Thirty-Ninth Entry

March 10^th, 2037

1610

Dear Space Diary.

What are these things?

They’re huge, whatever they are. Giant and metallic (but, like everything else around here, still pinkish), they’ve burst out of every (and I mean every) cave and entry in the walls and roof, and smashed straight into the rock pile, which I originally had thought was pretty large, but seems pretty small in comparison to these things.

And there’s hundreds of them. Almost the entire pile is covered, with a only a small gap here and there. It’s a mercy I wasn’t crushed.

...They don’t seem to be doing anything either. I’m not entirely sure what the point of the giant metal noodle frenzy was.

Unless it was freaking me out. in which case, mission accomplished.

1615

Door closed, back inside. In 60 minutes I’m out of here and finding my ship and then getting the hell out of here, however I can.

Sorry Mary. I’d bring you with me, but you’re kind of creepy. Although admittedly you wouldn’t take up much space. You’re very compact these days.

I wonder how you died. I didn’t get very far in the logs before I was interrupted.

1625

NASA just messaged. They’ve been hard at work on a solution for my ball of light predicament, and have a solution. Based on my entries, they’ve devised a theory that their “fetching” could in fact be a reflex action. Given where they’ve dropped me, they could in fact be alien garbage men, simply cleaning up the mess I made by crashing on their planet.

If I threw something for them to recover, it might distract them long enough to make a break for it before they “recover” me.

1630

Wrote back to NASA, telling them they have in fact missed the boat on this one, and I have an entirely new problem now involving giant pink metal tubes, and did they have any bright ideas on this one?

1645

Been reading over the Zubrin’s logs. The ship started intercepting signals shortly after Mary reached orbit around Mars, which were important a) because they were possible evidence of intelligent life and b) because they scrambled her guidance systems, sending her hurtling off course.

I deeply sympathise, Mary.

15 minutes and I’m going outside.

1652

Something’s happening.

1653

Back in the cockpit. I can hear a rumbling, now. Getting louder. The rocks are shaking.

1655

Ow, that’s really loud now. Starting to hurt my ears. I’m not sure I can stand it if it gets much louder.

1658

Well, on the bright side, turns out I can stand higher volumes. On the downside, OW.

The rocks are shaking more and more violently.

Wait. They’re moving. And I’m being dragged with them.

1659

We’re moving towards the tubes. It’s vacuuming the rocks up. And me as well.

Hurry up NASA.

1702

<INCOMING TRANSMISSIONS>

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THAT’S A TOUGH ONE. WE’LL HAVE TO THINK. STAY PUT.

__

<END TRANSMISSION>

If I die, NASA, I’m going to kill you.