Outside Earth - Terran Solar System
During the flights' first hour the astronauts marvel at the sight of Earth from space as they move away from it towards Mars. When Earth becomes a mere light in the sky the astronauts return to their quarters and occupy themselves with work, or distract themselves with iPad games. After a few hours of flight Johnny complains about the game he's playing, swearing aloud and throwing the iPad through the air only to be caught by Sue. "What do you think you're doing Johnny? We only have a few of these, you need to act like an adult…" Sue continues lecturing Johnny who argues back, as they do John Jameson looks across to Victor and comments "Having a brother and sister in the same shuttle for 5 months… this will be interesting."
Throughout the journey to Mars the team occupy their time with iPad games, Angry birds being a favourite. The battery life becomes an issue, Victor continually telling his fellow astronauts off for wasting electricity on mindless games.
The shuttle reaches Mars' orbit and the team send down the shuttle whilst John Jameson stays in the orbiting station.
Mars - Terran Solar System
The shuttle lands and the astronauts have a little fun with the light gravity, something they haven't experienced for a long time. As they spend a few hours acclimatising to the gravity, Victor insists that he should be first onto the surface. Reed however disagrees saying that as the leader of this mission it's his responsibility. They begin arguing until Ben steps in and tells them to flip a coin. Reed agrees as does Victor reluctantly. Reed wins the toss and takes the scripted message to read out when he hits the surface.
Reed gives the scripted speech given to them by NASA, then the whole group spread out to experience their first day on Mars. Over the next month the group spend their time taking samples of rock, ice and drilling bore holes in order to document the history of Mars' climate.
After their month exploration the crew leave Mars and connect back to the main X-engines then travel back to earth.
Earth's outer atmosphere - Terran Solar System
As they approach Earth's orbit Sue and Johnny work on their rock samples, examining their composition and breaking them open looking for fossils or other signs from the past.
Sue breaks a large rock open and a black substance oozes out, she grabs a large petri dish to collect it, emptying the contents into it. Her and Johnny spend hours examining it under a microscope, "It's alive, it's some sort of symbiote, probably not from Mars but another planet, we've just discovered the first life outside our planet."
The crew are overjoyed, their expedition has uncovered more than they could ever have imagined. As they congratulate each other John Jameson notices there is a minor issue with a solar panel. Victor tells the crew he'll fix it but Sue interrupts him asking if she can as it will be her last chance for a space walk. Victor insists as the most experienced astronaut he should do it and floats towards his suit which is hanging up on the rack.
Sue pleads with Reed, her eyes filled with disappointment. Reed then stops Victor and announces "Sue will do the fix on the solar panel, it's only a minor fix, it doesn't require your attention Victor." Victor places his suit back on the hook with a look of disgust.
Sue heads out the air lock and floats towards the solar panel to begin the repairs. As she is part way through the repairs Jameson notices an emergency light flashing. He runs a report and the sensors indicate rising cosmic radiation. Jameson yells out to the crew, "Hey everyone, we have a problem."
Reed looks at the screen and sees the cosmic radiation level rising quickly.
"Sue, Sue do you read?"
"Yes Reed, what is it."
"Get back now, the radiation is building, get back to the air lock now."
"Ok will do" she replies.
Sue begins heading back to the airlock but the cosmic radiation is rising too quickly. Reed glides towards the airlock past Johnny who sits at the rock analysis station, "What's going on" he asks "Cosmic radiation is building up, we need to get Sue in now."
Victor and Ben approach the front console and look over Jameson's shoulder at the rising cosmic radiation reading.
"Shut the airlock, close the electromagnetic field, she won't make it, we need to protect ourselves" Victor orders. Jameson looks up at Victor with horror, "But she'll die."
"We'll all die if you don't, now do it."
Johnny unbuckle's himself from the rock analysis station, leaping towards the air lock where Reed is putting on his space suit. As Johnny leaves the station he leaves the fume cupboard open and the rocks and black symbiote life form he was working on float in the cabin.
Johnny helps Reed with his suit but they can't find his other glove. Reed grabs some electrical tape and seals the end of his sleeve, "Reed your hand will freeze out there, you need a glove."
Reed looks at his hand, "There's no time, I'll have a few minutes before any significant damage, and she'll be safe by then."
Victor looks down the cabin at Reed and Johnny, "Jameson, close it now."
Johnny hearing Victor's order activates the manual override allowing Reed to enter the air lock safely. Reed roars with anger, "Ben, quickly stop them, we'll all die if you don't stop them."
Ben launches himself through the shuttle towards Johnny, Victor follows him leaving a strict instruction, "Shut the radiation shield now."
Reed opens the outer door as Sue glides towards him, the cosmic radiation reacts with particles in space creating a beautiful aurora as it approaches. Reed's elastic chord is tangled, he uses his ungloved hand to untangle it whilst reaching out for Sue.
Jameson watches through the window as Sue approaches the shuttle followed closely by the radiation, "Come on Sue, you can make it" he tells himself.
As Sue flies into the airlock entrance, Jameson activates the magnetic radiation shield, but a moment too quickly of Sue, the magnetic radiation shield engulfs her along with the radiation. The shutting of the radiation shield however is too late for the cabin and it fills with radiation.
Reed Richards hand still holds the elastic chord, it begins stretching, then his entire body stretches out towards Sue, grabbing her and pulling her in before he collapses.
Johnny shuts the airlock behind her, as the radiation wave hits him the airlock control panel explodes, flames engulf Johnny, surrounding him then they disappear into his body. A piece of the control panel flies off through the cabin and strikes Victor in the face.
Ben floats towards the airlock when the martian rocks floating in the middle of the cabin collide with him along with the radiation, causing him to pass out. Next to him the black symbiote makes contact with Victor's bio-synthetic space suit, as the radiation passes through, the symbiote expands over the suit covering it entirely.
The radiation wave then passes to the end of the shuttle, Victor and Jameson both pass out from its effects leaving the entire crew unconscious and the shuttle drifting into the earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled trajectory.
AN: Find out how they survive in Chronicles of Peter Parker Vol III - Chapter 3 Shooting Star.