Dreams do come true

Chapter 28

Day 28 on Mars

That minor dust storm was just a warning.
There was another one, two days later. On the whole planet. It lasted 26 hours and they still couldn't see a thing.

Luckily they had still been wary of going back outside. Unfortunately, that also meant they couldn't go check on the ship.

They heard it from Houston first. There was some damage to the control module. Alex explained all the technical stuff and then, "We have a choice to make."

"To the point, Danvers." Nia did not like the suspense.

"We can go back as soon as it's clear, cutting the mission short, and having a small chance of failure at launch and a slightly bigger chance of failure at reentry."

"Or?"

"Or we wait for a rescue team to get here, which would take about ten months."

Lena was already going through all the possibilities in her head. "We could wait in terms of supplies and everything we need to survive, but if something were to happen to the rescue mission..."

"It could get ugly. Food clearly wouldn't be an issue seeing we're growing some stuff but..."

"The camp isn't built to last for more than a year." Maggie finished for Alex.

Kara didn't know what was the better option. "Then again, we have no reason to assume something bad would happen if we wait, right? However, if leaving the planet now doesn't kill us, we could be adding to the damage and we might burn at reentry."

"Yes. There's a pro and con to both options. There's no really a right answer here." Alex stated.

"Look, we still have at least a couple of days of the sky full of dust, let's sleep on it and we'll vote tomorrow, okay?"

"What about option three?"

"Maggie, no."

"What? What's option 3?" Alex and Maggie were glaring at each other and Nia really wanted to know all the possibilities.

"Whoever wants to go back early can do so, the rest can stay."

"First of all, I'm pretty sure they won't approve of that, it'd be too expensive and the risk is too high. Second, we're all in this together and if any of you starts singing I swear to God—" she pointed an accusatory finger at her sister while squinting at Nia.

Maggie understood, she did. But at the same time she was trying to give everyone a fair chance. "I don't want this to sound bad but I just don't think this will be a good democracy because the four of you will have the same vote."

"What?!"

"Maggie's right, guys. One half of the couple will want something more and the other will give in. And then it would just be puppy-eyes Danvers versus overprotective-sister Danvers and we all know how that will go."

Maggie smirked, "Which basically ends with Luthor's vote deciding all of our fates."

"Hey!" Alex was the only one to protest, the rest of them knew it was true.

Of course Lena was the one with the perfect solution. "Let's vote now. We'll put a number down. Option 1 or 2. 1 is for cutting the mission short and 2 is waiting for a rescue team. We'll reveal them at the same time and do what the majority says."

Kara did not like this. She couldn't begin to think what the rest of them would choose. Did Lena think the smart thing was to stay? Would Alex want to leave as soon as possible after her horrible night alone? What was the best option?

"If it's a tie?"

"We'll have a good debate until we reach a conclusion like the intelligent adults we are."

They agreed.

They voted.

Sam - 1.
Alex - 2.
Nia - 2.
Maggie - 1.
Lena - 1.
Kara - 1.

"Really?" Nia had been so sure most of them would vote differently.

Lena's eyes were on Alex when she answered, "I honestly trust us more than I trust them, and whoever they might send, to get here in one piece at the right time before we die of something else. If we manage to get out of here, we'll have almost seven months to fix everything for reentry."

"If we manage to get out without burning. And it's not something we can easily fix."

"It's our best chance, Alex."

"I'm not trying to convince anyone. It was decided. We should really start preparing so we are ready to leave as soon as possible. Excuse me."

She was gone in the direction of her room just like that.

Nia didn't really mind the outcome. She thought it was a bit more dangerous, but maybe a faster death outweighed the bigger risk.

Kara and Sam were in a staring contest. Who was going to go after Alex? They both wanted to, although neither of them really knew what to say.
Lena sighed and beat them to it.

"You tried to guess, Danvers."

"What?" Alex was not expecting Lena, especially not her leading with that.

"You voted what you thought Sam wanted or Kara, I'm still not sure which one. But it wasn't your decision."

"No, I really think there's a greater risk in—"

"Yes, of course there is. But you take the greatest risks as a challenge. You also want to leave... for more than one reason."

"I did it for Ruby."

"What?"

"I don't want her to lose Sam, and she'd be losing all of us at the same time. I thought it would be safer even if it meant staying longer."

"Alex... you don't think Sam's also thinking about Ruby?"

"I think Sam voted what she thought I wanted and now we're leaving because of it."

"Okay, that's my cue to leave and get her ass over here."

"But—"

"No. Remember when you told your sister she should be talking to me instead of you? Well, guess what?" Lena raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay."

Alex looked torn and Lena remembered the way she always cared about Ruby, from the very beginning. This wasn't her worrying about her girlfriend or her girlfriend's kid. This was Alex worrying about Ruby and putting her first as if she was her own daughter.

Lena walked closer and gave her a kiss on the forehead before leaving. Not even a minute later, Sam was there.

"Alex, what's going on?"

"You don't want to leave."

"What? Of course I do."

"Don't you think the risk of us dying is worse than waiting a few more months until your
daughter sees you, alive?"

"I... When you put it like that... But I chose to go because I thought it was the best for Ruby. Yes, I want to go back to my daughter as soon as possible, and of course I want you out of the place that keeps giving you nightmares. I know the risk looks greater but I really think that we have a better chance if we do leave as soon as possible. I want us to live."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"I... I think you're right. What Lena said before, I trust this crew too. I think we can do it. I just—"

"You were thinking with your heart. You thought it was a safer bet, you thought that was what Ruby would want us to do."

"I— yeah..."

"And you have no idea how much I love you for that. Alex, I promise you, staying might sound safer on paper but it's not. We'll make it home to her."

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Another Saturday, another chapter.
Enjoy reading, let me know what you think <333