openings. The walls remind Long of overgrown crinkle-cut French fries with the serrated edge.
In the distant background, Olympus Mons’ cauldron is almost visible, toward the top is cloudy, and the dry ice that covers the peak is shrouded in those clouds. Otherwise the sky is light red and the sun’s light illuminates the vast slopes in all directions. Large boulders and smaller rocks litter the landscape. This silent audience casts their shadows out upon the sand, and gives a variety to the otherwise plain sea of sand. Lawrence navigates his way through the series of twists and turns that lead to the opening below, over to where Long is standing, waiting. Long has finished anchoring the descent line several meters away from the opening.
Lawrence:
So, I am no scientist, but why did we have to drive all the way out here, just to go down into that hole there?
Long:
You’re right, you are no scientist. You probably should have asked that question before we left if you wanted an answer. As it is, it was a rhetorical statement that just came out like whining.
Lawrence:
Touché.
Long:
Gesundheit!
Long carefully straps on the repelling gear. Lawrence follows suit, as he too gets into the repelling gear. The light, sampling gear and additional air reserves are all secured to the line, which is then slowly dropped down into the chasm below, disappearing into the darkness.
Holding his hand out, palm upwards, Lawrence gestures to Long to begin the descent.
Lawrence:
How deep is that cavern.
Long:
Pretty deep I guess, really deep.
Lawrence:
Well, do we have enough rope?
Long breaks three glow sticks and throws them down into the hole a second time to ensure that the descent is still safe enough to attempt without more repelling gear. Several seconds pass before the faint lights below stop moving.
Lawrence:
Thanks for checking again.
Long:
It was my pleasure.
Lawrence:
You know what I hate?
Long:
Nope, but something tells me that you are going to elaborate upon it until you are satisfied.
Lawrence:
I hate it when you are at a restaurant, and your waitress brings you water…
Long:
Yeah, it’s the worst.
Lawrence:
Shut up! Anyway, when you say “thanks”, they always say something like “my pleasure”. Something tells me that they never really enjoy filling up my glass that much. After you hear “my pleasure” about ten times it makes me want to scream.
Long:
I know that you are having fun with your whole stand-up routine, but if you wouldn’t mind…
Lawrence shakes his head back and forth, and then he walks backward off of the edge as he begins his descent. Long follows Lawrence shortly after he disappears over the edge into the abyss.
After descending vertically about 80 meters, the shaft begins to level out, level enough to walk down while holding the rope. As they stand, holding tightly to their ropes, they notice the glow sticks that they had dropped, lighting up the pitch blackness of the tube. They both reach for their helmets to switch their helmet lights on. These lights affixed to their helmets provide a small tunnel of light, allowing them to be able to see down the passageway a few meters.
After several minutes of walking through the abysmal darkness, they stumble upon an area of the ground that is covered in dry ice.
Long:
Wait! Don’t step on that dry ice. It is everywhere down here.
Lawrence:
At what temperature…
Long:
At this pressure, about negative 80 degrees centigrade. Yeah, it’s cold down here. Anyway, I know how much you like to break rules. You step on one of those and you will most likely break rule number 1.
Lawrence:
Right. Don’t hurt yourself. What makes you think that I like breaking rules anyway? Have I broken any since we got here? No.
After several meters of extra cautious steps, the two arrive at a juncture between tunnels that go off toward the right and to the left, and one that descends down vertically and then horizontally.
Each
In the distant background, Olympus Mons’ cauldron is almost visible, toward the top is cloudy, and the dry ice that covers the peak is shrouded in those clouds. Otherwise the sky is light red and the sun’s light illuminates the vast slopes in all directions. Large boulders and smaller rocks litter the landscape. This silent audience casts their shadows out upon the sand, and gives a variety to the otherwise plain sea of sand. Lawrence navigates his way through the series of twists and turns that lead to the opening below, over to where Long is standing, waiting. Long has finished anchoring the descent line several meters away from the opening.
Lawrence:
So, I am no scientist, but why did we have to drive all the way out here, just to go down into that hole there?
Long:
You’re right, you are no scientist. You probably should have asked that question before we left if you wanted an answer. As it is, it was a rhetorical statement that just came out like whining.
Lawrence:
Touché.
Long:
Gesundheit!
Long carefully straps on the repelling gear. Lawrence follows suit, as he too gets into the repelling gear. The light, sampling gear and additional air reserves are all secured to the line, which is then slowly dropped down into the chasm below, disappearing into the darkness.
Holding his hand out, palm upwards, Lawrence gestures to Long to begin the descent.
Lawrence:
How deep is that cavern.
Long:
Pretty deep I guess, really deep.
Lawrence:
Well, do we have enough rope?
Long breaks three glow sticks and throws them down into the hole a second time to ensure that the descent is still safe enough to attempt without more repelling gear. Several seconds pass before the faint lights below stop moving.
Lawrence:
Thanks for checking again.
Long:
It was my pleasure.
Lawrence:
You know what I hate?
Long:
Nope, but something tells me that you are going to elaborate upon it until you are satisfied.
Lawrence:
I hate it when you are at a restaurant, and your waitress brings you water…
Long:
Yeah, it’s the worst.
Lawrence:
Shut up! Anyway, when you say “thanks”, they always say something like “my pleasure”. Something tells me that they never really enjoy filling up my glass that much. After you hear “my pleasure” about ten times it makes me want to scream.
Long:
I know that you are having fun with your whole stand-up routine, but if you wouldn’t mind…
Lawrence shakes his head back and forth, and then he walks backward off of the edge as he begins his descent. Long follows Lawrence shortly after he disappears over the edge into the abyss.
After descending vertically about 80 meters, the shaft begins to level out, level enough to walk down while holding the rope. As they stand, holding tightly to their ropes, they notice the glow sticks that they had dropped, lighting up the pitch blackness of the tube. They both reach for their helmets to switch their helmet lights on. These lights affixed to their helmets provide a small tunnel of light, allowing them to be able to see down the passageway a few meters.
After several minutes of walking through the abysmal darkness, they stumble upon an area of the ground that is covered in dry ice.
Long:
Wait! Don’t step on that dry ice. It is everywhere down here.
Lawrence:
At what temperature…
Long:
At this pressure, about negative 80 degrees centigrade. Yeah, it’s cold down here. Anyway, I know how much you like to break rules. You step on one of those and you will most likely break rule number 1.
Lawrence:
Right. Don’t hurt yourself. What makes you think that I like breaking rules anyway? Have I broken any since we got here? No.
After several meters of extra cautious steps, the two arrive at a juncture between tunnels that go off toward the right and to the left, and one that descends down vertically and then horizontally.
Each
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