Lunar Colony Read Online Free PDF Page A

left the barracks.
    Drat,
she said to herself,
I know Number Four is around here somewhere, but it’s like trying to find a tennis ball in a desert.
Salerno’s face was grim with frustration. Then, spotting the outer slope of a nearby crater, her spirits rose a little.
Hmm, maybe seeing things from a different point of view would help.
    Salerno jammed her foot on the accelerator as the rover raced up the huge hill. She skillfully dodged the rocky debris that littered the slope and, at last, reached the rim of the crater.
    Stepping out of the rover, she looked downfrom the rim, far below into the crater’s basin. Even after all these years on the moon, this lunar world never ceased to fascinate her. She stood for a moment in awe, wondering what it would have been like to see the moment of impact when a meteor had crashed into the moon, leaving behind this colossal hole below her.

    “Okay, back to work,” Salerno said, shaking herself from these thoughts. “Somewhere out there is Number Four. But where?” From high atop the crater’s rim, she scanned the lunar surface in every direction. She could make out the faraway silhouettes of Numbers One, Two, and Three. She could also see the blinking lights of the distant mining facility to the west and the biodome to the north. Closest of all the lunar facilities was the medical building to the east. Otherwise, the moon’ssurface was barren, featureless but for the occasional crater that dotted the landscape here and there.
    Salerno sighed, not knowing which direction to search next. “If only I had a Geiger counter,” she said. “That device would lead me right to Number Four!”
    Suddenly, Salerno caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw a pair of blue lights blinking high above the moon. They were very far away, but there was no doubt that they were descending, each second getting closer to theground. Salerno peered through her binoculars to have a better look.
    “Just as I thought,” she said. “McNabb’s errand runner has arrived.” She watched the lunar lander make its way toward the landing pad outside the living quarters. As the vehicle touched down, Salerno wondered which astronaut was aboard.
    “Is that you, Hatcher?” Salerno said aloud. “Have they finally taken off your training wheels and given you your own mission? Not likely. From what I’ve heard, you can’t ride an escalator without getting queasy. No, I’m sure they’ve sent the best, someone with more experience. But who?”
    Salerno paused. The door of the lander opened, and a figure, unidentifiable from such a distance, stepped onto the landing pad before entering the living quarters.
    “Well, whoever you are, you have your job to do, and I have mine,” Salerno continued. “You’ll be coming for me, I suppose. I’m guessing you’ll want to use a locator device to track me down.” Salerno reached her gloved hand into herpocket and fingered the gadget she’d taken from the barracks. She looked in the direction of the medical facility before getting back into the rover.
    As she pressed the ignition, she said, “Of course, finding me won’t be so easy if the locator device is hidden.”

Living Quarters
    As Glen passed through the doors to the astronaut living quarters, he breathed a sigh of relief.
    Maybe it’s not Earth,
he thought,
but at least I’m back on the ground
. Looking down the long hallway that lay before him, he said aloud, “Okay, Salerno, where are you?”
    Glen began walking. He listened carefully for any signs of activity but only heard the echo of his own footsteps. Turning a corner at the end of the corridor, Glen found himself in a large room filled with empty tables, microwave ovens, and refrigerators.
    “This must be where the astronauts eat,” he said. “But where did everyone go?”
    “They went home.” It was Slayton, coming in through Glen’s headset. “A couple years ago,this room would have been filled with