First Steps (Founding of the Federation)

by Hechtl, Chris

  Mario sighed mentally. "This is going to be another long boring day," he muttered. He shook his head.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  "What the devil do you think you’re doing Mario Jonathan Irons?" Wanda asked. He didn't look up as he tightened the screw in front of him.

  "Uh oh, full name, now I'm in trouble," he chuckled, surveying his work. "What does it look like? I'm working." He finished with that bolt and moved on to the next.

  "Not in my lab you’re not."

  He looked over to her standing with her hands on her hips. In one hand was a plastic bag.

  "Well, I have to do it somewhere, the bedroom is too small," he replied. He really should have done this when Wanda had been out and about but he'd been too tied up with other projects at the time.

  She glared. "If you got grease on those sheets..." she growled ominously.

  He held up a grimy hand. "Peace. No I didn't," he said. She sighed in exaggerated relief.

  "Now get out," she ordered. She waved to the door. "And take your toys with you."

  He sighed. "Where? I need to work on this." He answered as he wiped his hands with a rag. She smiled. He raised a finger. "And no, I can't play outside with them, this is a Reprap dear, it doesn't work outside."

  She squinted and wrinkled her nose. "Reprap?"

  He sighed noisily. "Fabricator."

  "Whatever it is, get rid of it. I need to work." She moved over to the counter and set the sample bag down. She pulled on her smock then put her hands up over her head to put her hair up in a pony tail.

  "Okay, I will move to one of the empty bedrooms," He said, know a losing battle when he saw one. "It isn't fair that you egg heads have space to work but we engineers have to squeeze into a closet," he complained. He'd take it up with the design team but he had been one of the designers. He got up and stretched.

  She turned from the counter to find him suddenly pinning her there. She smiled up at him. "Be nice. I said I have to work."

  He smiled at her. "Oh I was planning on being nice," he murmured. He kissed her.

  She grinned as he let her up for air. "Down boy, we both have work to do." He chuckled as he let her go and hefted the Reprap.

  "Okay you get a reprieve...for now." He smiled as she blushed. "Let’s see, room two in hab one might work...” He grunted as he climbed the ladder carrying the box.

  "Where did this come from? And this?" Wanda asked holding up a plastic comb. Since they had been stuck in the ship the entire trip out she like the rest of the crew had become intimately familiar with everything in the ship.

  He smiled. "Reprap," he said. She looked the comb over.

  "Can it make some tools for my lab?" she finally asked.

  He chuckled. "What, you banish me from the lab, but now you want me to make you something?" he demanded. She gave him a look then turned on her feminine charms. He chuckled as she sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his head.

  "You know I didn't mean it that way," she said with a wheedling tone.

  He continued to chuckle. "You're not playing fair you know that right?" She felt his arms encircle her waist. She kissed him to shut him up. "Okay you win. I have a few objects on file. Tell me what you want and if I can I will make it. Plastic," he said.

  She nodded. "What if you don't have it on file?"

  He smiled. "I have a couple terabytes of models to choose from. I also have a simple CAD modeling program. But if we don't happen to have it... Well, that is why it is nice to have a brother in high places. He can send us what we need." She chuckled and tried to get up. "Now about that compensation..." he replied with a smug leer. He chuckled as she squirmed then gave in.

  "No fair," she muttered chuckling softly. He stopped her complaints with another kiss.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Mario grumped as he entered the rover with the commander. "Why are we going again?" he asked for the tenth time.

  "Because, Wanda and the Hans are in the lab, Tess is doing chores and your lovely wife asked for more samples. You and me bub, road trip!" The commander slapped his shoulder. Bower had seemed to be going stir crazy in the base for a while.

  Mario winced. "Okay, but this sucks you know. We don't even have any beer!" he replied with a growl. The commander chuckled as he pulled out and away from the base.

  "Couple hours and we will be back to base, no worries," Bower replied. He smiled as he drove down the worn path. Three and a half weeks and they had already changed the Martian landscape. Trails where the rovers frequently traveled were cropping up, with ruts to go with it. He made a note to ask the geologists if they could put some of their aggregate on the roads to keep the wear to a minimum.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  The rover began to sputter and pull to the right after a couple of hours. "We have a problem, one of the drive motors quit." The commander grumped as he looked at the controls.

