Log #38 – Analyze soil samples on Hurston

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Analysis of soil samples on Hurston had become a life-threatening hazard.


I got an interesting job on ArcCorp. I was supposed to fly to Hurston, take soil samples and analyze them on site. For this mission a Reliant Sen was provided to me. The Sen had a small laboratory on board and was well equipped for analysis.
I was not sure if the mission was official. My clients were either activists or unofficial representatives of the ArcCorp Company. I suspected they were looking for something to accuse Hurston Dynamics. But as always I did not care, I did not ask any questions.

I was told there were green pools on Hurston. From these pools I should take the samples. Although there was a breathable atmosphere on Hurston, I was advised to wear my suit and helmet. It looked like a green toxic slime was waiting for me.

After a short flight I reached the planet Hurston. I did not know exactly where the pools were and I started searching them. It was a nice sight to see landscape again after the built-up city planet ArcCorp.

After a while I found the first pools. They looked really poisonous green.

I landed near one of the pools. To my astonishment, I realized that there were geysers here.

The steam that came from the geysers did not look healthy either. I was fascinated, my spirit of discovery was awakened.

But I had a mission and that was not the geysers. I went to the pool and took the first samples. The soil looked interesting, almost organic. A mix of yellow, pink and green. Between the spongy structures was a liquid.

I went to the green spots and took samples here as well. It looked as if something was settling here. I was so fascinated that at first I did not notice the alarm in my helmet. It was not until my knee started to itch that I noticed that something was wrong. I looked at my itchy knee. The green stuff had eaten through my suit. The suit was no longer tight and I lost oxygen. The oxygen supply in my suit was already at a critically low level.

I was stunned and did not know what to do. My spaceship was a bit away. I was not sure if I would made it to the ship. I was afraid that I would suffocate slowly. Should I just take the helmet off and breathe the air from Hurston? Or would the death be more agonizing then? The environment had to be highly toxic. The stuff that had eaten through my suit attacked my skin. The itching in my knee became painful. I found it hard to walk.

I dragged on. My eyes became blurred, breathing became more and more difficult. The breaths became shorter, it was more a rattle. Bumpy, I tried to breathe. I reached the ramp of the Reliant and collapsed. I lay on the ramp and was unable to get up.

Somehow, I crept on board, closed the ramp and connected my suit to the oxygen supply of the ship. Fresh air flowed around my mouth and nose. With a deep breath, life returned to my body.
First I looked after my knee and put some emergency medicine on it. I stowed the samples in the quarantine box. I put a small sample on the analyzer and started the automated scan.

I made my way back to ArcCorp. Should my clients look what they did with the poisonous stuff. In Area18, I first went to the hospital and had my knee treated. My suit was broken and could not be repaired. I had to buy a new one.