Dead on Mars

“Dismantle! Dismantle! Dismantle everything—!” Tomcat waved its paws like a supervisor in charge of dismantling and demotion. “We shall be remodeling this shantytown! Leave nothing behind!”

“OK!” Mai Dong had her head burrowed inside the command module of the Eagle lander, a screwdriver held between her lips. A tool bag hung from her as she switched on a torch. “The fourth nut has been removed. It’s labeled MOYU-2A.”

The girl used her arm to clasp the torchlight as she stuffed the floating screw into her bag. This was the last screw on the protective cap. After removing it, she could see the socket that the seat was connected to the floor. Mai Dong was in the midst of dismantling the chairs in the Eagle lander’s command module. To reduce as much weight as possible, Tomcat required her to dismantle every nonessential object in the Eagle.

The lander’s command module had a total of six seats, and the two seats in front of the control panel were the Commander and co-pilot. The remaining four seats were passenger seats.

All Mai Dong needed was one seat; therefore, the other five needed to be dismantled.

“Mr. Cat, where do I place the dismantled seats?” Mai Dong wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel. “These seats are huge and bulky.”

“Place them in the Silent module for now. Find something secure them. After you dismantle all of them, we can them outside,” Tomcat replied.

“Throw them outside?” Mai Dong asked. “Are we just going to push them out?”

“That will be too dangerous. They might end up colliding with the space station’s solar panels. When tossing out the trash, we need to use the arm to push it far away.”

Mai Dong dismantled the seat and pulled it towards the spacecraft’s APAS.

“A seat is twenty kilograms. Five seats will have a mass of a hundred kilograms. Just rounding things up would be a ton.” Tomcat held a pen in its mouth as it leaned back into the chair. “This is quite a considerable number. The Eagle’s Ascent Vehicle has a total mass of fifteen tonnes. That’s reducing it by one-fifteenth.”

Tang Yue couldn’t be bothered with Tomcat as long as it didn’t round up numbers during its calculations.

“After the dismantling work is done, how much lighter will the Eagle be?” Tang Yue sat opposite Tomcat and was writing “Contemporary Art Development.”

Tomcat moved the mouse as it spun the Eagle’s construction model on the screen. “Dismantling what we can, is to reduce its mass. It’s also for safety. When the spacecraft descends, it will definitely experience immense shockwaves. This is like hitting a car in the rear. Just a seatbelt and airbag is insufficient. We need to remove all the components that might threaten the passenger. Otherwise, a tiny piece of plastic at high speeds could be as damaging as a sharp knife.”

As it used the mouse to label the different parts of the lander’s model red, Tomcat said, “80% of the Eagle’s mass comes from its structure, which is that shell. In harsh environments, it’s the only shield that can protect Miss Mai Dong. Apart from the shell, everything else is unnecessary.

“Twelve tonnes?

“Thirteen tonnes, perhaps,” Tomcat said. “Adding those seats that should add up to a ton.”

“Are we not keeping things like the control computer and life support system?”

“No.” Tomcat shook its head. “It’s useless keeping them because the batteries and compression tanks have to be removed. Without any power supply, any electronic product is just a heavy brick. Miss Mai Dong will have to rely on her EVA suit for life support.”

“But the problem is that the EVA suit can’t last that long. It can’t sustain itself.”

“Eight hours. As long as she holds out for eight hours,” Tomcat said in a deep voice. “I’ll try my best to have Orion descend in a radius of thirty kilometers around Kunlun Station. Then, we will dismantle Kunlun Station’s batteries and drive the Mars Wanderer to save her. We need to save that lady even if we end up destroying the Wanderer.”

Tang Yue stopped what he was doing. “If we aren’t even able to keep the communications system, doesn’t that mean that once attitude is lost… the risks would be immense?”

“The entire plan is risky to begin with. How does a loss of communication matter?” Tomcat said. “The descent process’s control and navigation are left to Orion’s computer. I believe that it can persist to the end. As for the Eagle, it doesn’t need to do anything. Except protect Miss Mai Dong.”

Tang Yue let out a sigh.

“After this plan is carried out, we will probably have nothing except Kunlun Station.”

“This is the cost of saving her. You are using all the resources in hand to exchange for the survival of another person. I’ve told you before what the pioneers from years ago did. They used hundreds if not thousands of tonnes of propellant and rockets just to achieve that tiny rounding error,” Tomcat said. “Life itself is far more important than Orion and the space station.”

Soon, Mai Dong dismantled the second seat. She was fast and rather efficient, having honed her skills as a handyman over this period of time.

“Miss Mai Dong, take note. You must ensure that no component is missing. The command module mustn’t have any loose or free components. Got it?”

Mai Dong pushed the seat into the Silent module and turned to enter the APAS. “We are leaving everything behind?”

“Yes.” Tomcat nodded. “During the descent, these might be a serious safety hazard. In the final stage of the landing, the lander will experience a violent impact. A loose screw from the shock can be stronger than a gun’s bullet.”

“Alright, got it.”

Mai Dong began dismantling the third seat in accordance with the order given by Tomcat—removing the seats first followed by the inner lining, and finally the computers and control panel. In extreme conditions, the buttons and switches on the control panel were potential killers that threatened the girl’s life. It was best if Mai Dong could empty out the entire command module.

“Mr. Cat, what about the supplies?”

“Supplies?”

“There’s still some food and water in the space station. Also, can I bring the tomatoes and plants I grow along?”

“Probably not.” Tomcat shook its head. “Miss Mai Dong, we need to prioritize your life. The rest are secondary… To be honest, we can’t ensure your safety even if we try our best. Bringing along anything else will greatly increase the uncertainties involved. I ask for your understanding.”

The water and food in the space station couldn’t be brought along. Other than Mai Dong, Tomcat didn’t plan on having the Eagle carry any other living beings. There was a strong requirement for Orion II’s attitude stabilization, and any slight deviations might cause a crash; therefore, the spacecraft’s center of mass couldn’t be affected by anything.

The food and water inside the cargo bay might sway during the high-altitude descent; thus destroying the balance.

It was during such times that every kilogram counted.

“I understand.”

“Come on, Tomcat. There’s always room for discussion. Perhaps there we can figure out something.” Tang Yue interjected. He knew that Mai Dong had deep feelings for the plants. Getting Mai Dong to abandon ship alone was like a mother abandoning her child. “If it’s really impossible, Mai Dong can bring the remaining seeds down. The mature plants and other things will have to remain, but carrying the seeds in her pocket shouldn’t matter. We can always grow them when they are brought down.”

“Yeah.” Mai Dong nodded.

Tomcat cast an exasperated gaze over the table as it took out its earpiece. “Tang Yue, the safest choice is to not bring anything.”

“I know.” Tang Yue took off the earpiece. “However, the plants are also precious Earthlings. If we can save a life, we should save it. Do you know what I’ve figured out having spent so much time here on Mars?”

“What?”

“I’m not more privileged than a tomato. Our value in life is equivalent,” Tang Yue replied. “A plant is only a few grams. Will keeping it in a pocket matter that much?”

Tomcat observed Tang Yue before compromising a few seconds later.

“Alright. It’s true that it doesn’t matter that much… but apart from the seeds, nothing else is to be brought along.”