rover gradually loses speed, until it seems it is barely crawling along. It is really having trouble in the bumpy ruts at the bottom of the ravine. He has no idea where he is, or how much farther it is to the landing site. Just as he was ready to radio Hicks, he feels the rover start to shake and then sees some small ice chunks slide down the sides of the ravine. Then looking ahead about 90 meters, it appears that the banks of the ravine seem to be separating – moving away from each other. He squints his eyes to see better in the bright sun. There is a brilliant glow of dancing sunlight up ahead, flickering violently as if warning him to stop. The flickering sunlight is heading directly towards him.
Chapter 17: Glistening Lion
F or Doctor Fedoseev, it was like a never ending nightmare, as he suddenly realized the dazzling sunlight dancing up ahead of him was rushing water. Only now, it does seemed like the nightmare is about to come to a quick end; but not very pleasantly. It was as if someone opened a floodgate, releasing thousands - no - millions or maybe billions of liters of water. It all seems to be in slow motion for him now, as he desperately turns the rover sharply up the ravine’s bank on his right, but to no avail. It doesn’t have enough battery power to climb even three meters before it peters to a stop, with a red battery indicator flashing on a control panel. He desperately fumbles with the seat harness for a few seconds, to unfasten it, and then climbs across the passenger seat and leaps off the rover onto the steep bank, sinking the cleats of his boots into the icy surface.
He looks to his left and sees the rushing water, which strangely, resembles a huge glistening lion, charging towards him. The splashes of water off the banks look like giant legs and paws, running at full tilt, and in the center, a huge head suddenly appears and then explodes, only to reappear over and over again. Fedoseev digs his gloved fingers into the ice and grabs onto any extruding piece of ice he can find, while digging his cleats in as best as he can, to avoid slipping back down. He is only about two meters from the top now, but the rushing water is nearly upon him.
“Eagle-2, this Fedoseev!” he desperately yells into the com, while frantically trying to climb to the top. “Vater rushing through ravine!”
He grabs a large ice chuck, sticking out near the top of the bank; it has a decent indentation, which may be an adequate handle and then he holds on for dear life. The roaring water envelops the rover below him, never to be seen again except for a single tire, which shoots up out of the water. Two of the sample buckets make a few quick appearances as they are violently swept away.
He hears Hicks on the com, “Fedoseev, I copy, where are you?” But he can’t respond as a huge wave of water splashes over him, sweeping his feet out from under him; but he holds tight. He manages to dig his cleats in again, just when another wave washes over him with tremendous force. Suddenly, his hand slips off of his ice handle and he is pulled into the water. He simply closes his eyes and lets his body go limp, trying to put himself at peace, waiting for the end.
Abruptly, his eyes snap open as he stops moving with a jerk and the water starts rapidly rushing past him. He was facing upward, flowing feet-first down the stream, but now suddenly he flips over as something has a hold of him and he slams into the side of the bank. He looks up and sees a taunt rope extending up out of the water; it is wrapped around him, under his arms.
“Well holy shit! Ha Ha Ha,” Hicks laughs into the com, “I can’t believe I just lassoed your ass! I’ve never lassoed anything in my life! You’re one lucky son-of-a-bitch Fedoseev!! Just hang tight and I’ll try to pull you up and out.” Hicks had come out, figuring Fedoseev would need help climbing up out of the ravine, as their aerial pictures revealed it to be pretty steep. He just
Chapter 17: Glistening Lion
F or Doctor Fedoseev, it was like a never ending nightmare, as he suddenly realized the dazzling sunlight dancing up ahead of him was rushing water. Only now, it does seemed like the nightmare is about to come to a quick end; but not very pleasantly. It was as if someone opened a floodgate, releasing thousands - no - millions or maybe billions of liters of water. It all seems to be in slow motion for him now, as he desperately turns the rover sharply up the ravine’s bank on his right, but to no avail. It doesn’t have enough battery power to climb even three meters before it peters to a stop, with a red battery indicator flashing on a control panel. He desperately fumbles with the seat harness for a few seconds, to unfasten it, and then climbs across the passenger seat and leaps off the rover onto the steep bank, sinking the cleats of his boots into the icy surface.
He looks to his left and sees the rushing water, which strangely, resembles a huge glistening lion, charging towards him. The splashes of water off the banks look like giant legs and paws, running at full tilt, and in the center, a huge head suddenly appears and then explodes, only to reappear over and over again. Fedoseev digs his gloved fingers into the ice and grabs onto any extruding piece of ice he can find, while digging his cleats in as best as he can, to avoid slipping back down. He is only about two meters from the top now, but the rushing water is nearly upon him.
“Eagle-2, this Fedoseev!” he desperately yells into the com, while frantically trying to climb to the top. “Vater rushing through ravine!”
He grabs a large ice chuck, sticking out near the top of the bank; it has a decent indentation, which may be an adequate handle and then he holds on for dear life. The roaring water envelops the rover below him, never to be seen again except for a single tire, which shoots up out of the water. Two of the sample buckets make a few quick appearances as they are violently swept away.
He hears Hicks on the com, “Fedoseev, I copy, where are you?” But he can’t respond as a huge wave of water splashes over him, sweeping his feet out from under him; but he holds tight. He manages to dig his cleats in again, just when another wave washes over him with tremendous force. Suddenly, his hand slips off of his ice handle and he is pulled into the water. He simply closes his eyes and lets his body go limp, trying to put himself at peace, waiting for the end.
Abruptly, his eyes snap open as he stops moving with a jerk and the water starts rapidly rushing past him. He was facing upward, flowing feet-first down the stream, but now suddenly he flips over as something has a hold of him and he slams into the side of the bank. He looks up and sees a taunt rope extending up out of the water; it is wrapped around him, under his arms.
“Well holy shit! Ha Ha Ha,” Hicks laughs into the com, “I can’t believe I just lassoed your ass! I’ve never lassoed anything in my life! You’re one lucky son-of-a-bitch Fedoseev!! Just hang tight and I’ll try to pull you up and out.” Hicks had come out, figuring Fedoseev would need help climbing up out of the ravine, as their aerial pictures revealed it to be pretty steep. He just
Similar Books
