Margaritifer Basin (Margaritifer Trilogy Book 1) (114 page)

“Yes daddy.”

“Hey, if you go over again I’m
gonna toss you two aspirin and say call me in the morning.”

“I’ve got it. Thanks for looking
after me.”

He leaned his helmet against hers.
“I don’t want to lose you. Besides, you remember what Sue said? We can’t do
that again, we don’t have enough surgical supplies left.”

“I know.”

“Okay. Then let’s go dig up some
dirt and rocks for JPL.”

“You’d think that the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory would have better things to do.”

“Hey, it’s a government agency. Who
the hell knows what they do.”

Abby laughed. “Well, they’ve got
300 million taxpayers writing them checks every year. I suppose they can afford
to do whatever they want.”

“Yeah. When we get home I think we
should write our Congressman.”

“Didn’t we already try that?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“And how’d it work out?”

“Well, we’re here.”

“Good point. Okay… rocks. Um,
there’s a rock.”

Jeff laughed. “It’s gonna be a long
day.”

About six hours later Jeff stood
and stretched. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen enough rocks for today.
We’ve got about an hour of air left, what say we call it a day and head for the
barn.”

“It’s about time.”

“Well, we found another carbonado
and some more pallasite, I’d say we did pretty well.”

“What about ejecta?”

“We won’t find much here, we’re on
the wrong side of the crater. We need to go over to the west side, but we can
do that tomorrow.”

Returning to
Amos
, Jeff
paused. “Hang on, there’s something I want to do before we leave.”

“What?”

“I’ll show you.” He walked around to the back of the
rover and pulled out a signboard and marker.

Abby laughed as he wrote.

Abby’s Crater

Keep Out!

He grabbed a stake and a rock hammer. “Come here.” They
walked to the crater rim and he drove the stake in the ground and affixed the
sign. “Stand there and I’ll take your picture.” He snapped a couple shots. “I
can’t get the whole crater in, but it’s enough to give you the idea.” He showed
her the LCD monitor.

She chuckled. “Okay, that’ll do.”

“Alright, let’s head back to the
trailer, and get out of these suits.”

Monday, August 21,
2017

MSD 51061.727 (Sol
311)

Jeff let
Amos
dock the
Genesis to the station airlock, then opened the hatches whereupon he was met by
Susan.

“Hi. Welcome back.”

“Thanks. Nice to be back.”

“Uneventful trip?”

He chuckled. “Yeah. Thankfully.
Abby managed to restrain herself and refrain from any cliff diving this time.”

Susan smiled. “That’s good to hear.
You get plenty of samples?”

“Oh yeah. There’s about 60 pounds
of rocks and dirt in the back of
Amos
for you.”

She groaned. “Terrific. Anything interesting? Or
just another 60 pounds of rocks and dirt?”

He laughed. “Mostly just rocks and
dirt. But we did find another carbonado. It’s about half the size of Abby’s,
but it should make the rock hounds back on Earth happy. We also found some more
pallasite, a couple meteorites, and I think we managed to get some ejecta from
the west side. That mound is a bitch. It’s steep, rugged, and about 300 meters
high. We busted our butts climbing up there. So hopefully there’s something of
interest in there. You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if they already have
ejecta from that crater on Earth in the form of Martian meteorites. When that
thing hit I’ll bet it blew stuff into space. And it’s just a wee little one.”

“Imagine how much stuff was thrown
into space when a meteorite the size of Pluto created the Vastitas Borealis?”

“Yeah, probably about a third of
the planet. Aren’t you glad you weren’t here for that event?”

“Perish the thought.”

Abby climbed into the Genesis
airlock. “Alright, make a hole. I need a shower.”

Susan leaned forward a bit,
sniffed, grimaced, and waved her hand in front of her face. “Eeew, you most
certainly do.”

Abby frowned. “Just shut up and get
out of the way.”

Jeff and Susan stepped into the
suit room and got out of Abby’s way. Susan leaned toward Jeff and sniffed
again. “She’s not the only one.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. While I get
cleaned up, why don’t you make yourself useful and drag our suits in here,
clean them up, let ‘em air out…”

“An excellent idea.”

“Yeah. And recharge our PLSSs?”

