The Martians [The Martian Fanfiction]

Sol 26

"What's that?" Mark asked as he peeked over my shoulder.

"Huh?" I turned around. Realising that it was the old Polaroid picture in my hand. "Oh. This is just a photo of me as a child, my mother always liked the old Polaroids." I smiled down at the photo before smiling a little at Watney.

He smiled back, we've had a few quieter sols, apart from tending the Martian crops, trying to fix pathfinder and finding the Breach.

"I was so awkward" I laughed looking back down at the picture before putting it back in its album.

"Was? You still are!" He joked.

"Oh come on show me one of your baby photos? I bet you had a chubby face..." I teased.

"I did not have a chubby face... I was quiet fit, thank you".

I sighed and shook my head "you can't argue with stupidity..." I smiled. Walking over to my EVA suit and pulling the heavy overall up my body. "I'm just going to get my USB, it's in the rover".

"I'm coming with you..." Mark said sternly suiting up. "It's dark out, besides your my EVA buddy. We never leave the Hab without each other." 

"Mark, I can handle this on my own. You know what? I'll be so quick it'll be like I never left!" I said with a smile before putting on my helmet.

He was already in his suit. "Your psychotic, Adams" he said through the com.

I laughed and entered the airlock.

Beep!!

Beep!!

"What the fu-" I was cut off when the airlock launched itself. I slammed into the ground of the airlock. I groaned as I pushed my body up from the ground.  "Shit..." I said as my eyes focused on the visible cracks in my face plate. I immediately scrambled for my emergency patch kit. Grabbing the putty I spread it all over the cracks so that it was about 80% less chance of dying. 

"Oxygen levels: Critical"

Thanks captain fucking obvious.

Once the putty hardened I got the tape and covered over the cracks for 'Extra Protection'.

"Oxygen levels: stable"

"Pressure: stable"

I sighed in relief as I rested my head against the broken airlock. "Fuck me..." I murmured. "Mark..." I murmured again. Shit! Did he leave his suit on?!

Realisation kicked in once I looked at my bio monitor I had little oxygen left, I had to make the sprint to the rover.

Finally gaining my courage I skipped over to the rover. Skipping was the fastest way to get to the rover in Martian gravity. Once inside pressed the com on my suit.

"Watney? Come in Watney?"

"Thank fuck!" He swore "don't do that shit to me, Adams. I thought I'd lost you... I'm coming out. Where are you?" He asked concern lacing his words.

"I'm in the rover aka the Watney-mobile" I huffed in tiredness. The adrenaline still ran through my veins.

"I'm coming out, leave your suit on" he ordered.

A few moments later Mark was in the rover making sure that there wasn't one scratch on me.

"Are you heart?" He asked searching my face for any sign of blood.

"Just a little cut, that's all. It's nothing to worry about" I brushed him off taking my EVA suit off. It was too hot with it on as the rover had the best instillation known to Earth. Mark did the same. We wore our navy blue NASA shirts and leggings.

"This is why I don't let you leave the Hab alone. You'll kill yourself." He said.

"Mark if it was the two of us in that airlock we would have died..." I explained.  Mark had been acting very protective of me, his humour always seemed to fade when a serious topic was introduced. This wasn't the old Watney that I know and love.

"We'll stay here tonight. Work on a plan tomorrow morning, I'd hate to see the damage done to my crops..."