The Curse of Europa Read Online Free PDF Page A

down, just three meters from the base of the mountain.
After a few seconds of silence, Turk blurts out, “Whew, now that was fun! Let’s do it again!”
“Once is enough for me, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!” Evans quickly screams back, her white knuckled hands still grasping the arm rests.
“This is Commander Hicks at 291 hours, 51 minutes mission elapsed time,” Hicks says into the radio. “Eagle-2 has landed!” Turk and Glover can also be heard in the radio broadcast, whooping and cheering. Evans and Fedoseev just stare at each other, the looks on their faces seemingly saying that they are amazed they are still alive.
“Tucker here, acknowledge touchdown at 291-51. Congratulations Eagle-2, Great job!” Cheering can be heard from the command module also.
Hicks radios back to Tucker, “We overshot the landing a little, how far are we from the designated landing mark?”
Tucker replies, “You’re about half a click east from the designated landing mark, where pods 1 and 2 are. However you’re actually a little closer to pods 3 and 4, about 400 meters.”
“Acknowledged,” Hicks shoots back.
     
The landing wasn’t great and they missed their mark a little, but they are down safely and so far everything looks good.

Chapter 4: Extra Vehicular Activity
A fter a few hours of performing post landing tasks the first Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) is ready to commence. Commander Hicks and Doctor Fedoseev are EVA Team 1 and will debark first. Hicks will make the first historic steps on the icy surface of Europa, then Fedoseev. Shortly after Turkovitch and Evans, who make up EVA Team 2, will debark from the ship. The two teams will make their way to the payload pods. Lt. Glover is the Europa Base control officer and will remain inside at all times.
     
“Okay Commander,” Lt. Glover pipes up, “post landing check list complete. All systems diagnostics show normal. The air lock chamber-test just finished and is ready for use. We are ready for EVA anytime you guys are.”
“Great news! Curse / Smurse I say. Let’s go do this!” Hicks responds.
“Oh great… you just jinxed us now Commander,” Turk spits out slyly. “You couldn’t have waited until we got home to say that?”
“What, why? Are you little superstitious or something?” Hicks fires back.
“Well, no, not really, I think the curse is just a big joke, but I guess I wouldn’t go around mocking it… so I guess maybe that does make me a little superstitious, I suppose.” Turk replies.
“Yeah, I agree,” Glover interjects, “Let’s just not talk about it.”
“Da, I vill agree. Let us no talk about it,” Fedoseev says with a Russian accent while twirling the end of his mustache.
“Jeez, you guys are a bunch of superstitious babies,” Evans pitches in.
“Oh… What! I thought you were the coward,” Turk retorts surprised by her response.
“Well… I may be scared of real life things, like crashing during landing, but not of hokey curse stories. That’s just a bunch of B.S.!” she responds.
“Okay… whatever! Let’s just quit talking about this… please,” Glover pleads as he nervously massages his fingers through his short black hair.
Everyone laughs, except Glover who seems to be a bit more superstitious than the rest.
Hicks belts out with his booming voice, “Okay, yes, enough of that. I’m sorry I said anything. Fedoseev… are you ready to go for a walk?”
“Da!!” he says with much excitement.
     
Hicks and Fedoseev suit-up in their bio-suits. Unlike pressurized suits of the past, that were like wearing balloons, the first layer of these suits are made from form fitting polymer, custom tailored to each crew member. This polymer layer maintains body pressure, simply from the tight fit and elasticity. The outer layers of the suit provide heat and thermal insulation, as well as protection from the massive amounts of radiation that Jupiter rains down on Europa.
They put on their protective helmets, which do maintain normal air