Page 8 of Hidden
"THAT'S BREATHTAKING!" Jordan shouts from the back row as the Pinnacle comes into view. He's right. Even after seeing this natural wonder dozens of times, it still makes my heart beat faster. What I've christened the Pinnacle is one large stone spire reaching high up into the sky. All around it are smaller columns, sharpened at the ends like arrows. The sun lights up the smooth surface of the Pinnacle, turning it into a fiery spear pointing at the vastness of space that sits beyond the thin layer of dusty clouds.
"It's beautiful," Bastian whispers next to me, his voice catching in his throat. I turn around to look at Toby, but he seems too stunned to say anything.
"Want to go outside?" I ask, already putting my helmet back on.
I'm not really giving them a choice, but they all get ready anyway. When everyone has their helmet on again, I depressurise the cabin and open the side door of the rover. It's always a bit of a squeeze to get in and out with our large suits, but I'm practiced at it. The men, not so much. I can't help but laugh as I see them try and climb out of the rover without falling or getting stuck.
When it's Toby's turn, I take pity on him and help him out. He's not fat, but bulky and to make things worse, his suit may be a size too large. And then there’s the problem of his useless arm, of course. It’s in a sling around his chest, unusable and a constant reminder of what I did.
Once we're all out in the open, I lead the guys towards a spot at the bottom of the Pinnacle. Tiny sand devils are racing across the flat land behind us, like children chasing each other. The stone formations are the only major landmark for miles around. Everything else is flat, an endless waste.
That's why they chose this place to land and build the station. There was no danger of crashing on mountains or falling into craters. And even though it sounds boring, it's not.
It's beautiful.
"How high are they?" Toby asks in wonder, staring up at the Pinnacle.
"About five hundred feet, I think. It's amazing that it's still standing. Some of the others look like they've cracked and fallen at some point, but the Pinnacle survives."
"The last survivor," Jordan says quietly. He looks at the stones in reverence. I wouldn't be surprised if he fell on his knees to worship them, judging from the expression on his face. But I'm sure I looked the same when I first saw this place.
The Pinnacle is alien, different, unnatural. It's beautiful in a wild, scary way, where you never quite know if it will still be there the next time you come.
"Now I know why you wanted to come here," Bastian says and casually puts an arm around my shoulders. With the suits, it's not as much touch as I would like, but I love how normal he makes the gesture feel. Like we're friends.
"I actually started writing a research paper on it," I explain, "but with the virus and the Drowning happening, I never got to finish it. This is any geologist's wet dream."
I stop abruptly, embarrassed at my choice of words. While I was on my own, I did a lot of swearing, but I've tried to limit that to a minimum now that I'm no longer alone.
"Hopefully once everything is settled on Earth, they'll want you to continue your research," Jordan reassures me, but I know it's just a farce. Nothing will be settled ever again down there. Cities have drowned, their infrastructure is collapsing, millions of people are dying. There will be no need for geological research anymore, least of all about Mars.
But I like how Jordan is trying to stay positive. I should try and do that myself. I've been gloomy for far too long.
"How did they stay hidden?" Toby asks. "Didn't they see it on satellite images?"
"It didn't show. It's too thin to be seen from space, so it was only once we arrived that we discovered it."
"It's spectacular!" Bastian is lying on the ground, looking up at the spire from this unusual angle. "It seems as if it's going to fall any second."
"Better you than me, mate," Jordan laughs and pretends to jump away from Bastian.
They're right though, it does look like it's about to topple over. But it's been the same ever since I first saw it, and all my measurements say that it's stable. For once, my training comes in handy.
"How about a picnic?" Toby asks and I break out laughing.
"What?" he asks, dumbfounded.
In response, I hold up my gloved hands and wiggle my fingers, then point at my helmet.
Jordan begins to laugh as well, but Toby still seems confused.
"We can't eat in our suits, you dumbo," Bastian grins, lazily looking up from the ground. "We'll have to eat in the rover."
Finally, the penny drops and Toby chuckles. "It'll take some getting used to," he mutters. "On Earth, we always had picnics on Sundays."
Immediately, the mood lessens, as if the sun is disappearing behind clouds. Except that there aren't any. The sun is still here, but it doesn't feel as warm anymore.
Rule #1 of living together on Mars: no talk of Earth while in a group of people. You don't want to make others homesick. It's alright to talk one to one, if the other person is okay with that. But don't ever mention how much you miss home in front of others. It kills the mood. It makes people sad. And sad people are dangerous on a space colony.
