three were all related to semi conducting.
Andrew found himself hoping that none would prove conclusive, and would require those involved to work on them for months to come.
As for the stations crew, those assigned to reconfigure the new station layout had removed what was needed from the abandoned area and were well into their new work. There were still many things that functioned at less than a hundred percent but nothing that couldn’t be completed in the foreseeable future.
After stand down that evening he gave the order to shut down all life support and power supply to almost half his original command.
Initially priority had been given to the repairs of the antenna and the solar collectors. They needed to keep in contact with Earth, and the station needed power. After both were restored to something like normal, outside activity had given way to completion of other repairs. So it wasn’t until day thirty-three that the missing pressure suit was reported.
It wasn’t a serious breach to have not replaced the cumbersome gear onto the rack, but the suits were essential survival equipment, and consequently it was worthy of some level of reprimand, so the owners of last signatures on the logs were questioned.
Both these were quickly exonerated as it was discovered that suits bearing the serial numbers they had signed out were in place. Further checks indicated that the missing suit had never been used outside since it had been delivered to the station: the simple reason being that it was placed on the most inaccessible rack of all. For a couple of hours there was even doubt that it had ever actually arrived; but if it hadn't, that indicated a serious problem as to why it been entered as checked for the inventory. As the level of puzzlement grew, Andrew was at last drawn into the web.
“And it’s a full suit?'
“Yes," replied Leeshia; the stations supply manager, “Everything; top to toe."
“It couldn’t be anywhere else?”
"It's not the kind of thing you can hide that easily."
It was something so preposterous that he hadn't considered it before. "You think someone has hidden it?”
"No ... I meant it's big enough not to misplace."
But now the thought had entered his head. “Could someone have taken it?"
“It's possible, but ridiculous. The only reason for a suit is to go outside and nobody would just go outside? It's impossible."
“Not impossible," Andrew corrected her. "Incredibly stupid… the suits are not kept under security?"
"No, but the area is monitored..." she hesitated, "If we knew when to look?"
“Then you had better get someone to view the recordings.”
She nodded. "Assuming it was during the last week; if it was before then it's already been downloaded to the planet for storage."
"Don’t bring Houston into it; even if our communication lag wasn’t increasing they have more to do than go through all that data for a missing suit that may have just been misplaced."
"It has to be somewhere," again she hesitated. "What possible reason would somebody have for taking it?"
“More likely someone moved it during the repairs, anyway let me know when you have something more.”
I didn’t take long before the woman was with Andrew again
“A chemist?” he said puzzled
“Yes. Nathan Drew. Apparently a bit of a loner that’s why no one missed him.”
“And he’s not in some corner doing an experiment?”
“No; his workstation still has a half-finished report on the go, and nobody has seen him since mid-day break two days ago.”
“First a pressure suit and now someone to fit in it?” muttered Andrew
She caught his inference. “That crossed my mind too,” she replied. “But it seems unlikely… doesn’t it?”
“Forget what I said earlier; pull two experienced walkers off repairs and have them check outside,”
Twenty-seven minutes after Wayne Bennet had followed Georgi Allen through the air lock he called her to look towards one of the massive solar sails.
She glanced in the direction but it was towards where the orb of the sun burned bright in the black sky. She turned her head slightly so that the side of the helmet obscured the bright light, and screwing her eyes partly shut tried to look through the darkened visor. Some eighty meters away one of the flexible sheets of solar collectors had a strange bulge.
She looked back at Wayne and following his lead clipped herself to one of the thin traversing wires that served as guides between sections of the station. She slightly bent her knees and pushed against a bulkhead. Silently, effortlessly, she glided over the miss-matched collection of cylinders that together made up the array.
She never failed to be in awe of the fragile beauty of their home in space, and these few weeks since they parted from Earth she had wondered how she would react to the view now that the blue and white planet was no longer dominating the background.
