Red Horizon (The Martian Fanfiction)

Chapter 47

SOL 561

The MAV thrummed to life around them, the vibrations sending shivers through the stripped-down metal. Inside the cockpit, the countdown continued its slow, methodical march toward the moment that would decide everything. Mark and Olivia sat side by side, strapped into their seats, their EVA suits tight around their bodies, keeping them protected and alive for the perilous ascent ahead.

For Olivia, the reality of the situation hit her with a force she hadn't quite been prepared for. The tight straps holding her in place were a constant reminder that soon, they would be hurling themselves into the sky, leaving behind the planet that had tried to kill them at every turn. The planet that had become both a prison and a test, and yet... it had also been home.

As the MAV systems ran through their checks, a thousand emotions rushed through her at once. Excitement. Fear. Relief. It was all there, swirling together, tangling up inside her chest. She wanted to scream and cry, to laugh and shout, but all she could do was grip the armrests and stare out through her visor, her breath loud in her ears.

We're really leaving. The thought repeated over and over in her mind, each time with more weight. After everything they'd survived—every soul-crushing challenge and near-death experience—they were finally going to leave Mars behind.

But the terror of what lay ahead threatened to swallow her whole. The MAV had been gutted, its systems torn apart, stripped down to the bare essentials, and they would be launching in something barely more than a tin can. The raw fear of it gnawed at her, growing stronger with each passing second. What if something goes wrong? What if the modifications aren't enough? The unknowns loomed large, but she had to shove those thoughts aside. There was no room for doubt now.

Mark's voice crackled through the comms, low and reassuring. "We're almost there, Liv."

She turned her head slightly to look at him. His face was hidden behind his helmet, but she could feel his steady presence beside her, could sense his determination, his focus. Even though she knew he was feeling the weight of it all, just as she was, Mark had always been her anchor.

"I know," she replied, her voice shaking slightly. "It just... it feels like too much. We're so close, and it's—"

She didn't need to finish the sentence. Mark understood. They both had their own ways of coping with the overwhelming pressure that came with this moment, but they were in it together.

Before Olivia could get lost in her thoughts again, a crackle came through the comms—this time from the Hermes.

"Watney, Rhodes, do you read?"

Olivia's heart skipped a beat. The voice was unmistakable, and it cut through the fear, sending a jolt of emotion straight to her core. It had been over a year and a half since they had heard a voice from someone other than each other, and now, as Martinez's familiar tone filled her helmet, it hit her like a punch to the chest.

"We read you, Hermes," Mark said, his voice thick with emotion. "Loud and clear."

There was a long pause, and Olivia's heart pounded in the silence. She had imagined this moment a hundred times, had pictured what it would feel like to hear their crew again, but nothing had prepared her for the actual sound of their voices. It wasn't just a lifeline—it was a bridge back to the world they thought they might never see again.

"Oh my God..." Olivia whispered, her throat tightening. The tears welled up before she could stop them. It was too much, the relief crashing over her like a wave. "Mark, they're really here."

"Yeah..." Mark's voice cracked slightly, and when she looked at him, she could see the glisten of tears in his eyes as well. "They're here."

"Watney, Olivia... it's good to hear your voices." This time, it was Commander Lewis, her calm, authoritative tone trembling just slightly at the edges. "We're here to bring you home."