Journalist's Report

February 24, 2008

Cassandra Marion



Crew 67 woke up to another joyous morning of granola and blueberry and
was entertained by the whistling wind through the breaches in the
pressurized Habitat. As the wind grew stronger, the sand was uplifted
and the tumbleweeds began to dance. While waiting out the sand storm,
the crew learned all about laboratory science. Biobabe gave a
spectacular explanation of all the biology instruments in the lab and
demonstrated how to sterilize her scoopula by dipping it in alcohol and
igniting it. Unfortunately, Kim wasn’t paying careful attention to her
instructions and now has near to no hair on his fingers. Fam continued
to drill her passion for geology into the crew by dripping acid on her
rocks and insisting the crew watch them dissolve under a stereoscope.


The engineers had a hard day attempting to unclog the overflow drain in
the Green Hab while the rest of the crew overheard their radio chatter
about black sludge and discoloured wiring. On the bright side, they
did manage to rewire the macerator pump.

It was discovered late last night that the XO had traversed Radio Ridge
mudflats with some extra weight in her pack. On the five pound ring
lay a note saying “Extra ballast for increased simulation”, this was
forgotten by a previous crew and was discovered because it tore a hole
in the pack. The pack survived the tear because Kim discovered a new
talent and is thinking of becoming a professional seamster. He also
succeeded in sewing the holes in the backsides of several EVA suits
avoiding some very unnerving drafts.

The skies cleared in the afternoon though the wind was still howling,
Fam, Biobabe and LOX decided to go forth with their adventure into Lith
Canyon on the 7th EVA of the mission. On the ride to the canyon, Fam
nearly collided with an antelope that was crossing the trail at maximum
speed. Life was not hard to come by on this Martian day as we also
spotted a cow and its calf, a wee mouse hiding behind a bush and cougar
tracks leading into the canyons. First timers to Lith Canyon, Biobabe
and LOX were overwhelmed the beauty of the Martian terrain and geology
north of the Habitat. The EVA was cut short as a river was sinuously
flowing through the canyon and could not be crossed nor followed. The
rains the past few days have really had an effect on the desert’s
reputation.

Phillip is now tearing through the attic storage looking for heavy
objects to fill his logistics box for the anticipated EVA tomorrow
afternoon. Googly picked fresh lettuce grown in the Green Hab to go
with our homemade bread and noodles for dinner. The commander and XO
decided that the crew could use a break from presentations and relax
after dinner this evening watching a movie and enjoying each other’s
company.