It’s sol three of being trapped in the Hab. Our first sol without the puzzle to keep us sane. The snow shows no intention of melting in time for us to be able to EVA tomorrow. My crewmates have reported seeing a mouse-sized Martian creature in the Hab. It may very well be a mirage. A fire alarm went off in the RAM (Repair & Assembly Module) and we rejoiced having something interesting happen. Luckily, it was a false alarm.
Sanctuary has been found in the digital realm. The six of us rotated around playing Super Smash Bros., abusing our four controllers with incessant button mashing. It’s strange how much release can be derived from those random AABB button combos – but hey, I’d rather we take it all out on Jigglypuff than on each other.
However, contrary to the picture I’ve just painted, we aren’t completely aimless. Shefali and LuzMa both have research projects that can be performed from the confines of the Hab. The rest of us have been helping out as much as we can, but one requires taking readings over long spans of time and the other is a psychological study, so they are both slow boils.
Jonathan also has big ambitions for us to reorganize the GreenHab tomorrow if we are inhibited from EVAing. It appears the current agricultural arrangement is inefficient and even detrimental to the growth of a few of the young plants. I’m excited because the Save the Sprouts Initiative offers the rest of us something to occupy our hands and minds.
The sun has decided it’s had enough of tag-teaming our retinas with the snow and has begun to hibernate behind the Martian hills. We are winding down with our reports as the aroma of dinner being assembled fills the air. I think we can rest easy tonight knowing we have been the most productive we possibly can in spite of the red planet’s attempts to keep us constricted. You can stop us from stretching our legs, but you can’t stop science! If nothing else, we have survived another day on this alien world, once thought unfit for human life.
