The Martians

Tonight, we wrap up a loose end that absolutely no one has asked about either in comment or email. I'm kinda disappointed at that…

Chapter 26

"Mrs. Watney" Annie said as Mark's parents were walking down the corridor to return to their rental and back to the hotel.

"Yes Annie, how can I help you?" Mark's mother asked sweetly. She and her husband had been on a first name basis with Montrose for some time.

"Uh, this 'KT" thing isn't going to go away now, can you tell me anything? I think we just opened it up to every conspiracy theorist on the Internet and this sort of thing could go viral fast."

"No" she replied, "Mark said it was personal, and, it is, but if you can get me one more private conference to Mark and add someone to it, they may be able to tell you. I'm sorry but it isn't my story, and I know it touches a nerve with Mark. An old memory."

"We can do that; do you want to try now?"

"We can, but I need to make a call first. What do you need to add someone to the video conference?"

"No idea, but the tech at the comm center will know. Thanks." Annie replied.

Back on Hermes, once the camera was off, it was decided that the two crew that were perceived to be the closest to Mark should check on him. No one thought his abrupt departure from the conference had to do with his leg hurting. It was, based on his emotional response, something deeper than simple pain. Beth and Mindy would be able to call in Dana or Chris for medical or psych support, or anyone else they chose if need be, but it was assumed that whatever had torn Mark apart in the conference was best handled by those closest to him. He wasn't likely to open up to anyone else.

An hour later when they had not returned, Missy took it upon herself to check up and found them all in tears.

Beth and Mindy had arrived a few minutes before a private video from Mark's mother but had learned nothing about the meaning of "KT" initially.

"Hey Mark, we wanted to check on you, can we come in?"

"Sure, I was going to read or something, you're always welcome, you both know that" Mark replied, his eyes still glistening.

They sat on either side of his bed. As he roomed by himself at his end of the pod, both bunks had been pushed together so his injured leg would have room. His normal roommate, Chris, was planning to stay in the med bay with Dana, just in case they were needed. No one believed that excuse or cared. Missy and Mindy's bunks were at the other end of the pod and the three shared a restroom and shower, although they had all done so on Orion for most of the last year and no one thought anything about it.

After a pregnant silence Mindy asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I... yes I do, but it's... it's not... no, I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay" Beth replied. "Mark, whatever it is, you know the media and the nutjobs aren't going to let it be, but if you don't want to talk about it, fuck them. We all have your back. Honestly, they are too much up in our business already. I think I can speak for everyone on that. You want to keep it private, you keep it private. Your call. We support it, we don't need to know, understand?"

"Uh thanks. It's not anything bad, I just... it's really personal, and the other person, well, they can't speak for themselves. I just want to leave it alone and see if people stop caring."

"If that's what you want to do, we support you. Every one of us. If its too much weight, we'll help you carry it, we don't have to know what it is. Everyone here loves each other Mark. Everyone. If NASA knew they wouldn't want us to work together, but, well, maybe they should. We just want you to be happy. We all just want to get home and back to the real world where nobody cares about astronauts. Where we aren't the story on every slow news day." Mindy said.

The trio talked about a number of things, none important. Mindy told Beth stories about Mark on Mars, Beth told stories about Mark on Hermes and in training, and Mark told stories about both. They talked a long time and Mark seemed to be coming out of his funk a bit. Mindy was about to tell him about the plan she had developed to handle the romantic interests, the time seemed right, but then his comm link beeped with a private line message with the title saying it was from "Steven", indicating it was his private and secured line, with a header indicating it was from his mother and "Doris."

"Hang on" Mark asked his crew mates.

The screen was split in two with, the now familiar to Beth and Mindy, Mrs. Watney on one side, and a woman approximately the same age on the other. This one appeared to be coming from a private home, or perhaps a doll store. There were dolls everywhere.

"Hey Mark, it's me again!" his mother grinned, "and look who I have with me! Mrs. McCallister! After she saw the press conference, well, she wanted to talk to you and Ms. Montrose said that would be okay. Doris is home but they sent her a, is it called a secured link? Anyway, she's talking to you through her computer. Are you in a place you can talk?"

"Hi Mark" the other woman began. "Your mother said not to talk about the press conference until you said it was alright, but I need to tell you three things. First, we are all so very proud of you. I know I've sent that in emails but it's true, the whole neighborhood, heck, the whole city... country is following you. Second, uh, you looked like you were hurting on that press thing, you shouldn't. She wouldn't want that, she is so very proud of you, I just know, well, we will talk about that more in a minute. Third thing, I found it! A 2000 Goddess of Love edition! Mint condition, even the package is perfect, and it has the tags and paperwork! That's the last one! Its complete now so we're going to have to find a new hobby!" Mrs. McCallister said as she held up a pristine looking doll dressed in a white toga in a box that clearly said "Barbie" on it.

"You collect Barbies Mark?" Mindy asked.

Mark rolled his head towards her, stared a moment as if thinking how to address the question, then looked back towards the screen.

"Hey mom, hey Doris, yeah, I'm here with Beth, our sysop, and Mindy, our XO. They, well, they are two of the most special people I have ever known, we can talk in front of them if you like. That's up to you Doris. So is KT. Yeah, that question kinda kicked me in the gut. I wasn't in on selecting the questions this time or I would have thrown that one out. I was still in the med bay I guess. The crew did the best they could. No, I've never told anyone about it, and I wasn't about to. That's not my question to answer Doris. It's yours. You decide. I... I can't talk about KT without having a break down anyway. You want to talk to the press or just write a note, you do it, tell whatever you want. If you don't want to, well don't worry about the press pestering the folks. Dad's not a good enough duck hunter to own that many shotguns anyway."

