“I don’t know, but it’s the right question to ask. Why would a creature, at the bottom of this ocean, need to build structures such as these? What advantage would it give them?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you, it’s a huge expenditure of time and energy. Whatever they are doing it for must be important. Those structures, if I’m right, are storing masses of data that are important for the rest of the ocean,” he said.
“Then what kind of information would be important to save? What would be so necessary to survival, or give them such an advantage that they would build those giant structures, atom by atom?”
“Well, in this extreme environment…” Dr. Aman answered. “Maybe they need them to locate food, or resources?” he said.
“Possible. But isn’t food plentiful down there? I mean, they appear to eat the minerals coming from the volcanic vents. That’s a plentiful resource, complete with heat energy,” Mara responded.
There was more silence as they contemplated their hypothesis.
“Ok!” Mara thought aloud. “What if it’s to protect themselves? What if it was a warning system? Maybe it has something to do with those quakes, or volcanic activity?” she asked.
“Possible. I mean, that would seem fairly necessary to survival down there as much as anything,” Julian assured her.
“Julian, you have seismic sensors arrayed out on the surface ice, correct?”
“Yes, of course. We’ve been monitoring them since we arrived,” he told her.
“Good. I want to go over the seismic records. And I want the video from the sub the other day. I want to see if there is a correlation with the quakes and the reactions of the light from those creatures. I have a hypothesis they are monitoring those quakes for us.”
“On it,” Julian said. “I’ll send you the seismic data and start syncing it with the video. It’s all time-stamped. If there is any correlation, we can find it.”
“Ok, and I want to look at the real-time data if that’s possible and monitor the specimens I have. Let’s not forget it could mean something else as well. Mineral composition of the water, quality, temperature, or any other type of information. Let’s find out what it all means,” she said.
Mara signed off without saying anything to the other scientists. She felt good about what was happening. She was solving scientific mysteries like she had on Earth. This was what she had always wanted to do, and it felt good to do the work she knew she was capable of. She warned herself that it would not be long lasting, and when she laid down to rest, she found it unusually easy to drift to sleep.
CHAPTER 11
Sol 14; Mission time - 08:02
“We have some bad news, Mara,” Dr. Aman said. He had buzzed her in the middle of inspecting the video recordings from below.
“I just got a message from Luis,” he continued. “They are looking at imagery from the wide-field cameras on-board the orbiter, and there may be trouble.”
“Oh, I was expecting good news,” Mara said sarcastically as she paused her video.
“I am sure you were,” Dr. Aman said. “Mara, imagery has noticed a large fissure near us that was not on previous scans. It’s a crack in the ice shelf. We cannot determine how for down it goes, but judging from the images, it is wide, and deep.”
“A fissure?” Mara asked.
“Yes. It is a crack in the ice field. Very close. Luis says it is likely two to five kilometers away… and very long. He says it could stretch hundreds of kilometers in the other direction.”
“And we happen to be at the very end of it? Lucky us.”
“Look… It may be growing. It is probably related to the quakes we have experienced. I have already spoken to Julian about it.”
Mara had turned to focus on her video again. “Good, have Julian investigate. If anyone knows anything about plate-tectonics…”
“Julian isn’t going, Mara,” he said.
“Well, who else would you…? Oh no! I’m busy here syncing the seismographs with the sub-surface video. You can’t expect me to travel that far away from the Hab. Besides, that’s Julian’s field.”
“Mara, I am afraid since you are in quarantine it makes the most sense to send you. Plus, Julian, quite frankly, is too old to make that kind of journey,” he told her, lowering his voice slightly.
“And I may be afflicted with a fatal illness here. What if I get sick while I’m out there?” she asked, pointing randomly into the distance as if she knew where the fissure was located.
“That is a good point, Mara, and we thought about that, but there is nobody else who can do this kind of reconnaissance for us. We need Reese in case the support systems fail again. Julian is not in the condition we need. And as the mission medic I cannot leave the facility or the base. We need someone youthful, with endurance. Unfortunately, you are the only expendable person on the crew.”
“Expendable?”
“I do not mean it like that, Mara,” he explained. “Were you not just complaining it was crowded in quarantine?” he asked. “You are the best option, I am afraid. I will prepare your suit, which we will leave outside your room while we secure the facility. You will be able to leave quarantine safely to get outside.”
“I didn’t sign up for this shit, Aman,” Mara complained, sighing loudly.
“Actually, you did sign up for this, Mara. And it gets better. Hanson is going with you.”
“Hanson?” Mara took a deep breath and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “Great…”
“Johan wants to send one of his people to inspect the fissure with you. I guess he does not trust our judgment. Hanson is in quarantine with you, so it makes sense. You better tell him he needs to get ready,” Dr. Aman informed her.
Mara put her hands on her hips and turned toward Hanson. He was lying asleep in the other room, oblivious to the conversation. She would have to wake him and tell him.
“Pack whatever supplies you think you will need,” the doctor instructed. “And bring immune-boosters in case you feel ill. Luis says radiation is supposed to be moderate in the coming hours, so we hope to have you back here by dinner to minimize exposure,” Dr. Aman continued. “Out,” he said, and the monitor went dark before Mara could protest.