  "Rear one right?" Mario asked, feeling the pull of the rover.

  Bower nodded, hands on the yoke. "Yeah, she is fishtailing now. I think we are dragging that wheel."

  Mario flicked through the camera feeds. "No doubt about it, we are. Looks like we have a nice drag mark. Better stop before we do anymore damage," he sighed. "Nice day for an outing." He looked the engineering feed over.

  "Stopping. Base this is Rover two; we are stopping because of a mechanical breakdown. Rear drive motor quit," The commander said over the long range radio. The commander looked up as he flicked the motors to safe.

  "Roger Rover two, we have your location. You're two kilometers from the gully it is due south east of your current position," Wanda replied.

  Mario nodded. "Okay, I will get into my Mars suit." He started to pull the skin suit out of the locker.

  "Why use that? We have to depressurize the cabin, then get out, fix it and then back in, why not use the suits on the back?"

  Mario looked over to the back hatches. "I hate those things," he grumped. Whinny had a pair of built in pressure suits that could be used in an emergency. Each was a half hard suit and was thus a pain in the ass to move around in.

  "Twenty minutes or two hours of prebreathing?" The commander asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Okay, sold." Mario put the suit back and latched the cabinet door. "I can fix the motor, are you going to check out the rut for samples?" Mario asked.

  The commander nodded. "Not a bad idea. A lot better than standing around looking important," he joked. The commander smiled.

  Mario smiled as they opened the hatch doors. "Or standing over my shoulder breathing down my neck," Mario replied dryly. The commander chuckled.

  "Damn dust! You have got to be kidding me!" Mario grumped as he looked at the frozen motor.

  “A little frustration is good for the soul Mario,” the commander teased.

  “Masochist,” Mario replied.

  "Magnetic field sucked them in I bet. Should have gone with a gas engine," Bower replied. Mario looked up annoyed. "Just saying." The commander said with a shrug. He continued taking samples.

  "Get me a rag and some cleaner. I am going to have to clean it, and if I can't fix it in the field I may have to yank it." He grumbled as he wiped it down. "We really need a clean place to work, field repairs is for the birds. The moment I drop this new motor in it will be covered in fines and dust." He sat on the blanket and used a brush to clean the hard to reach crevices. "There. Try it." The commander pushed the button on his remote control. Nothing happened.

  "Nope. Okay, shut it down," Mario ordered. The commander cut the power. "Damn."

  Mario pulled out his driver and then set in with a will. In four minutes he had the motor out. "Hand me the spar will you?" he demanded, hand out, not even looking back to the Commander. The commander handed him the motor. Mario looked up in surprise. "That was fast!"

  The commander grinned. "Learn to anticipate, it could save your life." He watched as Mario swapped the motor and made the connections. Carefully Mario cleaned off the dust that was starting to bu
ild up already.

  "Okay go try it now," he finally said. The commander pulled out his remote control and flipped a switch. The motor turned slowly. "Okay good." Mario replaced the brake caliper and regenerative braking flywheel assembly, then the hub. He cleaned each as he placed them in and bolted them down. Last came the tire.

  "Here." The commander helped him torque it down.

  They heard a scratchy sound over their suit speakers. The commander looked up. "Solar event! Get to cover!"

  Mario looked up as his radiation alert went off. "Damn!" Get the gear inside while I get these last two." The commander was already gathering the tools.

  "Time to impact?" he called in.

  “Sixteen minutes twenty seconds. Get your butts inside!" Wanda said, voice intent with worry.

  Mario fumbled the last nut. "Damn dropped it," he snarled, furious about his lax handling. Now of all times was not the time to get fumble fingered! He scrambled for it.

  "Leave it we gotta haul butt!" The commander yanked him by the arm. "A bolt isn't worth your life Mario come on!" Mario climbed onto the back of the craft and latched his suit into the porthole. "Go go!" The commander used the remote to drive the rover.

