Log entry Sol 482
I've been out of contact with NASA for two weeks now and it's starting to get to me. I know a supply probe is coming. I just have no idea when or where it will land. I don't know what to do. I need those supplies. There's food in there. I'm almost out of rations. I'm down to my damn potatoes and green beans, and vitamins. I need something new. I need protein, but I don't want to break into the MDV food stash yet. I want to save that. It's ridiculous really, I should just eat them. There isn't any logical reason to save them, but I want to nonetheless.
I don't think there's a radio in the supplies that are coming. I'm not that lucky. How the hell do I find out where it's going to land? They were only going to be able to redirect it so that it landed close to me, but not so close that it was right next to the Hab. It could be a several-day drive. Hopefully not as far as Pathfinder, but who knows? I have to figure out some way to find out when it lands without help, and I have no idea where to start. I'm not going to think about it right now. I'm going to kick back with Agatha Christie, again, and get some sleep.
Log entry Sol 483
For lack of anything better to do, I went looking through our manifest thinking maybe there was something I hadn't come across yet that could help me find that damn probe when it lands or even help me know when it lands.
For once things went my way. I completely forgot, just like the moon missions, the early ones, the Apollos, we were supposed to set out seismometers when we left. We had to set out several of them. I know there are exact directions somewhere that tell me the exact distance from the Hab and the distance apart that they're supposed to be. We were supposed to put them out right before we left and make sure they functioned. Then they would transmit to the satellites and send that data back home to Earth.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. It's the same thing I'm thinking: why the hell can't I send data to the satellites and back home to Earth? Why the hell didn't we fix that while I had contact? How damn stupid were we? The answer: pretty damn stupid. We should have planned for a backup system. NASA is all about backups and redundancies so why didn't we come up with one? Well, if I establish contact with them again, we're coming up with one. They're coming up with one. I can make suggestions but I'm not a computer programmer. I'm not a systems operator. I'm not a satellite engineer. It's going to be on someone back home to figure it out.
We're still failing to think of all the options even when we're sure we have. We've got to think more outlandish, more ridiculous, more crazy. Ok I know that's supposed to say crazier but I was on a roll so leave me alone huh? So crazy huh? Maybe I can attach the communications dish to the rover and have it send messages to the satellite dish. I'd try it now but that would require programming experience I don't have. I'll just make a note or two, or maybe a dozen all over the Hab so I don't forget to ask in the future.
I'm going to use the seismometers to help me with the probe. I can leave Morse code messages with rocks so NASA can take pictures with the satellites, but they can't communicate with me, not even with the damn seismometers. Not sure why I just typed that, like they could ever use the seismometers to talk to me. That was dumb. I did think about trying to use them to tap out a message but I don't think that's possible. I don't think they're that sensitive. The point of them was to monitor for meteor strikes on the planet, like on the moon. I'd have to jump up and down to register and I don't know how to do that short and long. Maybe instead of short and long jumps, I could take more time between jumps for long. That sounds exhausting though so I think I'll stick with moving rocks until I can come up with a better plan.
Back to finding the supply probe. If I space them correctly far enough from the Hab, I should be able to use them to track the landing. All of our supply probes are bouncers. We can't afford to make that many parachutes and sky cranes. Bouncing is easier and cheaper. The seismometers won't be able to transmit back to the Hab, but they have recorders and their own solar panels so I don't have to use any from my farm to make sure they stay working. I just need to get them out there and take a drive around each one every couple of days. The probe can sit for a while. It's designed to sit for years before it's opened after all. So now I have to map out where they go and then go plant them.
Log entry Sol 484
Okay, they're set out. I placed the seismometers 5 km from the Hab evenly spaced, I think, in what should be the cardinal directions. I started at the Hab and drove 5 kilometers in one direction then came back and went in the opposite direction. Then I centered up as best I could at a right angle and did the same thing again. When I set them up I added the same style green flag Lewis put over the RTG to make it easier to find them again. Their detection range is greater than that but it's close enough to drive to easily. It also means that more than one of them should pick up the probe which will help me triangulate the actual landing location.
