Log entry Sol 576 (2)
The MDV appears to be okay. I can't really tell until I can get into it. However, it is standing with no visible damage. The Hab is deflated. I did a visual inspection which, in NASA terms means "I walked around the outside and looked for damage." However, it's been here for nine years weathering wind and sandstorms; there could still be tears I can't see. I have to wait until the solar farm generates enough power to activate the airlocks. As soon as I finished the visual inspection, I cleaned off the solar cells. They weren't as covered as I expected. I guess the wind here does just what it did back at our site, sometimes it deposits sand, and periodically it cleans it off. I wasn't able to get them completely clean. I had to use my nobby rag on a stick. Hopefully, when I get into the Hab I'll find some compressed air and give them a better cleaning. As it is, I fear they'll be scratched from nine years of sand blowing across them. Even if they are scratched, they should still be able to provide the power I need.
I've also set up the solar cells I brought with me. May as well use the time to charge them. I have to keep the rover charged up to live in for at least a little longer. Speaking of, both of the Ares I rovers are here and upright. They're both plugged into the Hab. As soon as they're charged up I can check them out as well. They're more likely to be fine structurally. They were meant to operate in the low temps of Mars, but after nine years of non-use and little to no charging, their batteries might be goners. I think NASA and JPL had a plan to keep them heated, but hell if I can remember what it is right now. My brain is still a bit mushy from driving and driving and driving, not to mention the lower calorie intake.
Speaking of, I'm eating a potato right now and looking forward to more regular meals. I haven't been eating them as regularly as I could because I wanted to limit my water usage when I can't easily reclaim it. I'm peeing in a box after all and not emptying it into the reclaimer.
NASA is probably going bonkers waiting for a message. They can keep waiting. I'm not in the mood to find and move rocks. There isn't a whole lot left around here anyway. Besides, they can see what I'm doing with the satellites anyway. I suppose I can still leave them a short message… Nah, I'm waiting until I can get into the Hab. I'll have more to report then. I'll be going in first thing tomorrow.
I plan to inflate the Hab and test how well it holds the atmosphere that I need to survive. I have to turn on all the machines again and get them up and running. Then I'll run diagnostics on everything, at least twice. As much as I'd like to move in now, It will probably be a few days until I can move in. My back may be screaming for an actual bunk and an RTG bath, but my brain is saying to be safe. I'm going with my brain on this one, sorry back.
~~~~~
"He made it, so now what?" Annie asked the room of assembled personnel.
"Now, we wait," Venkat replied.
"And I keep taking pictures," Mindy added.
Melody nodded. "There isn't much we can do at this point."
"Still nothing?" Annie sighed.
"Well, we have sent the new coordinates to the probe that is headed to him," Mitch said.
Annie considered. "That's good, I can share that with the reporters. Has he left a message?"
"Not since he arrived at the Ares I Hab," Mindy responded. "It looks like he's been busy cleaning up their solar farm and setting up his own. He hasn't even unloaded Pathfinder from the roof of the rover yet."
"Get used to waiting, Annie," Venkat said. "If he can't get Pathfinder working or find a way to communicate through the Hab and the MDV all we can do is watch and wait."
"It could be worse," Melody added before Annie could complain. "We could lose imaging."
"And it's worse for Grace and Timothy," Mindy pointed out.
"I know, I know," Annie replied, chagrined. "I don't really mean to complain, it's just so frustrating."
"For all of us," Melody agreed.
~~~~
Log entry Sol 577
I was able to get into the Hab. It's holding the atmosphere without any leaks. The machinery is all up and running. I've run the first diagnostic on the important parts. I'm going to spend one more night in the rover then I'll run a second diagnostic and move in.
It's pretty empty in here. The furniture and the equipment are all here but other than that… I take it back, it's not that empty. I think it just feels empty because I've spent the last several weeks crammed into the rover with no space. This place feels like nothing but space. I can't wait to spend time here without my suit on. Oh to be able to take my suit off and wander around again without it. Not that I won't keep it nearby for a while just in case, but still. It's going to feel so free.
I haven't gone through the cabinets to see what, if anything, was left behind. That can wait. Still, it's nice to have the space. Even if I have to live in the rover or MDV at least I can use the Hab for storage.
