The Attempt (The Martian Manifesto Book 1) (10 page)

“I wouldn’t put it past that Brother Jacobs to try some weird stunt like that. We’ll have to keep a close eye on him. I’ll make sure not to let him anywhere near the Pegasus when I do the monthly maintenance checks,” Sam said.

“Good idea. Well, here we are,” Roy said as they reached the Mars resupply rockets. “It looks like the fuel manufacturer has finished its first tank. Here, take the fuel hose and hook it up to this first rocket.”

“The whole idea of using the natural resources of this asteroid is pretty amazing,” Sam said
as she took the hose and connected it. “All we have to do is dig up some water, bring it over here and this small machine splits it into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel. We don’t need to launch any fuel from Earth.”

In a few minutes, they had emptied the
fuel into the rocket. “Okay,” said Roy. “That takes care of this rocket. When we get to Mars, we’ll launch this one first, since it has supplies for the Star-Kissed habitat on Mars. We’ll need these supplies after we’ve landed the colonists and head over to the habitat to live there while the current astronauts lift off and return to Earth on this cycler. Let’s swap out the empty water tank for the one we hauled over here so that it can make more fuel for the other two rockets.”

“The other two rockets contain material for the colonists, right?” asked Sam.

“Right. It will take a couple of tanks of water for us to create enough fuel for the colony supply rocket and the rocket that contains their living quarters and machinery,” Roy explained. “We’ll have many space walks to perform to get everything fueled and ready. I sure hope those colonists are prepared to help with this. It takes a lot of effort to drag that tank over here and get everything swapped out. I think we’ll need to bring them out one at a time until we’re sure they can handle these activities properly.”

“No kidding. Should we start back with the empty tank?”

“In a minute. Let’s check the rockets for any micrometeorite damage. We might as well patch any holes we find now.”

“Speaking about micrometeorites, do you ever worry about getting hit by one while on a spacewalk?”

“Nah,” said Roy. “The odds of that are pretty low, and these new spacesuits are just amazing. Not only are they more comfortable than the ones from the past, they have automatic pressure sensors that will cinch off the suit at any joint if it detects a breach. We can also stay out here for hours without worrying about radiation. The suits have hydrogen woven in with the nano-fibers which will absorb cosmic rays without generating harmful secondary particles. We won’t have to worry about procreating two-headed kids when we get back,” Roy said with a laugh.

“When they told us about the new suits at training camp, we started calling them Hindenburg
s.”

“Hindenburgs?” asked Roy.

“You know, after that old zeppelin, because of the hydrogen,” Sam said. “They won’t really catch fire if you get hit with a meteorite, right? That’s just a myth, right?” Sam asked worriedly. “We figured we newbies were just being hazed by the old guard.”

“Hmm, I doubt you would catch fire. Well, maybe if you get hit with an electric shock at the same time you get a hole
puncture in the suit, you might get a nice blowout. But really, what are the odds of that happening? No, I think we’re pretty safe,” Roy said.

“That’s a relief. Thanks,”
Sam sighed. “Okay, my rocket’s clear of damage.”

“Mine too. Let’s haul the empty tank back and get it
set up to receive more water, and then head back inside.”

Chief Scientist Li Julong stood once more in front of General Zhou Desheng of the Chinese PLA Air Force. “You sent for me, sir?”

“Li Xiansheng, you have done very well,” the general said. “According to my reports, it appears that the first two fuel packages have been successfully launched into their proper trajectories. How are the preparations proceeding for the final two fuel supplies?”

“The third will be launched within the month, and the final one the month after that,” Li Julong replied. “I have had to make the men work overtime in order to create the launch carts, since we unfortunately lose one with every launch, but we are ahead of schedule. We should be able to create an extra fuel package and cart in case of a failed launch, but I do not anticipate that. The mass driver is running at one hundred percent efficiency.”

“And have you finalized the list of North Koreans for the mission?”

“Yes, sir. As you predicted, I had more than enough volunteers.”

“Excellent! In fact, the Party is so impressed with your work, that we have a reward for you. You will be going with the Koreans on the mission.”

Li Julong stood there in stunned silence, looking up at the general.
“Have I heard him correctly?”
he thought. “
This must be a mistake. I will need to word this carefully.”

“But sir, I am old and not in prime health. Surely
the party would not wish to compromise the success of the mission. Are there not others who are better qualified?”

“
Not for this. The mission parameters have changed. Our agents who secretly work at NASA have discovered a most interesting development. Although the Americans encrypted the message that they recently sent to their base on Mars, they did not expect that there would be spies working within their own organization. It was a simple matter for our agents to acquire an unencrypted copy. Observe!”

