Chapter 12The establishment of the four main bases went broadly according to plan. The first few weeks were both exciting and frantic as the pioneer teams worked to establish the environmental control screens. Until these were activated, not only had the teams to work in appalling conditions, but their temporary work camps, though small, were visible from above.
On board the Rithid, monitoring of the broadcasts from the planet was increased radically. Now the travellers were listening not only for the loud indications that would surely signal the discovery of one of the base camps, but for more subtle signs that would indicate a risk of discovery in the near future.
Jion’s face became strained as he began to grapple with the implications of this new work, and Hester too became reserved a
