Paving a Pathway
She was sitting out on the roof, gazing out at the stars. Her parents were arguing, again, and their angry voices drifted up out of the lower windows and into the cool night air. She pulled the blanket over her head and tried to block out their voices. She was surprised one of her brothers hadn't joined her out here yet; they must have the telly in their room turned up loud. The door to the house was banged shut and she saw her father stomp out to the car and drive away, he wouldn't be back for a couple more days now.
Lights in the house clicked off and some of the stars she hadn't seen earlier popped into view, her mother must have gone to bed, she usually did after the fights. She slid forward on the roof so her legs were dangling down from the rain gutter and laid back, trying to identify as many of the constellations as she could. She wished she could see more, the light pollution here was too much, and the planetariums could only do so much.
She didn't know how long she lay there, looking up at the sky when she heard a voice yell. Sitting up straight she looked around. A man on the ground waved up at her.
"What are you doing up there? Do you need help?"
She couldn't see his face too well from the way the light of the street lamp fell, but she could tell that he was tall and wearing a long coat.
"I'm fine, thank you. Just enjoying the view." She called back.
"Alright, just making sure. Didn't want you to fall and break your neck or anything." He took a step forward and his features were then lit in the yellow light. He looked young-ish, not quite middle aged, with brown hair sticking up at ridiculous angles and wearing a brown suit and tie with trainers.
"Thank you for your concern, but it's the best way to see the stars from here." She replied, pushing the blanket off her head and letting her redish-brown hair fall around her.
"The universe is an amazing place isn't it?" the stranger grinned up at her, "So full of life and potential."
"Better than being stuck around here."
"Oh, don't be like that. Seems brilliant enough to me."
"Not really." She had no idea why she was having this conversation, with a stranger of all things.
"Really? How's that then?"
"It's like going up a never ending mountain that likes to move right under your feet?"
"Sounds like Felspoon. Did you know, they have mountains that actually sway in the breeze."
"You're joking!"
"Am not!"
She smiled and laughed, a real one, the first in a long time.
"So, where is this Felspoon then?"
"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning." He replied with a cheeky grin. "No, actually it's…" he turned on the spot, hands deep in his pockets, looking at the sky. "That way." He finally said pointing out towards the constellation Orion.
"Sounds like you get around then. So what are you exactly, government agent, part of the space agency?"
"What if I said alien?"
"Ok."
"That's it?" He looked like a deer caught in headlights.
"Yeah, why?"
"Most people don't believe in that sort of thing."
"This is coming from the girl who is still patiently waiting for her Hogwarts letter to arrive. And really, how different is magic from advanced technology? Or aliens from mythical creature?"
The man laughed. "You are a brilliant one aren't you?"
She shrugged, "Not so much, my hobbies just include anything science fiction or fantasy, actually anything space related….Oh! And classical studies. It's odd."
"I think it's brilliant."
"Thank you. Not many people think so."
"It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks does it?"
"Not really."
"So there you have it. It doesn't matter what life throws at you because you know what?"
"What?"
"You are going to be amazing." She smiled down at him.
"Thank you."
"No, thank you."
"By the way, what did you say your name was?"
"The Doctor."
"I'm Jamie Weaver." He smiled, like he knew something but she didn't ask.
"Nice to meet you, Jamie Weaver." The man called the Doctor said. There was a high pitched beeping sound and the Doctor pulled something from one of his pockets, "I'm so sorry but I've really got to go."
"No problem. It was nice talking to you."
"The honor is all mine." He started walking down the street. A thought popped into her head.
"Doctor!" she called and he paused and turned around. "Stay safe."
She saw him laugh joyfully, and he hollered back, "You never cease to amaze me, Jamie. You are going to be magnificent."
Jamie smiled as she saw him run down the street, before climbing back up the roof and into her room. She still had a smile on her face as she closed her window. Maybe things weren't going to bad.
*Future 2041*
"This is Captain Jamie Weaver. We have arrived safely on Mars. Over." She said into her comm. "Come on boys. We've got a planet to explore."
Mission control exploded with cheers.
"We are leaving the Martian Lander now. Oh my god, I've never see anything more gorgeous in my life. There are no words to describe this. Neil Armstrong was right about one thing, it is one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind. Now onwards and upwards. Over."
Captain Jamie Weaver looked across the surface of Mars and at her two other crew members. The words 'You are going to be magnificent' rang in her head from all those years ago. And that was exactly what she was, she was the first person, first woman on Mars and things could be anymore brilliant than that.
"Thank you, Doctor."
A/N: According to the Whoverse (Waters of Mars), there was a three man mission that landed on Mars in 2041.