Chapter Text
Charles "Chuck" Baumann isn’t your average guy. He’s not the “no child of sorrow” type you hear about in stories. Nope, Chuck is more like a walking ball of sunshine. He’s the guy who gets up with the sun, and wherever he goes, he brings good vibes and makes people feel better.
So when everything changes, it hits hard. One dreary November morning, NASA makes the news, and the world shatters for Chuck. The guy who was always the bright spot in every room, suddenly isn’t. Something inside him shifts, and he’s never quite the same again.
The Ares III mission to Mars had to be called off because of a huge sandstorm. The crew evacuated right away, saving everyone’s life—except for Gally Baumann. During the storm, an antenna came loose from the habitat, and it hit him. It punctured his suit, and there was no way to save him. The crew couldn’t find him in the chaos of the storm and had to leave the planet without him, not knowing if he was even alive. It was a brutal decision.
Then, just when they thought the worst was over, NASA made headlines again—bigger than before. Satellite images showed signs of life on Mars, which meant Gally was still alive. Still alive—that’s the key. Miraculously, he survived the sandstorm. But the big question was: how the hell would he survive? Could anyone survive on Mars without the right equipment, supplies, and knowledge? And let’s not forget the isolation—far worse than anything that could kill him physically.
But Gally Baumann wasn’t just anyone. He was a smart as hell engineer and botanist, and somehow, he managed to stay alive for months. NASA immediately started planning a rescue mission after they got communication back with him—but they ran into failure after failure.
Chuck has no idea what hope even feels like anymore. Or security. His family gets regular updates from NASA, but they don’t bring hope anymore. Every time Chuck gets an email from NASA, his heart drops. Is this it? Is this the final message about Gally’s death? "This isn’t life," he thinks.
But Chuck has to keep going. How could he complain about anything when his big brother is out there, fighting to survive on Mars?
Sure, Chuck’s family is getting counseling. All the families of the crew are, if he’s right. But he hasn’t gone to one of those astronaut family meetings in ages. He can’t stand seeing how everyone else is happy to welcome home their loved ones, while his brother is stuck on Mars, starving, alone in a way that only Mars can make you feel.
Chuck doesn’t blame the crew for leaving Gally behind. Not anymore. They didn’t have a choice. They waited as long as they could, hoping Gally would somehow make it. If they hadn’t evacuated, they all would have died. Sometimes, Chuck wakes up in the morning, totally crushed by the unfairness of it all—that they’re alive while Gally’s out there running out of time. And sometimes, he can’t even get out of bed. But at the same time, he wouldn’t wish this on anyone. No one deserves to lose a loved one to a freak sandstorm on Mars. Chuck knows that pain all too well.
Then, another round of headlines hit, and this time, it completely shatters everything. The Ares III crew has gone against NASA’s orders. They’ve made their own decision. They’re going to intercept the supplies from China that are supposed to save Gally and change course to fly back to Mars to rescue him. Of course, it’s not as simple as that, but that’s what Chuck will tell his friends.
This plan could actually work—if everything goes as planned. If it doesn’t—and that’s way more likely—it’ll mean the end for the entire crew. A ship malfunction, problems intercepting the supplies, the crew starving—there are a million things that could go wrong. That’s why NASA never even considered this option.
And if they do this, the Ares III mission will be extended by years. Unthinkable. What about the families left behind? The loved ones of the crew? As far as Chuck knows, most of the crew members are single, like Gally. But two of them have partners back home—one has four kids, and the other became a dad right before the mission. Chuck can’t imagine how anyone could make such a decision. But if it works out, he’ll be forever grateful to the crew. He might actually get to see Gally again.
But then again, this could be a suicide mission. Chuck knows all the stats on how things can go wrong, so he doesn’t let himself get too hopeful.
He hasn’t accepted the idea of never seeing Gally again. He misses him way too much. But his hope’s been crushed and trampled on so many times these past few years. It wouldn’t be any easier to get a final message about Gally’s death. The uncertainty is what kills him.
Chuck’s parents haven’t been to the astronaut family gatherings in years. Chuck’s dad might go sometimes, but now, with a real glimmer of hope (officially) out there, and all the families stuck in the same uncertainty, the Baumann family has to show up. The meeting will be a lot of things all at once—a celebration, a strategy session, a grief circle. Chuck has no idea how he’ll handle it, knowing that the life of just one person, his brother, is why the Ares III crew is risking everything.
How the hell will he survive this meeting? It’s not like he’s the bright spot in any room anymore. That was before.
It turns out, it’s neither a joyful celebration nor a strategy session that the astronaut families are walking into. They’ve all read the stats.
The evening turns out to be kind of all over the place, and Chuck, who’s stayed sober since he got through that horrible time when NASA stayed silent for weeks about Gally being alive, watches as the other families try to drown their sorrow. It’s a tough scene.
It’s mostly just sad, and at the same time, totally understandable. If Chuck weren’t completely sober, he’d probably be joining the others, drowning in tears and despair.
He makes sure his parents have food, water, and support, then sneaks away to the garden.
The family gathering is at the Joneses’ house. They’ve got a massive place, more than enough room for all the broken families.
The garden is just as huge—wait, is that a forest? Chuck hasn’t been here in forever and forgot how over-the-top this place is. None of the other families live like this. He’s forgotten. It doesn’t matter.
He walks toward the woods, then sits on the grass near the playground—because of course there’s a playground for all the kids, nieces, nephews, and anyone else who’s part of Jack’s family. He puts his arms behind him, tilts his head back and stares at the stars above. Somewhere out there, way beyond what he can see with his eyes, is his big brother. Maybe Gally’s looking at the stars too right this moment, wishing to come home.
“Oh, Gally,” Chuck murmurs. “Where are you?” In this moment, he misses Gally so much that his chest aches and the tears start rolling down his face.
He doesn’t know how long he’s been sitting there, just looking at the stars and crying silently, when someone steps up beside him and gently places a hand on his shoulder.
“Charles? Can I sit with you?”