19.
The trip had decidedly been calm and routinario. A jump on the red stone to verify the fittingses of excavation, stoccaggio and transfer to the catapult, and from this to the space. The whole procedure was well automated, in reality: the extraction of the mineral ones, established once the site, it happened in elementary way.
There were the threatening robots, from the simple mind, untiring, that provided to I dig him/it and to the first selection of the material. They had discreet sensors that allowed to exclude those deprived rocks of promising contents. The material of merit was transferred on big tracked transports by the same robots, until the trucks, endowed with a least robotics conscience, realized to be to full load and they left the mine. The transports brought the rocks to the catapult, they unloaded and they returned to the mine.
Under the catapult you/he/she had been realized a plant of sieve and filtration that it used chemical trials and mechanics to isolate the substances of interest from the useless trash.
This way the materials to be sent on the Earth were already preselezionati and the ships transport, also them automatic, you/he/she would have had to bring the weight least necessary. The chemistry used in the filtration was essential and, in conformity with the urgent normative intercittadine, not polluting. The man had dirtied enough his/her planet, to do the same on Mars was seemed unacceptable to the more. This way the issued residues for the macroraffinazione were also them sent on the Earth for the inevitable recycling.
To do everything this, from quite a lot gives up moving the shuttles of load from the external space to the surface Martian: too much waste of time and energies. It was easier to shoot the material with the catapult, a long platform to form of exaggeration crossed by a gigantic cart to reaction.
The cart, in reality, it was not a cart and it didn't have wheels: it was a shuttle according to all the crismis. There was no contact between the cart and the platform: the long metallic gun carriage served only from guide for the cart, whose sensory they held the two near structures but you detach. The cart, once full, it departed with great acceleration reaching soon the diciottomilas kilometers the time; to that point the full hold opened, the cart and for inactivity the mineral one was projected aloft to the speed of escape by the planet, around five kilometers per second, not so difficult to reach thanks to the low gravity. The cart also squirted aloft it but not so much to escape the planet: the scarce aerodinamicità of the vehicle did him/it slow down for attrition with the atmosphere and to revert to the ground in few minutes. The vector then him riposizionava to the location of departure, well driven from the system of control robotico.
The shuttles transport in attended in orbit they had to catch the upcoming load and to hoist him/it on board. A delicate operation, because any load was equal to the other and the upcoming stuff in the space it often had speed, direction and different rotations.
All of this happened for well in theory, but only in theory.
In the whole procedure there were some critical points which the human being had to set attention in direct way. In the phase of excavation, the men for instance, owed every now and then supervisionare the operations, to avoid that the robots kept on demolishing even if the vein was exhausted, or to make up for to some damage. An excavation continued without critical spirit could bring to an instability of the times of the mine and collapses, that would have asked for the remaking of the infrastructures and the recovery of the threatening, stupid but expensive robots.
Other matter was the chemistry of the plant of refinement: the reagents had to periodically be provision riempiendo the siloses and the plant you/he/she had to be polishes up from the cinders, that had to be picked up and stabs in different way from the mineral one; cleaning could be automated, but the other steps owed for strength being followed by a human inspector. Of the whole filiera, the phase that was shown more delicate it was the filling of the cart. It was important that the materials were distributed in intelligent way, to according to of the physical constitution and of the quantities: you/they would have filled a spherical, closed and reusable metallic wrap, done for being lodged in the same cart.
The load was projected in the space with the wrap, so that the ships transport they were not damaged from wandering garbage. But it also needed that under the strong acceleration the everything didn't start rotating as a top: they would be also servants problems of estate of the wrap and bigger problems for the ships transport. The wrap, with his/her speed of translation, it was not a problem: the ships accelerated reaching a similar speed before grabbing him/it; a strong rotation however you/he/she could produce the rubbing between the surfaces of load and the nets of capture, in degree to bring to the white calor and then to the dismemberment both the structures.
Therefore the filling of the cart had to have followed from personal human. There was not luckily necessity of a permanent presence: the rhythm of excavation was superior a great deal in comparison to the frequency of use of the catapult. Approximately twice the year the astronauts went on Mars to witness to the operations of consignment, to provision the fittingses, to look for possible new sites of excavation to make maintenances. Others twice the year they introduced him with a more narrow team to dispatch only the controls manutentivi of routine.
This time the mission had the crew to the suit; the ship had come on Mars from a beautiful po', but the catapult had not stirred of a centimeter. The calls from the center of control earthling you/they had not had answered. The astronauts seemed disappeared. The problem of the oxygen did him pressing: only the ship contained suitable reserves, but there was not there anybody.