Log entry Sol 578
I'm typing from inside the Hab! I ran a second diagnostic. Everything is working, and the atmosphere is holding. I'll start moving all of my things from the rover in a bit. First, I just want to enjoy being able to walk around without my suit on for a while. It is the most amazing feeling. I have my choice of bunks, obviously, and I find I'm drawn to the bunk in the same spot mine was in back at Acidalia Planitia. The crew took all of their photos and personal laptops with them. The laptop that runs the Hab is still here along with a backup. I found soap, shampoo, and toothpaste in the bathroom. YAY!!! There isn't much and it won't last long, but still, it's something. I can get clean again. A shower!!!! I can't wait to take a shower. It's been weeks and I feel so grimy. I took sponge baths in the rover, but they just don't get you that clean. After a while, it felt like the sponge bath was just moving the dirt and the stink around. So the idea of a real shower again is nearly enough to bring tears to my eyes, if my own stench didn't already do that. Ha, ha.
Even better, there is coffee in the kitchenette. Coffee!!! It's been so long since I've had coffee, I'll have to be careful at this point because the caffeine would probably affect me. Still, I'll be able to drink at least a small cup every day or so. I may have to water it down to start. Someday, some coffee lover is going to read this and cringe at the thought of drinking purposely weak coffee in small amounts. Hell, a year ago that would have been me. Ok, enough stalling, time to suit up and start moving things in.
Log entry Sol 578 (2)
It's nearly time to go to sleep for the night. I still haven't left a message for NASA but they're watching me, they know what I'm doing. Tomorrow, I'll find some rocks and leave a message. I had a real meal for dinner, made with hot water. I took a shower and washed and washed and washed until I finally almost felt squeaky clean. My fingernails still have red Mars dirt underneath. I don't know how it gets through the gloves, but it's so caked in there I may never get it all out unless it grows out with my nails.
I washed my clothes too. The crew didn't leave any here. No shock there; all of it was supposed to go back up to Hermes for continued use. Again that brings me back to WHY IN THE HELL are we not supposed to bring the bodies back of deceased crew members? Okay, not gonna go over that again. I'll just piss myself off. It's not like my crew could wait anyway to look for me, the MAV was tipping. They had to leave. It would be different if we had the fuel to go back and forth between the surface and Hermes. That's something NASA really needs to look into. If I hadn't been left behind, we would have spent all that money as a nation and only would have gotten six days' worth of surface time out of it, not even six days of science because other than a contingency sample that Lewis took and loaded on the MAV, we didn't do any the first day as we set up camp.
Now back on topic. Tomorrow I'll start scanning the canvas. For now, I'll have to watch the recordings on my own which is going to be boring as hell, but it needs to be done. I still need to see if I can activate the computer on MDV and determine if I can use it with the communications array from the HAB to be able to contact Earth. I suppose I should do that first. If that works I won't even need to fix Pathfinder. Ok, so that's the first step tomorrow. I already have the MDV power run to the solar farm I brought with me. My modified rover is plugged into the Hab. One of the two rovers left here is also plugged in.
I just had a thought. I have three rovers that are unmodified and should work. I could sacrifice one for the wiring if needed. That way I can leave the MAV fuel plant functioning. Remember the MAV launches but the fuel plant on its landing struts stays behind, so it's still capable of making more fuel. I still think I could modify the MDV here and use it to fly overland to Schiaparelli. That would be better than the whole crew risking theirs, or I could just stay here and use the MDV with modifications to meet them in orbit at Hermes when they're done with their mission. NASA probably won't go with that idea. I'm sure they want the doctor on the IV crew to check me out, but this way they wouldn't have to modify their MAV or leave someone behind for all of us to get off the surface.
~~~~~~~
"He suggested what?" Venkat asked in disbelief as he approached Mindy's desk.
"His message says he can modify the MDV and fly it to Ares IV or Hermes," Mindy repeated what she had sent in the email to the Mars director and others.
"It's not an impossible idea," Melissa commented from behind him.
"But it certainly qualifies as crazy," Alannah added.
"Oh boy, it's meeting time in SatCon again," Mindy deadpanned as the area around her station began to be crowded by people.
"She's right," Melody said. "We need to take this to a conference room."
Melissa nodded. "Let's use the Save Mark office."
"Mindy, you come too," the administrator instructed. "You can check images again when we're done.
