Chapter 3
Floyd spent the afternoon assembling the small electric dirt bike that was in the cargo hold. While crawling around the cargo space he thought about trying to repair the puncture in the ship's hull but still had not come up with a good idea for a permanent fix. He knew some sand must be getting in but the isolation protocol meant he could not even go into the damaged compartment. When the bike was finished he went back to the computer and worked on a packing list of survival gear he would like to take. The small fuel cell took up almost the entire storage compartment on the bike so everything else would have to be hauled in his backpack. He was surprised when he cross referenced his list with the ship's inventory; maybe they had done a better job of packing than he had thought.
He finished plotting his route which would take him down what appeared to be a side channel of the drainage system to the south side of the major drainage. He could only guess at the depth of the valleys carved into the plain but they seemed shallow. His goal was to spend a few hours exploring by foot while the fuel cell recharged the battery and then return to the ship staying to the higher ground. He needed to be back by mid-day to avoid the wind and dust and thought, "How hard can it be?" Another wind gust hit the ship making it shudder and reminding him of the time constraints he was dealing with.
Now that Floyd had something to do, the confines of the ship seemed even more oppressive. Mr. Watson finally spoke up, "The biological testing remains negative for pathogens but because many of the organisms are new to our experience I cannot assure you that there is no risk."
Floyd looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean, ‘Many of the organisms,' Why not all of the organisms?"
"That is an interesting question for which there is no information in my data banks. Contamination from our ship would be highly unlikely because of the temperatures of re-entry. Do you have any philosophical reasons for the phenomena?"
Floyd's responded, "How in the hell would I know?" After another moment of thought he recalled the book his son had given him on "Panspermia" and said, "Maybe the guys talking about Panspermia knew what they were talking about."
"My database would indicate that the theory has been discredited by all the major researchers because of the almost infinite number of possible genetic combinations."
Floyd countered, "If the DNA was preloaded, if you would, to gradually evolve along certain lines then there would be pressure to follow a predetermined track of evolution. Hell, what am I talking about? I struggled to pass biology and avoided genetics completely."
Only the blinking lights indicated that Mr. Watson was active and after several minutes he responded, "I have created a chain of logic based on your hypothesis and the implication is that the people of this land would genetically resemble yourself. This in turn would imply similar physical characteristics." Before Floyd could respond Mr. Watson continued, "The logical conclusion would be that life was designed, not random. This in turn would imply a creator which does not seem logical."
"Logical or not, it is what it is, and we will know soon enough. Now it is time to eat or I may starve before I even get to set foot on this planet."
Mr. Watson replied, "Your blood glucose levels would indicate the need for nutrient replacement but I see no risk of starvation. Your physical workload would also mean that fluid replenishment is in order."
"Sounds like you are prescribing a beer or two and I agree." Knowing the Mr. Watson was about to repeat his sermon on the benefits of the fluid beverage provided, Floyd continued, "When do your protocols say I can break out of this prison?"
Mr. Watson's first response was a quote of the definition of a prison and reminding Floyd that he had volunteered for the mission which made it illogical to call it a prison. He then said, "The last of the cultures will be completed by 10 am local time. You will be free to exit the ship at that time."
Floyd chewed on his lip before replying, "Not enough time to go anywhere but it will give me a chance to test the motorcycle out." He then changed the subject and asked, "Do you think the small greenish color at the base of the valley is real or an artifact of the light?"
Mr. Watson replied after only a short pause, "The color change you detected was not picked up by my screening programming and the signal is very weak but it may represent the presence of chlorophyll."
"So maybe this world isn't dead after all."
The morning dragged on as did the checklist that Mr. Watson had produced before Floyd would be allowed to exit the ship. By the time Floyd had wrangled the small motorcycle into the airlock and donned the space suit only a couple of hours were left before the winds would return. He could not help but look up at the sky which was clear of clouds but had a somewhat orange color. Floyd used the time to test the EMV and maybe have a bit of fun exploring the vehicle's capabilities. Mr. Watson spoke up saying, "The EMV was not designed to ride on just the rear wheel and you have exceeded all design parameters of the unit."
