Trouble on the Red Planet; Aumrill

It was the morning of the following day of the unique weather pattern. Donna Silver assembled all work crews to the recreation lounge. She looked over the crowd with a triumphant smile. “Good morning everyone!” she said enthusiastically. The crowd cheered. “What a day it is today,” she continued, “for the first time we’ll be able to walk around in the Biocontainment Field without thermal suits.” Another small roar permeated the lounge. “Since the twisters left us unscathed we will be able to move about down there unfettered save for a few guidelines.” The crowd uttered a harmonious ’oooh’. “And I will go over the guidelines now. You will report anything unusual to your immediate supervisors, who will in turn reports in to, Frank Sutton, Wanjiku Kimani, or me. You will not, under any circumstances disturb anything unusual without authorization. Last but not least, be careful where you step; the permafrost has thawed and you may get stuck in the mud. And be careful around the water the ice-dome is still thawing under the surface and the water is still thirty-eight degrees. This meeting is adjourned everyone will go with their assigned groups to the Biocontainment field.”

The crowd dispersed and began flowing out of the many exits of the lounge. Robert and Dana Wilson were eager to get started on the tour. Robert was quiet as he hurried along.

“Will you slow down?” Dana urged. “It‘ll be there when we get there.”

He slowed his pace and turned to talk. “I can’t wait to see the lake. We haven’t seen that much liquid water since we left Earth.”

“Getting homesick, are you,” she glared. “You were the one who thought it was a good idea to go to work up here.”

“Of course, when I saw the plans for the Biocontainment Project I had to be part of it. I mean this is the most revolutionary scientific project of the decade, maybe even the century. And this is the day we’ve all been working for and dreaming about since we got here.”

“I suppose you’re right.” She picked up her pace to keep up with him.

They made their way to the now obsolete changing room and saw the flood of people pouring through the entrance way. Bob strained his neck to see through the observation window and saw that there were people already moving about in the containment area and the movement in the room was steady.

“Well, you aren’t the only one that’s excited, Bob, just look at all these people.”

“It won’t be as crowded when we get down below,” he assured her.

They stepped out into the Biocontainment area and Bob noticed the sound of trickling water through conduits that aligned the end pillars that supported the dome. The water flowed in a meandering stream that led down to the lake. He took a deep breath and smelled the moisture in the air that had a hint of wet clay. About a hundred yards or so ahead a young man slipped in the mud. There was a stir in the people nearest him and then the sound of distant laughter when he pulled himself up and brushed himself off.

Inside the area the people spread out and it was evident of the space inside. Bob took Dana by the hand and walked her to one of the remaining carts. “Come on let’s go down to the lake,” he suggested.

“I thought you’d never ask,” said Dana, smiling. “This is beautiful.”

“It sure is,” Bob agreed, “and more than we imagined. The landscape looked entirely different, as the rocks were wet and the ground was sluggish. In theory the water would eventually seep into the ground making it less slippery and the excess moisture in the air would level off.

As they neared the water Bob looked out over the surface into the foggy haze and noticed that the ice dome broke the surface out about the middle of the lake in about four islands of ice. There were also ice fragments floating around them radiating from the center. When they became some fifty yards from the water’s edge he stopped the vehicle and stepped out. He trotted down the beach for about fifteen yards then turned to Dana who was trotting up behind. “Isn’t this magnificent?” he said in high spirits.

“I’m practically speechless, Bob. We could not have imagined it would be this beautiful.” She placed her hands about his waste then leaned in and kissed him. They stood for a moment and gazed out at the surface of the water with their hands on each other’s hip. There was a hush sound from the water if it were exhaling sporadically. “And look at you with those little boy eyes,” she said playfully.

“I feel like a little boy.” he said as he stooped over to pick up a rock and flung it into the water. The rock hit the water with a mighty plop. “Whoo-hoo!” he joyfully exclaimed. He found a flat rock and skipped it across the surface. Dana did likewise. They continued these actions for several minutes when a rather large air bubble broke the surface.

“What was that?” Dana exclaimed.

“I don’t know. The ice dome is still breaking up below the surface. Maybe it was a chunk of ice, or something?”

In another part of the water a large piece of ice surfaced and rolled in the water giving Bob’s theory some plausibility.

At this time and some distance away they were distracted by the sound of Wanjiku Kimani’s voice, to which they turned to their right.”

