Questions

• The higher-ups decide not to tell the Ares 3 crew that Mark is still alive. But the general public at this point is already aware that he is. Where are the crew members now and how is it possible that they have no access to such information as regard to Mark's current status?

they have another 10 months on the trip back to earth, so they are still on the way in the space. so they have on idea what is happening both on the Mars and on the Earth if the higher-ups don't tell them.

• Communication is now set up. But there's a slight problem. At first, all communications are done through a camera, but why can’t Mark use the alphabet to "receive" messages but have to resort to a seemingly more complex system?

As there are 26 letter plus the cards and 360 degree is not enough for that because it's too narrow. he will never know where the camera is pointing at. So he found that hexadecimal is a better idea for their more complex conversation and then he hack the internet to type words too, which is more accurate and time-saving way.

• Mitch is going to tell the crew the news that Mark is still alive. If you haven't read ahead, what do you think their reactions will be?

I think maybe they will be very happy to know their crew member is still alive but at the same time they will be worry about how to save him from Mars.

• Following the extreme intensity of Ch.12 is the seemingly tranquility of Ch. 13. But you can't possibly expect that Mark would wait happily ever after until Ares 4 arrives. In fact, the most horrifying event, so far anyway, takes place in this chapter; what is the event, and what's the cause of it?

AL102 shuddered in the brutal storm. Withstanding forces and pressure far greater than its design, it ripped violently against the airlock seal-strip.

He find that there is a clogged tube and he decided to take the tube apart and check the internal tubing and clean it out, which is really dangerous.