When I go for a drive to check them, I'll try to drive in more of a circle after I get to the first one. If I had more flags I'd have placed them on sample stakes to mark the path to each. I have plenty to spare now that I don't have to use them for hexadecimals anymore, I just don't have the flags to put on the stakes unless I'm willing to sacrifice clothing and I'm not. Now to just figure out whether any "hits" are from the probe or a meteor. Ugh, wait, meteorite, I had to think about that. Meteor is a burning ball coming through the atmosphere, meteorite is after they land. I don't want to waste a ton of time investigating meteorites, though I could add them to my samples. It would give me something else to do anyway, and when I get in contact again, because I will, the geologists will love me.
The probe is heavy enough it should show a larger impact spike on the seismometer than a meteorite would. Hopefully, that will help me determine where to look too. I'll have to look through the computer files today and see if I can find any examples of what they expect the meteorite patterns to look like.
I only hope I haven't missed the probe, in which case, Ares IV will have to pick it up when they come to get me. There better be room on the MAV for both of us. I should have the probe they're sending just for me before then and it should have a radio. Then at least I can get updates on if Ares IV is coming and when. I can also find out about this probe if I don't find it.
Ok, I'm just rambling now, time to stop before I'm not making any sense.
Log entry Sol 486
I made my first drive to read the seismometers. The result from all of them was nothing. I actually jumped up and down next to them and a few feet away, then a few feet further when I set them up just to make sure they were working. I forgot to mention that in my last log though I probably should have. They all worked. Guess I'll wait another day or two and check again, yay.
Log entry Sol 487
Nothing yet. I probably don't need to check every day. It's not like I have a ton of other things to do though, and it's been long enough since the trip to Pathfinder that I don't mind being in the rover for hours at a time. That's probably a good thing since I may have to spend days in it just to get the probe.
Log entry Sol 489
I made myself wait two days for take three and the results are: nada, zilch, nichts, rien, zip, zero, jack, zippo, a big old goose egg. That's probably enough now. Besides, I'm out of words for nothing, and you get the point.
Audio Log entry Sol 493
Waited three days this time and I got something. Now to just figure out what it was and where exactly it landed? If it was the probe it should be fairly easy to see as I drive. First I have to figure out the direction to go. I've only checked the south seismometer so far. Not sure why I chose to go that way first today. I usually go north but not this time. For some reason, I went south. So I'll check the others then get back to the Hab and try to figure out exactly which direction to go. Then I'll be spending the time until bed, prepping everything so if I'm out for a couple of days, god what a horrible thought that is, everything will be fine back here. I need all my plants to continue living and producing. Oh wait, that's right I don't have any plants anymore. I miss my plants. They were something to do and something to talk to.
So I just need the Hab systems to continue to run without me. I know they did just fine when I went to Pathfinder but that was a long time ago. The systems are much older and have now endured a rapid decompression. I'm more worried about them this time than I was then.
Audio Log entry Sol 494
Okay, I'm on the road, and by that I mean I'm driving. You know, I'm in the rover out on the hunt. Just like when I played Oregon Trail. Yes, I played Oregon Trail in my history class and I know you're just jealous you didn't have a teacher that cool. Anyway, it's like trying to get an ox. Ok, that was stupid you don't try to kill oxen on the trail. You use your ox to travel the trail. Leave me alone, it's been a long time since I played that game. I'm trying to find food. I'm on the hunt.
Sh, be vewy vewy quiet I'm a hunting wabbit.
Yeah, yeah, okay, I know I'm losing it. What can I say? Talking to myself or you know this log is about all I've got to do right now as I drive. After I got back with all of the results from the seismometers yesterday, I discovered that the probe had landed southeast of me. It makes sense as that's the direction of the Schiaparelli crater. I knew they were redirecting it, and they told me they didn't know how close they would be able to get it. I probably should have thought that one through a little more. I could have spread the seismometers out just in that direction. Then again, if I had done that it probably would have landed way long north or something strange and I would never have found it.
