Depth Charge - red earth

Chapter 6

Ryan and Becky stirred from within their therma foil tent. It was adequate enough to sleep in, and it also accommodated the necessary research equipment for the experiment. The dunes were part of one of the preserves that came under the global heritage list. It got quite cold during the spring time, but that didn't stop the groups of scientists from coming every year to study the phenomenon that occurred here. Every year, geysers of fine blackened sand would be emitted from the surface of Mars in random locations, forming impressive patterns atop the lighter coloured surface. Many cameras were setup, but it always seemed that the geysers would erupt out of view, making documentation of the event very difficult. It always occurred at night.

Both of them stepped outside and took in the spectacular view. To their left, Gregory and Alice appeared from another tent. Before them all, lay miles of creative patterns of fine black dirt.

The cold air and clear sky seemed to halt time itself as a feeling of awe overtook them. From the earliest days, no human had found an answer as to why. Some desperately wanted to dig down as far as they could to find the answer, but the government had quickly seen the danger of ruining a natural marvel, and decided to declare it a heritage site. Even now, the scientists now had to follow strict guidelines, even though they were only conducting minor experiments. Ryan knew he was stepping outside the boundaries as he looked at the small container he had brought along on the trip. Only a small fraction outside of the boundaries he reasoned.

Walking out of sight of the others, Ryan and his friends went to one of the larger geyser sites. There were never any passages that became viewable after the event; no tunnels; no evidence. Opening the top of his container, he delicately tipped the tiny amount of soil from the lab, rich with microorganisms into what would have been the opening for the geyser. He stood still for a moment, not knowing what to expect. Nothing happened. He smiled at Becky, knowing that they would have to wait till tomorrow to analyse the soil deposit to see if there was any significant interaction or changes.

After a day of exploring, they were glad to settle down in one of the community tents for a decent meal and some drinks. It was all quite a civilised affair. Many talked about their latest experiments and findings with their peers and colleagues. Others just liked to catch up on the latest gossip from around Mars.

Ryan, Becky, Gregory and Alice walked over to the food distribution line with their trays. Next to Ryan, another woman watched him as he was being served his food. Her eyes were drawn to his forearm as he reached over to grab a bread roll. The woman decided not to approach them straight away, but waited until they were returning to their tents, and decided to introduce herself.

"That's an interesting tattoo you have on your arm."

Ryan turned around to see the skinny athletic lady with her dusty blonde hair and green-grey eyes standing with her hand on her hip. "Thanks, and, who are you?"

The lady remained standing in the same pose as she looked at the group of four. "My name is Stacey Weaver. Do you mind if I sit and chat for a bit?"

Ryan looked at the others trying to see if they had an opinion either way. "Well I guess so ... are you out here doing research?"

Stacey stepped forward and found a suitable rock to sit on closer to Ryan. "You could say that. Though my research usually involves digging things up instead of ... Hey, I recognise you now, what's your name?"

"Ryan Forster."

Stacey slapped her hand on her leg. "I knew it. Hey, I'm one of your biggest fans."

Ryan was trying to make the connection before it dawned upon him, "oh, the blog."

"Yes, of course, the blog. I know you have a lot of followers, but I think you and I might have more in common that you think." Reaching across, Stacey grabbed him arm to get a better look at the tattoo while Becky looked on suspiciously. "Why did you get this?"