And here's where we start skipping time

Log entry Sol 597

I just got an update from NASA. My supply probe is 200 sols away. That seems both really soon and super far away. Ugh! I think time just moves differently when you're all alone, or maybe it's only when you're stuck on a deserted planet. I've already been here almost 600 sols. When I think of it that way another 200 doesn't seem that far away. When I concentrate on how long it will be until I get new clothes and soap and toothpaste and… all the ands, 200 sols seems like forever.

Log entry Sol 669

I have officially been on Mars for a year, a Martian year. It got me thinking; we still don't have a Martian calendar. I know others have thought about it through the years. It's been brought up in previous missions, not the Ares missions but the unmanned rover missions. When I applied to be an astronaut I read every book I could find on all NASA missions, manned and unmanned. Obviously, most of the books are astronaut biographies and memoirs.

Huh, wonder how much I'm going to be offered to write mine. I have all of my logs to use. I'd bet there won't only be a book, someone is going to want to make a movie. Who would I want to play me? I'll have to think about that. I'd want to have a say in the choice. Maybe there are some space-obsessed actors. Tom Hanks was ideal to play Jim Lovell due to his fascination with the space program. That man would have been a perfect civilian astronaut. Seriously, he was obsessed with early NASA. All you have to do is watch his interviews in the behind-the-scenes stuff from the making of Apollo 13 and the mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. Anyway, I'll have to see if there are any actors obsessed with Mars, or not. Who looks like me? I need someone ridiculous to play Martinez. The others I might let help choose the actors but not him. He'd want to pick someone that will try and steal the show from my actor. We can't let that happen. If I a movie about my Mars mission is made, the actor portraying me has to be the star, no scene-stealing allowed. Well, I suppose the on Earth stuff can have some scene-stealing. The people at NASA have done all they can to help me since they figured out I'm alive. I suppose the movie needs to be at least twelve percent about them (Marvel Cinematic Universe joke for anyone reading this whenever and didn't get it). No, really the movie would probably have to be about half about NASA, JPL, and everyone back there. A lot of my stuff here is totally boring.

Okay, that was way off-topic. Back to where I was, in all of the astronaut/space books I read there were a few on various Mars missions. One by Larry Crumpler, Missions to Mars, talked about the terms they used when they were planning rover activities for Spirit and Opportunity. Some of them were obvious, "yestersol" for the day before, "tosol" for the same sol, and next sol or "solmorrow" for the next day. Crumpler said they attempted others but couldn't really come to a conclusion they agreed with. No one was able to create a Mars calendar. How do you break down the Martain year into months and weeks? There are 668 sols in a Martian year by the way. I know that's not common knowledge. How many sols in a week? Seven like we have days in a week means a calendar that would require some sort of leap year like we have on Earth. While that would work, how often would those years need to happen?

I think it makes more sense to start with months than weeks. Maybe, we don't even need weeks. Anyway, months... how do we break that evenly? Twelve months like the Earth calendar would mean months of 55 or 56 sols. That seems really long. So double the months. Now we have 24 months of 27 or 28 sols each. 28 times 24 is 672, that's four more than we need, so four months need to be only 27 days. Every sixth month will be 27 days instead of 28. That does mean most months would be four weeks of seven days.

I've spent way too much time thinking about this, but hey, I'm the King of Mars, so who better to create a Mars calendar? Twenty-four months is a lot of month names to come up with though. That's going to take more thought. I feel like they should all start with M or W. I suppose I could be nice and name some for my crewmates as well. You'd think I have nothing better to do with my time with all the thought I've put into this. Not like the scientific community will take my suggestions anyway. They might consider them, but actually setting up a Mars calendar won't really be necessary until we have a colony here that is more than just one person. Even then is it really necessary unless we're starting our own Mars holidays?

Hey, there's an idea. What holidays will we have here on Mars? Wait, those are "solidays." Yes, that term is also from the Spirit/Opportunity Mars rover days. Every culture back on Earth has its own holidays, as well as sharing some. We could easily designate some, the landing of Viking 1, the first Mars lander, as well as the landing of Ares 1. We'd have to go backward and figure out when in the Martian year those occurred. Maybe a remembrance day for the landers that didn't make it and or the ones that did but have since died. I want to have a Thanksgiving, but not the same as on Earth. I don't have good memories of that here after all. Maybe the day they activated Pathfinder or the day my supply probe finally lands. Something like Earth Day or Arbor Day on the sol my potatoes first sprouted. Actually, maybe Mars Thanksgiving should be the day I harvested the first crop of potatoes to eat and not just seeds. I'm going to have to do some math to figure out when each of those dates is in the Martian year. I suppose I could just ask someone at NASA to do the work, but it's not like I have much to do.