Anyway, it's to the southeast, from the results on the seismometers it appears it's farther to the east. The spikes on that seismograph were bigger than the southern one. I've packed up the rover just like when I went to find Pathfinder. Much as I hope this won't take as long to find, I'm being realistic. It's not like it has a signal I can track, at least I don't think it does. None of ours did. They were all tracked by the satellites and mapped out for us before we landed. It will be a large white box with deflated balloons all around it. I'm going to start by driving to the east seismometer and drive on beyond it for ten kilometers. Then I'll turn towards the south and drive a quarter to a half kilometer and turn back towards the Hab and drive for another ten, and repeat. I could probably come back to the Hab towards the end of each day but it's better if I just stay out and use that battery power for the drive.
Once I find it, I'll open it up and take inventory. I'll load up everything I can and head back to the Hab. If I have to make a second trip I'll do it, but I brought the second rover with its big hole in the roof for things that can be exposed to the lack of atmosphere like the food since it's freeze-dried. If I get lucky, I'll only have to make one trip. Who am I kidding? I won't get lucky.
Audio Log entry Sol 494 (2)
Nothing so far. I made the ten kilometers from the seismometer, did the turn, and drove only a quarter kilometer. I think if I were to drive a half, it would be too far and I'd miss the probe. I've gone back ten kilometers, turned, and moved another quarter kilometer, now to go out another ten. This is ridiculous, but I have no other way of searching.
"What's he doing now?" Venkat asked as he sat down next to Mindy at her station.
"Driving," she snarked then continued, "it appears he's doing a grid search for the supply probe."
"Is he going in the right direction?"
"Sort of?"
"Meaning what?"
"He started at the east station and is going back and forth about ten kilometers away," she replied. "That's not far enough obviously, but when he doesn't find it I'm sure he'll start again and go further."
"He'll have to find some way to mark the new starting point won't he?"
"Yeah. Is there no way we can make the supply probe send a signal to him? Did we really just watch it land? Didn't it send a signal through a satellite so we knew it had landed safely?"
"There was," he acknowledged. "I don't know if they can send code to it to change it though."
"Has anyone even tried?" she asked.
He looked at her and pulled out his phone. "I'll call Bruce and ask."
While he stepped out of Satcon to make the call she returned her gaze to the images and silently urged Mark to drive more than ten kilometers.
Audio Log Entry sol 496
I've been at this for two days and found nothing so far. I think I've gone too far to the south and not enough to the east. I'm pretty sure I've passed the halfway point between the two, even counting the fact that I'm driving in a rectangle and not a wedge shape as I probably should. Planting the seismometers where I did means I should be making circular passes, but that's really hard to do. Anyway, it means that I need to go back to the beginning and drive further out. I wish there were a way to mark out where I've been. If I had something I could spare that was big enough to be seen at a decent distance. As straight as I've tried to drive there are still boulders I have to drive around now and then and I'm not sure I'm getting back on a straight path. Someone back home is probably watching me and screaming at the images on their screen about which way to go and how far. Too bad I'm not telepathic, though even if I were, would the distance still be too far? Probably, and now I'm off on a tangent instead of explaining what I'm doing to find the damn probe.
So, now I'm driving back to the seismometer at the east station and starting again. This time I'll drive twenty-five kilometers. I won't get nearly as many in a day. It could take me even longer to find the damn probe. I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth it. Maybe I'd be better off back at the Hab trying to replace the wiring in Pathfinder, except I don't know where I'd get the wiring from to do that. I can't spare any from anything in the Hab and I don't know if I can get to any in the MDV or if it would work.
I have food with me for another week so I'll keep going until I have to turn around and head back to the Hab. If it comes to that I'll decide whether or not to come back out. In the meantime, I'll keep driving.
Audio Log entry Sol 497
Something blipped, as in I think I got a signal from something. The Hab has a homing beacon. I used it when I was returning from Pathfinder. I know I'm not close to it unless I got turned around out here somewhere, which isn't out of the realm of possibility. I am still in range I think but it depends on the weather as to whether or not I get the beacon. Could they have the probe sending me a signal? It was only there for a short time. It went away as I drove. I'm going to turn around and go back to where I heard it.
