The Mars Frontier Box Set by Paul Rix

Author:Paul Rix [Rix, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mars
Publisher: P&J Books
Published: 2020-04-12T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

The Russian landing craft, Tolstoy, landed softly on the newly cleared landing pad a short distance from Derzost at shortly before seven A.M, kicking up a cloud of dust and small rocks which quickly settled. Its modern, clean looks contrasted sharply with the older Kiev that was battered and dented after two years of rough service. The sun was just rising above the horizon, its weak light reflecting off the cockpit windows. There was a huge cheer within the Russian base as they watched the successful landing.

Tom Redmayne was less animated than the Russians. He had nothing to celebrate and appreciated that he would be excluded from the drunken party that was likely to take place that evening. If he was lucky, he may be offered one glass of vodka from Alex, but he wasn't holding out any hopes. The longer he remained at the Russian base, the more he realized that they did not want him there. His presence was a potential embarrassment. How long would it be before they arranged for him to disappear permanently? He wasn't sure, but it was the only logical conclusion. He had to find a way to escape.

Because returning to Alpha Base was not an option, Redmayne had approached the two resident Chinese scientists to determine if it was possible, they would take him to their new base. Initially they had chosen to misinterpret his requests. However, it soon became clear that even the Chinese would not accept him or his considerable expertise. His history was a recurring blot. No one wanted a traitor and a murderer, whatever other skills they may have to offer. Although he understood peoples' misgivings, it didn't make the rejections any easier and only increased his sense of desperation.

This was a new experience for him. He had always been self-sufficient. Growing up in South Africa, his father had taught him from an early age not to rely on anyone but himself. People always let you down, his father had told him. And his father was right. He'd experienced various friends and colleagues not following through on promises for jobs or research grants. The fact that he always had contingency plans was a testament to the tough love his father had shown him. On safaris he had always taken excess provisions, bullets and knives despite the looks of derision from his fellow hunters. "Why are you carrying excess weight? You will tire and hold us back," they had told him. Yet on the one occasion when the jeep had crashed, damaging the radio equipment, he and his companions would surely have died without his additional supplies.

Mars was an entirely different proposition. It was a prison rather than a game reserve, with no obvious means of escape. Survival meant staying close to his enemies in the hope that they saw some value in his ongoing presence. While Redmayne was confident that he was the smartest person on the base, his superior intelligence meant nothing when he was outnumbered.

***

Redmayne watched

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