Did I ever mention I found the exercise resistance bands the Ares I crew brought down to the surface? Everyone knows, or at least I think most people know that since the first space stations were occupied, astronauts have had to complete exercises each day to maintain their health and stamina. Frank Borman and Jim Lovell took a set of resistance bands on the Gemini 7 mission. On Hermes, we're required to do a certain amount of exercise each day as parts of the ship are always zero-g. There wasn't a large concern during surface time as we'd only be here for a month and with all the EVAs we'd be very active. I have no idea why the Ares I crew would have a set, but I'm using them. It's time to try and strengthen my muscles again. I have plenty of food. I'm back to eating three meal packs a day, most days. There are still days when I only have two if I haven't been active. EVAs are getting a bit easier again, but I'm still more worn out when they're done than I was at the beginning of all of this.

I've started doing bodyweight exercises every day with the bands: squats or lunges combined with arm raises or curls mostly. That's pretty easy and works well. I could have been using stuff in the Hab as weights but anything I could use would be subject to the lighter gravity. The resistance bands do exactly that, they resist and that doesn't change no matter the gravity. Now, I need to come up with some way to do cardio with the bands. On the space station and on Hermes when it's not spinning there are bands attached to the treadmill to hold you down and add pressure as you run. I need something like that. I'm worried that not only am I losing muscle mass but also bone density. Granted I'm not in zero-g, and the gravity here is stronger than on the Moon. There it's one-sixth of Earth's gravity, here it's one-third, but that still means if I don't find a way to strengthen my muscles and put enough strain on them to strengthen my bones as well I may not be walking when I finally make it back home. I'd hate for the Ares IV crew to be stuck at a lower gravity on Hermes for longer just so I can readjust.

I suppose I should ask Beck for some ideas for exercises I can do. I really need a treadmill or stair-climbing machine. Since I don't have either I'll have to come up with something else.

Log entry Sol 690

I've been thinking more about the Mars calendar. Clearly, one month has to be Mark or something like it. I think I shall be the first month. Shall? Where the hell did that come from? I don't think I've ever used the word shall in my entire life until now.

Whatever… month 1 is the month of Mark or Watney. I haven't decided which. Obviously, another month has to be Hammond for the first man to step foot on Mars. I suppose Sagan is an obvious choice as well. The lead scientist for Spirit and Opportunity… what was his name? I may have to break down and ask someone. Galileo discovered the planet, maybe that should be month one. I could name a month after the guy that discovered the moons, but I don't know his name either. Schiaparelli already has a huge crater named after him so sorry you don't get a month as well. Who actually led the Mars Viking team? It wasn't Sagan. He's just the most well-known member of the team. I really don't know enough about the previous missions. You'd think I'd know more after all those books I read trying to prepare for astronaut training. I suppose we really just concentrated on what we needed to know to complete our own mission, and I let all the other information drift away. It's not the end of the world. Someone can give me the information. It does bother me that I can't remember though. Is it because of the training and focusing on my mission or is it that my brain is deteriorating while I'm here? Maybe, I'm just overthinking it. That's probably it. I know how this works, the answers will come to me in the middle of the night. In the meantime, I'll ask.

~~~~~

"Has anyone heard from Mark lately?" Melissa asked the office full of astronauts.

"Not me," Beth replied.

"Me neither," Alex said.

"I think he's ignoring me," Rick responded. "I don't think he liked the last joke I sent him."

"That's no shock," Beth said, shaking her head. "It was probably horrible as usual."

"My jokes are awesome and you know it," the pilot retorted, "just because they go over your head…" He ducked as a stress ball came flying at his own head.

"Beck," Melissa prompted, "have you heard from Mark lately?"

"He emailed about two weeks ago I think and asked for exercises he can do with resistance bands to rebuild any lost bone density and muscle mass. Other than that I haven't heard from him."

Melissa frowned. "Have any of you sent him emails? Do we need to set up a schedule again to make sure he's getting personal messages and not just mission-oriented ones a few times a week?"

"His parents hear from him several times a week and he and I have actually been corresponding daily," Mindy said from the office door. "Sorry, I didn't know none of you had heard from him or I would have said something."

"His correspondence with his parents is no surprise; I suppose none of us thought about him going straight to the one in charge with his questions," Melissa replied.

"Oh, he does that," Mindy said, "but we also have a lot in common, so we've just been talking. He sent a strange email yesterday."

"Strange how?" Alex wanted to know.

Rick laughed. "Everything from Mark is strange."

"Takes one to know one," Beth muttered, shaking her head.

"I heard that," the pilot responded.

"Didn't think you wouldn't," Beth replied with a smile.

"Children," Lewis gently chided. "What was the email about, Mindy?"

"He asked about all of the Mars rover missions and their project scientists and mission leaders."

"He's definitely up to something," Chris said.

"He's always up to something," Rick observed, then turned to Beth. "Don't even bother."

"I didn't say a word," she protested.

Martinez shook his head. "I know what you were thinking."

"And she's not wrong," the commander observed.

"Hey, I resent that remark," the pilot scoffed.

Beck raised an eyebrow. "You mean you resemble that remark."

"How did you all live in Hermes for so long without having major arguments?" Mindy asked. "I know that you all get along well and that this is just teasing, but seriously…"

"We didn't spend all of our time together, and there were disagreements," Melissa answered.

"But you're professionals so you handled it," Mindy finished. "Well, I'm going to send Mark the answers to his questions. Would you like me to mention he should be emailing you more often?"

"No," Beck was quick to respond. "He'll message us when he wants.

"If you're sure," she said.

"We're sure, but thank you," Melissa replied.

"All right then. I came down to ask if Mark had sent any of you these questions or given you any hints at what he's thinking. I have my answer so I guess I'll go respond, though I'll have to do my research first. I don't know most of these answers."

After Mindy had left, Beck turned to the others. "Well, that was interesting."

Beth nodded. "It certainly was."

"Let's not read too much into it," Melissa warned. "Mark may have just needed someone different to connect with, someone who doesn't know him as well."

"Getting to know someone new would be a good way to spend his time," Chris acknowledged. "Now any guesses why he wants to know about all the people involved in various Mars missions?"

"All of the land features have been named," Alex said. "So that's out."

'"He'll tell us when he's ready," Rick put in, "or he won't. It's Mark, who knows what's going on in his head."

"We should probably get back to work," Beth suggested. "I have capcom duty in an hour. Maybe Mark will tell me what's up when he finds out it's me."