Audio Log entry Sol 497 (2)
I'm sitting where I heard the signal. It's here, but I'm not sure what to do. The grid search helps me stay oriented, but if I head toward the signal I could get to the probe faster. If I do that I might end up lost though. Hmm. I think I'll turn back around and finish this outward-bound drive, then do my short drive to the side and come back. If the signal gets stronger I'll know I'm on the right track and I can make plans from there.
Audio Log entry Sol 497 (3)
The signal is stronger. I made two more passes. Well, more like a pass and a half, but still the signal is stronger. It's a beacon, like the Hab and it must be transmitting our frequency for the rover to pick it up. So now the question is do I turn and try to go towards it or do I keep making passes and just cut them shorter? If I cut the passes shorter will I still get lost? Right now I'm going to set out the solar panels to charge then I'll think some more about what to do.
"So he's camped out for the night?" Venkat asked, as he slid down the wall and sat on the floor next to her station.
"Uh-huh, night," Mindy rolled her eyes. She was not adjusting well to the change to Mars time. It was nearly noon outside and completely bright. Fortunately, there were no windows in Satcon, but she'd still be leaving shortly to go home and go to bed. It technically was still daylight on Mars and would be for just a bit longer. Mark had set up "camp" as Kapoor called it four hours ago. I wonder if any of the old Mars rover drivers are still at JPL. I know they lived on Mars time. Maybe they'd have some advice for me that would make living this way easier. If she didn't have to go out in the bright sunlight to drive home she might be able to sleep better, but she was not moving into the space center for months. She needed her own place.
"Sorry," Venkat grimaced. "I know this has been hard on you."
"I'll adjust eventually. I just hope I can readjust to Earth time after years of living on Mars. Someday I'd like to be able to date again."
The director of Mars missions wasn't sure how to answer that one. The dating lives of his employees were none of his business. Mindy was far enough below his level they could be friends if they wanted, though they weren't.
"If a guy were worth it, he'd understand," he replied.
"Yeah, but first I'd have to meet one and that's kinda hard to do on my schedule," she intoned.
"Well, then… Has he left any messages?" he changed the subject and pointed to the screen.
"I guess you haven't checked your email lately," she observed.
"Haven't had time. I've been in meetings all day. That's why I came down here, to escape for a little while."
"He reports he's gotten the signal and is trying to decide how to proceed," she answered his earlier question.
"Good idea on that one," he complimented her. "Not sure how no one else thought of it, but thankfully you did. You just keep saving him."
"I'm not sure finding him alive was saving him."
Venkat shook his head. "Of course it was, if it weren't for that he wouldn't have the food he's about to pick up from the probe, and we wouldn't have another probe in production just for him."
"Someone else would have seen the same thing I did. I just happened to be the one in the chair at the time."
"Mindy, you have to give yourself credit. You took the time to view the images and not just send them on."
She shook her head, "Everyone does that."
"Everyone, unfortunately, does not do that. They're supposed to, but more often than you would expect from college-educated professionals in the past, the night shift has just sent them on without review requiring new image requests," Venkat informed her.
"Is that why I kept getting assigned to the night shift? All because my coworkers are slackers?" she griped.
"I can't speak to that exactly, as I'm not in direct control of Satcon, but it's possible. It doesn't always matter or something would have been said to everyone before now. As far as I know, it's been one or two offenders who have been warned."
"It doesn't matter anyway," she said, waving her hand as if to wave away the idea that she was responsible for discovering Mark was alive. "You would have noticed when you received the images in the morning."
"I hope I would have, but honestly I realized it because of your direction."
"Dr. Kapoor, come on, are you serious? You would have noticed Pathfinder sitting in front of the Hab. Sanders would have figured it out eventually for crying out loud."
Venkat laughed out loud for a solid minute before he calmed down again and replied, "You refuse to take the credit don't you?"
"If I'd actually done something, I'd take credit. I won't take credit for something a dozen other people would have noticed if I'd missed it," she argued.
The Mars director shook his head and resolved to find a way to recognize her for her accomplishment and her dedication to accepting the crazy Martian schedule. Maybe he should mention it to Annie and Melissa, they were sure to have an idea or two. She needed to accept her role in this mission.
"Think he'll go on today?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Probably not, because he took the time to set up the solar panels. He'll probably start first thing in the morning," she answered, making air quotes at the end of her statement.
