Beneath the Red Sand

29 || Chapter Twenty-Nine

"We found something in the mines," one team reports at the end of the next workday. Noah and I have finally had a chance to ditch our excavation tools in favor of helping clean up the habitat and exploring all the places — the library, the bedrooms, the kitchens, the greenhouses. It's been a fruitful, satisfying day of hard work. Now, it seemed, we'd soon have even better news than getting this place fit to live in. "We brought back enough of the mineral the aliens used to make the power core, and we think we can replicate what they've done. So, hang on for a demonstration in three, two, one..." Over the mic, he says, "Go ahead, Andy."

On cue, the whirring sound of a generator starts from further away, then getting closer and closer as the sound travels towards us. We all turn toward the direction of the sound and watch as lights flicker, then turn on all along the corridor toward the great hall.

"It's working!" someone shouts. We all cheer, and some guys pat Andy's partner on his back.

"Great job, gentlemen," Mr. Gryffin says. "Okay, everybody, spread out and take some oxygen readings to see what we got."

When one team member who still holds the scanner tests the device, he reports, "Oxygen at five percent."

"Seven percent," adds another.

The rest of us check with our suits, though it's slightly less accurate, and get identical readings. Watching the display projected onto the fun of our helmets as readings continue to rise at the same rate, we cheer as one lady makes her announcements.

"Oxygen at ten percent, fifteen percent, twenty percent, twenty-five percent." More and more cheers rise from the group until Mr. Gryffin gestures for us to keep quiet.

"Great work, everyone. Now let's see if these generators continue through the night. We'll take our readings again in the morning. In the meantime, we've managed to get hook up to this computer so we can monitor back at the habitat."

After dinner, Admiral McClure has a few announcements. There's the usual reminder of available community classes, which now include every artistic pursuit imaginable from drama, to photography, to music, and another lady volunteers to teach sculpture. Crimson storm offers to teach music lessons when they're not rehearsing for the next concert, which will be in four weeks. A few others with musical talent offer to do solos or joint performances. There's going to be an opera singer next week. In two weeks a cellist accompanied on the piano is scheduled. I find myself getting really excited about all the vibrant culture here. Maybe I hadn't paid this much attention to it all back on Earth because I'd focused on ballet, but it's kind of amazing.

When announcements end, Noah Jacqui and I head back up to the third floor again for a patrol shift. This is the last night we'll be here. Our patrol section moves to the greenhouse next week. I like getting to explore each section of the habitat.

First, we grab our usual pre-patrol dessert of a cupcake, and guiltily I let myself indulge. I've never had this many sweets before when I was dancing. But then, I still work it all off, between taking time to exercise and the workout I get on the excavation job. So, I rationalize that having a treat I love is a worthwhile reward for all my hard labor.

"Okay, so here's the deal. I hacked into Colonel James' personal computer," Jacqui whispers, leaning in. "Our mystery room is hidden under the highest level of encryption. It took me days to work out how to get into these files, but it was so worth it when I did."

"What was in it?" Noah asks, leaning forward.

"For starters, his suspicions about alien activity here. As in, evidence he thinks proves there's life on Mars, that it's always been here and never left even when the planet lost its atmosphere."