Floyd settled down and began his circular routes around the ship looking for any signs of life. It was as barren as the Alford Desert but not as perfectly flat. He elongated his circular route and the gentle slope definitely led to a drainage channel. Mr. Watson was reminding him that his time was almost up. Just as it was getting more interesting his "nagging mother" dragged him home. By the time he had returned the bike to the airlock and done a perimeter inspection of their ship the wind had started. Standing in the airlock he watched the dust devils develop and then be destroyed by a gust of wind. The incessant buzzing of the airlock warning system finally made him close the outer door and re-enter their ship.
Mr. Watson asked, "Why did you delay so long in closing the airlock?"
Floyd replied, "Guess I didn’t want to lose the freedom of being outdoors."
"It would seem illogical that just having a door open would make you feel free."
Floyd changed the subject asking, "Did the video come through?"
"I am still analyzing the data but the video seems satisfactory. Your speech is often undecipherable. At first I thought something was wrong when you kept shouting something that sounded like Ya Hee. I needed many CPU cycles to calculate that it was some form of celebratory exclamation usually related to riding unruly horses."
"Let’s look at the video of the ship's inspection first. It looks like the sand may be building up against the hull."
Close examination of the video revealed that the hull was slowly being buried in sand from the daily winds. Floyd asked, "How long do we have before the sand covers the ship?"
Mr. Watson replied, "At the present rate of accretion I would expect the majority of the hull to be buried in 23.67 of our present days." He continued, "Extraction of the ship will become much more difficult if the sand reaches the control surfaces which will happen in 4.53 days."
"So if we don’t get this ship moved in the next four days we will be stuck here. No food or water for me and rusting for you; seems we’d better come up with a plan."
Mr. Watson replied, "Your summary seems accurate enough." He added, "It would seem that you have been working on this in your sleep."
Floyd reached up and scratched the electrodes attached to his scalp and said only, "Been reading my mind again?"
"I have been monitoring your brain function and can often make a coherent picture of the major themes of your dreams. If you would quit scratching at the leads the signal would be clearer."
Floyd asked, "How much lifting capability does the extension of the landing gear have?"
"The landing gear was not designed to lift the ship but merely position it for the mechanical locking in the gear down position. At the most it can exert enough force to lift a few hundred pounds."
Mr. Watson added, "Your dreams seem to deal with a truck of some sort that is near the water and stuck in the sand. It would seem an analogous situation."
"That would be the time I buried my truck on the beach and the tide was coming in. We used poles we found
on the beach as giant levers to lift the truck, placing sticks and rocks to hold it up. Made it to high ground before the tide got us." Floyd asked, "How long of a pole do we need to pry this bird out of the sand?"
Mr. Watson replied, "Based on your weight and assuming that you only need to lift one corner of the ship at a time you need a pole 20 feet long. The ship weighs approximately the same as the average truck of the vintage I saw in your dream."
"Do we have anything like that aboard or maybe a nice air jack?"
"There is nothing on the manifest resembling such, nor is there a storage compartment long enough to accommodate such a pole."
Floyd was zooming the image on the computer screen to the area of the channel looking for something like a log but the image just was not sharp enough. "Any way to sharpen this image to see if there are any logs in the drainage?" The image began to flicker as Mr. Watson played with the data. Some structures seemed to be present further down the drainage but nothing was obvious. Floyd said, "Seems our best chance for a lever is something washed down the drainage. I think we should make that the priority in our exploration."
The next morning Floyd was suited up and ready to explore as the sun rose. Mr. Watson was going through the long checklist again and it was all Floyd could do to wait for completion. With the motorcycle fully charged and the fuel cell ready, he donned his backpack of emergency gear and was finally given clearance to open the airlock. He had already become fairly adept at getting the bike out of the airlock and as Mr. Watson went on about the bending forces that the lever needed to endure, he left. Seemed that 50% power was about all that he could safely manage in the area of scattered small rocks they were in. As he descended further into the drainage the ground was of a more uniform sandy character. This made the ride smoother but also made the bike work harder. Mr. Watson informed him that he had traveled 5.23 miles down the drainage and was fretting that he needed to watch his energy levels. Floyd sort of acknowledged the admonition but just kept on going. It was not until he was at the 9.4-mile mark that he found the first piece of wood which looked like a tree branch. His excitement was tempered when he tested the strength of the wood by striking the ground with it and it shattered on impact. He told Mr. Watson "At least we know there is wood on the planet. I have to assume some of it will not be rotten."
He explored the area on foot but found his breathing somewhat difficult. Mr. Watson explained, "The atmospheric pressure is somewhat lower and it simulates an altitude of about 7,546 feet back on earth. You should control your energy expenditure to avoid excess loss of moisture."
