Work Text:
-Present-
“So you’re saying that this never would have been an issue if he hadn't been left on mars for over a year entirely alone.” Commander Lewis said.
“Yes, that is exactly what I am saying.” Dr. Chris Beck sighed. “It’s called the lone survivor adaptation. If an omega is isolated from humanity entirely for over a year, well… this can happen.”
“So you are saying this has nothing to do with the two of you having had sex.” she said flatly. “Nothing to do with the relationship you told no one about until we all thought Mark was dead. Nothing to do with the bond you two were hiding?”
“Well… I wouldn't quite say that,” he hedged. “It is necessary for the omega to be mated for it to happen.” Beck conceded somewhat reluctantly. “But I would like to point out that there are no regulations or policies against a mated omega going on an Ares type mission. Mated omegas have completed such missions in the past without incident. Hell, Martinez is fine and we’ve been out here for longer than anyone ever has.”
Commander Lewis shifted uncomfortably. “Do you think he should keep it? In your position as his attending physician do you think it’s a good idea? He’s in pretty bad shape as I understand it, malnourished, broken ribs… could he even carry it to term if he wanted to?”
After contemplating for a moment Beck settled on an answer, “I think he could, if he wants. Especially if I can successfully put it in stasis until we get back to Earth, that is crucial, reentry is going to be incredibly dangerous in his condition as it is, let alone if he was that far along. Frankly I’m shocked that everything looks okay after undergoing the G-forces involved in the launch of the MAV.” Beck added, with some steel in his voice, “This is going to be his choice. I’m not going to push him either way and neither is anyone else. I have the supplies I need, whatever he decides.”
Lewis could tell she had hit a nerve and was careful in considering her next words and was sure to deliver them in a calming tone. “I’m not going to push him, I wouldn’t do that.”
“...I know. Sorry. I’ve just seen what it can do to people, getting pushed either way. It can destroy them. I couldn’t see that happen to Mark, especially not on my watch.”
“It’s okay. How much have you gone over with him so far? Do you know which way he’ll go?”
“Not yet. I’ve gone over all of the options with him and all of the relevant medical stuff. He’s thinking now, and resting.”
“Remember this doesn’t just affect him,” Lewis pointed out, Beck’s head snapped up “if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here, I might be able to understand more of what you are going through than you might think.”
“Thank you Commander, for now what I think I need most is to rest and make sure Mark is going to be okay.”
“Go on then, I’ll see you tomorrow if nothing needs our attention before then.” As she watched Beck’s retreating back she wondered what it would do to him if they lost Watney at this point, as he wasn't out of the woods yet. She really hoped she wouldn’t have to find out.
-LOG ENTRY: SOL 496-
I think I have the Martian flu, been feeling exhausted and nauseous for the last few days and today I finally puked up a meal I really couldn’t afford to lose. How did I even catch anything? I’ve been in total isolation for over a year for fuck’s sake!
-LOG ENTRY: SOL 499-
Well I haven’t actually puked again, thank god. Not even with yesterday’s adventure with rolling the rover, wasn’t that fun. Still nauseous though and exhausted, though that last may be because I am slowly starving on these rations. Hard to tell!
Anyway, now to try and get the rover right side up again and see if those solar panels are salvageable. I’ll report back later on how that went.
-LOG ENTRY: SOL 502-
It just occurred to me as I made my torturously slow, 5 kph journey down the remainder of the ramp, that the NASA nerds would be flipping their shit if they knew I was sick. They kept us in relative isolation for about a month before the launch of Ares III to prevent exactly this sort of thing. I guess it’s too bad that they're not going to find out they failed until I either get off Mars or someone watches these logs one day. Wonder how long they are going to keep the next group of Space Nerds cooped up for before they launch them into orbit. I feel for you fellow future Space Nerds, I feel for you.
-LOG ENTRY: SOL 504-
Holy shit, holy shit! This is so awesome! Holy shit! Okay, calming down now. I got a ping from the MAV. Someone brilliant at NASA must have had the bright idea to have the MAV broadcast a radial signal and pretending to be the Hab with its homing signal. Now it’s only a Blip for now, the MAV wasn’t meant to broadcast a radial signal so it’s weak, but it’s just going to get stronger as I get closer.
