From: Alex
To: Helena
Subject: I miss you all
I arrived. Texas is my new home for 2 years. After 13 hours in flight, I'm ready to arrive. I'm sleeping here with the other people that will go with me. I arrived a day late, so they all had a day of rest before the introductions.
How are you? How are die Affen? I think of you every day. I hope Viktor and Eliza don't give you too much trouble. Tell them I love them. Write back.
Alex
From: Helena
to: Alex
Subject: We miss you too
Hello my love,
I can't believe that it'll be many years before I see you again. I'm happy that you arrived, and I want to hear about all your adventures.
Everything's well at home, die affen are good to me. I'm not having any problems.
What do you think of the new crew? What have you learned about them? I want to know all.
My students at school are also very interested. They are very proud that their teacher's husband is in NASA. They ask me what you do there, but I have no idea.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Always yours,
Helena
From: Alex
To: Helena
Subject: the crew
The crew is very interesting. There are 6 of us.
The first one is our commander. She is Melissa Lewis. She loves Disco music. She's very nice, but she thinks she's our mother. But with the other 2 crew members we have with us, I think that is very, very necessary.
The 2 of which I speak are Mark Watney und Rick Martinez. They are very very funny. They say things I don't get, but the others laugh a lot. I think they'll end up being our crew jokesters.
There's our doctor, Chris Beck. I hear that he is very good. I hope we will become good friends. He'll make sure we don't die.
The last person is our sysop, Beth Johanssen. She's young and smart. No way she's even 30 yet.
I'm glad things are going great at home. I miss you, and your Bratwurst.
Love,
Alex
From: Helena
to: Alex
subject: My students
Meine Studenten interessieren sich sehr. Sie wollen hören aber was du machst da.
I hope you and the crew are enjoying things there. I know it's not easy, but if anyone can do it, it's you. I think of you every day.
Love,
Helena
From: Alex
To: Helena
Subject: my day
Today was my first day of training. Commander Lewis woke us up at 4:30. We ate a quick meal, then it was off to our studies. We need to learn a lot about Mars, as well as space travel in Hermes, our spaceship. Then we ran 15 KM. It was a very difficult day.
I'm glad your students are so interested For dinner, we're all going to a Mexican restaurant. I do not know what they serve there, but I will tell you all tomorrow.
With love,
Alex
From: Helena
To: Alex
Subject: boring food
Hello my love
How goes it? I'm at home, and I'm eating the sausage that you are thinking about. Everytime I make it, I think of you. Viktor has a new girlfriend. He's one year older than him.
Sie liebt Wissenschaft. Wenn Viktor erzählt ihr dass du bei NASA bist, sie war sehr interessiert.
I have to go. You have to train, and I have to put the kids to bed.
With love,
Helena
From: Alex
To: Helena
Subject: My god. they're dead
I don't know if what happened last night was funny or not. Let's put it this way: I have a long, long 2 years with Mark and Rick.
Let's start from the beginning. I was in bed, thinking of you, wishing that you were here with me. I heard someone in my room. I thought it was a dream.
The next day, our alarm clock, which usually plays Prinzen, played this strange american music. I did not know what it was. I thought it was someone else's alarm clock. but no, it was my alarm clock.
At midnight, someone changed the song. the wakeup song for all 6 of us. We don't know who it was, but we all think it was Mark and Rick.
The mexican food yesterday was very very good. I tried something called tortillas, they taste like bread, but thinner.
Gotta go. Gotta start the day. Later!
Love,
Alex
After writing the e-mail, Alex stole over to the commander. From day one of seeing her work, he had developed a huge crush on her. It would be years before he'd see Helena again. He knew that he couldn't go so long without a little diversion. What would be the harm? As long as they waited until noone knew about it, noone else need know. He just watched her, watched her work in silence, from the edge of the doorway.