"So I’m 16 % stronger, but the thin air means that I have no endurance…not sure it’s a fair trade. I assume I’ll adapt to the lower air pressure."
Mr. Watson went on and on about how research had shown this to be true but Floyd just sort of listened. Areas of the drainage seemed much harder than other areas and he stooped and started scraping the sand away. It took a few minutes to realize that the ground was not harder but rather frozen with a layer of ice below the sand. A plan was starting to form and before it was complete Mr. Watson was already objecting that he had no way of predicting when or if it was going to snow. Floyd spoke up saying, "If we could get the ship raised up and it did snow, then we could slide along the surface like a rocket powered snowmobile. Think of all the fuel we’d save."
As Mr. Watson carried on about all the calculations, Floyd continued his survey by circling back to the motorcycle. The power meter showed it had partially recharged and had enough energy for the return trip. He considered extending the exploration but had no sooner had the thought when Mr. Watson spoke up saying, "It would seem the proper course of action would be to return to the ship and avoid any chance of getting caught in the afternoon winds."
"Guess you are right and besides I’m getting hungry." Despite the mild uphill course, the return trip went well enough and Floyd was obviously more comfortable controlling the motorcycle on the rocky stretches. On his return he again wasted some of their precious water washing off the bike and his suit before entering the airlock. It was easier to close off the outside now that he had spent the whole morning under the sky and he did not delay in closing the airlock. Mr. Watson was full of questions but Floyd said, "Time to eat. Planning is easier with a full belly."
Mr. Watson objected, "You have stated previously that eating was a time when you did some of your best planning."
"Only if you are not trying to plan. First you have to enjoy your food which is a significant problem with these preserved whatever’s they call food. The planning just sort of happens." He added, "Drinking a nice cold beer really helps."
As Mr. Watson started in yet again with his explanation of the value of the citrus drink, Floyd finished eating his container of some sort of rice dish. He no longer even read the labels because everything tasted about the same. He interrupted Mr. Watson asking, "Do we have an air compressor on board?"
"We have nothing in the manifest which is referred to as a compressor but the ship does have an air pump that is capable of generating a positive pressure of 60 pounds per square inch."
Floyd asked, "What is the pressure in our tires?"
"The nominal pressure is 75 pounds per square inch. The automatic charging system is intact and has maintained the pressure."
"Can the system be turned off?"
Mr. Watson took a minute before replying, "It would be against the mission protocol but I can deactivate the system." He added, "I could then reactivate the system if you are thinking of somehow using it as a system of jacking the ship up out of the sand."
"Yup. Now all I need to do is figure out how to get the gear extended. Seems the simplest thing is to dig a hole under the wheel well, but not sure I can do all three at once."
"If we are ignoring protocol, I could disable the landing gear safety system and lower each of the gears individually."
They spent the rest of the day and evening planning and well before dawn Floyd was up and preparing for the day. He set out and retraced his route staying on the higher ground. As he entered new ground he returned to the sandy drainage and slowed way down. He found several more pieces of bamboo like wood but they had little strength. As he made his way down the drainage, the wood was becoming more plentiful and a few of the pieces were strong enough to save. Soon Mr. Watson began his nagging about the power consumption, but Floyd wanted to push on. He compromised by ascending a small rise and turning off the bike which allowed the fuel cell to recharge the battery. Ahead just a few miles he could see the high ground where he would have built a town. It might have been his imagination but the drainage below the high ground did seem to have a little hint of green color to it. He asked Mr. Watson, “Can you analyze the image for chlorophyll?”
Mr. Watson replied, “The spectral analysis is consistent but the signal is marginal and I can confirm the finding with only a 74.87% certainty.”
“I need to have a closer look.”
“You are at the limit of both your time and battery levels. Your return to the ship needs to be expedited.”
“Well, I don’t want to be stuck out here in the wind so I’ll head back after I pick up a bunch of these sticks.” As Mr. Watson droned on about the recharge cycles and transit times Floyd began picking up as many pieces of the woody material as he could and tied them in a bundle. Working in the clumsy space suit was tough and he wished he could be free of the contraption but knew it provided significant safety advantages. After securing the bundle of sticks to his backpack he headed back to the ship. The greater load and wind resistance made a difference and his travel time increased as the battery wore down. The wind had already picked up to the point visibility was impaired and he needed help from Mr. Watson to navigate the last half mile back to the ship. He did his best to secure the bundle to the tie down ring of the ship and then entered the airlock with the spacesuit covered in sand.
