Bravooooo!
Silence. There is nothing in the middle of Mars. A breeze slightly blows into my nape… Brrr, that’s cold. However, I have gotten used to it since the day I was left alone on this red planet. 3 months ago, the rocket that brought 2 of us to Mars crashed into an asteroid. My partner, who was fixing the engine, was seriously injured. He was stuck in that room, screaming for help. Everything was in chaos. I immediately rushed into the engine room from the laboratory.
“ It is getting worse “ – I thought in nervousness.
“ Hurry up, Techno, the temperature is boiling me right now! “ – He yelled
The spaceship is not really long, only about 20 to 30 meters. Nevertheless, trying to get from a room to another fast isn’t an easy assignment. In a non-gravity environment, It would take you at least 30 seconds to reach the engine room. If so, my friend will faint.
Fortunately, I reached the room. Without any hesitation, I used all the strength myself to pull him out of that room. The red light was consistently flickering as the bell gratingly ringing made my head feel so dizzy.
“ Are you ok, Tom?” I asked him, “ Any injuries? “
It Looked like he couldn’t talk, he pointed into his injured leg…OMG, his leg was bleeding so fast that I didn’t have much time to make a decision. I tried so hard to find the bandage for him as time is ticking down. Suddenly, he called me back with tiredness, since he knew that he wouldn’t survive after this tragedy.
“ T..t..techno..” – he stuttered – “ Press that button, wear the protection cloth and leave the spaceship now! “
“ But.. I can’t! You are going to die, you know? I have to save you! Please…don’t leave me…”
“ Let me rest here then… Being friends with you is always, always a good decision. Thanks a lot… You have to survive! Stay strong…Farewell”
After whispering his last words, his breath stopped. I yelled loudly. Tears are bursting down on my little cheeks. The first time in my life, I felt the silence. A weird silence. An impotent one. The bell had stopped ringing before, leaving me and Tom alone in the middle of this spaceship, in the middle of this universe…
I reached Mars after fixing the spaceship. Getting used to life here isn’t easy then. I missed the bustle sounds on Earth, where the backyard beckoned with its irresistible sights and sounds. Frolicking in the breeze, brightly colored birds fluttered toward the creek. However, a looming shine from the sun in this freezing planet is also the best thing of the day. Things are different. Space and time are also different. Maybe the most positive people in the world couldn’t believe that they would live in this harsh environment for 3 months.
As time goes by…
There is rarely sunshine, and I have to stay in my base to get warm. The first thing that humans need to survive definitely is oxygen. The one who doesn’t need oxygen is definitely god, or alien. Creating an oxygen synthetic machine isn’t as easy as I had thought before. It took me 3 days to complete this machine, and of course, I have to use a ventilator to survive in those 3 days, like a patient with a respiratory problem!
A mound of land with brown soil surrounded by red soil caught my eyes. After nearly a week of experimenting, an important decision had been made. I decided to grow food on Mars. Everything was very difficult at first since there was no water, no sunlight. At some moments, I cried a lot. Thinking about death. But the memories reminded me, my friend, my family, they all have a hope that Techno will survive and come back to earth, but not as an astronaut – a hero, a true hero! I melted the ice from the pole and watered the plants. Using a mirror to reflect light,… and many other crazy ideas, in order to survive. Because I have heard an inspirational quote: “ We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope” – Martin Luther King
After all those days living with silence, I finally know that it wasn’t as scary as I thought. Being alone isn’t the difference of space, but as long as they are in your heart, you will never be alone. I won’t know if I will be rescued one day. I also don’t know if I will die someday, maybe tomorrow, or even today. But I know one thing: “ Techno won’t be alone, and Techno never lost his hope, his aspiration, and his passion! “
T is for talent
E is for energy
C is for control
H is for hope
N is for never give up
O is open, open my eyes, open my soul, open my self, open my world!
Farewell, Tom! I will meet you one day. And to my family, I love all of you more than myself! Forever!
Techno, Mars 8/8/2222
