Laura Thompson's POV (December 22nd, Year Two)

"Starship is go for launch," A thoroughly familiar masculine voice announces, his tone echoing around my head as my gaze scans the various readouts on the large screen in front of me.

"Copy. Stand-by for terminal count," The crackle of the ground controller's voice replaces the other voice, a rush of sudden concern washing over me.

Something isn't feeling right, here.

Tuning into my worry, my gaze tears from the large screen to the device strapped to the upper thigh of my IVA pressure suit, examining it over.

The readouts match the other screen.

They're all green.

"Super Heavy is in startup."

My entire form begins to rattle slightly against the restraints of my seat, my air of concern not ceasing.

Yet again, my furrowed gaze darts between the larger readout screen and my smaller one.

Everything is fine.

Nominal.

Swallowing down my fear, I re-focus on the event at hand, listening to the flight controller's steady countdown.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

A sudden pressure on my shoulder startles me as I desperately try to turn in my seat to see the source.

"It's such a shame all of this is going to be wasted, huh?" An extremely unfamiliar, purely American accented voice drawls, his tone somehow coming through my helmet as I finally catch a glimpse of just who has their hand on my shoulder.

He's an older man, his once blond hair dulling into grey...

His eyes are a steely green, a look of almost malice across his aging features.

"What do you-"

However, before I can say anything, the countdown reaches zero and I'm pressed back into my seat, my breath knocked out of me.

"Starship SpaceX, we're seeing unusual pressure readings inside the cabin. Everything nominal?"

Just as the flight controller makes that call out, the large overhead screen begins to glitch, its usual readouts now replaced by an inky black screen.

Alarmed, I instantly refer to my own readouts, only to be met with the same thing.

The devices are dead.

Then the panic really sets in as the wailing of the cabin pressure alarm sounds within my earpiece.

"Ground, we're losing cabin pressure as well as our readouts. Advise. Over."

There's just static on the opposite end of the communication line as the alarms continue to blare, the faint sound of my suit pressurizing meeting my ears.

"Turns out Mars was a bust after all, ain't it?" The same disturbing voice taunts again.

Though this time, I'm thrown from my seat, breaking through the restraints as my body lurches forward.

Flames engulf my surroundings, the rest of the Crew gone.

Vanished without a trace.

It's just my slowly dying form and this stranger...

Who somehow managed to board our failing Starship.

"W-w-who are you?" I stammer, a crack spreading across my visor earning a panicked gasp from me as I begin to reach for the patch kit that should be stowed beneath my seat.

The person opposite to me gives no reply, only a sinister smirk, as my glass visor shatters, the oxygen instantly rushing from my body as I lay there, holding my breath, succumbing to death.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Laura," The stranger hums softly, his voice ricocheting off of everything, penetrating my very being. "But it was either you all or the rest of mankind."

Desperate now, I begin to cough and splutter, gasping for air, only to come up empty.

The strange man begins to laugh as I claw at the nothingness, my vison fading to black.

I bolt upright in a panic, my chest tight, breaths coming out in ragged, shaky coughs as I swing my legs over the side of the bed.

The coolness of the floor resonates with me as I come to, placing my head in my hands as I regain my composure.

What was that?

Shaking my head with a silent, choked back sob, I pull myself to my feet, standing in front of the illuminated city streetscape before me.

The snow is drifting down in big, fat flakes, coming to a halt as they join their other friends already on the ground, forming a stunning blanket of untouched white.

The scene puts me at ease slightly as I wander closer to the windows, my body running on autopilot.

Better yet, who was that?

With a tired sigh that's more like a yawn, I turn my back to the snowy scene, my eyes readjusting to the darkness of the rest of the room.

Gaze wandering over the area in front of me, I smile slightly, the steady rise and fall of my Partner's blanketed form a comforting sight.

He's fine. He's alright.

Tip-toing past his sleeping form, I glide into the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of water as silently as possible before heading back the way I had came moments ago.

You're fine too, Laura. You're still alive - in the land of the living.