Mr. Watson complained, “You ha
ve not followed the decontamination protocol.”
Floyd responded, “It was getting pretty nasty out there but I think I need to go back out and begin digging.” He asked, “How long will my oxygen tank last?”
Mr. Watson replied with a long explanation of the gas laws and increased physiological needs for oxygen but all that Floyd heard was that he should be able to work for about three hours on a tank of oxygen. He took off the suit and tried to contain the sand and grit as much as he could before entering the inner door. He warmed some tasteless tube of food and as he began eating asked, “Have you figured out how to operate the landing gear independently?”
Mr. Watson replied, “I have completed the programming which will allow me to violate the safety protocol.” He then went on complaining about the dangers of working outside in the wind and the contamination of the airlock. Floyd only sort of listened as he was planning on how to approach the landing gear.
He interrupted Mr. Watson by asking, “Can your position sensing ability tell me when I'm beneath the nose gear?”
Mr. Watson replied in the positive and then began a long explanation of the many factors that needed to be considered but Floyd was already planning ahead. He again interrupted Mr. Watson saying, “I think we should raise the nose first which should allow the wind to help scour the sand away.”
Mr. Watson obviously was working on an analysis and after a few minutes said, “I am unable to determine with complete accuracy the aerodynamic effect of raising the nose but my models would indicate you are correct.”
After Floyd had finished his citrus flavored drink he again donned the space suit and this time attached the tether to the suit. As he exited the ship he was buffeted by winds that he estimated to be 40 to 50 mph. He hunched over and moved towards the nose of the ship and when Mr. Watson said he had reached the point near the landing gear he began shoveling the sand away from the ship. He really did not have to lift the sand much because the wind would pick it up and move it if he just threw it in the air. Unfortunately, the wind also tried to fill in his hole so it was a race between his shoveling and the wind filling. He was working hard and despite the reduced gravity his breathing was strained. Mr. Watson increased the oxygen flow without telling Floyd but did warn him about the danger of over exertion.
When Floyd finally had enough sand dug out from below the landing gear he had Mr. Watson attempt to deploy the forward gear. The landing gear doors opened only halfway and stopped. Floyd was struggling to see with the blowing dust and could see no reason why the doors did not open fully and asked, “Why in the hell are the doors not opening?”
Mr. Watson replied, “It would seem the hinges are not functioning and the hydraulic piston is unable to overcome the friction.”
“Are they rusted or do you think it’s the sand?”
“According to the manual the opening mechanism and hinges are constructed entirely of titanium so I would expect that it is the sand producing the increased friction. I will try cycling the doors again.”
Floyd watched the doors close and then re-open again, stopping at the same point. In frustration he kicked the partially open doors and apparently it was enough of a vibration that the hydraulic pistons finally overcame the friction of the sand. The landing gear began to descend but could not fully extend because of the depth of the hole. Floyd had Mr. Watson deactivate the inflation system in the tire and begin releasing the air pressure. As the pressure dropped and the tire deflated it was finally able to move into the fully extended position. As soon as it was locked in place Floyd had Mr. Watson re-inflate the tire and the front of the ship rose about four inches. He hurriedly began building up his small sticks and sand into a support structure at the nose of their ship. They repeated the cycle of deflating the nose gear and filling in below the deflated tire followed by inflation of the tire. Each cycle raised the nose of the airplane a few more inches. By the time the landing gear was at ground level Floyd was exhausted and did not even complain when Mr. Watson ordered him back to the ship.
Floyd cleaned up before eating more of the preserved food and drinking a whole day’s ration of water. Only after he finished eating did they discuss the progress. Mr. Watson was happy that they had completed the first task on schedule. Floyd commented, “That was the easy gear. Working under the wings is going to be much harder and I’m exhausted from doing the easy part.” He was silent for a minute before saying, “There must be an easier way to move the sand.”
Mr. Watson responded, “Review of my database would indicate that hydraulic excavation with high-pressure water would be very effective.”
“And we, of course, have enough water to blast away the sand, right?”
“Ideally we would use approximately 100 gallons per hour to flush the sand and our existing supply of water would be exhausted in 1.23 hours.”
