First Steps by Chris Hechtl

Author:Chris Hechtl
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Publisher: self
Published: 2010-11-09T08:00:00+00:00

The next morning they did their usual morning routine then settled into the galley for a late breakfast.

"What happened to your trench? I noticed you filled it in. Did you get tired of playing in the dirt?" Wanda asked taking a sip of her coffee.

Tess looked up. "Nyet we finished the vaults. Is done for now." She nodded to Mario who was pouring a cup.

"Vaults?" Wanda demanded, now curious. She turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah." He stirred in cream and sugar.

"You know that stuff is bad for you?" she teased.

He saluted her with the cup. "Well, if you stuck around more I wouldn't have to rely on sugar to get all my sweetness."

She dimpled a little and let out a gurgled laugh. "Cute smart guy."

He smiled. "Well I try." took a sip.

"Try harder next time," Tess groaned getting up. "I am going to do the chores. We need to get the rovers turned around so they can go out tomorrow." She waved as she left.

Mario smiled. "Alone at last." He set his cup down and put one hand on either side of her.

"Morning folks!" Commander Bower came in.

"Hold that thought boyo," Wanda chuckled. She hugged him then escaped his grasp. He sighed noisily in exasperation giving the commander a disgusted look.

“What? Something I said?” the commander asked.

...*...*...*...*...

"Awe crap. Storm coming in," Mario sighed, checking the weather read out. Mission control had warned them of a possible storm.

"Storm?" the commander asked looking up.

"Yeah, dust storm. Mission control has been watching it. It has clouded over the southern hemisphere, but a finger is heading up to us."

Wanda looked over his shoulder. "Bad blow?" Wanda asked frowning. She'd expected more storms but so far they had been lucky. Apparently their luck was about to end.

He shrugged. "Well, Mission control is concerned. They are grounding us until it passes," he explained.

She sighed, now thoroughly annoyed. "Great." She ran her hand through her hair. "There goes the schedule," she muttered.

Mario shrugged. "Well, since we can't do that... I can work on a few projects around the base," he smiled.

The commander sighed. "Might as well, we aren't going out in that if we are grounded."

Wanda frowned. "Almost as if you planned this," she grumped to Mario.

He chuckled. "Dear I am good, but influencing the weather? Bit beyond even me with present tools." He waved to the Hab. She gave him the eye. He smiled. "Honest injun dear," he held one hand over his heart.

She smiled. "Okay I'll let you off the hook this one time."

He sighed in mock relief. "Thank you dear, you are a treasure."

Tess chuckled. "So, we spray the interior of the vaults?" He nodded to her.

"Vaults? Those things you've been making?" Wanda demanded.

Tess smile turned into a Cheshire grin. "Is more than one. Have three now." She held up three fingers. “Plus airlock.”

Wanda looked over to her husband. "My you have been busy."

He chuckled. "Well you were all complaining about space so Tess, the commander, the Hans, and I decided to do something about it.

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