Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

It would be a full week before Anita felt the walls of the base close in again and had to escape to the surface. It was one of the full days of sunset and dusk, when the shadows were long. She would have to be extra careful: it would be much easier to see her movements as long as the sun was up. It would probably be a few hours before the sky would darken enough to make spotting shadows difficult, but she couldn’t spare that long. A quick walk, being careful, it would be ok. No satellites were scheduled to pass by during the next two hours. As far as they knew.

As usual, Anita walked up the small hill and over to the nearby lake. It was truly spectacular at sunset, with the light reflecting off the surface when she stood at the right angle. She didn’t dare throw a rock today, but it was always so tempting. The breezes were stronger than usual today, and the lake rippled quietly, peaks of the waves catching light and tossing it off in golden sparks.

She sat as close to the edge of the lake as she dared, letting herself become entranced with the dancing light on the liquid surface. She felt as though the dim light of the setting sun was soaking into her skin, even through the suit. The lights in the base kept off the physical symptoms of going without sunlight, but nothing quite made up for it psychologically. Anita closed her eyes and dreamed of Mars, where the sun was bright and hot, trying to remember what it felt like to be truly warm, right down to the bones.

A beeping slowly made its way into her consciousness, and she turned her wrist to see the suit computer flashing at her. An alert. She tapped the alert to open it. “Satellite approaching, new course detected. Course information updated by Jay Knowlton one-hundred twenty-eight seconds ago.”

Get inside. Get inside. Get inside. Anita’s mind kept repeating those words as she got to her feet and began walking back to the base as quickly as she dared, while still scattering sand to cover her tracks behind her. The only thing worse than not getting to the base in time would be getting there with a clear trail leading directly to it. She checked the time again. Eighteen minutes until the satellite would be in range to image this area. So close. She forced herself to focus on the process: step back, cover, step back, cover. Each step was agonizing; her entire limbic system was screaming at her to run. Step back, cover. Step back, cover. You’re a scientist, be logical about this. Focus. Step back, cover.

A light whistle sounded, and she looked up, half-expecting to see a dot of metal whirring by overhead, but it was only the wind. Probably. Silly, she told herself. You’d never hear or see a satellite here. Don’t get distracted. She was at the top of the hill now. So close but still so far. Step back, cover. Step back, balance, cover. Check the time: six minutes. A drop of sweat rolled down her temple. Step back, cover.

As she stood in the hatch of the airlock and covered the last few steps, she felt the tension she had been holding in her back and shoulders, and her muscles ached. One more check of the time. Ten seconds. Close the airlock hatch. Flood with air from the base. Five seconds. Step into the base and seal the hatch. One second.

She collapsed onto the floor, muscles quivering with the sustained effort. She had made it, but that had been way too close. They couldn’t afford even a near miss. A message beeped its arrival at the computer bank in the lab, and Anita held back a groan. She sat up and scooted out of the suit, massaging her legs as she went. She’d have to do extra stretches to avoid cramps tonight, she thought.

Eventually, she sank down into the chair in front of the computers and pulled the message up. Jay’s face filled the screen, more fearful than Anita had ever seen them. “Anita? Anita, are you there? I just found out that one of the Perses satellites has a new schedule and orbit. I don’t think it caught you outside before, it’s only been on this new route for about three days, but I just sent the info to your system as an update. I wish to hell you could get back to me on this, because I’d really like to know you’re safe. You have to be, I know you, never taking any big risks. I’m sure you’re off working on your suits, but I worry so damn much anyway. You should be getting another visitor soon, send a message with them, if you can. I need to know you’re ok.”

Anita found herself touching the screen, trying to connect with Jay and tell them she was ok, that she appreciated the warning, that it had come soon enough. But she also wanted to tell them about how she had been outside, how she had explored the lake and surrounding area, how she was taking risks, thank you very much, and not a boring lab rat.

She sat back in the chair, rolling her shoulders to ease the stiffness that was settling in. Jay was right, though. Some risks might help her stay mentally healthy, but they had invested too much in this to endanger it in any way. She needed to focus on the suits as much as possible.

That night, the new suit components gleamed on the kitchen table, still just a bit soft from the printing process. Anita could have dented one with a thumbnail, if she wanted to. Wires led from the linked components to her tablet, which provided both power and control. She dragged a fingertip across the screen, and the components moved in time, sliding into place with barely audible clicks. The soft docking system that helped the wings attach to the suits. It was as good as the lost design, she thought. It had taken more work to get the finished product, but it was solid. It would work.

Anita’s muscles were far too tight when she began her evening stretches, and it took much longer than usual to coax them into a state of looseness. When she finally crawled into bed, she didn’t think there was a single body part that didn’t hurt somewhere. The adrenaline rush of the afternoon had long since faded away, but she was left with a residual anxiety. What if she hadn’t made it inside? What if the message hadn’t made it to her in time? What if Jay hadn’t found out about the course change? What if they missed the next one? She told herself over and over again that it was useless to think about such things now and needed to go to sleep, but it was a long time before her eyes finally closed.