“I can do that.”

“Where’s Gabe?”

“In the commons, nursing Ghita.”

“Seems like that’s about all she
does these days.”

“Just part of the job.”

“Right.” Jeff headed for the
utility room while Susan climbed into the Genesis. He knocked on the bulkhead
beside the shower. “Knock, knock. Conserve water, shower with a friend. I’ll
wash your back if you’ll wash mine.”

Abby’s hand came out from between
the shower curtains and waved him in. “Deal.”

Friday, October 13,
2017

MSD 51112.802 (Sol
362)

Jeff held
a fussing Ghita while Gabe took a few last bites of supper.

“Want me
to take her?” said Susan.

“No
thanks birthday girl, I’ve got her. Hey, another record.”

“What?”

“You were
the first person to have a birthday on a planet other than Earth, and now
you’re the first to have two birthday’s here.”

She
shrugged. “Great. The first one was okay, but I haven’t really been looking
forward to reaching thirty-five.”

He smiled.
“I see. Well, look on the bright side: it beats
not
reaching
thirty-five.”

She
nodded and sighed with resignation. “True.”

Gabe set
her fork down. “Okay Jeff, give her to me, she’s probably hungry.” She took
Ghita, sat back in her chair, pulled up her sports bra and held Ghita to a
breast. Her daughter immediately latched on and began nursing.

Jeff
sighed and smiled. “Ah, thank God, peace and tranquility.”

Abby
chuckled. “What did you think? That babies come with a MUTE button?”

He shook
his head. “No, but perhaps they should.”

Susan
rested her elbow on the table, her chin on her hand, and stared at Gabe.

After a
moment, Gabe frowned at her. “What?”

Susan
pursed her lips in thought for a moment. “Well, I was just wondering. When
she’s weaned and you’re done with those boobs, can I have them?”

Gabe
chuckled. “No!”

“Darn.”

“What’s
the matter? You have a bust.”

Susan
shook her head. “Not like that. Compared to those melons…” she glanced down at
her chest, “… these are grapes.”

Abby
laughed and shook her head. “Sue, if you had a pair like that, you’d tip over.”

Gabe
frowned. “Is everyone having fun staring at my breasts?”

Jeff,
Abby and Susan all nodded.

Susan got
up, walked around the table, knelt beside Gabe, pulled up her bra and leaned
against her. “I mean, really. Would you look at this?”

Jeff
leaned in close and carefully surveyed the pair of bosoms. “Um, I dunno Sue, I
don’t think they’d fit.”

Susan
glanced back and forth between her breasts and Gabe’s. “Probably not.”

“Gabe,”
said Jeff, “I do have a question.”

“What?”

“Um, when
you calculated our departure delta-v, did you take into account the additional
mass of those things?”

Gabe
glared at him, grasped her other breast, pointed the nipple at Jeff, and
squeezed, giving him a good squirt in the face.

While
Abby and Sue laughed, Jeff slowly sat back, picked up a napkin, wiped his face,
and gave Gabe a forced smile. “You’re getting pretty good at that.”

Gabe
grinned. “I’ve been practicing.”

Susan
stood and pulled her bra back down. “You look pretty full. Want me to get the
breast pump?”

Gabe
shook her head. “No. There’s plenty in the fridge and freezer. I’ll just let
her maintain the reservoir level for a while. See if I can lower the production
volume a little. They hurt when they get too full.”

Jeff smiled.
“But they look really nice when fully inflated.”

Gabe
frowned and reached for her breast again. “You want more?”

Jeff
quickly scooted his chair back against the bulkhead, hoping to get out of
range, and held up his hands. “No thanks, I’m good.”

“Alright
then. But you better behave, because you can’t escape me.” And halfway across
the room, she squirted him again.

He wiped
his face again. “Oh crap! Would you stop that?”

Gabe
giggled. “You have nowhere to run.”

Abby
shook her head. “Wow, that’s impressive. You’ve got some range with those.”

Gabe
nodded and pointed the breast at Abby. “Uh huh. Want some?”

Abby
reared back. “No thanks!”

As Susan
returned to her seat she said, “Which one’s more accurate? Right or left?”

