Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Anita’s knees gave way and she sank to the cold floor of the base, resting her head on her knees. Her lungs felt tight, and she couldn’t catch her breath. She felt the bile rise in her throat again.
“I know, and I’m so sorry. But we can’t take the chance. Don’t sign into any of your electronic accounts, either, they’re tracking all of them. We were hoping there would be some way to get you access to your systems back at Kerguelen Base, but there isn’t, not safely.” Frida knelt in front of Anita, and grabbed her hands, holding tight. “But we’re going to get you through this. We’ll bring you all the supplies for the suits, and anything that might help you create the new ones. We’re smart, and we’re tough, and we’re a team: we can beat them. We can make Titan the one world they don’t get a foothold on.”
Anita nodded mutely, mind spinning.
“We all need rest now more than anything else. We’ll spend a day or two here getting the base online and resting up to head back. Walk around the base as much as you can, then sleep for as long as possible. It’s all going to be ok.” Frida stood and pulled Anita to her feet.
Anita spent the next hour pacing the confines of the abandoned base, trying to take stock of everything. The base itself was rudimentary, and all the tech was several generations behind even what Kerguelen had, which was hardly state of the art. The good news was that the simpler the technology, the easier it would be for her to keep it in working order herself. There was a small spot for a hydroponics garden, but the water had dried up years ago. There was still some plant food in bags, and some seeds, so she might have a chance at growing a few things, given enough time. Hopefully I won’t be here that long, she thought, but best to make a start now, just in case.
There were several sleeping bunks, not enough for the team, but they could share or spread out on the floor without any difficulty. It would be more spacious and comfortable than the tent. A bank of computers, when coaxed to life, showed data readings from the surrounding area, including temperature, wind speed, humidity, and more. If she learned to read the small variations, it might help her know if Perses scouts were in the area. Sergei and Alice were hard at work outside, she could see, increasing the covering of the base and making it impossible to spot from a satellite.
In another room of the base, she came across Frida and Nada piling up electronics and other debris. Nada waved at her, and beckoned her over. “We’re starting a pile of things that aren’t needed for the current operations of the base. This is all stuff you can use for the new suits, or whatever you need to do with it. It’ll give you a head start until we can get some more precise supplies to you.”
Anita signed her appreciation, and continued her tour of the base. There was fine dust everywhere, which in an odd way made her feel more at home. No filtration system on Mars could ever keep the finest red particles out, and every resident was used to wiping up red dust from their home on a regular basis. Anita found a cloth in a nearby bin and began wiping down the surfaces of the base as she went. I’m staking my claim here, she determined. I’m making this mine.
There were five main areas to the base: the entryway with small airlock, the lab with its computer banks, the sleeping area, the kitchen with attached garden, and a large open area where Nada and Frida were piling the electronics. A few other smaller rooms were attached to the larger rooms, like the bathroom and a cleaning room for using specific chemicals. The whole living area was smaller than her apartment on Mars, but larger than her quarters back at Kerguelen Base.
She went into the bedroom, and saw that the single bag she had packed was sitting on one of the lower bunks, with several blankets folded up beside it. She moved the bag to the floor, and carefully spread the blankets over the bed. There was no mattress, only a pad that kept her from sleeping on bare metal, but it seemed to be in good enough shape. After making up the bed, Anita rummaged through her bag and found her favorite dress to wear after returning from the field; a soft jersey in cobalt blue that fitted comfortably without being constricting. There was no water for a shower, but she stripped her suit off and brushed away the dust as best she could, then pulled the dress over her head. In a few moments, she was in a deep sleep sprawled across the bed.
When Anita awoke hours later, it took her some time to realize where she was. Neither the bare ceiling of her apartment on base nor the cold dark sky of Titan. Wait. Yes, they had arrived at the abandoned base. She remembered now. She sat up slowly, not wanting to let the blood rush away from her head too quickly. The others in her team were there, too, some on the beds and a few on the floor. Sergei was missing, presumably keeping some kind of watch. Anita padded quietly across the cold floor in her thick field socks, and went into the laboratory.
