Connelly felt her knees shaking as she inched towards the edge of the newly formed, mile and a half deep hole in Europa's surface. She peered over the edge. The vertical tunnel stretched down for one-hundred feet where it met the water that rose up from the ocean surface. "Why is the water so high?"

Robert looked over the edge. "It's like a giant straw. The water pressure below is pushing it up until its weight, which is greatly reduced on Europa, balances the force. The same thing happens when you put a straw in a glass of water—the liquid rises higher in the straw. If not for TES's heated cables keeping the water warm, it would have already begun to refreeze and reseal the whole. Wounds in the surface must fill and freeze very quickly."

Connelly felt a wave of dizziness warble through her mind. She leaned away from the edge.

"Careful near that edge, boss." Willard said

Connelly turned to Willard, who was standing a few feet back, checking the time on his wrist display. "Aren't I always?" She wondered if her nervousness showed through her shaky voice. She couldn't tell.

"Astounding," Robert said. He was looking down, into the void, shaking his head. "Can you believe this worked? I mean, I, ah, I knew it would work…but on a moon?"

Connelly knew exactly how he felt. TES had been her life's work and she had always pictured this day, the moment when TES would be deployed, melt through the ice and discover alien life. But she had always pictured it taking place in the Antarctic. They would cheer over some hot chocolate, vid-phone some colleagues and go back to work. But here, on Europa, the sensation was very different. TES, while a true achievement seemed insignificant to their current surroundings. Connelly felt as though her dream now realized had become cheapened by Europa, and while she couldn't deny the stunning success and wonderment of it all, she was beginning to resent Jupiter and all her moons.

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news," Willard said, "but we haven't heard from Choi or Peterson this entire time. Am I wrong, or did she say to check in every half hour?"

Robert's forehead became crinkled. "No…you're right." Robert looked at his wrist display. "And it's been almost two."

"And I think we can all agree," Willard said, "that Choi is not the type to be late."

"Unless they found something incredible," Connelly said.

"Or are unable," Willard said.

"Switch over to Com 1," Connelly said. All three quickly made the switch. "Peterson, Choi, this is Connelly. Can you hear me?"

Connelly and Robert shared a nervous glance. "If you're on Com 1 and can hear me, please respond."

A crackle of static filled their ears for an instant and then disappeared. Then it was replaced by a voice. "an hear you… ait until you…what we discov…"