Now here she was and she was not disappointed. Away from the sun, the velvet blackness of space was sprinkled with more stars than ever really could exist; it gave her an exhilaration that made her flesh tingle.
All too soon the mood was gone as she bumped gently into Wayne. She had trouble focusing her eyes, looking towards the sun must have affected her, as she felt a slight headache too. Shaking off the dull pain her gaze followed his pointing arm and came to rest on the suit.
It seemed slightly surreal, caught in the sail as it was. It looked like a bulbous character was sleeping in a golden hammock. As if to add to the image there was no movement.
“We see it.”
The sharp words uttered through her intercom made her jump as they tore her mind back to reality. For a second she wasn’t sure if Wayne was talking to her or to the Earthrise.
“Where exactly are you?” came back Mathew’s slightly anxious drawl.
“The base of solar collector fourteen-A. We can see the suit.”
Mathews voice was hesitant, “Can you see… anything else?”
“Negative.”
“How easy is it going to be to retrieve it?”
“Not easy; it’s at the furthest point in the sail.”
“Okay come back in we’ll schedule another EVA.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea; it’s in a position that’s straining the guy wires, we can’t afford to risk losing the collector.”
“Then we’ll schedule a priority EVA.”
“It’s not necessary; I’m sure I can bring it back in.”
“Wayne, I can’t give you the go ahead without a risk appraisal.”
“Understood. I’m going across.” He looked at Georgi through the visor. “Hold tight till I get back.”
“Are you sure Wayne?” she asked anxiously, now definitely feeling unwell.
He didn’t reply to her or Mathew when he spoke. “Wayne you are not authorized to attempt this activity.”
Georgi was growing nauseous as she watched Wayne tumbling away from her and knew that under station rules she should return inside, but they were almost finished. They had found the suit and in five minutes Wayne would be back.
By the time her companion had moved over the massive solar collector her head was swimming, and a severe cramp gripped her stomach, suddenly the bile raced up the back of her throat. She let out a gargled retching sound as by sheer force of will she closed her throat and drove the revolting taste back.
“What’s wrong?” came Mathew’s urgent call into her ears as she realized the radio communications would have picked up her discomfort.
She could see Wayne touching the inflated suit as she replied. “Control; it’s Allen. We will be returning almost immediately.”
She could tell from the tone of the reply that the level they were being monitored at had stepped up a notch or two.
“Bennet, copy please.” Mathews call from inside the station was repeated when Wayne did not immediately reply “Bennet, copy please.”
Something was wrong, even in her disorien
ted state Georgi could see that Wayne was getting entangled in the sails web like structure.
“Bennet, copy,” It was not a request anymore, it was an order.
“It’s caught up,” came a faint, mumbled reply
At the back of her mind Georgi was trying to picture what was happening back inside the array, trying to organize her own response. Before she could think what that should be, she was being hailed
“Allen. Immediate status.” It wasn’t Mathew’s voice, and she couldn’t recognize who was talking to her.
“Wayne… he’s got the suit,” she said, but talking was an effort. “He’s got the line… caught?”
“Georgi Listen to me…” The voice was suddenly softer, cajoling. “Disconnect Bennett’s lifeline and attach it to the bulkhead. You need to return inside immediately. Do you understand?”
“Wayne… I can’t leave him?”
“Georgi this is an order; you are to secure Wayne’s line to the bulkhead, and return inside the array immediately. You are being relieved.”
“Wayne?” she suddenly called out. “Wayne don’t…”
“Georgi; what’s going on out there…?” She was interrupted by an almost panicked voice. “Georgi… Georgi talk to me.”
“Wayne… He’s unclipped his lifeline.”
“Georgi forget Wayne. We want you to get back inside. Now.”
A new voice entered the conversation. “I see her “
“What: wh,” she mumbled looking around and seeing another suited figure seemingly hurling along the traverse line towards her. “What’s happening…?”
The figure was upon her, almost pushing her over as an arm reached past locking its own line to her hip anchor point while