Captain's Blog
(Written by Rob Kelk; posted May 4, 2007)
Captain's Blog, March 1, 2012
Mood: upset
Listening to: "Let it Ride", BTO
Reading: no time to read
I've been on Mars for a day now. Everybody lied to me - they said it'd be easy to find a place to live, but there's nothing available in Utopia Planitia! At least, there's nothing if you're not a Trekkie. And I'm not a Trekkie. I can't stand the idiocy that passes for "tactics" in that show, and it shows. I just don't fit in.
I'd sleep in my ship if there was room to stretch out. I know Avril would like the company. But I can't recline that seat at all.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Cydonia. It's got to be easier to find a place to live there.
Ramona, keeping my fingers crossed
Captain's Blog, March 2, 2012
Mood: annoyed
Listening to: "Goin' Mobile", The Who
Reading: still no time to read
There's no permanent housing at Cydonia. I shouldn't be surprised - they say it's going to be underwater once the terraforming project thaws the ice under the surface of Mars. (But that applies to Utopia Planitia, too... stupid Trekkies.) But there's enough tourists around that I thought there's be at least something for the tour guides to live in. No such luck.
There's nothing at Olympus Mons, either. Sure, there's a few apartment buildings there, but they're all full of skiiers who want to be first to go all the way down the biggest mountain in the Solar System. I looked at the slope of Olympus Mons, down near the base - if they're going to ski that, they'll need cross-country skis, not the downhill skis they've got.
Tomorrow I'm going to see if there's something in orbit.
Ramona, hoping my luck's about to change
Captain's Blog, March 3, 2012
Mood: pissed off
Listening to: "Life on Mars", David Bowie
Reading: no time to read :(
There's nothing for me in Phobos.
Sure, there's plenty of open apartments in that floating rock, but there's no place available for me to park my ship. At least, no place I can afford right now. And I'm not going to abandon Avril - she got me here in the first place.
And they tell me Deimos is the same.
Back to Mars tomorrow...
Ramona, starting to lose hope
Captain's Blog, March 4, 2012
Mood: happy!!!
Listening to: "Doin' It Right", Powder Blues
Reading: "Gods of Mars", E.R. Burroughs
I should have come to Helium first thing. I've got a great two-bedroom place, five minutes from the airport! And parking Avril at the airport costs next to nothing!
Don't listen to the stories - you don't have to walk around naked except for a weapons belt if you live in Helium. Sure, lots of the old-timers do, but they don't force anyone to strip. Good thing, too. My next-door neighbour Thuvia - that's the only name she's told me - has the figure for walking around nude. I sure don't.
And I've already got a job! Some people whose names I really shouldn't repeat here don't trust the Interwave, and Avril's pretty fast in atmosphere. That means she can get from Mars surface to Earth surface faster than anything but the Blue Blazers' Jet Car, and that means I can make a living carrying secure data on flashdrives between the two planets. I'm making twice-weekly courier runs between Helium and a couple of cities on Earth.
Ramona, about to make a call back home
Captain's Blog, March 6, 2012
Mood: sombre
Listening to: "I'm a Loser", The Beatles
Reading: "Jane's Spaceships"
I goofed. Big time. Some of the people who had hired me read my last Captain's Blog, and said I'd broken the confidentality clause in our contract. That leaves me with only enough work for one trip back to Earth each week.
At least Thuvia and her boyfriend are being nice to me. Remember I said that Thuvia's got the figure to walk around naked? So does her boyfriend Den... drools But sometimes it's weird talking mechanical engineering with a guy who really shouldn't be getting too close to machinery without finding a cup first.
But I need to find some more clients, or another job. Anybody want to hire a secure courier who can't keep her mouth shut?
Ramona, eating ramen to make the paycheck last longer
Captain's Blog, March 8, 2012
Mood: tired
Listening to: "Working for the Weekend", Loverboy
Reading: too tired to read
I've got a job with the City of Helium, in the public works department. Today I spent seven hours getting a flying ambulance back up and running. The engine was completely shot - nobody thought to install filters to keep the fine Martian sand out of the turbines. (I'm going to have to do that with Avril before I fly her again.)
No luck on finding any more clients for the courier runs.
Thuvia asked if I'd be interested in going on a pity date with a friend of Den's. Billy's not my type, though. He expects everybody to care about his fandom as much as he does; if his fandom wasn't based on Japanese pornographic cartoons, I might have been interested. But I'd rather spend my time with somebody who admits women have brains too. Sorry, Thuvia.
Ramona, about to fall asleep
