Sol 70 - MARK
Hi Darcy,
Have you ever read the Hercule Poirot mysteries? Because Johansen has them in her media folder, and I’ve been working my way through them. ‘Little grey cells’ and all that. I think you’d like them. Or maybe you’d just like Agatha Christie.
Right now I’m stuck in the rover, waiting for my solar batteries to recharge. I’ve been doing missions - the Sirius missions, if NASA asks - and right now I’m on Sirius 3.
What were Sirius 1 and 2, you ask? Well, in the quest to get yours truly back to Earth, or, in this case, as far as Ares 4, I need to use the rovers. Which require power. So I spent a day hauling a few of the solar batteries from around the Hab and jury-rigging them on to the Rover. Which worked. Until I had the stellar idea to try and drive without the heater on, to save the energy from the batteries for actually moving the Rover.
Imagine you’re in Tromso again. And then subtract a few degrees. I feared for our future offspring.
Instead of killing myself in the cold, I’ve now decided to irradiate myself.
The RTG, which, as you remember, is basically just a hunk of Plutonium-238, and was the MAV’s power source until we got here and set up the Hab, is going to be my heat source.
When I get home, I might be glowing orange. Just warning you.
At least it’s not green. No need to have two green men in your life, huh?
Which makes me wonder. How’s life in the Tower? Has anyone tried to take over the world lately? I thought that happened twice a month… Which, by my extremely accurate math, means about three Avengers call-outs. Hope you’re ok. I’m assuming Captain Fantastic and Sargent Awesome are keeping you safe. And He of the Goatee. And Doc Foster. If she ever gets her head out of her research.
Hey - did the Avengers come to my funeral? That’d be cool.
Anyway. I’m here, watching batteries charge. Like watching paint dry, but more boring. 12 hours charging for 81 kilometres, which took me just under three and a half hours.
That’ll do.
Tomorrow, I’m headed back to the Hab, where I’ll prep for Sirius 4. That’s a longer journey - 20 days all told - my real trial run for the trek to the Ares 4 site.
But for now, I return to Poirot. And Hastings.
Of the two of us, who is who, I wonder? I think I have to be Poirot. If only because I look better with a moustache than you do.
Sorry, princess.
Love you,
Mark.