Red Horizon (The Martian Fanfiction)

Chapter 16

Olivia sat at the small workstation in the corner of the bunk room, the soft glow of the Hab's lights casting a pale, almost ghostly reflection across the screen in front of her. Her leg was still propped up on pillows, the dull throb of pain ever present, but it had become more of a background noise to her thoughts now. She glanced toward the other side of the room where Mark was sprawled on his bunk, eyes closed, breathing slow and steady. He'd finally fallen asleep after hours of stubbornly insisting he was fine.

With a soft sigh, Olivia turned her attention back to the recording device. She'd been putting off doing this, but after everything that had happened—the explosion, their near-death experiences, and her own growing frustration with her injuries—she knew it was time to log her own thoughts, if only to keep herself grounded.

She tapped the screen, the recording light blinking to life, and took a deep breath before speaking.

"This is Dr. Olivia Rhodes, recording my first log on Sol 36."

Her voice was steady, but there was a rawness to it that she couldn't quite hide. The weight of everything that had happened, of everything she'd been through, settled heavily on her chest as she continued.

"I... I don't even know where to start," she admitted, her fingers brushing lightly against the edge of the table as she gathered her thoughts. "It's been almost three weeks since the storm, and I still can't believe we're both alive. I can't believe I'm sitting here recording this."

She paused, glancing toward Mark again, her gaze softening as she watched him sleep. "I got hurt pretty badly. Broken leg, fractured ribs... and honestly, there have been moments where I wondered if I'd ever get out of this bed again. Every time I try to move, it's like my body reminds me just how fragile I am right now."

Her voice wavered slightly, and she bit down on her lip, willing herself to keep going.

"But Mark..." She shook her head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Mark's been incredible. He's... he's the reason I'm still here, honestly. From the moment we got trapped here, he's been working non-stop—making sure we have food, water, air... everything we need to survive."

She exhaled slowly, her fingers tapping lightly on the desk as she gathered her thoughts. "The food situation is... rough, to say the least. We have rations that should last for a while, but it's not enough to keep us going for years. And that's the thing—we need years' worth of food. But Mark, being the brilliant botanist that he is, has figured out a way to grow potatoes here. On Mars."

There was a soft chuckle in her voice now, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she remembered his enthusiasm. "It's risky, and he's had a few close calls—he even blew himself up trying to create water. But... he's making it work. Somehow."

Her gaze flickered toward the bunk again, where Mark shifted slightly in his sleep, his brow furrowing as if he was still stuck in the middle of some impossible problem even while unconscious.

"Everything he's done, everything he's risked... it's not just about survival for him. He's taken care of me—he's been my lifeline through all of this. I don't know what I'd do without him. He's helped me with everything... even the stuff I never thought I'd need help with. It's not easy being so dependent on someone, especially when I'm used to being the one taking care of others. But Mark... he's made it bearable."

Her voice grew softer, more introspective, as she leaned back in her chair, staring at the recording screen. "I never expected to feel this way, especially not here... not in the middle of all of this. But... I'm starting to feel something for him. Something I didn't see coming."

She hesitated, her heart beating a little faster as she spoke the words out loud for the first time. "I don't know what to call it. Maybe it's just... the circumstances. Maybe it's the fact that we're alone here, that we're all we have. But it feels like more than that. I see him—the way he cares, the way he keeps fighting, even when things look impossible—and I can't help but... feel something. Something real."