From Mars, With Love

1| Departure

The last drop of water on Mars hit my tongue. My wife was frantically packing everything she thought would be useful into our shuttle. The former Queen of Magányos looked regal even when she was rushing around in boots and a space-parka, extremely puffy, lined with the most exotic furs and equipped with an oxygen helmet. She was pregnant with our first son who would be the beginning of a new generation.

This time we would do better.
At last, the shuttle was packed to her satisfaction. I walked over to where she was sitting down, catching her breath, and put my arm around her.

"It's okay. We're leaving now," I helped her into the shuttle as carefully as I could. She smiled at me when I handed her a small bag of hydro-powder, a creamy pink substance that we used as a poor substitute for water. But where we were going, we wouldn't need it anymore.

I radioed the shuttle of Noah, Helyek's President. With me being King of the First Dynasty and him President of the Second, we were the first informed about the water crisis.

All I could pick up was static from his radio, but a few moments later, I had a clean signal.

"Clear for take-off, Mr. President? Over." I spoke clearly into the reciever.

"We're just waiting on the Empress of Szépség, the sixth Dynasty, to confirm a completed safety procedure. Over." A crack of static signaled that he had switched off his radio.

It was unlike Noah to cut off like that without warning. Then again, everything is unexpected at the end of the world.

You would think we would be more prepared. Water shortages happened all over the planet about two years ago. The Seventh Dynasty, Vihar, was affected the worst. It was already mostly arid, but they had enough water to get by. And the snow-covered Helyek always helped them out in tougher times.

A huge wave of suicides spread through the planet. It was better to die of a rope or knife than an unquenchable thirst.

Then, a miracle. Labs in Magányos had invented a water substitute. At least, that's what everyone thought. The substitute was just an illusion of the vital element we needed. A year after production and distribution showed that H2O was unique. Hydro-powder was not water.

◆◆◆◆

My radio cackled back into life.
"This is Amilyssa, Empress of Szépség. Do you copy, Your Highness? Over." The voice on the other side of the radio was commanding yet quiet, barely a whisper.

"Copy that, Your Majesty. What is your message? Over." I spoke into the radio.

"Am I clear for take-off? Over."

"Rodger that, Your Majesty, you are clear for take-off. Over."

"Best wishes, Adam. Over and out. " A crack of static.

I felt utterly, hopelessly alone.

My wife took this moment to start giggling quietly, but it soon turned into breathless, heavy laughter.

"What's so funny?" I asked her, quizzical.

She tried to do her best impersonation of me, "Oh no, are you prepared to leave hell? Over." She put extra emphasis on the 'over'.

I shook my head, smiling slightly. The engine let out a small cough as I started it up.

This was it, I thought as the vessel juddered, pushing through the atmosphere of a broken world, we were leaving Mars forever, leaving her to heal slowly. In seven years, we would land on Earth.

I set the course for the auto-pilot to follow and stood up slowly. It was strange, neither my wife nor I would live through the next seven years, we'd be in Stasis pods, stuck in suspended animation for nearly a decade.

I looked over at my wife. Seven years before I can see you again.
I helped Eve up and hugged her tightly, her head fitting perfectly under my chin. I kissed the top of her head.

"It's going to be okay," I whispered.

"I love you," She whispered back.

"I love you too."

Hand in hand, we drifted off to the Stasis pods. I helped Eve into hers, then went to my own.

We'd never see our home planet ever again.