INT. MAV - CONTINUOUS - DAY
Martinez dove into the airlock and forced the door closed. He waited for agonizing seconds as it pressurized.
As soon as it pressurized, Martinez raced up the ladder, slid into the pilot's couch and booted the system. "Commander -- The MAV's got an 8 degree tilt. It'll tip at 12.3-"
EXT. HAB - STORM - DAY
"Copy that-" Lewis said.
Beck checked the readout on his arm computer. "Johanssen, Watney and Mackenzie's bio-monitors sent something before going offline. My computer just says "Bad Packets"-."
"They didn't finish transmitting." Johanssen worked her arm computer. "I have the raw packets. They're plaintext: BP 0, PR 0, TP 36.2."
"Copy." He paused a moment. "Blood pressure zero. Pulse rate zero. Temperature normal."
"Temperature normal?" Lewis repeated.
"It takes a while for the... it takes a while for the body to cool." He shouldn't have let her or Mark get swept away.
Everyone stopped short as that news landed.
Martinez said over the radio, "Commander. Tilting at 10.5 degrees now, with gusts pushing it to 11."
"Copy. If it tips, can you launch before it completely falls over?" Lewis asked.
Martinez hesitated. "Uh. Yes. Ma'am. I could take manual control."
"Copy that. Everyone home in on Martinez' suit. That'll get you to the airlock. Get in and prep for launch."
"What about you, Commander?" Vogel asked.
"I'm searching a little more. Get moving. And Martinez, if you start to top, launch."
"You really think I'm leaving you behind?"
"I just ordered you to. You three, get to the ship." The others hesitated. "Go."
Beck shook his head. "Commander, please, let me go with you."
"No. Get to the ship. That's an order, Beck."
He pursed his lips and nodded.
INT. MAV - DAY
Vogel, Beck and Johanssen stumbled into the airlock.
EXT. STORM - DAY
Lewis couldn't see a thing in any direction. "C'mon, think, Melissa, think..." She reached into the pack on her back and removed two of the one meter drill bits she was using earlier to take samples. She held one in each hand, dragging them on the ground as she trudged through the sand.
"Johanssen, would the rover IR camera do any good?" Lewis asked.
INT. MAV - DAY
Johanssen said into the radio, "Negative. IR can't get through sand any better than visible light."
They ripped off their helmets and scrambled up the ladder.
YOU ARE READING
Til the Stars Turn Blue // Chris Beck
Science FictionMackenzie and Chris are newly married when they embark on a journey to the stars. But a coming storm makes one fear the worst and one, once finding out the truth, vows to rescue their significant other no matter what it takes. *I don't own The Mar...
