me into this."
Swimming at the quarries on Mars Colony was dangerous and
strictly forbidden by their parents. The water was deep and
cold, access was difficult, and jagged rock wasn't kind to
bare skin. The girls knew, though, that everyone did it at
some time or another; it had become a rite of passage.
Kathryn had wanted for years to swim the quarries.
Starfleet had extensive officers'
facilities on Mars Colony, and her family had visited there
on a number of summer vacations, but her parents had always
kept a close eye on her. Now that she was fourteen, they
had relaxed their guard somewhat. "What are you worried
about? People have been swimming here for years. Decades."
"We're still not supposed to be here."
"No one will ever know."
"They will if those people down there see us."
"They won't," said Kathryn confidently.
"We're not going there." Now Emmy look vaguely concerned.
"But . . . that's the quarry everybody goes to."
"Not us. I know where there's a smaller one. There are
lots of them, actually, a whole network of them that
stretch for kilometers through these hills."
"How do you know?"
Kathryn smiled, remembering the day five years before that
still was etched indelibly in her memory.
"Someone I used to know showed me. He took me all around
the colony. Did you know if you use a breathing gill and
swim underwater in some of these quarries you can access
the cave system under Olympus Mons? There's a whole
honeycomb of caves and underwater lakes. To get through
them, you have to stay underwater for as much as a
kilometer at a time until you reach the next cave. Someday
I'm going to do that." Both girls looked at her as though
she'd sprouted warts. "That sounds awful, was said Mary,
and Emma nodded in vigorous agreement. "And dangerous." "I
think it sounds exciting. I know others have done it."
"Have they all come out alive?"
Kathryn hesitated. Data had in fact mentioned a fatality
that had occurred during the Olympus Mons cave trek, but
that had only intrigued Kathryn, made her more determined
to take the challenge someday. She knew, however, that Emma
and Mary wouldn't share that response. "As long as you're
an experienced diver it's not dangerous," she said firmly.
"Are you experienced?"
"I have my certification now. I need more practice. That's
why I want to go to the quarries."
"I thought we were just going to swim and have fun." This
from Emma, who was looking more dubious all the time.
Kathryn sighed. It was getting harder and harder to enjoy
Emma and Mary's company. They'd been her best friends since
they were little, but it seemed lately they'd become
fearful and nervous about every activity she suggested. She
was glad she wouldn't be going to school with them any
longer.
At long last, she would be attending the Academy
Institute. She had battled her parents for years over this
issue, and they finally relented when she won the
prestigious state mathematics award. She would spend her
final four years of preparatory school at the place she
knew she should have been attending long ago.
There, at the Institute, she would find new friends,
friends more like her who were curious about things, and
liked adventure and new experiences. No more tennis, no
more piano and ballet. She was finally going to be allowed
to enter the twenty-fourth century, and she couldn't wait.
"How far away are these quarries?" Mary sounded uneasy, and
Kathryn knew she and Mary were both getting nervous about
being so far from the colony. "Not much farther. Just
beyond that next rise."
"We're pretty far away from anyone. What if something
happens?"
"Like what?"
"An accident."
Kathryn shot her a look of disdain. "There are three of
us. Someone can always go for help." But she knew from the
guarded glance the other girls exchanged that they weren't
comforted. Kathryn stopped abruptly and faced them.
"Do you want to go back? If so, go ahead.
I'll swim by myself."
Swimming at the quarries on Mars Colony was dangerous and
strictly forbidden by their parents. The water was deep and
cold, access was difficult, and jagged rock wasn't kind to
bare skin. The girls knew, though, that everyone did it at
some time or another; it had become a rite of passage.
Kathryn had wanted for years to swim the quarries.
Starfleet had extensive officers'
facilities on Mars Colony, and her family had visited there
on a number of summer vacations, but her parents had always
kept a close eye on her. Now that she was fourteen, they
had relaxed their guard somewhat. "What are you worried
about? People have been swimming here for years. Decades."
"We're still not supposed to be here."
"No one will ever know."
"They will if those people down there see us."
"They won't," said Kathryn confidently.
"We're not going there." Now Emmy look vaguely concerned.
"But . . . that's the quarry everybody goes to."
"Not us. I know where there's a smaller one. There are
lots of them, actually, a whole network of them that
stretch for kilometers through these hills."
"How do you know?"
Kathryn smiled, remembering the day five years before that
still was etched indelibly in her memory.
"Someone I used to know showed me. He took me all around
the colony. Did you know if you use a breathing gill and
swim underwater in some of these quarries you can access
the cave system under Olympus Mons? There's a whole
honeycomb of caves and underwater lakes. To get through
them, you have to stay underwater for as much as a
kilometer at a time until you reach the next cave. Someday
I'm going to do that." Both girls looked at her as though
she'd sprouted warts. "That sounds awful, was said Mary,
and Emma nodded in vigorous agreement. "And dangerous." "I
think it sounds exciting. I know others have done it."
"Have they all come out alive?"
Kathryn hesitated. Data had in fact mentioned a fatality
that had occurred during the Olympus Mons cave trek, but
that had only intrigued Kathryn, made her more determined
to take the challenge someday. She knew, however, that Emma
and Mary wouldn't share that response. "As long as you're
an experienced diver it's not dangerous," she said firmly.
"Are you experienced?"
"I have my certification now. I need more practice. That's
why I want to go to the quarries."
"I thought we were just going to swim and have fun." This
from Emma, who was looking more dubious all the time.
Kathryn sighed. It was getting harder and harder to enjoy
Emma and Mary's company. They'd been her best friends since
they were little, but it seemed lately they'd become
fearful and nervous about every activity she suggested. She
was glad she wouldn't be going to school with them any
longer.
At long last, she would be attending the Academy
Institute. She had battled her parents for years over this
issue, and they finally relented when she won the
prestigious state mathematics award. She would spend her
final four years of preparatory school at the place she
knew she should have been attending long ago.
There, at the Institute, she would find new friends,
friends more like her who were curious about things, and
liked adventure and new experiences. No more tennis, no
more piano and ballet. She was finally going to be allowed
to enter the twenty-fourth century, and she couldn't wait.
"How far away are these quarries?" Mary sounded uneasy, and
Kathryn knew she and Mary were both getting nervous about
being so far from the colony. "Not much farther. Just
beyond that next rise."
"We're pretty far away from anyone. What if something
happens?"
"Like what?"
"An accident."
Kathryn shot her a look of disdain. "There are three of
us. Someone can always go for help." But she knew from the
guarded glance the other girls exchanged that they weren't
comforted. Kathryn stopped abruptly and faced them.
"Do you want to go back? If so, go ahead.
I'll swim by myself."
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