In other news today it occurred to me that there might be another explanation for how I’ve been feeling these past weeks, but it’s impossible because I AM HERE BY MYSELF. As in with no one to have fun with. It’s been a really long time since the last time Chris and I fucked, like two years a long time. God I miss him. I mean I miss all of them, I’d be happy to see just about anyone at this point, but I especially miss him. I suppose I might as well say it, I miss my mate. I mean what are the big wigs at NASA going to do about it at this point? We’re already in space! The mission is not only underway and reached the point where the only way through is forward, it has gone entirely FUBAR! What could they do to me? Strand me on Mars?!
-LOG ENTRY: SOL 507-
I don’t know how but I’m almost sure that I’m pregnant. As in with child, knocked up, up the duff, preggo. They say omegas will just know at some point, I think it’s by month two, and I woke up today just knowing. I am either officially totally losing it or pregnant. Either way I am officially Fucked. And I didn’t even get to Fuck.
I almost wish I was still at the Hab, out of everything that was in the medical area what I didn't think would be necessary for me to take with me? The pregnancy test was at the top of that list. Officially as far as NASA is concerned there should be no need for a pregnancy test, but they send them on every mission with people who could potentially theoretically get pregnant for “redundancy” along with a stash of morning after pills. Officially they are there in case of sexual assault as we all agree not to do anything resembling sex for the duration of the mission, or in the case of those who could get pregnant, for months before the mission. Don’t want anyone finding out they are pregnant halfway to Mars do we.
For the record I Haven’t Had Sex In Over Two Years. We were fucking careful dammit! And yet here I am, Pregnant. Fuck you Mars.
-LOG ENTRY: SOL 511-
Assuming I realized I was pregnant at two months like omegas usually do, I am going to be three months pregnant when I take the MAV into orbit to meet up with the Hermes. No one has ever gone through launch while pregnant. Not that anyone knows of anyway. Fuck. All those G’s I am going to be pulling. That can’t be safe, I mean… Well there’s nothing anyone can do about it. It’s not like staying on Mars until I pop out the kid is going to be safer. I think I am going to be keeping this piece of information to myself when I get to the Ares IV MAV. No reason to get the nerds at NASA all in a twist over something no one can help.
First thing I’m doing once I get up there though is telling Chris. Maybe I’ll find out I am crazy or that the MAV was too much and it’s too late, but either way, first thing I’m telling him, it might be important for him to know, being the doctor and all. And my mate.
I’m really worried.
-LOG ENTRY: SOL 536-
I really hope this isn’t some sort of Martian parasite baby, like out of some B list sci-fi/ horror movie. That would suck almost as much as disco. If this all turns out to be a hallucination I am blaming Commander Lewis and her shity taste in music. Fucking disco.
-LOG ENTRY: SOL 543-
Tomorrow is the big day. The modifications for the MAV are complete and I get to take the vandalized monstrosity of a convertible NASA likes to call a spaceship into orbit. I get to be the fastest man in the history of space travel, which I admit I like the sound of. I could get blown up. I could die in a fiery explosion. I could crash on the surface of this God forsaken rock. I could overshoot the Hermes and get lost in space and slowly suffocate and die. That one I actually have a plan for. If I miss the Hermes I am going to adjust the air mix being pumped into my suit and make it pure nitrogen, if I do that I’ll just sort of go to sleep instead of feeling like I am suffocating slowly.
I could get to the Hermes safe and lose the baby.
And there is literally nothing that I can do about any of it (except give myself options of how to suffocate). I’m not going to be in control of a damned thing. NASA even had me get rid of all of the controls. For the last year and a half I have been more or less solely responsible for my survival and now that it’s coming down to the moment of truth it will be out of my hands entirely. Granted there is no one I trust more with my life than the crew.
-Present-
“One more time for the class, how did this happen again?”
