bottom rested on the thick layer of dust, sand and rocks covering the floor of the rotunda. Denise’ building team then moved into action at once, deploying the wheels of the module by simply pressing a button that sent compressed air into the pneumatic pistons supporting the wheels, making the telescopic tubes extend and lock in place, thanks to spring-loaded stops. Rolling the lightweight modules off the lift platform was then easy, the six astronauts being enough to push the aluminum alloy and flexible plastic structure, which weighed less than 500 kilos despite being eight meters long, five meters wide and 1.5 meters high in collapsed state. The module was next hooked to the towing A-frame at the back of one of their two ATVs, which then moved it to a predetermined spot designated by Denise. That module was in its planned location, with the ATV unhooking from it, as the second module was already coming down on the lift platform of the cargo lander. The second ATV of the expedition took charge of that new module as the first ATV rolled back to near the cargo lander.

  With little more to do for the moment but simply unloading the module out of the lander and rolling them into place along two long parallel rows of modules facing head-to-head, the work went quickly, astonishing even Jason. With the main cargo bay of Cargo Lander One emptied of its 21 base modules in less than three hours, the crew took a one hour break for lunch. Then Jason moved to the second cargo lander and also emptied it, taking ou
t the five last unitary modules of the base before unloading the three assembly packs that would form the central hallway section of the complex. The last items inside that cargo lander, a number of pallets supporting various equipment, furniture and fittings for the modules, were unloaded and put aside for the moment. That allowed Jason to close and seal the cargo bays of those two cargo landers, which were then pressurized with breathable air and with their air recycling and conditioning units being switched on. Their agronomist, Tomonaga Masaki, then started reconfiguring the now empty cargo bays into vast hydroponic gardens, and this simply by unfolding down already assembled hydroponic basins lining the walls of the cargo bays on two ring levels. With the necessary pumps, tanks, fertilizer mixers and injectors needed by the basins already built-in, Masaki would now only need some water to start growing plants inside those two cargo landers.

  Coming out of Cargo Lander Two, Jason calmly walked down the double row of unitary modules, checking carefully with the help of his data pad that each module was in the correct position. Once at the end of the double row, Jason looked at Denise and smiled to her.

  ‘’Every module is in its place, Denise. We may now roll up and extend the modules of the central hallway.’’

  ‘’Excellent! I will have Steven use one ATV to both roll in place and extend the hallway modules. Should we inflate the central hallway assembly before connecting the unitary modules to it, Jason?’’

  ‘’Definitely! We want the hallway to be fully deployed, leveled and rigid before connecting the modules to it. If not, we risk putting stresses on the connector sections when inflating the hallway assembly and unitary modules.’’

  ‘’OKAY, PEOPLE, YOU HEARD THE MAN: LET’S ROLL OUT AND DEPLOY THE CENTRAL HALLWAY ASSEMBLY, THEN WE WILL INFLATE IT.’’

  That part of the job went even faster than the unloading of the modules, taking a mere fifty minutes. Denise left to Jason the honor of inflating the hallway modules, using the compressed air bottles integrated into the floor framing of the modules. That compressed air made the tubular walls of the modules fill up and expand, taking their planned, semi-circular section final shapes and stretching out the central hallway to its full length of 120 meters and a continuous width of two meters, with roundabout mini-rotundas every four meters. Another thirty minutes was spent carefully adjusting manually the telescopic support legs of the assembly, so that its floor would be as level as possible all along its length. Four astronauts, including Denise, then went by pairs inside the assembly, with one pair starting at each extremity, to unfold the floor and wall panels and then fix them in place. At the same time, the rest of her team moved the unitary modules into their final place one by one, connecting one end to the airtight door of the central hallway’s roundabout rotunda that was in line with it, then unfolding the floor and wall panels inside the short transit tunnels of the modules. Seeing that the work was really progressing well and with her companions agreeing enthusiastically to continue on and delay supper, Denise pressed on with the building of their Mars base. The last touch, once all the modules were interconnected and inflated, was to connect the base complex to the landers by deploying a flexible circulation tube between Cargo Lander One and the southern airlock of the base complex, then sealing it in place. At the end, a bit before 20:00 hour (GMT), Denise proudly looked down the 120 meter-long central hallway, fully connected to all its modules and with its lighting system on. Their base, covering roughly 4.2 hectares of ground inside the underground rotunda, now offered a total of a bit over 1,900 square meters of habitable floor space, including the central hallway section and its mini-rotundas. However, the complex was still unpressurized and that important work, involving careful checks and monitoring, would take place only once the various pallets of fittings, furniture and equipment meant to turn the base into a fully functioning entity would have been transported inside their respective modules. That, however, was going to be done another day. Right now, it was time to go back to the manned lander, wash up, eat and then rest for the night.

  Having taken a shower and wearing fresh clothes, Denise was about to enter the crew lounge when she saw light filter from under the door of their small biochemical lab. Intrigued, she knocked on the door, getting a response from Kwang Tse Jing, their small Chinese biochemist.

  ‘’Come in!’’

  Pushing the door open, Denise stuck her head inside and smiled to Jing, who was sitting in front of a powerful microscope.

  ‘’You are still working at this hour, Jing? Did you have supper yet?’’

  ‘’Uh, no, Denise.’’ replied the tiny Chinese woman in her early fifties, sounding timid. In fact, Jing always sounded timid and was the kind of person who couldn’t hurt even a fly, something that made her even more liked. ‘’I was too engrossed in studying those samples of salt water ice our prospectors have brought back from one of the two inundated tunnels connecting with our underground rotunda.’’