As expected, Sergei sat with his back to her, eyes glued to the monitors. When he heard her, he turned around and smiled. “Ah, doctor, I’m glad to see you got some sleep. Do you feel better?”
She nodded, and signed, “How long?”
Sergei glanced at the clock. “I’d say about ten hours. You crashed about thirty minutes after we got here. The others followed in the next hour or two, depending on the jobs they were finishing. We’re staying a few days just to make sure everyone has adequate time to rest. Frida took first watch, and I was on second. I have another two hours, then Alice takes over. We’ve got a rotation set up.”
“When’s my turn?”
“You’re last on the schedule for now, so it’ll be a while. Enjoy it while it lasts. Soon enough, you’ll be the only one on watch. I wish it could be otherwise, but we need to get back to base. Besides, it’s easier to find two people than one. Don’t worry, we’ll be back to check on you when we can. Most of us have exploration routes that can lead us up here every few months.”
Anita sat on the chair next to Sergei and looked at the monitors. Several were camera feeds from outside the base, covering all angles of approach. More had weather data on them, and one seemed to be radar or something similar to it. It showed nothing at the moment. She wondered what it would show if they sent a satellite overhead.
Both were quiet for a long time, eyes darting from screen to screen. Finally Anita tapped Sergei on the shoulder. “I’m getting food,” she signed. “What do you want?”
“We don’t have a lot of choice at the moment, and I don’t want to eat into your stores. I’m fine with the dried meat and a little cheese.”
Anita nodded, and went into the kitchen area. As expected, someone on the team had already stowed all the food. There wasn’t much variety, but meat and cheese were easy to find, and she brought back several packets of it. Serrgei smiled as she handed him several sticks of meat and cheese. “Thank you, doctor.”
Anita nodded, and chewed a piece of jerky thoughtfully. “Sergei,” she signed, “Are you alone here on Titan? Do you have anyone waiting for you anywhere?”
He gave her a strange look and she corrected, “No, sorry, I don’t mean that as a come on. I’m just curious about the choices we’ve all made that put us in this position. I chose not to have anyone to leave behind, no one who was waiting for me. What about you?”
He stared into the distance for a few moments, eyes looking out over the digital landscape in front of them. Then he shrugged. “It depends on how you look at it. I suppose you could say I left behind the thought of someone, and when I go back, we will see if it is anything more than a possibility.”
Anita twirled her finger in the universal “go on” gesture.
“Ah, how to explain it… There was someone on Mars. They were beautiful, charming, we were good friends for many years. They often accompanied me to my excursions to the historical sites of Mars. We talked about a relationship, once, not long before I left. Neither of us were sure that our feelings were more than friendship. We decided to preserve the friendship. But I miss them, especially when the nights are so cold and dark. I wish I could show them all the things I’ve seen on this flight. I find myself wanting to tell them about my day. Perhaps that is as much love as the passion I hear about in songs and films.”
The two sat in silence, watching the ever-shifting numbers on the weather display and the flickering feed from the cameras until Alice came in to take her watch shift. Anita made sure she had food as well, then went back into the kitchen to take stock of her supplies.
Weeks worth of dried meat substitute and cheese, of course. Those were easy to prepare, cheap to make, and easy to store, so most bases away from Earth and Mars had lots of stock of such supplies. But extended survival on these rations, even with vitamin supplements, tended to result in physical and mental health issues, so other supplies were available on most bases, too. Her team had gotten her several packages of eggs, some hardy root vegetables from the hydroponic gardens, and a few citrus fruits that would last for a few weeks without spoiling.
And finally, at the very bottom of the refrigerator unit, a single bar of cheap chocolate. That had to be Steven’s idea, she knew, since he shared her love of sweet things. She didn’t want to ask how he’d gotten it, since any luxury foods were expensive and hard to import to Titan when every ounce of fuel mattered. She set it back in the refrigerator gently and closed the door. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough for now, enough until they could bring more.