Sneaking my way back into the shared bedroom, I once more hover towards the floor-to-ceiling windows, the falling snow absolutely mesmerizing as my gaze begins to blur, thoughts slowing.

Everything is just so-

"Laura?" A rather groggy and concerned sounding Elon calls out from behind me, nearly making me drop my glass of water in surprise. "You alright?"

"I'm okay, yeah," I muse aloud softly, my voice echoing back at me as tired and weak, scared almost.

"That doesn't sound convincing," I hear him mutter, stifling a yawn as the sound of his heavy footfalls nearing me meets my ears.

Wordlessly, he wraps an arm around my torso, pulling me close as our gazes wander the landscape in front of us.

"Love, it's two a-m in the morning," The man at my side urges softly, his voice rough and deeper than normal, sending a slight shiver down my spine. "I have a hard time believing you're okay."

I sigh heavily once more, leaning even further into his touch.

"I had another nightmare," I explain, my fatigued brain struggling to make sense of everything. "I'm surprised you didn't hear me, I woke up in quite a panic."

At this, my boyfriend hums lowly, pulling me from his side and into a hug, his chin resting on the top of my head as his hands run soothingly through my hair.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," I confess, tears beginning to prick my eyes. "But I probably should."

"Alright," He murmurs , guiding us both back towards the bed, gently sitting us down, his much larger hand finding mine as our gazes meet.

His hair is a complete mess, sticking up every which way while dark, seemingly permanent, bags shadow beneath his eyes.

Though, as his eyes wander over my own likely exhausted and stressed looking features, his expression shifts, his own drowsiness disappearing.

"Was this one another about the Mission?" Elon's warm voice coaxes, his thumb brushing back and fourth over the back of my hand.

All I can do is nod silently, my gaze tearing from his and darting to my lap.

"The launch failed..." I begin to explain, voice choking up slightly. "There was this man... I didn't recognize him at all..."

"A man?" My boyfriend frowns, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "Describe him to me."

"Blond, fading into grey hair... His eyes carried a malicious glint to them..."

I sigh shakily, trying to ward away the image of the stranger's vengeful expression as he watched me die, from my thoughts.

"It was just me. I was the only one," I murmur as my eyes dart back up to meet his, a sudden desperation swelling within me. "I was the only one..."

Before the man sitting beside me can begin to formulate a response, I tackle him in an embrace that sends us both tumbling backwards into the soft mattress, a soft, light laugh quickly escaping from him.

"Love," He murmurs as I try and roll away from him, only to be stopped by his arms placed on either side of me, pinning me to the spot.

My cheeks instantly flush at the realization of how we're currently situated, though it seems the man above me isn't thinking the same thing.

"Whatever happens, we'll be together, okay?" He whispers huskily, swiftly stooping towards my forehead and leaving a soft kiss there.

A soft "okay," is all I can really muster up as my Partner rolls away from me, back to his side of the bed.

I, however, stay where I am, my gaze wandering the ceiling as the room goes silent once more.

"E," I murmur softly, eyes still fixated on the smoke detector mounted on the roof, its blinking light seemingly hypnotizing.

No answer.

Turning onto my side, I begin to reach out and nudge my boyfriend, but I stop myself, his peacefully sleeping form halting me.

Somehow, he's already managed to fall back to sleep, the steady rise and fall of his chest and soft, even breathing a tell-tale sign of that fact.

"Never mind then," I hum, the strange man and the nightmare momentarily forgotten as I snuggle myself up against his warm frame, the steady hum of silence and our rhythmic breathing swiftly lulling me back into the depths of sleep.

****

"Tie or no tie?" The sound of my Partner's warm tone muses aloud from the bathroom, as I turn from the windows I'd been previously looking out of to face the source of the voice.

Elon is frowning at his reflection in the mirror while holding up the plain black piece of fabric to his shirt before removing it in a repeated fashion.

"You'll look great either way, Handsome!" I holler with a smile, tying my hair back into a simple bun at the nape of my neck before smoothing out the lower part of the dress I'm wearing, wandering over towards the other person in the room.