Yet the mission had departed with the best auspices: the crew seemed in harmony, there were not you variegate, and after the five days of trip given to study and to appraise the data sent for Mars months on the Earth, had started to also chat among them of non professional trifles. It made exception Robin; her (Robin was a woman) you/he/she was for developing a job there and you/he/she would have done that nient'altro. Every distraction could rub you in the space. It is Mars it was not different. Robin had survived to more than an accident, and not by chance. For this the colleagues held her/it in great consideration. It was the elderly member of the consignment, and it was in prevalence for his/her account.
Instead Benson was a youngster around twenty-five years of age, covered of freckles and unbearably talkative. Its thin and reddish down, the candid skin and the minute skeleton made him/it fragile of aspect. The timid kind ways didn't almost facilitate him the interaction with the men of the mission, especially with Zeld, a hairy big man like a bear siberiano and from the heavy spirit. Of low social extraction, Zeld was laconic and for the most hostile, but it knew the work. There was then Hut, an university student of long course, able and intelligent, a little motivated to the spatial trips but hopelessly to the search of a scholarship to reach the degree.
The last of the list was Lidya, a young tall and muscular woman, from the nervous and penetrating eyes. You/he/she would have made well couple with Zeld, sennonché he/she clearly despised the insufficiency of spirit of the man and his/her rough aspect. It looked at Mars as to an occasion; with that work in five years you/he/she could earn enough to settle himself/herself/themselves for the rest of the life.
Mars was nearby, by now.
The crew was in the refectory, intent in the last meal before the descent on the planet.
«We should do soon if we don't find problems» it said Benson, so much to break the silence of that supper.
«As always» it said Robin tightening himself/herself/itself in the shoulders.
The blonde hair, absurdly long for an astronaut, they fell on her shoulders in good order. Hut swallowed the bit and stuck out him on the round table.
«If we divide there, we do first» it observed. «We have to give a glance to the mine, to supply and to clean the sieve, to send the materials with the catapult and to check the other ownerships. Anymore a general look to se
e if all works.»
Zeld interrupted him in the beautiful mean of an undertow and lifted the head.
«Of what ownership you speak?» it said.
«Of ours and of theirs, those of the other cities. In this period there is not any other on Mars. Only us. A fortune. We can see how if the competition gets by with the extractions, even to learn something.»
«It is not a fortune» Robin joined in conversation, looking at sbieco. «If we fall all in a well there is not a dog that can help us.»
On Mars there were a lot of underground caverns and you/they were sometimes discovered in the worse way. Hut stared at her/it for a moment.
«I can go to the mine. I get by well with that damned robots. Lidya can supply the sieve and Zeld to clean him/it. Robin prepares the loads of the catapult and Benson you/he/she operates her/it. Then we gather us and we go to give a look where you believe.»
Zeld stared at Hut with resentful expression.
«Because I should clean her/it really me, that merda?» it exclaimed.
«Someone has to do him/it. You or another. I do him/it me, if you want» it coldly said Lidya.
«I don't like that people go alone around, quassù» you/he/she objected Robin.
«We hold continuously there in contact radio» it said Benson. Also he wanted to hurry her/it to him in hurry.
«No» it said Robin. «To the mine we have to go everybody. Hut will give one checked to the fittingses, but I wants that at least Zeld gives me its opinion on the state of the vein. The last time not us big n'era that, of good material.»
The suggestion of Robin was there there for being welcomed, even if with some reserve: after all it seemed reasonable. Then however Benson relaunched.
«We can reach a compromise. Two groups, one goes to the mine, the other to the catapult and the sieve. The first one with Robin, Zeld and Hut. The second with Lidya and me. We have two vehicles. For the mine you can use the tracked one, we need the dragonfly to load the siloses.»
Robin turned to the young one with evident expression: the woman had understood, as everybody, that Benson preferred to be away from Zeld. Also in Hut the big man didn't like, after all. Only Robin had not had problems with him.
Robin remained some instant to think: Zeld was smart, but it had an ugly character. There was no reason to go to look for contrasts, the personnel had to cohabit for a few other days and the mutual hostility you/he/she could be as dangerous as the indiscretion.
«For me it is all right» it said Robin.
They agreed everybody.
«I will give a glance to the vehicles» it said Hut to gratify Robin. It was that among theirs that had greater mechanical knowledges. «Always better, before using them.»
«From the more than a glance» it made Robin. «The best thing that can happen you is to stay in the desert Martian afoot, if something doesn't go.»
They started over eating with calm in silence. Benson thought about his/her house in the sweetest terrestrial country, Lidya to the money of the bonus, Hut to his/her degree, Robin to that that you/he/she could go twisted. Zeld didn't think at all.
They ended the lunch each in his/her own thoughts and they also swallowed the dishes, traditionally grocerieses, of an aromatic pasta of bread slightly digestive. Robin got up with decision.
«Strength» it said. «First we start, first we end.»
