tess. hi. it's me. how are you, sweetheart? it's the morning here. in a few minutes gerty and i will sit down for breakfast, go over the day's itinerary.
today begins my 154th week on selene. i officially have two weeks to go before i climb into that return vehicle.
and blast home.
i never dreamed i'd make it this far.
there were times, as you know.
when i thought i was going to crack up.
but i think i've come out the other side now.
in many ways, this place is all about contradictions.
it's bleak, it's beautiful.
it's barren, yet filled with riches.
the earth is thousands and thousands of miles away, but sometimes looks so close i feel like i could reach out and snatch it with my hand.
i'm incredibly lonely, yet i'm never alone.
because i have you.
and i have eve. i don't take you guys for granted. you know that now.
please kiss eve for me. and tell her daddy will only be away a little longer -- seventeen days longer, approximately. i love you both dearly. bye.
morning, gerty.
fine. fine. you?
much better, thanks, pal.
8:32 pacific time. lunar day 1. all harvesters running smoothly this morning. readouts are as follows: matthew, 14.6 miles; mark 16.8 miles.
gerty, we've got a live one on mark. i'm going out now to rope her in.
sam bell reporting to central. 10:14 pacific time. lunar day 1. overmeyers, thompson? it's sam. how goes it? i've got a full container of helium3 ready to roll. the purity is pretty good, so assuming your last market prices are still relevant i think you are looking at getting about 3 million dollars per kilo with this load. by the time this message reaches you it should be in transit. otherwise, everything running smoothly. there was a discrepancy between a couple of the n3000 modulators a couple of days ago, but gerty and i caught it in time, no big deal. uh. how are things down there?
oh, and i just wanted to thank you for sending out the football feed. almost felt live! seriously, i don't mean to be an asshole, but surely replacing one satellite cant be that fucking hard! i haven't been able to have a conversation with my wife.  my kid can talk now! fuck!
everything's fine, gerty.
why do you ask?
it's tess.
no, not exactly.
something doesn't feel right, that's all.
tess isn't responding to things.
right.
a couple of weeks ago i asked her if she wanted to go on vacation when i get back, and that i was thinking of either mexico or hawaii.
tess never said anything about it. three messages she's sent me since. and she's never once mentioned the vacation.
that's not the point. this is someone who lives for vacations and travelling. i thought she'd jump at the chance for us to go away -- with eve, of course -- we'd take eve.
but this isn't the only time it's happened, gerty. when i asked her how her dad was doing on his new heart medicine she didn't respond to that -- i asked her when eve was going to start nursery -- nothing. had her brother got the position at the university? nothing. nothing.
he did?
how do you know that?
gerty, have you heard anything new about anyone fixing lunar sat?
they need to sort that out. seriously. i've only got two weeks left. it's not fair on whoever's up here next. gerty, you tell them to sort it out. it's not healthy.
nah. come on. let's finish this.
i've got another one of those headaches. can you get me something for it?
no not now, afterwards.
thanks, pal.
be right there.
what's on the menu tonight, gerty?
ribs! good choice, pal. fine choice.
oh yeah! compliments to the chef, gerty, this is delicious!
and then we cut to sam standing in the kitchen. over by the model there is no sign of the girl. the chair is empty. she's gone. her sitting there, sam's walk across the room -- apparently he imagined it all.
i'm going to feel that for a while, aren't i, gerty? damn it.
i told you, i saw something on the tv and spilled boiling water on my hand.
yeah, something on the tv distracted me, gerty, what's wrong with that?
morning, gerty.
fine. fine.
it's a little sore.
8:19 pacific time. lunar day 2. readouts are as follows: matthew, 9.8 miles.
luke. 7.3 miles. wow, better look into luke.
mark, 11 miles on the button.
gerty, looks like we've got a live one out on matthew. i wondered what was taking him so long, the old fart. i'm heading out in a few minutes, just going to finish my coffee.
his face unfolding with panic, alarm, curiosity. an intense, yearning, curiosity.
where am i?
no. i don't remember a thing.
yes, of course i remember you, gerty.
how long have i been out?
gerty?
gerty?
i wanted to stretch my legs. what was that?
how much longer do i have to be in here, gerty?
when can i get back to work?
terrific.
gerty, do you know about this?
matthew's got no velocity read- out. he's completely still.
there's no way to tell from here if a track's been thrown, or if it's just something jammed in an axle, or what.  i can shoot out there, check it out, get some video and maybe save you guys the expense of floating in a whole crew! i know how tight money is right now.
just give me the word -- or gerty the word, tell him to unlock the exit doors -- and i'll go out and get matthew up and running again. that's it. over and out.
oh for christ's sake.
why?
fuck it.
gerty! get over here! quickly!
don't know -- micro meteorites, maybe? either way there might be damage to the exterior shell. i'd better go outside and take a look.
it's not that i don't believe you, gerty, but the inner skin is springing leaks like an acme fire hose. maybe you better let me take a look, just in case, huh?
then let's keep it between you and me then. ok?
gerty! gerty! help!
gerty!
i found him outside by the stalled harvester. who is he? what the fuck is going on?
gerty!
not until you tell me who he is!
who is he! who is he!
john, 15.1 miles. sorry, i'm not feeling too hot today -- i'm going to have to continue this later --