Day 47. The power cells dipped below 12% somewhere around midnight, and Reena didn’t tell me until 6 AM. In her defense, she was saving the oxygen for the argument.
THE SITUATION
We’d run the numbers three times — two more than usual — and still came up short. The supply cache on the eastern ridge was the only option. The eastern ridge had not been friendly to visitors since Day 23.
Enough for six minutes. Maybe seven if we keep the heaters off.
I have prepared the apology letter. It addresses seventeen contingencies. I did not include hypothermia as a greeting, but I can revise.
Nobody is sending an apology letter. We’re going to the ridge.
I will bring the letter anyway. Optimism is a form of preparedness.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
The ridge run took eleven minutes. We made it back with three power cells, a fractured routing cable, and a new understanding of exactly how many traps a single map tile can hold (four — Reena counted).
Eastern ridge approach. The four trap tiles are not visible. That was the problem.
Eastern ridge approach. The four trap tiles are not visible. That was the problem.
[SUPPLY RUN COMPLETE — POWER RESTORED TO 71% — ROUTING CABLE: DAMAGED]
“Next time we plan a supply run, we plan it before the countdown starts.” — Reena, approximately.
Unit-17 has already updated the apology letter to include a section titled Lessons From the Eastern Ridge. It is three pages long. We are on Day 47. The letter is longer than the mission report.
LOADING TRANSMISSIONS…