“So the receiver should only indicate the especially-strong reflections because of that?”
“That’s the idea. To be honest, though, I have no idea what their expected values are, or how strong the reflection should be if we encounter a layer of groundwater. I simply don’t know enough about what lies beneath Mars’s surface.”
“But you’re still going to keep trying?”
“As I walk all over the place, I think I’ll eventually get a feeling for what counts as a normal reflection, and where we should actually try to bore a hole.”
“That sounds like a reasonable plan,” Sharon said.
“At least I’ll get some exercise out in the fresh air.”
“Just make sure you don’t catch a cold, and come back inside before the sun goes down, alright?”
“Sure, Mama.”
Because you could never straighten up completely, the work in the greenhouse was strenuous. If she had been in charge, Sharon would have had the robotic drill dig down an extra 30 centimeters. But it was true that if that had happened, they would have had more space to warm and fill with air for the plants, both of which would have consumed more energy. Maybe Mike would get lucky and find hot water. They could make good use of a continually-bubbling energy source.
Lettuce plants. Check. Sharon worked down the list that Sarah had left for her. The entire greenhouse was still functioning as a lab, as they tried to figure out the optimal conditions for each plant variety—nutrients, irrigation, illumination... Sarah had set up small, transparent foil tents over some of her samples. These were being supplied with significantly more carbon dioxide via thin tubes. Not all of the crop plants were benefiting from this. The main problem was that they only had enough supplies to last a maximum of 18 months, but now that time had suddenly turned into years. At some point, they would run out of the fertilizer they had brought with them, and when that happened, they would have to start producing it from the resources available to them.
Sharon didn’t want to imagine the consequences of that time-factor on the other things they needed, such as medicines. How would they produce basic painkillers on Mars? And what about antibiotics? They’d all been hale and healthy when they arrived, but potential pathogens were slumbering inside every person. The bacterial population just inside herself was huge. If her immune system ever wavered, one of those bacteria could quickly gain the upper hand.
Radishes. Check. The last plant on the list. Sharon was sweating. She could finally leave this sauna. Two hours of gardening seemed more tiring than a day spent on the stationary bike. She climbed through the lock and made a beeline to the shower. There was one distinct advantage to Lance and Sarah being gone—her daily water ration had doubled. Showering twice a day would have been an unnecessary luxury otherwise. A few new hairs were sprouting under her arms. She considered shaving them, but decided there would be enough time for that tomorrow.
A little bulb was flashing in the command center. Mike had tried to reach her. The greenhouse still wasn’t connected to the base’s communication system. Sharon called him over the base’s radio. “I just got done in the greenhouse,” she said.
“I thought so,” Mike replied.
“What’s going on?”
“I want to show you something.”
“You want me to get back into that sweaty suit? I just took a shower.”
“Sorry about that. You should’ve checked with me before getting in the shower. We could’ve showered together afterward.”
“Keep dreaming. You know how small the stall is.”
“Are you coming?”
He gave up on the shower topic of his own accord—she’d expected another snappy comeback. Whatever this was seemed to be quite important to him.
With a sigh, Sharon agreed.
Sharon was standing in the red dust of Mars, but Mike was nowhere to be seen. The sun was already sinking close to the horizon. “Where are you?”
“Just head due east.”
“And how do I do that without a compass?”
“Obviously you have to keep the sun directly behind you.”
Sharon sighed and set off. Mike’s decision to move beyond sight range of the station on his own was against the rules. They hadn’t brought along any navigational aids. She kept looking back to see if the sun was still behind her. The base disappeared soon, and she couldn’t see even the turbine. The sun would set shortly.
“How far do you think you are, Mike?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. I just kept walking. You should see me soon.”
Sharon thought back. Mike had departed over two hours ago. He could have covered ten kilometers or more. Hopefully, he hadn’t done something that stupid. If he had, they would have to find their way back to the base in the dark.
But then she caught sight of him, a thin, gray line standing in the barren landscape. Mike looked lost. Now she felt like hugging him. He waved at her.
“How did you get here?” she asked.
“I walked.”
“Nice.”
He pointed to the tablet he was holding. “Look, I just followed the gradient,” he said.
Sharon saw the rising line. “What does that mean?”
“I walked along the course in which the reflection grew steadily stronger. For example, if I veered to the right and the strength decreased, I went back to where the signal was stronger.”
“I understand. And now?”
“Regardless of which direction I take from here, the reflection decreases. We’re standing above the local maximum reading.”
“That’s great.”
“It is! Look around. We’re standing in a depression. It seems to have been a drainage area.” Mike pointed northward, and Sharon saw a low spot. “So, maybe this was once a lake with inlets and outlets, 3.5 billion years ago or thereabouts. Back then, the most optimal conditions were supposed to be around the equator, right where we are.”
“And what does that have to do with the gradient?”
“The deep water might reflect the conditions from back then. If this had been the location of a lake, then the water table was situated closer to the surface and it still would be.”