“Seems like I’d be left with no beer and no water if we did this.”
Mr. Watson responded, “It would be necessary, of course, to replenish our water supply if this method was chosen.”
Floyd was thinking out loud and said, “I wonder if the air pump would work or maybe we could reconfigure the thrusters to clear the sand.”
Mr. Watson began another long monologue describing the problems of using the thrusters and the heat issue that would be created. Floyd tried to listen but was so busy yawning that he was not sure what Mr. Watson was trying to say. He finally interrupted and said, “I need to sleep. We can talk more in the morning.”
In the morning Floyd prepared for the day and was enjoying his container of coffee after eating the tube of breakfast food. Mr. Watson had learned not to bother him until he had his coffee but this morning after just a few sips he began discussing the heat issues of using the thrusters. He explained, “While you slept I used almost my entire CPU capability to analyze the effects of using the thrusters. There is an 82.13% probability of thermal damage to the wing structure if the thrusters are used for more than twenty-three seconds at full power.”
Floyd continued to enjoy his coffee and at first did not respond. When Mr. Watson began a more detailed discussion Floyd finally spoke up saying, “It sounds like short burst of the thrusters would be okay and I suppose structural damage is relatively irrelevant. This ship is never going to fly again.”
The conversation moved on to a discussion of the day's plans which were pretty much a repeat of the prior days. As soon as daylight was adequate Floyd would depart and extend his exploration of the drainage. His goal was the hill alongside the area of apparent greening. He only sort of heard Mr. Watson going on about the need for safety protocols and close observation of energy usage but was actually planning his morning route. If he was aggressive in the bike riding he could arrive at the hill with about 15% charge remaining in the bike. This would require about four hours for a recharge using the small fuel cell. He would be pushing the time for return to the ship again but saw no other option. Mr. Watson again interrupted his thoughts by asking, “Is something wrong with your hands? You keep stretching them.”
Floyd responded, “My arthritis is acting up. Might be that we’re in for a weather change.”
Mr. Watson said, “Review of my database reveals no appropriate studies documenting the effect of weather on arthritis.”
“While it may be an old wives’ tale, I think maybe the old wives knew a thing or two. We’ll see.”
Floyd carefully followed his previous path along the higher ground keeping out of the soft sand to preserve his battery power. He made good time and when he arrived at the site of previous exploration he drove down into the drainage and continued to explore. There was even more partially burned and decayed pieces of the bamboo-like wood but otherwise just sand. As he neared his destination, the area which had contained a chlorophyll signal revealed itself as a small lake partially frozen. It had a green hue and had a surface slime which appeared to be some kind of algae. He crossed over to the high ground and began as
cending the hill. His battery was obviously getting low because his speed began to drop precipitously. He stopped the bike and turned it off to allow the charging to occur. He began to explore on foot.
As he neared the crest of the small hill he noticed rectangular irregularities in the surface. He began to scrape away the sand and ash substance of one of the corners and exposed what appeared to be a stone footing. Mr. Watson was going on about Floyd's need for a rest. He responded, “Well, people used to live here. The destruction is pretty overwhelming and only the foundations are left.”
Mr. Watson began a long explanation of the effects of a major asteroid impact and Floyd listened as he continued to explore the hilltop. On the back side of the hill where the wind was sweeping up the slope there was much less sand. Here many of the foundations were easily seen. As he walked along amongst the buildings, which appeared to have been homes, he tried to visualize this desolation as a thriving community. He looked in several of the exposed foundations looking for any artifacts but other than small charred pieces of something or other nothing was evident.
Looking off in the distance he could see the drainage forming into a more formal river basin with the ground apparently turning into a descending plain. The sky changed from the normal clear blue to an ominous looking dark band on the horizon. He stared for a few minutes to make sure of what he saw and returned to exploring the ruins. He called Mr. Watson saying, “Sure wish we had weather radar because it looks like a pretty good storm is headed our way. How much longer until I have sufficient charge to return to the ship?”
“If you drive a little more conservatively you will have sufficient charge in 1.08 hours. If you wish to drive in your normal fashion you will require an additional 1.36 hours of charging.”
