AMICITAS FLIGHT THREE – MISSION DAY 447
ARES III SOL 439
[09:50] JPL: Mark, just letting you know that there’s been no significant change in that dust storm in Arabia Terra. It’s moving westward at about four kilometers per hour with no real signs of strengthening. If this continues a small detour of about one hundred kilometers should be enough for you to avoid the dangerous parts of the storm.
[10:44] JPL: Mark, is everything okay down there? Pathfinder shows as fully active, but we don’t see your response.
[11:31] JPL: Ares III Hab, this is JPL, communications check, please respond, over.
[11:53] WATNEY: Sorry. We’ve been busy this morning. Mainly, we just realized that what’s left of the pony ship doesn’t have a decontamination shower. The ponies used wipes for hygiene, now all expended. So this morning we had a line for the shower followed by discussions about rigging up a bathtub, since this is our last chance to be even sort of clean for the next hundred-plus sols.
[12:04] HERMES: One hundred sols? NASA, are there any procedures for manufacturing gas masks from materials on the ship? Come Sol 551 we’re going to need some…
[12:15] WATNEY: Ha ha, guys. By the way, my response cost me my place in line for Second Shower. And you would not believe how long Dragonfly spends in there if left alone. I think she flosses the holes in her legs.