The general turned a desk monitor to face the scientist. Julong watched in silence as the video message that Brick at Mission Control had sent to the Star-Kissed habitat astronauts played in full. When it had completed, Li’s head whirled.

“Sir, are you sure that this is not a hoax?” asked the scientist. “Or perhaps it is a case of pareidolia,” he said, using the term for seeing realistic faces or animals in random input. “After all, we all show our children in China the rabbit on the Moon, which the Westerners see as a man, and yet it is just an illusion. Perhaps this is something similar.”

“No, if the Americans are convinced, then we must be prepared to respond accordingly. Our mission to
Mars will now be to capture any alien artifacts, mechanisms or entities for ourselves, and launch them here for us to study. Thus, you are uniquely qualified. You will direct the Koreans in constructing a launch facility on Mars, and plan the proper trajectories for any discoveries to arrive safely here. You will work everyone as hard as it takes to launch additional fuel packages to land on Mars to fuel a sample return rocket. Then you will go there and prepare the rocket and samples for return here.”

The scientist thought furiously. There had to be some hole in this plan.
Then he thought he saw it. “But what if the Americans have acquired all of the evidence? I am but a scientist, and the North Koreans are workers. There would be nothing for us to do.”

“You will have one additional member, who will be arriving here from Earth next month. He
is an expert on such matters,” replied the general. “You will focus on your job of getting the fuel packages to Mars, setting up the launch facility once you are there, and shipping any discoveries to us here for the glory of China. We cannot afford for this to fall into the hands of the Americans. We must have it strictly for ourselves.”

“But a discovery of this magnitude would be astounding. Think of what this would mean. Shouldn’t we provide any knowledge of this to the whole world?” asked Julong.

“Li Xiansheng, we do not work for the world. We work for the Chinese air force,” the general said as he glared at the scientist.

Li Julong stared in shock, and briefly wondered if the general realized that he was uttering a line similar to one in the old 1951 movie
The Thing from Another World
.
“No, the general would not be imaginative enough to watch science fiction movies,”
he told himself.

The general was still ranting.
“You will go to Mars, you will acquire the samples, and you will send them all here. I will brook no more discussion on this. Now go and prepare yourself and your men. No doubt you have much to do.”

Shaken to his core, the chief scientist bowed as he backed towards the door. “Yes, of course, General.”

“Well, what do you think?” Mars mission engineer Sergey Andreovich asked the others. “I took Mission Control’s suggestions about how to protect the rover, and made a few modifications myself.”

The rover sat on the floor of the habitat’s workroom. Sheets of metal had been formed around the rover so that it looked like a boat, with the rover’s optics poking up through the top like a smokestack.

“I don’t know,” the geologist Brad said. “It looks like one of those ironclad boats in the old Civil War painting of the Monitor versus the Merrimack. Are we expecting cannonballs to be shot at it?”

“And what about the treads?” asked Charles. “How is it protected from below?”

“Ah, that is where I used inspiration,” Sergey said. “I modeled the treads after the famous T-80 Soviet tanks of the past. I attached small metal plates all along the treads to protect them. And I’ve grounded the whole mechanism so that any shocks are diverted around the electronics. If there really is something alive out there that disabled the rover previously, it will have to come up with some other tricks.”

“Good work, Serge,” said Commander Grant as he patted him on the shoulder. “You’ve done wonders in just a short time. Let’s pack it up and get going. I want you with us in case anything goes wrong with the rover. Chuck, as the mission biologist I want you along in case there really is something alive out there.
Pack some spades and pickaxes also in case we need to dig. Brad, you stay here. We need someone at the base who can control the rover remotely and you’ve had the most experience. I want the rest of you ready in fifteen minutes.”

# # #

Probe Spit carefully inserted the inheritance instructions into the completed nest. The nest would nurture the Master as it grew, and provide the knowledge modules for learning at each correct stage. The Master would emerge in two months’ time, fully formed and with complete comprehension of the entire history and technology of its kind.

The probe had worried over the problem of how to protect itself should the bipeds return. It had combed the archives for all defensive mechanisms, both passive and active.
Since it needed to conserve its resources for the Master, the probe wanted to use only the current assets of three hoppers and two electro-biosynths. It had finally settled on an ancient tried and true technique.

