CHAPTER TWENTY

THE EMPTY ROOM

Camp One, before the planned April 1981 launch

The first civilian apartments were finished before the civilians were ready to leave Earth.

Twenty-five apartments.

Thirteen had names assigned to them.

Morel stood in the new residential corridor with the working manifest in his hand, checking the numbers above the doors.

“One for each name on the manifest.”

Li checked the construction sheet.

“Thirteen assigned. Twelve available.”

“Available for whom?”

“Whoever comes next.”

“And if nobody comes?”

“Then we have twelve empty apartments.”

“On Mars.”

“Yes.”

“That might be a first.”

The apartments were nearly identical. Fifteen square metres each, with a bed, desk, storage, kitchenette cabinet and compact private bathroom. None had a window. Each had a small personal panel for photographs and belongings, so residents would not have to drill into the walls.

Shaw had approved the design after remembering the original crews sleeping in crowded barracks. These newcomers would have somewhere to close a door.

The twelve unassigned apartments gave the settlement room to grow. Further habitat components were expected aboard the civilian ship, although the next phase would depend on available labour, power and supplies.

Alina contributed a small plant for the common corridor.

Li objected to the water use.

She ignored him.

Chinatown contributed a painted red sign wishing the newcomers luck.

Morel added a coffee machine assembled from three broken units.

The machine leaked.

Voss repaired it.

The civilians had not yet left Earth and were already causing work.