Discovery

by Paul Rix

  Returning to the comfort of the MEV, the two men remained in their spacesuits and carried the sample cases into the main cabin area. Redmayne kept the cases closed but put the samples containing the air into one of his machines. "Until we know there is nothing lethal inside this cave, I don't want to contaminate us," he said. "Once we've placed the seismic detectors, it will be okay for us to return to Endeavour so I can complete my analysis."

  "Okay, whatever you say, Tom. But I also want to have a quick drive along the base of the cliff to ensure there are no obvious loose rocks."

  After the pallets had been unloaded, the chief expertly turned the MEV around inside the cave and soon they were back in natural daylight. After a quick inspection of the rock face, he was happy that there was no obvious danger and signaled Endeavour that they were returning before switching on the nav computer for the drive back.

  ***

  If anything, Redmayne was quieter on the journey back to Endeavour as he studied the results from the experiments he'd already started to perform. The chief was grateful for the silence and managed to doze for a short while. He awoke when he felt the MEV slow and he knew they were approaching Endeavour.

  Once safely back inside Endeavour, Redmayne took all the samples to his small laboratory next to the mid-deck, where Grace joined him. Jim grabbed himself a coffee before heading to the captain's cabin to speak with Winter.

  "First impressions?" Winter asked before the chief sat down.

  "He's rude and an arrogant bastard, but I'm sure he's good at his job. Otherwise he wouldn't be here."

  Winter hid his amusement. "I didn't mean Redmayne. I know what he's like! Will the cave be suitable for our needs? Do we have a home for Alpha Base?"

  "Ah..." Jim blushed, not for the first time that week. "It's certainly large enough to house all of our habitats. There'll be some minor work required to level out areas of the floor and clear some rocks but that shouldn't take more than a day or two. You'll have to wait for Redmayne to come up with his results on the structure and composition of the cave. But I would say it's a good prospect for our base."

  "Excellent news. Thanks, Jim. Start preparing your equipment to make the cave ready to move into."

  "Will do. I'll get Georgia involved too. I know that she's looking to keep herself busy. She can help with programming the robots to level the floor before we erect the modules."

  ***

  After lunch, Captain Winter read Redmayne's survey report with some satisfaction. The cave checked out. He ordered Jim Grant to start the clearance exercise as soon as possible that afternoon, then forwarded the report to Ground Control. The response from General Stockton two hours later was not what he'd expected.

  "Congratulations on finding a safe haven for your crew, Captain Winter. While I approve your request to commence clearance activities, you must not populate the cave without further directions from me. I want you and your team to proceed with caution until further notice.

  "As regards Georgia Pyke, we do not believe the timing is right to share her tragic news with the public. We are trying to build several positive news stories to exploit the ongoing public support and the high ratings your success is attracting. The last thing we need right now is any negative press, especially as we are hoping to seek an extension of funding from the government. While I respect her decision, it is unfortunate that she has shared her news with the crew. I trust that you understand I'm taking a holistic view of the Mars Project. There is far more at stake than one individual, whoever they may be. So, I'm sure you will not allow this mishap, self-inflicted by Pyke I must add, to have a negative impact in any way. To that extent, please ensure that the status of her health remains confined to those of you on Mars until further notice. Thank you and continued good fortune. Stockton out."

  Winter looked at the frozen image of the general. "You gutless bastard," he said, clenching his fists in anger. He stayed in his chair for several minutes before the anger inside him subsided. There were aspects of his job he didn't enjoy, and this was one of them.

  It was easy for the general, Winter thought bitterly. He was remote and had not forged attachments to any of the crew. Stockton's priority was solely the success of the mission and the crew were a means to an end. Winter was sure his role as captain would be far easier if he didn't care so much.

  Chapter 25

  It was the start of the mission’s fourth day on Mars and Captain Winter was sitting at his desk, contemplating the latest orders received overnight from Earth, when there was a knock on the door. "Come in, commander. I'm ready for you."

  Commander Anders entered and sat down opposite. Winter thought he looked weary. He wasn't surprised. He had noticed over the past few days that nearly all the crew were looking tired. Doctor Betts knew of his concerns and understood he needed all of them to be working at peak efficiency. It was vital for the mission.

  "Good morning, commander. I've just been reviewing the latest update from Ground Control. At present, they're still estimating high probability that the asteroid will strike Mars in four days, although they are still refining their calculations. The percentage odds continue to drop so we may get away with it, but that doesn't mean we can slacken our efforts on completing Alpha Base."

  "Agreed, sir. That's good to hear. Do we know where the asteroid could strike?"

  "Yes. If it comes down, it will be just north of the equator, just under two thousand miles from here. So, we're not in immediate danger. It's the effects of the fallout that will hamper this mission. I'm told that the Russians and Chinese are in orbit keeping a watching brief. They have the luxury of being able to wait in safety while this plays out. A smart move. How are we progressing with the base so far?"

  "Generally, we're on track, I would say. Most of the urgent components are now in situ at the mouth of the lava tube. I've had the rovers acting as tractor units ferrying urgent supplies from the supply ships. Joe and Emily are monitoring those elements. The one concern I have is wear and tear. Dust is a constant issue, getting into the tractors and causing them to malfunction. An increasing amount of time is being wasted having to clean and repair motor assemblies."

