Daley (grunt): Maybe. But maybe not. In any case, maybe we can take some of this stuff back. Get some brains to test it.

Taban: What, the ice? How are we going to keep it cold in the cargo bay? It’ll melt. Plus, we don’t have room.

Daley: We’ll figure something out. Gotta have samples for the scientists, right? (pointing sunward) Ready to head out?

Taban: I guess.

[After a few more minutes of preparation, they begin to trudge together across the tundra, with the HARE trailing after. Daley is in front, his shoulders set very far forward, while Taban follows behind reluctantly. Their boots do not appear to leave prints in the strange dense ice.]

Taban: Do you see them today?

Daley: No. But I know I spotted them when we landed. The thing did too, right?

HARE: Yes. This unit captured footage of the structures that USER Daley observed.

Daley: So we know I’m not crazy.

Taban: No one said you were. I saw them, too.

Daley: I know. I’m just saying.

Taban: Yeah. Me too.

Daley: . . .

Taban: . . . So where are they?

Daley: Dunno. We must be behind some kind of ridge, or maybe in a valley. Something that’s blocking them from sight. We just gotta keep on pressing north, and we’ll spot ’em eventually.

Taban: But if you and the HARE are right about direction, we should have been on them at some point. How far’s the third marker, again? Like five klicks?

Daley: About three miles.

Taban: Okay, so almost six kilometers, or in other words, a picobuttload. Which is about how far the HARE estimated they’d be. You’re not concerned that we haven’t even seen these gigantic mirror tower crystal things?

Daley: No. Not really.

Taban: And . . . why is that?

Daley: Because I know we’ll find them eventually. And when we do, hoo boy! Imagine how much something like that would sell for, even just to see! A cluster of giant space shards!

Taban: Right.

Daley: Let’s just not bitch today, huh? It’s a beautiful day, and all we’ve got to do is walk in a straight line north. Easy, right?

Taban: Yeah. Sure. Easiest thing in the world.

[The men fall silent. The HARE turns away from them to regard the flat, unchanging horizon.]

VIDEO LOG #23—Ship Designation CS Wyvern 7079

Day 5: 08:15 UTO

[The strange crystal formations come into sight as the HARE rotates its head and scans the horizon (timestamp 023-2:17), appearing about a kilometer away from the group. However, the formations seem to vanish again when the HARE turns to look directly at them, the shapes flickering from view like a mirage. Neither man seems to notice. As the group hikes on, the formations do not appear again.]

VIDEO LOG #23—Ship Designation CS Wyvern 7079

Day 5: 09:22 UTO