The next day at dawn, Tomcat drove the Mars Wanderer out and stopped by the side of the Eagle.
Donning the Radiant Armor, Tang Yue stood on the sand and looked up at the tall lander's Descent Vehicle. Even though the Ascent Vehicle had been launched, the Eagle remained the tallest and most striking object around Kunlun Station.
Tang Yue circled the lander a few times. The, originally white, paint had been scorched black by the rocket engine, and beneath his feet was a layer of sand that was orange-red in color—a signal that they were rich in hematite. Beneath the sand was hard basalt. Mars was a nearly-dead planet, and any seismic activity had died down ages ago. These ancient rocks had been formed three billion years ago. Under the years of weathering, they had turned to sand followed by dust.
Tomcat pushed open the rover's door and jumped down from the driving compartment.