  "Understood. When do you anticipate being able to place the habitat units inside the lava tube?"

  "I'm confident we can start tomorrow. I've given Redmayne two construction robots to prepare the inside of the tube. They're sealing any cracks and preparing the surface. Tom's not found too many deep crevices and he advises that the tube is close to being totally sealed. The ground has been rougher and more abrasive than expected though."

  "Excellent. And how about power? When will the reactor be commissioned?"

  "That's a good news story, sir. The reactor is complete. The chief and Rashid have done an amazing job to finish it ahead of schedule and carry out all the testing. There's still some cabling to be laid, but the reactor is basically ready to be switched on when you give the word. It means Jim and Rashid are free to carry out other tasks, such as repair the rovers."

  Winter was impressed with how Anders was efficiently overseeing the work. There had been no real doubt that the commander was up to the job, but it gave Winter additional confidence in his second in command.

  "Fantastic work, Lars. Is there anything else you'd like to raise?"

  Anders was about to reply when he was interrupted by Doctor Betts knocking and poking her head around the door. "Perfect timing, doctor," he said. "Please come and sit down." She looked at Captain Winter, who nodded that she could enter.

  As she sat down next to him, Anders continued. "Two concerns, which the doctor may be able to help with. First, the health of the crew. I know that I've been struggling with fatigue since we landed. There's been no time to get used to Mars as we had hoped, and the crew are undertaking physical activity. What are your thoughts, captain?"

  "Yes, commander. It's not gone unnoticed by me. I am concerned by the workload and I've shared those concerns with Ground Control. They are more focused on getting us to
safety before the asteroid strikes. Doctor Betts, what are your observations?"

  "If you want my honest opinion, and that's the only one I give, I'd say you're pushing the crew too hard. There have already been several strains, and that trend is likely to continue. Our bodies are in a weakened state because of three months in zero gravity. You cannot seriously expect people to act as if they were born to be builders. I've been prescribing plenty of painkillers and sleeping tablets. More than I would like to give. If I was a betting woman, I'd say an accident was highly likely."

  Winter thought carefully for a moment. "Thanks, Megan. That's basically where I thought we were too. Although the medication worries me. Any recommendations, bearing in mind the imminent asteroid?"

  Doctor Betts shook her head. "If it wasn't for the threat, I'd say the crew needed several rest days. I'll continue to monitor all of them and patch up any injuries as best I can, but once we're inside the base, you need to allow the crew some recovery time."

  "That won't be a problem, doctor," said the captain.

  "The second item from me," said Anders. "Georgia is trying hard. Everyone can see that. But she is really struggling. I'm worried about her. Not just her state of mind. She's getting easily fatigued. I've suggested lighter duties for her, but she simply refuses."

  Winter knew how stubborn Georgia was. He had already spoken to her to see how she was and could see that she was putting on a brave front. He knew that he had a duty of care to look out for her, as well as ensure she didn't inadvertently harm the crew. "Let me have a word with her again, as her captain. Megan, you may also want to have a chat."

  "As her doctor or as her friend?"

  "Whichever is best. I'll let you decide. At the moment, she's her own worst enemy and we need to look out for her."

  ***

  It was later that afternoon when the first serious accident happened. Two of the rovers, towing component pallets and accompanied by Mancuso and Emily who were on their speeder bikes, pulled up at the entrance to the lava tube. On the journey from Intrepid, Mancuso had noticed that his rover was drawing more power than expected, which was normally the first sign of a problem with the motor.

  "It looks like we need another motor replacement," he said to Emily. "Let me carry out a quick visual inspection to see if it will last one more trip while you unload. I'd rather change the motor overnight than miss out on one more trip."

  "Okay, Joe." By now, they both had plenty of practice unloading the pallets from the sleds with the help of a small robotic crane. This time, however, Emily was not paying full attention as she untied the sled and two pallets tumbled on top of her, trapping her left leg before she had time to react.

  Mancuso was kneeling down next to the rover, brushing away the red dust that had accumulated around the motor housing unit when he heard Emily's scream of pain over his comms channel. "Emily, are you okay?" he said, standing up to get a better view. Fifty feet away he could see Emily lying on the ground with the pallets on top of her.

  "My leg's stuck. I think it's broken. Can you give me a hand here?"

  Mancuso could hear the pain in Emily's voice. Her breathing sounded ragged. Running as quickly as he could he reached her and tried to lift the pallets. Realizing they were too heavy for him, and with Emily grimacing at his efforts he commanded the crane to lift them. "Hold on, Emily. We'll soon have you out of here." He held her hand to reassure her but, looking at her face, he knew she was in excruciating pain. She screamed out in agony as the first pallet moved and Mancuso saw her body tense before relaxing as she passed out.

  As soon as the pallets were out of the way, he could tell that the leg was indeed fractured. Worse still, there was a small tear in Emily's suit. He frowned in dismay, knowing that her suit must be venting air. Reaching into the utility pouch on his belt, he found a patch and applied it to the rip, preventing any further leakage.

