Moonscape

2 Breathing

[The image above shows the valsalva device inside space helmets that is used for an itchy nose and also to blow on to equalise pressure if the suit pressure changes to 'pop' ears.]

I did a quick conversion of my O2supply into minutes. A hundred. Not good, given the change of circumstances.

'Just looking at my O2, Blake. Nominally a hundred minutes.'

'Right, Mark. We're having a look at your options. Will you head south for another fifty metres, then try to move east and see if that gets you around the dust pit? Great care now, and keep the walking to minimum energy. We're checking buggy one right now to give you an ETA,' said Blake.

'Roger. Heading south now,' I replied.

The ground remained perfectly solid, so I decided to change my heading to slightly east of south. Still no sign of deep dust.

The radio sprang back into life. 'Moonbase here. Can you tell us how you see your options, Mark?' asked Crystal.

'Well, if I can't get around whatever this dust pit is, then I guess my only option is to go to minimum activity and await your arrival. If I can get to buggy two then I'll assess the situation and discuss with Roy whether to remove the access hatch. An immediate problem comes to mind – the hatch is awkward to manoeuvre, and we wouldn't want it to slide off into the dust.'

'Okay, Mark. I'm relaying that to a Moonbase-Earth conference discussing what's happened. Back to you soon,' said Crystal.

'Good job we weren't both inside this thing. That hatch can't be opened from inside,' said Roy.

'Right. We could still get through the back window, but I'd never be able to open that from outside in time on my own,' I said.

I reckoned I was fifty metres further south now so turned due east, one step at a time.

'Heading due east now. Ground still firm,' I said.

'Roger that,' said Crystal.

Once I was as far east as the buggy, I turned to face it. On its eastern side the three wheels were clear of the dust, as the buggy was resting at about 95ºto the horizontal. The inner surface of the centre port-side wheel was just visible.

'Roy. You noticed any further movement since it slipped?'

'No. Nothing.'

'Mark, Roy – Blake here.'

'Go ahead, Blake.'

'Buggy one en route to you now. ETA eighty-two minutes if no obstructions encountered. That's really tight for time for you, Mark. What's your O2reading now?'

'Roughly eighty-eight.'

'NASA recommend dropping the psi to 3.8 shortly, but what we need to know first is whether or not you can reach your buggy. Head north towards it but keep east of its position to avoid the pit.'

I took a moment to use the Valsalva device to relieve an infuriating nose itch, then set off. 'Walking north now.'

'Good. If you can reach buggy two it opens up other options, but if you can't, buggy one will have to come south of Timocharis Delta to reach you, to be sure we don't run into the pit. If you can reach it then we can head straight around the north of the crater.'

'Copy that. Ground still firm. Only twenty metres from buggy,' I said.

I walked as economically as I could, keeping a close eye on the depth of dust.

'Still on firm ground. Buggy wheels directly in front of me, about two metres. I've poked the tripod into the dust in front of me and it's still firm. Wondering if there's a sharp ledge.'

'Baby steps, and keep poking,' said Blake.

'Careful, Mark,' said Roy from the buggy.

'Just over half a metre and the tripod is going down into the dust. Pushing. Yes, it's deep very quickly.'

'Great care,' said Blake.

'Can feel the edge with my boot now. There's a drop off, unlike my side of the pit where it deepened gradually. Explains why the buggy tipped so suddenly.'

'Nah. I was careless. Should've reversed away. Turning was crazy,' said Roy.

'O2, Mark?' asked Blake.

'Seventy-one minutes.'

'We've had Jenny trying to take the panel off buggy three. Took her twelve minutes. So we need to think about the options.'

'Don't really want to open her up unnecessarily,' said Roy.

'No, but if buggy one hits a problem, Mark could soon see his O2 diving.'

'Why don't I sit quietly for thirty minutes, conserve O2and see how buggy one's ETA has changed?' I said. 'If I'm going to open that panel, I've other problems than just the fixings.'

'Explain,' said Blake.

'Well... firstly, I have to step almost half a metre onto the tyre of port wheel one. What if that causes the buggy to roll further? Also, what if the tyre moves? There's nothing to support me unless I lean forward against the underside.'

'I see,' said Blake. 'Roy can lock the wheel so it doesn't move. What's your next move once you're on it?'

'Locked it,' said Roy.

'Thanks, Roy. I'll then have to jump up to grab the starboard side of the chassis. I don't think that will be too difficult given one sixth G, but if I did miss there's no certainty I won't drop into the dust. If I do get up to the chassis, I'll have to climb along it and lie on the side of the buggy to undo the fixings. I don't want to be attempting that on low psi or if I'm running low on O2. It's now or never, really.'

'I'll go back to NASA on this. Sit quietly, Mark,' said Blake.

Moon suits are not particularly flexible, but I managed to get into a sitting position, facing the Earth. An almost cloudless Australia stared back at me. The gauge read sixty-seven minutes.

© Tony Harmsworth 2019