Larson stepped up to the boarding ramp of the shuttle and turned back to look at the planet’s surface. It was a hard-edged and mountainous terrain that looked inhospitable to humans, but he still found it awe-inspiring. He only wished it was possible to walk on it without the cumbrance of his suit.

“Come on, it’s almost lunchtime!” Ruby shouted.

Taking one last glance, Larson turned and carried on up the ramp and into the shuttle, placing his box onto the racks before the seating. The ramp sealed behind them and Larson tapped a small button on the collar of his suit. The clear dome-shaped helmet hinged back and vanished into the bulky shoulder section. He breathed in deeply. The shuttle’s air source was far from the fresh air he loved so much on earth, but it was a relief after an hour inside the confine of his helmet.

“You know, Ruby, for someone who volunteered for this work you sure don’t seem to care much for the planet.”

“I care about it, and I’ll be glad once we have got it terraformed. Until that time it’s an ugly and lifeless wasteland.”

“Just think about it, Earth was developed over thousands of years, I wonder how we would do if we could start entirely from scratch on a similar world.”

“Don’t expect any kind of paradise. Whenever we finally get this world going it will probably just look the same as anywhere else,” Ruby replied.

“Such cynicism, alright, let’s get back and you can enjoy your precious meal.”

“This is Shuttle 12 to Ares, requesting permission to land, over.”

“This is Ares, we have lost contact with Shuttle 5, you are requested to investigate at their last known co-ordinates which are being sent to you now, over.”

“Confirmed, over and out,” said Ruby.

“So much for your lunch break!”

She looked at her colleague with an annoyed grin. It was a lonely life on the Ares colony, with few luxuries in life. She turned back to the controls and re-directed to the co-ordinates they’d been given, three hours to the south of the camp.