Gravity // Chris Beck

04. Sols 19-21

INT. HAB - DAY

Mark adjusted the camera, uncertain of how to work the video journal. Teagan sat next to him with a pen and notebook.

"Okay. Okay..." Mark began as he typed on the keypad. The NASA timestamp appeared on the frame.

Mark glanced at Teagan. She nodded and he continued. "This is... Mark Watney and Teagan Campbell. Astronaut and psychologist. We are entering this log for the record, in case we... don't make it. It's... oh-six-five-three on Sol 19. And... we're still alive." He thought for a moment. "Obviously. But we're guessing this is going to be a surprise to our crewmates. And NASA. And... the world. So... surprise. Teagan and I didn't die on Sol 18."

Teagan held up her length of antenna and Mark held his up as the former said, "These lengths of our primary communications tore through our- our-"

"Bio-monitors."

"Right. Thanks. Anyway, they ripped a hole in us as well. It was pretty terrible. But the antennas... and the blood... managed to seal the breaches in our suits. Which in turn kept us alive. Even though the team must have thought us dead. Chris, this may be my last chance to say it, so here goes. I love you, and I wish we could have said "I do". Mark says it would've been the wedding of the year, and I think he was right."

Mark glanced at Teagan, then turned back to the beginning. "Commander Lewis... If you ever hear this... Listen. It wasn't your fault. Just bad luck. You did what you had to do, and if Teagan and I had been in your position, I would have done the same and she might have as well. We're glad you guys made it. Beck, I just wanted to say that I took care of Teagan right to the end. Strictly platonic, of course. All right, though. That's where we're at. Mark Watney and Teagan Campbell, stranded on Mars. We have no way to contact NASA because our communications antenna broke and stuck in my stomach and her shoulder. Which we've covered. And even if we could, it will take... four years before the next mission gets here. And we're in a Hab designed to last thirty-one days."

Teagan scoffed sarcastically. "Impossible odds. We're more than aware."

"If the oxygenator breaks, we'll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks, we'll die of thirst. And if, by some miracle, none of that happens... eventually we're going to run out of food. So... yeah."

Mark trailed off and he and Teagan shared a look, once again realizing how dire their situation was.

"Yeah," Mark repeated.

Teagan chuckled lightly. "Thankfully there are more than enough feminine products, so at least they'll outlast me."

INT. HAB - NIGHT

Mark and Teagan sat on their bunks. In his, he drummed his fingers on the wall as he thought. In hers, she was journaling her thoughts.

EXT. MARS - DAWN

The first slivers of sunlight began appearing over the horizon.

SOL 21

INT. HAB - DAY

Mark flushed the toilet, which began the procedure of vacuum-drying the waste. He glanced back at the system as it finished its process, sealing the waste in a silver bag.

He studied the bag and an idea formed.

Teagan walked up and turned to what he was looking at. "You've got an idea, haven't you?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah. I think so."

---

The two made their way to Inventory and removed all the ration packs, stacking them in orderly piles as they catalogued their contents. One case in particular caught their attention.

The label read 'DO NOT OPEN UNTIL THANKSGIVING'.

INT. HAB - DAWN

Mark sat in the darkness next to a sleeping and fidgety Teagan. He started into the middle distance.

He made a decision and got to his feet, making sure not to wake Teagan. He rummaged through the Hab and eventually found a pencil.

Mark pulled a notecard free from one of his manuals.

He sat at the table and began writing math equations as he said, "Let's do the math."

Later, Mark, again joined by Teagan, addressed the camera. The two looked a little less-terrible than before.

"Our surface mission here was supposed to take thirty-one days," Mark said. "For redundancy, they sent enough food to last sixty-eight days. For seven people. So for just me and Teagan, it'll last three hundred days. And I figured Teagan and I can stretch that to four hundred if we ration. So... we've still gotta figure out how to grow three years worth of food. Here. On a planet where nothing grows. Luckily I'm the botanist. And I've got someone I can teach." He held up one of his mission briefs and pointed to the word 'Botanist' under 'Watney', then pointed to Teagan. "Mars will come to fear my botany powers and will soon fear Teagan's learning."

Teagan smiled and said, "Always good to have a learning opportunity. Chris, if this does work, and if Mark and I survive, I can't wait to tell you all about how we managed to grow food on Mars. But only if we succeed. Then again, you may want to hear stories about our failures. I don't know. But I have to hope this will work because I really want to marry you and start a family. So here's to hoping this works."