600 Sols - Seeking Solitude is Natural

"Darling, can you come here for a second?"

"Can't it wait a bit? The sun feels so good today."

"Come on...if you don't get here now, you might miss it."

"Miss it? Miss what?"

"Just come here!"

This conversation took place long before 1441 started his journey. After all, 1441 has not even met the those two people yet. This conversation took place shortly after reaching Mars, even before the plague. It was a simple conversation between a man and a woman.

The man let out a sigh and got up from his chair. He was still young. Judging by his looks, he did not yet reach 40. Taking into account the body modifications, he was still in the prime of his life, yet he had already settled for the laid-back lifestyle. He even got so careless lately that a thick beard that he never knew he could grow was starting to come out.

He was a scientist responsible for studying the ice on the poles of Mars. Being so far south, the days where he could actually feel the warmth of the sun on his skin were few, and he didn't want to miss a second.

Even so, he could not find it in him to say no to his wife. "Predetermined love" is what he called it. They had not even been on Mars for a full year by now, yet the engagement rings on their fingers already felt like part of their bodies. Who could ever deny them their choice? After all, the second they fully regained their sentience on Mars, they found themselves holding each other's hands. 

In times of uncertainty, humans tend to stick to somebody else. This is our way to seek safety, and this is exactly what they did. Two weeks after getting their freedom, the man was already down on one knee.

The woman, flustered as she was, accepted his proposal. They believed that managing to form a bond during the integration month when their minds were not even fully theirs was a sign that this was meant to be.

Nobody came to their wedding. Only the two of them, an improvised altar, and the official who also served as a witness. After all, nobody even had time to build human relationships yet, let alone a family.

It was only later that they found out about their previous identities. The reason he got to know about his previous life was because of the role he was to play. As an important researcher, he had the crucial role of getting to know their new home better.

As for the wife, it turns out she was rich beyond human comprehension back on Earth, so rich and influential that she even knew about the memory wipe plan and agreed to be part of it; she had just paid in advance to be told about her previous life after landing.

It turns out both of them had a family before, but neither of them brought anyone to Mars. The shock when they found all of this out was undeniable, but just a look at each other made them feel at home.

"Not like I can remember anything. There is nobody to even confirm this. It may as well just be a story we conveniently left behind to make ourselves feel better." This is what both of them said with no regret on their faces. What happened in a past they could not remember was of no importance. All that mattered was that they were together.

The man entered the mobile home they were using and went to his wife.

Even after starting a new life, you could still tell that she was no average person. The way she carried herself, the daring clothes she was wearing, the out-of-place spider tattoo on her nape, and the dignified, stunning look of a mature yet young lady never ceased to fascinate her husband. It was pretty often that he considered himself the luckiest man who got to this planet.

"So, what is so important that you called me in such a hurry? Where is my surprise?"

"Right here," said the lady as she approached her man to plant a single kiss on his lips.

The man looked confused at his wife, waiting for her to pull something else and give it to him, but nothing else happened. His wife just stayed there with a pure smile on her face.

The man finally understood what his wife truly wanted. Despite her dignified looks and her stoic past, her playful nature came out more often than not now that she chose the housewife lifestyle.

Looking at the innocent face of a wife who just wanted some attention from her husband, he could do nothing but smile.

"I admit I wasn't expecting that."

"I know, right? Don't worry, there are plenty more surprises where that came from!"

Mars was not the nicest place you could ask for. It lacked the beauty of Earth, but for the two of them, this was their corner of heaven, and they wouldn't give it away for anything else.

...

"...600 sols until..."

"Can you shut up for now? I'm trying to enjoy the view damn it!"

Standing on the massive glacier was not something he could describe in words.

"Soj, can you take photos?"

"I believe this function is also implemented in No. 1441."

"...Hah...Yeah...It sure is."

Embracing his robotic self was something that 1441 had been refusing ever since he gained sentience again. He could not explain why, but he could not accept the body he was living in.

Even so, the scenery was too beautiful to miss this occasion. He "took a photo" that he wanted to keep forever. A forever that would last for 600 more sols.

The vast block of ice they were on top of took some time to get to, but the results were amazing.

"I wish we would have had some more time to spend here."

"Question, wouldn't it have been possible if we didn't stop so often to admire our surroundings?"

"You just don't get it, do you?"

The man suddenly started running. Before the robot could ascertain what was going on, the man was already sliding on the thick ice.However, it wasn't long before his legs flew in front of him, and he hit the hard ice.

"They erased so many things but left my inability to skate on this damn ice...Figures..."

However, the man did not quit. He got back up again and kept going.

This was the first time Soj had seen him playing around. His usual melancholic aura completely faded. The man who would usually act like he had been born before the stars and already witnessed the horrors of the universe was now acting like a child trying to prove to himself that he could do something he was clearly struggling at.

"Suggestion: 1441 should maybe continue his training when the sun is not reflecting into the ice. This significantly lowers the visibility."

Yet, this was the point exactly. the sun shining on the ice, the contrast between the shining ground and the reddish Mars sky, and the faint heat that could be felt while being at the frozen pole. Those were the things that kept the man here. This breathtaking scenery was what gave the usually composed 1441 the energy to run around.

"You were just complaining how I always sit and stare at what I like. Be happy I am changing the pace this time."

While the man was running and sliding around, the robot noticed that a crack he went over let out a bit of water.

Maybe out of some form of naive curiosity that could only be understood by other robots, Sol decided to take a bit of that water and analyze it. Just because humanity gave up, it didn't mean he was not allowed to grab onto any unknown thing that may bring a sliver of new hope. Maybe it was a cure for the plague? Maybe something that could quickly create an environment in which what was left of humanity could thrive and develop? Maybe even the secret to eternal life. It never hurts to try. After all, nobody knows what happened to the previous family exploring the South Pole.

Only that, this water brought nothing beneficial to humans.

"WARNING: NO. 1441 IS TO LEAVE THIS AREA RIGHT NOW!"

...

"Leaving so early?"

Those words never left her mind.

Her husband left early today to research something he had discovered yesterday. He finally managed to get a sample of the water deep inside the southern block of ice. Something nobody has ever seen before. A chance at radically changing the pace of colonization.

But the man was not that lucky; the second he analyzed what he had obtained, a cold sweat could be felt on his skin.

UNIDENTIFIED VIRAL LIFEFORM was written on his sensor. The next thing he did was get away from the water and wipe himself clean, but after a quick internal check, he understood his lack of protective measures would cost him.

...

The man did not return home. He could not risk getting into contact with people, but another thing he could not bring himself to do was contact his wife to tell her what happened.

While walking aimlessly, the man understood he never cared about other people all that much. He just wanted someone to ease his pain. The pain and fear of being all alone on a foreign plane with most of your memories gone.

Now that he was counting his hours while feeling his body shutting down, he understood this. If he was gone, what would it matter that others worry? Why bother to let them know? Not like it would affect him.

That's why the man was now walking towards his death. If he could not live how he wanted, then he would at least die by his own hand.

Still, that wish also failed to come true. The man felt his body reaching its limit, and he fell on the ground just meters away from the canyon. In the end, the virus got him before he could end it himself.