| "Brenson Sanders and Sherata Winsonio reporting for Novian News Prolixa Central: We're here just a few hours before the scheduled liftoff of two Planet Jumper ships to Mare Cetus, which will be taking a team of spelunkers to the Laramax Caverns. I see Hunter Larson, Project Leader of Explora's MC-101C Mission. Let's see if he has a few moments to tell us a bit about the Laramax Caverns and the mission. Commander Larson, can you tell us a few things about the Laramax Caverns and what your team will be doing there?" Larson: "I wasn't aware any reporters would be here. I assume Abby Kensington approved it." Winsonio: "Yes. She allowed us in to ask you and your team a few questions. Said you wouldn't have any problem with that." Larson: "Nope. If it's no problem with Abby, it's no problem with me. You asked about the Laramax, right?" Winsonio: "Yes. We've heard it's a pretty big cavern complex. Is that correct?" Larson: "Pretty big is an understatement. It's a huge cavern complex. Largest complex ever found on Mare Cetus. Some of the passages are wide enough to drive ore vehicles through, side-by-side-by-side. Mammoth Cave on Earth, which is in Kentucky, could fit entirely inside just a section of the Laramax, these caverns are that big - and extensive. I expect to find almost anything one could imagine finding in a cave. Stalagmites, stalactites, columns, ancient sedimentary current features, fault traces, streams, pipes, keyholes, shafts, hot springs, spring deposits, a host of minerals, maybe even some velandrite. One never knows." Sanders: "But the one thing you aren't going to find is life, right? To this date no life has ever been found there. Correct?" Larson: "That's for sure. No bats, no bugs, no blind fish, no fungi, no bacteria - nothing That's the big difference between the caves on Mare and those I've explored on Novia Cetus and Earth. Mare is one dead planet. You don't realize what dead means until you've been there. Really, really quiet. The way I see it, this cave's going to be a challenge, but I think I have the team to handle it. I like to push, and I expect my team to respond to how I push them. That's why I don't hold the reins too tight. Renata Stone for instance. She's my Second in Command. She's sharp and she's been with me on several prior missions. I expect her to know her job and do her job - and she knows that. Here she comes. Maybe she can fill you in on a few more tidbits. Right now I've got to oversee the robotics equipment we're loading onto the ships. Hope I answered some of what you needed. Have a nice day. Enjoy the sunshine." |
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