CSR Surveillance Mission #2

[equinosz]

Alexander nodded. He turned back for a second, and only saw the top of the ice moving away on the vehicle.

We will examine you as fast as we get back to the Equinox.

The captain took on the lead, and set out deeper in the cave. As they moved along it could be clearly seen that the ice walls were nearing them, although very slowly, and even a smaller shuttle could move in with ease.

-Seems like there's a lot less sulfur here. See, the ice is more bluish than outside.

After about 10 minutes walking the walls became so near, that they had to bend. Suddenly the captain stopped, and Alexander eventually bumped in him, pushing a few meters ahead. That proved to be almost a deadly few meters. The cave expanded into a huge chamber with a very thin ledge.

-Watch out Alex! You almost killed me! -shouted Roy.

-What?

-Just look... - the captain took out a flare, and dropped in the hole. The flare was falling during seconds, until it couldn't be seen.

-How deep is this thing?

-No idea. Better take a scanning.

-Oh my... This tunnel leads down to 20 kilometers! Amazing. And what's more, there's some liquid water down there! But how's that possible?

-We should find it out. Let's take some smaller samples, and head back to the Equinox. Do we have something to send down there?

-Unfortunately no. This tunnel is wide enough for a smaller shuttle, but we can't get it in here. And the radar shows no other possible route. Anyway, let's gather those samples, and we can talk about what to do next back at the Equinox.

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Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.