Luke Marusiak - Lifeboat Moon

“There’s no way to conclude that Shift Manager Arthur Sledge solely and individually sabotaged your supply pod.” Yumi was clinical in her assessment. “You communicated this to your crew with little corroborating information.”

Mark was surprised by Yumi’s legal English vocabulary. “I understand your concern. The email that Art sent indicated he succumbed to despair.”

“We’ll not discuss this further on this call,” Katsumi said. The consternation in his voice was apparent and Mark knew Katsumi and Yumi still felt Thad, Chuck, and Doug could’ve just as easily be the saboteur.

Mark realized it was Thad and Chuck’s presence on the call that curtailed further pod crash discussion. “I am redirecting our efforts to preparation of the cave.”

There was silence in response. Zeke jumped in the conversation. “I’d like to talk to Manufacturing Pod Head, Jerome Papadopoulos, and Additive Manufacturing Manager Habibeh Rahimi,” Zeke said. “Are they available?”

“Yes,” Katsumi answered. “We have them here. We are making good progress on the technology transfer. Here is Manufacturing Pod Head, Jerome Papadopoulos.”

The full names and titles used in the exchange gave the conversation an aura of formality. Mark knew that was the last thing Zeke wanted when talking to Habi. But any communication, formal or otherwise, was welcome. “Major Martelli, Doctor Ben-Ami,” Jerry continued the formality, “I am pleased to report we have been able to capture the process for using regolith material and additive manufacturing — 3D printing — to build a fuel cell. Additive Manufacturing Manager Rahimi will cover the moon buggy technology transfer status.”

“This is Additive Manufacturing Manager Habibeh Rahimi.” Habi’s voice came over the speaker in clear rich tones. “We’ve captured the manufacturing process for flexible silica magnesium tires, the fuel cell design, and a scaled up aluminum wound electric engine. We have the knowledge and equipment to make a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell moon buggy in Moon Base Armstrong. What we lack is sufficient quantity of mined ice for water generation.”

“We are resetting our base plans,” Mark said. “I’m placing the highest priority on ice extraction and cave preparation.”

“Do you have adequate piping for ice extraction?” Katsumi asked.

“We have enough piping for one ice well,” Mark responded. “That’s a start.”

“Doctor Ben-Ami,” Habi said, the name rolling off her tongue like a song, “I’ll send you the information for the flexible silica magnesium compound.”

“Yes,” Jerry added, “Japan Station uses silica magnesium for buggy tires, ice well tubes, and airtight construction.”

“That will be useful,” Zeke answered. “We’ll remanufacture our bricks and spray sealant with this compound.”

“And we’ll get a second tube for the ice well constructed,” Mark said.

“Very good,” Katsumi answered. “We’ll send this technical information so Moon Base Armstrong can get started on the manufacture of the ice well. We also request a joint plan review of cave preparation. There’s much to discuss.”

“Agreed,” Mark said. “We need time to prepare our information. There’s a lot of data to compile.”

“We should meet daily,” Yumi said. “If the cave is to be our future home, the future home of humanity, we need to closely collaborate on the preparation.”

Mark nodded. “Good point Captain Kaneko. We agree to daily calls to jointly plan on the cave preparation and eventual occupation.”

“We can establish this as the appropriate time to meet every day.”

“Agreed,” Mark said. He wondered how much longer the twenty-four hour time slice of a day would be meaningful. “We’ll prepare all our scans from our cave visits so we can jointly map the interior as a first step.”

“Very good,” Katsumi replied. “Let’s cover the mapping plans tomorrow.”

“Director Hayashi,” Zeke said, “I am the companion of Additive Manufacturing Manager Habibeh Rahimi and request a private conversation with her.”

This request didn’t strike anyone on the Moon Base Armstrong side as odd but, due to the prolonged silence, Japan Station took time digesting the companion news. “There is no such thing as a private conversation in Japan Station,” Yumi said.

“I didn’t mean private,” Zeke answered. “I meant a personal conversation. I know all will be listening.”

“Go ahead,” Katsumi said.

“Hey Zeke,” Habi’s voice came over the speaker. “All’s fine here but I do miss you.”

“I miss you too honey. We’re pretty shook up about Art’s suicide. The despair we’ve been fighting has a cause — the culling plan.”

“I don’t see much despair here in Japan station,” Habi replied.

Although there was the possibility Habi said that due to being in Japan Station with its leaders beside her, Zeke believed the statement. “How do you and Jerry find the anti-static protocols?”

“They’re manageable,” she answered. “We see the strong discipline in every member of the Japan Station crew. That’s why the protocol works so well. They’re committed to survival.”

“We’ve been whipsawed since the pod crash. In a strange way Art’s suicide was just what we needed to reset our plans, defeat despair, and unite our crew.”

“That’s important,” Habi replied. “We can’t live together in security, we can’t love, and we can’t build families unless despair is defeated.”

“Before families we must first find love,” Zeke said. The classically trained scientist was no poet.

“In order to love, we first must hope.” Habi’s words hung in the air as a simple truth.

“That’s why I love you Habibeh. Since we found the cave and the cause of the pod crash, we can hope and we can build a future.”

“The crew of Japan Station is still concerned about our morale,” she replied. “We need to put this death and despair behind us.”

“We will,” Zeke answered.

“Additive Manufacturing Manager Habibeh Rahimi is wise,” Yumi’s voice interrupted the conversation, “but we in Japan Station need more answers to the pod crash than you provided. The murder of Director Collier was a strike against the survival of humanity. We must be certain we understand how that happened. Only then will we be able to move forward without concern.”

“We understand,” Mark replied. “We will move forward with hope but be diligent in completing our investigation.”

“Thank you,” Katsumi replied.

“I love you Zeke,” Habi said.

Zeke cleared his throat. “I love you too Habi.”

Thad preferred to be with Mark and Sally mapping the caves rather than at the backside of the crater with Zeke and Chuck. But Chuck’s help was needed to get the rest of the supply containers, Zeke needed to get the archives from the destroyed University Pod, and Thad was the skilled buggy driver who best knew the way.

Thad first placed a communications repeater at half the distance to the backside of the crater. He then drove the buggy the rest of the way and got out. He watched as Chuck reacted to the same scene of destruction Thad, Zeke, and Mark saw a day before. He grimaced. This depressing view of destruction was the past. Mark and Sally were investigating and mapping the future. He spoke into his helmet communicator. “Doug, we’re at the back of the crater and have begun recovery operation.”

“Roger, good copy,” Doug replied from the control station. “The mapping crew is about to depart. It’ll be lonely in here without all you guys.”

Thad snorted and used his implanted eye signaler to switch his communications channel to his crew. “Okay, we’ve got ninety minutes to get this done.”