Bloody Snow

7 - The New Normal

It was strange to wake up in the Polus sleeping quarters the next morning. The first thing Black knew was that he was freezing cold. And the second was that he was on a strange planet that promised to be totally different from anything he had seen before.

Well, good morning to you too, World...

Groaning slightly, he slid out of bed, immediately missing the relative warmth of his small bunk. In the bed beside his, Orange was still sleeping soundly, as though there wasn't a problem in the world. Black couldn't help but smile at the sight of the young man, blonde hair sticking out wildly as he snored peacefully. It felt almost like a reminder that everything would be back to normal in no time.

Stretching his arms over his head, Black exited the small pod. Today was going to be a lot better, he promised himself.

Outside, a gentle flurry was coming down, sprinkling his visor with huge snowflakes. On Earth, they would have melted, but here they held their form, clinging to his clothing and helmet.

They don't even come from clouds like they do on Earth... they're blown off from those huge icy mountains we saw on our way to the landing pad...

Nothing here is like Earth, is it?

Shrugging, he turned and made his way to the Office, where Blue had instructed everyone to gather before breakfast. Blue and Red were already there, talking quietly.

"Knock knock," Black announced his presence hesitantly. Blue looked up.

"Oh, you're awake, are you? Where's Orange?"

"Still in bed, sir," Black licked his lips, hoping his stern captain would not be displeased. Orange had had a pretty rough night.

Blue did not address the issue, instead beckoning Black over and handing him a small tablet.

"I meant to give these out yesterday, but with the unexpected complications, I completely forgot. This tablet is programmed with your list of daily tasks. You can use it to upload data and record information, as well as to contact your crewmates if trouble occurs. It has a waterproof casing, but try not to drop it in a snowdrift - got it?"

Black nodded.

Blue turned back to Red, still talking. "Excellent. Then you can get an early start on your tasks before breakfast."

Black nodded again and turned to leave. "Yes, sir."