Trouble in Orion's Belt; A Stellar Journey

Aumrill is full of surprises. She stumbled; trying to get her bearings because the horizon seemed to ripple. She raised her hands on either side of her head in an attempt to remedy her dizziness. Heat waves danced on the surface making it more difficult to focus. Having been born on Mars; a savagely cold planet; she was unaccustomed to the display. The image of her father appeared in her mind and the province of necessity outweighed the heat of the moment and she willed herself to focus. She reached into her backpack and pulled out her electro-notepad. She switched on the homing signal and then looked around. There was a clump of trees between her and a mountain range in the distance. She instinctively walked toward the trees; which might provide a little shelter. At that moment a light flashed and a beep appeared on the communications panel in the dome. Julia raced over. The indicator told her it was Jul’s homing signal. She pressed the communication button. “Jul! Are you all right?” She waited a moment anticipating a response then tried again. “Jul! This is Julia. Can you respond?” “Julia!” a voice rang out over the speaker. “Yes, I’m a little dizzy from the heat; but I’m fine! We’ve got to get to my dad.”