“You can determine that from your measurements?” Sharon asked.
“Yes, and from the topography. If there’s anywhere around here we should investigate, this is the spot,” Mike replied.
“Does this mean you think you’ve found groundwater?”
“I think the odds are fairly high, so I suppose you could put it that way.”
“Just spit it out! That’s wonderful!” Sharon hugged Mike. He might have just found a solution to their biggest problem!
“It’s premature to do that. We won’t know for sure until we actually strike water,” Mike said.
“You can also celebrate a preliminary finding. We don’t exactly have lots of good news these days.”
“Don’t remind me about that.”
The moment was over. They were back in the world of hard realities.
“At what depth do you think the reflection is being created?” asked Sharon.
“At least three hundred meters,” Mike replied.
“That will be a pretty deep hole.”
“We’d need years to dig that by hand, Sharon. We have to get our robotic drill back.”
“That might take some delicate negotiations.”
“If they don’t give it back willingly, we’ll take it back by force.”
They marched back to the base in silence. It took longer than Sharon had expected. Had they gotten lost?
“Don’t worry,” Mike said. “If I have to, I’ll convert the receiver again so we can use the satellites to navigate.”
But then Sharon caught sight of the lonely, yellow positional light they had attached to the highest point on the base. They had made it back.
Sol 59, Hebes Chasma
Their destination was within reach. Lance drove the Rover across the arid landscape as fast as he could. It almo
st felt as if a tailwind was propelling them. They had even set off before sunrise. And now they were finally able to choose their own course. The satellite images didn’t show any real obstacles between them and the NASA probe, so they were racing along the straightest path possible.
He changed spots with Sarah hourly. It was too strenuous to drive at this breakneck speed for longer than that. They had to keep swerving around rocks, both large and small. The Rover kicked up a long trail of dust behind it. Lance wondered if this whole trip had been worth the trouble. How much capacity did the solar cells have, anyway? At the same time, the probe probably contained parts that they wouldn’t be able to build themselves for the next ten or twenty years.
They wouldn’t be able to repair failing technology unless they had access to replacement parts. Lance could see himself as a modern-day junk collector, driving his Rover all over Mars in search of stuff. It would be a worthwhile task, and they made a good team. Considering what all the nations of the Earth had fired up to Mars over the past 60 years, there had to be several tons of junk down here. Even the probes that had crashed into the planet harder than expected could be a source of usable replacement parts.
It was time for a little break. Lance let the Rover roll to a stop. The sun was at its zenith, and they were now sitting in a shallow depression. “Let’s stretch our legs a little, okay?” he said.
Sarah looked at the screen on the console. “Only three hours to go! We could take a longer break.”
“I don’t want to. I’d like to finally get there.”
“That works, too. We could go on a nice evening walk then. You and I, alone in the light of the setting sun...”
“Oh, to finally be alone!” Lance laughed.
“Someday we’ll be able to walk around without our suits.”
“I’m not so sure about that. The atmosphere will never be as thick as it is on Earth.”
“If not us, then our children.” Sarah smiled at him.
Lance gulped. “Our children...”
“No, I’m not pregnant, at least as far as I know. But I know you know what can happen when you have unprotected sex.”
“I... no. I assumed that you...”
“Did you see me take any pills?”
“Not directly.”
“NASA assumed that we could all control ourselves. It was only supposed to be for a certain length of time, though. And we all had other plans than to establish families here.”
“True,” Lance remembered with a twinge.
“Just so you know and can’t say later that you had no idea. We shouldn’t do that to each other.” Sarah smiled at him.
Lance had a feeling that it was too late for this warning. The thought of creeping into the tent with her and not being able to touch her seemed like torture. “Sure. I know now,” he mumbled through gritted teeth.
About 30 minutes from their destination, they checked their position one more time. Everything looked perfect. The old probe was sitting right in front of them. What condition would it be in? If they were unlucky, it would be buried under the dust. The probe wasn’t very tall.
But all their fears proved to be unfounded. They recognized the probe long before they reached it because its solar panels reflected the sun in the southwest.
Sarah parked the Rover about ten meters away from the probe. “Some of its parts might’ve come loose, might be scattered around here,” she explained.
“Good call,” Lance said.
They climbed out of the Rover. The probe looked as if it might reactivate at any moment. If he remembered correctly, NASA had broken off contact with it after three years because it had achieved all its scientific goals. Now 20 years later, it showed hardly any wear and tear. They should definitely be able to make good reuse of the solar panels. The one still hung perpendicular above the surface, while the second one was a little bent.
“The site didn’t treat it all that kindly,” Lance said, pointing at the crooked panel.
“Did you already find the HP3?”
Mike had been especially enthusiastic about this instrument. It consisted of a hammer that could drive a measuring probe into the ground. Since they no longer owned a drill, this was one alternative that would enable them to check on deeper strata. The HP3 could only drive something down to a depth of five meters, but they might be able to alter that. Or they could use it as a model on which to base a larger hammer drill.