Gradually, the rest of the team woke up, groaning with sore muscles and aching backs. Breakfast was more of the dried meat and cheese, as each team member refused to eat anything that might deplete Anita’s supplies of fresh food for the weeks ahead. “Besides, we’ll be back at base soon with plenty of choices. We can gnaw through jerky for a few more days,” Frida said, tearing off a hunk of meat.
The next two days passed in a blur. Everyone was busy with a project, or just catching up on sleep. Anita herself slept at least half of every day, laying down for a nap as soon as she felt tired. It would probably take weeks for any of them to return to a completely normal schedule after such a punishing trip. Meals were taken together, and though there was not much to share, everyone had enough and the sound of happy voices in the kitchen made Anita’s heart swell.
And then it was over. On the third morning, the team did a final check of all systems and a final scout of the outlying area, then gathered in front of the door of the base in their suits and wings. There was no need for the netting anymore, and it had been stowed inside the base in hopes of becoming useful once again. There was a faint blush of dawn in the sky, light seeping through the dusky shadows of Titan’s atmosphere. Good conditions for the team to fly back, as the dim light could sometimes confuse satellites and make data unclear.
Anita stood just outside the hatch of the airlock, in her suit and helmet, protected from Titan’s cold. The others flexed their wings, muscles still sore but no longer in danger. Everyone had a different route back to Kerguelen Base to protect their cover stories of having been on different exploration missions. One by one, each scout stepped forward and gave Anita a hug or handshake, and wished her the best while she signed her appreciation. Then with a rush of wings and scuffle of feet on sand, they were aloft and separating, a flock scattered to the winds and searching for a safe way home.
Anita watched until she could no longer see any dark shapes flying in the clouds, nor hear any signals over the short-range comm system. She turned and went back into the base. The airlock sealed and flooded with air, and she stepped into her new home. Except for the beeping of the computer systems and the slight hiss of the air ventilation system, it was quiet.
Welcome to silence, Anita told herself, and began stripping off her suit.
Anita’s knees gave way and she sank to the cold floor of the base, resting her head on her knees. Her lungs felt tight, and she couldn’t catch her breath. She felt the bile rise in her throat again.
“I know, and I’m so sorry. But we can’t take the chance. Don’t sign into any of your electronic accounts, either, they’re tracking all of them. We were hoping there would be some way to get you access to your systems back at Kerguelen Base, but there isn’t, not safely.” Frida knelt in front of Anita, and grabbed her hands, holding tight. “But we’re going to get you through this. We’ll bring you all the supplies for the suits, and anything that might help you create the new ones. We’re smart, and we’re tough, and we’re a team: we can beat them. We can make Titan the one world they don’t get a foothold on.”
Anita nodded mutely, mind spinning.
“We all need rest now more than anything else. We’ll spend a day or two here getting the base online and resting up to head back. Walk around the base as much as you can, then sleep for as long as possible. It’s all going to be ok.” Frida stood and pulled Anita to her feet.
Anita spent the next hour pacing the confines of the abandoned base, trying to take stock of everything. The base itself was rudimentary, and all the tech was several generations behind even what Kerguelen had, which was hardly state of the art. The good news was that the simpler the technology, the easier it would be for her to keep it in working order herself. There was a small spot for a hydroponics garden, but the water had dried up years ago. There was still some plant food in bags, and some seeds, so she might have a chance at growing a few things, given enough time. Hopefully I won’t be here that long, she thought, but best to make a start now, just in case.
There were several sleeping bunks, not enough for the team, but they could share or spread out on the floor without any difficulty. It would be more spacious and comfortable than the tent. A bank of computers, when coaxed to life, showed data readings from the surrounding area, including temperature, wind speed, humidity, and more. If she learned to read the small variations, it might help her know if Perses scouts were in the area. Sergei and Alice were hard at work outside, she could see, increasing the covering of the base and making it impossible to spot from a satellite.