Spit directed the biosynths to a nearby crater, with instructions to create a smooth area in the center, with rocks
placed in a circle around it. The synths would then disgorge some biological material in the form of a tube in the middle of the circle. This would attract the alien creatures. Additional instructions told the synths to go to the rim of the crater, and dig a series of pits underneath the sand leading towards the center. Any significant weight would collapse the sand, causing an approaching object to become trapped. Two hoppers would remain at Spit’s crater to monitor the situation, and the third hopper was directed to the decoy crater. The synths were given their final instructions, and dispatched.

The probe was satisfied. At worst, if the bipeds returned, they would retrieve worthless material from the decoy crater and be diverted. At best, the electro-biosynths
might eliminate the threat. 

# # #

Grant was once again at the helm of the MMTV transport, while Charles and Sergey discussed the situation. The modified rover was strapped outside on the trailer, along with a few digging implements.

“The guidance system shows that we’re almost back to where the rover was initially disabled,” Grant said. “When
I stop, I want the two of you go out and free the rover from the trailer and lower it to the sand. When you’re done, come back inside and I’ll give Brad the go ahead to send the rover forward.”

“Shouldn’t we stay out there in case the rover runs into trouble?” Charles asked.

“No. I want everyone safely in here in case there is any danger. We’re going to rely on Serge’s enhancements, and I will decide what we do once I see if there is any activity.” He checked the navigation display, and then looked out the windshield. “That’s weird. I don’t see any wheel marks from when I stopped last time and turned around, but the display shows we’re at the same location. I’m stopping now anyway.”

Grant pulled up and directed the other two astronauts to dispatch the rover. Charles and Sergey walked to the rear of the transport,
and stepped into the two click-suits located there. In a moment, the backs of the suits pivoted down and locked in place, and the transport separating panel closed. They each stepped out onto the trailer.

“Serge, you lower the ramp, and I’ll detach the rover,” Charles said over the suit radio.

“Da,” Sergey said, as he walked around the rover to the rear of the trailer. While there, he surveyed the Martian surface. “Does this look like the location where the rover was disabled? There are no marks of any kind in the sand.”

“I’m not sure,” Charles said. “That might be the crater I went to over there, but there’
s another one next to it on the left that could be it too. I think we’ll need the rover to reconnoiter a few of these craters. I’m done, so come over here and help me push the rover. It’s too awkward for me to do it alone with all of this metal you put around the rover for protection.”

Sergey moved back to stand beside Charles, and the two of them managed to get the rover rolling. It picked up speed as it went down the ramp, and the new improvised prow dug nose first into the sand at the bottom. “Damn, we didn’t think of that!” Charles said. “What do we do now?”

“I have an idea. Commander, please move the transport forward slowly. The nose of the rover is stuck on the surface, with the rest of the rover still on the ramp,” Serge said over the radio. “Charles, you and I will push as the transport moves.”

The transport started with a lurch. “Now,” Sergey encouraged. The two astronauts pushed, and the ramp
suddenly slid out from under the rover. Both of the astronauts tumbled to the surface.

“It’s a good thing these suits are both flexible and tough,” Charles said with a laugh as he got up and dusted himself off. “Hey, Brad. You didn’t get that on video back at the habitat, did you?”

“Yes, I did,” Brad replied. “The camera was pointed right at you. You and Serge will owe me big time for keeping your Keystone Kops routine from being transmitted to Earth.”

“Alright you clowns,
enough fun. Get back in here,” Grant said over the radio.

Serge and Charles climbed
up the ramp, and went up to the transport and turned around. As they touched their backs to the rear wall, they pressed a panel with their hands, which opened the transport wall and then opened the backs of their suits. The astronauts then simply stepped backwards into the transport compartment, and walked over to Grant. “Okay, we’re back,” Charles said.

Grant gave the command
to Brad over the radio. “Go ahead Brad. Start the rover moving. We’ll monitor it here also.” On the dashboard, the three astronauts watched the video feed in tense silence as the rover moved forward towards the nearest crater rim. The seconds slowly ticked by.

“Wait,” Charles urged. “I saw something diagonally to the left at ten o’clock. Turn the camera that way, Brad.”
The astronauts watched as the camera panned to the left and stopped. An eerie silence settled on them as nothing moved.

“I swear I saw something out there,” Charles said.

“There doesn’t seem to be any…,” Grant started to say when all three astronauts shouted in surprise! A snake had jumped up onto the front of the rover! It then slithered off in the direction the rover camera was pointed.

“Holy Moly!” Grant shouted. “Brad, turn left and go after it!”

The three astronauts watched the video feed as the snake-like creature slithered off towards another crater. “Can’t you make it go any faster, Brad? It’s getting away!” yelled Charles.

