Red Horizon (The Martian Fanfiction)

Chapter 27

It was late, the inside of the Rover dimly lit by the soft, pale glow of the console screen. Olivia sat in silence, her leg stretched out as comfortably as possible in the cramped space. Her mind was still buzzing from the day's updates, Mark's constant chatter, and the influx of emails from NASA. But all of that faded to the background as she stared at the unread video file blinking on the screen—a message from her family.

She had been avoiding it for hours, unsure if she was ready to face the emotions it might bring. It had been months since she'd heard from them, and until a few weeks ago, they probably believed she was dead. Her chest tightened at the thought. With a slow, deliberate motion, she clicked on the file.

The screen flickered for a moment before the image cleared, revealing the familiar faces of her parents and her younger sister. Olivia's breath caught in her throat at the sight of them. Her mother was crying, her father's arm wrapped around her shoulders, his own eyes glassy but trying to stay strong. Sarah, her little sister, was fidgeting nervously beside them, her expression a mix of disbelief and joy.

Her mother was the first to speak, her voice shaking. "Olivia... oh my God, Liv, you're alive." She broke down, tears streaming down her cheeks, and her father took over, his voice hoarse with emotion.

"We... we didn't think we'd ever see you again," he said, his voice cracking. "When they told us about the storm, we thought we'd lost you." He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But you're here. You survived. We're so proud of you, Olivia. You've always been strong, but this... this is something else."

Olivia's vision blurred as tears welled in her eyes, but she couldn't look away. Her mother regained her composure long enough to speak again. "We love you, sweetheart. We never stopped believing, but it was so hard... so hard to hold onto hope. Seeing you now, knowing that you're okay—" Her voice broke again, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Sarah leaned forward, her own eyes brimming with tears. "You're a badass, Liv. You're my hero." Her lips trembled as she smiled. "We can't wait to see you again. I miss you so much."

The message ended with a shaky but heartfelt, "We love you," from all three of them.

Olivia sat back in her seat, the weight of her emotions pressing down on her chest. Tears spilled freely down her face now, and she didn't bother wiping them away. She had kept herself together for months, pushed through the physical pain and the isolation, but this... seeing her family, hearing their voices, broke something open inside of her.

She let the tears flow, sitting in the stillness of the Rover with only the faint hum of the electronics to keep her company. They had thought she was dead. They had grieved for her. And yet, they had never fully given up.

Her heart swelled with a fierce sense of love and gratitude. They hadn't lost hope—and neither had she.

Sol 128

Olivia stretched her leg carefully, feeling the familiar stiffness that had plagued her for months. But today, it hurt a little less. Four months of healing, and now she could finally move without wincing every time she shifted. It was a small victory, but out here, on Mars, every victory felt like a lifeline.

Mark sat across from her, rambling as usual, his face lit up by the soft glow of the computer screen. The new communication link with NASA had opened the floodgates, and now, instead of the silence they'd grown accustomed to, their days were filled with endless data exchanges.

"So now that NASA can talk to me, they won't shut up," Mark grumbled, though his tone was playful. "They want constant updates on every Hab system... and they've got a room full of people trying to micromanage our crops. Which is awesome. Look, I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything... but I am the greatest botanist on this planet, so..."