"What is this about?" Annie asked as she walked into the conference room.
Seated around the table were Venkat, Melody Astor, Mitch, and Melissa Lewis.
"Just a minute," Venkat answered, "We're still missing one person."
The door opened a final time as he spoke, and in walked Mindy Park. She looked around the room and then took the seat next to Venkat when he nodded his head toward it.
"Okay," he said, "so there's been a development. Sorry, first, do you all know Mindy?"
He looked at each person sitting at the table. Everyone but Melody shook their heads.
"Let's start there then. This is Mindy Park. She works in SatCon. She's the one that took the images and realized Mark was alive and abandoned on Mars. Mindy has been the one in total control of the Mars satellites since that date. We should have filled you in on that by now. I apologize. Anyway, Mindy has news for us." He turned to her and then spoke again. "No, wait, sorry. Mindy, I want to make sure you know everyone here. This is Melody Astor, the director of NASA, Annie Montrose our public relations wonder, Mitch Henderson Ares lead flight director, and of course you know Melissa Lewis. Now, go ahead and share what you've discovered."
Mindy cleared her throat, then took a deep breath and shifted in her seat. "There's a large-diameter dense dust storm headed toward Acidalia Planitia," she said. Reaching to the center of the table she picked up the mouse connected to the laptop sitting there, clicked a few times, and brought up images on the large screen on the wall. "I've tracked it back through images from the past week as best I could and checked with Martian meteorology. It's slow-moving which is good because it means Mark should hopefully have time to notice it."
"But," Annie said and gestured for Mindy to continue. "Clearly there's a but in there. So, what is it?"
"Because it's slow-moving he'll begin to lose power and he may not realize it until it's too late to do anything about it," Melissa cut in, understanding the issue. "There's no way for us to get him a message at all is there?"
"No," Venkat responded, "the one supply probe he's received was the Ares IV redundant supplies, and it didn't have a radio. His, the one we've made just for him, hasn't launched yet. It's scheduled for next week, but it will still take at least nine months to reach him."
"So what do we do?" Annie asked anxiously.
There's nothing we can do," Melody answered. "He has to figure it out on his own."
"From recent imagery, it appears he's finished the rover modifications," Venkat informed the group. "That means he could load up the big three and head to one of the other Ares sites. He wouldn't have to leave immediately. He's the only one in the Hab, so he can drop power usage and stay a little longer to prepare. When that storm finally catches up to him, the sun will not be able to penetrate through dust. That means, he can't get enough energy to charge the solar panels to a level high enough to maintain life support. He'll have to move."
"And he has to figure that out himself," Annie observed.
"He will," Melissa assured her. "He's figured all the rest of this out on his own. Somehow he'll calculate which way the storm is going, how much power loss he has, and which of the two sites he should go to. We already know the answer to that, right?"
"It's obvious," Mitch finally spoke up. "Ares I is the closest to him so unless the storm is headed that way, and knowing Mark's luck it is, then he'll wind up at Ares II. It's going to be a multi-week trip with the batteries he has and trying to get out of the storm. We're sure he can get all of the big stuff, the necessary life support equipment, in the rover he modified?"
"JPL tested it and it worked. It'll be up to Mark to figure it out now. I don't think we sent those procedures to him before we lost contact. The trip could be several weeks," Venkat said. "It all depends on how fast he gets away from the storm and how many solar panels he can take with him. Ares I, it turns out, is the better choice. For once luck, such as it is, is on Mark's side."
He closed the images Mindy had shown them and opened a map of Mars, labeled with the various Ares sites. "He can't go on to Schiaparelli. That would require going through the storm because it's coming from that direction. There's also not enough there yet for him to live on or in without using the MAV or the rovers there. The Hab probes haven't all arrived yet. Ares II doesn't require going through the storm, but that's the direction the storm is headed so it's no help. If he went there he'd just have to keep going when he gets there, or he might be able to stay for a few days, but then he'd have to keep going."