~~~~~

"So what did Mars man have to say?" Rick asked when Beth came into the office the next morning.

"Nothing, well nothing about whatever he's emailing Mindy about, anyway. Guess we'll just have to wait and see," she replied.

"Maybe I should send him an email. It's been a while."

Beth glared at him. "Don't you dare."

"Why the hell not?"

"Keep your nose out of Mark's business. He'll tell us whatever he wants when he wants. If it pertains to you, he'll tell you."

Rick frowned. "So, a guy can't just subtly check in with a friend."

"You couldn't be subtle if your life depended on it."

"I resent that remark."

"No, you resemble that remark," Chris said from behind the pilot repeating his earlier comment. "Beth's right. Leave Mark alone. He's got someone he's talking to. Anything other than a short, 'Hey man, been a while since I sent you a message, just wanted to check in' is too much."

"You probably shouldn't even send that," Beth said, "but I suppose that would be alright."

"Thanks, Mom," Rick intoned sarcastically. "You wanna read the email before I send it."

"Martinez, don't be an ass," Chris said at the same time Beth snapped. "Don't think I can't write a program to do just that."

"Seriously," Beck said calmly, "email if you want but don't mention Mindy in any way shape or form."

"Fine, whatever."

~~~~~

Log entry Sol 693

Mindy sent me a list of names so I've been working on the Mars calendar. Twenty-four months is a lot of names to come up with but I think I have most of them covered: Watney (obviously, Hammond (also obviously, I couldn't possibly skip naming a month after the first person to step foot on the planet), Sagan, Lewis (again obviously,) Naples (Ares II commander), Galilei (we always use his first name so why not his last?), then one for each of the project managers and project scientists of the Viking landers, Pathfinder, Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance, and any other major missions I missed. I'd suggest Mindy get a month, she is the one that found out I was alive after all. She totally deserves it. She'd hate it though. Her emails have made it clear she hates being in the limelight. Still, I could suggest it. I'd have to suggest it through someone else though. She'll just delete her name off the list.

Now to go back to work on possible "solidays." Oh, maybe I can give Mindy a "soliday." She won't even have to know it's for her. I just need to know what day she took the images and realized I was alive.

Log entry Sol 694

Sending my calendar suggestion to Mindy to pass on to whoever needs to see it. Now to wait and see just how crazy they think I am.

~~~~~

"He's crazy," Rick said between bursts of laughter, "and I love it."

"He's not wrong that colonists may need their own calendar when they're there for a year or more at a time. They need to be able to run on their own schedule," Venkat answered.

Melody nodded. "It makes sense for them to have their own special holidays tied to the planet as well. A Mars calendar has been discussed before, but it was never deemed necessary. It really won't be until we have a long-term colony, however, we can still talk about it."

"Didn't Mark already have enough firsts?" Martinez groused. "Does he really need to be the inventor of the Mars calendar?"

Mindy jumped to the defense of the Mars-confined astronaut. "He just gave us a basis. He left most of it to be filled in by others."

"Besides, he is the king of Mars," Beth joked.

Martinez and Beck both groaned. "Don't encourage him," Beck said.

"Aw, let the man have his fun," Alex protested. "He's stuck there alone dealing with things none of us ever dreamed we'd deal with."

"He's going to lord it over us for the rest of our lives," Rick complained.

"And he has every right to," Melissa responded.

"You only say that because he won't do it to you," the pilot said.

"Because none of us will give him shit like you do," Beth told him.

Beck nodded. "I know I just said don't encourage him, but these guys are all right. Besides, what kind of friendship would you and Mark have if you weren't constantly giving each other shit. Hell, you did it on the surface of another planet."

"Yeah, we did," Martinez said with a grin, "And just wait til he gets the supply probe."

"You two are hopeless." Melissa shook her head.

"Which is why you were put in charge," Venkat pointed out. "Anyway, now that that's been discussed, what's next?"

~~~~~

Log entry Sol 697

Another update from NASA, the supply probe is 100 sols out and the trajectory is good.

Oh, and they love my calendar idea. Okay maybe not love, but they're considering it which is practically the same thing. Pretty cool!