As if my words had made his decision for him, I watch with a slight grin as his hands begin to work the piece of fabric into a neat knot, keeping it slightly loose around his neck.

"There. What do you-" He cuts his sentence short, turning his back to the mirror to face me, expression shifting from neutral to pleasantly surprised in an instant.

I can't help but chuckle lightly at his reaction.

"What do I think?" I smirk, waltzing up to my Partner's rather awestruck figure, gently placing my hands on his shoulders. "I think you look absolutely dashing."

The man in front of me just chuckles, a gleam of happiness in his eyes as his lips twitch upwards into a smile.

"But," I start once more, a teasing in my tone as I move my hands from his shoulders towards the collar of his dress shirt, "Your collar is a bit crooked."

Fixing the starched piece of fabric around my boyfriend's neck, my hands linger back to his shoulders, our foreheads suddenly making contact, the feeling of his gentle grip hovering above my hips earning a small laugh from me.

"And to think, if I didn't have you, I would've gone marching around with my collar all wonky like that."

"That would've been quite a sight," I sigh with a chuckle, stepping away from my Partner's taller form, heading back towards the large windows, my gaze once again mesmerized by the seemingly endless amounts of falling snow.

"You look lovely, Sweetheart," Elon's warm and genuine tone follows after me, my smile growing even larger, a sudden frenzy of little butterflies beginning a dance around my stomach.

"Thanks..." I murmur softly, turning towards the pair of silver flats I'd pulled out previously, a slight frown falling across my features.

This oughta be fun.

Walking in snow and slush wearing a pair of shoes with zero tread on them.

Nice.

With yet another light chuckle, I slip into the shoes, taking a quick glance at myself in the mirror before beginning toward the living room, only to be halted by the phone on the nightstand in the bedroom ringing.

Startled, I quickly turn on my heel and scramble towards the squawking device.

"Can you get that?" My Partner's voice questions from the bathroom, his head poking around the corner seconds later, a comb in hand.

"Already on it," I reply with a grin, picking up the phone and raising it to my ear while Elon just smirks with a shake of his head before disappearing from my view.

"Hello?"

"Is this Ms. Thompson?" The voice on the other end of the line asks, sounding slightly familiar almost.

"It is. May I ask who's speaking?"

"It's Bernard, I drove you and Elon from the airport?"

"Oh! Of course!" I laugh lightly, mentally scolding myself for not realizing just why the voice on the opposite end of the line sounds so familiar.

"I'm parked out front whenever you both are ready. Though, I do suggest you come down in the..."

There's a slight pause on the opposite end before he continues.

"Next ten minutes, or so."

"Gotcha," I nod, placing my hand over the phone's microphone, muttering an apology to the man on the opposite end before hollering, "Five minutes, E!"

Uncovering the device and raising it to my ear once more, I let out a breathy chuckle.

"Sorry about that, Bernard. We'll be down in eight."

With that, I hang up the phone, a rather neatly put together Elon waltzing out to meet me, a smirk still evident on his lips as he buttons up the jacket of his suit.

"You sounded like my Mother there for a moment," He hums, his form drifting closer to mine, the familiar smell of his cologne reaching me.

"Well it worked, didn't it? You're all ready to go and we have a bit of time to spare."

"Do we now," He murmurs, gently wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close, our chests colliding. "Well, that's certainly a rare occurrence."

I just roll my eyes with a huff, stepping out of his embrace, heading towards the exit.

"Come on, we've got a schedule to keep."

"Yeah, yeah," He mutters, the sound of his footsteps following after me.

Shrugging on my winter jacket and grabbing Elon's, I turn to face him, a light blush of crimson falling across my cheeks as he takes his jacket from my grasp.

"You know," I begin sheepishly, the heat rising up the back of my neck as I continue, zipping up and adjusting my own winter piece of clothing. "I've always loved the look of you in a full suit."

"Really?" The man in front of me nods, tilting his head in confusion slightly before a smile grows on his features.

"You just look so... Oh, I don't know!" I stammer, my face surely an inferno now, my thoughts an absolute mess.

