A Breath of Mars [Open Novella Contest]

13 | Reunion

100 passes.

70 passes.

"Aine!"

50 passes.

10 passes and they finally stopped.

"Daria," Aine said, bursting into tears. "Thank the stars we found you guys! We were getting so worried. We didn't know what happened, were you'd gone. We thought you might have–"

"Aine, it's okay," Daria interrupted. "We're okay." Daria pulled Aine into a keen hug, only now realising just how relieved she was to find the rest of her crew alive. Daria gave Aine a heartening smile as she moved on to hug Tallie.

Finally, after nearly a week apart, the crew was reunited, or what was left of them. Daria quickly surveyed her crew, making note of who was in what condition. Viva wore her face closed off, arms around her chest protectively. It would take her a while to get over Xen. Zarel stood by Viva, a shadowing bodyguard by the looks of it, talking with Seren. Kasen . . . he was standing off to the side, scuffing his feat in the snow. Daria was about to approach him when she realised something.

Not again. Not another one.

"Where is Pike?"

She spoke to Aine, the most likely of the group to have taken charge in her absence. But it was Kasen who answered her surprisingly.

"Dead," Kasen deadpanned.

Daria stared at his face, at the void of expression. Kasen wasn't the same kid she had come to love as a brother anymore. Mar's had turned him into a shell without a snail, a person without a spirit.

Daria nodded slowly, composing her expression, trying not to break down. She knew this was going to happen. There was no way all of them would have been in perfect health by the time they reunited again. Daria may have despised the fact the Pike was the Commanders spy, but she would never have wished death upon him. Especially not in a place as terrorizing as Mars.

"How did it happen?" Daria queried.

"Hyperthermia. He didn't tell anyone he only had one layer on. Found him a few mornings ago the colour of ice with his eye lids frosted shut," Zarel said. He looked hesitantly at Tallie, then turned back to Daria. "Ravi?"

Daria just deliberately shook her head from side to side to indicate he hadn't made it. Zarel bowed his head in respect to Tallie, who was clinging to Aine as if the earth was going to slip out from underneath her.

Seren nodded to Viva's large pack which seemed to be the only one left between them. "How are your provisions? Do you have any food left?"

Viva chucked the bag to the snow, it's contents quickly deflating. "We ran out yesterday."

"Shit," Daria said and turned away from the group to run her hand down her face. She hadn't wanted to worry until now about their lack of food. Daria had been hoping that the remainder of her crew would have had rations left, or at least found a food source. Daria was beginning to understand not to hope when it came to Mars.

"Alright. I know none of us really want to keep moving but we need to find a food source, and preferably soon. We have no food between us and the body can only sustain without it for a short time, especially in this cold. Viva? Where would we most likely find food?"

Viva, Daria's only living knowledge specific flight ambassador, sighed as if to say, 'why ask me'. "It's Mar's. I have no fucking clue."

Daria closed her eyes for a moment, contemplating. How did you approach someone about caring who had no one left to care for?