Rule #2: Keep your mind busy

The second rule of frontier stellar survival, "keep your mind busy or it will busy itself in strange ways." 

Quinn barely slept in four days.  The heat of Haibiachi prevented any sustainable period of relaxation.  Outside the ship, under the tarp lean-to, was the only place that afforded the slightest respite from the sun that constantly baked the facing surface of Haibiachi c.  Inside the ship would cook Quinn alive if he tried to use it as shelter.

 He had begun talking to the sun, treating it as a loyal friend watching over him, yet angry at him at the same time.  Through dried lips, and in a crackling voice, he spoke to it while shielding his eyes as he did so.  "I appreciate your unwavering watch, but you can dip below the horizon once in a while."

"You know I can't abandon you like that.  You could walk toward the east, temperatures should be more bearable there."

Quinn looked behind, to the east then back to the sun.  "I can't, rule number one prevents me."

"Seriously?  You're going to allow a stupid rule, one that has never been known to help anyone, to stop you from getting a bit of comfort?"

Quinn shrugged.  "If rescue comes and I'm not here I may never be rescued."

"Listen to yourself, Quinn.  You won't be rescued.  Not here.  I am so far off the beaten path that it'll take decades for anyone to come close enough to pick up the weakening transponder signal."  It was true.  The transponder's lifetime was severely affected by intense heat and would last little more than a few weeks.  "How much food do you have left?"

"A few weeks, maybe a month if I ration it a bit more."

"A month.  Then how long can you last on water alone?"

He pinched a bit more than an inch of his belly.  "Weeks, I don't remember."

"So, you have a few weeks, you know rescue is out of the question and I am going to be right here the whole time.  Here's what you do.  You go to the ship, pack up all your rations, fill your bladder tote with all the water it can hold, grab the condenser and the transponder.  Then you head east, and just keep going until it starts getting cooler."

Quinn laughed.  "You gotta be kidding me.  This planet has a larger surface area than the Earth.  I'm no mathematician, but judging from the height you're at right now I'd guess a few hundred miles of walking before any appreciable temperature change would be felt.  Shit, I'll die sooner by going east than just staying here!"

"Quinn, sweetie... you're going to die anyway.  While you are slowly being cooked alive by my brilliance you're also absorbing radiation at a rate that will kill you within the week anyway.  Look, if you head east you stand a slight, and a very very slight, chance of finding better shelter from my heat or even some other way to sustain yourself."

After pondering the situation Quinn nodded.  The sun's logic was undeniable.  "You have a good point."  Stumbling he started to collect the rations, water, transponder and a backpack with the rest of the survival gear inside.  Before trudging off, he popped open a small compartment in the aft section of the ship and recorded a quick log informing whoever may find the ship where he went.


[to be continued]