Eighty-Ninth Entry

March 16^th, 2037

1625

Dear Space Diary.

The mission parameter files have been unlocked. I can read them. Like, any time I want to. Any time at all. Now even. I could read them right now.

...I'm scared.

Not actually sure why, but I am nervous. There's clearly something cryptic that NASA has been hiding from me, artfully and masterfully hidden behind a veil of incompetence.

No, I'm pretty sure that was genuine.

1645

Well, it's a blessedly small 54 pages, instead of the 400 page document it was hidden within, but it's still a pretty dense read.

What I can make out so far is that the group that funded this mission (NASA still haven't said who) wanted to test out their new manufacturing systems. However certain laws at the time prevented them from carrying out tests on Earth. So they funded NASA to secretly launch their devices at Mars, under the pretext of the first human mission to another planet gone wrong.

Well, full points for determination I guess. Or stubbornness And being really, really rich. I guess they decided Mary was really, really rich.

I wonder what prevented them from building a city on Earth though? It's hardly illegal. In fact with the population levels as they are it's probably encouraged. We could all use a little extra leg room.

Also food.

In fact, why hasn't this nutritional paste been rolled out worldwide? Sure it's disgusting, but I know for a fact it's cheap to make. I've got enough on board hear to last me 50 years (I'm desperately hoping that was just generous overstocking on NASA's part). Plenty of people back home who are living like sardines. But without any actual sardines.

Probably a secret recipe or something. Bloody copyright.

1655

Strangely, for a secret plan to build a city on another planet, there doesn't seem to be much mention of, well, a city.

Hang on, I'll do a search.

Ctrl-F.

Oh good, that still works.

Enter Search word... c... i... t... y.

Searching, searching, searching, searching.

One match found.

ONE?! Really?

Footnote on page 37.

A city will be created by additional construction units to house manufacturing.

That's it. That's all it says. A city will be created... to house manufacturing. I thought the city WAS the manufacturing.

What's the footnote connected to...

1657

...Oh.

Oh my God.

I have to find Mary.

1700

Been a while since I've been outside without the suit. The air's worse than I remember.

She went that way, I think.

1702

...or was it that way? No, I'm sure it was this way.

1706

There she is! Just disappeared over the next hill. Mary!

1708

I don't understand it. She's gone. Where? She was here a moment ago

...Only 20 minutes until I need to be back inside. I should head back.

She'll come back. I'll talk to her then.

1711

Oh good! What a relief. She's back at the ship already, sitting inside reading the console.

...oh bugger.