Red Horizon (The Martian Fanfiction)

Chapter 28

SOL 134

The end of the day was always the hardest. The sun had dipped below the horizon hours ago, leaving the Martian landscape cold and desolate. The only warmth came from the dim lights inside the Hab and the faint heat still lingering from their daily routines. Olivia sat on one of the storage crates, stretching her leg gingerly, trying to loosen the muscles that still ached after months of recovery. Mark was busy across the room, fiddling with the grow lights over the crops, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"I'm just saying," Mark called over his shoulder, "if NASA wants a full status report on every single one of these systems every damn day, they could at least send someone up here to help. You know, as a consultant or something. 'Hey, Mark, here's another person to help you grow potatoes and check air filters.'"

Olivia chuckled softly, running her fingers over her leg, feeling the faint tightness still lingering from her previous injury. "You'd scare off any poor soul they sent, with your 'I'm the best botanist on Mars' routine."

Mark grinned, tossing a playful look in her direction. "Damn right I am. It's not arrogance if it's true."

Olivia rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. Despite the endless pressure and the sheer weight of their survival, Mark still managed to keep things light. It was one of the things that kept her going—his ability to joke, even when everything around them was so precarious.

"Alright, I've finished checking the crops," Mark announced, standing and dusting off his hands. "We're in good shape there. I'll do the rounds on the air filtration systems, make sure everything's cycling properly. Can you double-check the oxygen tanks? We're good on levels, but it doesn't hurt to give them a once-over."

"Yeah, I've got it," Olivia replied, pushing herself to her feet and limping slightly as she moved toward the back of the Hab. She still wasn't at full strength, but her leg had improved enough that she could move around without too much trouble. Every night, they made it a routine to check every system before turning in—just to make sure everything was in working order. Neither of them could afford surprises.

She knelt by the oxygen tanks, checking the pressure gauges, making sure everything was stable. The familiar rhythm of the task was almost soothing, a reminder that even in the middle of all this uncertainty, they still had control over some things. As she worked, she heard Mark muttering to himself as he checked the air filtration systems.

"Looks good over here," Mark called out after a few minutes. "Filters are clean, systems are cycling—nothing to worry about."

"Same with the tanks," Olivia replied. "Everything's stable."

She moved to stand up, but as she shifted her weight, a faint hissing sound caught her attention. She froze, listening carefully. The sound was soft, almost imperceptible, but it was there—a slow, steady hiss that sent a chill down her spine.

"Mark," she called out, her voice suddenly tight with concern. "Do you hear that?"

Mark frowned, stepping away from the filtration system and moving toward her. "Hear what?"

"The hissing..." Olivia's eyes darted around the room, her ears straining to catch the sound again. "It's faint, but I swear I heard something—"

Before she could finish, the entire Hab seemed to shudder, a deep groaning sound reverberating through the structure. Mark's eyes went wide, and Olivia's heart leapt into her throat. The hissing sound grew louder, turning into a high-pitched whistle.

"Shit," Mark muttered, his face draining of color as the realization hit him. "It's the airlock!"

Panic surged through Olivia's chest. The seal on the airlock was failing.