The platform was ready for takeoff.
"Ready here, awaiting orders from the control tower," said the spokesman for the operations room.
"Colonel Eva is here, testing electrical systems, stable pressure, stable pressurization, fuel at maximum, counting the reserve. Computer and communication equipment working. Everything ready and awaiting orders for takeoff."
"Here is the control tower, clear sky and no clouds. Start counting at 10, 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0."
"Ready and taking off, now."
"Climbing to an average altitude of 20 meters above sea level, reaching fifty, one hundred, exceeding the maximum altitude reached, leaving the Earth's atmosphere and disconnecting the thruster, maintaining the programmed course and without incidents."
The space shuttle maintained its course towards the planet Mars, the engines activated for greater speed of travel, until everything looked like flashes of light that we were leaving behind.
The red planet is inexorably approaching. The satellite's solar panels show signs of a significant impact,
probably caused by a shower of micrometeorites.
During the re-entry maneuver, a catastrophic failure in the propulsion system, induced by the damage suffered, causes an explosion that compromises the structural integrity of the ship. The collision with the space station is inevitable.
Trapped in the remains of the ship, we assess the situation. The aft section, which houses the main thrusters, has been completely destroyed. Eva, with a calm gesture, tells us the evacuation procedure. The soldier, equipped with a space survival suit, makes way. We descend towards the base, our bracelets activating the access protocols. The door slides to one side, revealing a dark and unknown interior.
Eva motioned for Jack to follow her with her left hand.
Ahead of them they found another security door. Eva opened her bracelet again and entered the code into the panel, but this time, the door did not respond. She tried again and again, but the door did not respond.
— Entrance blocked, let's take the second entrance. When we reached the second entrance, there was a panel hanging on the wall, which apparently worked.
Eva entered the digits she remembered and the door opened, allowing us entry.
We arrived at a room that was in turn closed by another door, but without a panel.
They tried to find some secret mechanism to open the door in case of emergency and Eva discovered a lever, which when lowered, released the door, allowing it to be opened manually.
The soldier opened the door and then Eva entered and Jack came in third.
— There is nothing, of course, we are in the control room of the space base, Eva answered via radio.
—Let's rest here and investigate the security cameras and any evidence of the whereabouts of the personnel of this base, Eva ordered.
— The soldier put away his weapon and Eva did the same. Jack can you please check why that door doesn't close.
— Yes, right away, Jack replied.
While Eva was checking the place for evidence, the soldier heard drawers, files and some documents.
Jack was about to open his briefcase to take out his measuring tools.
He approached the panel and began his measurements, he noticed that the panel had a short on the motherboard, due to liquid spilled on it.
Jack set about repairing the card and removing damaged electronic components, he took measurements again and tested the door's communication with the opening and closing transmitter. He could see that the door did not close automatically, but it did open.
He disassembled the module again and replaced some damaged components and was able to test the closing again.
— Eva, the door is now operational, Jack replied.
— Excellent Jack, good job. We are safe now.
— We will remain here inside for a few hours, Eva replied.
— The soldier did not stop, he continued looking for clues, without receiving any order.
— Soldier, rest, it is an order.
The soldier did not respond to his order. Which worried the colonel.
Without thinking twice and without hesitation, he took out his weapon and pointed it at the soldier.
— Soldier, stop, or I will shoot, warned the colonel.
The soldier ignored the order.
The bullet shot towards the soldier's leg, who in turn, took out his weapon to try to defend himself, but it was difficult for him to stay standing, so his knee buckled and he fell to the ground spontaneously and without being able to control it.
Jack, seeing the tense situation, moved away from the door and moved a little away from the shooting area.
"Who do you answer to, soldier? Who are you in charge? Who sent you?" asked Eva, who was still aiming at the soldier.
The soldier turned around and took out a small weapon, quickly shooting at the colonel, but only grazing his arm. Instead, the colonel, seeing the soldier's hostility, unloaded his entire comb on the soldier, leaving him lying there bleeding like an enraged animal.
— Jack noticed that the soldier was still on the defensive and thought that his girlfriend did not want to kill him.
— But if no one did it, they would surely kill her or him, he believed.
Then, Jack, driven by nerves, took an automatic Globe from his briefcase, approached the individual and fired three bursts at the bastard's head.
— Jack, why did you do that? Eva asked.
— It had to be done, there was no other option, I did it for our safety, Jack replied.
— I am the one who makes the decisions here, Eva replied in a commanding voice.
— I care about your rank and your decisions, why the hell didn't you finish eliminating the bastard? One of the two of us was going to die on this planet and without being able to complete the damn mission.
Jack turned his back and continued to the end of the room in search of something to drink and relieve the tension.
Luckily there was a drink in the freezer, it was soda, there were four left. He took one and threw the other to his girlfriend.
Eva stopped her and thanked her for her intervention. She apologized and hugged him.
—Why did you come Eva? What is your mission? —I came to rescue Dr. Susan Stack, my mother, and take her to Earth safe and sound, but something went wrong with that soldier, he had totally different orders than planned and that makes me doubt this mission Jack.
—Is the doctor still alive? Where can she be? What happened to the personnel of this space base?, asked Jack.
—There are many questions Jack, and I have no answer.
—Dedicate yourself to repairing the satellite, as soon as possible, answered Eva.
—The satellite is not important, for some reason they want the doctor to come back to save lives or to get rid of her, I guess, because with that attitude of the soldier, you can think anything.
—We agree on that, we think the same, Jack.
—Tomorrow we will look for the doctor. We must know where to start the search.
—Why? Do you call her Doctor instead of Mom? Jack asked.
—Because she dedicated her whole life to science and genetics, family was a secondary issue.
—And your father?
—He died when I was a child, he was a special forces commander, she replied, but he was betrayed. My mother was filled with so much grief that she dedicated herself to science and gave me up for adoption to Aunt Emily.
—I understand, love, how complicated all this is, I'm so sorry about your father.
—It's not important, but thank you.
—I'll keep looking in the satellite files, in the camera records and in the access control to see what I can find.
—I can help you with that, if you want, love.
—I really appreciate it, Eva replied.
—In the meantime, I'll send out radio waves and some messages to see if he responds.
Eva, I had no clues or hints of where to start.
—This is the operating room, speaking is Colonel Eva Stack, there's someone there, Doctor Susan, if you can hear this message, please respond in Morse if possible.
— Jack, I need to send Morse signals on different frequencies, as well as emit radio waves into the atmosphere in the forty-meter band or more.
— Okay, love, encode the message and record it in memory so that at each time period the transmission is sent automatically.
The message was encoded and both analog signals were automatically sent on different frequencies. A message that, at some point, had to be answered.
— If your mother is still on this planet, she will answer you.