"The Journey Home Begins" tells the tale of how the Ares-III crew returned to Earth after the rescue of Mark Watney. What happens next?
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Six months after their return to Earth the six members of the Ares-III crew were all together for the first time since they left the Mars Reception Building. The six of them had a private dinner together.
Lewis "My friends, here we are together again. Are you ready for tomorrow Beth and Chris?"
Beck and Johannsen "You bet we are Commander."
Lewis "Captain Lewis is happy to hear that :-) So what have you all been doing?"
Vogel "I have been back home in Deutschland reconnecting with my family. I was with you all for so long it was an effort to speak German again, I would wake up in the morning and automatically start to speak to my wife and children in English. Eventually we had to have a rule in the house of no English speaking unless we had visitors. I have been with you so long I am thinking in English more than Deutsch. I start a new job next month in the NASA liaison office at the European Space Agency headquarters."
Martinez "It hasn't been confirmed yet but it looks like i am going back to Mars as Commander of Ares-V. Launch is planned for 2 years from now, all the Ares-V hardware should be on the Martian surface by the end of this year. Ares-IV has been postponed, it will now happen after Ares-V gets back. They have to build and launch a new MAV for Ares-IV after Mark's remote control spaceflight last year."
Watney "Congratulations flyboy, make sure there is no disco on your spaceship :-) Next year I will be starting my new job teaching space survival skills to NASA astronaut candidates."
Beck "Beth and I are staying with NASA. I will rejoin the Flight Surgeon team."
Johannsen "I am working on a computer upgrade for Hermes."
Lewis "I will continue to work for NASA for the rest of the year, I am working with Colonel Martinez on the selection panel for the Ares-V crew. Next year I will leave NASA to take up a teaching post at the Naval Academy."
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Next day Ms Beth Johanssen married Doctor Christopher Beck. Captain Melissa Lewis was Maid of Honour, Colonel Rick Martinez was Best Man, Dr. Mark Watney and Dr. Alex Vogel were groomsmen.