"You'll be going home soon?"
She nodded.
"You'll be able to get to sleep?"
"Well, foil in the windows is helping me keep it dark, so sleeping is a little easier. Foil and melatonin anyway."
"Foil?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Much cheaper than blackout curtains or shades, and just easier too. I had foil in the drawer. I just taped it up and didn't have to worry about taking measurements and going to the store or anything."
"Ah-ha, ok then. As long as you're sleeping I suppose."
She shrugged, "I'm adjusting. The hardest part is constantly switching mealtimes. My body isn't quite used to it yet. I always ate at close to the same times, and even when I was on nights I managed it. Now, well, not so much. I am getting there though."
Yeah, she needed more compensation, recognition, or both.
"I'd better get back to my office. I've hidden out long enough. Keep me up to date if anything changes," he said as he stood.
"Sure as long as it changes in the next forty minutes. Otherwise, I'll check tomorrow."
"Night then," he said.
When she didn't answer he turned and headed out of Satcon. At the door instead of turning right to go to his office, he went left, exiting the building and crossing the campus to the astronauts' offices.
Log Entry Sol 497 (4)
Typing for a change as I sit in the rover still trying to figure out what to do. I wish I knew exactly which heading to turn to to get to the probe, but I have no way of knowing. I mean I guess I could slowly turn the rover until I get the strongest signal but it's not like that's a small range. At least I don't think it would be. Still, that may be my only option unless I want to spend who knows how many more days driving back and forth.
Why in the hell do I not have a drone? I know, I know, the super-thin atmosphere makes it difficult for things to fly, but Ingenuity is here somewhere. Where did Perseverance land again? It was a crater… I don't remember. Anyway, they were able to build Ingenuity and make it fly. Shouldn't each Ares mission have its own version of the little 'copter that could? It would allow us to survey the area for more directed sampling. Right now I could use it to try and find this damn probe.
When I get back to the Hab I'm going to take stock of all the electronics I have. Maybe I can make a drone. Doubtful but I could try. Maybe I just need to leave a message for NASA to send me one. Wonder if they would? It can't hurt to ask. Tomorrow I guess. I already left my message for today. If nothing else maybe they'll consider it for Ares IV.
"Dr. Kapoor, what can I do for you?" Melissa asked when the man sat down in the chair opposite her desk.
"Have you met Mindy Park?"
"I don't believe I have," she replied after thinking for a moment. "Should I have?"
"Personally, I think everyone should have, but I'm sure she'd disagree. She's rather modest and if not shy, then at least more of an introvert." He went on to explain just who Mindy was and why she was important. He then shared his concerns about her schedule and the adjustment issues she'd mentioned. "I thought maybe there was some way we could help her out. There's only so much we can do for Mark right now, as much as we all want to help him. Mindy is right here and can use our help so she can do her job watching Mark and keeping all of us updated."
"Will she accept the help?"
Venkat pursed his lips and shook his head. "Not willingly, but she needs it and though she'll argue, she deserves it."
"So we're supposed to just run roughshod over her to help her?" She shook her head. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."
"Not anything so pushy, I merely thought you might be able to talk her into accepting the help she needs. You can be quite persuasive."
"So, I manipulate her, because you couldn't," Melissa observed, raising an eyebrow.
Venkat frowned, "You're purposely twisting my words aren't you?"
"Just trying to be certain I understand the assignment, Dr. Kapoor," she smirked.
He shook his head, "Yeah, right. Okay then, now that you're aware of the situation, I can rest easy knowing you'll handle it."
"I'm surprised you didn't ask Annie."
"No! No, no, no, no, no," he said, waving his hands in the air as if to ward off the idea. "Annie really would run roughshod over her. I thought about it but quickly changed my mind. You can be much more subtle, as can most of your crew."
At this, Melissa laughed, "I'll keep a leash on Martinez."
"Don't know how you'll do that without just keeping him out of the loop, but I believe you."
"I won't hold the leash," she winked.
"Ah, the lovely Marissa Martinez. Good idea."
"I may just talk to Grace and Timothy when they arrive in town Friday afternoon, and let Grace handle helping Mindy."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? Can Grace be more subtle than Annie would?"
