Martian Dawn

Part 3, Chapter 9: The Duststorm

"What was that you were saying about unpredictable storms?" asked Aguilar, as Dawn pulled to a full stop and fumbled with the handheld mic.

"Shut up, I'm not speaking to you," Dawn growled. She thumbed the mic and spoke into it. "Terra Aurora, this is Buggy Six, come in."

After a few seconds of hang-fire, the radio crackled. "We read you, Buggy Six. What can we do for you? Over."

"We're caught in a dust storm. We didn't get any warning. Visibility dropped from 10K to ten meters over the last half hour, and the road lines are obscured by drifting dust. I was just wondering if you had any idea the extent of the storm. Over."

"Stand by, Buggy Six." Dawn and Aguilar stared through the windshield, watching tiny dunes migrate across the road bed. The neon green lane lines appeared briefly and then disappeared for longer and longer stretches of time.

Finally, the radio crackled back to life. It was Mitchell's voice. "Buggy Six, Terra Aurora. Sorry we didn't see this coming. It developed in situ and we have no weather stations out where you are, yet. Over."

Dawn replied. "Save the apologies, Mitch. We can all have a slice of stupid pie together when Don Beto and I get home. The question now is, how long is this going to last? Over."

"Satellites show it's pretty extensive, and the winds are building. The system is stationary for now. Our first model run predicts it'll start moving east sometime tomorrow. Over."

Dawn considered that information before responding. "We've got life support for four days, so if that's correct, it sounds OK. I'm not too keen on letting the buggy sit in this wind, though." She clicked the mic off, then remembered and added: "Over."

"I hear ya, Dawn, but the buggy is built to take it. Over."

An unfamiliar voice broke in before Dawn could formulate a response. "Buggy Six, Waystation One. I have a suggestion for you. Over."

Forgetting themselves for a moment, Dawn and Aguilar glanced at each other. "That's where we were going," Dawn murmured.

"Yes, that's Danny, the station manager," Aguilar informed her.

Dawn clicked the mic. "Go ahead, Waystation One. Over."

"Apologies for breaking in on the conversation, but you're closer to me than you are to Terra Aurora, and you should be able to navigate to me using the transponders. Over."

"They're still there? Over."

"Yes, we hadn't yet gotten around to removing them after completing the road. Now I'm wondering if we should just leave them in place." Crackle. "Over."

"It's a good thought, Waystation One, but I don't really fancy the idea of driving blind. A broken axle would be just a little too much fun. Over."

"We cleared the shoulders out three meters on either side, for just that reason. The road and the shoulders are very level. I think you can do it. Turn on your GPS for backup and drive very slow."

"GPS isn't precise enough to keep us on the road. Over."

"Ok, agreed, but the transponders are. I was on the crew that built the road, and I swear to you, the road goes arrow-straight from one to the next. There are just three gradual curves between you and me, and the transponders get very close together around the bends. As long as you home in on one signal after the next, you will stay on the road. Over."

Dawn struggled with what to do. Instinct was to keep moving. Logic told her to stay put. Training didn't really cover this situation; they were too far from home.