All in the Martian Family

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“Hey there viewers, welcome to episode 322 of All In The Martian Family. Kelly here with my *smooch* husband Rick. We are about to pass the halfway mark from Earth to Mars. Woohoo! Look’s like Chris is trying to come through on the intercom. Hey Chris, what’s up?”
“Actually, sis, it’s going to be 12 minutes and 17 seconds till we pass the halfway mark.”
Kelly and Rick both sighed at the same time. With a quick glance of understanding between them, they continued the broadcast back to Earth while Chris signed off. For the next few minutes, Kelly and Rick walked their audience through the results of some of the more recent experiments. Eventually, they made their way to the common area and turned to the face the camera.
“Kelly and I want to share some big news right when we pass the halfway mark.”
“We should we wait until your sister and my brother join us, honey.”
“I am sure they’ll join us in common area at the halfway point, that is, if my sister is feeling up to it.”
Eventually, Chris arrived. The audience had grown accustomed to the ship captain’s dedication to his job as an engineer. He always floated through the vessel with tools strapped all over his body, ready for any occasion. Just as the audience expected Chris to be covered in tools, they were not surprised when Mae showed up with her easel and paints.
As the vessel got closer to the halfway mark, the extended astronaut family sat down for their celebratory meal. The camera lens captured it all.
Kelly looks at her husband, staring deep into his eyes, thinking. She turns her attention back to the group. “Rick and I have been married for over six years. I know we said that we weren’t planning on having children, but,” Kelly looked around at her older brother and si...

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... own with Chris in all things technical.
Yet Chris never abandoned his position as the ‘expert’ of the settlement. So when a dust storm destroyed their solar array, Chris took it upon himself to fix it. So consumed with the desire to bring power back to the settlement, Chris did not notice that another storm was brewing on the horizon while he was walking to the array. When the first dust particles swarmed around him, he pressed on, confident in his ability to navigate back. Eight hours later, Mae became worried when he failed to return. When she saw his body through the eyes of a drone, she broke down as he pictured what Chris’s last, dust-choked breaths must have been like. All she could think of was painting. She painted Chris, Kelly, Rick, and herself before they left for Mars. When she was finished, she brushed herself off and walked into the Martian desert.

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