In another room of the base, she came across Frida and Nada piling up electronics and other debris. Nada waved at her, and beckoned her over. “We’re starting a pile of things that aren’t needed for the current operations of the base. This is all stuff you can use for the new suits, or whatever you need to do with it. It’ll give you a head start until we can get some more precise supplies to you.”
Anita signed her appreciation, and continued her tour of the base. There was fine dust everywhere, which in an odd way made her feel more at home. No filtration system on Mars could ever keep the finest red particles out, and every resident was used to wiping up red dust from their home on a regular basis. Anita found a cloth in a nearby bin and began wiping down the surfaces of the base as she went. I’m staking my claim here, she determined. I’m making this mine.
There were five main areas to the base: the entryway with small airlock, the lab with its computer banks, the sleeping area, the kitchen with attached garden, and a large open area where Nada and Frida were piling the electronics. A few other smaller rooms were attached to the larger rooms, like the bathroom and a cleaning room for using specific chemicals. The whole living area was smaller than her apartment on Mars, but larger than her quarters back at Kerguelen Base.
She went into the bedroom, and saw that the single bag she had packed was sitting on one of the lower bunks, with several blankets folded up beside it. She moved the bag to the floor, and carefully spread the blankets over the bed. There was no mattress, only a pad that kept her from sleeping on bare metal, but it seemed to be in good enough shape. After making up the bed, Anita rummaged through her bag and found her favorite dress to wear after returning from the field; a soft jersey in cobalt blue that fitted comfortably without being constricting. There was no water for a shower, but she stripped her suit off and brushed away the dust as best she could, then pulled the dress over her head. In a few moments, she was in a deep sleep sprawled across the bed.
When Anita awoke hours later, it took her some time to realize where she was. Neither the bare ceiling of her apartment on base nor the cold dark sky of Titan. Wait. Yes, they had arrived at the abandoned base. She remembered now. She sat up slowly, not wanting to let the blood rush away from her head too quickly. The others in her team were there, too, some on the beds and a few on the floor. Sergei was missing, presumably keeping some kind of watch. Anita padded quietly across the cold floor in her thick field socks, and went into the laboratory.
As expected, Sergei sat with his back to her, eyes glued to the monitors. When he heard her, he turned around and smiled. “Ah, doctor, I’m glad to see you got some sleep. Do you feel better?”
She nodded, and signed, “How long?”
Sergei glanced at the clock. “I’d say about ten hours. You crashed about thirty minutes after we got here. The others followed in the next hour or two, depending on the jobs they were finishing. We’re staying a few days just to make sure everyone has adequate time to rest. Frida took first watch, and I was on second. I have another two hours, then Alice takes over. We’ve got a rotation set up.”
“When’s my turn?”
“You’re last on the schedule for now, so it’ll be a while. Enjoy it while it lasts. Soon enough, you’ll be the only one on watch. I wish it could be otherwise, but we need to get back to base. Besides, it’s easier to find two people than one. Don’t worry, we’ll be back to check on you when we can. Most of us have exploration routes that can lead us up here every few months.”
Anita sat on the chair next to Sergei and looked at the monitors. Several were camera feeds from outside the base, covering all angles of approach. More had weather data on them, and one seemed to be radar or something similar to it. It showed nothing at the moment. She wondered what it would show if they sent a satellite overhead.
Both were quiet for a long time, eyes darting from screen to screen. Finally Anita tapped Sergei on the shoulder. “I’m getting food,” she signed. “What do you want?”
“We don’t have a lot of choice at the moment, and I don’t want to eat into your stores. I’m fine with the dried meat and a little cheese.”
Anita nodded, and went into the kitchen area. As expected, someone on the team had already stowed all the food. There wasn’t much variety, but meat and cheese were easy to find, and she brought back several packets of it. Serrgei smiled as she handed him several sticks of meat and cheese. “Thank you, doctor.”
Anita nodded, and chewed a piece of jerky thoughtfully. “Sergei,” she signed, “Are you alone here on Titan? Do you have anyone waiting for you anywhere?”
