Ninety-Fourth Entry

March 16^th, 2037

2210

Dear Space Diary.

The Zubrin is floating in the air right above me.

I don’t mean floating in the magical pink unicorn sense. I mean the loud, smoking, burning smell of rocket fuel sense.

I guess I wasn’t dreaming. But Mary is almost certainly dead. I saw her drop into the pit!

…I saw her drop into the pit. Hmm. I guess I didn’t actually see her die. And I never saw the body. Could she have survived?

As far as I can see, either a) Mary Survived, b) Mary is a God, c) Mary is a Zombie, or d) Something less stupid.

If so, my actions must be either a) ask her how off Earth she survived, b) Convert, c) Scream, or d) Something less stupid.

Either way, I guess all I can do is see what happens next.

THUNK

What happens next is The Zubrin is shooting at me. I’m dead.

2215

I may not be as dead as I previously had indicated. No shot followed the first one. To be honest I’m not even sure what I was shot with. Tough to see from inside the ship. And I’m not entirely keen to go out when people appear to be shooting. Plus I’m not sure what’s up with that whole ‘dying of lead poisoning’ thing. If indeed that still is a thing. It may be not a thing.

Hmm. If I crane my head ever so slightly, I can just make out… something. Some kind of cord connecting the Zubrin to my ship. Like a mother with a baby, if the mother was a rocket ship and the baby was also a rocket ship.

The Zubrin hasn’t moved.

2220

Surely it’s going to run out of fuel at some point. How does it even have fuel? The whole reason it ended up 20 years later out here is that it had none.

And yet, above me it is.

2234

Well? Do something! I’m getting bored.

Bah. I wonder if there’s still solitaire on this thing.

2235

Typical. Moment I assume it’s not going anywhere, it goes somewhere.

And me with it. That’s a magnet, or an electronic latch, or a harpoon or something. The Zubrin is towing me along.

2239

Had a hunch, and seems I was right. It’s taking me back to the city.

Should be a short ride given how fast we’re – oh we’re here.

2246

Landing took a bit of fancy driving, given the Zubrin was trying to a) land me safely and b) not land on top of me, but must say it was handled pretty well. I am impressed.

Ok, we’re inside, we’re safe, now who the hell are you?

2249

Come on! Come out! I can bang on this door all day! Well actually, I’m pretty tired, so could you come out soon please?

Door’s opening. The spacesuit is looking at me. The visor’s opaque, so I can’t see who it is.

They’re raising their visor…

Oh.