"On the other hand," he continued, "going to Ares I would mean skirting the edge of the storm passing it as he drives. As long as it doesn't suddenly change direction, that's not a problem. It's also past Pathfinder's original location so he'd be driving over somewhat familiar ground. Another benefit, it's slightly closer to Schiaparelli so the Ares IV crew wouldn't have to travel quite as far with their MDV. That could be a really good thing for the modifications happening on it. However, we don't know how much longer that Hab will stand, or if there are any tears in it like there were in Airlock one. It has been there for nearly nine years now. It's not pressurized so it's been able to flex with the wind and storms which hopefully means it's in acceptable shape. He might need to use the MDV plan at that location as well."
"Going to Ares I won't help him contact us, will it?" Annie asked.
Melody shook her head, "No, both I and II need the MAV just like III to communicate. They have their satellite dishes, but without Pathfinder working, there's nothing we can do. Unless he can find a way to take it along and rewire it or whatever needs to be done to fix it when he gets there. This is Mark so I wouldn't put anything past him, given his abilities, to figure out how to fix it. If it can be fixed with materials he finds or possibly takes from the current Hab, he'll do it. We need to look into the MDV as a backup communications device for future missions. We're still not planning on anyone ever being left behind, but we need to add the capability to our backups. Theoretically, it should work as a backup now. None of us thought of it before. I'm putting a group together to work on it. Hopefully, we can give him instructions when the new radio gets to him."
Mindy started to put her hand up then dropped it to her side and asked. "Do you think he'd try to return to the Ares III Hab?"
"Who knows," Venkat replied, "but I doubt it. If he has no way of knowing when the storm will finally pass unless he can repair Pathfinder, I think he'll stay put. If another storm develops near Ares I, then he might leave and head back to Acidalia Planitia or on to Schiaparelli. We're getting ahead of ourselves anyway. First, he has to notice the sandstorm and go to Valles Marineris."
"So, now what?" Melissa asked. "Since we can't help Mark at all, what do we do?"
"Now you go tell your crew and the others. Mindy goes back to SatCon to keep an eye on Mark and the storm. Melody calls Rhodes and the Watneys unless you'd rather send somebody out there Melissa."
"I could," she answered, "but honestly at this point I don't know that it matters anymore who tells them. They trust everyone in this room. Mindy could tell them when she gets home, but if I'm correct you won't be going home for hours yet, correct?"
Mindy nodded, "I could call them though if you'd like," she offered.
"No," Melissa shook her head. "Melody, it's probably best that you call and let them know we're all available to answer any questions they might have."
"Will do. Annie-" The director turned to look at the woman.
"Prepare a statement I know, and call Cathy at the Watney Report," Annie drawled, sounding tired of the whole thing. "Let me know when you've talked to the Watneys and I'll call a press briefing."
Log entry Sol 525
I think the solar cells are starting to wear out. I'm not getting the same power level readings. They only charged to ninety-seven percent. It's not a huge issue and honestly, it's expected. I can function on less power. I function on less power than all six of us did. It's just a natural part of having one person instead of all six of us. I can turn down the lights. They don't need to be as bright since I don't have a farm anymore. I can use the water reclaimer intermittently. It'll get humid in here, but I can deal with that. I'll just wear fewer clothes. That's probably a good idea anyway so the ones I have last longer. The oxygenator doesn't have to run every day. With some calculations, I can figure out just how often I need to run it. I could re-erect the walls for the bedroom and keep the RTG in there to heat that section of the Hab and turn down the main heaters.
Cold and humid though? Not such a great plan. Things will get wet and that's not good for the electronics. Condensation and electricity are not a good mix. Yes, the equipment is all supposed to be sealed. At this point, I'm not risking anything. Time to sit down and do some planning.
Log Entry Sol 525 (2)
So, I have turned off the water reclaimer, I'll turn it back on and let it run for a day once a week. As for the oxygenator, I think I can do the same thing, though I'll alternate the days I run them. That's still five out of seven sols with significantly less power draw. I also lowered the lights a bit. If I need to, I'll turn them down more.