Floyd turned to look at the approaching storm front and replied, “I think it is best that I return as soon as possible so will follow your directions. I'll try and get a sample of the water in the lake and keep looking for any artifacts.” Floyd made his way down the hill to the area of the lake but could not get close to the open water because of the ice along the edge. A small stream exited the lake and he made his way to the edge of the small flow of water and carefully dipped his sample container into the water. Sealing it was difficult with his gloves on but it appeared watertight. When he was done, he carefully stowed the sample in his backpack. He made his way back up the hill along the back side and tried to take in the changes in the topography while keeping an eye on the sky. While looking up he stumbled and almost fell when his foot got caught. He began digging out a metal object which most resembled a shovel. It was just large enough not to fit in the backpack but he carefully strapped it onto the back of the pack. He was breathing heavy from the exertion and soon Mr. Watson was nagging him about taking a rest period. He sat on the corner of one of the foundations and drank through the fluid tube in his helmet.
“You know Mr. Watson, it sure would be nice to shed this suit and helmet.”
Mr. Watson began another of his long explanations on the need to follow the safety protocols. While he was going on with all the technical reasons for continuing the isolation protocol Floyd reached up and disconnected his helmet. Mr. Watson must have detected the pressure change because before he even lifted the helmet Mr. Watson was already reprimanding him for again violating the protocols. Floyd simply ignored him and removed the helmet. He took a deep breath enjoying free air for the first time since they left Earth. The air had a hint of smoke and dust in it but otherwise smelled normal and seemed refreshing enough. He could hear Mr. Watson going on about the need for following protocols but by turning the helmet away he could easily ignore the commands. He just sat and breathed.
When he turned and looked away from the ship the dark line of clouds definitely seemed closer. With a sigh he put the helmet back on and he had no sooner secured the locking mechanism when Mr. Watson asked, “What was it like without the helmet?”
“The air is fairly sweet and I could hear the ripple of the water.”
Mr. Watson replied, “What did it make you feel like to be without the safety of the helmet?”
“I felt free.”
“Like when you were outside the spaceship during the EVA?”
“No. More like a hiking trip in the mountains when you come to a viewpoint and can see forever or at least it seems like it.”
Mr. Watson said, “I have great difficulty computing the nature of the sense you call 'free'. I will spend my CPU cycles analyzing the concept but for now I would urge you to return to the ship. You have adequate charge if you drive conservatively and stay out of the soft soil.”
Floyd glanced again at the advancing cloud bank and said only, “I think that's a good idea.” It was a slow boring trip back to the ship because of his need to drive so conservatively. He would glance back at the advancing clouds every now and then and there was no doubt he wanted to be back at the ship before the storm arrived. He was sure he was seeing lightning in the clouds but could hear no thunder with his helmet on. The winds were picking up significantly and by the time he arrived at the ship. The wind had shifted and was now coming at 90° from its normal direction. He did a quick survey of the ship before opening the airlock and storing the bike inside. As he was taking off his suit he asked Mr. Watson, “What should I do with the water specimen?”
Mr. Watson replied with a bit of sarcasm, if that is possible for a computer, “Protocols require the isolation protocol be followed and the specimen be kept in the isolation box.” He then continued, “Since you have completely disregarded the protocols it would seem illogical to continue the prescribed protocol. If you would filter some of the fluid, the chemical analysis could be performed. A small portion then needs to be put in the culture plates and microscopic slides should be prepared.”
The wind was now buffeting the ship but Mr. Watson had retracted all the cameras to protect them so Floyd had no way of knowing what was going on outside. He took time to consume some more fluids and food before starting the analysis work. The chemistry showed the water to be mildly alkaline but possibly acceptable for drinking. The microscopic view showed large numbers of algae microorganisms and a few larger plankton like critters with extensive mouthparts.
Mr. Watson was analyzing the photos and reported, “The dominant organism appears very similar to the green-red algae of Earth and the large organisms like the copepods.”
Floyd asked, “Does this mean there might be fish in the lake?”
“My initial analysis would indicate a very small possibility of 11.23% of more complex organisms having survived the asteroid strike.”
The conversation was disrupted by the crash of thunder that shook their ship. The rain and hail began in earnest making conversation difficult and the sound resonated in the metal spacecraft. After about twenty minutes of intense downpour the sound diminished but the winds continued. Floyd really wanted to open a window and see what was going on but Mr. Watson would not even activate one of his cameras. Floyd concentrated on his mapmaking and records. Mr. Watson interrupted him asking, “What is the metal implement you brought back?”
