Gravity // Chris Beck

13. Sols 220-537

Beck, geared up in his EVA suit, tethered to the wall, guided the probe to the docking port. He tried focusing on the mission at hand and not that he'd soon see his fiancée once again.

INT./EXT HERMES - REC ROOM - SPACE

Johanssen watched anxiously through the window port as Beck secured the docking.

INT. HERMES - AIRLOCK 3 - SPACE

Beck, geared up in his EVA suit, tethered to the wall, was still guiding the probe to the docking port. The thought of being able to see Teagan again crossed his mind and this time, he didn't try to push it away.

EXT. HERMES - SPACE

"Let the children lose it, let the children use it, let all the children boogie..."

The Hermes, rotating once again, soared through space on its return journey to Mars. It left the Earth behind.

EXT. MARS

Sol 461

Mark said, "Teagan and I've been thinking about laws on Mars."

EXT. HAB - DAY  (OVER SIX MONTHS LATER)

Mark continued. "There's an international treaty saying no
country can lay claim to anything that's not on Earth. Both Rovers are now hitched together. Pathfinder rides on top of Rover 1 like Granny Clampett. Rover 2 houses all the equipment. The whole thing looks like a Gypsy caravan made of billion dollar NASA equipment. And by another treaty, if you're not in any country's territory, maritime law applies. So Mars is "international waters.""

Teagan nodded. "It's some seriously interesting shit."

INT. HAB - DAY

The Hab was similarly transformed. All the major equipment had been stripped for parts. Sections of the canvas had been cut down, re-glued, making the tent lopsided in places.

Mark glanced at Teagan before saying, "NASA is an American non-military
organization, and it owns the Hab. So, as soon as Teagan and I step outside, we're in international waters."

INT. HAB - DAY

Mark spoke directly to camera while Teagan sat next to him. The six months had transformed them. They were gaunt. Their hair was longer. His impressive beard shaped his face.

Mark grinned. "Here's the cool part. Teagan and I leave this morning for the Schiaparelli crater, where we will commandeer the Ares 4 lander. Nobody explicitly gave us permission to do this, and they can't until we're aboard the Ares 4. So I will take control of a craft in international waters without permission. Which, by definition, makes us pirates."

Teagan smiled as she said, "Mark Watney and Teagan Campbell, Space Pirates."

The two high-fived before Mark added, "It's better than winning the Nobel Prize."

INT. HAB - DAY

It was the day in the Hab. Mark shaved his beard. Teagan looked at a picture of her and Beck and smiled as she held it close to her chest.

Mark and Teagan organized the boxes and boxes of experiments they were keeping alive during their time in the Hab. Among the labels was "Das Soil Samples."

Mark and Teagan pulled on their suits and performed final shutdown. All the computers, lights, heaters went dark and the Hab fell into silence.

EXT. HAB - DAY

Mark and Teagan depressurized the Hab. They stared at it for a moment as if to say "Thank you for keeping me alive."

EXT. ROVER - DAY