9

In keeping with the advertising objectives of the expedition, each of the crew was required to keep a public log of their experiences and thoughts. Unsurprisingly, the crew was universally excited about these logs. From their first day aboard the Investigator, they all updated their logs with new entries very frequently. They all posted comical pictures of themselves fooling around in low gravity. Many of the posts that were not humorous, it must be said, were rather sentimental. Some of them posted overly-detailed descriptions of their new habitation. Others posted what they thought were witticisms or sly quips, but in reality were terribly pedestrian. Flinders mostly posted evocative pictures of his cat Trim.

Ge Ge was the most popular. He was without question the most handsome man on the ship. He was tall and clean-cut—the images of him are statuesque. He was clearly in excellent physical shape, but not in the manner of a weight-lifter. Where such a body demanded its exhibition, Ge Ge’s form exulted in its clothing—even in microgravity. But more than mere physicality, Ge Ge carried himself with a confidence and calm that seemed to solve problems simply through proximity. Everyone was interested to see what he was doing. The other crew members also garnered a great deal of attention.

The logs were wildly popular with the Martian public. Much time was spent responding to the thousands of comments they received from Martians back on Earth. And in their rudimentary way, the crew members practically became celebrities. As a side note, I want to observe that Barrow claimed that the contents of these logs were owned exclusively by the Association. Shocking though it may be, it was not at all uncommon among the Martians to claim legal ownership of such things as thoughts, ideas, and even the bits of language they called words.

The crew was unable to discover any flaw in the operation of the Investigator’s many accommodations. Their new habitations appeared comfortable, and, having finished their required duties, the first days of the expedition were spent cheerfully in each others’ company.¹