The Many Worlds of Dean: Book 1 - Mars by Eric Hodgkinson Read Free Book Online Page B

noticed the scene outside the window across from him. He could
make out the surface rapidly approaching. He was amazed at how much
it looked like the desert outside Phoenix his father had taken him
to when he was young.
    He watched as the smooth terrain became
rugged and then rock covered. In the blink of an eye, everything
disappeared, to be replaced with a sheer cliff face. He knew they
were now descending into the great chasm that was Valles Marineris.
He was aware intellectually that the canyon was extremely deep, but
as he watched the wall of rock continue on for a very long time, he
felt as if he had fallen down a bottomless pit.
    Finally, with a sudden jolt, they
landed.
    The Captain unbuckled his restraints and
stood in the small space. “Okay, you guys know what to do. Bill,
start the diagnostics and make sure we didn’t break anything. Dean,
start checking over the equipment.”
    Dean unbuckled and moved to the equipment
locker just off to his left side. Opening the doors, he saw rows of
equipment, neatly strapped down and prominently labeled. He began
pulling each item out one at a time so he could inspect it and
ensure no damage had occurred during the rough descent and even
rougher landing.
    Once everything had been checked over and
declared serviceable, both equipment and lander, the Captain
announced it was time to open the door. Dean nervously looked at
the small airlock set into the side of the lander. He was suddenly
unsure if he should be the first to go through it.
    “Alright dean,” the Captain said with a huge
grin. “This is your big moment; go on through.
    Dean swallowed and stepped up to the
airlock. He slowly reached out and pulled open the inner door.
Taking one last look back he hesitantly stepped into the airlock
and closed the door. He reached up to ensure his helmet was
properly sealed and then pushed the control which would activate
the pump to suck all the air from the tiny space. Once the light
above the outer door turned green, he swallowed once more and
pushed the outer door open.
    The scene that greeted him was breathtaking.
He had been expecting a monochromatic vista, but everywhere he
looked there were subtle color differences that highlighted certain
features in an amazing display. Slowly he gathered his courage and
then stepped from the lander onto the Martian surface.
    “Hey Dean,” the Captain’s voice echoed
inside his helmet. “Just out of curiosity, what are you planning to
say when you do this in front of the cameras next week?”
    Dean smiled beneath his helmet. “I proudly
take the next step through the doorway to the universe.”
    Dean was astonished when he heard Bill say,
“Not bad kid; not bad.”

Chapter 15
     
    Once the three men were all outside, they
began to repack the parachutes so the lander would be ready for
takeoff when their allotted time on the planet expired in a little
less than sixteen hours. As Dean had feared, trying to pack the
chutes while wearing the cumbersome space suits and maneuvering in
the lighter gravity of Mars proved to be a herculean task. At one
point during the process, Bill came over and snatched a tool from
Dean’s hand and said, “You’re doing that all wrong. You twist
clockwise to engage the locking spring.”
    “I know that,” Dean answered sharply. “But
the spring is bent. I was trying to see if I could pop it out so I
could put in a replacement.”
    “Let’s get something straight right now,”
Bill said, eyes flaring hotly behind his tinted visor. “I am the
chief engineer. You don’t fix, adjust, or repair anything on the
lander or Destiny without my express permission. Got it?”
    Dean’s hands clenched into fists as he said,
“Fine! I won’t touch a thing unless you tell me to.”
    “That better go for Stacy as well.”
    A look of confusion crossed Dean’s face as
he asked, “What are you talking about?”
    “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you two
look at each other. I’ll bet you’ve been