"She'd want to help, anyway. I'm amazed she hasn't asked about Mindy before now. I can't believe I didn't think to ask who had discovered Mark was alive."
"You were a bit distracted by the news itself, then with your campaign to help him."
"True," she acknowledged, "Still, I should have asked before now. My crew will feel the same way. As will the rest of the astronauts."
He held up a hand, "Please keep this between us and your crew for now, and the Watneys if you insist. Let's not overwhelm Mindy. Besides being more introverted, she is also rather tired."
"Yes, the whole reason you came to me in the first place. Can you arrange visitor passes for the Watneys this weekend?"
He nodded, "I'll have them waiting at the front gate Saturday morning."
"Thank you. Now, was there anything else you needed?"
"That's all. I'll be here Saturday and Sunday. I can introduce you to Mindy," he offered.
"I'll think about it, but it might be best if we wandered in on a bit of a tour, just happened to meet her."
Venkat stood again, "Well, keep it in mind, just in case. I'll leave you to your planning."
She didn't respond, just pulled out her phone and messaged her crew.
Audio log entry Sol 498
Left my message and decided I'm going to continue with the safe bet and stay on my grid, sort of. I'm going to try and square it out. I'll drive to the edge of the signal range, turn and do the same thing again. At each turn, I'll stop, hop out, and make a pile of rocks. When I get back to the beginning I'll cut back in a quarter of a kilometer then start a spiral that way, a square spiral but still. Then I can use the rock piles to help me find my way out. Well, that, and the Hab signal because I haven't lost it yet. I hope that makes sense. It does to me but when someone reads this… like it matters they'll have the images so they can see what I'm doing.
Once I find the probe and load up what I can, I'll start driving back to the Hab. I'll stop along the way to make piles or arrows with the rocks so I can find my way back if I need to. Let's be honest, I'll probably need to. I highly doubt I can fit everything in the rover. Even if I don't need everything in the probe right now, I should bring it back to the Hab just in case. You never know what you'll need no matter how much redundancy is built-in. My utter lack of a communications device right now proves that.
"A drone?" Venkat asked. "Are you sure that's what it says?"
Mindy resisted the urge to roll her eyes or sigh at the man twelve levels above her in the organization but just barely.
"Yes, I checked it twice."
"He wants a drone?" Venkat tilted his head to the side and thought for a moment then asked, "What is he doing now?"
"Driving again, though this time he turned and kept going south instead of turning back west again."
"Triangulating," he observed.
"Makes sense," she replied. "So does the drone."
"What do you mean?"
"Really? You don't see why it would be valuable?"
"Just tell me what you're thinking," he insisted.
She clenched her jaw, there was no way this man was that obtuse. "If he had a drone right now, he could have used it to find the probe and have recovered it already. It would have been useful for the crew to identify areas of interest for sampling. We know we can build one. It would be even easier for an astronaut to control from the Hab or even on an EVA than for someone to do it from JPL. They could get images in real-time. They could use it for visual inspection of the MAV instead of driving or walking out to it. It would help them maximize their time on the surface mission. Come to think of it, why hasn't a drone been included before now?"
"That's a damn good question, and the only answer I have is that we just didn't think of it."
"Well, maybe it's time to add one to the manifest for Ares IV. All you'd have to do is take the plans for Ingenuity and recreate it. You could change out the remote to allow the astronauts to adjust immediately as they fly, and have it set to live stream images to the Hab or a rover. If you update the cameras on it you could do spectrometric imagery. Or you might be able to just add a small spectrometer. If that's too much weight you could add a small sample retriever. The drone could scoop up a small sample and bring it back to the Hab for analysis. It would take less time than driving to each site. In the first few days of a mission, they could map out the most interesting areas based on not just satellite images but images and samples retrieved by the drone. In a single day even so long as it has its own solar panels to stay charged, or if it could plug into the Hab to recharge. With newer materials, we might even be able to make it lighter or smaller."
"Why are you here in Satcon?"
"Because you need me tracking Mark."
Venkat shook his head. "There's that sarcasm again."
