Interstellar → Chris Beck

S O L 5 6 1

THOSE ON EARTH watched and waited, whether it be in the city square, the comfort of their office, or the comfort of their own home. After so many excruciatingly long months, the day had finally arrived: Mark Watney was leaving the Red Planet after spending an endless amount of months stranded alone.

The day brought on a plethora of emotions. Some were happy, some were anxious, some were exceedingly terrified, while some were all three. Mark's retrieval was sure to be a spectacle, though there were some who weren't sure exactly what to expect from it. Not even the Ares 3 crew members were aware of what was going to happen within the next few hours, but they were determined to make sure that whatever happened was anything but a catastrophic failure, Maia especially. She had come too far to lose her brother again, and she had come too far to lose him to a simple mistake.

The Ares 3 crew were all in their appropriate positions aboard the Hermes. Vogel and Beck were in Airlock 2, while the remaining crew members were seated in the cockpit of the Hermes, more than ready to put an end to the mission they had been assigned to months before.

"Fuel pressure, green. Engine alignment, perfect. Communications, five by five," Maia spoke with a trembling voice. Her nerves were tearing her apart inside. "We are ready for pre-flight checklist, Commander."

"Mission Control, this is Hermes actual," Commander Lewis started. "We will proceed on schedule. We are T-minus 2 minutes, 10 seconds to launch, by the mark. About two minutes, Watney. How you doin' down there?"

"I'm good," Mark replied breathlessly. "I'm anxious to get up to you. Thanks for coming back for me."

Maia almost wanted to break down in tears at the mere sound of his voice. She couldn't wait to see him again.

"Well, we're on it," Commander Lewis assured Mark. "Remember, you'll be pulling some serious G's, so it's okay to pass out. You're in Martinez's hands now."

"Tell that asshole no barrel rolls," Mark responded, earning a good amount of laughs from the crew.

Commander Lewis only grinned and shook her head. "Copy that, MAV."

Maia waited patiently as Commander Lewis reviewed the pre-flight checklist, and the moment she had finished, the crew was ready to go.

"Mission Control, we are a go for launch."

Maia smiled up at the monitor in front of her and began the countdown. "T-minus ten. . .nine. . ."

"Main engine start."

"Eight. . .seven. . ."

"Mooring clamps released."

"Six. . .five. . .four. . .three. . .two. . .one."

Johanssen and Maia watched their screens intently as the MAV continued its ascent.

"Velocity, 741 meters per second, altitude, 1350 meters," Johanssen informed the crew.

"That's too low," Commander Lewis said to Martinez.

"It's fighting me."

Commander Lewis attempted to reach out to Mark, only to receive no response. Maia wanted to let herself worry about it until she remembered his situation. There was a strong likelihood he had passed out during the launch, which she could completely understand, but what she couldn't understand were the numbers flashing across the screen in front of her. She had a hunch that something was likely going to go wrong during the launch, but she wasn't aware that it would be happening so soon.

"Velocity, 850, altitude, 1843," Maia informed the crew. "He's well below target altitude."

"How far below?" Commander Lewis inquired.