Beck was busy looking at his coffee and didn’t see who said it, but he obliged sleepily. “When a mated omega has sex a small amount of semen is sometimes stored away and treated with hormones that keep it in stasis. Kind of like a little time capsule. It’s only reanimated under very specific conditions. The omega has to have been absent human contact and pheromone signals of just upwards of a year and they have to be in relatively stable conditions for some time. Not necessarily good conditions mind you, but mostly stable. Then the next time they cycle through estrus it triggers the release of the semen for the fertilization of the egg. The process can also be triggered medically and it’s sometimes done if the mate becomes infertile or dies” When he got no response he sighed “Cliff notes version is that swimmers can be stored and released at a later date when no one has been around for a while. Hence, lone survivor adaptation. And since it can happen several times it’s a last ditch attempt to repopulate. Yes I know sibling incest , gross .”
“Dude, you know that just made it worse, right?” Martinez said.
Beck’s head met the table with a thunk and he groaned into his arm.
“Why are you this exhausted?” Beck could tell that was Martinez again.
“I was up all night making sure that Mark didn’t have an adverse reaction to the stasis drugs. If his body rejected them… there was a small chance that they could set off early labor, which I could stop, but only if I did so right away. The blood markers say they’re safe now though, his body reacted to the drug properly and the pregnancy is in stasis.”
“You should get sleep while you still can man, having an infant is hell on your sleep schedule, trust me, I know. I have no idea how Vogel does it. Six kids man.” Martinez patted Beck’s head as he walked off to perform his duties for the day, leaving Beck with his head on the table and his coffee cooling in front of him.
-Launch-
Watney waited, lying in the acceleration couch, head pillowed in the EVA suit by an extra shirt in deference to the massive acceleration he was about to experience. There was nothing however that could be done for the fetus he suspected was resting, at least for the moment, in his abdomen. He had briefly considered changing his mind and telling someone about it when he first got settled in and nearly asked Commander Lewis to patch Beck into the comms , in the end though he knew the only way it might change things is for someone to get distracted and get him killed. So he kept quiet about it.
“You alright down there Watney? Anything we should know?” Lewis could tell something was off with Mark Watney. He was being unusually quiet, she was worried there was something he wasn’t telling them. About his health maybe. Whatever it was all she could do was hope it wouldn’t effect the mission because the only response she received was an evasive dismissal and redirection from Mark.
“I don’t know what you could possibly be talking about Commander. I’m just peachy. Looking forward to going into space in a rag top and to getting some food that isn’t potatoes.”
Mark listened in on the chatter as the pre launch checklists were gone through, reveling in the still novel sound of human voices he knew and loved. As the moment finally arrived and the countdown reached the ignition point he braced himself as best he could and settled in for the ride. If he was a religious man he would have prayed.
Mark was glad that it didn’t matter if he blacked out, that it was even expected, he was pulling 12 G’s after all. He felt the blood rushing back in his body and his vision grow fuzzy. He couldn’t move, not even to breath. He spotted a five sided bolt on the inside of the hull. He wondered what would possess NASA to use a five sided bolt instead of the standard six sided one. After all, standardization had worked so well with the hoses. So convenient to be able to attach any hose to whatever he needed. He watched the Hab canvas above him flap violently and wondered why that felt so ominous as he watched the canvas tear. He saw the sky change from red to black scattered with pinpoint stars. He thought “That’s nice” and finally lost consciousness.
Fog was quickly invaded by pain, then panic. What if he lost it?! Before Watney realized the pain was in his chest. He winced as he took a breath and opened his eyes to the vastness of space, Mars silhouetted against it, where the Hab canvas should be. “Fuck you” he croaked out before turning to the radio in his suit and saying “MAV to Hermes.”
Lewis imagined herself one step closer to relaxing, “Watney!?” too relieved he had been able to regain consciousness to worry about the usefulness of the question. Receiving the expected affirmative she identified herself as requested. “Watney, what’s your status? How do you feel?”
“Not so great, all I can tell you about the MAV is that I’m seeing sky instead of canvas and I have no controls on the ship. Also I’m pretty sure I broke a rib. How do things look from your end?”
“We’re working on getting close to you, something went wrong on launch, it sounds like the canvas didn’t hold and caused a lot of drag. We’re taking care of the distance with the attitude thrusters but there is a problem with intercept velocity.”
“How bad is this problem?”
“Forty-two meters per second.”
“Well shit.” He might not get to tell Beck about the impossible baby after all. And get to use that nitrogen plan. Oh joy. That one piece of control he arranged as a backup plan for dying. Not what he was hoping for.
