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Key watches the sun go down and the surface of the caesium lake change. It looses it's shiny silver-gold appearance and turns a dull red.

Curious, he steps up to the shore and kneels down. As he puts his hand over the caesium, he realizes that it's solidified, so he touches the surface.

"I was expecting the caesium to solidify, but this is interesting and may be better. The surface is covered by an organic material."

"Organic? You mean that this is alive?"

"Not with any sentience. It bears resemblance to plankton and algae."

"Any idea how it's evolved to survive in caesium without an oxygen source?"

His answer comes from above. It starts to rain.

Key reflexively jumps back, expecting the caesium to react and explode. When nothing happens, he slowly gets to his feet.

"Well, this is interesting."

"Indeed."

All across the lake, the rain slowly falls, but there's no fire, no pops, nothing. The only thing he sees happening is the surface slowly growing thicker.

"It's absorbing the water. Soaking it up like a sponge." Key kneels back down and puts his hand out.

"It is swelling up as it wicks the water inside, keeping it away from the caesium."

Key smiles. "Bernie and Roshka would have both loved this." Bernie was the expedition's expert on geologic formations, and Roshka was head of the marine biology team.

Key wonders for a moment if this actually counts as "marine," then stands. "Can it hold my weight?"

"It will be soft and unstable, but yes."

He collects his pack and tablet, then slowly steps out onto the lake. His weight sends out ripples as if he was walking on a waterbed and he backs up to the shore.

"Drudge, I don't like this. I feel like I could sink through."

"How do you suggest we get to the pod?" Drudge asks.

"Snowshoes," Pond states.

"Snowshoes?" Key asks.

"Yes. They increase your footprint for stability. Alice loved to hike and would often use them for icy river crossings too."

Key thinks for a moment as he looks out across the lake, then says, "Reconfigure my boots. Maximum available footprint, try not to interfere with my walk."

Drudge quickly says, "Lift left foot."

When Key does, his boot's sole expands outward till it's the size of a water ski. He switches feet and the other expands similarly.

"They will act just like snowshoes. Only your toes are attached," Drudge states.

Key nods and takes a few tentative steps. He quickly finds it's easier to slide them along then to pick them up. His first few strides out onto the lake greet him with increased stability, and he creates a much smaller depression.

Feeling much relieved, he continues out, tracking the homing beacon for the pod.

After nearly three hours of walking, Key nears the pod. It's nose down and floating with only about a third of it sticking out of the water. The first thing he notices is that the side is blackened, scorched. As he gets closer, he sees scraps of fabric stuck to the pod.

Taking a piece in hand, Drudge solemnly states, "Environmental suit."

"Whoever was in here survived landing."

"Only to explode when they fell into the caesium," Drudge adds.

The 'skis' retract automatically as Key starts up the access ladder. He goes slowly at first to test the pods stability. When he reaches the top, he sees that the pod's door is open.

Looking down into the pod, he sees that it's almost full of water. "That's a lot of water."

"The pod's life support kept the it from evaporating."

"How much power is left."

"Power level critical, unable to run diagnostics. I have shut down life support and the beacon."

"Would it be safe to assume that everything still functions?"

"Uncertain."

Key drops into the pod and closes the hatch. He then reaches into a cabinet and pulls out a small disk, a portable drain, that converts matter that enters it into energy. "Let's do this slowly, please. I don't want to start a fire."

"Acknowledged. I will try to route the power to the pod."

Key drops the small disk into the water. It doesn't take long for the water level to start lowering. As I does, he opens the cabinets to let the excess water out.

When the pod begins to tip, he drops to the bottom. "That's enough for now. I think we should wait for day before floating up the rest of the way.

"Agreed."

* * *

Key waits till the plankton has dispersed back into the caesium before draining the pod completely. With the water cleared, he gets to see a massive amount of scoring on the front windows and burn marks on the seats.

"I see some got in."

"Most likely before the pod upended," Drudge adds.

Key connects the power cell to the pod and says, "Let's see what we have to work with."

"Running diagnostics," Drudge states. After a few moments he adds, "All systems report functional."

Key flops into the charred left seat and starts pressing buttons. "Let's go then."

This will be the second time he's "flown" an escape pod at ground level, and he's starting to get the hang of it. The pod slowly rises out of the caesium and turns toward shore. Carefully timed bursts from the landing thrusters propel them to shore and up the hill.

Before too long, he's back at his shelter, and lands the pod along side the first, butting the door of the pod to the wall of the shelter.

"Initiate seal with shelter, and open the wall. Slave the system." Key waits till the wall opens, making a doorway from the pod to the shelter. He then steps out. "I need a drink."