This is a Test

Ch. 5 - Part II - The Second Test

At ten that night, a notification appeared on all tablets and monitors of an incoming supply run. Simulated visuals of a rocket appeared on all screens, where it would land close enough to retrieve the cargo, but far enough away so that a catastrophe would cause no damage to the solar panels or wind generators. As much as he tried to ignore it, Cashe found himself checking the monitors on occasion to note the progress. A hatch opened and a metal arm extended from the interior of the craft to unload pallets of provisions onto Martian soil. A transport and mobile crane on the ground automatically loaded them onto a trailer behind a rover.

A new message appeared announcing the arrival of supplies. The group headed to the Garage to see what goodies Anoptica bestowed. They used their tablets to scan the tags on each crate. The checklist was mostly food: powdered eggs, sugar, yeast, oil, honey, milk, fish, meat (plant-based), salt, and other cooking essentials. They also received pallets loaded with metal for the 3-D printers and fertilizer.

Every crate was opened to reveal smaller boxes inside. One by one, the group scanned each package to verify the inventory. Roger worked on a crate that mentioned it held candy. He dug through, ignoring most if the contents were not to his liking. He finally found his prize, extracting and opening a small box to pull out some chocolate bars. "Awesome," he crowed.

"We should save them for special occasions," Miranda said.

The group worked to empty the contents of the crates to their freezers or pantry. Miranda seemed pleased in coordinating the distribution of items. Twenty minutes passed when Dante pulled out a clear, rectangular bag.

"What the...?" he said, holding it for all to see. Inside a block of ice was a fish frozen in the center. The group circled around to ogle as Miranda scanned the label. One hand flew to her mouth as she gulped air.

"It's alive," she gasped as she skimmed through her tablet. "It's been frozen for eight months. We need to thaw it out as soon as possible so it doesn't die."

Lia and Roger pulled more bags out. The geologist brought one close to his face. "They froze it with its eyes wide open. I wonder if it can see me."

Cashe hoped not for the fish's sake. It would be horrific enough to be entombed alive in ice, packed in a box for near a year and shipped around to who knows where, only to be pulled from the pitch dark to confront that face. Miranda read further.

"There are seven in all. We need to defrost them as soon as we can."

"We can put it in one of the unused hydroponics tanks in storage," Dante suggested.

"It says we have to start them off in water with a similar chemical content. They have provided us with the mixtures and amounts."

Dante looked at Miranda's tablet. "I got this," he said. "Don't worry, team, we got this." He pointed to some empty tables near the kitchen. "We can put them there."

Cashe frowned. "We have to determine first as to whether the tables are strong enough."

"They're metal. They should hold."

"I need to do some calculations first. I will need a few minutes."

Cashe used his tablet to retrieve the schematics for the table and the tank dimensions. The exact amount in kilograms of the fish was also provided. He calculated the weight of the tank filled with water versus the weight threshold that the table should be able to endure. While he worked, Dante had enlisted Roger's help and the two brought a tank back to the room and placed it on the table. At this point, Cashe had finished his computations.

"So?" Dante asked.

The filled tank would be under by three kilograms. "It is within threshold."

"Good." Dante adjusted it so it sat evenly.