Page 4 - Fuel Cell Student Edition

gym, and recreation area. We have a dedicated called to tell us that World War IV is about to break
medical facility with a quarantine room for ill crew out and that they are exploring every option to bring
members and a doctor on staff. There is no garage, us home. I almost feel safer here, away from the
only storage areas for our parts and supplies. All troubles of Earth, even though one wrong move or
mining vehicle maintenance and repair are done even bad luck could kill me.
outside on the lunar surface. The vehicles have
been designed to make them easy to work on while
wearing a space suit, but I still wouldn’t want that ENGINEER’S LOG:
job. The living quarters are very much like that of NOVEMBER 10, 2041 01:22 PST:
a submarine. They consist of a bed, three small We are really getting low on oxygen. At the current
drawers, a cabinet, and computer station all packed consumption rate we will be out in 9 Earth days.
into less than 4 square meters. My quarters are There is an emergency shelter 78km from the
already stocked with clothing and personal care outpost that has water, food, and oxygen storage.
items. I was only allowed to bring one small bag of It was intended to be used if the reactor ever
personal belongings. melted down and irradiated our supplies so that we
could live comfortably until a rescue was possible.
Sensors indicate that the life support systems are
ENGINEER’S LOG: malfunctioning. The team has discussed this subject
SEPTEMBER 1, 2041 11:07 PST and agrees that it’s going to be safer to bring back
I can’t believe I’ve been here for 20 months supplies and continue living here. I’m irritated that we
already! I just supervised the launch of the lunar are even having this conversation. It has been 23 days
escape vehicle carrying eight of our homesick since the rescue mission to get us out of this decrepit
crew members back to Earth. The last remaining lunar mining outpost was scrubbed due to most of
members of our crew are: Jake Plissken, the Earth being drawn into war.
Communications and Electronics Expert; Hoshi
Kitamura, Equipment Operator and Rigger; and Dr. I guess I should feel safer up here away from it all,
Lucius Connor, Medical Doctor and Biologist. The but one wrong move could kill me or any of my 3
outpost retrofit team should arrive in five days to remaining crew mates. At least my conscience can
repair, replace, and upgrade the twelve year-old rest a bit since I am normally responsible for twelve
hardware that we have been constantly patching to people at this mining site. It’s hard to believe that
keep working. Frankly, I think the High Altitude Work we few can strip mine enough Helium-3 to power
Corporation (HAWC) is more concerned with profit the entire civilized world. We don’t have to worry
margins than giving us decent equipment to work too much about being attacked with hundreds of
with. They’ve been shipping replacement parts to us thousands of kilometers between us and anyone
on time, but I worry about the reliability of our critical who would wish to do us harm.
systems like power, environmental controls, and
atmospheric regulators. Hoshi, our equipment operator, and I are going to
take one of the service rovers to the site and use the
onboard crane to load up with water, oxygen, food,
ENGINEER’S LOG: and whatever supplies we can scavenge. I would
SEPTEMBER 3, 2041 09:56 PST prefer to take the smaller utility rover for speed,
With the political trouble brewing on Earth, all but we will need most of the 14,900 kg payload to
travel to and from the moon has been suspended haul everything in one trip. We should complete
indefinitely. The CEO of HAWC, Ellen Bishop, has the mission in less than 12 hours if everything goes

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