A Breath of Mars [Open Novella Contest]

07 | A Crew, Divided

In the following weeks, the communication receivers didn't pick up any activity, nor did a rescue mission arrive. The crew had no way of knowing if the Hub had been informed of their landing on Mars. For all the Hub knew, the Apollo Luna Module had just . . . vanished.

With each passing day, the crew grew more distressed. Arguments became a frequent source of communication while recourses increasingly dwindled, despite how they rationed. The day after Farren had died, Pike and Zarel had gone to retrieve the water canisters Daria and Xen had discarded. That gave them two water canisters. The other two had descended underwater with Farren.

Daria, with the strength from Seren, had dragged Phelan and Farren to an empty server room at the back of the ship. Daria had been anticipating a rescue team so that the bodies of her crewmen could be transported back to the Hub and their families. Doubt spread like a virous with every morning Daria woke to no indication of a rescue module.

"Do you miss her?" Daria queried, finally jumping out of her daydream. She slipped her fingers through Aine's shoulder length golden locks and parted it in three atop her head. "Your sister, I mean." Daria began flipping one strand over the other.

Although Daria couldn't see her friends face, she knew Aine's expression wasn't one of rejoice. "Every day," she said, defeated. "Do you miss Neiko?"

Daria sniffed back her tears. All Aine had done was say his name, but it had been enough to rouse her emotions. "Every day," she whispered. She continued braiding Aine's hair, the strands oily and slick from lack of hygiene. The crew would have to find another way to be sanitary, and soon, otherwise they would be facing an epidemic as well.

"Do you think we'll ever go home?" Aine said. She gazed at Daria in the mirror before her.

Daria halted the braid and stared at her hands. She really didn't think they were going home. After a week and a half on Mar's, the Hub should have deployed a rescue mission by now. Telling Aine they were fated to a life of savage survival would not help the situation. So, Daria smiled as best she could and plastered on a neutral façade. "Of cause we will. The Hub has the most advance navigational technology out there. Even with all our systems down, they'll still be able to find us. We just have to wait it out a little longer," Daria lied smoothly, but Aine wasn't ignorant. She knew they weren't getting off this planet.

"Maybe-"

A harsh noise cut off Aine's next sentence. Both women's eyes shot to the door in shock. Another bang followed, then a yelping shriek filled Daria's ears. Daria promptly tied the end of Aine's braid and scuttled out the door, Aine only a few steps behind.

They raced down the narrow aluminium hallways, the reflection of her frantic body distorted in the bending metal. The shouting increased to the point where Daria couldn't hear coherently. She pulled to a halt in the doorway of the bridge and beheld the scene before her.

The bridge was in turmoil.

On one side of the twelve-seater table stood the twins, Seren, Kasen, Viva and Pike. On the other side stood only Xen and Zarel. The table in the middle was like a portrayal of their battle field.

Daria did a double take when she noticed what Viva and the twins were holding. Packs. Survival packs were slung over three of her crewmen's shoulders, another seven or so resting on the table between the battling sides.

Zarel had his arm on Xen's chest, preventing the man from jumping across the table and knocking her crew's teeth in. Seren stood on the opposing side, bulging arms folded tight across his chest, his expression unaffected by Xen's wildness.

When Xen made to leap again, Daria spoke over the noise. "What the fuck is going on?" Daria bellowed.

The room turned to face her. Daria couldn't believe how animalistic her crew was. It had been less than two weeks and they were already unravelling.