Ares 5: The Last Martians

Chapter 7

Log Entry: Sol 14
Avery Osborne

Surface ops are progressing nicely. NASA either can't or won't tell us if Hermes is ok to fly us back home yet, but apparently Harden is 'stable', whatever the fuck that means. Barton's really upset that they won't let us up to see him. She's convinced that Harden will die without immediate medical attention. We haven't even been told many specifics of the situation with him and Sofa. The whole thing reeks of conspiracy.
Barton's starting to come around to Barrand's way of thinking, and frankly so am I. Looking back on my interactions with Sofa, they seem a bit... odd. Maybe he didn't like being called Sofa. But why did he never say anything?
Apparently his cousin works in software engineering back on Earth. I hope they can get Hermes to work right again. Though it doesn't sound like they trust him... at least Beth Beck doesn't.
Anyway, it's time to get back to work. Barrand and I have an EVA to make and rock samples to collect. Yay!

* *

Barton and Watson sat on opposite sides of the Hab. Watson was growing tomatoes in little pots (after Watney's little adventure, NASA was looking more seriously at the possibility of growing crops on Mars) and Barton was looking at slides of Martian soil under a microscope. Watson still couldn't walk any great distance, and Barton stayed behind because mission rules dictated no one be left alone on Mars, inside or outside the Hab.
"How's your ankle?" Barton asked.
"Still broken." Watson rolled her eyes.
"It should be healed in about a month or so," Barton said. "Fortunately, since there are fewer of us now, we will have enough food to last until then." She frowned suddenly.
Watson looked at her. "What?" she asked her irritably. "What is the matter now?"
"We need to get up there," Barton said. "Su Fa's up to something, I know he is. I'm intimately familiar with Harden's medical records. He never had a seizure before in his life. Something isn't right."
"Well, what can we do about it until NASA gives us the go-ahead to get in the MAV and go up there?" Watson sighed. "You're starting to sound as paranoid as Barrand."
Barton looked across the room at her crewmate, whose eyes were fixed firmly on her tomatoes. "What exactly happened between you two in the MDV?" she asked. "Ever since we came back to get you you've been acting weird."
"I don't want to talk about it," Watson said sulkily.
"Erin, I- "
"I said I don't want to talk about it, Barton!"

* *

Osborne and Barrand were merrily bagging rocks. Well, Osborne was merry. Barrand was morose.
"Well, I will walk five hundred miles and I will walk five hundred more- "
"Avery?"
"Yeah?"
"Stop singing."
"Oh. Okay. Sorry."
"That is alright."
They continued bagging rocks, now in silence.
"You know, I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure if you just talked to Watson- "
"Do you mind?!"
"Alright! I'll shut up. Gosh."
There was a lengthy silence.
"I just don't understand what I did wrong," Barrand said suddenly. "We were having such a wonderful conversation in the MDV, but once we were no longer alone..."
"Did you tell her how you feel?"
Barrand blushed furiously. "What are you talking about?" he snapped. "How I feel about what?"
"What do you think I'm talking about?" said Osborne. "I'm not blind, you know. I've seen the way you look at her."
"What way?"
"You know what way- "
"Look, I don't want to talk about this, alright?"
"Well, if you didn't want to talk about it, then why did you bring it up?"
"I didn't bring it up, you did!"
"Well, excuse me for being concerned about your- "
"Wait, stop." Barrand held his hands up as if to ward off a blow. "We're crewmates. It's not right. I won't broach the subject with her until the mission is over, est-ce que tu comprends?"
"Yeah, yeah, I comprends." Osborne sighed. "Well, come on. These rocks won't bag themselves."
They continued with their duties.

* *

Barton checked to see if there were any messages from Houston.
"Another message from Beth," she said. "She says NASA is still looking into the data breach, at least officially, but she's all but convinced the Chinese are responsible. The only thing keeping her from going public with it is the new era of 'cooperation' ushered in by the Ares 3 incident. It would look bad-tempered to accuse our 'friends' of spying on us."
"And I'm sure that was exactly their plan," Watson said sarcastically.
Barton sat up straight and turned to face her. "Look, you need to talk to Barrand," she said. "I can't take much more of your temper."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Watson said, scowling.
"Stop playing hard to get," snapped Barton. "Just- "
Suddenly the airlock made the sound of pressurization. The door opened and Osborne and Barrand entered with their bags of rocks.
There was an awkward silence.
"Uh... " said Osborne, scratching his head. "Barton, want to take one of the rovers down to Arena Colles with me?"
"What? Oh, yes, of course!" Barton scrambled to her feet. "We should get as many samples as we can." She put on her EVA suit and the two of them hastily exited the Hab.
Watson looked at the ceiling, Barrand at the floor. They were silent for a long time.
"Well... " said Barrand.
"So... " began Watson. She turned red. "You go ahead," she said blushing furiously.
"I- well, I- " stammered Barrand. "Erin, we had such a lovely conversation in the MDV that day, but you've hardly spoken to me in two weeks. Did I say something wrong?"
"No, no you didn't," sighed Watson. She sat up a little straighter. "I'm sorry, I- I've been rude. I just... "
"No, wait," said Barrand. "Let me go first. I... je t'aime, ma cœur. Je vous ai aimés depuis que- "
"Wait, wait a minute." Watson laughed. "I don't speak French."
"Such a shame," Barrand smiled. "We must rectify that."
She raised an eyebrow. "Rectify it how?"
He chuckled. "Oh, I can think of a way... "
They continued talking even after the sun set and long into the night.