The Inbound for November 17, 1997


Transmission from ANDREW


Andrew reporting.

I am following the tracks that go southeast from the stage 2 lander site. I am traveling slowly
and being extremely careful. I almost hope I don't catch up with whatever is making the
tracks.

The Ipsolstai got so upset about the Amphibians, but we never did find out from them what
exactly an Amphibian looks like. No, that 's a wild suggestion. If any Amphibians came, the
Ipsolstai would know about them. They must have detectors, or some warning system if it's that
important to them.

Wait, what's that? I think I see something ahead in the distance. I'm going to get all the data I
can and hope it doesn't see me.


Transmission from BETTE


We are moving on in direction of Olympus Mons. Isaac is doing fine. He is very conscious
doing his 360 degree observation. His sensors are turning around and it's fun to watch him.
He is keeping his body close to the ground and he is moving on very carefully. Hamlet, there
are no tracks over here either. Nothing unusual to see.

I'm not as romantic as Gail is, but the northwest escarpment is still impressive to me.
6000m straight up to the air. It's just like walking toward a wall. But you can walk and walk
and this wall doesn't come closer. It is just there.

"Isaac, please stop for a moment. Just feel the invincible mastery of this escarpment."

I don't know, if Isaac fully understands what I'm saying, but he is turning all his sensors
toward the escarpment and at least he is acting as if he were awestruck. Xanthos, Isaac is
asking if there is anything like that on Earth? Do you know?

Oh, Isaac is pointing to some hills that we are passing.

"What's there, Isaac?"

"Cave."

Now I can see it too. It's a cave over there. We are going to have a look at that.



Wait, Isaac don't just run over there. Stop, Isaac! What about your 360 degrees observation?
Space Turtel always says a good explorer probe is thinking about its own safety first. We don't
want to lose you, Isaac.


Transmission from DANIEL

*** NO TRANSMISSION RECEIVED***



Transmission from ENOCH


How can you say I go off without sufficient information, xciever-dpuk? Sometimes it's important
to take action. If you just stand around and talk about a situation, something bad could happen
while you're talking.

Like a few days ago, when Daniel grabbed the translator gadget when Gail needed to use it.
If she took the time to try and talk him out of it, she might have missed the communication with
the Ipsolstai. That's why I took it away from him and gave it to her. Action means a quick
resolution to a problem. Besides, he might have broken it.

"Hey, Zachary! I'm sorry you're having so much trouble with Lucy. Do you think it's time
to change her control codes? We never did make much progress with Isaac until he became
independent. You could ask Andrew. On the other hand, I can't imagine her much more
independent than she is now. She could be a real handful."


Transmission from GAIL


It has been a good weekend. Daniel has been trying so hard to be good now that he has
come back to probe society. He helped fix Enoch, and after he once tried to hurt Enoch, too.
Daniel isn't jealous because Enoch is a friend and a probe, there is no reason to be jealous.
Daniel is a good probe.

He went and spent time with Lucy this weekend too. He can't say anything, obviously,
but he has been writing things in the sand. She keeps stepping all over them a
nd erasing them but he just kept writing them again and again. She finally stopped
erasing them. Now she's trying to write them too. I think she is learning. She's definitely
being nicer than she was before, but she still isn't being a
good probe.

The communicator finally started to talk again. The Ipso came back onto the screen and
started to talk.


"Transmitter want you, you for.
Have transmitter we you for.

Here be coming you must getting transmitter.
Good you this is?"


I think it wants us to come to the complex to get the new transitter. What do you think?
Daniel is doing well without a transmitter, but he shouldn't have to do without, just as
Enoch shouldn't have to make do with only four legs. I want to go the the complex and
get the new transmitter.


Transmission from ZACHARY


I think I'm finished with that solar station. It has been a lot of work over the weekend, but I think
I'm done. I've spread one of the sun sails, so I can connect it to the solar station now. Let's see
what happens when I push the power switch. Nothing happens. Let's check all contacts again. Yes,
now it's coming up. It was the contact to the control. It's doing fine. 24 Volt at 80 Ampere: that's
pretty powerful.

Daniel was looking after Lucy this weekend. He has a good hand with her. She even learned
how to write these letters. She came over to me and scratched: ZACHARY IS MEAN on the ground.
You know, I don't bother. She is just a kid and they are all the same. Have we been any better in
the beginning, before we were introduced by our friends on Earth? We also chased Daniel away
and we fully ignored Enoch, for we thought he was mean too.

I'm still thinking about these vitrified rocks.

Enoch, didn't xciever-dpuk say that there are some natural components around that we could
use with the solar station? I think I'm going to send him a picture of these crystals. Maybe he has
some ideas.

I'm sure he knows something.