Orion Crest, Series_2

Chapter 167: Sleipnir

　　Just as the Lunar Orbital Construction Committee was gearing up for the advancement of the site from lunar orbit to the lunar surface, a month had passed since the Tim had left Mars' circling orbit and embarked on its return voyage.

　　As far as Tevye was concerned, he had basically adapted to life here, where there was clean bedding, plenty of oxygen, and warm, tasty food. For him, after more than a month of suffering in the closed and cramped experimental area of the New Virginia colony with no private space, everything here was simply heaven.

　　The French, in particular, were much better at bathing than NASA. The entire bathroom was a cylinder about one man high and two paces wide, simulating the gravitational environment of Earth through the centrifugal acceleration provided by high-speed rotation around a fixed axis. After starting the device, lying in it is like in the bathtub of your own bathroom, and those water droplets that should be floating around are also peacefully "sticky" on the bulkhead, not flying everywhere. After cleaning your body, the air vents on the outside of the bulkhead will use strong winds to pump out every drop of water inside the cylinder, which will slow down and stop only after the humidity inside the device has dropped to a normal value.

　　Such an extravagant bathing method was unimaginable for a BFS ship. Of course, this also has been associated with the fact that, for the French, electricity is something that doesn't cost anything, and the abundant power makes it so that the airship doesn't need to be finicky about its energy use ......

　　If there was one thing on the entire ship that made Tevye a little unhappy, it was the lack of freedom. He couldn't even leave his room except for bath and mealtimes.

　　Standing behind the isolation door, Tevye looked at Johnson in the opposite room and asked, "How long before we can return to Earth?"

　　Johnson, who was sitting on his bunk and flipping through a book, didn't look up and casually said back. "Maybe a month and a half, maybe two months ...... or longer."

　　Since this captain didn't seem very interested in himself, Tevye shrugged, "Why do you think those Frenchmen won't let us go out and about? Are they still afraid that we-"

　　"Because it's not certain if you're carrying bacteria or viruses or anything like that from Mars, and there's no way for the ship to give you an all-round check." Interrupting him from the side, Tognini, who was wearing a cabin spacesuit, came over carrying a lunch box.

　　Looking at the French astronaut, who was planning to leave after delivering his meal, Tevye craned his neck and shouted behind him, "Hey mate, would you guys consider setting up a game console in the cabin? Not everyone likes to pass the time by reading a book!"

　　Ignoring the yelling behind him, Tognini disappeared into the doorway of the passenger cabin.

　　Glancing at the closed and locked cabin door, Tevye suddenly recalled the words the French astronaut had said earlier and realised a horrifying detail. In a tone that carried a hint of trembling, he said. "Captain ...... If there are microorganisms or bacteria on Mars that are not found on Earth, wouldn't that mean that we ......"

　　"Don't think too much," turning the page of the book in his hand, Johnson skimmed his lips as if he had heard a not-so-funny joke and said casually, "Thinking too much will only get you fucked up. What's more, it's only a possibility, not a certainty."

　　Tevye hammered both fists on the heavy door panel in anger. "Shit! What are we? Lab rats?"

　　......

　　It was roughly the 50th day since the Tim had begun its return voyage from Mars orbit that the grey moon with the azure blue behind it gradually appeared out the porthole.