-This is the kind of situation we always get ourselves into because of you, -said Virginia, who walked quickly across the grass with an expression of frustration on her face.
-I told you it wasn't my fault that the antimatter reactor ran out, - answered Isaiah, as he tried to keep up with him as he dragged a large metal container with a small hand lift.
-Of course it's your fault, it's your responsibility as a pilot to check that all the ship's checkpoints were met before leaving Dione harbour, -she replied, turning and looking at him with her face red with anger.
-The service reviews are done by the port engineering authority, not me, I am only in charge of receiving the results of the evaluation, - replied Isaiah, stopping when he saw Virginia's expression -. I only verify that everything was in conformity and if there are recommendations or warnings, I communicate them to the workshop so that they can carry out the corresponding work; and there was nothing to do, according to the engineering report...
-Shut up now, I don't want to listen to your excuses anymore, -she replied, turning around and continuing her walk up the hill.
The antimatter reactor suddenly ran out, so in an escape capsule they had to go to the moon in the process of terraforming a giant planet to shelter themselves while they received help.
They descended following the signal from the lighthouse of the main node of the terraformation network, with the intention of taking shelter in it. Now, after leaving the capsule at the foot of a hill on which the node stood, they hurriedly walked, as it quickly began to darken as the gigantic silhouette of the planet set itself between the hills to the east of where they were.
On the hill, with one side plunged into the deepest darkness, while the other was lightly illuminated by the dim amber light reflected by the already almost hidden planet, was the node, a building, completely alone, without any lighting and almost completely closed, with the exception of a sector intended to serve as accommodation for environmental engineers who for reasons of work need to shelter in it while completing their tasks.
After five days of waiting to be rescued, they decided to try to enter the central room of the node to try to send a message through the satellite messages orbiting the moon. After requesting authorization from the IA of terraformation, they were able to access the emergency communications system through the external panel.
-Please, LUCY sends the message through the messaging satellite to the nearest relay station - said Isaiah, after recording a message explaining the situation and requesting to be rescued.
After several minutes of no response from LUCY, an error code appeared on the panel screen.
-It's not possible to broadcast the message, the satellite seems to be offline, -said LUCY -such seems that its radio battery has run out.
-How long has it been since this planet has been visited by environmental engineers? -Isaiah asked.
-The transformation of this planet was suspended two thousand three hundred and four years ago, - said LUCY -. The next review of parameters will be carried out when the two thousand five hundred years have passed, when it will be verified whether it is resumed or postponed for another equal period of time.
-Damn it, how is that possible, well we'll have to wait for them to receive the signal from our lighthouse radio, -said Isaiah, turning to see Virginia.
-Then we'll have to keep waiting, how long will it take for the signal to be received? -she asked.
-Well, the relay station is twenty light days from here more or less, hence it should be delayed in a data packet across the bridge to the nearest emergency service perhaps ten or twenty days more and after that, the time it takes for the rescue ship to come, like three or four more days, should be no more than fifty days, forty-five discounting the five we already have here, -said Isaiah.
-Damn it, forty-five more days of waiting. What shall we do in the meantime? -asked Virginia.
-I don't know, we'll figure something out, it'll be a bit of a walk to see what's interesting here, -he said -. LUCY, please tell me why was the terraformation of this moon suspended," he asked, addressing the LUCY panel this time.
-The planet's intense magnetic field affects communications, no form of electromagnetic emission can be used to communicate with space outside the area of influence of its field, only data packets sent by mechanical means can be used to transmit messages.
-And how great is the influence of the planet's magnetic field? -Isaiah asks.
-Boat beyond the five satellites, almost to the asteroid belt, -answered LUCY.
-Shit!, it can't be, what a disaster! - exclaimed Isaiah, clearly altered.
-What happened, what does that mean?- asked Virginia.
-That we'll have to wait longer, -he replied.
-It can't be, how much longer? -she said, heartbroken.
-About two hundred years more, - replied Isaiah.
