7 - A World Apart

You are reading Scene 7 of Icarus, a novel unfolding within The Mars Chronicles—an epic story of the first human settlements on Mars.

As covert missions unfold on the red planet, Earth is anything but still. While brave crews push the limits of survival across Martian outposts, those left behind fight their own battles—through politics, strategy, and the quiet burden of distance.

This scene takes you to Manhattan, where one voice reaches across millions of miles to reconnect with those risking everything on another world. In the vast silence between Earth and Mars, sometimes resolve speaks louder than distance.

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Planet Earth – New York, Manhattan.  Mars Year 73, Sol 125

A small trail of condensation slid down the curved glass of Emily Everhart’s panoramic window. Her gaze followed its path across the backdrop of New York’s futuristic skyline. Manhattan still pulsed beneath the woven lattice of air traffic threading the sky. Patterns of light danced across the minimalist furniture, reflected off the surface of solar drones drifting overhead. Emily ran her fingers along the edge of her polished metal desk—a habitual gesture that helped anchor her in the present.

She took a deep breath and touched the embedded wall display. The screen buzzed to life and, after a short delay, David’s face appeared—leaner, dust-streaked, but with the same steady confidence in his eyes. Behind him, the pale light of the Martian habitation module stood in stark contrast to Emily’s sun-drenched Manhattan penthouse. She leaned in, as if proximity could bridge the distance.

Emily and David Everhart

“David, can you see me clearly?” she asked, forcing a touch of cheer into her voice.

“Yes, Em. Loud and clear,” David replied. The signal crackled slightly—a reminder of the massive distance between them, linked only by the Twin Minds’ quantum-entanglement tech, which enabled real-time communication. The American outpost was still the only one on Mars equipped with it.

For a moment, Emily was overwhelmed by the thought: I should have been there with him. If the doctors hadn’t disqualified her due to radiation risk—if she hadn’t failed the colony’s medical screening—she never would’ve let David and Ian leave without her. She straightened in her seat, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. She had to remind herself—she had her own frontline here: salvaging David’s reputation back at Minos HQ.

“Listen,” she began, adjusting the camera slightly. “I spoke with Warrick again at Minos—he’s the only one still taking my calls. He says if the mining metrics hold and we frame the comms right; the board might reconsider your position.”

David’s face tightened—he tried to hide it, but Emily knew the signs. That quiet frustration he always felt whenever politics came up.

“Warrick’s always been friendlier than the rest,” David admitted. “But I’m not betting on corporate spin to fix anything. The numbers speak for themselves.”

Emily exhaled softly. Why can’t he see that you have to play the game?

“You know how this works, David. They want to feel like they’re in control. If you’d let them take more credit for the Labyrinth Project back in New York—”

David cut her off—firm, but not unkind.

“We’ve been through this. It wasn’t about keeping the credit for myself. It was about—”

Emily pressed her lips together, swallowing the rest of her reply.

“Okay, okay,” she said gently. “I just... I still believe if you showed them you’re a team player, it could open doors. You’re the man who stopped the flood in New York. Everyone at Minos—and in government—knows that. But you stepped on too many toes along the way…”

David’s gaze drifted to the side. Behind him, the Martian dust swirled red against the pale sky.

“I don’t regret standing up for what was right,” he said. “And I won’t let them own me now, either.”

That same pride—what made Emily love him, and what made her constantly worry about him.

A long silence settled between them. Emily chose to shift the subject.

“How’s Ian?” she asked. “He writes so rarely. Must be busy.”

At the mention of their son, David’s expression softened.

“He’s doing great. You know how he is—always diving into new tech, pushing the limits. If there’s one thing I worry about, it’s that I have to remind him sometimes: Mars doesn’t forgive like Earth does.”

Emily smiled, though a quiet storm of concern still swirled beneath it.

“He’s just like you,” she said gently. “That stubbornness... I just don’t want him taking risks he can’t come back from. Mars is so—”

“Dangerous. I know,” David interrupted, voice soft. “I’m watching him. Trust me.”

Emily nodded. She wished she could reach through the screen and take his hand. The lights of Manhattan sparkled in the reflection on the glass, bathed in southern sunlight—so far removed from the red dust storms battering David’s outpost. Sometimes it felt like the universe itself had torn their family apart.

“All right,” she said, clearing her throat. “I’ll keep pressing Warrick. Maybe we can secure a hearing with the board. If they see the new data, maybe...”

David exhaled.

“Do what you think will help, Em. If you believe it matters, go ahead. Just... be careful who you trust.”

His voice faded slightly, as if exhaustion had seeped into the space between his words.

“I’ve got to go. The colony’s comms window is closing.”

Emily tried to inject a note of warmth into her voice.

“Take care of yourself, David. And... tell Ian I miss you both terribly.”

A faint, rare smile touched David’s face.

“I will. You take care too.”

Emily held her breath as the screen went dark. The silence of the penthouse pressed in around her—a raw reminder of just how far away David truly was. For a moment, she allowed the warmth of hope to pass through her: a vision of reunion, of a life free from corporate chains flickering in her mind.

But then the moment vanished, like a thread pulled loose. Her gaze drifted across the polished floor and stopped at the comms panel. If David believes he can carry the burden alone—so be it. I’ll fight my part too.

With a firm motion, she pressed a button on the desk. The display lit up and connected to the Minos Corporation line. Emily’s heart beat faster—each ring stoked the fire of her resolve.

“I’d like to speak with Warrick Hargrove,” she said. Her voice was steadier than she felt.

A series of tones echoed through the quiet apartment. Outside, an air barge drifted between the towers, its lights dancing across the glass. Emily’s jaw tightened. Enough waiting. Enough of David bearing every risk alone up there on Mars. If bargaining, navigating egos, and massaging corporate pride was her role in this, then so be it—she’d do it without hesitation, no matter who she had to push past.

Finally, a click—and static. The line came alive. Emily inhaled sharply. She straightened, ready to charge headfirst into the machinery of bureaucracy.

“Warrick? This is Emily Everhart. We need to talk—right now.”

Her reflection stared back at her in the glass, caught in the whirl of neon that spiraled through the city beyond. I will bring him home, she promised herself. No matter what it takes.

Previous Scene

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