Floyd retrieved the shovel tool from his backpack. On close examination it was obvious that the handle portion had been burned off and the blade subjected to high temperatures. He said, “Sure looks like some sort of shovel. Any way of figuring out how it looked before it was burned?”
Mr. Watson replied, “I can estimate the taper of the handle and come up with an approximate length. Why is this important?”
Floyd responded, “Assuming the laws of physics are the same, then I would expect The People would have developed their shovels to maximize the leverage much as we have. This’ll give us a general idea of their size and strength.”
Mr. Watson said, “Your idea seems logical. It will require many CPU cycles but I will work on establishing the dimensions of the original tool. I will need stereoscopic photos of the tool.”
&
nbsp; Floyd took the pictures Mr. Watson had requested and decided that the best thing he could do was get some sleep. There would be no working outdoors while the storm continued.
Sleep came easily enough but his dreams were of the desolation and destruction of the village that had once existed on the hill. By morning the storm had blown itself out and silence had returned. The silence was even greater than normal for he could not hear the sand striking the ship. Even before his coffee he asked Mr. Watson for a status update. Mr. Watson reported that all systems were nominal except for the cameras which seemed inoperative. Floyd asked what the temperature was and Mr. Watson replied, “The external temperature probes indicate -2°C.”
“I expect we are either covered in snow or ice. I’ll have a look as soon as I have a cup of coffee and some of that stuff they call food.” As he was eating he asked, “Has the ship changed position?”
Mr. Watson replied, “It would appear that the winds have rotated the ship 27.36° to the West.”
Floyd continued to eat and sipped his coffee. Mr. Watson needed to ask him what he was thinking because he could tell Floyd’s mind was very busy but no clear picture emerged from the electrodes in Floyd's scalp. Floyd did not answer but instead asked, “If we use all the thrusters, can we generate enough force to lift the ship?”
Mr. Watson replied, “I have already explained the potential for heat damage and why protocol prevents this use of the thrusters. From a theoretical standpoint I have calculated that the ship could be lifted a maximum of 6.14 feet. Structural damage would ensue after fifty-three seconds of firing the thrusters.”
“How long does it take to retract the nose gear?”
Mr. Watson responded, “Under normal operating conditions the nose gear retracts in 48.32 seconds. I wish you would inform me as to the thought process you are using and would use the computer terminal rather than the pencil and paper.”
Floyd did not answer but kept scribbling numbers and scratching at the electrodes in the scalp. Mr. Watson was about to repeat his request when Floyd stopped chewing on his pencil long enough to explain, “If we can lift the ship up enough to retract the nose gear we can then slide the ship on its belly like a rocket powered bobsled. We need to get to higher ground or we will be mired in muck when this all starts to melt.”
“A logical plan, but why not just deploy the main gear and use the reduced rolling resistance of our wheels?”
Floyd smiled as he replied, “I can tell that you’ve never been stuck in the snow. If there is more than a couple inches of snow we’re not going anywhere on wheels. As long as I keep the speed down I think the ship will hold together.”
Floyd did not wait for Mr. Watson to finish calculating this plan but instead began suiting up. When he opened the airlock he was met by a wall of white. He wished he could take his helmet off and taste the snow but he had work to do. Using the small shovel, he began digging a tunnel through the snow. About 8 inches of snow had built up over their ship. He began cleaning off the snow load from the wings and tail section. It was fairly heavy snow and the shoveling was slower than he had thought but the ship was small and he soon had it pretty clean. Looking out he could see blue sky ahead which meant the day would warm and the snow would melt. They needed to get going before the melting started and the wind began to blow.
He reentered the airlock and removed his suit. Mr. Watson was carrying on about the need for better calculations of the lifting force and the torsion which would be applied to the ship. Floyd interrupted him saying, “Prepare for launch. If it doesn’t work then we’ll worry about your calculations.”
He sat at the helm and buckled himself in taking a few minutes just to get comfortable again with the controls. He then said, “Checklist.”
Mr. Watson complained, “I cannot vouch for the safety of the ship or the success of your plan without more data and analysis. If you wish to proceed I will need to note this in the logbook.”
Floyd replied, “Read the damn checklist!”
Mr. Watson did as ordered and when the checklist was completed Floyd said, “Ignition now.” As the thrusters began to roar he ordered, “Full vertical power.” The ship began to shake and shutter and a miniature blizzard was created but the ship did lift. Floyd commanded, “Retract nose gear.”
