First Steps (Founding of the Federation) (40 page)

"So
what's next when you get back? The moon?" the reporter asked
nervously.

Bruce
chuckled. "Nothing so tame. We will probably take a year or two
off then perhaps go to Titan or back to Mars," he said with a
shrug.

The
anchor sat their looking stunned. "Titan?" Bruce smile
turned into a grin.

“I
hear it has oceans we can dive in. There is even a chance of life
under the ice!" Bruce replied, enjoying the other man's
discomfort.

The
anchor looked at the director helplessly then nodded. "And
that's all the time we have, thank you sir for a stimulating
interview...” The sequence cut to commercial.

...*...*...*...*...

Joyce
groaned as Wanda set up the camera. "Not this again," she
sighed.

"Yup.
Don't worry, this time we have a script." Wanda handed her a
tablet.

"Let
me see that," Joyce growled and looked it over. "Recycling?"
she asked scanning it.

Wanda
nodded. "Here, we'll watch the clip on camera, and then the two
of us will show them." She hit the button. "Okay we're
live. Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Mar's base. I am your hostess
Wanda Irons, with Commander Joyce Longfeather. We are going to go
over our life support here in a moment. But first, let's watch the
clip."

Wanda
clicked the remote and an earnest freckle faced young girl looked out
at them and waved to the camera. Wanda and Joyce smiled and waved
back. "Hello, my name is Leslie, I'm a fifth grader at Marion T
Morse in Lisbon Falls Maine and I was wondering, why do we have to
send you all sorts of food and air? Can't you recycle some there?"

Wanda
hit the pause button then turned to the camera. "Well Leslie,
good question. The answer is we already do. In fact we recycle all of
our water and air." She inhaled deeply then exhaled. "As
you can see, the Commander and I are wearing our skin suits. In a
moment we will take you outside and show you how we make and recycle
our air and water." Wanda finished and turned to Joyce. She
smiled for the camera as Wanda picked it up off the tripod.

"But
first we are going to take you on a tour of our two greenhouses and
our mushroom farm," Joyce said. She walked through the Hab.
Wanda followed.

...*...*...*...*...

"Well,
that was interesting, I wonder if any of the major news agencies will
pick it up," Joyce commented as she sat down.

"Oh,
you could say that," Toshi replied dryly.

"What
does that mean?" Joyce asked suspiciously.

"Only
this," he said. He clicked the remote and the big screen changed
to a news report.

"It
is utterly reprehensible for those Marsnauts to showcase themselves
like that! In swimsuits no less! To children!
CHILDREN
!"
The woman waved angrily in the air. "Totally unacceptable!"

The
reporter nodded. "What is this Fox?" Mario asked. Wanda
nodded looking sick. "They think a form fitting skin suit is a
bathing suit?" Mario asked chuckling.

"Well
on us it may look it," Wanda sighed. "Not much skin
exposed." He shook his head. “Change it to Rachel on
MSNBC, let's hear the liberal side."

Toshi
changed the channel. After a few moments the computer changed to the
MSNBC feed. "Okay let me get this straight, the conservatives
and some... let’s just say, backwards uptight people are having
a fit over the astronauts wearing their space suits?" Rachel
asked in disbelief and then shook her head. "I can't believe
that anyone would find a space suit inappropriate for them to wear!
What are they supposed to go outside in? Their underwear?"

Mario
chuckled. "Might be a new look for you Wanda." She tossed a
pillow at him.

"Shssh
I wanna hear this," Joyce replied.

"I
mean honestly, taking this report the astronauts did, and twisting
it...” Rachael twisted her hands and then grimaced. "Granted,
the Mars program does cost a lot of money, money that could be used
for other things..." she said. Mario grimaced.

"Turn
it off," Joyce sighed. "They've been harping about cost for
a while now. We're working on a shoe string but they still don't get
it," she said, thoroughly disgusted. Joyce shook her head.

Mario
sighed. "Typical. They see success, the public becomes
disinterested, and we get shafted," he growled. Joyce walked
out. "What'd I say?" Mario turned to Wanda. Not a thing
honey, that's the problem. Sometimes honesty isn't the best thing to
go with," Wanda sighed.

...*...*...*...*...

