The rusty humming of the ventilator signals to Nigel that his brain is probably waking up to the reality he endured for two months already. His aching limbs from the hard bunk bed add to the sensation and a small sigh of mental exhaustion escapes his lips.
Uff, another day. Last day.
The monotony ends today, that Nigel knows. Yet, it was one night too much, one dull sensation too lasting. Wearily he lifts himself up with a crouching back for not bumping his head against the low ceiling above. Then, he pulls his socks up.
Normally, socks are considered to be cozy and well, they are. But if you wear them all the time, even the coziest socks start to feel like a pressure band. Nigel reached this state.
Groaning, he starts his morning routine with the prospect that he will have a brief meeting with the ship's captain before the landing procedure starts. He needs to be on time.
##
She lets herself sink into the comforting seat behind her office desk. It's been a busy morning and a few minutes of calm solitude feel like a treasure. But there is no time for idleness. The meeting with Nigel starts soon and so she is preparing her data for his briefing.
She scans through some files and then suddenly pulls her gaze away from the screen and focuses on the abacus she had put on her desk.
Today is the day a real mathematician will see the sea. Finally.
And only a few minutes later, Nigel enters.
He peers at the abacus of hers with interest and then takes his seat opposite to her and her office desk. She gestures a welcome and starts,
"Today is the day."
"Yeah, it is," He sighs in agreement.
"So, let's walk the landing procedure through and then talk about the moon."
"Frankly, I would like to skip directly to the moon. The landing procedure, that I learned by heart already."
The captain raises her brows, "Oh good good, so directly to the moon then. I like that."
"Yeah, I have a question about that," he thumbles his tablet out of one of his pockets, "You wrote something about a bonfire?"
She nods, "Yeah, we need that to shoo away the Lendon Hornets."
"Hornets?"
"Well, their discoverer, Mr. Lendon, thought they are similar to hornets but I do rather see a proximity to terrestrial mosquitoes." She smiles to underline the irony and Nigel utters an "Oh uh!"
Then he adds, "Okay, I didn't have a bonfire on earth since my childhood. Particularly not with green fire as you wrote, so it's quite an oddity to me."
"Yeah, it comes along with the high amount of Borax at the shore's sand. It's odd, but frankly, I like green fires."
And then, she takes a deep breath to change the subject, "But talking about unusual mixes of substances: You need to see the physician in one hour to get your breathing implant injected."
"Yikes!" His grimaces tell everything about his dislike.
"Well, it's still better than a full tight suit and a breathing mask, trust me."
"I know. Still, it gives me the creeps," he counters as a matter of fact.
But she smiles and folds her hands, "Yet you will be rewarded with the astonishing experience at the moon's unknown ocean for which we are really grateful that you, a mathematician, are willing to take a look at."
He sighs, " Right, after all, I always wanted to do discoveries, maybe I am lucky here."
"Yes, maybe you are. That's what we hope for, too."
##
The landing occurs without trouble. Graciously, the third moon of Cineus Prime comes into the vision of the observation windows and Nigel watches with silent delight how this strange and mysterious planet becomes larger and larger, giving way to details like the pitch black oceans, the yellow shimmering soil and the huge landscapes with the bluish vegetation.
As the approach commences, Nigel can't help himself noticing that a mix of joy and awe nearly presses some tears into his eyes. He finally made it. Made it to see an alien planet, to experience an alien world. And even though he is a mere mathematician, he is there right in the middle, being one of the first pioneers of Cineus Tri.
##
They set camp at the end of the day. The huge sun is about to drown in the calm pitch black sea as Nigel dares to allow himself a short break from the busy ado of shifting the accommodation from the ship to the ready-made cabins at the shore. His country owns this place, the area is funded by tax. A new hope for new resources. But first, they need to understand this place. So far, no life except for plants and insects being detected. But it is too early to jump to conclusions because the deep black oceans are difficult to investigate.
The strange, heavy and black water of the ocean with its ambly waves moves slowly up and down, leaving no sound on the shore.
"Come on, Nigel! Don't linger too long there."
Nigel turns his head towards the person who calls him, "Why? Just for a short break!"
"You never know what might happen. Better do a controlled approach tomorrow! The water has its mind, you know?"
"Its mind?"
"Come on in, now!"
Disappointed, Nigel follows suit.
##
The next day is dedicated to the magnificent shore of Cineus Tri. The captain lets the bonfire being lit as announced.
To Nigel's surprise he is allowed to take his shoes off and feel the ground with his bare feet. In awe, he sits himself down next to the fire, enjoying the green flames and burying his toes in yellow sand. He closes his eyes, allowing himself a moment of relaxation.
The captain steps up to him and remarks attentively,
"Now, we get into the procedure to prepare the dive into the ocean."
Slowly he opens his eyes, "Okay, so it's only done with snorkels?"
"Yes, right, it's as simple as it is on earth. I will start first so that you see it's harmless."
He sighs, "Okay, that's reassuring. This black gooish water gives me the creeps."
The captain smiles contently, "It gives us all the creeps, no worries."
With her neoprene suit, her goggles and snorkel, she slowly wades into the black ocean fluid and then lets herself fall forward until she floats well in the water, having her head partly under surface with the snorkel sticking out. It looks as natural as on earth's oceans but here, the black water fully swallows the body without translucent hints. It is like a dark sauce eating up anything that dives into it.
After a few minutes the captain comes back and Nigel is anxious to hear about her experience. Reassuringly she offers him his snorkel,
"Now, you try. Don't feel irritated by the local plants inside, they are quite color-flashy."
Hesitantly he takes his equipment, "Okay, thanks."
He proceeds like the captain, and even though his heart is thumping like crazy when he sinks into the heavy fluid, he knows it was a minor thing to do so. Eventually he feels the liquid nipping at his hair, he opens his eyes under his goggles and is surprised.
Darn! These are crazy colors all around!
There is not that blackness as expected. Sure, the background of the scenery remains in these dark waters but in front of him he sees a strange kind of plants growing and unfolding in high speed, expanding in i-rotational patterns with crazy colors. While some are expanding, others contract again.
A constant movement.
A mathematical one.
He gasps at the perfection of geometry these beings own. They are like Mandelbrot procedures, recalculating themselves now and then.
Gradually one thought forces itself into his mind.
They are talking. It's not a coincidence.
After a few minutes he gives himself a push to return to the shore. He could have remained for hours but he knows that the captain and her team want a statement done by him. And indeed, a statement he needs to make.
With black water dripping from his body he wades towards her, pulling his goggles and snorkel off,
"It's a language!"
With a big smile she returns,
"I hoped you say so."