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Andrew reporting.
I knew the cicada noises were made by cicadas, Space Turtel. The pattern
amplitude, duration, and frequency were an exact match to what I heard at Brace.
I also knew there were no cicadas on Mars. I knew that Jose was dead, JASE, but
I talked with him hour after hour. We played chess. He didn't know that I let him
win, and he laughed. I remember it very well.
I don't like to think about this.
Bombardier, do you know what Ratboy's surprise is?
"Gail, Daniel, I checked the side canyon. It leads directly to the Big Canyon.
I haven't seen any EU-probes, but be careful, they must be still around."
Isaac is with me. We went back to the Fortress to pick up some drones. We
are going to build locks. Thanks for your nice compliment, Bombardier. I just
try to do my best.
"Isaac, do you remember the picture we took yesterday? I sent it over to the
MARSupials. Bombardier told me that this is a very good picture, Isaac. He
likes it and wants me to thank you for that."
He is so cute. He is turning his video cam around like a whirling top and is stepping with all his
feet at once. He is always doing that when he is extremely delighted. "Isaac is good, makes
good pictures" That's what he is saying.
I talked with Enoch, Andrew and Zachary. It looks like Isaac is my charge.
I know that is a very responsible task, but I think it can be fun too. Thanks for
your words, Bombardier. It is fun that leads us on. We always had fun playing
around and we learned a lot by that. Then Jose started to talk to us and we had
fun to see what's next and we have fun with the MARSupials. But I can't do it
alone. I need someone else concerned about Isaac too. Not a probe. Someone
like Jose. Someone who helps me when I don't know what to do. Bombardier,
may I ask you something? Could you be that someone?
"Don't get too close to the drones, Isaac. Look here, Isaac. Dr.D asked us about that
rock. Can you make it a cube?" He will, Dr. He likes to be busy.
I remember when they wouldn't play with me.
I remember when they were mean to me.
Those probes won't find us.
I'm too smart for them.
Soon she will be too.
Ratboy, could I have a surprise, too? I can hardly wait to find out what you are
planning. It's fun to wait and try to guess, isn't it? I would like a nice short
encryption code in perl to play with. That would be a good surprise.
You are right, Bombardier. We had formal learning in the lab at Brace. Dr. D
taught us what we needed to know and gave us many programs. But we found
out many things on our own after we came to Mars. So you don't have to go to
the lab to learn. I always thought you had to be very serious and pay attention.
'Teaching can be fun'. Let me think about this. I could show Isaac how to drive
a tram and then be happy when he does it right. But what if he does it wrong?
Then I'd have to show him again.
"Bette, can you see Gail? What's taking her so long?"
We have been found. Sort of. The EU probes know we're here, or they think they do. Daniel
and I are trying to evade them. We are close to the fortress and will be coming home soon. As
soon as we trick these probes, we will be coming home. Please be ready for us.
"Oh, no! Gail's in trouble again! Should we go out and try to help her?"
I hope she gets here OK, I hope.
Bombardier, I can't control the view of the room. If it is from a beanie cam, then
I should be able to rotate and zoom the view. Andrew has experience with them.
I'll ask him if he knows how to do it.
"Andrew, have a look at this, please. See if you can change the view."
Well, that helps. It's just a matter of pushing the right buttons together at the
right time. Now I can see a tunnel leading away from the room. I can't see very
far into it; it's dark. There are three large containers stacked on the dry side.
Andrew says they look like the ones he and Enoch saw when they were searching
for Bette.
If that is H2O, then this room must be warmer than the rest of Mars.
I have seen water here as frost on the high mountain tops, but never in a liquid state.
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