Discovery

  DISCOVERY

  Book 1 of the Mars Frontier Series

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

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  Chapter 1

  "Please don't throw up now. You've done this a hundred times," Georgia said to herself.

  "What was that, Pyke?" She could hear the satisfaction in the captain's voice.

  "Nothing, sir. Simply performing a comms check." She knew she was fooling no one.

  The sound of laughter over her headset confirmed it. "Get to it then. I thought you'd appreciate something different to break the monotony of life on Endeavour. Isn’t that how you described it to me last week?"

  "Sir, you know I was only joking. I'll need to be more careful what I wish for next time."

  One final visual inspection of her cumbersome spacesuit in the full-length mirror and she was as ready as she was going to be. But even a fake beaming smile at her reflection did nothing to lift her anxiety. A quick glance at the visor's heads-up display showed that her suit's systems were green.

  "Okay, you've got this," she whispered as she pressed the release button on the wall.

  The airlock door slid silently open, exposing the empty blackness beyond. Georgia sucked in her breath and held on tightly to the grab rail. Her heartbeat thumped loudly in her ears and she instinctively knew she was breathing too rapidly. Despite her years of training on simulators and on the lunar surface, this was her first experience from a spacecraft travelling at over eleven miles per second. It was a struggle to overcome her fears, but she knew she must remain calm. It didn't help that the little voice inside her head was listing all the catastrophic things that could go wrong and the countless painful ways she could die.

  With a deep breath, Georgia released the grab rail and pushed herself gently forward until she was entirely outside the airlock before pausing and looking down the length of Endeavour. At the same time, her visor adjusted to filter the bright crisp light from the sun, allowing her to see the troublesome communications array at the rear.

  The sunlight was intense, causing the brightness of the craft to be in stark contrast to the dark void of space. The sun made everything appear crisp and sharp and was a welcome relief after months of living under artificial light. She took her time to take in the view, relaxing with each passing second.

  "Good of you to join me." The voice of Jim Grant, the flight engineer, affectionately called 'the chief', cut into her train of thought. "Take your time and you'll soon get your bearings. I remember my first proper spacewalk so I know it can be overwhelming at first." He had already reached the array and had secured his tether so as not to float away. "The LCS is a mess. Probably a micrometeorite strike. What are the odds of that?"

  Georgia didn't want to think about it. Being struck by a grain of sand at this speed would be lethal. Instead, her gloved hands grabbed tight hold of the rope that the chief had already unfurled, allowing her to follow him slowly but steadily.

  "We've done well to get this far with no significant issues," she replied. "I was expecting far more problems during this mission. This should be an easy swap out."

  "Agreed. There's a spare LCS assembly in compartment C-One. Can you retrieve it on your way here?"

  Georgia stopped to unlatch a large panel which swung open. Inside the unpressurized storage area, there were spare components as well as a selection of tools and a maintenance droid. She was able to reach in and extract the spare array at the same time as activating the droid.

  The maintenance droid followed Georgia as she made her way to join the chief, a toolbox attached to its side and the replacement part held nimbly in its mechanical hand. It was basically a voice-controlled box with various appendages to carry tools or perform minor repairs. Twenty-four tiny jets made it highly maneuverable and the perfect assistant for astronauts conducting spacewalks. Georgia had programmed it to respond to MAUD, short for Maintenance and Utility Droid. "Come on MAUD, we don't want to keep our chief engineer waiting." While the droid used its gas jets to propel itself, Georgia was struggling with the exertion of pulling herself along the support cable. By the time she reached the array, she was breathing heavily.

  The array comprised an eight foot antenna to transfer data to and from Earth, and a laser communications system, or LCS, which had a far quicker data transmission rate. It was the LCS that had failed the previous day and it was easy for Georgia to see why. A one-inch hole ran straight through the transducer unit. The clean edges of the entry and exit holes were a clear indicator that a meteorite travelling at high velocity had caused the damage. Looking at the hole, Georgia was reassured that steel plates were in place to protect the Endeavour's hull to absorb such impacts.

  With only ten days until they reached Mars it was essential that the communications equipment was fully functional. "Let's make this quick, Jim. I don't want to be out here any longer than I have to. I can't remember if I'm wearing my lucky pants."

  "Roger that," came the reply.

  Once she had safely tethered herself to the ship, Georgia instructed MAUD to hold station, allowing her to retrieve the necessary tools. It was slow, methodical work. Their thick Kevlar gloves made work very clumsy. For Georgia, this was taking too long even though she knew the task couldn't be rushed. Any repair activity outside the ship had to be performed carefully. They didn't want to lose any tools this far out in space, so every item had to be secured.