“There it is,” Sarah said, and he now recognized it as well.
The instrument looked like a miniature version of a drilling rig. A small housing was attached to its side. A flat cable led from the HP3 to the inside of the probe. They located the SEIS, the seismometer, a few meters farther on, close to the other solar panel. Lance took the cover off. This instrument could detect the smallest imaginable vibrations. There was no telling what they might be able to use this for. He cautiously picked it up and set it carefully on the driver’s seat of the Rover.
“It would be best for us to start the disassembly process according to Mike’s suggested procedure,” Sarah said. “I’ll unscrew the separate parts, and you can store them safely on the Rover. The probe weighs at least 350 kilograms.”
“I thought it was heavier.”
“The tanks are empty, which is too bad, but the chemical engine will still be beneficial for us,” Sarah said.
They started to work. The first items on the list were the solar panels. Lance pulled the tent off the Rover and fastened the bulky panels to its spot. Sarah was already busying herself with the inside of the probe. They wouldn’t leave anything behind, but the guts—all of the electronics—were the most valuable elements. With its high-gain antenna, the probe could even link into the NASA Deep Space Network. The probe’s computer was utterly outdated in terms of technology, but it could still do its job.
They wouldn’t have any problem replacing the Endeavour’s computer and flying back to Earth. The only problem is that nobody is waiting for us anymore, Lance thought.
“Done.” Sarah handed Lance the probe’s landing leg, which she had carefully taken apart into three sections. Even the nuts and bolts might be quite valuable at some point. There was no telling when they would be capable of pouring iron.
“Very good,” Lance said. “With twenty minutes to spare until sunset. It’s been a pleasure to work with you.”
“Glad to return the compliment. What about our walk now?”
“It would be my honor, Miss Jaeggli, to invite you to take a turn before the sun sets.” Lance bowed and held out his hand.”
“Enchanté, Monsieur,” Sarah replied.
Hand in hand they slowly strolled westward. The sun favored them by tinting the sky violet. In its own unique way, the landscape was spectacular, Lance had to admit, but the woman who had taken his hand and was now nimbly walking across the flat sand with him was even more so.
“About our conversation from earlier...,” he said.
“Yes?”
“In case you got the impression that I would be displeased if you were pregnant...”
“Yes?”
“That isn’t true. I’ve never been in that situation, and this might not be the most ideal environment for a child, but it’s not going to get better than this any time soon. I think I would be glad if that happened... Very.”
Now it was out. Sarah stopped walking. She was bound to be on the verge of laughing at him. It was just a stupid joke, she would say. I can’t even get pregnant. It’s been fun sleeping with you, but under these circumstances, I’d choose to have an abortion. Yes, that would be what she would say, he thought.
Sarah took his helmeted head in her hands, pulling him to her and blowing him a kiss. “Someday,” she said, “we’ll kiss each other at twilight. For real. Not our children, us. I believe that with all my heart.”
“That would be wonderful,” Lance said.
There was nothing else to say. No other words came to him. He was speechless, but that wasn’t really a problem.
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The sun sank behind the horizon. They turned back. It was time to set up the tent. They strolled slowly back to the Rover. The probe was gone, but Lance noticed two gray lines that seemed to be messing with their vehicle. They weren’t alone.
Lance grabbed Sarah’s arm. “Wait here,” he said. “I’m going to find out who they are and what they want.”
“No way. We’re going together.” Sarah yanked her arm free and made a beeline for the two figures who were standing with their backs to them and hadn’t seemed to notice them yet. They were wearing cumbersome, old-fashioned spacesuits, like the ones the MfE group had.
“They have to be MfE people. How did they find us?” Lance said in a lowered voice, although there was no way the newcomers could hear them. If they were using the same frequency, they would have realized they were coming before now.
“The Rover back there looks familiar,” Sarah said.
A second Rover was sitting about ten meters away from theirs. It was the same vehicle model as their own. A NASA production. The two visitors were members of the group that had stolen their ship, and at the moment they were obviously trying to make off with the probe parts from their Rover. That figures, Lance thought, but he had no intention of making this easy for them.
He switched on his external loudspeaker, cranking the volume up high. If he didn’t do that, anything he said would travel through the thin Mars air and reach the two thieves as a whisper. “Hey! Take your hands off our Rover!” he shouted.
The figure on the left spun around immediately, but the other one didn’t seem to hear anything, since he kept trying to untie the rope in his hands. The left-hand figure tapped him on the shoulder.
Lance strode toward the two of them. He couldn’t tell from the bulky suits if they were men or women, but it really didn’t matter. They didn’t have any business taking things off their Rover. Sarah tried to hold him back, but he couldn’t just stand there! If they refused to leave voluntarily, he would have to force them to go. In their old-fashioned spacesuits, they didn’t have a chance against him. If you were stuck in one of those, it took you three times as long to hit back.
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