Dead on Mars

Chapter 206: Sol Three Hundred and Twenty-Six, Eye Estimation and Orbit Altitude

Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon

Tang Yue stopped the work he was doing. “Lass, you need to trust us. Help...”

“Help will definitely arrive in time, right?” Mai Dong said. “You have already said that many times.”

Tang Yue was speechless. He had indeed said it several times. He no longer knew if the statement was to boost Mai Dong’s morale or to encourage himself. No one knew if help would arrive in time. Based on the usual Hollywood troupes, the cargo spacecraft would definitely arrive in time. Furthermore, it would always arrive at the last critical moment—just as the space station was about to crash—and save the female lead. The leads would reunite and usher in a perfect ending.

But reality wasn’t a movie. It didn’t have a script that had arranged a perfect ending.

The principle of mediocrity existed everywhere in the Universe. Any outcome was considered normal and reasonable.

Tomcat silently used some pliers to hit the stretcher. It didn’t wish to say anything since not making any promises meant not needing to be responsible for any of them. However, Tang Yue had kicked it.

“Ahem... Miss Mai Dong. I’ll teach you a rough way to estimate your altitude.” Tomcat cleared its throat. “Can you see the Isidis Planitia now? Or can you see the Endeavor crater? What about the Victoria crater? It doesn’t matter which crater you use. Find a reference point that you can see.”

“Hmm... Endeavor crater... Endeavor... Let me look for it. It should be around the Meridiani Planum. Around the equator where the Meridiani Planum is... I can see it. I can see the Endeavor crater, Mr. Cat,” Mai Dong replied. “Mr. Cat, do you copy?”

“Copy, Miss Mai Dong. Do you have a pencil or ruler with you? If not, taking off the IVA suit’s glove and raising your thumb would do.”

Mai Dong looked around and reached out to grab a pencil that was floating past her. She removed the pencil cap and said, “Mr. Cat, I have a pencil in hand.”

“Alright, listen to me. Follow my instructions. Stretch out your right arm in front of you and hold up a pencil,” Tomcat instructed. “Then close your left eye. Stare at the pencil tip with your right eye. Let the tip be aligned to the left of the Endeavor crater. Make sure that the crater, pencil and your right eye forms a straight line. Heard that? They need to be on the same line.”

The girl followed Tomcat’s instructions and held the middle of the pencil. She stretched out her arm and held it straight in front of her. She closed one eye and slowly spun her body, making the pencil tip align with the crater’s shadow on Mars.

“It’s done, Mr. Cat.”

“Now, open your left eye. Keep your body still. Do not move your arm or pencil. Close your right eye and use your left eye to look at the pencil tip,” Tomcat said. “Tell me where the pencil tip is.”

“Hmm... It’s slightly halfway across the Endeavor crater.”

“That’s good enough.” Tomcat nodded. “Alright, Miss Mai Dong, you can open your eyes. The United Space Station is presently at a height between 110 to 120 kilometers.”

Tang Yue and Mai Dong were taken aback.

Tang Yue stood by the side observing Tomcat’s instruction of using a pencil and the closing of one’s eye to determine the space station’s altitude. He couldn’t help but be curious about it.

“How does this work?”

“It’s a very old way to determine distance. Before modern-day optics and radar were invented, this method was the standard method artillery troops used to determine the distance to their targets,” Tomcat explained. “The principle is very simple. It’s to form a triangle with one’s eyes, pencil, and the item to observe. An ordinary person’s eyes are separated by six centimeters or so. And the human arm is about sixty centimeters. This is a triangle with a base-height ratio of ten to one. A similar triangle’s base-height ratio is also ten to one.

“By using the Endeavor crater as a reference point, with its diameter being 22 kilometers. The pencil’s tip moved slightly more than half the distance of the crater, which is 11–12 kilometers,” Tomcat said. “This triangle’s base is twelve kilometers. Then, it’s height is 120 kilometers... This is the distance Miss Mai Dong is from the surface.”

Tang Yue was somewhat astonished, not with the method, but that the cat actually could derive the United Space Station’s altitude. It always knew of this method to measure the altitude but hadn’t told him.

“Currently, the United Space Station’s altitude is in the Martian atmosphere, which is beneath the ionosphere,” Tomcat said.

“I’m already within the atmosphere?” Mai Dong asked.

“In name. In fact, it’s no different from a vacuum,” Tomcat said. “The atmosphere’s density will rise sharply only below an altitude of sixty kilometers. Therefore, this height is still relatively safe. There’s still enough buffer. I believe the space station can last until Tianzhou 37 arrives.”

Tomcat’s promise was often more assuring than Tang Yue’s. This was because Tang Yue’s encouragement was fundamentally relying on blind confidence, including but not limited to “destiny is in the hands of man,” “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” and “human subjectivity is the driving force to determine history,” and other philosophical thoughts of the ancients. They were fine using it as a mantra, but using it on orbital mechanics was nothing but craziness.

However, Tomcat was different. Whatever it said was definitely established on rigorous mathematical and physical calculations.

What Mai Dong needed now wasn’t some mantra, but hard mathematical calculations.

The girl silently heaved a sigh of relief. Even though the method of measuring distance was ultimately crude, it was a way to ease her mind when they were at the rope’s end.

“Thank you, Mr. Cat.”

Tomcat didn’t say a word as it continued tightening the stretcher’s screws. The strength it used was so great that it fastened the screw so tight as though it had a vendetta with it. Then, Tomcat pressed down on the stretcher’s frame with all its strength, confirming that it could withstand an adult’s body weight without collapsing.

“I told you. Help will definitely arrive in time.” Tang Yue heaved a sigh of relief as well. Now, what he said had a tinge of confidence. “You still have a long life ahead. Lass, you still have many things to do. You can fully possess a blissful and meaningful life. Your future might be very boring and bland since Kunlun Station isn’t the best of places, but I am confident that you can still find happiness on it.”

“I’ll be counting on your well-wishes.” Mai Dong smiled. “If I can get down, I’ll take a wedding photo with you.”

“I’m not joking.” Tang Yue curled his lips. “You can stop joking about the wedding photo.”

“I’m not joking either.”

Tang Yue paused, feeling suffocated.

“I’m serious. I’m being serious...” The girl looked at the Martian surface beneath her and raised the pencil in her hand, closing one eye. Using a cheeky tone, she said, “Tang Yue, when I safely reach the ground, let’s get married.”