  "Backwards?" Mario asked as the rover started moving.

  "You have a better idea?" The commander bit back.

  "Actually I do." Mario tapped a control with his right hand.

  "What?"

  "Just drive," Mario said. The hatch opened behind him. "Okay, Now for the hard part." Mario pulled at his right arm, and then used his left to pull his hand out of his glove.

  "What may I ask are you doing?" the commander asked. He swerved around a boulder.

  "Do you know where we are going?" Mario asked as he managed to wrestle his arm out of the suit and into his torso area.

  “Yeah, that gully with the hill about two clicks from here," the commander said. Mario felt pain in his shoulder but only grunted.

  "Okay, got it." He pulled at the latch on his right side. He felt the door release. "Okay." He groaned as he fell backwards. He reached for the bar and snarled as pain stabbed through his right shoulder. "Damn.” He wiggled until his left arm was free, and then pulled it up over his head to grab the bar. The rover swerved smacking the door into his head.

  "Owe!"

  "Sorry." The commander said.

  "Yeah," Mario said, feeling the pain in the shoulder. Mario pulled himself out of the suit while favoring his shoulder and into the narrow cabin. "I'm in." He favored his shoulder as he got to the cockpit. Intense pain radiated from it and into his chest. It felt dead, like it wasn't there. He could no longer move it.

  "Got it." He jiggled the controls.

  "Okay, I'll just sit here." The commander grunted as Mario spun the rover and ran flat out for the gully. Now that they were facing in the right direction they could move three times faster. "Ten minutes, not good. I hope the hill is on the right side, or we are cooked," Bower said.

  Mario twisted the joystick to maneuver around a boulder. "Oy. Wish this sucker had more power." He felt a clank. "What was that?" he asked as he entered the slope to the ravine. Four minutes.

  "The motor fell off," the commander replied.

  "Shit," Mario slowed to avoid a rut.

  "Don't stop for it!" the commander called, voice rising in anxiety.

  "I'm not, oh never mind! Stop back deck driving!" Mario replied. He pulled up to the center of the ravine and tried to judge the shadows. After a moment he twisted the joystick. The wheels turned perpendicular and the rover drove sideways until its side hugged the bluff. "Best we can do, let me get you in here." Mario shut down the engine and got out of the seat. He unlatched the commander's door, then opened it and unlatched his life support pack. "Got it." He helped the commander out of the suit and into the cabin, trying not to shake as his right arm twisted painfully.

  "Damn." They shut the doors to the suits and pulled out the water bags from the floor cabinets. The commander noted Mario was favoring his right arm and shoulder but didn't say anything as they taped the water bags to the ceiling. When they finished the klaxon burped.

  "Just in time," Bower said. He looked Mario over as the squat engineer sat down heavily panting.

  "Yeah." Mario looked up to the bags on the ceiling. "So much for a drink." He chuckled.

  "Yeah," Bower replied. He was sweaty and tired. The commander sat across from him. "Shoulder?"

  Mario grunted as he favored his right arm, holding it against his abdomen. "Yeah. Pulled it getting in."

  "Dislocated it?" the commander asked concerned.

  "Maybe. Hope not." He grunted in pain as he tried to shift and get comfortable.

  "I'll get the medical scanner...”

  Mario waved it off. "It'll keep for now."

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Doctor Han frowned. "Each of you has been exposed to an additional ten rem's of radiation. You were lucky there. You should feel mild nausea and possible diarrhea for several days." She had given them anti radiation medication as well as had them flushing themselves with fluids for hours. She looked down at her notes then back to Mario. "Mario Irons, you have dislocated your shoulder,” she said unnecessarily. Mario grunted.

  "Yeah. Swelling and pain gave that away doc." His right arm was in a sling.

  "We must consult mission control. I do not think I can operate," the doctor replied.

  Mario sighed. "Great. Well, the commander iced it and got it back in the socket, so that's a plus," he said. Once the adrenalin had worn off he'd really felt the damn thing. Doctor Han nodded. Wanda pinched Mario's flank.

