The Curse of Europa by Brian Kayser Read Free Book Online Page B

sporting confident smiles.
“So, fifty – credits – each,” Turk says slowly, looking at Juliana. “You in Evans?”
“Oh yeah! Count me in!” She responds, trying to sound more confident and cocky than before.
“Okay – it’s on boys! Just make sure that you have enough credits in your accounts when we get home.” Turk teases.
Hicks looks at Lieutenant Glover, “How about you Erick? Who are you siding with?”
“Oh no… Count me out of this… I’m not taking sides,” he says, shaking his head no and holding up his hands as if surrendering. Then he takes a big bite of his food bar and starts chewing.
“Okay then, fifty each between us four,” Hicks booms out to finalize their bet. Then they start talking about the spectacular views each of them experienced while driving around on the surface with the rovers. Glover wishes that he could go out to explore also, but knows that isn’t his job. All five of them chomp down on their meal bars and dried fruit, washing it down with vitamin water.
     
Juliana really wanted some more private time with Turk to finish their talk, but there was too much going on. All they could really muster, was a few longing glances back and forth. Later that night, she thought that they may be able to sneak away privately, to the sleeping quarters to talk, but with all of the gambling talk, Fedoseev wanted to play poker. He was able to rope everyone into playing. Juliana wasn’t much for poker and was out of credits in under an hour; Glover was out not long after. Turk, Fedoseev, and Hicks however battled it out for many hours longer. By the time the game was over, Juliana was long asleep.
     

Chapter 9: Communication Loss

     
I t was now the following morning. They got to sleepin until 8:30am Earth Standard Time, as the estimated time the probes are supposed to hit liquid water, was still around 20 hours away and there wasn’t too much they could do at the drill sites yet. The scheduled plan, is to get back out there in their bio-suits by 11:00am, to personally check the progress; plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast.
Fedoseev didn’t want breakfast and Commander Hicks and Glover ate early. Turk and Juliana, finally get a little alone time, while just the two of them munch on a not very appetizing GSO breakfast bar and a shake.
“So tomorow is the day,” Turk starts off, making conversation. “Do you think we’ll find any swimming dinosaurs?”
“ DINOSAURS ? Hardly!” Evans laughs and rolls her eyes, “Jeez, I’d be happy with a simple macrobiotic organism. That would be huge to me.”
“Well… that doesn’t sound quite as cool, but whatever makes you happy,” Turk says giving her a wink.
“Yeah, well, what’s cool and what’s realistic, are two different things. Even if we find tons of hydrothermal vents down there, I don’t think it would support anything more than very simple life forms,” Evans explains.
“Well, who knows… we could be surprised. Prior to 1977, no scientists on Earth would have guessed that life existed in the deepest depths of the ocean, way beyond where sunlight could reach. Yet that’s exactly what they found!” Turk says, as if Evans didn’t already know this.
“Yes, yes, I know. This is my area of expertise after all,” She says as she finishes off her breakfast shake then wipes her mouth. “I’ve been down there on expeditions, at least a dozen of them in Earth’s oceans. I’ve seen all the life thriving around those vent areas – it’s amazing. It really changed the way scientists viewed life. It is the whole reason why we are out here. Maybe deep down, I do believe that we will find complex life forms, maybe even intelligent life, but I just don’t want to get my hopes up.”
“I don’t really think that is, ‘getting your hopes up.’ I think that is being afraid of stating that you hope to find intelligent life and then being proven wrong.” Turk states as an observation. He takes the last bite of his