"Hey
Tess can you get me the spare camera? Number twelve is still on the
fritz so I want to swap it out." Mario came around the corner to
see Sergei with his arms wrapped around Tess. She was giggling but
their lips were locked. "Okay... Never mind..." Mario spun
and walked away chuckling.

"You
wouldn't believe what I just saw..." Mario chuckled looking
bemused as he walked in with his wife.

She
smiled. "What dear? A two headed Martian?" she teased. He
shook his head and sat down at the table.

"Well,
Tess and Sergei were getting it on in the electronics' trunk of hab
two."

Wanda
looked up and grinned. "Get out of here! She finally caught
him?" she demanded, grinning.

He
looked at her confused. "She
caught
him?" he asked
then snorted.

"Are
you kidding me? She's been stalking him for weeks!" Wanda
replied with a grin.

Mario
chuckled. "Well, now that you mention it she has been a bit
preoccupied and acting a little hand dog..."

Wanda
shook her head. "That's because she couldn't get him to
recognize her. We told her to do whatever is necessary to get his
attention," she replied and then grinned. Tess had helped Sergei
get the ponds going. Apparently that had helped break the ice with
him.

"I
guess she did," Mario chuckled. "So Toshi and Joyce, Tess
and Sergei, The Waldecker’s, man... love is in the air!"
Mario smiled.

Wanda
chuckled. "Well, it's technically spring out there." She
waved to the outside porthole. He chuckled.

"Maybe
you can tell, I can't," he said. He shook his head.

“At
least Toshi should be out of his casts soon, it's been seven weeks,”
Mario finally said when she didn't say anything. He shook his head.
“Gotta hand it to him, he's taken the convalescence better than
I expected.” He shook his head. “We're almost done the
tunnel, Tess and I sprayed the inside with resin this morning. We
should be able to pressure test it by the weekend.” He
shrugged. “I need to make more resin for any patches that will
be needed,” he sighed.

She
nodded. “Just don't ask me to use it.” She shivered. He
sighed again.

“So
that's the tunnel.” Mario explained to Joyce. They waved to
Wanda as she and Tess pulled up. “Finished early?” he
asked.

Tess
hefted a sample case. “Was just quick run,” she replied
and then shrugged.

“Well
ladies, how about I treat you to an early lunch?” he teased.

“Since
I'm the one doing the cooking shouldn't I be asked?” Wanda
chuckled.

“Okay,
so I can't cook worth a hill of beans,” Mario smiled. At least
scratch cook. They both knew he could microwave if he had the
directions handy... and followed them.

Wanda,
Tess, Joyce, and Mario entered the lock and waited patiently for it
to pressurize and finish decontamination. When the green light by the
door lit they gratefully took off their helmets. "God sometimes
I hate having to wear this monkey suit. I have to itch so bad it
isn't funny!" Joyce complained.

Wanda
chuckled. "Yeah, it does leave you uncomfortable. Just be glad
you've never had the runs in it," she sighed.

"Yeah.
No hot tamales," Mario grinned.

Wanda
wrinkled her nose at him. “
Yeah,
" she said and
glowered. He chuckled.

Joyce
opened the door and they felt a wave of hot air blast at them. "What
in the world?" Wanda asked as they exited the lock.

"Is
the ac on the fritz?" Joyce asked. She was suddenly very worried
about a possible fire.

"I
hope not, too much of this and we will start having fried
electronics. Tess check the electronics, I'll check the thermostat,"
Mario ordered. He set his helmet in his cubby and jogged to the life
support section.

"I
think I know what's going on," Joyce grumbled ominously. "She
can't leave well enough alone," she sighed.

"No,
I can't find a fault," Mario reported a few minutes later. "What
the devil is going on? It's gotta be at least ninety in here!"
He slapped at the wall.

"Eighty
five, I just checked the thermostat. Someone turned it up,"
Wanda reported.

"What
the hell?" Mario turned to her.

She
held up her hands. "Don't look at me, I was out with you
remember?"

Joyce
groaned. "She didn't."

Wanda
gave her a look. "I don't know. We don't know that. It could be
an accident," Wanda cautioned.

"Maybe.
Tess." Mario pressed the intercom. "Tess check the
temperature logs for the past week or so." He looked around.
"All right, where is she? I assume we're talking about Doctor
Waldecker right?" he growled. Joyce nodded.

