When we made the chain, we did it with “trap” links that can connect without us having to seal each one. It’s extremely unlikely that random movement would separate the links. But the winch is deliberately designed to do just that.

Once the link is freed, the winch ejects it out the side and repeats the process for the next link.

“The winch works,” I say through my radio.

“Happy,” comes Rocky’s voice.

It’s simple, straightforward, elegant, and solves all the problems. The winch is powerful enough to lift the chain. It separates the links and lets them fall into the planet below. Having a long length of chain dangling down next to the one we’re pulling up would be a disaster. Imagine earbud wires getting tangled, then multiply that by 10 kilometers.

No, each link will take its own path to oblivion below and the rising chain will be unaffected.

“When winch get to link two hundred sixteen, you increase speed.”

“Yes.”

I have no idea how many links it’s done so far. But it’s plugging along nicely. Probably about two links per second. A safe, slow beginning. I watch for two minutes. That’s probably about right. “All good. At least two hundred sixteen links now.”

“Increase speed.”

Two links per second may seem like a good clip, but it would take about thirty hours to raise the chain at that rate. I don’t want to be out here that long and we definitely don’t want to stay in this risky constant-thrust situation for that long. I press the control lever forward. The winch speeds up. Everything seems fine, so I put it in the final position.

Now the links fly out of the winch faster than I can count and the chain rises at a brisk pace.

“The winch is at maximum speed. All is good.”

“Happy.”

I keep my hand on the control lever and my eyes on the chain. If that sampler gets to the winch, everything will go south. The sample container will be torn apart, all the samples will die, and we’d have to make another chain.

I don’t want to do that. Lord, I cannot express how much I don’t want to do that.

I squint into the distance, ever vigilant. Boredom is a real problem here. I know it will take quite a while to pull up this whole chain, but I have to be ready for the sampler.

“Sample device radio signal strong,” Rocky says. “Getting closer. Be ready.”

“I’m ready.”

“Be very ready.”

“I am very ready. Be calm.”

“Am calm. You be calm.”

“No, you be cal—wait. I see the sampler!”