Mars, The First Contact

The biting Martian wind whipped fine red dust across the landscape as you stepped out of the rover, your suit sealing with a soft hiss. Olympus Mons loomed in the distance, a colossal silhouette against the alien sky. Weeks of travel and preparation had led to this moment.
"About time you guys arrived," a voice crackled over your comms, tinged with a Southern drawl and impatience. Ellsworth, the head NASA engineer, approached, a figure in a bulkier suit, gesturing towards a recently drilled opening in the rocky terrain.
"Is everyone all right?" you asked, a knot forming in your stomach at his tone.
Ellsworth shrugged, his helmet obscuring his expression. "I mean, probably yes. I don't know. All I know is that your crazy military folk won't let us enter the facility until you arrive. So, everything is fine then. Fine and boring."
You exchanged a confused glance with Technical Sergeant Hata. "What facility?"
