Journalist report sol 7
Each report brings more of the same nouns—rocks, drones, photos, bread, monolith—but even a day off of EVAs for the Journalist can’t prevent strange events from making their way into the report. An early EVA sent our Engineer and Commander out for another Monolith triangulation session with various compasses; beyond getting more information, they also found small Monolith-like rocks near their perch. Whether those were offerings, representations, or offspring, we’re not sure. Our Engineer went on a second EVA with our HSO in the afternoon. It was a journey in high winds during the traveling portions. The goal was to 3D scan some rocks and take photos, and once up at the Overlook things seemed to stagnate—no “new rocks,” per se, so no scanning—before becoming strange. A van of aliens parked some distance away eventually approached the crew, letting them know their back tire had been stuck in a hard-dirt divot. (This despite their rented van company being called "Escape Camper Vans.") They needed help; conveniently for simulation’s sake, the rovers weren’t enough to haul them out, so Mission Support was called and dispatched. Allegedly the van-life aliens are going to donate to the Mars Society out of gratitude for the haul—someone should keep an eye on this.
The crew Journalist finished some Terran work, set up her soil desiccation project’s lab stage, and prepared a dinner she admittedly was not confident would be good until it was complete: a simple congee with peas and corn, topped with soy-glazed Spam. (While she was worried Spam “Lite” would be inferior to regular Spam, she’s been pleasantly surprised at the dupe.) The HSO had also made our best loaf of bread yet with apples and spices.
After eating, the crew completed their sixth 100cameras module, which revealed more about the broad arcs of our lives. And, for the third day in a row since a kind but firm warning by our Commander, we’ve used a respectable amount of water and should be in the clear by the end of the mission, knock on wood.
We’re realizing that we need to start finishing projects, collecting results, executing final goals for dinners, and preparing to tear down the GreenHab.