SO, GERARD, THAT IS THE BASIC STORY.  I GOT THERE ABOUT 45 MINUTES AFTER THE KIDS, AND AFTER A COUPLE HOURS OF WORK WITH THE MECHSUIT WE GOT EVERYONE WHO WAS STILL ALIVE OUT OF THE ROVER BAY AND BACK TO THE COLONY BEFORE THEY RAN OUT OF OXYGEN.  EVENTUALLY, WITH A COUPLE MORE MECHSUITS, WE WERE EVEN ABLE TO RESCUE THE ROVER.  WE'RE STILL TRYING TO SALVAGE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OFF OF THE SHIP, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE SHIP ITSELF IS NOT REPAIRABLE.  AND, ABOUT HALF THE CREW DIED, ALONG WITH HARPER.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CHANCES ARE OF ANOTHER SHIP BEING SENT?  OR IF SO, WHEN.  I'M PRETTY SURE MOST OF THE SURVIVORS WOULD LIKE A CHANCE TO RETURN, ALTHOUGH A FEW OF THEM ARE STAYING.  IT LOOKS LIKE JOSHUA IS STILL WORKING ON GETTING A WORKING FISH FARM GOING, SO HE CAN GET HIS BONUS, AND I THINK HE WOULD REALLY RATHER SPEND THAT BONUS ON EARTH THAN ON MARS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU, OR ANYONE ELSE IN COMMAND, WILL THINK ABOUT ALL THIS WHEN YOU GIVE THEM THE FULL STORY.  I DON'T GUESS WE'LL EVER REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH HELENE'S DECISIONS; SOMETIMES SHE SEEMED INTELLIGENT, BUT WE COULD NEVER REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT SHE WAS ACTUALLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE.

I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T REALLY KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT COMMAND IS THINKING, OR WHY, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T TELL US.  FOR EXAMPLE, NONE OF US ON MARS EVEN KNEW THAT AN INDIAN SPACESHIP IS HEADED TO MARS?  THEY JUST CONTACTED US, TO ARRANGE FOR A RENDEZVOUS; APPARENTLY UP UNTIL NOW THEY WERE COMMUNICATING WITH THE AMERICAN SPACESHIP, BUT WHEN THAT BLEW UP THEY CONTACTED US DIRECTLY.  I HAVE TO ADMIT IT WAS KIND OF ODD TO DISCOVER THIS; THE SURVIVING CREWMEMBERS ALL ACTED KIND OF EMBARRASSED WHEN WE ASKED THEM ABOUT IT, LIKE THEY HAD BEEN ORDERED TO KEEP IT SECRET AND FELT WEIRD ABOUT IT.

WAS THAT WHY HELENE WAS IN SUCH A HURRY TO FIND AN EXCUSE TO EVACUATE?  WAS IT ALL ABOUT TRYING TO GET OUT BEFORE THE SPACESHIP FROM INDIA ARRIVES?  FROM WHAT COMMUNICATIONS WE HAVE HAD WITH THEM, THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BE BENT ON CONQUEST; THERE'S A LOT OF MARS AVAILABLE TO SETTLE IN ANYWAY.  THEY DID SEEM VERY SURPRISED THAT WE DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE COMING.

WE WOULD STILL BE HAPPY TO SEE ANOTHER SHIP SENT BY COMMAND, BUT MAYBE WE COULD COMMUNICATE ABOUT IT BETTER NEXT TIME?