  After two hours, the work was complete, and Georgia had to admit that she and Jim worked well together. Jim held up the broken array and asked, "Do you need this?"

  "No, just toss it. We don't have any room for souvenirs on this trip. Make sur
e you put the effort in to your throw so that it doesn't return. Captain Winter won't be happy if we dent his ship."

  The chief adjusted his stance as best he could, bracing his boots under a safety strap to give him more leverage. "I'm sure you'd sweet talk your way out of it and let me take the blame. You are his favorite after all."

  Georgia knew that to be true. When she had first been assigned to Expedition Two, the captain had taken her under his wing. She wasn't sure why. Perhaps he saw something in her that she had missed. She'd learned so much from him and he was always willing to share his experience with her, and the rest of the crew.

  She watched as Jim swung the defunct box in a wide arc before releasing it. The box slowly rotated in the sunlight as it headed away from and behind Endeavour, narrowly missing one of the ship's huge landing legs as it sailed by. "That was too close!" she gasped. "Next time, let me dispose of the rubbish."

  "It looked perfect to me," replied Jim, with a smile. "We won't be seeing that again."

  Georgia had long forgotten her fears and was almost reluctant to head back into the ship. "We should carry out a quick visual inspection," she suggested. "We finished ahead of time, so another thirty minutes won't impact our schedule. And it's been several months since you last ventured out."

  "Okay, but we stay together as we trained. And MAUD comes too, to take video imagery."

  Endeavour was fundamentally a large cylinder, two hundred and twenty feet long and thirty feet wide, which tapered to a point at the front where the flight deck and crew quarters were situated. The main body of the craft contained essential supplies, including oxygen and water, as well as some cargo. The bulk of the spaceship was taken up with the vast fuel tanks and the five powerful rockets used for take-off and landing.

  Because of Endeavour's size, the inspection took over an hour with Georgia and the chief carefully traversing along the side of the ship, inspecting for any obvious signs of damage. Although there were the odd scuff marks and scratches, the chief was content that there was nothing to worry about.

  Before she re-entered the airlock, Georgia took the opportunity for one last look at the stars. As she turned slowly around, she was in awe at the millions of stars that made up the Milky Way. Although not an expert on constellations, she spotted Orion the hunter with the star Betelgeuse shining brightly above the three stars that made up Orion's Belt. But as she started to turn away, the three stars briefly disappeared as if something had passed in front of them. Georgia looked again and Orion's Belt was visible again. She quickly dismissed the incident as a trick of the light and made her way into the airlock, not mentioning what she'd seen to anyone.

  ***

  Joe Mancuso, Endeavour's pilot, was waiting to help Georgia and the chief out of their bulky spacesuits. Although Mancuso's muscular build often made people think he was a boxer, his fingers were nimble enough to swiftly unclip the intricate latches, hoses and seals.

  "Hey, Georgia," he said as he removed her helmet and placed it in its protective padded bag. "You did well not to puke. I wasn't so lucky on my first spacewalk. I can still smell it!"

  Georgia had never met anyone as positive as Mancuso. The strapping former navy pilot from Brooklyn had a positive story for every scenario. She wasn't always convinced he was telling the truth but was grateful for his sympathetic support.

  "You heard me too? I thought I'd gotten away with it," she replied, running the fingers through her short blonde hair. It stuck messily to her scalp after being trapped under her comms cap.

  Mancuso's green eyes beamed from under his bushy eyebrows. "You know there are no secrets on this ship. By the way, the captain wants to see you both."

  The chief nodded. "Thanks, Joe. But can you help me out of my suit too?"

  ***

  Captain Winter was fifty-seven years old and would be sixty by the time he returned to Earth. His twenty years in the air force before joining the astronaut corps had taught him to exercise every day and eat a strict healthy diet, which was why he still had a lean frame and didn't look a day over fifty.

  So far, the mission had gone much better than he could ever have hoped. The hardware was proving reliable and the crew of Endeavour had become a tightly knit unit. He was well aware, however, that the human element was the weakest link and he strove every day to ensure they stayed at the peak of their effectiveness.

  He was in his cabin, taking a short break when Georgia and the chief arrived, pulling themselves through the hatchway and looping their feet into some Velcro restraints.

  "Nice work out there today, both of you," Winter said as they steadied themselves. "We've just had confirmation from Ground Control that the LCS works again. We now have a steady data stream."

  The chief, who had been sucking water through a straw to rehydrate, nodded nonchalantly. "All in a day's work for the finest chief engineer and his capable assistant." He didn't see Georgia roll her eyes, but correctly guessed the reaction, even though she kept silent. "Does that mean I get to upload the new Die Hard remake for movie night?" he added.

