Lunar Base South is built on the peak of Malapert Mountain, some 121 kilometers from the lunar south pole. Because of the mountain's height and proximity to the pole, it is almost constantly illuminated by the sun. The greenhouses are in the upper part of the structure, along with the observatory and communication systems. Below ground, deep in the mountain, shielded from radiation by the moon's rock are the living quarters, gathering places, kitchens, and recreation facilities. A series of centralized elevators shuttle people from floor to floor, but they must move very slowly. Because of the moon's low gravity, if they accelerated any faster than 1.63 meters per second, the occupants would feel weightless. It was because of this that James Clark had been waiting for what felt like an eternity. I have more important things to do than wait for this infernal elevator! The chime sounded, the doors opened, and, fuming, he stepped in.
Immediately, the conversations ceased. Unhappy looks darkened several of the faces, including a scowl on the man to James' left. He ignored it. As the doors shut, the air grew thick with tension. There are a lot of people in this elevator, James mused to himself. Checking his watch, he noted that everyone in the elevator was late to the gathering. He knew the ride to the assembly hall would take several minutes, so instead of reading his prepared speech, he began to figure how many people in this elevator personally knew the men he had sentenced to death. Each of the 28 men probably has three to five close friends outside the group of 28, he figured. And there are roughly 1500 people in the colony that means... one, maybe two people in this elevator personally know one of those men. He studied the scowling man's reflection on the polished metal panel before him. The man's jaw was set and his eyes moved furtively, glancing first at the floor, then the control panel before him, then the elevator doors. He looks like a caged animal trying to escape, James thought. Don't we, all, in some way? Today, James certainly wanted to.
As the elevator doors opened, he stepped out briskly into the crowd. Immediately, a hushed whisper rippled forward, ahead of him, and the center of the corridor cleared before him. Stone-faced, he walked between them, ignoring the questioning looks and raised eyebrows. Turning the corner, he entered the great hall beneath the mountain. It was the largest public room in the facility, designed to comfortably hold the entirety of the colony's population. It was decorated minimally, like the rest of the facility, though there was a splash of color on the far wall where the portraits of previous colony administrators hung. They look so regal! James thought, as he walked up towards the stage. They wouldn't even flinch, having to give a speech like this. Stepping up onto the stage, the scattered conversations died away as the lights dimmed and the spotlight fell on the Administrator. With a gesture, the crowd stood. He took a deep breath and began the oath.
"I, James Clark, Administrator of Lunar Base South, come before you now."
"We acknowledge you as leader" the crowd replied.
"I did not seek the privilege of this position."
"We chose you, the unwilling, to be responsible."
"I wish now to speak."
"We will listen." The crowd sat.
James took another deep breath and glanced down at the crumpled paper in his hands. I hate this part, he thought.
"My fellow citizens, this is indeed a dark day. Fifty years ago, I lived through the Day of Darkness. I watched as Earth's lights went out. I watched as our bright, shining moment of triumph turned instead to the blackest of nights. I watched as repressed anger, jealousy, division, and strife split the human race. I watched as brother turned on brother, fathers turned on children, and the light of hope was extinguished. I was there when our dreams were crushed. We covered ourselves in dust and grieved for what we had lost. We mourned that we would never again see blue skies, walk on the green grass, or feel the wind blowing softly. Part of our souls died that day." The crowd was silent.
"But after fifty years, our wounds have healed. We raised an entire generation of children here. We taught them what life on Earth was like. We taught them how to be contributing members of society. They grew and matured, and now even some of them are raising families of their own! We are more successful, happy, and prosperous people than ever before! By all accounts, we are thriving!" The crowd murmured appreciatively. Mothers and fathers gave their children smiles, hugging them affectionately. Smile fading, James paused and took a moment to consider his words. Am I ready for this? he asked himself. Yes. Someone has to stand up. Somebody has to lead. Steeling himself, he took another breath. He clenched his teeth together and cold, hard fury began to radiate from the stage.
"We are not thriving!" He shouted it at the top of his lungs. His words echoed off the walls and reverberated throughout the corridors and hallways beyond. Several stunned moments passed. The silence was deafening. He continued. "Twenty-eight of your friends and family tried to murder you! You read the report; you know what happened, but maybe you can't comprehend the magnitude of this disaster. If the damage cannot be repaired in thirteen days, every man, woman, and child in this entire facility will die." He could feel the panic, the frantic madness descending on the gathered masses. Hysteria would solve nothing.
"Be still!" he commanded. Again, the room fell to silence. Now, the hook. "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to save you, but I cannot do it alone. Sacrifices must be made. Every single person must contribute. If you prepare food, make more than you have ever made before. If you repair our critical systems, work diligently to keep all equipment in perfect order. If we can work together; if we can push on through this trial and rally our spirits, we will prevail. For fifty years we have observed Darkness Day with heavy hearts. Let us instead conquer this one, and make it worthy of celebration!" The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. He nodded once. "Dismissed!"
Two weeks, he thought to himself. If we cannot replace the bearings before the sun sets, the dust will take us all.