She dropped to her seat. Her elbows rested on her knees, and her hands dangled limply between her legs. She lowered her head to nearly between her knees. She peeked over at Hanson while he slept, and he let out a good snore, rubbing his nose. A slightly disgusted look came upon her face. “Just let it be quick,” she said to herself.
Sol 14; Mission time - 10:25
Mara and Hanson cut across the jagged landscape on one of the Zephyr’s rovers. It was a moderately quick means of travel, holding up to three passengers along with a supply case of tools used for probing various asteroids, among other data collection and safety devices. The miners used the rovers frequently to scout the locations of valuable minerals. Hanson was in the driver’s position with Mara in the passenger seat beside him. She clung tightly to the roll cage with her one good hand.
Hanson drove moderately fast, getting a feel for the ice, then he would cut the wheel hard when he needed to avoid the larger protrusions and gashes in the ice. Mara watched nervously as he drove around several outcroppings and grooves, some of which appeared to be bottomless.
There was an awkward silence that followed them to the vehicle once they were suited. Now that they were traveling into the unknown there was an unwanted and uncomfortable tension. They were both nervous, although they had to admit it was better than quarantine.
“So how’d you end up on the mission?” Hanson finally asked her, guiding the rover around a crack in the ice that descended hundreds of meters.
“Well, Dr. Aman said we were expendable since we are in quarantine. How about that? I guess they figure if we’re going to die from some horrible disease they might as well send us to inves
tigate the fissure while we suffer.”
Hanson wasn’t sure if Mara was joking or angry.
She nearly laughed. “I’m being sarcastic,” she explained. “You’ll get used to it, I guess.”
“Wasn’t expecting you to try and be funny,” he said. “Usually you’re more…” He suddenly stopped himself, smartly staying quiet.
“What?” Mara asked.
“I meant; how did you end up involved in a NASA mission to Europa? I haven’t had a chance to ask. I’m guessing you volunteered? You finally run out of fish to study on Earth?” he said, nearly laughing at himself.
Hanson saw her turn to him to let him know she did not share his sense of humor, and she let a second or two pass before answering. “I did volunteer. There are dozens of qualified people who’d kill to be here doing this work, but very few willing to give up several years of their life to do it.”
“What? Five years? Seems like nothing,” he said. “So, why were you so willing to go then?”
Mara skirted the question, looking away from him. “Nothing better to do,” she finally said with a wry voice.
“Life that dull on Earth these days?” he joked.
“How ’bout you?” she asked. “Why away so long? Did you drive away all your friends with bad jokes? Or maybe you just wanted to be all alone with your gold? Always chasing your next big strike, right?”
Hanson raised his head toward her with an amused smile. “You make it sound so glorious. Don’t forget about the dark cramped spaces, the dust and grease and grime,” he responded. “And the bone-chilling danger,” he said, smiling at her.
He remained silent for a moment as he focused on his driving. “I guess someday I’ll go back home,” he finally continued. “But it won’t be anytime soon. I’m not leaving my crew. Besides, I have some things to take care of.”
“Take care of?” Mara cracked. “What do you have to worry about? You ruff-neck types are usually only worried about chasing your treasure. Kind of like I’m chasing my fish, right?”
Hanson shook his head at her. “I told you I’m here for my crew. We watch after each other. Have each other’s backs. Those are my boys… my guys.”
“Oh, yes. You want to make things safe for your guys… So, what’s in it for you?” she asked flippantly. “Oh, that’s right. You want your own rig,” she said sarcastically. “That’ll make you a lot of money someday.”
Hanson had taken offense. He turned quickly to her with a fiery expression. “You know, those are good guys. They’re family to me and I wouldn’t leave them. You know some of those guys are set up for life when they go back? They make a lifetime’s worth out here. They go home, they have families, they pay for their kid’s education. When they’re done with me, they don’t have to worry. Not anymore. I like that they don’t have to worry. It’s dangerous work out here, and my job is I make sure I take care of them.”
“So, then what’s in it for you? Seriously? I mean, why do you do it? If it’s so dangerous, why stay?” she asked.
Hanson steadied the wheel and continued driving. He thought about the answer to her question, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to discuss it. He continued to concentrate on his driving for a little longer than it should have taken to answer.
“I can see why it doesn’t make sense to you,” he finally said. “You have family, friends back home. You’re looking forward to seeing them again.” His mood sobered considerably. “Some of us aren’t that lucky. I told you — this is my family.” He looked at her with a sobering expression.
Hanson made a sharp turn to avoid another small fracture in the ice, then rounded about to get a vantage point upon a nearby high spot. He drove the rover with ease, ascending to the crown of a small hill, then he hopped out for a better vantage.
He pointed his finger down the slight embankment and towards a large dark patch on the otherwise featureless plain. “Down there, about two kilometers,” he told her. He jumped back in and hit the accelerator, spinning the tires on the ice. The rover slid back down the slope where it had come, gaining speed along the way.