"Space paparazzi," she said, pointing to the nameplate she'd made for herself and placed on her station. "I think it came with the title."
"I meant-"
"I know what you meant. This was the job I could get. It was what was available, that would let me get my foot in the door here," she said simply.
"What degrees do you have?" He knew he could look up her personnel file, but it was easier to just ask.
"Bachelors and Masters."
"In what?" he prodded.
"Mechanical engineering."
His eyes went wide, "And you're here monitoring satellites and taking pictures?"
"Don't forget space stalking," she joked.
"Stalking an astronaut with the same degree you have."
"I'm not a botanist."
"You know what I mean," Venkat chided. "You could be an astronaut yourself."
"Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather build the equipment. I have zero desire to go to space myself."
"Well then apply to JPL. I'm sure Bruce will take you on. If there isn't a job, he'll find one or create it for you. I'll talk to him myself."
Her head shook vigorously, "No, I can do it when there's an opening. In the meantime, you need me to watch Watney."
"Mindy, much as you've been amazing at this job. This is a waste of your abilities. We can find someone else to watch over Mark. You could be doing even more to help out."
"I don't leave jobs half done, and this one isn't even halfway yet," she insisted.
He held up his hands, "Ok, but when this is over I'm writing you the best reference letter ever, and we're getting you out of here."
"Ok."
While she turned back to her computer to peruse the newest images, he pulled out his phone. He stared at it for a moment before deciding it would be better to talk to Lewis in person again, and then he'd call Bruce.
Audio Log entry Sol 498 (2)
Ok, this sucks. I'm sure it will work but it sucks. Getting in and out of my suit and the rover. Picking up and moving enough rocks to make a noticeable pile. Some poor person back on Earth is probably looking at pictures trying to figure out what I'm doing. I owe them a beer when I get back. I owe a lot of people a beer when I get back. Have I said that before? Seriously, why don't I remember? I probably have. Driving in circles isn't helping. Guess I should say driving in squares or spirals? Or maybe "squirals"? Nah, that's too much like squirrels. I miss squirrels, never in a million years thought I'd say that. I want a squirrel. Did that sound like bratty entitled Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? It was supposed to but I can't do that accent well enough. Too bad I don't have Wonka's glass elevator. That would make it way easier to find the probe. Hell, I could take it back to Earth. I mean it flew them to the hotel in space in the second book right? On second thought, I don't want to be stuck in a space that small for months to get back home. I'd go crazier than I am right now. Yeah, I'm really just rambling now. I should stop talking, or at least stop logging. The last thing I need is more proof that I'm slipping mentally. I don't want to stop talking though. Still have to keep my voice working. Back at the Hab that's no problem, I talk to Soju like I used to talk to my plants.
Speaking of plants, what are the odds there's Earth soil on this probe? Pretty small I'd bet. I'm sure they're sending some. Or are they? Is there a botanist scheduled to be on the next mission? I thought someone was but I can't remember who. Well, if there's no botanist, then there's not going to be any soil. I can always request more for my probe. It should be a short message to write. Though it doesn't matter how short the message is, using rocks to spell it out in Morse Code is not short. It takes a long damn time, and it's tiring. There has to be a better way. I just don't know what it is. I went through all the options when we were using the Pathfinder camera. Hexadecimals won't work with rocks, binary is six digits per letter, braille even if I knew it would be up to six rocks a letter. I think Morse code is the best option since I can't trace out letters big enough to be seen and not lose them to the wind. If I had any idea when pictures were being taken I probably could, but I don't. I also don't know how big I'd need to make the letters or how long it would take to walk the path. I may as well stop thinking about it, I have a method that works. There's no need to change what's working. I assume it's working.
I know, I know, it's dangerous to assume. I learned that little "when you assume you make an ass out of u and me" thing everyone learns. I have no reason to believe it's not working.
And I'm still talking to my log. Guess it's a good thing this won't get back to NASA anytime soon. They were worried enough about my logs from before we made contact. Sorry, Dr. Shields, looks like I'm losing it again. Seriously, though she probably is going crazy worrying about my mental state. I hope she has a therapist of her own.
Wait, what is that? Is that the probe? I think it might be.
It is! I found it!