"Yes ma'am."
A short time later when they were all settled in the Save Mark office along with the rest of the Ares III and IV crews, Melody began, "So Mark suggests that he modify the MDV left behind at Valles Marineris rather than the IV crew modifying their MAV."
"That's part of it," Mindy interrupted. "Sorry."
"No," the administrator said and gestured to the other woman.
"Mark had two suggestions as I interpreted them, and you all have the images so you can see if you read them differently," Mindy told the group. "First he thinks he could modify the MDV and it can be flown overland to meet IV at their site instead of modifying theirs. The second thought was that he could modify it and meet the IV crew at Hermes after the mission, in time to go home."
Rick shook his head. "He's as crazy as ever."
"They aren't unreasonable suggestions," Mindy commented. "The orbit scenario is actually the least complicated. You just need to drop some weight. There's still plenty of time for the MAV fuel plant to make more fuel. The overland suggestion isn't bad either."
"True," Venkat acknowledged. "Though we can't truly plan on using either of them if we don't regain contact with Mark."
"So, you want us to just let the ideas go?" Beth challenged.
"No, we should explore both options. I'll need teams to study each and communicate with the team at JPL working on the plans for the modification of IV's MAV."
"Mindy, could I speak with you please?" Melody asked in a low voice.
Mindy nodded and stepped into the hallway with the administrator, then across through an entry area into an empty office.
"I had planned on asking you up to my office later to discuss this, but as we have time now, I'm going to utilize it. With all that's going on regarding the next mission, I've decided to do some reorganizing of our departments. Dr. Kapoor needs to be able to go back to supervising all of the Mars mission work, including the planning of our first colony. He doesn't have the time to dedicate to this mission alone. Now that Mark is safely at Valles Marineris, we'll be instituting an around-the-clock watch with other members of SatCon. I'm naming you as the 'Rescue Mark' mission lead. Your job will be to coordinate all of the rescue efforts and report to Venkat. I expect that you will hold weekly meetings with each of the departments working on this mission both here and at JPL. The JPL personnel can attend remotely. You will maintain control of the satellite adjustments as it applies to Valles Marineris. If time is needed to survey other sites, that request will be run by you first to be sure it doesn't impede our observational abilities on Mark."
"Shouldn't Commander Lewis or Commander James be in charge?"
"They each have their own duties," Melody told her. "I need someone who can think outside the box but is also able to rein things in when everyone gets too far out. You've already provided several effective solutions. I need someone to be the ultimate authority and bring things to me or Dr. Kapoor. We need a more definitive chain of command. Honestly, I should have done this months ago, as soon as I took over as administrator. You've also demonstrated the ability to speak truth to power. Though, you might need to do that with a touch less sarcasm." The last was said with a slight smile and a twinkle in the administrator's eyes.
Mindy grimaced but didn't respond.
"You don't think you're qualified to take this position. I can see it already."
"I'm honored that you think so, but…" Mindy began.
"But you disagree. I understand that, however, I disagree as does Dr. Kapoor. You would like to move up in the organization, correct?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"What is your ultimate goal?"
Mindy hesitated to wonder just what Venkat had told the other woman about her aspirations. "Mission Control, specifically guidance."
"You're worried an administrative position such as this might hinder your options to move to a Mission Control team," Melody guessed.
"Yes, ma'am."
"I can understand that. However, this position is much like being a mission control leader, with several departments reporting to you. I also know this is a large jump in the organization for you. Are you worried others will be bothered that you were given the position instead of them?"
Mindy nodded. "I don't have the same résumé or experience as other mission leads."
"No, you don't, but everyone moves up through the ranks in their own way. There isn't only one path to follow. You've proven that you can think outside the box which is imperative on a mission that has fallen completely outside the realm of any of its original parameters. You have shown initiative. You have valuable ideas. This mission needs someone with all of those qualities. Do not worry about what others think about how you attained the position. Starting next Monday, you'll be back on a regular schedule. You will have an office in this building. I had considered this one, but it's too close to the astronauts. Due to their heavy personal investment in the mission, I feel a little distance will be a good thing. We will post an administrative assistant's job notice and get you the résumés to conduct interviews. If you would like, you can go out to JPL and meet with Bruce Ng and his team. Simply let my assistant know and she will schedule it for you."
