Taban: That’s what the HARE said. Look: rad levels are okay. Average temperature is -125 Celsius during sun-facing hours. That’s about the temperatures of the poles back on Mars.

Daley: What is that in Fahrenheit?

Taban: Are you serious?

Daley: I know. My old partner tried to get me to do everything in metric, too. Some things are just hardwired.

Taban: You really are old. Minus 125 Celsius is, uh, about negative 200 Fahrenheit.

Daley: (grunt)

Taban: It’s doable. Our suits will work, anyway. Air doesn’t seem breathable, but when is it ever? We’ll need to bring auxiliary tanks. But the HARE was out there for over twelve hours and it was fine.

Daley: It’s just. It got dark so fast.

Taban: The suns here are weaker than even Tau Ceti—that’s why it’s so cold. ‘Daylight’ won’t last long. We’ve gotta move fast if we want to get this thing fixed.

Daley: Right.

Taban: And hey, will you grow some balls? You were going to send me out there to fix the engine, no problem.

Daley: All right, all right. You’re right. Don’t know what’s going on with me. Let’s go.

[The HARE watches as Daley and Taban step into their cybernetic exo-armor suits, which are scuffed and battered from presumably years of outer-ship repairs and mining. Old-model suits, they look to be of Chinese or Martian make. Daley is breathing heavily. Taban finishes suiting up first and waits for him. They give each other the sign for all-clear and open the airlock of the ship. The vacuum of the Wyvern’s air being sucked into the wind outside is so loud that the recording goes completely silent.]

[Daley and Taban leave the ship. The HARE follows, marking the landing site’s coordinates as an arbitrary Prime Meridian, with coordinates of 53°45′N 0°0′E. The two men shield their eyes and scan the horizon. Except for their heights, it’s hard to tell the difference between them: their suits and golden faceplates look exactly the same.]

Daley: Hey, this isn’t so bad.

Taban: I guess. Careful; don’t fall and break your hip.

Daley: Let’s look around.

Taban: What? I thought you wanted me to repair the FTL engine.

Daley: You can do it in a minute. Come on, you don’t want to look around? This is an undiscovered planet. Where’s your sense of adventure?

Taban: Just a second ago you were scared shitless of even going outside. Now you’re calling it an adventure?

Daley: The fresh air is inspiring.

Taban: Should I get the railgun?

Daley: What for? There aren’t any humans on this planet, the thing said so.

HARE: Correction: there are no humans within the parameters of the area I scanned.

Daley: No one asked you.

Taban (sighing): Okay, fine. Just a quick look around.

Daley: That’s what I’m talking about.