hand tiredly through his hair. It was getting long again. He would have to see if Sergi or Julia would cut it.
Leaning back in the chair, he knew it was time to take the mission to the next step. During the mapping, they discovered that one of the devices was damaged. It looked like it might have been hit by something. Unfortunately, they were still no closer to answering any of the questions they had written down on the large board.
“So, what’s the plan?” Ash asked as he stepped into the small galley. “More mapping?”
Josh watched as his friend poured himself a cup of coffee. He stretched and lifted his empty cup when Ash turned to look at him. Smiling his thanks when Ash filled the cup, he sat forward and stared into the steaming brew for several minutes before he answered Ash’s question.
“It’s time to take a closer look at it,” Josh finally admitted. “I’m going to send Sergi out. The damaged part gives us our first chance of looking at the inside of one of these things.”
“Do you want me to go with him?” Ash asked with a raised eyebrow.
Josh shook his head. “No, I’ll go,” he said quietly. “I need you and Julia to man the ROSVs. Mei can make sure everything we do is recorded.”
“What time do you want to suit up?” Ash asked, sitting down at the table.
Josh glanced at the time. It was just after eight o’clock. Sergi was already going over the tools he would need. Time didn’t really have a meaning out in space. Without the sun to help keep the body and mind regulated, they had all fallen into the habit of sleeping for short periods of time. It seemed longer than the sixteen months since he had last seen the sun, that he almost forgot what it looked like.
“Twelve hundred hours,” Josh replied, taking a sip of his coffee and rising. “I want to go back over some of the data before we head out.”
“I’ll double check the cameras mounted to the helmets,” Ash said.
“I’ll have everyone meet in an hour to go over the spacewalk,” Josh said with a nod.
“Josh,” Ash called out as Josh started to step out of the room.
Josh turned and looked at his friend’s concerned face. He knew Ash felt his worry. Relaxing his stiff expression, he smiled back at Ash.
“We’ve been in some tight situations before. We’ll kick ass,” Ash stated with a crooked grin.
“I hope you’re right,” Josh replied with a nod. “See you in an hour.”
Chapter 6
The sound of their breathing echoed in the headset as they floated along the outer structure of the Gliese 581. Josh raised his hand to Sergi after he checked to make sure the Russian’s tether was securely attached. He grinned when he heard Sergi’s soft laugh.
“Life is good, my friend. I finally get to do what I came for,” Sergi said.
“What’s that, besides driving Mei crazy and pulling stupid stunts on everyone?” Ash asked.
“Just wait until you see what I can do with a wrench! You’ll be having nightmares all the way back to Earth,” Sergi promised.
“Quit bragging, Sergi,” Mei interjected. “His wrench isn’t all that special.”
“How would you know how special it is, Mei?” Julia asked in a teasing tone, surprising Josh as she usually stayed out of the banter. “I didn’t know you were checking out his toolbox.”
“Great! You have officially corrupted Julia, Sergi,” Mei growled in a dramatic voice.
“It was a piece of pie, Mei,” Sergi chuckled. “You owe me a kiss.”
“Cake,” Mei grumbled in discontent.
“A kiss? This is sounding more interesting,” Ash broke in. “She lose a bet with you, Sergi?”
“I never kiss and tell,” Sergi replied with a cheeky grin.
“Let’s cut the chit-chat for now,” Josh ordered as they neared the third circular gate. “Mei, are you getting this?”
“Yes, commander,” Mei replied in a calm voice.
“It looks like it is about three meters across,” Julia said, staring at the image.
Josh didn’t reply. Instead, he
Leaning back in the chair, he knew it was time to take the mission to the next step. During the mapping, they discovered that one of the devices was damaged. It looked like it might have been hit by something. Unfortunately, they were still no closer to answering any of the questions they had written down on the large board.
“So, what’s the plan?” Ash asked as he stepped into the small galley. “More mapping?”
Josh watched as his friend poured himself a cup of coffee. He stretched and lifted his empty cup when Ash turned to look at him. Smiling his thanks when Ash filled the cup, he sat forward and stared into the steaming brew for several minutes before he answered Ash’s question.
“It’s time to take a closer look at it,” Josh finally admitted. “I’m going to send Sergi out. The damaged part gives us our first chance of looking at the inside of one of these things.”
“Do you want me to go with him?” Ash asked with a raised eyebrow.
Josh shook his head. “No, I’ll go,” he said quietly. “I need you and Julia to man the ROSVs. Mei can make sure everything we do is recorded.”
“What time do you want to suit up?” Ash asked, sitting down at the table.
Josh glanced at the time. It was just after eight o’clock. Sergi was already going over the tools he would need. Time didn’t really have a meaning out in space. Without the sun to help keep the body and mind regulated, they had all fallen into the habit of sleeping for short periods of time. It seemed longer than the sixteen months since he had last seen the sun, that he almost forgot what it looked like.
“Twelve hundred hours,” Josh replied, taking a sip of his coffee and rising. “I want to go back over some of the data before we head out.”
“I’ll double check the cameras mounted to the helmets,” Ash said.
“I’ll have everyone meet in an hour to go over the spacewalk,” Josh said with a nod.
“Josh,” Ash called out as Josh started to step out of the room.
Josh turned and looked at his friend’s concerned face. He knew Ash felt his worry. Relaxing his stiff expression, he smiled back at Ash.
“We’ve been in some tight situations before. We’ll kick ass,” Ash stated with a crooked grin.
“I hope you’re right,” Josh replied with a nod. “See you in an hour.”
Chapter 6
The sound of their breathing echoed in the headset as they floated along the outer structure of the Gliese 581. Josh raised his hand to Sergi after he checked to make sure the Russian’s tether was securely attached. He grinned when he heard Sergi’s soft laugh.
“Life is good, my friend. I finally get to do what I came for,” Sergi said.
“What’s that, besides driving Mei crazy and pulling stupid stunts on everyone?” Ash asked.
“Just wait until you see what I can do with a wrench! You’ll be having nightmares all the way back to Earth,” Sergi promised.
“Quit bragging, Sergi,” Mei interjected. “His wrench isn’t all that special.”
“How would you know how special it is, Mei?” Julia asked in a teasing tone, surprising Josh as she usually stayed out of the banter. “I didn’t know you were checking out his toolbox.”
“Great! You have officially corrupted Julia, Sergi,” Mei growled in a dramatic voice.
“It was a piece of pie, Mei,” Sergi chuckled. “You owe me a kiss.”
“Cake,” Mei grumbled in discontent.
“A kiss? This is sounding more interesting,” Ash broke in. “She lose a bet with you, Sergi?”
“I never kiss and tell,” Sergi replied with a cheeky grin.
“Let’s cut the chit-chat for now,” Josh ordered as they neared the third circular gate. “Mei, are you getting this?”
“Yes, commander,” Mei replied in a calm voice.
“It looks like it is about three meters across,” Julia said, staring at the image.
Josh didn’t reply. Instead, he
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