"While we're talking though, well, I would like to tell the crew. I haven't, like I said, I think it's your story, not mine. And I love the Goddess of Love! I knew we would find one eventually. So, new hobby? How about all the ones up until last year when I wrote KT on Mars? One of the things is..." Mark continued until he choked up, then caught his breath and continued, "See, the Morse code symbols for KT is 'dash, dot, dash' for 'K', then just a 'dash' for 'T.' I put her there, under the dot. I was going to put 'KT' back at Ares III, but, well, I wanted her to have her own spot. Its, well it's not nice there, but it was on a wide open place on the Acidalia Planitia, you could see for miles and no big rocks, so, well it stood out. I wanted to always be able to look and find it. Under the dot, that's where she is, I put Millicent in a sample tube, and wrapped a note to KT around it made of radiation proof metal from the MDV housing. I etched it with a rotary tool at Ares III, then put it all in a sample bag, and built the dot around it. I couldn't do much to protect it from the cold, but it's safe from radiation. She will be there long after humanity is gone. Forever, or as close to forever as she can get. There are probably photos everywhere now of KT while the reporters and crackpots try to figure it out, but I wanted you to know. I promised I would take her to the moon someday, but I'm never going there. I hope Mars is alright, I think it is. It's the best I can do anyway. I'm never going back to space." Mark said, now weeping openly.

There was a long signal turn around, but when the women came spoke again, it was Doris that began.

"Mars is better than the moon Mark, she would... she is so proud of you, I know she is. You've kept your promise. I'll take care of the media, but I don't want to tell them about Millicent. You keep that. That is your story. I... think other kids would benefit from knowing about Catherine though. Like when you did that picture for St Judes. I know Catherine would have loved the man you have become. Your mom and I, we will take care of it. You don't worry. Be safe. You are loved."

The screen went blank, Mark's eyes were glistening with tears, and feeling his pain too Beth and Mindy lay beside him, his arms around them, and they wept with him, not fully understanding why. Only that he hurt, and they hurt with him.

"I was about six when Catherine and her family moved in next door. She was about four months older than me and never let me forget it. Her mom collected dolls and began a collection for her, she was going to sell them to help pay for college someday. Not the regular ones you can get at any department store, the collectable ones they put out a half dozen times a year. Anyway, we were little and didn't know any better, so she got one out of the package and played with it. Her mom got upset and made us both promise we wouldn't touch any of the others. Well, I didn't care about dolls but didn't see what the big deal was, I mean, aren't you supposed to play with them? Catherine and I sort of grew up together. We played, did homework together, our parents grilled out and such. We did everything together. Really close neighbors you know? She was my best friend. She wanted to be ballerina, that's the sort of thing little kids want, I had no idea what I wanted to be, but I told her someday I wanted to go to the moon. She laughed. I think that inspired me to work harder in school just to show her up."

"Anyway, you're wondering if she was my girlfriend. No, she was my best friend, I never thought of her that way, or her like that of me, I think. Catherine, that... but she called herself Katie. When I was little, and we first met, I thought she was just saying the letters, K and T. KT. I... well she never corrected me. She just started calling me 'MK' for Mark, but I didn't know it, she just said "Mmmmmkay" when I said something. It wasn't until years later I knew.

"She... she was 14 when she was at dance class, I think she was kind of over the whole ballerina thing by then but... well, she kept falling off balance. Everyone thought it was an inner ear thing. After a week or so she fell, and her nose started bleeding. It wouldn't stop and when they took her to the doctor, well, they found the tumor. Couldn't operate, chemo and radiation were both tried, and both failed, and a few months later she was gone."

"The last weeks were the worst. She didn't know who I... well or who anyone was. She was way too young for that. The last lucid thing she did when I was there was to give me the doll we had played with, the one her mom got upset about, and had me promise to take it to the moon. Then she asked me to kiss her as neither of us had ever kissed anyone and... she said she loved me and wanted me to remember her. I told her I loved her too, and I did, but not, you know, romantically, it was more than that. That's when she gave me the doll. I... I never made it to the moon, but, you know, Mars is pretty good I think. Her mom gave me the whole collection she had for KT, told me when I was ready to go to college to sell them and use the money but..."

"But you didn't." Beth whispered.

"No, I... I started filling in the gaps in her collections. I would do odd jobs, mow lawns and such, and then get them on online collectable auctions. Her mom found out and started helping me, it became our goal to get all the ones released while KT was alive, but really it became a way to remember KT. I... I've never forgotten."

"And that's how you know about Skipper and Midge." Mindy said almost under her breath.

"And that's how I know about Skipper and Midge. We used to watch all the cartoons and stuff, KT was really into it for a while I think because she couldn't play with any of the others, forbidden fruit and all that."

"So KT is a shrine to your friend, and the doll, you two named it Millicent."

"Yeah, well no, Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, but that's what we called her. KT thought it was a good name. and now, in a way, she's immortal. Millicent is too. She will always be there, long after humanity has killed itself off, KT and Millicent will be there. God I still miss her." Mark finally broke down and wept, with Mindy and Beth joining him.

That is how Lewis found them when she came to check. Seeing their condition, she asked to speak with Mindy alone.

"You can tell her Mindy, please, I don't think I can go through all that again right now" Mark said.

"Okay, I will, you two get some rest. Beth, you're back at sysop in 8. Mark you're on med leave until the doctors say otherwise."

Mindy left to go to the quarters she shared with Commander Lewis just next door.

"So, we have a situation" Missy began.