Although they had found no gear in the entrance tunnel, Chase felt compelled to push onto the Martian surface. He was determined to uncover any equipment VornTV might have left behind. There had to be more on Mars than their current cache otherwise where was the missing driller. Together Chase and Luke studied the maps September had delivered. Close to the tunnel the charts were detailed; farther out information grew scarce like territories uncharted in a game. They established a 30 mile search perimeter and targeted nearby valleys and ancient riverbeds. Since Vorn had cut their tunnel into the side of a canyon wall carving it just under 160 feet deep Chase figured that any additional passages would follow the same logic.

  Luke operated the ZX01 Rover and led every surface sortie. At first he had thrilled to drive across rust colored plains but the endless runs from one bank of an ancient river to the other had dulled the excitement. Over several weeks the rover chalked up 620 miles on the red planet revealing nothing but endless dust and rock. Inside the virtual reality immersion pod though the journey felt like a true road trip across a vast landscape so convincing that Luke would almost forget he was cramped in a module rather than roaming Mars itself.

  Driving on Mars proved far more demanding than Luke’s first excursion. Near the entrance tunnel the ground lay almost rock free, but the farther he drove the more the terrain shifted under his wheels. Paths worn smooth by earlier passes gave way to fields of loose rubble that forced him to slow and pick his line. Before long he crossed the edge of a vast canyon where the emptiness pressed in from every side and the silence weighed on him.

  Canyon walls rose on both flanks like silent sentinels, their sheer faces of red stone stretching between four and seven miles apart. The smooth red dust gave way to an uneven surface scattered with ancient boulders and sharp outcrops that tested every turn of the rover’s wheels. As Luke drove deeper into the canyon, he was forced to slow down to speeds as low as three miles per hour to navigate the narrow channels between the rocky protrusions carefully. There were stretches where the path became so obstructed by giant boulders that the rover could not move forward. In those moments, Luke was required to switch to operating the M1 Robot or the smaller M1a robot. With a press of a button, he could take control of either robotic unit designed for scouting and obstacle removal. Through his immersive interface, he could view the canyon in vivid detail, using the robotic cameras to inspect every potential passage and to determine if any debris could be cleared to reopen the route.

  Even when the rover could not proceed on its own, Chase insisted that Luke investigate each potential site. Always cautious and determined not to leave any secret hidden, Chase demanded that no part of Mars remain unexplored. This meant that whenever the path grew completely impassable, Luke would leave the safety of the rover, remotely controlling the smaller unit to scout the area or remove blockages if possible. The process required intense focus, as even a small miscalculation could leave the unit further trapped among the rocky crevices of the canyon.

  Luke also took on the crucial role of keeping the rover in peak condition. He split his time evenly between driving and maintenance, inspecting wheel alignment, tightening bolts, and swapping out any parts showing wear after each outing.

  Although engineers designed the vehicle to rigorous standards, Mars’s relentless environment wore it down. The wheels suffered most, gouged by sharp rocks and battered by rough ground. Luke knew that without disciplined upkeep, the rover would soon fail under the strain.

  To break the boredom of driving Luke often engaged September in conversation, not really gaining much but keeping him engaged. "September, why are the maps so short on details? Surely, you have more information than you are displaying."

  September had replied in its even tone, "Restricted information".

  Luke sighed and pressed on, "So what exactly are the rules? If I drive over a section, does the map update? Or do I need to inspect every single patch of ground? Or worse, does the Commander have to examine each area?"

  "Scanning the ground is not required. As you drive, the rover's cameras capture the surrounding terrain, and the maps will update automatically," came the measured response.

  Lost in thought, Luke considered, "Maybe we should add more cameras to the rover to capture as much of this vast landscape as possible."

  "That logic would yield more accurate maps," September observed.

  Luke continued, "Will you notify me of any anomalies you detect along the way?"

  "If you request it, what anomalies would you like me to identify?" September replied.

  Luke laughed, a dry sound mixing with the soft hum of the rover's engines. "There would be no anomaly if we always knew what to expect. How about another tunnel, or a mound of dirt like the one at the front of our tunnel? Also, anything that seems to be man-made or machine-made."

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  September responded, “User settings have been updated to notify user if anomalies are detected.

