Connelly smiled in return. Coming from Willard, that was a compliment. She continued to remove her gear, down to her Simmer Suit, as she spoke. "Better get used to it," she said. "Once TES is up and running we're going to be spending every other hour outside, just melting through the ice."

Willard shook his head. "That is crazy."

Connelly offered a sarcastic smile and said, "Thanks for your support."

*   *   *   *   *

The main living quarters were composed of separate bedrooms and a multifunction room, which served as kitchen, dining room, living room and most recently, electronics lab. The space was circular and forty feet in diameter, but it was cluttered with computers, spools of wires, soldering equipment, computer chips and other assorted high-tech gizmos. There was a lab for such work, but with only three of them currently stationed at the Vostok TES Observatory, they preferred to spend most of their time together.

Robert Samuels sat alone in the massive room, relaxing with his feet up on a desk as he soldered a small chip to the innards of a tiny cube-shaped device with two metallic connectors on either side. He bent in so close, gazing through his thick glasses, that he didn't notice his scruffy beard was beginning to singe. The rancid smell of smoldering hair hit his nose and he immediately sat back and began to pat the smoking beard out. He attempted to regain his casual composure as the hatch to the living quarters swung open.

Willard entered first with Connelly at his heels. "All I'm saying is that I'm sure, if I were a scientist, which I'm not, thank goodness, I might understand why melting through miles of ice to find some microorganisms is worth risking my life."

Robert turned to Willard and Connelly with a smile on his face. He'd heard this conversation before. "Funny... You say it's not worth risking your life, but alas...here you are."

Willard sat down across from Robert while Kathy put on a fresh pot of coffee. "Yeah, well, someone's got to keep you two alive." His nose crinkled. "What's that smell?"

Robert shrugged and did his best to look innocent. "I don't smell anything."

Willard glanced at the soldering iron still in Robert's hand. "You burned your beard again, didn't you?"

Robert furrowed his eyebrows. "I was concentrating."

Connelly returned from the coffee pot, which was beginning to gurgle to life and playfully rubbed Robert's already messy head of hair. "Don't start, boys." She sat down next to Robert and rolled her neck. "How's it coming?"

Robert held the small cube aloft like it was a prize recovered from a treasure chest. "We now have full BUD capabilities."

"What's BUD?" Willard asked. "Your dog?"