Anybody there?
Brock to Houston: ‘This Maxi-drone is cool. She’s hovering perfectly over the crater centre, 1 mile from here to the edge.’
‘Now in Mini. Looping control through Maxi and launching Mini from dock. Cameras on. Images perfect. Mini beginning descent at 3 feet per sec, estimated time to bottom 31 minutes.’
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‘Mini 0.5 miles down, total darkness, cameras registering nothing. Sensors showing wall diameter is 2 miles. Hey, this no crater, it’s a cylinder. Let’s shine the first light on it in millions of years.’
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‘Side cameras on and showing … Jeeze … walls completely smooth. No meteor strike created this; it’s been drilled.’
Stopping decent, mini approaching wall. Wait! Wall moving, sort of massive door. Creature …
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Orbiter to Houston: The signal stopped as Mini started down, 15 minutes before Maxi disappeared. Something now emerging at speed from the crater in our direc….
©David George Clarke 2022