-The Rescue-
The moment Watney saw Chris Beck, tethered to the Hermes and strapped into the MMU pull himself through the opening of the MAV was one of the sweetest moments of his life. Fuck Iron Man. This was so much better. He could feel himself relax at the sight of his mate. Mark waited until he was clipped securely to Beck and they were on their way back to the safety of the Hermes before he dropped his bombshell. “I think I’m pregnant. Not sure how, but you know, omega’s intuition. Pretty sure about the pregnant part.”
Chris froze. Briefly flashing back to a med school lecture where the guest lecturer had talked about a case he had encountered where an omega had gone on a long distance trip by sailing ship, gotten stuck by them self, and ended up pregnant. Yah, he knew exactly how that happened. “Shit”
“Well that went over well, I know that was a surprise but really. Your mate tells you they’re pregnant and all you can say is Shit?”
“Oh Fuck, sorry, that wasn’t about you being pregnant. I just should have seen this coming is all. I mean, I’ve heard about this kind of thing happening before, the phenomenon isn’t unknown.”
“Just a reminder, you are both on open comes. Might want to table this discussion until you’re somewhere more private.” Lewis interjected, reminding them both that they were not in fact in their own world.
When they got back on board the first thing Beck did was float Mark off to his quarters/ the sick bay, where he was removed from his EVA suit and thoroughly examined despite the stench.
“Well, I can confirm by scent that at the very least your body thinks it’s pregnant.” Chris got out while trying not to breath through his nose. “Though I’m surprised I can tell through the general body odor.”
“Ha Ha. So funny. I feel so loved.”
“Shut up, you know I love you…”
“Love you too. Was kind of worried that I wouldn’t get the chance to say it to your face again.”
“Yah, me too. Your ribs are definitely broken. Let's get you taken care of, then a shower.”
Pain meds, an hour wait for them to take the bite out of the broken ribs, for the ship to start rotation again, and a shower later Beck ushered Watney back into sick bay and onto a bed where he pulled over an ultrasound machine from where it was stored on the wall. Watney watched with some trepidation as he set it up. “Don’t worry, this shouldn’t hurt.” Beck assured, noticing he was on edge. Watney gave a weak smile.
Beck began the scan. “What are you hoping I’m going to find?” He posed to Watney, not sure what he was hoping to find himself.
“I honestly don’t know. I mean, when I was on Mars I worried about it, about what the launch would do to it. But now that I’m back up here, safe. I don’t know. Now I don’t have to constantly worry about living another hour, taking care of myself and then someone else potentially. Now I don’t know any more.”
“That’s okay, it’s okay not to know, but we are going to find out for sure one way or another, right about… Now. You are definitely pregnant, about twelve weeks if I’m seeing this right.” He paused, letting that sink in for both of them. Taking a deep breath and clearing his throat he started, “As your doctor I have to go over you all of your options, as well as the risks associated with each.”
After there was a moment of silence Watney sighed, “Yeah, I know.”
-LOG ENTRY: MISSION DAY 687-
So I estimated wrong about when I realized I was pregnant. I must have realized it a little on the early side, not quite two months then.
-LOG ENTRY: MISSION DAY 689-
So I decided I’m keeping the baby. I slept on it and when I woke up I realized I really want this, I want this for myself and I want this with Chris. I asked him to put it in stasis like he said I should if I decided I want it or want more time to decide. I told him we’re gonna have a kid, assuming this one survives the forces involved in reentry when we get back to Earth. He was trying to hide it but he seemed relieved. I’m exhausted, but I’m also starving. Dr. Bossy Beck is controlling my food intake, something about not wanting me to puke everything up because I’m going to fast on a delicate stomach.
The stasis procedure was fucking terrifying. I kept imagining I was starting to cramp up and go into early labor. For all I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep the fetus just a couple days ago this kid is really important to me now I’ve decided there’s going to be a kid. Their going to have such a cool conception story, first human conceived on Mars.