I knew cleaning the solar cells the way I had was probably damaging them. It looks like I was right. It wasn't like there was anything else I could do once the compressed air ran out. Damn, I wish there was a way I could refinish them.
I should probably suit up and go write a message to NASA. Maybe they can redirect another supply probe or maybe there's still time to add or change out the manifest to the one they're sending directly to me. They could add new solar cells. I don't need to replace the whole farm, just a few new shields would make a difference. I'm not worried yet, but if they continue to not charge fully it could get worse.
If things get desperate I can move into the MDV. It takes a lot less power to run, but it's also not a permanent solution. I should probably make a backup plan. Ok, first message to NASA. Second, work on a backup plan.
Mindy picked up the phone and dialed as soon as she finished sending the latest image to everyone on the very long "Mark updates" list.
"Has he figured it out?" Grace asked instead of saying hello.
"Not exactly, but he has noticed that the solar cells aren't taking a full charge. His message says he thinks it's age. He's reducing power needs and asks us to send new ones."
"So how long do you think it will be until he figures it out?"
"I don't know," Mindy replied, "but I don't think it will take long. Even with reducing power draw, the solar cells are going to drop in efficiency every day."
"So how long until it's too late and he won't be able to get enough charge to run the rovers and the life support he needs?"
"I don't know for sure. I'll see if I can run the numbers or have someone else do it and let you know. I'm sorry, I should have thought of that before I called."
"Oh Mindy, no," Grace said quickly. "You're doing so much already. Thank you for all of it, dear."
"Still, I'll find out and let you know."
"Ok, but you don't have to call. You can let us know when you get home."
Audio Log Entry Sol 525 (3)
I'm recording this entry instead of typing because I'm in the tub. My back is killing me after moving rocks. I should have made the message shorter, but I wanted it to be clear. Now I'm soaking and thinking. If the solar cells get too bad I'll lose power and die. I can move to the MDV like I thought earlier as it requires less power, but it's not a long-term solution.
I could go to Schiaparelli, but I'd have to live in a rover or the MAV. I need to look at a map and figure out how close I am to the Ares I and II sites. I don't want to spend weeks in the rover, but the solar farms at both sites would still be up. They're probably covered in sand by now, but I could clean them off and they'd probably work better than the ones here. If not, I'd have to take a bunch anyway so the rover would keep running which means I could set those up as well. Two Ares sites worth of solar cells ought to be enough power, even if they're losing efficiency. They might also still have compressed air to clean the farm. That would be nice. They'd also have all of their surface EVA suits and filters for them.
"Any news?" Venkat asked as he sat down at the station next to Mindy.
"No, not since the message yesterday, but he hasn't been outside yet today either."
"So, there still might be something later."
"Possibly. I'll let you know if there is."
"How are you doing?"
Mindy shrugged, "I'm fine."
"Things are better since you moved closer?"
"Yes, I'm sleeping better, and I have more time to relax when I'm not sleeping since I'm not spending so much time driving."
"The Watneys are treating you well?"
"Grace feeds me every chance she gets, and checks in to make sure I'm getting sleep. I think she and my mother would get along well," she replied.
"So, naturally you've told your mother that you don't have time for her to visit."
"How did you know?"
"Just a guess," Venkat laughed. "Well, I suppose I should get back to work and leave you to it."
"See ya."
Log entry Sol 526
Well, what the hell? The cells only charged to ninety-four percent today. That's not right. Loss of efficiency should be gradual. This is not gradual. Maybe it's just a fluke. I'm going to recheck all of the cells to make sure they're truly clean. I can use a fresh shirt to wipe them off. Ok, not fresh, I don't want to waste a brand new shirt, but one that hasn't been used multiple times already to clean them off. After I clean them I can check and see if the charging amount goes up.
Log entry Sol 526 (2)
No change. This isn't just the solar cells going bad. Something else is happening and I'm really worried about what it is. I'm headed back out to hopefully prove to myself I'm wrong in my hypothesis. No, I'm not typing it out. I don't want to jinx it by putting it in print.
