Beck glanced down with a sad, but hopeful smile. Darcie and Mark were alive and he would do whatever it took to get them back. Now that he knew she was alive, he'd be damned if he didn't see her again and hopefully grow their family from three.
EXT. MARS - SPACE
Sol 128
INT. HAB - DAY
Mark removed water from the water reclaimer and he and Darcie went down the rows of plants, watering one by one.
Mark said, "Now that NASA can talk to me and Darcie, they won't shut up..."
INT. HAB - DAY
Mark spoke to the camera while Darcie sat next to him. "They've got a room full of people trying to micromanage our crops. Which is awesome. Look, I don't mean to sound arrogant here, but I'm the best botanist on the planet. So." Mark adjusted the camera to show more of the lab. Lush greenery of the potato plants was everywhere. "In other news, there's been a request for me and Darcie to pose for a picture on the next transmission. I'm debating between "High School Senior..."" Mark leaned one elbow against an imaginary pillar and hooked his other thumb on his imaginary belt loops. "And "Coquettish Ingenue..."" Mark turned his back to camera, looked over his shoulder and bit on his thumb suggestively while Darcie rolled her eyes. "But I'm not sure how that will translate with the spacesuit on. One big bonus of this NASA communication: Email! Just like the days on the Hermes, Darcie and I get data dumps. Not just friends and family, but NASA also sends choice messages from the public. Rock stars, athletes, even The President. The coolest one is from my alma mater, the University of Chicago. They say once you grow crops somewhere, you have officially "colonized" it. So, technically, we colonized Mars. In your face, Neil Armstrong."
"Or Sally Ride," Darcie added. "She's pretty cool."
EXT. HAB - DAY
Mark and Darcie stood outside in their suits. They positioned themselves in front of the camera and held up a notecard before posing.
---
Annie tossed a photo on the conference room table:
Mark, in his spacesuit, gave the camera a big thumbs-up while Darcie, also in her spacesuit, gave a faintly annoyed smile. He held up a note that said, "Ayyyyyyy!" She held up a note that said, "I barely survived with him."
"I ask for a picture and I get the goddamn Fonz and insulting?" Annie said.
Vincent and Bruce were both on monitors from JPL and the former said, "Just be grateful you got something, Annie."
"It's not gonna work. I need something
with less-Happy-Days and more... Mark's face. Mackenzie looks annoyed. I'd like a genuine smile."
"I could tell them to take their helmets off, but then they'd, you know, die."
"Let's release the photo when we detail
the rescue operation," Teddy said. "I want to announce we're launching some supplies to him next year during the Hohmann Transfer window."
"I'm on a plane to you this afternoon.
We'll have the release ready."
"Good, but Annie will handle camera
appearances." Vincent gave a look that said 'Et tu, Teddy?' "Bruce, is your team still on schedule?"
INT. NASA - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
"It'll be tight," Bruce warned. "But we'll make it."
"Nine-month travel time, that puts the
probe to Mars on Sol 868. Did we get the Botany Team's analysis?"
"They estimate Mark and Darcie's crops will last then until Sol 912," Vincent answered. "They grudgingly admit Mark is doing great work but were more enthusiastic about complimenting Darcie work."
YOU ARE READING
Space Odyssey
Science FictionDarcie is chosen for and sent on a mission, alongside others, for, what feels to her, as a once in a lifetime opportunity. While she and her husband don't want to leave their young son behind, they know he's in good hands. But when the mission goe...
X. Sols 128-134
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