-The Hermes-
Johanssen and Vogel sat in the rec room watching Beck and Watney interact. Watney was curled up in Beck’s arms, impressive given their two inch height difference. Unfortunately it was probably made easier by how malnourished Watney was right now. This was new. Well, it probably wasn’t new for Beck and Watney, but it was new to Johanssen and Vogel. This was typical mated behavior and not something that they could remember the couple ever displaying before. Back when they all thought Mark was dead Beck had displayed what might be called the typical grieving behaviour of someone who had just lost their mate, but that had been the extent of it. Now they weren’t just clearly mated, it was obvious, even to the casual observer, that they were brooding. Mark’s pregnancy might be in stasis, but the associated behaviours, the cuddliness, the emotional engagement with the people around him, they were clearly present. Mark was eating a partial meal pack and sucking on a smoothy under the watchful eye of his mate and, for the time being, doctor. He was clearly holding himself carefully, mindful of his broken ribs, though as closely to Chris as he could. Both were heedless of their audience.
Lewis and Martinez walked in, discussing the latest status of the Hermes systems, stopping when they saw the position the two on the far couch were in. Now speaking softly to each other, they made an even more classic picture of the perfect mates.
“Holy shit.” Martinez breathed, turning to where Johanssen and Vogel sat.
“I know, right?! They’re adorable, but it’s also kind of weird, right? They never acted like this on the way out to Mars.” Johanssen said.
“Not where we could see it anyway.” Vogel put in. “But this ship is not so large, I would have thought we would have noticed something.”
“I noticed that they were closer than everyone else, but I didn’t think they were mates.” Lewis put in. She was kind of annoyed with herself for not having noticed something this important going on among her crew, on her ship, she had been since it had all come out after Watney’s ‘death’ and Beck’s breakdown. Which had actually been impressively short. It had been plane that he was still in a tremendous amount of pain after the loss of his mate, but he hid it well and completed his duties with skill and efficiency as always. She had even been convinced not to inform NASA as it did not seem to be affecting the mission, and in her opinion as the commander, the last thing her crew member needed was to be chewed out by the higher ups for something he hadn’t been technically legally required to disclose in the first place.
“Hiding something like that isn’t easy on a bond, but it can be done. It really sucks though.” Martinez said as he sat down, causing the rest to turn and look at him questioningly. “When I first met my wife we were 16 and my parents didn’t want me hanging around with alphas. Said they didn’t care what I thought the alpha was like or if I liked them, they only wanted one thing from me. Anyway we hit it off at school, and hung out outside of it as much as we could get away with. Eventually my parents found out and pitched a fit, forbade me from seeing her. My first year of college we mated. Hid it all the way up through when I officially joined up with the air force.” He looked around at all of their shocked faces. He realized that everyone, even Watney and Beck, had been listening to his story. “Anyway, hiding a bond sucks, but it can be done.”
“That sucks man, not cuddling with your alpha where people you care about can see is hard.” Mark piped up, having finished his food he had moved more fully into Chris’s lap. “And you did that for years, I mean, at least we knew there was a definite end point when we could relax.”
“Well, my parents actually like her now. They came around when I had the baby. I don’t think they thought she was serious until that.” Perking up he added, “Speaking of, everything is good on that front, right?”
Mark looked at Chris who confirmed “Everything is looking good, development looked right on track when I checked and though it was a little on the small side there probably won’t be any lasting damage from Mark’s malnutrition, at least for the kid. It seems like the fetus was taking whatever it needed more or less and Mark was suffering for it. Even if we were back on earth and didn’t have to go through reentry it would probably be best for the both of them to put the pregnancy in stasis until Mark was healthy again.”
“And what about for you Mark?” Lewis asked.
“I’ll probably be fine in the long run, but there are certain things that we’ll only be sure of with time.”
-LOG ENTRY: MISSION DAY 756-
If the crew didn’t know about me and Chris I would probably have to move out of his quarters soon, as I would no longer need to be in the sick bay. It’s taken long enough but I’ve finally improved enough to be considered at least marginally healthy. Yay! I’m not severely underweight any more! Chris was actually getting very worried about that for a while. Apparently I wasn’t gaining weight like I should have been, he even checked on the baby to make sure it was really in stasis and not growing and taking my food. It wasn’t. Also my ribs have been healed for a while now, they still ache now and then and Chris is worried that the bone might not be as dense as it would have been if it healed in Earth gravity, but they are fine now. Being in a relatively sterile environment even helped me escape a chest infection! That and everyone reminding me to take deep breaths all of the time.
