My Mountain

a: a landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill

The sun set behind the mountains.

b: an elongated ridge

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mountain

Having pulled myself together and somewhat sobered up since the revelry of three days ago, I found myself listening to mystery disc #2. This was far less pain inducing and more thought provoking than the previous disc. Although, this may have been in part due to my hangover finally ending.

Meandering about in system HYPIO PRI OG-G A10-17 I was still in no hurry, so I scanned the various bodies I floated by in my now enlightened state, all while considering the mystery of the Spiders from Mars. Planet three caught my eye since the initial image map showed some interesting mountain features: the composition was 68% ice, 21% rock, with metal making up the remainder, and there was only one bio sign. Normally this would elicit some sort of audible discouragement along with the slumping of my shoulders as it would most likely be nothing more than bacterium. This time however, the bio sign was recepta. So naturally I had to investigate. For science.

Scanners indicated the best area to find recepta samples would be the flats running along outskirts of the mountainous regions. Bringing the Hiraeth in to land, it became clear that that these flat areas were not flat enough for a simple landing. There was no ground control to help this Major Tom, so I had to resort to some aerial foxtrotting and shield bashing before I touched down.

The sun was hanging low in the sky, its light bouncing off the smooth icy surface only disturbed where massive boulders cast their shade. The sun was even low enough to penetrate the atmosphere at just the right angle to make the horizon glow a burnt orange with bleeds of green where it met the blue sulphur dioxide air.

I deployed the SRV in search of recepta. Trying to make my way around the base of the mountain range, I began struggling to grip the floor and eventually started fighting with the controls to keep the SRV from sliding into a spin and an unwarranted dance session. My eagerness to apply the throttle eventually got the better of me and I found myself being propelled around the canopy before finally coming to a stop facing the direction I had come from. And there in the distance, or a facsimile of it, was the Hiraeth.

I applied the handbrake and rummaged about my pockets looking for the photograph that started this hunt. No luck, I checked my backpack and the camera case, still no luck. A faint panic that I had lost the image started to overtake me. Making the short journey back to The Hiraeth, I boarded and charged through to the hold where I kept the photography contraptions and appurtenance.

A wave of elation washed over me when I saw the blue hue of the picture peek out of the show cast by the sides of the storage container. Not sure how it got in there, but I was please that I had recovered it in any event. Stuffing it into my Artemis suit’s jacket pocket, I jumped back into the SRV and headed towards my mountain.

Later, standing on an adjacent hill I held the photo out in comparison between it and the mountain. Similar shape, but the colours were all wrong and there was a large mass of rock missing to the left. My heart sank a little, but the chase was still on and as ever I had to find out out if the SRV would make it to the summit.