Chapter 10.2

From: Rick Battles, JPL Mars Tracking
Subject: Mars Quake
Date: October 30, 2018 10:23 a.m.
To: Commander Morgan Lewis, Mission Support

(CLT): no delay

Commander Lewis,

Good morning, Morgan. I just received an alert from one of our team members monitoring the FP1. Last night, they recorded what appeared to be 6-7 minor tremors at the Avernus Colles landing site. The vibrations were minute, just 0.1 to 0.3 or so intensity, but the duration was a minute or more for each. None of the other rovers, still transmitting anywhere on the planet, recorded anything at all, so it was a rather odd occurrence. The operations tech that reported it said it was almost like a 600-pound woodpecker had been pecking at the outside of the vehicle. Very strange.

All of the other displays are reading ‘Systems: A-OK’. The fuel processor is functioning within normal parameters. I just thought you should be aware of a possible malfunction. We’ll keep an eye on it and let you know if it occurs again.

R. Battles, JPL

< ≡ ♂ ≡ >

As he finished reading, Commander Lewis frowned. The communication from Rick was rather casual and not really what one might call a proper report, within the prescribed format. Checking to see that his office door was closed, he reached down to his bottom drawer, pulled out the bottle and poured two fingers of scotch into his glass. As he downed the scotch with one hand, he stabbed the delete button with the other, transporting the message to the netherworld. Then he poured another drink as he resumed analyzing his mountain of reports, as if the message had never arrived.

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