I’m back to doing my lab experiments now that it has been deemed that I am ‘better’. That is such a relief. I had been going over all of the notes the others had been taking on what they had been doing in my absence and honestly I cried a little for my poor plants. Don’t worry honeys, I’m back now. To be honest all of their science was fine, I just missed my green things. And my red things, can’t forget my red things. Even though seaweed isn’t technically a plant I have a soft spot for the stuff.
-The Hermes-
“So how did you guys decide to hide your bond from NASA?” Johanssen asked over dinner.
Beck decided to answer. “We were casual acquaintances before we met in NASA, went to the same coffee shop. Mark asked me out on a date and I said yes. The next day we were introduced to each other as finalists in the astronaut candidate program. We decided to keep dating, figured it wouldn’t do any harm. The odds of it causing a conflict in the future seemed pretty small. We hadden’t even been selected for the training program yet, let alone a mission. Eventually we decided to mate. The next day we found out we had both been selected for the Ares III mission. Neither of us wanted to back out, this was our dream, we’d both spent years of our lives to get there. We knew that if we amended our paper work or told anyone about the bond one or both of us would be removed from the mission. So we didn’t. We’d always kept things professional at work any way. It wasn’t that much of a change.” He paused before continuing. “We knew things would have to change during the mission. There would be no going home at night where we could act however we wanted, not if we wanted to keep the bond from people on the mission. We knew that would be hard but we both wanted it so much and didn’t want it to interfere with the mission. For us or for anyone else.”
“It was harder than we thought, but it was worth it and we would have been able to keep it up for the duration of the mission.” Watney added.
“Until we lost Mark. You did until we lost Mark.” Lewis said, remembering Beck’s break down once they were safely back on the Hermes and he had time. It had been heartbreaking to watch. The keening, the rocking, the withdrawal into his own world. The panic attack when they had found out Mark was alive, that they had left him behind, however necessary it had been, had almost been worse. She had worried about him relapsing into his grief and self incrimination. But he hadn't, he’d pulled himself together and kept working. Worrying about him had helped her keep her own head together and away from guilt at leaving Watney henind. Beck might have had to pronounce his own mate dead, but she had given the order to leave and that was no small thing on her conscience, no matter what Mark said about it.
“Well after that there didn’t seem to be much point, not much point in anything, let alone hiding the most important thing that had ever happened to me.” Beck said.
“Hay, if anything does happen to me one day, I want you to keep going, okay? Find something to live for.” Watney said holding Chris’s face in both hands and pressing their foreheads together.
“I’ll try, I promise I’ll try” Chris said.
Lewis watched them and thought about the similar promises she had had her own mate make to her not long after they bonded, knowing there was a risk as long as she was in the navy, then as long as she was going to space, and sighed.
-LOG ENTRY: MISSION DAY 999-
Today seemed like a good day to make a log, seeing as the mission day is a palindrome. We are almost back to Earth, only a few more days now before we enter Earth orbit, then we make the decent and go through reentry. I am so fucking excited. Real Earth food, no more rations. Real earth plants and people and air and the privacy of our house, which I have never lived in full time, what with hiding our relationship from NASA and such. An address change I would have had to report and that would not have gone over well. Would have raised questions for sure. After we’re back I we can have the stasis lifted on the pregnancy. Our lives are going to change so much, hopefully for the better.
That’s the thing though. I’m pregnant and about to go through reentry. No one has ever done that. There is no way it is safe, not with the Gs we will be pulling. I mean, I went through worse on the assent from Mars, but not for as long. Shit, this is so scary. When I ask him to Chris tells me it will be fine, but we’re bonded, I can tell when he doesn’t believe what he is saying 100%. And he doesn’t believe it, or rather he’s not sure of it. I think I’m going to go find him and demand cuddles.
-Reentry-
Watney had very little to do during reentry. Nither of his specialties was called for so his main job was to sit quietly and stay out of the way. So that’s what he was doing. It was freaking everyone out.
“You doing okay Watney?” Johanssen asked as Beck made frantic ‘cut it out’ motions toward her, already knowing what was making Mark so quiet.