  Winter sighed. "I guess so. But I'm leaving it to you to handle any fallout from Doctor Betts. You know action films aren’t her thing. Before that happens though, tell me, how does the ship look from out there? Is she holding up okay?"

  The chief replied, "Yes, nothing out of the ordinary. I don't expect any more EVAs at this stage, anyway. It's just general wear and tear but nothing to be concerned about ahead of next week's landing."

  Satisfied with the response, Winter turned to Georgia, who had also been drinking to rehydrate. "How was the experience? Will you be volunteering for the next spacewalk?"

  "I loved it, sir. I don't know why you need to ask. But I'd be willing to let someone else get the chance to experience deep space. Maybe you?"

  Winter gave his widest, warmest grin. "I'll leave it to you youngsters to enjoy the fun. I've had more than my fair share. On that note, get something to eat and prepare for Jim's movie. I can't wait."

  ***

  Ultimately, Die Hard was played without the presence of Doctor Betts. She spent the evening in her cabin counseling Grace Cooke, one of the science specialists. Grace was only thirty years old and finding it the hardest among the crew to adapt to the isolation of being so far away from home. Although she had passed all the psychological stress tests that were a mandatory part of the selection process, it had been less than a month after leaving Earth orbit that she had exhibited signs that worried the doctor.

  Since then, the doctor had spent many hours with Grace, attempting to form a bond and establish in Grace's mind that she was not alone. Some days were more of a struggle for Grace than others and today had not been a good day because of the failed communications with Earth.

  This was the first time Grace had been unable to contact her family in Toronto. Even though the communications were now repaired and had only been offline for nineteen hours, the situation had hit home to her how remote and alone they were. When not on duty she had avoided the crew, instead spending in her cabin her time looking at family photos and videos.

  Doctor Betts had plenty of sympathy. Grace was a civilian who had never been in the armed forces and had to live away from home for extended periods of time. It was a huge change for her, and Betts had recommended improving the selection process so that future candidates were better screened.

  Chapter 2

  Two days later, the persistent sound of the master alarm had been ringing around the ship for nearly forty seconds with the crew working methodically to resolve the cause. Besides the alarm, several monitors were displaying error messages, assisting the crew to determine the problem. This was a new issue and had arisen at the worst possible time on re-entry. If not resolved in the next ten seconds, the results would be catastrophic.

  Captain Winter looked across to his right at Joe Mancuso, strapped into the pilot's seat. "We're nearly out of time, Joe. Can you regain the correct attitude?"

  Before Joe could answer, there was
a shout from behind his seat. "Ventral thrusters back online, captain." Within a fraction of a second, the master alarm ceased and the error messages stopped flashing.

  Mancuso pressed a series of controls on the touch sensitive console before replying. "Attitude recovered. Re-entry is now nominal, sir," He placed his hands on his lap and visibly relaxed.

  "Well done, everyone, you can all stand down," said Captain Winter. "That's the final trial run completed with flying colors. Georgia, very well spotted with the jammed actuator. Ground Control went all out to lead us astray."

  Georgia sat back smugly in her seat. "I have to admit, they very nearly caught me out this time. However, as they failed yet again, I'd like to remind you all that I'm entitled to the first shower once we set Alpha Base up."

  The captain didn't reply but merely sighed to himself as he loosened the restraints that prevented him floating away from his command chair. Georgia would not let anyone forget about the shower. But after nearly four months of only being able to wash with a damp towel, the shower had been a suitable motivation to encourage the crew during the mock landing exercises.

  Staring intently out of the main screen he noticed that Mars now looked much larger than it had a few days earlier when it had still just been a large bright orange speck. Today he could see that there were definite hints of orange, brown and ochre on what was now unmistakably a planet. It didn't take him long to detect the position of the small Martian moons, Deimos and Phobos.

  After nearly three months' transit time from Earth orbit, Endeavour and the other vessels making up Expedition Two were quickly catching up with Mars. Winter was spending more time pondering what it was about to mean for him and his crew to become the first humans to land on the planet.

  Over the past few days, he had noticed a buzz of excitement about the crew that had been missing since shortly after leaving Earth orbit. Mentally, each of the crew had put their lives on hold during that period, taking one day at a time. There had been plenty of mission planning and research to carry out during the transit to ensure that they were all prepared for the landing, as well as regular daily exercise. But it was fair to say that everyone on board had found the journey monotonous. He was sure they had all struggled with the confines of Endeavour, seeing the same five faces every day and dealing with loneliness and separation from loved ones. He knew that he had.