One Way To Mars

Chapter 24

'You guys look happier.'

'We hit a sweet spot, Andy,' saidMitchum. 'Pure luck. Debbie found a high point of the waterreservoir, that would take us roughly central to the deeper part ofthe cavern. And our good fortune was that it was just dirt and smallstones all the way. Like a knife through butter.'

'You broke through?'

'About an hour ago. All we needto do now is to connect the delivery pipe, and we only have toconnect it to the existing pipe, flush it all out with the fresherwater, test it and job done. If it works as well as we hope it does,the need to change filters should be an annual job. Cheers.'

They all raised their glasses.The sweeter wine was becoming more acceptable with each sip.

'So, we'll be taking off forEarth soon?' Foreman asked.

'I haven't decided,' saidMitchum.

'Why the hell not?' askedHancock.

'Have you told them?' saidForeman.

'What's going on, Mike?' askedSusan.

'I've been putting it off tellingyou. There's no easy way of saying it, so I'll just tell it how itis. Andy's ship was sabotaged. It was brought down with a smallexplosive charge being planted in the controls.'

'What?' gasped Debbie. 'Are yousure?'

'I saw the hole the explosionmade. Nothing else could have done it. Andy told me there was a smallexplosion just before the ship crashed.'

'But that's murder,' saidGiavani.

'Correct,' agreed Mitchum.

'I think, and Mike agrees withme,' said Foreman, 'That the ones responsible have some planinvolving Mars.'

'And they could possibly beheading our way to do what ever it is they plan to do,' addedMitchum.

'And you only decide to tell usnow?' said Susan.

'Andy and I have been trying tocontact Earth and send for help, or at least find out what the hellis going on.'

'And...?' Hancock demanded.

'We still can't get through.Those solar winds must still screwing up the radio signals.'

'There's something else youshould know,' said Foreman. 'Just before I contacted your ship, I gotthrough to Earth. A cadet named Farley answered. They were in themiddle of evacuating the I S F base. I heard an explosion, and thennothing. I've not been able to reach Earth since.'

They sat in silence contemplatingall that information and its ramifications.

'So what is it?' Giavani asked.'Some weird revolution? Something that involves Mars, too?'

Mitchum said, 'Pete. You now knowas much as Andy and I. Sorry. I should have told you sooner.'

'Damn right you should,' snappedSusan.

Joe Hancock said, 'My guess is ifthey come here, they'll come armed. What do we do? Throw rocks atthem?'

'I have my gun,' said Mitchum.'Just the regulation type I S F insist the commander carries. Thereare no weapons on this base. I'd be the first to fight to the death,but with nothing really to fight with, I don't fancy committingsuicide by taking them on.'

'Me neither,' said Debbie.

Giavani said, 'Could we just takeoff and get the hell out of here? Take Andy with us?'

'It crossed my mind,' saidMitchum. 'The problem is, they would hunt us down and the Moonstruckis unarmed, like us. Also. Where would we go? We could be walkingright into an even worse situation on Earth.'

'I propose we stay and fight,'said Giavani. 'We have equipment and a few explosives of our own. Asthe engineer, I could make something useful.'

'Okay. You and Joe see what youcan come up with. In the meantime, the rest of us will finish thewater connections. Andy. Can you keep trying to call Earth?'

Foreman nodded. 'I'd be doingthat, anyway.'

'I could sure use a smoke rightnow,' said Susan.

'The pool and a smoke might helpus think this out,' said Mike.