Edge of Catastrophe: A Terraforming Mars Novel by Jane Killick

Author:Jane Killick [Killick, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Space Exploration, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Media Tie-In, Fiction
Publisher: Aconyte
Published: 2022-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

The rover Deverau had commandeered from Squyres Research Outpost bounced over the uneven terrain following the tracker on his stolen vehicle. Despite wearing his seatbelt, he held on tight to the internal frame of the vehicle with one hand and onto the dashboard with the other to stop himself being thrown around. Beside him, Jones’s driving had reached new levels of recklessness.

“Isn’t there a proper road we can take, Jonesy?”

“You want to catch her, don’t you?”

“I was thinking I would arrest her, but now I think I’ll just throw up over her.”

Jones chuckled, but didn’t alter his driving one bit.

Deverau tried to focus on the horizon because he’d heard that it could help steady the systems in his brain that were making him feel travel sick. But it didn’t help. Not least because his view was obscured by the lorries and machinery of a construction crew not far ahead.

“Oh no,” said Jones, staring at the tracker readout on the dashboard.

“Oh no, what?”

“We’re closing in on her fast.”

“Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing?”

“Too fast,” said Jones. “I think she’s stopped.”

“Again, not seeing the problem.”

“In my experience, people on the run keep running.”

Jones, much to the relief of Deverau’s stomach, slowed as they approached the construction crew. Close up, he could see they were approaching the parking spot for all their vehicles. He recognized two people transporters, a fleet of five supply lorries and, tucked in on the end, a trio of rovers. Beyond them, a crane reached high up into the Martian sky with a long piece of metal – which was likely a strut or girder of some kind – dangling from a cable at the top. In the distance, it was just possible to see the occasional white figure of a construction worker in a rad-suit.

“It’s here,” said Jones. He glanced up from the tracking data and drove down the line of vehicles to the rovers at the end. There, between two construction vehicles, was the recognizable shape of their rover with its MSS designation written in distinctive dark blue lettering on the rear and its unique serial number, 621.

Deverau opened the general comms channel and leaned into the microphone to make sure his voice was picked up loud and clear. “This is Inspector Deverau of the MSS, to MSS rover 621, please respond.”

“I should be able to connect to the internal systems,” said Jones, and began doing something on the dashboard.

Deverau leaned into the microphone again. “Doctor Mel Erdan, this is the MSS. You have nowhere else to go. Respond and we can come to some arrangement.”

“Even if she’s in there, what makes you think she’ll talk to you?” said Jones.

“My charm and my good looks,” Deverau retorted.

In truth, he didn’t expect her to respond at all. He stood up and took a few paces to the rear of the rover where the scientists kept their rad-suits. If he needed to go out and chase her down, he wanted to be ready.

He had just opened a

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