Deeper Into the Void Read Online Free PDF Page A

Cardiff walks back to the rover, where Lawrence is still seated.
     
Cardiff:

Should we take a quick walk around the outside to check the perimeter?

Lawrence:

Since I already know that you are asking that rhetorically, sure.
    Cardiff turns around and points to Mendez.
     
Cardiff:

You and I are going to circumvent the dome counter-clockwise.
    Lawrence gets out of the seat; his first step out of the rover sinks a bit in the soft sand. He looks down at his boots and realizes that the trip around the outside of the dome might be a bit laborious in this soft sand. Lawrence pushes out of the deep sand, over to where Long and Ghent are standing. They are both still trying to make out some sort of view of the inside.
     
Lawrence:

Well, doesn’t look like anyone has been using the front door… Maybe we should check around back.

Long:

Or we could just try to open the door. Yeah, I think that just opening the door will probably be best way to get in.

Lawrence:

That isn’t sarcasm I detect there Doctor, is it? Keep your shirt on. We will need to walk around the dome clockwise, just to make sure that everything is on the up and up before we get inside.

Long:

Okay, let me know how that turns out, I am going to take a look around here.

Lawrence:

Alright. Doctor Ghent, are you coming?

Ghent:

Surely.
    Cardiff and Mendez have already begun their ascent up the hill to the right of the airlock. Several large rocks cover the hill; they use these rocks to climb on as the sand presents a formidable obstacle. Lawrence begins his portion of the inspection to the left; he looks up at the enormous heap of glass to check for visible cracks.
     
Ghent:

Mr. Lawrence, can you even fathom the scale on which this dome was constructed?

Lawrence:

Nope, this thing is huge. I’d like to get up on top, just to take a look at the view.
    Lawrence takes a glance back over his shoulder, and watches Long as he makes his way back down the road. Small and medium sized rocks seem to be absolutely everywhere, the two carefully step around these in the garden of obstacles. A bright glimmer from his left catches Lawrence’s eye; the solar panel array to the west reflects a bit of the sun’s light onto his helmet, almost blinding him.
     
Ghent:

I think that it is safe to say that we should have power; the solar collectors look fine. Mr. Lawrence, what brings you out here to this barren wasteland?

Lawrence:

A rocket.

Ghent:

Right.

Lawrence:

So, Doctor, what brings you out to Mars?

Ghent:

I needed a change; I fell into what you might call a “rut”.

Lawrence:

Fair enough. Just watch out for the ruts around here, I hear they are pretty deep and dark.

Ghent:

Right. Why did you decide to come out to this cold and desolate place?

Lawrence:

Mars seemed like the most unassuming place to go, so here I am.

Ghent:

Cryptic. The beautiful thing about the past is that everyone has one, whether or not they are willing to admit it is another matter altogether. I think as long as one is willing to take responsibility for where they are, and where they are ultimately going, they are alright. No matter how fast you run, you can never flee yourself, remember that.

Lawrence:

Careful, you don’t want to wind up on the short list with Long and Mendez, do you? Well, how I got to where I am isn’t entirely my fault, but I did play my part.

Ghent:

That is a bit cliché, isn’t it? I don’t believe in fate. If there is such a thing as fate, then I am the master of mine, and not vice versa.

Lawrence:

I think that maybe you are missing my exact meaning.

Ghent:

Well, I think I have a few minutes before my next engagement, so why don’t you regale me?

Lawrence:

It isn’t the sort of thing that I would feel like discussing over the radio, maybe once we get inside I’ll tell you.

Ghent:

Wow, look at that. You would think that after travelling a million miles from home you wouldn’t find litter.

Lawrence:

Miles?

Ghent:

Sorry, it is an old