Mr. Watson did as commanded and before he had even completed the command Floyd was already redirecting the thrusters and creating a forward motion. They were moving, pretty much blind as he slowly retracted the throttle to allow the ship to settle back onto the snow. He maintained some forward motion to prevent the melting of the snow and asked Mr. Watson for a course heading. After correcting his course, they followed Floyd’s previous route along the high ground to the hill he had explored. He asked if the forward cameras could again be activated. The screen became active showing a white plain extending off into the distance. The snow had covered up all of the small landmarks that Floyd had used on his previous trips. Without any visual references he was dependent upon the guidance of Mr. Watson.
Things seem to be going well until Mr. Watson announced, “The smoke alarm in the aft storage compartment has activated.”
Floyd asked, “Is there a fire suppression system in that compartment?”
Mr. Watson responded with a simple, “No.”
After a few of his more colorful expletives Floyd asked, “Any way of pumping the air out of the compartment?”
“It is the compartment where the hull was compromised so I am unable to remove the air.”
“Well, dammit, we have to do something!” He then asked, “Can you fly this bird while I have a look?”
Mr. Watson replied, “I can maintain course and velocity but this experience was never programmed into my memory banks.”
“Mr. Watson, you have the helm. Maintain speed and course.”
Floyd grabbed whatever fire extinguishers he could find and headed through the hatch to the half storage compartment. He felt the door and it was warm but not hot. The duct tape he had used to seal the door was still holding and he needed to remove it completely to open the door. As he opened the door the smoke poured out and he wished he had taken time to don his spacesuit. He moved through the door spraying the first fire extinguisher ahead of himself. As the smoke cleared, through the tears in his eyes, he could see the container which was up against the perforation in the hull was smoldering with occasional flames visible. He used the second fire extinguisher to completely coat the container in foam. The smoke cleared even more and he took time to feel the hull where the hole was. It was warm but not hot.
Mr. Watson was asking for a status report and Floyd responded, “Other than the burning in my eyes everything seems to be in order now. It was the puncture that allowed the heat to start the fire.”
When Floyd returned to the helm they had covered over half the distance to their destination. Floyd asked about their fuel status and Mr. Watson responded, “At our present rate of consumption we have 1.36 hours of fuel remaining. I have calculated however that moving to the top of the hill as you have suggested will reduce our reserve considerably.”
Floyd asked, “Well, do we have enough fuel to make it or not?”
Mr. Watson replied, “With your erratic driving we do not have sufficient fuel but if you would allow me to continue to operate the controls we should have enough fuel.”
“Well then, why don’t you do the driving and I’ll take a nap.”
Mr. Watson replied, “It would seem an inappropriate time for sleep and your brain waves indicate a heightened sense of activity which would probably make sleep impossible.” He added, “I expect your comment was meant sarcastically but I do not understand its implication.”
Their conversation was interrupted when the ship's radio became active and they began receiving a signal from the radio probe they had launched into orbit. It was a relay from somewhere on the planet and was responding to their message. Mr. Watson displayed the message on
the screen as a series of computer characters. Floyd could sense no meaning in the characters and asked Mr. Watson to explain. Mr. Watson responded, “They are acknowledging our landing on their planet and asking for more information on our intent.”
“What does protocol say we should say?”
Mr. Watson replied, “A simple message of peace might be best. We will not be able to respond until the probe is again in range in about six hours.”
About then the ship bounced off a hidden rock and Floyd said, “Watch where you’re going. I thought you knew how to drive.”
Mr. Watson was starting to explain the difficulty in appreciating the buried obstructions but Floyd interrupted him saying, “There is the hill. We should try and park right at the top.” He asked, “Should we try and deploy the landing gear?”
Mr. Watson responded, “I doubt, we have enough fuel left for another vertical maneuver nor do I think the hull can withstand much more heat.”
“Then you’ll need to drive up the side of the hill and park the ship.”
“It may be better if you resume control, since you have personal knowledge of the site. You must control the thrust to conserve fuel if we are to reach the top.”
Floyd took the controls as they neared the base of the hill and began to accelerate the ship. His increased speed, however, began to bleed off as they moved up the side of the hill. He needed enough momentum to reach the top but not too much for they had no braking mechanism. He continuously jiggled the throttle until they were near the crest when he cut power completely. They stopped just before the crest and he decided it was good enough. He ordered, “Mr. Watson, complete the shutdown checklist.”