Forty-Eighth Entry

March 10^th, 2037

1930

Dear Space Diary.

Déjà vu, we meet again.

Lightdog, for reasons unknown, has now stolen my ship while I am in it.

Twice.

Last time, it was my hated faster than light capsule, which I’ve found I need to get back if NASA are ever going to find it again.

This time, it’s the Zubrin, the first ship ever to go to Mars, and less publicised the first ship ever to promptly vanish after getting to Mars and be found twenty years later on an alien planet it should not be on.

NASA seem less surprised by this than they should. I’d pester them further, but I’ve had more immediate concerns.

Oh yes, like the fact that I’ve been stolen. Again.

I’m not sure I understand this one, though. I get the impression I was tossed down here in the rubbish cave because I was considered “litter”, and therefore had to be cleaned up. All well and good, by which I mean neither well or good, but can follow the logic at least.

So why would I be picked up again? I’m already rubbish. And where am I being taken?

Well, Lightdog?

1932

He’s not answering.

1935

We’re flying pretty slowly. The Zubrin’s a lot bigger and probably heavier than my old ship. I’ve probably put on a few kilos thanks to all this paste, too. Oh, and the lack of exercise.

I think, though, that we’re heading towards the mouth of the tube I destroyed.

Probably a bit too high to jump from, even in lower gravity. Broken legs don’t sound inviting at the best of times, let alone now.

Can see the rubble a bit clearer from up here. The whole thing looks a little less chaotic from up here. Rocks are thrown down by Lightdogs, and the tubes hoover them up.

This strikes me as a very mundane thing. First contact with Alien life. Do I find a warship, or a high tech, computerised city?

Nope, I find the local recycling centre. Just great.

1940

Tube is a long way up. Lightdog seems to be struggling a little to lift the Zubrin, but we’re still rising, so he’s managing it.

We’re very nose heavy it seems. Front of the ship is hanging down quite strongly, meaning the floor’s on quite a tilt.

Seems odd. I’m no engineer but I would have expected the back to be heavier, since it’s full of engines and rockets. I know the fuel tanks are probably empty, but still.

1945

Checking out the back of the ship. This is really weird. The engines are tiny. No way could they have used this to escape Earth. They must have had booster rockets and dumped them once they took off.

So, how was the Zubrin going to take off from Mars?

In fact it’s pretty empty back here. Just rows and rows of empty racks labelled “Processing Units 1-100.”

I wonder what happened to them.

1948

We’re in the tube.