"I…" Mindy hesitated, unsure of how to respond.
"Come see me in my office when you arrive Monday morning and we'll go through all of the position goals," Melody said and then pulled her phone from her pocket. "I'm sorry. I have to take this."
After the administrator stepped out of the office, Mindy sank into a chair, dazed.
~~~~~
"Mindy, you'd be perfect for the job," Grace assured the younger woman that evening.
"But it should be Lewis's job. She's the commander of the mission."
"Was she lead of the entire mission or just the crew?"
Mindy sighed. "The crew, but she had input on other parts as well."
"You're worried that she'll be upset you've been chosen to head the mission."
"Yes."
"So talk to her," Grace suggested.
"I have to decide if I even want the job first," the younger woman replied.
"Why wouldn't you want it? Do you think the job is too much for you? Are you capable of managing everything?"
"I honestly don't know," Mindy replied. "It's a huge jump up the ladder. It's more responsibility than I've ever had before."
"I would imagine you'll be expected to delegate responsibilities. You won't be doing all of the work yourself. You will be overseeing several departments."
"That's part of the problem. I don't know everything I need to know."
Grace smiled gently and laid a hand on Mindy's shoulder. "You'll have time to learn. Most everyone learns on the job. Have you ever known anyone who took a position and already knew everything they needed to know?"
"No."
"So take it. If the administrator of NASA thinks you can handle the job, take it."
"I'll think about it."
Grace bit back a sigh but said nothing.
~~~~~
Log entry Sol 579
Well, I left a ridiculously long message for NASA and now my back is killing me. I took an RTG bath. Yes, the RTG is in the Hab with me right now until I can rig up a valve for it to go through the canvas like I did back at Acidalia Planitia. I felt better while I soaked, but as soon as I got out of the tub it started hurting again. I'm laying in my bunk trying to distract myself by making this log. I could take something. I'm still trying to avoid that though. The Ares I crew didn't leave their drug box key behind, but hey, NASA redundancy for the win. I packed the key from my Hab without really thinking about it, and guess what? It works here too.
That's not a shock, but it was nice to see. This means I have access to painkillers if I decide to take them. I guess I wasn't thinking about it when I packed the key. I did use it to get all of the meds out of the box first to pack. I had no idea what they left behind here so I thought it was a good idea to bring everything I had. There are still years left on my personal mission after all. You never know when I might need a painkiller or sleep aid, even as much as I try to avoid taking them. So I packed the key along with them.
No new entertainment here since the crew took their personal laptops with them unless someone left a data stick that I have yet to find. Not in the mood to look right now. I don't want to do any bending over right now, maybe another day.
Tomorrow I need to check on the MDV and start surveying the canvas. UGH!
On the plus side, I've had two real meals today and a snack. I didn't want to push it and start eating three meals a day. First I want to save some, just in case. Second, I don't know how my stomach can handle that much real food. Suddenly eating a larger amount of calories could be bad for me. I need to be careful. The last thing I need is to have a major medical crisis when I'm alone and have no contact with Earth. Ok, so maybe my first priority is testing out comms using the MDV. First thing tomorrow I'll activate it, then see if I can send a signal from it to the Hab and back again before I try sending a message to Earth. I need a way to learn to work with code.
Log entry Sol 580
The MDV computers are up and running. I was able to send a message to the Hab. I came back to the Hab, received the message, and sent one back. I've run diagnostics on both systems. They check out. Now, I need to try and send a message to Earth. If the MDV can't function as a transmission point, I'll have to try and fix Pathfinder.
Log entry Sol 580 (2)
Well, I can send messages back and forth between the Hab and the MDV. I tried sending a message from the MDV to Earth. No response yet, but I honestly don't know if it will go through. I'm pretty sure the MDV still needs Hermes to communicate with NASA. Anyway, I'll wait until tomorrow to make any further decisions on that front. Now I'm going to start scanning the canvas. I should have asked them to send me more of the magic silver tape. I could cover the whole inside of the Hab with it. That ought to seal any microtears. I mean the Mythbusters lifted a car, built a whole freaking boat, not to mention the plane body, survived on a desert island and so many other things with it. It could certainly help me here, but it would be really heavy to ship. It might be too heavy for the Hab structure. I'm not sure the poles, essentially tent poles, could handle the extra weight. It wouldn't be worth it to cover the canvas in duct tape only to have it collapse the Hab.