“The rover is not designed to chase,” said Sergey. “It looks like Brad is going at top speed already.”

“We’re going to lose it. It’s going to go up over that crater lip,” Charles said. “We can’t let it get away.”

“Brad, fire the ChemCam laser at it. You might be able to slow it down,” Grant ordered over the radio.

“What? No, don’t shoot it!
Aim in front of it instead,” Charles yelled.

“Belay that,” Grant ordered. “Try to disable it
, Brad.”

The three astronauts watched as various puffs appeared on the Martian surface as
the laser hit rocks and dust with each pulse. “You’re missing it,” Grant observed.

“The laser’s invisible, you know, and I can only see it when it hits something,” Brad
barked back over the radio. “It wasn’t designed to be fired on the run at a moving object!”

“Darn, we lost it! It went over the crater rim,” Charles said dejectedly.

“Brad, keep moving in that direction. Maybe we’ll spot it when you get over the top and look into the crater,” Grant ordered.

The three astronauts watched tensely as the rover approached the crater and went up to the top of the lip. As it reached the top and started into the crater, the whole view canted to the left and stopped.

“What happened?” Sergey asked.

“I don’t know
,” Brad said. “The rover’s stuck. And I can’t look down at the treads because of the metal deck surrounding the rover. Can you see anything out the MMTV window?”

The three astronauts looked up from the video display, and in the distance could see the top of the rover sticking up over the rim of the crater. It was tilted to the left and not moving.

“Oh no!” they heard Brad exclaim over the radio. “There are two of those creatures, and they’re attacking the rover. It looks like they can’t get through the metal, though. Wait…they’re climbing up. They’ve reached the neck of the camera! I can’t see them.”

The astronauts could see through the window that
two snake creatures were clinging to the rover camera rod and moving towards the top. Grant heard a click behind him and turned around just in time to see the panel to one of the click-suits close.

“Serge! Where are you going! Get back here
immediately!” he yelled into the radio.

“I am not letting those creatures get my poor rover again!” Sergey
exclaimed back through his helmet communicator.

“Chuck, take the other click-suit and go bring him back immediately before that fool gets himself killed. I’ll be out to help after I put on the spare spacesuit.
”

Charles hurled himself at the rear of the MMTV and into the second click-suit. In a moment he had separated
from the transport. He could see Sergey running over the lip of the crater by the rover. He was waving a shovel that he held in one hand. Through Charles’ helmet radio he heard Sergey yell, “Get away from my rover, you…” and then a string of Russian expletives.

Charles look
ed around and saw one of Brad’s pick axes lying on the trailer bed. He picked it up and kangaroo hopped after Sergey. He could see that Sergey had reached the rover and was flailing with the shovel at the two snake-like creatures. “Hold on, Serge. I’m coming. I’ll be there in thirty seconds,” he yelled.

Sergey swatted at the two snakes that were entwined around the neck of the rover. “Aha,” he yelled as he managed a baseball swing that sent one of the electro-biosynths flying. The effort of his swing caused him to over rotate, and
he fell to the ground, his shovel spinning out of his hands. He quickly jumped up from the ground and climbed onto the metal deck addition he had added to the rover, and reached for the other beast that was still clinging to the rover neck column. It had almost reached the top where the optics and laser were.

Charles breasted the crater rim about five feet from the rover. “No, don’t grab it with your …,” he started to shout, when he saw Sergey pull the snake creature from the rover by the middle of its body. The biosynth reared its
ugly head.

“I’ve got you now!” Sergey shouted as
the biosynth struck at his forearm. As it was designed to do, the biosynth released its electric charge in a jolt as it bit through the layers of the suit, passing through the hydrogen impregnated cosmic ray protection layer and into the suit’s atmosphere.

KA
BLAM!

Sergey spun and fell down onto the deck of the rover. The creature he was holding went flying away in two pieces, the head in one direction and the body in another.
“Emergency, suit breach detected; emergency, suit breach detected,”
Sergey heard a female computer voice say through his helmet.
“Warning, cinching elbow, obtain medical relief,”
the female voice continued.

Sergey groaned. His forearm felt like it was on fire. He slapped his other hand over the hole, before realizing that it didn’t matter, since that part of his suit was now closed off. “Chyort!” he cursed in Russian.

Charles hopped up on top of the rover next to Sergey. He had heard the blast through his suit radio as a whoosh, and had felt only a mild puff against him as he had watched Serge fall over and the creature go flying apart. “Serge, are you okay?” he asked. “Commander, Serge needs a medical kit now. He’s had a breach.”