Gabe
furrowed her brow. “About the same. I’m ambidextrous. And if anyone says ‘moo’
I’m gonna put her down and open fire with both barrels.”

Jeff
chuckled. “Now, don’t waste it on us.”

“I can
make more. Lots more.”

“I have
no doubt.”

“Okay.
Can we find an after-dinner conversation that doesn’t involve my boobs?”

Abby
smiled and nodded. “Hey Jeff, what’s that taste like?”

Jeff
licked his lips and shrugged. “Well, it’s sweet, but it’s not
Château Lafite Rothschild, if that’s what you’re
asking.”

Abby
chuckled and glanced at Ghita. “She seems to like it. That’s a regular milking
machine.”

Gabe
nodded. “And it’s a good thing too.” She nudged her breast with the back of her
hand and grimaced. “These fill up pretty fast.”

“Okay,”
said Susan, “on a subject only tangentially related to Gabe’s boobs, I have a
suggestion, or more like a request.”

“What’s
that?” said Jeff as he scooted his chair back to the table while nervously
eyeing Gabe.

“On this
upcoming trip up into the Basin, I think Abby should go with Gabe instead of
me.”

Abby
looked at her, puzzled. “Why?”

“First,
because it’s going to be a long arduous trip over unfamiliar terrain, and you
have a lot more experience in the outback than I do. Second, I have a mountain
of work still waiting for my attention in the lab. Third, Jeff and I need to
get busy packing up all these samples and loading them in MAV-2. And finally,
since one of you will have to stay inside the Genesis with Ghita, EVAs will be
solo, and you and Gabe have a lot more suit time than I do. It’s simply a
matter of sending someone with more experience.”

“Yeah,
but don’t you want to make a long sightseeing trip? And besides, you’re the
geologist, technically speaking. It should be a fascinating region and you
might see something that Gabe or I could overlook.”

“Oh, I
doubt that. And we’ll be in radio communications and can always discuss what to
collect and what to discard. So far as the long trip is concerned, I’ve already
put plenty of footprints on Mars and seen lots of things no one back on Earth
has ever seen. So, I’m good.”

Abby and
Susan looked at Jeff.

He
shrugged. “Abby, you up for another road trip?”

“Sure, no
problem.”

“Okay,
Gabe? That alright with you?”

“Yes.”

“Alright,
then I guess that’s settled. The trip is still a month off, so if anyone else
feels the need to change their mind, there’s still plenty of time to talk about
it.”

Friday, November 17,
2017

MSD 51146.420 (Sol
396)

Jeff, standing in the airlock, glanced at Gabe and
Abby. “Alright you two, remember what I said, no heroics. Stay out of trouble
and stick to the plan.”

Gabe, holding Ghita, shook her head. “You’re such a
nag.”

“I’m the Mission Commander, nagging is my job. Phone
home at least once a day, and when you find something of interest, go out and
check it out, then get right back inside. No seven-hour solo EVAs. Understood?”

Abby rolled her eyes. “We’ve got it.”

“Good. Alright, see you in a week. Try to find
something more interesting than another bucket of Martian dirt.”

“Got it.” She turned to Gabe. “Alright, let’s roll.
Here, give me the squirt while you climb in.”

Gabe handed Ghita to Abby, stepped
into the Genesis airlock and climbed through the inner hatch. “Okay, give her
to me.”

Abby stepped into the Genesis
airlock and passed Ghita through the inner hatch to Gabe. She turned around.
“Okay boss, we’re off. See you later.”

“Roger that.”

Abby called to Susan who was
standing in the suit room. “Hey, Sue, while we’re gone don’t do anything I
wouldn’t do.”

“Is there anything you wouldn’t
do?” Susan replied.

“Not that I can think of at the
moment.”

“Then we’re good. Close the door
and go.”

“Rog. Bye.”

Jeff chuckled and shook his head,
then closed the hab airlock hatch while Abby closed the outer Genesis hatch.
They disconnected and trundled off across Mars’ barren surface. Jeff stepped
into the suit room. “Well, seven days of peace and quiet.”

Susan shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know.
I’m going to miss them, and worry about them.”

He nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

Tuesday, November 21,
2017

MSD 51150.868 (Sol
400)

“Yeah,” said Gabe over the radio, “we’ve certainly
found geologic evidence of ponding there, but I really think the major evidence
is the topography. That had to have been a lake at one time.”

“Oh, I agree,” said Jeff. “On a THEMIS image you can
see the shoreline. I mean, it’s obvious. Alright, well you guys get some rest
and we’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Night.”

“Good night, Gabe.” Jeff looked at his watch, ten
minutes to ten. He switched the radio into PA mode in the event of a late night
call and, having tucked Abby, Gabe and Ghita in for the night, decided to head
for bed. It was late and, though he wasn’t particularly tired, the habitat’s
calm might make for a decent night’s sleep. As he arose from the comm suite he
caught a whiff of a vaguely familiar scent. He followed the scent into the
kitchen and, glancing in the direction of Susan’s room, noticed the hatch ajar
and her light still on. He pushed the hatch open a bit further and stuck his
head in. “Knock, knock. You still up?”

Susan was seated on the floor in
the classic lotus position, apparently meditating. Her eyes were closed and she
was barely clad in a short scant jade-colored silk kimono that clung to her
shoulders by a thread and displayed a substantial amount of cleavage. A tray
containing her teapot and two cups sat before her. Jeff immediately backed out.
“Oops, sorry. Didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“That’s quite alright,” she
responded. “Please, come in.”

“No, I don’t want to bother you, I
just smelled something and was looking around.”

“Incense. And please, do come in.
Join me.”

“Alright. It does smell quite
pleasant.”

“Opium.”

“Huh?”

“Opium; the perfume, not the
narcotic.” Her eyes still closed, Susan motioned to the floor in front of her,
“Please, sit.”

Jeff, having some difficulty keeping his eyes off
her, sat as instructed. “I’m afraid I’m not much into meditation.”

She smiled softly, “That’s alright,
I can meditate for both of us. Would you care for tea?”

Jeff knew that Susan regularly
meditated, but he hadn’t observed it up close and personal before. She was – he
searched for the right words – exotic... and alluring. “Yes, thank you. Sounds
nice.”

“I’m afraid we haven’t the
facilities here for a proper
Gōngfu Chá Dào
so
this will have to do.”

“That’s quite alright. I remember
well the tea ceremonies you put on at Wrentham House. They were beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She offered him the
small cup, “Your tea,” and returned to her former state.

“Thank you.”

“Gabe, Abby and Ghita are well?”

“Yes, they’re fine. All tucked in.
Should be back day after tomorrow, just in time for Thanksgiving.”

“Will we be having a turkey this
year?”

Jeff laughed, “Well, if there are
any out there at least we should be able to see them this year.”

“Oh, that was awful. There were
times when I didn’t think we’d make it.”

“You weren’t the only one.”

“This one is sure to be better.”

“Yes. And if we can find a turkey
we’ll let Gabe cook it. Her homemaker skills need the practice.”

Susan grinned, “That’s a fact. Ah,
she’s doing great. And Ghita is a gem.”

“She is a wonder, though a bit on
the noisy side.”

“It has been eerily quiet around
here these past few days.”

“You noticed.”

She nodded, “Yes.”

They sat quietly for a while, Susan
apparently entranced, and Jeff entranced with her.

“Do you know the meaning of the
word Tao, as in Taoism?” Susan said.

“No, I don’t.”

“Literally it means ‘path’ or
‘way.’ In a more figurative sense, ‘destiny.’”

“Huh. Do you believe in destiny?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m here.”

“Really?”

“Of course. It was my destiny, my
Tao, that you should find me and that I would follow you here.”

“So, I suppose it was my destiny to
win the lottery?”

Susan grinned, “Of course.”

Jeff shook his head, “Sure wish I’d
known that a long time ago, would’ve saved me a lot of work.”

“Sorry, we can only see the path,
not the destination.”

“Ah, how inconvenient.”

“But I know how you like
surprises.”

“I do, don’t I?”

Susan nodded.

Jeff took a sip of tea. “I didn’t
know you were a Buddhist.”

“I’m not.”

“No?”

“No. Were I a strict adherent, I
would in fact be a Taoist, but I’m not that either. Technically speaking, I’m
Catholic.”