"Hey, lady."
"Hey honey."
In just those two words, just the sound of her voice, relief flooded Tracy.
"I got your message. I tried to contact you. Honest I did."
"I know. I heard you. You couldn't hear me though."
"Got caught in a sandstorm." Tracy paused. Hina stayed quiet. "I'm okay now. It's all over. My old buddy Leroux is helping us secure a ship home."
Silence on the other end. Then sniffling.
He had no words, no way to comfort her in their loss.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there. I know you need me now more than ever. I know we both knew this loss was likely. But it still hurts. I—"
She cut him off. "Trace. She's fine."
"She?"
"The baby. She's fine."
The words echoed in his ears. He fumbled over words, stammering.
"W—we're having a little girl? What about you?"
"I gave the doctor a scare. Had an irregularity crop up. But now that they've identified it they can put precautions in place. They monitored me for a few days, but had me go home. Things turned back around."
Tracy realized that her sniffles weren't tears of sorrow, but tears of joy. Just like his.
"I don't know if it will work, but do you want to try video comm for a moment?"
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"Yes."
They tried. Against all odds it established a connection.
Though grainy and appearing out of focus, Tracy could see Hina plain as day. Oh, how he'd missed that face. It felt like eternity.
"Hey babe. There's someone I want you to meet."
Tracy squatted, bringing the comm down to Ashton's eye level.
***
Tracy lowered Ashton into the padded cryo chamber. The shot administered to the boy wore him out quick, inducing a drowsy state that curbed any fear of entering a claustrophobic chamber that would seal vacuum tight, a mechanical womb designed to keep him alive for the not quite three month journey home, back to Earth.
After the chamber sealed itself, Tracy watched Ashton's innocent face through the display window. Though he'd been through more than any small child should ever have to endure, peace masked his face.
Tracy couldn't say the same for Roy. Hollow eyes had stared up at him, as Tracy lowered Roy into the cryo tube. The once jabbering fugitive complied now in docile obedience, mumbling incoherent utterances under his breath. As Tracy had sealed the tube, Roy's eyes stared not at him, but past him, unable to see what lay in front of him, unaware of anything at all.
Whether an act the fugitive put on, or a real mental condition, Roy would face the courts, he would stand trial for his deeds. Justice would be met.
Tracy then removed his clothes and donned his own cryo jumpsuit. He laid his head back as the nursebot administered him with the drowsy adult dosage. Even before the medication kicked in, he felt at peace. He'd captured Roy. That was all finally behind him. He could rest now, satisfied. Almost.
Hina tugged at his mind. Would she make it? Would she survive? Anything could happen while he was under ice. For him it would be a few blinks later, but for Hina, she still had a large chunk of time, months without Tracy. Only time would tell.
As he closed his eyes, he offered up prayers and supplications to God, that his poor wife would be taken care of while he journeyed across the great empty black of starless space.
He had a daughter to meet, a son to introduce, and a wife to embrace.
***
From the ground below, Sheriff Blaine Leroux watched as the ship streaked across the evening heavens, shrinking into ball of light, until it broke away from the horizon joining the stars in the Martian sky.
He smiled, sad to see Tracy go, but happy for his friend all the same.
With a loose grip on the reins, Leroux gave Chasm a light kick with his dirty boots, steering him into the sunset.
"Giddyup boy. We got us a long ride back to Tharsis."
END