<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Mars Date: 01/01/0001, 05:30:00</strong></span></div><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/fa/Mars_test.jpg)</div><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Character name:</strong></td><td>Lt Colonel Louise Cotter</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Location:</strong> </td><td>Her bedroom</td></tr><tr><td><strong>With:</strong> </td><td>That Hicks person</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Doing:</strong> </td><td>Waking up</td></tr></tbody></table><br/><hr/><br/>I yawned and stretched and rolled over to gather the cute little security chief into my arms. "Hey, sweetie, wake up, it's a new day on a new world." My hands explored her naked body under the bedcovers, enjoying her smooth skin, examining the blemishes I had made on her breasts last night with my teeth. I've always been a rough lover, and Alicia seemed to like it that way. My own nipples were pleasantly sore too, and the well used strap-on lay on the floor by the bed where I had obviously dropped it.<br/><br/>I kissed Alicia softly. "Good morning, darling. That was the most amazing sex I've ever had on Mars." I giggled. And then, typically, was inturrupted by an urgent message that the AI decide3d was too important to wait and zapped it straight into my head.<br/><br/><tt class="bbc_tt">"Mike Charley Mike One to New Sydney, Do you copy, over?"</tt><br/><br/>"Ah, fuck! The ship's calling. I better take it, sorry Ali."<br/><br/><em>Base Commander Cotter receiving you, go ahead, Mother ship.</em><br/><br/><tt class="bbc_tt">Ah, Colonel, yes we got your message about the ranks, forwarded it to Earth. MarsCorp approves, not that there's much they could do about it if they didn't.... Anyway, that's not why I'm calling. We've detected a significant area of low pressure developing near the Tyrrhena/Hesperia region, to the East of you. At present we don't have sufficient data, but it's looking bad. It could go your way, or it could go North West, but either way, we're going to have a problem.</tt><br/><br/>I frowned. "The shuttle..." I said, aloud, without meaning to.<br/><br/><tt class="bbc_tt">Exactly. We can't send it down in a dust storm. We can postpone and hope the storm clears or we can do the drop early. Either way, the third drop is probably going to be delayed. Your choice, Colonel.</tt><br/><br/>I thought about it, and nodded.<em>Sent the shuttle early. I'll make sure we're ready.</em><br/><br/><tt class="bbc_tt">Roger that, New Sydney. Shuttle ETA is two hours fifty seven minutes Martian. Mother Ship Out.</tt><br/><br/>"Oh well, so much for a lie in. There's a storm brewing and the shuttle is coming early, to beat it. Up and at 'em". I quickly pinged an all-staff memo out on the data-net - base commander's privilege...<br/><br/><tt class="bbc_tt">"All colonists please note. The shuttle is arriving early. E.T.A. is zero eight thirty hours. Personnel wishing to welcome the second group, please be in the hangar by oh-eight hundred to suit up."</tt><br/><br/>Then a second message:<em>From: Base Commander, To: Mr Armstrong. Please report to the meteorological office as soon as you are up and decent. We have a situation developing. Thank you.</em><br/><br/>I hauled my bruised, sated, naked body out of bed and dragged Ali into the shower with me...<br/>