I'd bet before they pack up any more Habs to send, they'll be going over them even more closely than the ones that were already sent. I wonder if they'll send extra canvas for repairs to Schiaparelli. Speaking of, I found the extra here and their pop tents, so that's a nice safety net. I did check the supplies in the MDV and found two weeks' worth of food for six people. I'm leaving it there until I need it. It also will be there in case I have to move into the MDV if something goes wrong with the Hab.
I haven't found any issues with the canvas yet. I'd say, fingers crossed, I don't find anything, but I refuse to be superstitious. I just have to keep looking and keep an eye on it. When I finish the canvas scan I'll start working on science again. I'll analyze the samples I took on the way here.
~~~~~
"Melissa?"
"Mindy, what are you doing here? It's Sunday," the Ares IV commander commented.
"I could say the same to you."
Melissa laughed. "True. Robert is out of town for work, so I decided to come in and get some things done."
"Well, I came looking for you. I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Mindy," the older woman said with a slight smile and shake of the head. "Take the job. Don't worry about me. I still plan on returning to the Navy eventually. In the meantime, I'm looking into a near-Earth mission. I'll take one more chance to go to space, or rumor has it Terry is going to be assigned a mission soon and the chief astronaut job will be open."
"You'd be great as chief astronaut," Mindy said.
"And you'll be great leading the Save Mark office."
"First thing I need to do is come up with a better name. I know saying 'Save Mark' is clear but it's not…"
"It's not as public relations friendly," Melissa suggested.
"Maybe, I think it's more that it seems to negate all he's doing on Mars. Mark is just as involved in this as we all are. Would it be ridiculous for it to be Ares 3.5, nah that won't work with the Roman numerals. How about Ares: Watney? Or maybe we just rename his mission as Ares IV, and IV becomes V."
"That might work. I'd suggest you run the ideas past Annie, Venkat, and Melody."
Mindy grimaced. "Why am I worrying about this? It's such a small detail."
"Sometimes it's easier to focus on the small details than the large ones. You'll be fine. Your attention to detail is one reason you've been offered this position. Just go with it."
"Yes ma'am," Mindy said with a mock salute.
Melissa laughed. "Yeah, you are gonna be just fine."
~~~~~
Log entry Sol 581
No answer from Earth. Now I have to decide if I dare attempt to take apart Pathfinder and rewire it. I can strip wire from the MAV struts. I can also give up one rover since I now have four of them. I'm not going to take it from the modified rover; I'm also not going to drive it anymore. I want to leave it in case I have to drive to Schiaparelli from here. Mind you, the mere thought makes me crazy, but it's a possibility. So, I'm going to keep that in mind.
I'm honestly not sure I can completely rewire Pathfinder. It would be different if I could get it inside the Hab, but it's too big to fit inside the airlocks. Taking it apart outside is not feasible, too many small pieces, and too much chance of dirt getting in and messing something else up. Why didn't I think of that until now? I should have just left it behind.
No, maybe I don't need to rewire the whole thing. Maybe I only need to rewire a small section. I can still look I suppose. In the meantime, I guess the best thing to do is to start looking at the code and see if I can figure it out. Specifically, I need to see if I can find a way to use the MDV like the MAV would use it to send a signal back to Earth.
Theoretically, if I can find the code to send comms through the MAV, I can simply replace that destination with the MDV. Of course, then I'd still have to modify the MDV code to send to Earth rather than Hermes, but for that I would need a destination, right? Maybe? I should be able to write down the destination code from the Hab to MAV to Earth code and type it into the MDV code, but will the Hab computers have that code, to begin with, the MAV to Earth section that is? Am I talking in circles? It might be time to take a break and survey canvas, much as I'm loath to do that.
I don't understand why the satellite dish and radio here don't work. I thought they were strong enough on their own. Did we really rely on Hermes for all of our communication relays? I know they never thought any astronauts would be on the surface without Hermes being in orbit. I thought they were going to keep checking the Hab systems after we'd left though. That would require them to be able to send a signal through the orbiting satellites, or directly to the Hab through the satellite dish in the comms array. So there has to be a way. The question is whether or not that way is enough for a conversation.