by Aaron Walker Sr.
This weather sucks, Marcus La’Dek thought as he and his partner Daren West negotiated the muddy road leading to the target Mining Facility. The ground had been reduced to something of a black sludge, thanks in no small part to the torrential downpour that had been battering the moon’s northern hemisphere for the past twelve hours. But the deluge brought with it more than mere soggy conditions. A grayish, almost eerie mist comprised of unidentified particulates, always seemed to accompany the rains, making it difficult to see more than five feet in any direction. Due to the thick haze, the use of advanced image processing goggles, commonly referred to as IPGs, were an absolute necessity.
Marcus was quite impressed with the overall performance of the goggles. With the exception of a slight yellow hue, the IPGs provided remarkable clarity under virtually any condition. But given the option, he’d rather have donned his own tactical eyewear, as they were far superior to the IPGs in every way. But alas, blending in was the name of the game for this mission, so he was okay with settling for less.
Particle Storms are what the inhabitants of the moon called this atmospheric phenomena. Most experts attributed the mist to the failing methane scrubbers of Titan’s problematic Terraforming Modules. Of course, further research would be required to know for sure, but it was unlikely the Interstellar League of Planets (ISL) would spend the time or money on such a study. After all, Titan – Saturn’s largest ISL terraformed moon – was dedicated for one purpose: The mining of what is galactically known as the lifeblood of terraformed planets and moons: Krillium Ore. As long as environmental conditions on the surface didn’t cause the moon’s populace to drop dead in droves, business as usual would continue, regardless of the numerous complaints lodged with the ISL.Taxpayer dollars hard at work, Marcus thought as he adjusted the hood of his jet-black poncho, which covered the tactical gear that clothed his muscular frame.
Reaching the Masses