Ok, that's just stupid and superstitious and I'm not a superstitious person. I still don't want to type it out though. No reason not to, I just don't want to. So, I'm heading back outside.
Log entry Sol 526 (3)
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I have a fucking sandstorm headed my way and I'm not sure where exactly it's coming from and I have no damn way of knowing how big it is. After checking the solar cells again I decided to take a walk, not sure why, just one of those things I decided to do. I couldn't have gone more than a hundred meters but when I turned back it was hazy. The Hab was there. It's huge! It would take a huge storm for it to be completely blocked out, but there's definitely sand in the air. It's hard to tell which direction it's coming from right now. I have to make a plan to figure it out. While I think about it, I'll leave another message for NASA. My back is screaming already, and I haven't even started.
Mindy grabbed her phone and typed in a quick message, downloaded the image she had just received, and attached it to an email that went out just as quickly. Then she sat and chewed her bottom lip. "You can do it, Mark."
Log entry Sol 526 (4)
While once again soaking in the tub, I had an idea. I'll use solar cells and transistors and the video camera from the surface suits to make power loggers. I'll drive away from the Hab in all the cardinal directions and lay them out then check them for how much they charged. It should give me some idea of the best direction to go in. I'll have to get back into my suit, go to retrieve cells, back out of the suit to make the power loggers, put the suit on again, go back out to the rover to drive them around, then back here to get out of the suit one more time. This wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't such a pain to put the suit on or take it off. It's also a constant reminder I can't go anywhere outside without it or I'll die. I let NASA know I was coming up with a plan. I'm not stopping to make a new note. They can watch me in the images they take and figure it out.
"What is he doing?" Venkat asked, looking through the images Mindy had called him to see.
"Are you asking me?"
"I'm asking in general, but if you think you know please share."
"I think he's using the cells to figure out where the storm is."
Venkat nodded, "Makes sense, so now we just wait again."
"Yep."
"I hate this," he sighed.
"We all do."
"I know, and misery loves company, but it doesn't make this any easier."
"No, it doesn't."
Log Entry Sol 527
So it looks like I'm heading to Ares I. I'm not sure it's a good idea. I have no idea if I can even get in that Hab and activate it, but I can't stay here. Ares II is in the absolute wrong direction and Schiaparelli doesn't have enough supplies yet to be a good option. Thank goodness NASA sent me the info on the rover mods and that I went ahead and finished them. If I hadn't, I'd be finished.
I have to start loading up. I don't have much time. The sooner I get on the road to Ares I, the better. So I'd better get started. I'll wait to load up the solar panels until last so they can keep charging the whole time. I'll log again when I'm on my way.
Audio Log Entry Sol 527 (2)
It was harder than I thought to leave the Hab. I thought I'd be there for years. I'm leaving behind all memories and mementos of my crew and heading to a Hab that I won't even know if I can use until I get there. Well, not all of the mementos. I was able to pack some photos. I wish I could have brought more. Still, I have no other choice. I have to go. I can't stay. When I was doing the modifications on the rover that would allow me to bring everything with me, I made sure I left the room to bring Pathfinder. I thought it was a great idea to bring along my communication system. Now it's broken. I'd decided it wasn't worth bringing unless I could find enough wiring to completely rewire it. So, I didn't load it up.
Then as I was getting ready to leave I looked out and saw it sitting there and I just couldn't leave it. So I loaded it up. Useless as it is, it's up there on the roof. Maybe I'll be able to figure something out at Ares I. Off I go to Valles Marineris, thousands of kilometers away. I don't have the exact number yet. I'll have to calculate that soon. I know the direction. I know some of the landmarks, but I'm working from vague images taken over the years. It should be enough. It has to be enough. I've estimated I'll have to travel over 3000 kilometers. It does put me closer to Schiaparelli, a little bit anyway. I'll be about a thousand kilometers closer I think. That's something else I'll figure out later.
Audio Log Entry Sol 527 (4)
I'm stopped for the day, the night, I'm not even sure how long. I know I haven't gone far enough yet to be out of the storm. That will take another day or two at least. Still, I've made progress. The solar cells are all set up and ready to charge. When the battery reaches max capacity or I think it has, I'll load them up and go again.
