Yves Giraud - Kahnu

Leaning against one of the support poles, Francois was watching the newlyweds with a satisfied smile. He turned to Ladli.

“I wrote that one just a few days ago. It’s brand new,” he whispered.

“Yeah, I know,” she replied, unimpressed.

“I used a recording program I created when I was still at Mars First, back on Earth.”

“Yep. I remember.” Ladli didn’t seem the least interested. But Francois went on.

“Listen, right there. Can you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“That sound, in the background, like water.”

“What are you babbling about, Francois?”

He shrugged his shoulders at her. “The bubbles. You don’t hear that?” He had an arm extended toward the control panel Ladli had been at moments earlier.

“Oh, that? Yes, sounds like something under water.”

“It’s one of the Blobus Viscus tanks. I placed a couple of mics next to it when I was recording the song. I like it in the background, gives it a whole new dimension. What do you think? Pretty cool, right?” Francois seemed quite satisfied with himself.

“That’s great. Good for you. I’m gonna grab a drink. Want anything?” Ladli did not give the Frenchman time to respond. She was already walking away.

Francois leaned back against the pole. Sabrina approached, drink in hand. She was giggling, looking at Francois with a mischievous look. He instantly knew she was already feeling the effects of the Olympus Mons. That could only mean one think. He was in trouble.

“Hey baby.” Sabrina rubbed her hand along his chest. “What are you up to, French guy?”

He moved her hand back to her side.

“Nothing, just hangin’. What about you, hun?”

“Just looking at Dedrick and Vera. They look so happy, don’t they?” She leaned her forehead on his shoulder, still watching the newly married couple dancing.

“Yeah, sure. I guess. You know me and parties. Not quite my thing… I think I need another drink. Want anything?”

“Hold on, there, cowboy, What about us?”

“What, what about us?” Francois feared he knew too well what she meant.

“You know…” she replied, looking at him with love.

He knew it was coming. They had been a couple for almost fifteen years. She rarely mentioned it, but he knew she loved the idea. To the Frenchman, marriage was not something he was against, he just did not see the point. Anytime the subject was brought up, Francois was always quick to argue that getting married was not a guaranty of love or happiness. Plenty of people got married, only to get divorced just as quickly. Those discussions rarely went well. Tonight, he would have to expect a long talk on the subject. Sabrina was in one of her nostalgic moods. He would just have to do his best to stand his ground. Secretly, he wished himself good luck.

The small colony now counted two married couples, and one very concerned Frenchman.

“Najib? Dedrick? Guys, I’m having trouble hearing you. Can you repeat the last transmission?”

Vera had been monitoring the small group from pod one since they had left the garage, two hours, forty minutes earlier. She had just figured out that this outing was her seventy-ninth spent at the station, while her colleagues were out in the field. Dedrick had asked her many times why she so often volunteered to stay behind. Mars was out there, and the excursions were the best part of the day to most of them. Wasn’t she tired of being cooped up inside all the time? She always responded the same way. She loved the station and preferred staying home.

Sabrina figured she worried too much about all of them to feel comfortable letting someone else monitor the group. So most of the time, Vera preferred to stay in contact with them from the station, especially ever since the incident with Sabrina’s suit a few months earlier. It could have been tragic, had she not been only a few meters outside the station. That had given her just enough time to get back inside before losing all her oxygen.

Today, the mission was exploring sector 421, a rocky and treacherous area, but a promising segment of Candor Chasma for potential water deposits.

“Dedrick? Can you repeat?”

“I said, we’re coming back. The cave didn’t lead anywhere. We did some probing down three of the lowest areas. The samples all came back negative. Looks like that fissure was not made by water after all. Or if it was, there is no trace of it now.”

The members of the group were slowly emerging one by one, from the narrow passage out of the cliff. A week earlier, François had noticed the depression at the foot of a cliff while driving by the area. Judging by the shape of the embedded ridge, the team had speculated that water could have carved part of it.

“That’s alright guys, it was a nice try. I’m glad you’re on your way back. We have a storm coming from the west. If you hurry, you should be here before it hits us. By the way, Dedrick, can you pick up some milk and a dozen eggs on your way home, I wanna make pancakes in the morning.”

“Of course, Hun. Need any maple syrup?” he replied with a chuckle. “OK, guys, come on. Let’s go.”

Ladli and Liu were still standing at the mouth of the cave, waiting on Najib. The Bangalorean commander, a geologist by trade, never missed a chance to study any new mineral he came across, often bringing back small samples to the station’s lab.

“We’re waiting on Najib,” replied Liu. She was staring at the dark tunnel inside the cave, a fairly wide passage that led to a wide-open chamber, full of rocks and crevices, undoubtedly the work of some ancient seismic activity. She couldn’t see more than a few meters in. The rest was in complete darkness.

“ What is he doing? He should be here by now …” she thought.

“Najib? Najib?” she called out through her headset.

“Where is he?” asked Dedrick walking back to them.

“I don’t know. He was just behind me,” replied Ladli with apprehension.

“Najib?” called out Dedrick.

“Najib!” called Liu even louder. Still no response.

“OK, you both stay here. I’ll go see what’s the hold up.” He walked right between the two women and started down the slope into the black tunnel. About thirty meters in, Dedrick noticed a light illuminating a spot on the ceiling of the chamber from the ground below. The light seemed fixed as if Najib was staring at something above him. Unable to see his colleague, he called out while still approaching.