“Fine. Just worried. You know, about the kid, what might happen during reentry. I’m fine though, we’ll be fine. Don't’ worry.” Watney shifted nervously throughout his short speech, ruining the effect he was trying to have of calming everyone down.
Martinez continued preping systems for detachment of the descent capsule from the Hermes and readying it for reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. “Man, we are going to do everything possible to make this as smooth and safe as it can be. That I can promise you.”
“Thanks Martinez, means a lot.” Beck said when it became obvious that Mark wasn’t going to respond.
As the involved crew began the call and response involved in checking all systems and detaching from the Hermes Beck looked at Watney. He continued looking at him as they felt the kick of uncoupling from the large ship and then as everyone called out, confirming once again that they were suited up, strapped in, and ready for reentry.
Then they began the drop. At first there were thrusters, then it was just gravity. Everything shook as they picked up speed. Then Martinez engaged the reverse thrusters for a moment, slowing down in anticipation of the first parachute opening, hopefully reducing the strain it exerted on the craft and it’s occupants. The parachutes opened in sequence before splashing them into a relatively soft landing in the Atlantic ocean, not far off the Florida coast, right where they should be.
“Everyone status report.” Lewis ordered. “Martinez”
“Good Commander.”
“Watney?”
“Everything feels fine Commander.” Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“Johanssen.”
“All good Commander.”
“Vogel, you good?”
“Ja Commander.”
“Beck.”
“Little fuzzy, but nothing unexpected Commander, I’m good.”
Houston: Report status of Ares III crew.
Lewis: Everyone seems to be fine. Reentry was a success.
Houston: Welcome back to Earth.
Lewis: I think I speak for everyone when I say it’s good to be home.
Houston: There is a recovery boat on it’s way to your location.
Lewis: Then we’re doing even better, looking forward to seeing them.
-Post Press Conference-
“Well that went well,” Teddy Sanders said, putting away the blue folder he was carrying.
“That happens a lot more often when you have good news for them.” Annie said, somewhat sarcastically.
“Well this is very good news” Vincent Kapoor pointed out, “A full crew of astronauts, back safely on Earth, if not on solid ground yet. Delayed but all safe now, if not in the condition they were in when they left.”
“You’re referring to Mark Watney’s pregnancy.” Annie confirmed.
“Yes, I am. I’m still not sure how that hasn’t blown up in our face.”
“A lot of hard work, that’s how. And by the way, there are still traditionalists calling for all omegas to be barred from future missions incase something like this could happen again, for ‘their own safety and that of the child’ I believe is their catchphrase now.” Annie pointed out. “A fringe group, but they’re there.”
“He is fine, isn’t he?” Teddy asked.
“Last I heard from the doctor on board the retrieval vessel everything looked good, for all of them.” Mitch finally spoke up.
-Group Video call, one year later-
Beck: Rick, you were right. Infants are exhausting. Vogel, how the hell do you do this six times?!
Martinez: [Laughing somewhat hysterically as he looks at his bump, just beginning to show.]
Vogel: They are adorable, Ja? It is all worth it... and eventually you forget.
Johanssen: Hay Melissa, did you get that thing I sent you?
Lewis: Yes! Thank you so much, we’ve been looking for that for years. How did you find it?
Johanssen: It was just at a garage sale, wanna play it for us?
Watney: Don’t You Dare. [pointing at the camera with wide eyes.]
Lewis: I’d Love to. [goes to put a record on a turntable.]
Watney: No, No. This isn’t happening. I hate you all.
All: Aw Mark, We love you too!
[A baby starts crying in the background.]
Watney: [cheerfully] Oh, look at that! I guess I’d better go take care of her now. [Starting to get up he is stopped by Beck’s hand on his shoulder.]
Beck: Don’t worry dear, I’ll go get her. You stay here and talk you our friends!
Watney: [To Beck’s retreating back] I hate you most of all you know!
Martinez: You’re adorable together, you know that right?
Watney: Where’s Marissa anyway?
Martinez: Picking the rugrat up from a play date.
Beck: Okay, we’re back! [cradling their infant daughter in his arms] Where were we?
And the discussion continued, disco music playing loudly in the background.