<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>Wing Commander Louise Cotter</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Location:</strong> </td><td>Hanger airlock and main hanger</td></tr><tr><td><strong>With:</strong> </td><td> Lena Holzmann, then everyone</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Doing:</strong> </td><td>Entering the base.</td></tr></tbody></table><br/><hr/><br/>It took forever for the lock from the Martian Surface (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=148806.msg6749140#msg6749140) to cycle. It always did. The small emergency locks took about a minute but the pedestrian lock into the hangar took nearer five. As for the main airlock, cycling it to bring the shuttle in took almost ten minutes. But we were squeezed into the pedestrian lock which just about accommodated the two of us and the quad bike.<br/><br/>The like went from red to yellow, and then finally went green, I checked the readings on the door. All was good, I double-checked my suit HUD to be safe. Temperature 6°C, a bit below nominal but liveable. O<sub>2</sub>content nominal, N<sub>2</sub>content within acceptable parameters, CO<sub>2</sub>a little high but acceptable.<br/><br/>I did what the Base Commander was supposed to do and cracked my helmet seal, took it off, took a deep breath of the newly created air. It smelled sharp and metallic, and oily. With a grin that would put a Cheshire cat to shame, I pressed the button to open the inner door and marched smoothly in to the base.