23:50
"Dawn? Are you still there?"
"Yeah, Danny, I'm still here."
"Good. Who's there with you?"
"Don Beto, Emilio and my mom, but they're all asleep."
"Where are you?"
"Still in the Control Room. We brought in cots."
"Did you get back network control, yet?"
"Not quite, my mom got back enhanced user priveleges just after Finn started his reboot. That gives her the ability to monitor, but it's a step below admin, so the vigilante is holding on to control. We assume that the vigilante awarded us for the reboot, and is now waiting for something else before releasing control."
"For me to die, you mean?"
"I don't think so, Danny. Otherwise, they wouldn't be allowing Finn to drive."
"So he got really did get back on the road?"
"Finn's reboot finished around 9pm, and he's nearly to Waystation Seven. You know all this already, Danny."
"I'm sorry, it's just I'm having trouble keeping track of what's really happening, and what I'm just imagining."
"How cold is it, Danny?"
"Ah... Neg twenty-three in the cab. Everything is covered in frost from my breath."
"Are you in your suit?"
"Yes, but I think there's something wrong with it."
"Are you in the mummy bag? With the hood over your head and the shoulder drawstring tight?"
"Yes."
"Then you shouldn't be that cold. The combination of the two of them is rated to neg 40, even without your helmet. How's your O2?"
"The meter reads... uh... 16%, but I don't know if I trust it. I don't feel right."
"Put your helmet on, then. Start breathing from the tank."
"Ok..."
...
"Dawn? Are you still there?"
"Still here, Danny. I can tell by the sound of your voice that your helmet is on. Is it helping?"
"Yes, the air is warm. I can feel it all the way down into my chest. Thank you."
"Think nothing of it."
...
"Dawn?"
"Yeah, Danny."
"Did they find the vigilante?"
"Not yet."
"Did they even look?"
"Yes, Danny, they did. They did a room to room search of the Hab and all the dormitories, and then they did a roll call of all the network administrators that were on the road. Everyone appeared to be where they were supposed to be."
"Huh. What about the IP address? Can they track that?"
"Not yet."
"Ok."
...
"Dawn?"
"Danny."
"It's the Witching Hour."
VOCÊ ESTÁ LENDO
Martian Dawn
Ficção CientíficaDawn is the first child born on Mars. Her entire world is one single habitat covered by a dome. The entire thing can be understood. She knows everybody on the planet and they all know and love her. Then the first really BIG colony ship arrives, and...