He gave her a strange look and she corrected, “No, sorry, I don’t mean that as a come on. I’m just curious about the choices we’ve all made that put us in this position. I chose not to have anyone to leave behind, no one who was waiting for me. What about you?”
He stared into the distance for a few moments, eyes looking out over the digital landscape in front of them. Then he shrugged. “It depends on how you look at it. I suppose you could say I left behind the thought of someone, and when I go back, we will see if it is anything more than a possibility.”
Anita twirled her finger in the universal “go on” gesture.
“Ah, how to explain it… There was someone on Mars. They were beautiful, charming, we were good friends for many years. They often accompanied me to my excursions to the historical sites of Mars. We talked about a relationship, once, not long before I left. Neither of us were sure that our feelings were more than friendship. We decided to preserve the friendship. But I miss them, especially when the nights are so cold and dark. I wish I could show them all the things I’ve seen on this flight. I find myself wanting to tell them about my day. Perhaps that is as much love as the passion I hear about in songs and films.”
The two sat in silence, watching the ever-shifting numbers on the weather display and the flickering feed from the cameras until Alice came in to take her watch shift. Anita made sure she had food as well, then went back into the kitchen to take stock of her supplies.
Weeks worth of dried meat substitute and cheese, of course. Those were easy to prepare, cheap to make, and easy to store, so most bases away from Earth and Mars had lots of stock of such supplies. But extended survival on these rations, even with vitamin supplements, tended to result in physical and mental health issues, so other supplies were available on most bases, too. Her team had gotten her several packages of eggs, some hardy root vegetables from the hydroponic gardens, and a few citrus fruits that would last for a few weeks without spoiling.
And finally, at the very bottom of the refrigerator unit, a single bar of cheap chocolate. That had to be Steven’s idea, she knew, since he shared her love of sweet things. She didn’t want to ask how he’d gotten it, since any luxury foods were expensive and hard to import to Titan when every ounce of fuel mattered. She set it back in the refrigerator gently and closed the door. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough for now, enough until they could bring more.
Gradually, the rest of the team woke up, groaning with sore muscles and aching backs. Breakfast was more of the dried meat and cheese, as each team member refused to eat anything that might deplete Anita’s supplies of fresh food for the weeks ahead. “Besides, we’ll be back at base soon with plenty of choices. We can gnaw through jerky for a few more days,” Frida said, tearing off a hunk of meat.
The next two days passed in a blur. Everyone was busy with a project, or just catching up on sleep. Anita herself slept at least half of every day, laying down for a nap as soon as she felt tired. It would probably take weeks for any of them to return to a completely normal schedule after such a punishing trip. Meals were taken together, and though there was not much to share, everyone had enough and the sound of happy voices in the kitchen made Anita’s heart swell.
And then it was over. On the third morning, the team did a final check of all systems and a final scout of the outlying area, then gathered in front of the door of the base in their suits and wings. There was no need for the netting anymore, and it had been stowed inside the base in hopes of becoming useful once again. There was a faint blush of dawn in the sky, light seeping through the dusky shadows of Titan’s atmosphere. Good conditions for the team to fly back, as the dim light could sometimes confuse satellites and make data unclear.
Anita stood just outside the hatch of the airlock, in her suit and helmet, protected from Titan’s cold. The others flexed their wings, muscles still sore but no longer in danger. Everyone had a different route back to Kerguelen Base to protect their cover stories of having been on different exploration missions. One by one, each scout stepped forward and gave Anita a hug or handshake, and wished her the best while she signed her appreciation. Then with a rush of wings and scuffle of feet on sand, they were aloft and separating, a flock scattered to the winds and searching for a safe way home.
Anita watched until she could no longer see any dark shapes flying in the clouds, nor hear any signals over the short-range comm system. She turned and went back into the base. The airlock sealed and flooded with air, and she stepped into her new home. Except for the beeping of the computer systems and the slight hiss of the air ventilation system, it was quiet.
Welcome to silence, Anita told herself, and began stripping off her suit.
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