Run Synopsis
The vehicles and teams are airlifted (sub-orbital) out to the Basin.
On board the all-terrain vehicles with the (disguised) Martian military. Robert is careful to stay aboard a different vehicle than that on which Chantal and John travel. Boris is having a fine time driving and so does not run into John either.
As per regular procedures, all exploration vehicles must "register" with the area Mining Complex, a huge (10-story) city-on-treads constantly mining the surface at a rate of 3 kilometers/hour. We observe outlying vehicles (chem stores, maintenance units, etc.) schooling around the Complex. Chantal's vehicle matches speeds with it and Chantal, John, Lyle (acting as secretary) and the Major all board the Complex. The Major deals with the paper work while Chantal wrangles and introduction to the Boss and a tour by his aide-de-camp.
Great effort is made to impress Chantal with the Mining Complex' use of Chevron products. We do manage to get the tour directed down into the maintenance sector. Lyle recognizes the vehicle number for the vehicle that took the Courier and Dr. LoFat out, and slips away - only to find that its NavSystem has already been stripped out for clearing. However, he does find the maintenance record and copies out the distances listed for when it was due for repair and the present. Lyle rejoins the tour without notice being taken.
Chantal, unsure whether or no Lyle has gotten sufficient data, agrees to stay for dinner and continues to be pumped. By the end, the aide-de-camp may well wonder if she's here on real Chevron business or is just a tourist; she never says one way or the other. At the dinner, John and Lyle both have to deal with courtesans and sake. It is not an unpleasant meal. Chantal manages to decline a longer stay and they all report back to the Major who has had far too many solitaire hands during all this time.
The distance data Lyle retrieved is, indeed, sufficient to eliminate 8 out of the 10 potential base sites. Investigation of the remaining 2 reveals an area where, indeed, crates were probably unloaded. Eureka.
EPs: 1+1.
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