“No! You are not to disturb this. The Jonathon Swift is still ten days out.”

This prompted Bob and Dana to trot over the where two people were standing. Wanjiku was talking to a young man who was looking embarrassed.

“I was just explaining to this gentleman that we are not to pluck this out of the ground,” she explained, pointing to a green sprout just breaking the surface of the ground

“Hmmm? It looks like a young fern to me,” Bob remarked.

“That is my guess as well,” Jiku agreed. “But, I think we need another meeting to explain the importance of leaving the new plant life undisturbed.”

Bob placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder and said. “It’s okay, just remember to not bother anything like this and pass this on to your friends.” The young man agreed then proceeded along the upward slope.

“Thank you Bob, I will inform Donna of the discovery and ask for another meeting.” She then engaged her portable communications device and spoke to Donna. Shortly afterward Donna dispatched the announcement: “Everyone in the Biocontainment Field will stop what they are doing immediately and report to the recreation lounge. You are not to disturb any plants on your way and report all locations where plants were spotted. That is all.”

“Well, it looks like the party’s over for now,” Bob remarked.

“No, in some ways the ‘Party’ has just begun,” Jiku countered.

Some thirty minutes later the recreation lounge was at full roar again.

“If I may get everyone’s attention, “Donna began. “Our first field day encountered some minor problems but nothing really serious. It seems to our surprise some types of flora have been spotted in the Biocontainment field. There were a few incidences where they were almost pulled from the ground. Because of quick thinking these actions were averted. I will have to suspend today’s tour but will allow it to resume tomorrow with the understanding that these plants will remain undisturbed. The Jonathon Swift will arrive in approximately ten days and deliver a number of botanists to us. Until then it is important that these plants remain uncontaminated. She then pointed the remote control to the halo stage behind her.

She clicked a few times and then focused and zoomed on a desired area. “Here you see what looks like a fern sprout and that is the most of what we found aside from some moss like vegetation. We must be alert and try to spot other vegetation as it may spring up.” Donna continued until she felt satisfied that she have convinced everyone the significance of the discovery.

The next few days went without incident. The tours continued with some more adventurous personnel setting up camping sites. Bob Wilson played guitar and for some small groups by the lake an occasion.

In seven days more vegetation sprang up until some areas were covered with different types of leafy flora.

It was on this day that Donna was strolling around with the Wilson’s and Wanjiku Kimani discussing the different types of vegetation that made up the foliage. When, some three hundred yards down the slope was Mary Atkins, a young technician and her friend John Avery. They were intrigued by a group of vegetation with large leaves. Something under the leaves caught Mary’s eye. She bent down and reached over to push the leaf aside.

“Mary!” John exclaimed. “What are you doing? You can’t . . .”

“Oh, John I’m only trying to get a good look at something.” She pulled the leaf back to reveal a mound of oval shaped beads. These beads were a translucent gold color and were about a quarter of an inch long and about a sixteenth of an inch around the middle and they rested upon a neat mound of dirt. She began to reach further in when John snatched her arm.

“Mary, don’t be fooling around. You need to report this to Mr. Sutton.”

“John, don’t be silly, I’m only going to touch them, besides; Donna is just up the slope. I’ll just feel the smoothness and then I’ll run up and tell her about it.”

She proceeded to reach further in unaware of the yellow set of vertical irises that were dilating and focused on her movements. She was about to touch the beads when a lizard like creature about a foot and a half in length sprang toward her arm. With razor sharp claws it sliced a line into the skin of her arm. She snatched her arm back and shrieked, getting everyone’s attention. John immediately grasped her arm which was bleeding profusely. “We need medical attention immediately!” he said frantically.

She became instantly flush and lost consciousness quickly. She fell into him and they both tipped over into the foliage. The lizard-like creature lurched into her throat slashing it severely. Blood gushed onto John’s chest as he attempted to move away. When another lizard like creature slashed his throat and blood gushed onto both quivering bodies. A group of people who were close by rushed over making startled utterances. More lizard like creatures leaped from the foliage causing the people to fall into a heap of blood soaked twitching bodies.

Donna was running towards them and then she slipped on some wet earth. She fell forward and her head crashed into a rock. She stirred on the ground attempting to get onto her feet. She looked around at the blurred frenzy and watched it fade to black. A cluster of sounds in her head seemed to meld into a steady and monotonous beep.