Read Online The Caverns of Mare Cetus by Jim Erjavec - Free Book Online
Authors: Jim Erjavec
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out?"
"Sure," he said. "We need to call it a day anyway. Head to the right."
Once they had located the steep, snaky, downward route, it took them only a few minutes to traverse it. The passage then opened up into a large, nearly oval chamber with four other passages leading out of it. Two of those passages were on the other side of a deep, bluishgreen hot spring situated in the center of the chamber. The spring was about twenty meters long by fifteen meters wide, and the ground directly around it was made up of thin-banded irregular deposits of white, yellow, and red travertine, a rock formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate from the spring's waters.
Hunter studied the enticing spring for a few minutes, watching steam gently rise from its surface and seeing an occasional burst of gas bubbles that popped up from the water with a gurgling sound.
Isis analyzed the concentration of atmospheric gases with her Vimap. "Hydrogen sulfide is less than .08 mg per cubic meter. That's well within safety guidelines. No other dangerous gases are present."
Arielle scrutinized the ceiling. "Those gases should be more concentrated. There must be fractures leading to the surface, venting them."
"What's that mean?" asked Devon, looking up.
Hunter was standing beside her. He looked up at the ceiling as well.
"Should we be concerned?" asked Devon.
"I think you should be concerned," said Arielle. "Here's some advice for you. Keep your distance from Renata."
"Why?" asked Devon, her emerald green eyes widening.
"She had an unpleasant experience with Iobs once. Leave it at that."
"I'm sorry to hear that…say, what's that on your hand?"
"My hand?" Arielle looked at the back of her right hand, then turned it over. Then she did the same with her left. "I don't see anything. Which one are you talking about?" She held her hands out toward Devon.
Devon touched Arielle's hands as she looked at them. "Hmmm. I don't see anything now." She looked up. "You know, you have pretty hands. You're right-handed too, aren't you? Just like me." She held up her right hand and wiggled her fingers. "Amazing, isn't that?" She smiled. "I appreciate your advice, Ari, but don't worry about Renata and me. You already have your pretty hands full with Ramon." She turned away and began walking toward the group.
Arielle gave Hunter a look of confusion. "That is one strange girl," she said. "What was that all about? Who cares if we're both righthanded? Say, did she just call me Ari?" She started after Devon.
Hunter shrugged, then followed Devon and Arielle to the camping spot Edison had picked out, a level area that was "close enough to the hot spring, but not too close." Edison and Garrett had already begun setting up perimeter lights. While Trent and Hunter worked on dinner, the others prepared their sleeping areas and attended to personal needs as they joked around a bit and just relaxed, though they were anxiously awaiting dinner, having eaten little during their first leg. Once dinner was ready—a Novian "beef" and vegetable stew, roasted walnut-sized alatins, which were similar in taste to squash, and plenty of bread, coffee, and wine—the explorers filled their plates and began to sit down on the ground, forming two lines across from each other. Ramon, Arielle, Isis, Richelle, and Devon were on one side, Edison, Renata, Hunter, Trent, and Garrett on the other.
The group tore into the food, saying little while they ate, but before anyone had finished eating, Garrett told Hunter he needed to check out the operation of the Vimaps, and he wanted someone's help. Hunter nodded approval, and Garrett motioned to Devon to come with him. He picked up a cup of coffee and started off, Devon following, taking a glass of wine and a slice of bread, but leaving her plate of half-eaten food on the ground.
When the rest of the group had finally satisfied its
"Sure," he said. "We need to call it a day anyway. Head to the right."
Once they had located the steep, snaky, downward route, it took them only a few minutes to traverse it. The passage then opened up into a large, nearly oval chamber with four other passages leading out of it. Two of those passages were on the other side of a deep, bluishgreen hot spring situated in the center of the chamber. The spring was about twenty meters long by fifteen meters wide, and the ground directly around it was made up of thin-banded irregular deposits of white, yellow, and red travertine, a rock formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate from the spring's waters.
Hunter studied the enticing spring for a few minutes, watching steam gently rise from its surface and seeing an occasional burst of gas bubbles that popped up from the water with a gurgling sound.
Isis analyzed the concentration of atmospheric gases with her Vimap. "Hydrogen sulfide is less than .08 mg per cubic meter. That's well within safety guidelines. No other dangerous gases are present."
Arielle scrutinized the ceiling. "Those gases should be more concentrated. There must be fractures leading to the surface, venting them."
"What's that mean?" asked Devon, looking up.
Hunter was standing beside her. He looked up at the ceiling as well.
"Should we be concerned?" asked Devon.
"I think you should be concerned," said Arielle. "Here's some advice for you. Keep your distance from Renata."
"Why?" asked Devon, her emerald green eyes widening.
"She had an unpleasant experience with Iobs once. Leave it at that."
"I'm sorry to hear that…say, what's that on your hand?"
"My hand?" Arielle looked at the back of her right hand, then turned it over. Then she did the same with her left. "I don't see anything. Which one are you talking about?" She held her hands out toward Devon.
Devon touched Arielle's hands as she looked at them. "Hmmm. I don't see anything now." She looked up. "You know, you have pretty hands. You're right-handed too, aren't you? Just like me." She held up her right hand and wiggled her fingers. "Amazing, isn't that?" She smiled. "I appreciate your advice, Ari, but don't worry about Renata and me. You already have your pretty hands full with Ramon." She turned away and began walking toward the group.
Arielle gave Hunter a look of confusion. "That is one strange girl," she said. "What was that all about? Who cares if we're both righthanded? Say, did she just call me Ari?" She started after Devon.
Hunter shrugged, then followed Devon and Arielle to the camping spot Edison had picked out, a level area that was "close enough to the hot spring, but not too close." Edison and Garrett had already begun setting up perimeter lights. While Trent and Hunter worked on dinner, the others prepared their sleeping areas and attended to personal needs as they joked around a bit and just relaxed, though they were anxiously awaiting dinner, having eaten little during their first leg. Once dinner was ready—a Novian "beef" and vegetable stew, roasted walnut-sized alatins, which were similar in taste to squash, and plenty of bread, coffee, and wine—the explorers filled their plates and began to sit down on the ground, forming two lines across from each other. Ramon, Arielle, Isis, Richelle, and Devon were on one side, Edison, Renata, Hunter, Trent, and Garrett on the other.
The group tore into the food, saying little while they ate, but before anyone had finished eating, Garrett told Hunter he needed to check out the operation of the Vimaps, and he wanted someone's help. Hunter nodded approval, and Garrett motioned to Devon to come with him. He picked up a cup of coffee and started off, Devon following, taking a glass of wine and a slice of bread, but leaving her plate of half-eaten food on the ground.
When the rest of the group had finally satisfied its
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