If Tomorrow Never Comes

06

EXT. MARS - SPACE

Sol 128

INT. HAB - DAY

Mark removed water from the water reclaimer and went down the rows of plants, watering one by one.

Mark said, "Now that NASA can talk to me, they won't shut up..."

INT. HAB - DAY

Mark spoke to the camera. "They've got a room full of people trying to micromanage my 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. "To clarify, I always love hearing from Esme. In other news, there's been a request for me 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. "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, 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, I colonized Mars. In your face, Neil Armstrong."

EXT. HAB - DAY

Mark stood outside in their suits. He positioned himself 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. He held up a note that said, "Ayyyyyyy!" In small print was another sentence: "I love and miss you, baby."

"I ask for a picture and I get the goddamn Fonz and insulting?" Annie said.

Esme smiled and laughed. "Mark is making the best of his situation. When you're finished, can I keep this?"

Annie nodded. "We can print a copy for you."

"Thank you."

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."

"I could tell him to take his helmets off, but then he'd , you know, die. Esme wouldn't like that."

"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's crops will last him until Sol 912," Vincent answered. "They grudgingly admit Mark is doing great work."

"Grudgingly?" Mitch repeated.

"Mark has a tendency to tell them to have sex with themselves whenever they question one of his decisions."

"Get him in line, Vincent," Teddy ordered. "We can't afford any miscommunication. I hate this margin. 912 sols worth of food. We get there on 868. And that's assuming nothing goes wrong..."