On Frozen Ground

On Frozen Ground

The ice moon of Ragnarok looked promising from distant scans. The gas giant's orbit was near the outer edge of its star's habitable zone, and spectroscopic data suggested a mostly nitrogen atmosphere with indications of oxygen. Well the planet was too far out and the moon was too cold. It had a nice thick nitrogen atmosphere alright, but the oxygen was just stray atoms knocked off the water ice that covered the world down eighty kilometers to a crust of slush and rock.

Have to admit the world was pretty, especially on a clear day, but it was just another one of those "almost" planets that keeps the Exploratory Service busy following up on survey work. Oh well, at least it's another postcard for the funding and recruiting brochures.

-- Alexander Pavl Ross, Field Assistant Deputy Director of Public Relations, Confederation Exploration Service