Mara had focused her attention on the fissure and their mission. They drove the rest of the way in silence.
When they arrived, they parked a safe distance away from the edge of the massive opening and prepared to walk the rest of the way. Hanson hopped out first and made a quick leap onto an icy outcropping. He kicked a button on the side of the rover and large metal spikes projected immediately from beneath it, sticking hard into the ice. Small shards of the white surface material flew in all directions.
The sudden motion had caught Mara off guard. She flinched slightly at the sight of the ice particles suddenly flying around her.
“Be careful,” Hanson said. “No sudden movements. We’re not far from the edge.”
Mara gave him a disapproving look, just like the one she had given him at the airlock. “Oh, I know,” she said mockingly. “You’re all about safety.”
Hanson watched Mara approach the fissure cautiously to get her first look. The ground sloped down toward the empty chasm, and the edges were slowly sinking away into the abyss, luring them toward a watery fate. She carefully side-stepped toward the opening, her feet parallel to the sloping ice, like a skier on skis.
As she peered over the edge, she could see the entirety of the scene. The fissure was massive. It widened as it disappeared onto the horizon, and it tapered together near where they stood. There didn’t seem to be a bottom. Hanson walked closer, looking deeper into the canyon, albeit cautiously.
Mara seemed content to stay several steps away from the edge, but she could see that the opening was forbiddingly deep, and it extended in the distance to the horizon, bending over the edge of the moon as far as their eyes could see. It was like the moonscape had opened and invited the depths of space into its belly. She snapped several pictures for the rest of the crew to see while Hanson flirted dangerously close along the edge.
Inside the giant chasm they could see nothing but raw blue ice that turned darker and darker as they followed it towards the bottom. It faded at the lowest point into a blackness that defied imagination. It was terrifying for them to look into; a hellish depth that seemed as though it could contain all the evil in the world and keep it safely tucked away from the justice of light, forever. It was a truly daunting sight.
Shadows were cast across the canyon walls by the low, distant sun. They were as dramatic as the chasm was deep. The angles carved into the ice and stretched the shadows longer than the canyon itself, emphasizing its size. The lines played on their sense of scale. It was disorienting, as if this place was taunting them with its sublime power and mystery.
“This can’t happen where we are at,” Mara said. “We’re on a contiguous sheet of ice. It wouldn’t just split like this. The edges around the ice sheet should go before this ice does, right?” She turned and looked at Hanson, as if he knew the answer.
He appeared very uncertain. “You sure?” he asked.
“Pretty sure,” she said. “We need Luis here, damnit,” she said.
“Luis?”
“Yes. He’s the astronomer that deals with the orbital images. He’d know a lot more about how this ice should break up,” Mara told him.
She thought back to her training at NASA. She was told Luis had made his best determination, based on the orbiter missions that preceded Copernicus, that the ice was safe inside the rift. NASA knew the ice moved from time to time, but exactly how much and how often was unclear, although it had seemed minimal.
Europa’s entire surface was crisscrossed with grooves and rifts. Mission Control had determined, with Luis’s input, that they would land at the center of one of the large rifts. It had been an obvious way to make it as easy as possible to drill through the ice. The ice sheet would be significantly thinner inside and therefore less work to drill through.
But there had alw
ays been a danger to landing in the rift. It was assumed they were fault lines of some kind, and they were formed from the surface ice being pulled apart, just like fault lines on Earth. It now appeared the rift really was being pulled apart, as she feared, and the evidence was right in front of her, undeniable.
Mara could see it for herself. Standing before the colossal fissure she could see not just the opening in the surface, but other signs of tectonic movement were suddenly evident all over the face of the moon.
There were the cracks and misaligned grooves in the ice on the way to the fissure that they had to steer to avoid; that Hanson had skillfully maneuvered around. The icy spire she had sent a grappling hook into… was a massive chunk of raw ice, made by some enormous forces to stand on its end in the middle of an otherwise barren plain. Her ice cores had showed stress fractures and grooves of ice that were twisted and tortured into bizarre shapes. All around her were warnings that there was more movement, more danger, than they had expected. She was worried that these fissures, and the quakes that had made them, were the norm and not the exception.
“This shouldn’t be happening” Mara said to Hanson, as she stared frighteningly into the fissure.
As they looked over the chasm a small chunk of the beautiful ice dislodged from the edge and descended into the void. They watched it tumble and fall. In the vacuum of space, the collapsing ice was eerily silent. It leant a surreal sensation to the entire scene. The chunk of ice disappeared into darkness below.
She noticed a subtle mist accumulating at the bottom. It meant the opening was likely all the way to the ocean below. She knew that water or liquid would diffuse into a fine vapor in the vacuum of space there. If that was the case, and if the fissure did extend to the ocean below, it was a mystery to her why water would not be working its way up to the surface.
Mara continued looking for clues. She noticed the ice they were standing on was not settled from the recent activity, and it had yet to freeze securely in place. She suddenly noticed cracks were emanating from the fissure right to where they were standing. Signs such as this were everywhere now that she looked for them. She realized the danger they were in was immediate.
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