«Unff.» Benson puffed smiling. «Even a rests postprandiale.»
«We have rested five days» it made Robin.
It was as to give a kind of signal: they got up together everybody to go to raggranellare his/her own things.
«We see not to forget us the keys of the ship, this time» it said Benson snickering.
«I didn't make you a buontempone» it commented Lidya giving him a push.
Hut and Lidya went him to the two portholes of stern; each directly conducted to the fuselage of a mean of transport. Both, the terrestrial vehicle and that airplane, were so well integrated in the profile of the ship that you/they could not distinguish the lines from the outside.
Lidya winked to one of the portholes looking at Hut.
«You regret to check first the dragonfly? I need some time to organize me the restocking of the siloses. The motors immediately serve me, that damned scodellonis don't stir of a centimeter if you don't use the crane.»
It alluded to the barrels of chemical substances still fixed to double strap in the hold of the agile scout.
«Sure» it made Hut. «What you say? Will it make her/it Benson to make the dear Zeld explode?»
Lidya tightened him in the shoulders with the expressionless face.
«If you don't do him/it first you» it said her. «You see not to put you in the troubles. Zeld doesn't have sense of the humor.»
«It doesn't have sense and enough.»
«Robin says that a true miner is smart. If it tells him/it her.»
«Already» Hut nodded. «Robin always knows all.»
«And they say of us women. Do you want to give you to do or to gossip?»
«To gossip. But I will give a glance to your motor.»
They opened the porthole and they entered the cabin of the dragonfly. The lights ignited. Hut sat him to the commands.
«I will make a pair of tests to start. You can breathe me on the neck for a few minutes, or to make other things.»
Lidya stretched the lips but it didn't say anything: that man had been talkative then until, but here that you/he/she did him to the sudden indisponente.
«Control the hold. From when we are landed, I have not done him yet» it said then the woman.
«Good.»
Crossed Lidya the narrow corridor and takings to fumble with the material set to the walls.
In the room I check Robin, Zeld and Benson they studied the maps of the mine and the area of the catapult. You/they had made him about ten times, on the Earth, but it now dealt with going indeed there.
The maps surrounded the presents to trecentosessanta degrees, you project in the air with notable resolution. Robin wore of the interactive gloves and with these you/he/she flowed her moving as soon as the hands, zoomed the particular ones of greater interest and returned to the general vision. You brought to the entry of the mine and it crossed the corridors of it as flying, gone down more in depth, up to the point in which the excavations had come in the precedent trip. Then it continued showing the progress that had been done in that months. It lifted his/her point of view, dipping himself/herself/itself in the rock soprastante: for some second it was not perceived but a dark shade, then six eyes reached the surface Martian and they went beyond her/it; they looked down, fixing a three-dimensional section of the caverns.
«Impressive» it said Benson, as if you/he/she had observed him for the first time. «I dig him/it it is very wide.»
«No. Only the mine» it said Robin. «The burrows were there already. Mars is a kind of cheese with the holes. The robots are limited to lengthen the tunnels.»
«How you can see from here the recent excavations?» he/she asked Zeld.
«New television cameras» it made Robin. «I am around and in the mine. I am connected with all of them, they already integrate the data in my possession with those of the moment.»
«We see from near the new stones» it said Zeld.
Robin moved downward the indexes; they returned inside a tunnel, where a robot miner was digging. Robin immediately went out from there: too dust, could not see anything. They entered another burrow and they crossed him/it up to the extremity. The last television camera showed the alive front of I dig him/it. There was slightly veined rock and shattered in more points.
The color was changing and made to curl the nose to Zeld.
«Mah» it said the man, the non trimmed cheek noisily scratching himself/herself/itself. «I have to give nearby a look from. It promises badly, however.»
«Look?» it made Benson, reagent as a ferret. «The sensors are not enough?»
/> «Sensory?» Zeld snarled slowly. «You don't know about thing you speak, boy. The sensors help, but you have to take her in hand, these rocks, to be able to say something.»
«Of accord» it said Robin extinguishing the video. It unthread the gloves and it put back them with attention in a plastic lowboy. «Zeld and I are ready. Benson, will be better that harbors your stuff on the dragonfly, otherwise Lidya allows here yourself.»
The young one if it didn't do him/it say twice. It disappeared in an instant.
Zeld raced to take his/her baggage and the overall, Robin went to his/her box to flow the list of the duties once more. The lights perimetralis of the ship ignited together all illuminating the surrounding sands of a strong white-blue light, whose halo reached quite a lot meters of distance.
Sporadic gusts created extemporaneous figures of united corpuscolari that veiled to lines the desert landscape; but there was no anybody to observe: only the tools of the ship annotated, they recorded and they stored terabyte of information, that ended with the being crowded in some secondary memory and then forgotten.