Meanwhile, the Ares III crew was busy completing their daily tasks on the surface of Mars.
Rick saw a speck in the distance through his binoculars. As it drew closer, he realized it was something strange - a body? "Hey guys, you should come see this..." he called over the radio.
****
As they approached, they found a pale, skinny humanoid lying unconscious on the ground. The figure's skin seemed to emit a faint glow, offset by stark white hair that seemed to defy gravity. But what astonished them most was the fact that the creature was breathing the thin Martian air without any protective gear. More concerning was the glowing green liquid around it. It was seeping out of the creature, staining the ground below it.
"Is it...an alien?" Mark whispered, equal parts awestruck and apprehensive.
Dr. Beck kneeled next to the motionless figure. Dr. Beck noted its slender build and the green blood seeping from various wounds. "We need to get him back to the hab."
Beck frowned when he tried to find a pulse. He could not find one. He wondered if the creature was already dead. But that couldn’t be right. It was still bleeding, and it had flinched a bit when he touched its cold skin. He could see the fluttering movement under its eyelids. Beck tried to keep any rash judgment at bay. This was a new lifeform, and it was highly likely it functioned differently compared to a human.
"Man, NASA's going to flip when they hear about this," Rick said, grinning beneath his helmet.
*****
Danny drifted in and out of consciousness. Voices swirled around him, urgent and confused.
"It's still breathing somehow. The atmosphere here must not be toxic to its species."
"Let's get it inside. Careful now, it's badly hurt."
Strong but gentle hands slid under Danny's limp body, lifting him effortlessly. He blearily took in the NASA logo on the man's suit - Martinez, the pilot. Danny wanted to speak and explain himself but was too weak to do anything. He let his head loll against Martinez's chest as he was carried into the hub.
Danny became dimly aware of hands pressed against his neck, wrist, and chest—checking vital signs. Danny forced his eyes open and immediately shut them against the harsh lights overhead. He was no longer outside. The air here smelled sterile, with an undertone of body odor. Where had they taken him?
Danny heard a faint gasp. A hand smoothed his hair out of his face. They had noticed the moment his eyes opened. A feminine voice was saying soothing words to him. His head hurt too much to concentrate on the words. He couldn’t help pressing his head into the touch of the hand. Danny cracked his eyes open; he could see humanoid figures around him in hazmat suits. He felt his breath quicken. Was he back with the GIW?
The hand on his head slid down to cup his cheeks. He turned his head to the side, away from the other figures tending to him. The face inside the hazmat suit locked eyes with him. She was trying to say soothing words to him and calm him down.
Danny felt his breath even out as he locked eyes with the other person. He felt a jolt of recognition. He knew who this was. It was Beth…. Beth Johanssen. One of the astronauts of the Ares III. He felt a jolt of excitement, but then he felt a rush of fear; he could feel he was still in his ghost half. What must they think of him? What if they turn him over to the GIW? Do they even know about Amity Park ghosts? Danny wished his powers were working so he could sink through the floor and disappear.
Danny closed his eyes, not wanting to see what they would do to him.
Rough hands grasped Danny's shoulders, peeling off the tattered remains of his suit. He whimpered involuntarily as the fabric pulled away from dried blood. The hands stilled momentarily, then continued their work, more gently this time. His boots and the rest of the suit followed. Danny shivered as cool air hit his exposed skin.
A finger pressed lightly against his wrist, counting his pulse. "It's slow. Maybe 50 BPM?" said a puzzled male voice in a soft tone.
"Body temperature is low, too. Around 85 degrees Fahrenheit," said another voice, this time female.
Danny kept his eyes shut, feigning unconsciousness. He could feel Johanssen's hand gently petting his head, trying to offer comfort. He could sense the emotions around him. At least he couldn’t feel any ill will. But he was still hurt and scared.
"Look at this." A finger lightly traced one of the fresh wounds on Danny's chest, making him flinch. "These are clearly from some kind of blades or knives."
“Hey! Be gentle, you’re scaring him!” The voice of Beth spoke up.
“Oh, sorry.” The male voice answered in a sheepish tone.
"Let's get him patched up, and we can take some samples to analyze."
"....NASA will be eager to get their hands on him for further study..."
