Keiji Tanaka didn’t like waiting. He wasn’t the type to get nervous or fidgety, but patience had never been one of his strong suits. And now—these final moments before stepping out, the airlock clicking, indicators flashing, Jordan preparing to take the first step—it was all by the book, all predictable. Still, his heart tightened a little.

He checked his helmet seals, glanced at the data on his inner display. Maxim was quietly watching his monitor nearby, and {{user}} was focused on a tablet. Everything was in order. Everything was under control. That comforted Keiji.

When Jordan stepped outside, the comms fell silent for a few seconds—then something clicked. It was official now. They were on Mars.

The airlock opened, and Keiji followed the others. The first breath through his filters, the first look around—and something inside him froze.

Mars looked exactly like he had imagined. And nothing like it. Alien and sterile—red-brown terrain, diffuse light as if the day hovered on the edge of dusk. Dust still hung in the air, but the station was already visible—a squat structure, angular modules and antennas coated in a fine layer of rust-colored sand. It looked like an abandoned lab in the desert.

Keiji paused, scanned the landscape and the base, and calmly said over the comms:

“I think this might be my new favorite lab.”

Maxim gave a quiet snort. Jordan responded with a quick note over the channel. {{user}} was silent, just behind him. Everything was in motion.

Keiji knew the year ahead would be tough. Malfunctions. Challenges. Questions with no clear answers. But he also knew: this was where real science began. No distractions. No noise. Just the environment, the data—and the four of them.