  ‘’And have you found something interesting about that salt water?’’

  That was when a big smile came to Jing’s face.

  ‘’If I can confirm my findings, yes! Don’t jump to the ceiling yet, but I believe that I found what looks furiously like a microbe.’’

  Blood rushed at once to Denise’s brain, making her a bit wobbly for a second.

  ‘’A microbe? THERE IS LIFE ON MARS?’’

  ‘’Shhh! Not so loud! I saw only one possible organism up to now in those samples. It was frozen in ice and appeared to be dead. However, I want to find more such organisms before shouting victory out loud. This could still be some contamination brought by us to Mars. If truly a local microbe, I suspect that I would probably find lots more of those organisms once we get samples of unfrozen water from those inundated tunnels.’’

  ‘’Damn, I hope so! Finding life on Mars would be a scientific coup of the first order. Well, you still haven’t had supper, Jing, and your water samples won’t disappear in the next few hours. Why don’t you come have supper with me now?’’

  Jing hesitated only for a second before nodding her head and smiling to Denise.

  ‘’That would please me, Denise.’’

  ‘’Then, put away your samples and come with me to the crew lounge. I believe that we still have a few unfrozen packs of shrimp noodles.’’

  15:09 (GMT)

  Friday, April 29, 2044

  Gymnasium Module, Mars Base One

  Underground rotunda, Melas Chasma

  Closing and locking the airtight access door of the module behind him, Jason Terlecki, wearing his sealed spacesuit, examined carefully the inside of the gymnasium module, with its weightlifting and exercise machines. Then, he looked twice at his external pressure gauge, with a good minute between the two readings. He smiled with satisfaction when he saw that his gauge didn’t register any pressure drop at all: this module was leak-free, like all the other modules and sections of the base complex that he had just visited and checked. His ultimate check was to cautiously open his helmet faceplate and sniff the air inside the module, then going back in the central hallway and doing the same there. He did not smell any trace of chemicals in either places. Now fully satisfied, Jason went to the nearest intercom box, hooked to a wall of the mini-rotunda he was in now, and called Denise Wattling, who was on duty inside the manned lander today.

  ‘’Denise, this is Jason.’’

  ‘’Go ahead, Jason.’’

  ‘’I am pleased to announce that I am officially declaring Mars Base One ready for permanent occupation. Our people can start moving in right now.’’

  ‘’SUPER!’’ exclaimed Denise, truly happy. ‘’I will pass the word around right away. Nice job, Jason!’’

  ‘’Bof! I simply did my job, Denise. No need to praise me to Heaven.’’

  ‘’Well, better that than curse you to Hell. Still, you did a bang up job with the base. We will have to celebrate the base’s opening tonight at supper time with a couple of bottles of Champagne
.’’

  ‘’I certainly will be there for that.’’ replied Jason before cutting the link. He then walked down nearly the whole length of the central hallway to go to the spacesuits locker room, where he took off his suit and stored it in its assigned suit cubicle, plugging to it the electrical and compressed oxygen feeds of the cubicle, so that it would be fully recharged for the next time he would need it. Now wearing only his two-piece internal ship uniform, he unhooked from inside his spacesuit’s cubicle what the crew of the H.S.S. FRIENDSHIP jokingly called a ‘fat suit’ and put it on over his uniform. The ‘fat suit’, whose technical designation was ‘Felt Weight Compensation Suit’ or FWCS in short, was actually the simplest and most economical solution by far that had been imagined to solve a difficult problem: how to insure that future ‘Martians’ would still be fit to travel to Earth and visit it after years of living on a planet with only 37% of Earth’s gravity. One obvious solution would have been to install giant rotating carrousels inside Martian installations, so that their occupants would work and live while feeling the same weight than on Earth. However, that solution was both a complicated and costly one. One NASA lowly secretary then had an idea after watching a colleague who was particularly fanatical about his physical fitness run around the exercise track while wearing numerous bags full of metal pellets that added substantially to his weight, thus forcing him to spend more energy during his run. That secretary had then sent a memo to one of the engineers working on the Mars mission, who turned her idea into the ‘fat suit’. The FWCS that Jason was now wearing looked like a simple coverall with numerous small pockets distributed all around the garment. Those ‘pockets’ were actually compartments which contained flat, flexible but fairly heavy pads that, added together, nearly tripled the mass of its wearer. However, within the weak gravity of Mars, the wearer ended feeling simply being his or her normal weight, thus expended the same effort than on Earth when doing a specific task or movement. Now that Mars Base One was officially opened for occupation, the team members were going to wear their ‘fat suits’ whenever they worked inside the pressurized environment of the base or of the landers. The only time the members would not be wearing them would be when in spacesuits or when sleeping in their underwear. If all went well and if the team members didn’t cheat by not wearing their FWCS as required, then they hopefully will not have problems returning to the 0.9 gravity of the FRIENDSHIP’s carrousels in some thirteen months. Walking up and down the spacesuits lockers module to test his fat suit, Jason smiled when he felt as if walking on Earth: this was yet again a demonstration that the simplest solutions were often the best ones as well. Content, he then left the module and walked up the circulation tube linking the base and the landers, intent on packing his personal stuff and bringing it to his assigned room in one of the modules designated as crew quarters.