Purpose: Rendezvous with CSM

Participants: Steve Featherstone, Alyssa Rzeszutko, Gregorio Drayer, Greg Michael

Duration: 1730-1915 (1hr45)

Weather: Clear skies, warm, light wind

Maximum distance from Hab: 9 km

Route: Lowell Highway and the road to Hanksville

Description: Photo android Steve warmed up the pressurised rover while Alyssa, Gregorio and I depressurised in the airlock. Engineer Drayer wanted to have the android top up the rover's radiator, but the android's been running strangely recently, and would have us believe that its manipulators were not rated for boiling water temperatures. The three of us climbed suited into the rover (not without some difficulty) and android Steve set a course for rendezvous with the CSM, taking us out along Lowell Highway and on towards Hanksville. The indications were that the CSM was located within the Whispering Sands Motel. We dismounted the rover and entered. The startled natives were calmed by Gregorio, "We come in peace." We declined the offer to be taken to their leader, and requested the release of the CSM. Awed by our presence, they happily handed over the unit, and we gratefully ran for the rover, stopping only for Alyssa to be photographed by a couple of curious martians.

Android Steve drove us on to some kind of provisions store. I had a distinct impression that they had seen aliens there before. We examined the curious items on display, summoning each other across the aisles with our radios to each new marvel. Gregorio was deeply impressed by the martian 'cabbage', although rather preferred the hot dogs; android Steve showed me this kind of yellow water the local martians call 'beer'. We collected a considerable number of items to take with us. Then we gathered together with all the martians in the store while android Steve took photographs on an uncountable number of our own and martian imaging devices, before waving a friendly goodbye.

In another lapse of function, android Steve nearly poured some of this yellow water into his mouth. Luckily, I was able to save him from a catastrophic short-circuit. We reentered the pressurised rover and returned bumpily to the Hab.

Lessons Learned:

1. Mrs Featherstone really did launch a Service Module filled with wonderful Cookies - Thanks, Mrs F!
2. Photo android Steve needs a couple of software patches.