Starship Legacy: A Novel by Not Elon Musk

14.

The workshop smelled of hot electronics and lubricant when Luke arrived. Ben stood next to the modified rover, which now resembled a small tank more than its original streamlined design. Extra antenna arrays sprouted from its frame like metallic quills, and the new sampling arm gleamed under the overhead lights.

"Had to make a few adjustments," Ben said, wiping his hands on an already-stained cloth. "Added some shock absorbers to protect the more sensitive equipment. And..." he pointed to a series of small devices attached to the rover's sides, "these are our relay beacons. It'll drop them automatically every hundred meters to maintain communication."

Luke circled the rover, noting the reinforced treads and additional power cells. "How's the battery life?"

"Should get about six hours of continuous operation." Ben patted the rover's chassis proudly. "Plus, I installed a backup system that'll automatically return it to base if power drops below twenty percent. Not taking any chances with our new toy getting stuck down there."

Mark appeared in the doorway, tablet in hand as usual. "Tremor patterns are holding steady. We've got a four-hour window before the next significant vibration cycle. Optimal time for initial exploration."

Ben's eyes lit up, but Luke held up a hand before he could speak. "We do this by the book. Full systems check first, then a short-range test of all the new equipment. If everything checks out, we can think about sending it into the tube."

"Already started the diagnostics," Ben said, gesturing to a screen filled with scrolling data. "Should be done in about twenty minutes."

Luke nodded, watching the numbers flow past. They were all eager to explore the lava tube, but rushing could mean losing their best chance at mapping it properly. One equipment failure, one missed safety check, and Houston might shut down the whole project.

"Mark, set up a dedicated monitoring station. I want every piece of data this thing sends back recorded and analyzed." Luke turned to Ben. "And make sure Sarah gets direct access to the soil sampling results. Knowing her, she's already planning what to plant down there."

"Way ahead of you," Ben replied, tapping a few commands into his tablet. "Set up a separate data stream just for her environmental readings."

The diagnostics terminal beeped, showing all systems nominal. Ben's grin widened as he grabbed the rover's control pad. "Want to take it for a spin? Just around the workshop, of course. Strictly for testing purposes."

Luke found himself smiling back. Sometimes it was easy to forget that beneath their professional exterior, they were all still explorers at heart. The prospect of discovering something new, of pushing their boundaries just a little further, never got old.

"Alright," he said, "show me what this thing can do."

The rover hummed to life, its sensors blinking in sequence as Ben guided it carefully between workbenches and storage containers. Despite its bulky modifications, it moved with surprising grace, each new component working in perfect harmony with the original design.

Mark watched from his corner, his usual stoic expression softened by interest. Even he couldn't quite hide his excitement about what they might find beneath the Martian surface. The lava tube represented more than just a scientific curiosity – it was a chance to carve out a real future on this harsh planet.

Luke's comm unit chirped. Sarah's voice came through, tinged with barely contained enthusiasm. "Luke? You need to see these latest mineral analysis results. I think we might have just hit the jackpot."

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