“Is
not good. Toshi is asleep." They turned to see Tess climbing
down the ladder. She held up a tablet. "Is not good. Something
is wrong with temperature, is going up to eighty five during day."

Mario
looked over to her. "A computer glitch?" he asked.

"No,
is manual change. Manual override," Tess reported, double
checking again to be sure. She nodded, eyes grim.

He
grimaced. "Cut the damn heat now. Turn on the AC, let's get this
sorted out." He looked around.

"I
checked the lab here; she's not in this Hab," Wanda reported.
One down, two to go.

“Hopefully
she doesn't have them all this hot," Mario grimaced.

"Da
is very bad for habs, for electronics. Life... shortened...”
Tess waved.

"Tess
check the others. Joyce, she's your responsibility I know...”
he said.

Joyce
frowned ferociously. "Oh yeah, believe me she's going to get
it."

He
sighed. "I take it you've run into this problem before?" he
asked. He wished she'd told him earlier.

She
nodded, face grim. "She played with the temperature on the way
out. Sergei and Toshi had to put a stop to it. When she sits still
for a long period she gets cold," Joyce sighed in disgust.

Mario
snarled. "Find her." He waved. "Spread out." He
climbed the ladder to the living quarter’s deck.

"Mario
what are you going to do?" Wanda followed him up. He went around
checking the bedrooms, finding them empty.

"Going
to give her a piece of my mind first, maybe tear her a new one in the
process." He shook his head. "Not here."

He
went to the computer. "Let's see...” He pulled up the
diagnostics. "Right, Tess has already reset the temperature
controls on all three habs. Hmmm..." He snapped his fingers.
"Power." He typed for a minute.

"What
are you doing?" Wanda asked. He shushed her.

"Give
me a minute." A graph came up. "Okay, here's the power for
each Hab. Hab two has a power spike in the lab. Gotta be where she
is." He got up and turned and started down the ladder. "She's
in Hab two lab," Mario called.

"We
found her," Joyce reported.

A
few minutes later the Iron's entered the lab and looked around. Mrs.
Waldecker was sitting on a stool looking defiant. Joyce and Tess were
standing with their arms crossed. "You realize what you did?"
Mario asked.

"I
was cold." She tilted her head up, chin and nose high.

"Oh
don't get all high and mighty with me missy," he snarled. Her
eyes widened slightly.

"You’re
just a what is the term, monkey wrencher. I am Doctor," she said
with a sniff.

He
snarled. "Lady, just because I am the guy who fixes things
doesn't mean I am any less better than anyone else around here. Your
ass would be
toast
without us to keep the equipment running.
Which is hard to do when you’re doing your level best to kill
us all!" He smacked the desktop sending samples clattering. She
flinched.

"See,
get out! Get out of my lab!" She motioned to the door not
looking at them. She was on her feet trying to pick up the samples.

"Oh
hell no lady, we're having this out right here, right now." He
grabbed her by the arms and sat her back down. She looked up at him
eyes wide and suddenly frightful. "I don't give a shit if you
are cold, if you’re hypothermic. You're cold, wear a damn
sweater!" He swung his arms about. "Still cold? Put a
jacket on! Or a blanket! I don't give a shit. But if you so much as
touch
the thermostat again I will make you wish you've never
been born is that clear?"

She
lifted her chin again, but her defiant look was wavering. "Look,
it's not a big thing, no harm done...” Joyce tried to smooth it
over.

"Oh
hell yes there is some harm done!" Mario turned on her. "Do
you have any idea what this sort of temperature does to electronics?
Or the temperature variance? They can't shed heat fast enough in this
temperature and begin to fail! They will fry!" he snarled. She
frowned.

"Plus
we have a temperature differential with the outside that puts
enormous pressure on the seals and hull! Engineering one oh one, hot
on one side, cold on another something has to give!" he sighed
and ran his hand through his sweaty hair. "Third now we have to
go through the entire base and check for damage. Electronics, seals,
experiments, there is no telling what hidden problem will crop up."
He turned on the errant scientist. "You've shortened the life of
the electronics and hab seals by
years
with your damn stupid
selfishness!" He glared at her.