  "Owe! What was that for?" He rubbed his side.

  "She's just trying to help grumpy," she said firmly. She sat down next to him and hugged his left side.

  He winced. "Yeah, your right. Sorry doc." He looked at Yung Lin and nodded a bow to her.

  Doctor Han nodded. "We have sent the images to flight control. The flight surgeon is looking them over now. I do not see any pinched nerves or blood vessels though." She looked up at him.

  "That's good news," the commander sighed. "You're definitely going to be restricted to the hab until it is healed though Mario."

  Mario grunted at that news. It was to be expected but still annoying. Then again, getting in and out of his skin suit in this condition... No, come to think of it, being grounded wasn't such a bad idea after all.

  "Oh that' just peachy. You have any idea how hard it is to keep him bottled up? He goes stir crazy," Wanda sighed shaking her head.

  "Well, I can think of other ways to occupy my time..." he teased her with a slight leer.

  She blushed. "Later hero." She smiled at Doctor Han then back to Mario. "If you get a clean bill of health." She dimpled when he growled.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  "That was a little close Mario," Wanda sighed as she hugged him later that evening.

  "So I go bald a little early. No biggy." He smiled as he hugged her back.

  She pinched his side. "Owe!" He tried to dodge her fingers but she latched on tight.

  "All right I give! It was scary okay?" he admitted. She smiled and let go. "It would have been even scarier for you. Bald doesn't suit a girl," he said dryly. She hugged him tighter.

  "Hmmm, I wonder what you would look like? Maybe Sinead O'Connor? Care to find out?" he teased her. She retaliated by tickling him unmercifully. He giggled, trying to twist away. It devolved into a wrestling match for a time. Finally he managed to pin her arms to his chest with his good arm.

  "There. Finally. Claws are contained," he said. He kissed her fingers.

  She dimpled. "You bald is a bit hard to take," she murmured relaxing against him. His left arm let go and wrapped around her waist, pinning her arms to his chest.

  "So I look more like my name sake," he shrugged.

  "What super Mario?" she asked wrinkling her nose. He chuckled.

  "You don't think they aren't bald? Why do you think they wear the caps?" he asked.

  She ch
uckled with him. "Careful or Nintendo will sue you for libel.”

  He grinned. "No way, they are even making a game about us."

  She looked at him. "You’re kidding?"

  He chuckled. "Nope."

  She sighed. "Great."

  He kissed her. "Don't worry; you'll always be my princess."

  She smiled, completely floored. She never got over that, how he said that to her. "I'd better be," she growled. He laughed.

  · Chapter 8

  Building the base:

  "Tess, I need to do something I need to get out of here," Mario grumped. Wanda had been completely correct in her assessment. He was going stir crazy and it had been only one day. Tinkering with the Reprap only got him so far; the long prints forced him to look elsewhere for entertainment.

  She frowned arms crossed. "No way are you going outside."

  He sighed. "I need to do something. I want to set the brick maker up. That damn solar flare gave me the heebie jeebies," he said firmly. Which was true, but not his only reason. This injury had mucked up their long range plans a bit.

  She shook her head. "Heebie what?"

  He smiled. "The willies. The worries. I want to do something. Make something. I'm going nuts here staring at round walls," he explained with enough exasperation in his voice to make her wince. She sighed; she could of course understand his dilemma.

  "Okay, I have a better idea. You take care of my diagnostic checks in here, and I will go out and check the brick maker over and see if I can set it up," she said.

  He sighed. "Okay, I can live with that," he said. She nodded. "The manual has the set up process. It is pretty straight forward for the extruder; the kiln is a bit of a different story."

  She frowned. "Kiln?"

  He nodded. "An oven. It bakes the bricks so we can use them. It draws heat and power from the reactor. Spits out water for recycling too," he explained. She nodded looking over the manual he had.

  "Okay, that may have to wait for a different day; I will need to read over the directions a few times."

  He nodded. "Okay." She left. He busied himself with cleaning the habs and checking over the systems. He noted her leaving the airlock an hour later.