  By this time, the chief had heard what had happened and rushed over to see if he could help. Seeing that Mancuso had everything under control he called Endeavour to send the MEV for Emily and to inform Doctor Betts that she would be receiving a patient.

  ***

  That evening, Captain Winter visited Emily in the medical center where Doctor Betts had operated on her broken leg to insert two titanium pins. He had been told about the accident shortly after it happened and before they had returned Emily to the ship. The incident only confirmed his fears, but he was relieved that it had not been fatal this time. He'd have to file a report to Ground Control, which would probably be the most annoying aspect for him.

  Winter sat on the edge of Emily's bed and smiled encouragingly. "I hear from the doctor that you suffered a proximal tibia fracture and soft tissue damage. You'll be on light duties for some time but thank God it wasn't a whole lot worse."

  It was clear that the embarrassment was far worse than any pain she was suffering. "I'm sorry, sir, I don't know what I was doing. We've been unloading as a pair all day. It was a lapse of judgment."

  "We're all working under pressure. Accidents happen," Winter replied. "It could have been any of us and I understand it could have been much worse if Joe hadn't been there to patch your suit."

  "I was lucky. Another few minutes and I'd have been out of air. I don't even want to think about it."

  "The main thing is you'll be okay. Make sure you listen to Megan's instructions."

  Emily winced. "I'll do that, captain."

  ***

  At the same time Winter was talking with Emily, Georgia was in the canteen, forcing herself to eat a bowl of chicken soup which was all that she could manage without throwing up. Fortunately, she'd ordered it as part of her personal meal inventory. The aromas reminded her of being a young girl when her mum would often make soup and bake fresh bread for herself and Jackson and the soup now gave her some comfort just as she needed it most. Thoughts of her mother came with mixed blessings though. They acted as a stark reminder of how much Georgia missed being able to speak with her mum. She'd still not found the courage to contact her brother and inform him of her condition.

  Just as she was once again becoming overwhelmed by emotions, Megan sat next to her at the table with what looked like a bowl of pasta and asked, "Are you okay, Georgia?"

  Quickly composing herself and wiping her eyes, Georgia forced a smile, knowing full well that she was fooling no one, least of all Megan. "Not really. To be honest, I was just thinking about my mum. I miss her so much. I should stop feeling sorry for myself."

  "That's understandable. I'm close to my mum too and try to talk to her at least once a week. I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't around any longer. But you still have Jackson. And you can always talk with me. I know it's not the same, but I am a very good listener."

  "Thanks, Megan. I'm not sure I know where to start. I'm constantly tired and unable to stay focused for more than a few minutes at a time. Maybe I was wrong to insist on working."

  "Do you want me to sign you off for few days? It will give you a chance to recover some strength until you are ready for light duties."

  Georgia gave it some thought. It was tempting as she'd found the day a real struggle. Her arms and legs were throbbing, her neck ached, and it felt like someone was stabbing needles into her head. But she couldn't really see herself sitting around when everyone else was working so hard to build the base before the asteroid strike. "Thanks, but I'll get through it. I can't bear doing nothing. And I hear we're a person down already. How is Emily by the way?"

  "A stress fracture in her left tibia. I've pinned it but she won't be able to walk on it for a few weeks. I'm not entirely sure how long it will take to heal properly. I'm breaking new ground here." Megan knew that Georgia had subtly changed the subject but decided not to push it for the time being.

  "At least she's in good hands. I know you're worried about me. That's your job but I promise I'll be okay. I'm resilient. I just need some rest to recover from today. I don't suppose there are any spare mattresses you're aware of?"


  Megan laughed. "I'm sure everyone has now asked me that question. I could have made my fortune selling spare bedding if I'd thought about it."

  At that moment, Captain Winter joined them. He had a bowl of steaming fish and vegetables, which looked colorful and appetizing. "Ah, my two favorite ladies," he said, sitting down before waiting for an invitation.

  Georgia considered whether this was a coordinated effort by the pair of them. They weren't the most subtle, but they were good friends and a large part of her was secretly grateful that she had people who cared for her.

  As Winter ate his dinner, he explained that he'd spent some time with Emily and reassured her she was not to blame. There would always be accidents, and Emily had agreed to light duties for several weeks at least, although she didn't really have a choice.

  "Actually," Megan interrupted, "she'll be laid up in the medical center for the next two days under observation."

  "If only all your patients were so amenable," commented Winter, winking at Georgia. "You don't have to push yourself so hard. It's no good raising your eyebrows. I don't want you to have an accident like Emily because you're not ready."

  "Thanks for your concern, captain. I've just been speaking with Megan about this. I know my limits and for the moment I'm okay to carry on. You can't really afford me not to."

  "And I can't afford for you to injure yourself or anyone else. I can get one of the Kings to take over what Emily was doing."

  "They're horticulturists. They won't be able to replace Emily. And they have enough to do transplanting all the crops. I can do this. Really."

  "Okay," Winter conceded reluctantly. "But watch out for yourself."