"You're sending me to Mars," Barrett said, after listening to The General's briefing. Most men would be nervous, or curious, but Barrett didn't have the range of emotions that most men had. He had been told he was autistic, but Barrett never cared what labels he was given. Barrett rarely laughed, and wasn't exactly the most fun guy at parties. Barrett liked hunting other men, and enjoyed nothing else. Sure, he enjoyed getting laid, but wasn't much good at the social norms that preceded sex. Talking didn't interest him. Actions did.

The General knew that he had the right man for the mission. Barrett didn't hesistate. He didn't know what fear or anxiety was. The General didn't give a shit if Barrett was autistic either.

"We've been there nearly twenty years, and we've done a great job of keeping it secret. The United States has been far ahead in the space race since we set foot on the moon, we've just stopped being public about it a long time ago. Irony is, we've been building a colony on Mars in the even of Earth going to shit, and now the Mars situation has gone south."

"If you're sending me, that means someone needs to be eliminated."

"Correct. You'll have plenty of time to adapt to your new limbs, as the ship will take a year to get there. Let's hope by the time you arrive, the colony still exists."

"Why wouldn't it?"

"Not sure who is to blame. It's either the AI, or it's Mark's brother, but either way, it's been radio silence. All backup communication protocols offline. Good news is, we know that people are still alive, but it's anyone's guess what the fuck is going on. Complete blackout."

"Mark's brother, Peter?"

"Yes."

Barrett had met Peter, the younger brother to the industrious billionaire. Peter was smart, though not the genius his brother was. Barrett had often heard that Peter was oddly jealous of his brother, but Barrett didn't listen to gossip or give a shit about other people's feelings. He had little of his own.

"How long will it take for me to get there?"

"Almost a year, but with cryosleep, you'll only be awake the first three weeks. You'll be accompanied by Dr. Harrington, who will spend that time monitoring your new limbs."

"Who do you want me to eliminate?"

"As I said, I don't know. You'll have to find out. Peter was handling some side projects we didn't support, involving gene splicing and cloning. Possible that could have been the cause of whatever turned the whole thing upside down."

"When do I leave?"

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"Soon. And for what it's worth, you'll like Dr. Harrington. She's brilliant."

"She?" Barrett replied, surprised.

"Stop sounding old fashioned, Barrett. You assumed a doctor was a man. Though I guess I'm not as progressive as I think, because I can't help but notice how beautiful she is every time I speak to her. Makes me wish I was young, but I ain't."

Barrett frowned. He hoped Dr. Harrington wasn't the talkative type.

She was. And The General hadn't been kidding, Dr. Harrington was stunning. In her late twenties, as young as Barrett, and a leader in her field. Also like Barrett.

When it came to explaining his new abilities, Dr. Harrington spoke with professional clarity and a spark of pride. She had built much of it.

"Why would they endanger a valuable asset like yourself, sending you to Mars?" Barrett asked.

"I've always wanted to go. Part of my deal."

"They say it's gone rogue. Could be everyone is dead by the time we arrive."

"Then I guess it will be up to us to repopulate the place."

Barrett didn't know if she was flirting with him. Or maybe she was making a joke. He didn't understand either thing. They had been rocketing through space for the last several days, and didn't have much privacy. It was one large room. Though Dr. Harrington didn't seem to mind. She was thrilled.

Zero gravity aided his recovery. He had to learn how to move his arms and legs again. It was important that he had complete control over his body. Carbon nano-tubing ran through his alloy steel limbs. He didn't understand it anymore than he understood how a car engine worked, but all that mattered was that he knew how to operate the equipment, the equipment being himself. Barrett could breach a door by wrenching the knob off as easily as opening a bottle with a bottlecap. One doesn't normally carry dangerous military equipment in public for safety reasons. If Barrett grabbed an injured person to help them off the floor, he could yank their arm off, or crush their bones. Mastering his capabilities was essential. While he wanted to grab Dr. Harrington and kiss her, he feared he might kill her. After a few weeks, he was able to balance a toothpick on his fingertip.

Dr. Harrington asked him why everyone simply called him Barrett. He didn't know or care. She told him her first name was Betty, and hated the name, but her friends called her Doc, which she thought was funny, given that most of her friends were doctors as well.

"You won't miss anyone?" She had asked, in regard to their long trip.

"No."

"Seem like the type who doesn't miss anyone."

"Yes."

"I always wanted to go to new places. Nothing scarier than the little town I was born in. There are people who never left, and never will leave. Sounds judgemental, but I'd rather be dead."

Barrett didn't know what to say to that. He had no emotional attachment to any one place or any one thing. Nor did he care how others chose to live their lives.

"We're going to go into cryo-sleep in a few hours, and when we wake up, we'll be approaching Mars."

Barrett nodded. He already knew this. He waited for what she was avoiding. Usually, when people stated things that were obvious, it was a lead up to something else.

"I'm optimistic about this. About Mars. A whole new world we're building. But I'm also a realist. Things could be bad there. There may be nothing left, and you and I will be stuck."

Barrett knew this also.

"What I'm trying to say, Barrett, is the life I knew is now left behind, and I'm both excited and terrified and thrilled, and I just need you to fuck the hell out of me so I can relax before I sleep for a year."

Barrett agreed. They kept at it for an extra day, because they just might wake up to a nightmare.