Hashtag - It's a date

Chapter 1

"You can't just leave me here, what if something happens? What if they suddenly need assistance?"

"Most of them are sleeping anyways, it's the middle of the night and I'll only be gone for 10, maybe 15 minutes, you will be fine. They don't have any scheduled contact with NASA until 10 am."

"My dad is gonna freak out.." Nova said with uncertainty lacing into her voice.

"I really truly have to go," Mindy said, "you know this isn't my job either, but there is a huge meeting and they barely man this station so I had to do it. You'll be fine, promise. If something happens - which I assure you it's not going to, you just press this button." She pointed to a black and white button. "Though they won't hear your reply for around 12 minutes because of the delay... so it wouldn't really matter if you wait until I am back. Unless of course if it is a distress signal. Try finding someone or if it is an emergency press this button and people will come running. Though there won't be much for anyone to do. They might use the chat link though. Just reply unless there is something you feel you need help with."

"Well that's... reassuring." Nova rolled her eyes at her friend. "Fine... just try to hurry back, will you?"

*

15 minutes ticked by and no sign of Mindy.

Nova sighed partly out of irritation and partly out of boredom, her chin resting on the back of her hand as she watched the unmoving screen in front of her.

*

Another five minutes passed by and when a sudden "ping," went off she was so surprised that she yelped and fell off her chair. Crawling around she got to her knees and then glanced over the desktop her eyes widened at the message ticking in on the screen.

[23.22] HRM: Hello! Is anyone awake? I am bored. Watney.

Oh God... Nova thought. HRM - meaning the Hermes spacecraft. Watney - Mark Watney, astronaut, botanist and environmental engineer. She looked pleadingly over at the door. Hoping that Mindy would just come through the door right at that moment.

Looking at the blinking cursor she chewed at her bottom lip; her fingers hovering over the keyboard.

[23.31] JSC: Hello Mark. I am awake indeed, how are you doing up there? N. Henderson.

She was biting her nails for the next couple of minutes, her eyes fixating on the blinking cursor, all of the boredom she had felt earlier having disappeared.

[23.39] HRM: N. Henderson? I thought your name was Mitch? I am alright, well except being bored out of my mind. Is it possible to actually die of boredom?

Nova chuckled, she felt like she partially knew some of the crew as her father had told her about each and every one of them several times.

[23.47] JSC: Good catch! I am actually his daughter, Nova.

I don't think it is possible to actually die of boredom. Unless you are one of those that end up doing something utterly stupid because you are bored. I strongly advise against it. You are in Space after all. It will end badly in 99.9% of the cases.

That is only a bet of course. I have never, nor will I ever, be in space. But something will go wrong. Most likely. At least that is what my father says. N. Henderson.

Again she found herself waiting for a reply, tapping her foot against the floor impatiently.

[23.51] HRM: Nova, your dad really loves space doesn't he? What is your middle-name? Galaxia? Venus? Milky-Way? Star? I do stupid things at times, but I try to avoid it while up here. Lewis would have my head. Your dad would too, probably. M. Watney.