Red Desert - Point of No Return by Rita Carla Francesca Monticelli

superimposed to the landscape, indicating the
position of our habitat.
    “Connection with
Station Alpha successful.”
    As we got closer to
the surface, I began to distinguish the details. There were some
areas that were darker than others, where the ground rose slightly.
Some whitish stones stood out in the dust. As time passed they
became bigger, revealing them to be rocky formations with an
impressive surface.
    And there it was, down
there, Station Alpha.
    “Altitude one thousand
metres … nine hundred … eight hundred …”
    Dennis raised a hand,
gesturing Hassan to stop it. In the meantime the figures scrolled
fast on the screen.
    “Airbag
inflation.”
    None of us dared to
speak, to avoid disturbing him during the manoeuvre.
    “All airbags
inflated,” the AI confirmed after a few seconds.
    When we passed two
hundred metres, I held my breath.
    “Landing in five
seconds, four, three, two, one …”
    The impact was abrupt
and then we were still. As the airbags deflated, dust clouds rose
all around the Isis , blocking our view of what was outside.
A surreal silence gripped the cabin. Nobody dared to emit the
slightest sound.
    Then I heard the
loudspeaker activate and Dennis’s voice said with nonchalance:
“This is your commander speaking. Welcome to Mars, Lunae Planum.
It’s eight zero two, local time. The sky is clear. The external
temperature is minus eight degrees Celsius. Please keep your
seatbelts fastened until the seatbelt sign is switched off. NASA
Spacelines wishes you a pleasant stay and hopes to welcome you
again soon on board one of its spacecrafts. Goodbye.”
    There was a general
burst of laughter in the cabin. We tried to applaud, but our suit
gloves didn’t provide the right sound. So we started screaming with
joy. Even Hassan, who during the entire manoeuvre had remained
impassive, let himself go to the exultation.
    Meanwhile the dust
outside was settling, offering us a view of our new home, which
silenced us at once. It was a large, white building, surmounted by
a parabolic antenna, with two massive Aeolian turbines on its sides
and a roof covered by high efficiency photovoltaic panels. An
important part of our nutrition would come from the small garden we
would create inside it. On the other side was the chemical plant,
which included a small reactor that sucked in the carbon dioxide,
widely available in Mars’s atmosphere, to generate oxygen for the
habitat and remove the carbon monoxide. Not far from it were two
large water tanks, whose content would be used in the most
efficient way, by recycling it almost completely. This would allow
us to be self-sustaining for several years, while we tested the
mobile laboratory, which would eventually extract more water from
Martian soil’s regolith.
    It looked like a cosy
place, a safe shelter from the terrible desolation surrounding
us.
    “Station Alpha ready
to receive the crew,” the AI announced.
    “Well, what about
doing some extravehicular activity?” Dennis asked with enthusiasm.
“If the guys down in Houston haven’t made a fool of me, there
should be a bottle of champagne waiting for us in a fridge inside
our new home!”
    “I’m in!” Robert
exclaimed, unfastening his seatbelts.
    “Oh, yes, I definitely
need it!” Hassan said.
    “Hassan, I’m surprised
at you! I thought you Muslims didn’t drink alcohol?” Michelle
asked, amused.
    “I’m sure God will
forgive this little sin of mine.” He seemed to struggle to keep a
serious tone. He unfastened his belts and turned to us. “I’m not
even sure if this rule also applies on Mars!” And he laughed, while
our eyes met.
    I was listening to
them joking and that was when I realised I was living the best day
of my life.
    I was happy.
     
     
    What’s happening?
    Something is touching
my leg, my ankle. I shout at the top of my voice!
    I’m still breathing,
and it isn’t too cold.
    Am I still alive?
Where am I?
    I hear a hubbub,
something is moving around me. I try to open my