<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/90/Squadron_Leader._Jack_Monroe.jpg)</div><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Character name:</strong></td><td>Jack Monroe</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Location:</strong> </td><td>MA-001</td></tr><tr><td><strong>With:</strong> </td><td>The surface expedition</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Doing:</strong> </td><td> Enjoying the ride</td></tr></tbody></table><br/><hr/><br/>Jack sat back in the cargomaster’s seat at the rear of the main compartment of the large aircraft, watching the repeater displays from the cockpit and the views from the external cameras.  This had been an interesting exercise in cargo loading.  The advantages that the lower Martian gravity provided were offset by the much thinner atmosphere that made aerodynamic flight much more challenging.  The normal care necessary in balancing the aircraft’s loadout was magnified by not only the new variables the environment introduced, but by the fact that this expedition included several of the key personnel responsible for the entire colony.  It would not do to have anything happen to the aircraft, so Jack had double-checked his calculations and made certain that all was in order.  He was more than comfortable with Cotter’s piloting skills.  He just wanted to be sure that she didn’t have to deal with anything they could have anticipated in  advance.<br/>