Defying Mars (The Saving Mars Series) - By Cidney Swanson Page 0,3
of the Red Galleon and Red Dawn had departed Mars, Earth had lagged behind the Red Planet. Now, Earth was again catching up to Mars. Soon she would zip past. If Jessamyn wanted to take the Galleon from Mars back to Earth, she would have to depart immediately after her arrival home. For every day Jess spent on Mars, Earth would drift ahead in the lap around the Sun. Wait five days? Earth would surge forward millions of kilometers relative to Mars. Wait thirty days? Jess would never be able to catch Earth before running out of fuel or oxygen. She hadn’t calculated which one of these would kill her first. She only knew she didn’t have the weeks or months Mars Colonial Command would want to spend debating whether a rescue mission should be allowed to proceed.
If MCC agreed to the rescue, they would probably insist upon waiting the annum until Earth and Mars were once more at their closest positions to one another. But thinking about the extended wait made Jess feel as though all the oxygen in the ship had been sucked out. Too many things could go wrong in so long a time. Ethan, Harpreet, and Kipper could all be dead by then. No. If she were to attempt the rescue, it had to be as soon as she touched down, while Earth was still within reach.
And so Jess spent long hours running calculations to determine if she could make it back to Earth. Many times, she found herself wishing for her brother’s presence at her side. She would have welcomed his frown and quiet, “I believe you neglected to take into consideration the effect of this minute detail upon this other even more ponderously minute detail.”
Aphrodite and Poseidon, she missed him.
What it came down to was her uncertainty as to whether the ship could handle the more violent launch required to chase after a fleeing Earth. Was it even possible to load the ship with enough fuel to make such a launch? Jessamyn’s calculations were inconclusive. But Crusty would know what the ship could or could not handle.
As if in response to her musings, Crusty’s voice echoed through the ship’s comm system. “Mornin’ rations,” he called.
“On my way,” replied Jessamyn.
The twice-daily rations provided both crew members with the opportunity for conversation. However, Crusty’s reserved manner and Jessamyn’s grim mood meant that more often than not, meals passed in complete silence between the two. Today, the mechanic seemed to be in a conversational mood.
“Sure miss the aged bars,” he sighed, contemplating the ration before him.
Jess’s mouth curved into half a smile. The flavor of the Terran-sourced bars was far more pronounced before it had a chance to age and mellow.
“There’s something to be said for a change,” she said. In truth, she didn’t mind the intensity of the flavor. It reminded her of the myriad foods she’d sampled upon Earth the night she’d pretended to be a first-body Terran—the night she’d met Pavel. A shiver ran through her, not unpleasant, at the memory.
“Well, the two of us conversing,” said Crusty, “I reckon that’s change.” He grinned and raised his ration as if in a salute to his companion.
Jess returned a small smile and wondered how to best take advantage of Crusty’s loquacious mood. Harpreet would have told her to try honesty.
She took in a slow breath. “Crusty, I’ve been thinking. I want to take part in a rescue mission to bring back the crew we left behind,” she said. “And I need some help determining whether it would be possible to do that right away.”
Crusty’s eyebrows rose slowly. “You mean, right away this annum?”
Jessamyn nodded. “Before Earth gets so far away that we can’t catch her.” She licked her lower lip, noting the cracked spots that indicated she was a full water ration behind. Forgetting to drink was careless. She couldn’t afford to be careless—not with the plans she was hatching.
Crusty leaned back in his chair, sighing noisily. “Kid, I’m sure you’ve spent some time on this already. But I’m tellin’ you it ain’t gonna happen. I can give you a list a kilometer long as to why immediate return would be a bad idea.”
Jessamyn felt a lump thickening her throat. “I don’t care if it’s a bad idea,” she retorted. “I need to know if it’s a possible idea.”
Crusty stood and crossed to examine his plants. He’d talked Brian Wallace out of an orchid. Jess had no idea how Crusty planned to obtain water to