Dinner is potatoes. I had thought I'd be eating meal packs on this trip. Maybe I will if I use the RTG to heat them, the water from it is hot enough. In the meantime, that's too big a mess to even think about so I'm sitting in the pop tent eating cold pre-cooked potatoes. I'm glad I started microwaving all of them after harvesting each crop and then letting them freeze or I'd be eating raw potatoes. As much as I hate eating them now, it'd be a million times worse eating them raw.
Yes, I'm in the pop tent. I needed to be able to get out of the rover and my suit simultaneously. The pop tent works for that. I can't stand up all the way, but I'm not crammed in with all of the stuff I brought along. It's just me and my food and maybe a laptop.
"He's on his way. He must have decompressed the Hab when he left," Mindy told everyone in the Mark office. "The canvas is slack now."
"Good thinking on his part," Melissa said. "It might stand up to the sandstorm better, in case he decides to go back."
"Why would he go back?" Beth asked. "Unless he needs to."
"He just might. He'll still be there for a long time yet. There could be another sandstorm," Chris commented.
"Do me a favor," Karen interjected from the speakerphone. "Don't mention that to Grace and Tim."
"I wouldn't dare," Chris said, blanching at the mere thought.
Audio Log Entry Sol 530
I'm out of the storm. The solar panels charged the batteries fully. They still work. They'll still wear done in time. On Earth, their life expectancy is 25 - 30 years. Here with the weather conditions, it's lower. I'm sure someone back home knows how long, but I don't.
I'll have to stop after tomorrow's drive and spend a day allowing the oxygenator to work. In the meantime, off I go again.
"He's safe," Mindy said.
"For now," Grace replied. "I don't dare assume this is the last problem he's going to face that might kill him. Seriously, sometimes I wish humankind had perfected the ability to put people into stasis like you see in so many of those sci-fi shows and movies Tim and Mark love. Then I could go to sleep and wake up when this is all over, no matter how it turns out."
"I'm sorry-" began the younger woman who stopped when Grace waved her hand.
"Don't, don't apologize. It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. Not directly anyway. Mark wouldn't want me to blame anyone as hard as it is not to."
"You can still blame Sanders."
"That I can and will do," Grace replied.
Log Entry Sol 532
Spending the day doing nothing is both wonderful and boring as hell. I have the pop tent and I could pop it out. It's not supposed to be used over and over again though so I'm trying to save it. Besides, it's not any bigger than the inside of the rover. If they can't modify the Ares IV MDV to travel overland and I have to make the drive from I to IV, OH FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE UNIVERSE PLEASE NO! Sorry. I've only been on this trip for five days. You would think I wouldn't be so frustrated, but I'm already having flashbacks to my trip to Pathfinder. Anyway, if something dreadful and atrocious should happen and I have to make another multi-thousand-kilometer drive, I'll have to do something to make a bigger room to spend my time in.
Ate a real meal today. Actually, I ate two and only had one potato meal. I know there's more food waiting for me. With the food Ares I probably left behind in their Hab and MDV and the meal packs I'm bringing from the IV probe I could probably eat at least two meals a day until my probe gets here. After that, I should be able to eat a real meal every day until Ares IV rescues me.
I'm going to keep eating one or two meals a day. No more veggie-only days until I get to Valles Marineris. I need to be able to focus and have enough strength to keep moving the solar cells around. They're not heavy, not in Mars's gravity, but they are awkward and there are a lot of them. It takes a while to set them all out and put them all away so I get tired. And I'm bored, oh so bored. I know I can reread Johanssen's Agatha Christie books. I could get desperate and try again to write my own something be it a book, movie, or TV show. None of that is appealing. It might finally be time to pull out everyone's laptops and see what games they may be hiding. I've honestly avoided looking too deeply into anyone else's computers. That shit might be personal and I want to respect their privacy. Still, it would be something to do. Ok now, where did I put those computers?