  ----

  Inside the train tunnel on Mars, the crew had made several adjustments to the vacuum pump after encountering early operational issues. Through a series of diligent repairs and recalibrations, the system now ran reliably. Instead of directing the captured gases straight into the tunnel, they printed and installed a tall vertical pipe to serve as a collection vessel. In this arrangement, the pump extracted the extremely thin Martian atmosphere and funneled it into the vessel, where the pressure gradually built as more gas entered. A small heating element was integrated into the system to maintain the vessel’s contents at a steady temperature of about -58°F. Given that the external temperatures on Mars ranged between -148°F and -22°F, holding this temperature was well within the design limits. As more gas accumulated, increasing pressure caused a liquid to begin forming at the bottom of the collection chamber, with controlled conditions ensuring that the liquid was composed mostly of carbon dioxide and a small percentage of oxygen. Because the carbon dioxide stayed in its liquid state, it could be drained efficiently from the base of the vessel, ready to be used in later processing steps.

  Further elaborating on the process, the separation vessel played a crucial role in overcoming the unique challenges posed by the Martian environment. The tall, open structure allowed the captured gases to settle according to their phase differences. Under the maintained temperature, the carbon dioxide condensed into a liquid, while the nitrogen, which existed in far lower proportions on Mars, remained in a gaseous state. The crew monitored the system closely, using pressure gauges and temperature sensors to ensure that the conditions stayed within the required parameters throughout each cycle.

  Later that day, Adrian made his way to Chase’s laboratory, driven by a need for a clearer picture of the technical processes at work. Although Adrian understood that the vacuum pump was responsible for capturing Mars’ sparse air, he found himself puzzling over the larger separation vessel’s function. As he observed the world of meticulously measured readings and carefully monitored gauges, he reflected on the differences between Earth and Martian air. Chase, who oversaw these critical experiments, quickly clarified that Mars lacked the balanced mix of gases found on Earth. The Martian atmosphere contained a significantly higher amount of carbon dioxide and only trace amounts of nitrogen. According to Chase, the crew’s strategy involved filling the tunnel with a surplus of carbon dioxide that could later be converted into oxygen, while first isolating the minimal nitrogen present.

  Chase explained that by channeling the thin Martian air into the tall separation vessel, they could leverage the phase differences of the gases. The chamber’s precise temperature and pressure settings made it possible for carbon dioxide to transition into a liquid form, whereas nitrogen remained gaseous. This contrast in behavior allowed them to separate the gases effectively. However, Chase also noted that under these same conditions, oxygen would also liquefy and be lost during the process, with most of the argon remaining mixed with the nitrogen. Because nitrogen was so scarce, the entire gas collection process was expected to be lengthy, a reality that they just had to accept.

  Moving on to the next phase of the project, Chase outlined the method they would use to compensate for the lost oxygen. The crew would initially rely on the train's own systems to convert the captured carbon dioxide into oxygen. When operational, September would draw a small, controlled volume of gas from module one and process it by removing the carbon content, leaving behind pure oxygen. Once the oxygen storage tanks on the train reached full capacity, the excess oxygen would be released into the tunnel to gradually alter its composition. However, the September system was designed to handle only a modest amount of carbon dioxide conversion each day, meaning that building up the necessary oxygen levels would be a slow process. Detailed logs and conversion charts tracked each day's progress, ensuring that every conversion cycle met the strict requirements set by the mission engineers.

  Adrian, ever the optimist, began to envision what the future might hold once these processes reached their target parameters. In his mind, the tunnel transformed from a mere empty space into a potential oasis. Once there was enough oxygen and the environmental conditions inside the tunnel were suitably adjusted, Adrian pictured himself moving plants out of the cramped vertical farms on the train and cultivating a real garden in the tunnel. He imagined robust greenery replacing the sterile red background of Mars, a garden that would offer tangible evidence of human ingenuity and adaptation. For Adrian, the vertical farms, although practical, could never match the feeling of nurturing a full garden, a space he could call his own with pride.

  Yet, Chase reminded him that there were significant hurdles yet to overcome. Not only did the gas mixture need fine tuning, but the tunnel itself was still far too cold to support Earth's life forms. Currently, the temperature inside the tunnel was a frigid -58°F. To overcome this, the crew had printed and installed a small heater in the tunnel. Although the heater was modest in size and designed to warm a vast area with a very thin atmosphere, the tunnel’s enclosed nature worked to its advantage by conserving the generated heat. Chase projected that this unit would gradually raise the temperature over the next five months, bringing the entire environment closer to conditions that could support more robust plant life.