“They better treat him respectfully; this is our first contact, and we don’t want to hurt our new friend,” Beth said, her tone fiercely protective.
Danny tensed, preparing for more pain; he whimpered as he felt the pain of needle and thread binding his flesh back together. He couldn’t help the cries of pain that left his lips. He tried to wiggle away but felt multiple hands pin him down.
“I know, I know, we’re sorry, we don’t know if we can give you anything for the pain.” Beth's voice whispered next to his ear. Her hands held his head steady. She kept a string of soothing words, trying to keep her tone soft and kind.
“He probably doesn’t even understand you.” Another female voice spoke. Danny guessed it must be the mission commander, Melissa Lewis.
“But tone might help, see’s he’s not struggling as much.” A male voice argued back.
Danny went in and out of consciousness. He whimpered at the pain of them patching him up. Gauze followed, wrapping firmly around his torso. He felt relaxed, he felt so tired, and he was still in so much pain. He let out a soft sigh, too exhausted to keep up the act. He felt the pull of sleep. Danny gave in and let the darkness of sleep take him.
"Those were not natural wounds," said Doctor Beck. "The scarring indicates prolonged torture. It might have been some kind of experiment that escaped or a victim of some kind."
“But how did it get here?” Melissa asked with a concerned look.
“Yeah, is a crashed ship or something we should be worrying about?” asked Rick.
“NASA didn’t detect any UFOs.” Melissa pointed out.
“What if someone or something comes looking for him?” asked Watney.
“Let's hope not; if they're hostile, we have nothing to defend ourselves with.” Alex Vogel stated.
Beck noted the differences between this boy and a human. His skin emitted a soft glow, his ears were pointed, and his nails were claw-like. When they checked his vitals, they found that his heart rate and body temperature were much lower than normal.
Despite the anomalies, the basic anatomy was humanoid. "He's definitely male," Beck noted clinically during the exam. "And based on the development, I'd guess his species matures at a similar rate to humans. He seems to be an adolescent."
Beck then took a blood sample, trying to be as gentle and non-invasive as possible. He had to take multiple cause the first view started to dissolve some of the tools. He had to find a container that could hold the blood. A glass tube seemed to do the trick.
"Be careful with the blood samples," Dr. Beck warned as they collected tissue samples for study. "It seems to dissolve some of our tools."
They noticed multiple scars on his body, evidence of past traumas, and observed signs of infection setting in around his current injuries. A feeling of empathy began to well up within the crew, their hearts aching for this child who had endured so much pain.
"Is he going to be alright?" Beth asked, her voice cracking as she looked down at the unconscious boy.
“Time will tell; we did our best for him,” Beck answered.
They conducted a light examination of his body, careful not to cause him any distress. They snapped photos and scribbled notes for a detailed report to send back to NASA. The news of discovering an alien would be world-changing. This would no doubt turn NASA on its head, probably causing some chaos back on Earth.
As the crew continued to observe their alien guest, they dressed him in a spare jumpsuit that hung loosely on his small frame. It was clear he needed time to heal and regain his strength.
"Let's move him to the crew quarters where he can rest," Lewis decided. They had done all they could for now. She logged the last few notes in her report, tagging it as a high priority for transmission back to NASA. They had decided it would be hard to avoid any contamination or disease from the boy. So they took off their hazmat suits and decided to focus on caring for and comforting their guest.
Watney carefully gathered the boy up, frowning at his lightweight frame. He gently laid him on one of the bunks.
Watney tucked the blanket around the sleeping boy, noting how young and vulnerable he looked.
The boy's rest was fitful, face pinched as fever wracked his body. Beck monitored his vitals. Beck was unsure of what temperature was normal for the boy. So, he just kept an eye on him to see if he started to go towards distress. Beck had so many questions for their new guest. He felt excitement among his concerns. Beck never imagined they would, ACTUALLY, come across an alien on their mission. Never thought this would be how he went down in the history books.
Beck reached out and smoothed the hair out of the boy’s face. He frowned at the amount of sweat the kid was producing. His body was no doubt fighting off an infection. This kid needed them; whatever he went through was no doubt awful. The kid whimpered but pressed his face into his hand, seeking comfort.
Their mission had changed; this alien kid’s survival was now their priority.
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