Smirking, he zips up his jacket before casually strolling past me towards the door, a folder of notes in hand, along with the room key.

"Come on, we've got a schedule to keep," My Partner mocks my words from earlier, nudging open the door with his foot, waiting for my still rather flustered form to follow along.

"Ha, ha," I mutter dryly, flattening my jacket out before making my way to Elon's side, elbowing him gently.

As we make our way down the hallway, to the elevator, across the lobby and out the hotel's front doors, I can't help but allow my thoughts to wander slightly.

All of this still seems surreal.

I wonder when I'll actually finally come to the realization that all of this is indeed happening.

When we finally land on Mars, maybe?

My thoughts are interrupted, however, by a shrill sounding horn, causing me to jump slightly as I nearly lose my balance in the loose snow beneath my feet.

Raising my head to scan the area in front of me, a small smile tugs at my lips as a familiar cheery red Tesla comes into view, the driver waiting anxiously outside the vehicle.

"Hey, Bernard," The man beside me calls out in greeting as we near, both of us waving.

Uncrossing his arms and beginning towards us, the older man grins, ushering us towards our ride.

"You two are almost late," He chuckles, the rear doors opening on either side as I slide into the seat, my Partner rounding the side of the vehicle and doing the same.

"Almost?" Elon shrugs with a grin, passing me a playful glance. "Did you hear that, Laura? We weren't late. We were almost late."

I huff in feigned annoyance.

"There's no difference."

"Yes there is!" He protests as the doors secure themselves with a mechanical click and some whirs. "There's a substantial difference! Being late is being behind. Being almost late is right on time."

Once more, I can't help but roll my eyes with a breathy laugh, my gaze wandering the cityscape beginning to roll by.

"If you say so," I murmur, my thoughts taking over. "If you say so..."

****

The noise surrounding me is almost deafening.

Well, enough to dampen my senses, at least.

"Champagne, Miss?" A sudden voice from beside me questions aloud, startling me slightly.

"No, I'm good. Thank you though!" I politely force a smile as the man continues his rounds, offering drinks to the people bustling around me.

Ignoring the rather claustrophobic feeling arising in my chest, I continue to trudge through the crowds of people, nodding and casually making extremely short small talk as I go, desperately searching for a familiar face.

Maye said she'd be here... why haven't I seen her yet?

Just as I'm about to give up on finding the older woman, I chuckle softly in relief, eyes settling on the cheery facial features of Maye Musk.

"Ah! There she is! My Space Girl!" She calls out in a greeting as she nears, her grin not wavering.

"Hi!" I bubble, rather awkwardly embracing the older woman before stepping away from her with a small smile. "You look lovely, Maye!"

She just raises her hand dismissively, gesturing to my own dressed up form.

"You look far better than I," Maye grins, her eyes holding a slightly teasing to them.

I can barely retain the blush that rises and burns on my cheeks.

"You know," I start, my gaze wandering over the crowded room, settling on my boyfriend's familiar figure from afar, a smile tugging at my lips. "You should be extraordinarily proud of your son. He's done amazing work. I'm honestly still in awe of it all."

The woman standing at my side chuckles softly, patting me on the arm.

"I am proud, hun. Everyone here is."

Everyone here, maybe. But my parents...

Shaking my head with a barely audible sigh, I bring my focus back to the here and now, turning to face Elon's mother with a slight smile.

"We should probably go find somewhere to sit," I suggest, motioning to the few chairs placed off to the side of the other wise standing area.

"Oh, don't worry about me," The older woman beside you quips, tossing you a brilliant grin. "I'm old, but not that old."

Sharing a light laugh, we're both interrupted by a sudden hushed silence, the guests surrounding you falling silent, their attention now facing forward, rather than on their previous side conversations.

A dapper looking Elon has taken the stage, positioned behind the podium, his notes that I'd made sure he bring evidently open and at the ready.

"So," He begins, a slight, seemingly nervous, chuckle following not long after. "I think we all know why we're all here."

"He's never liked public speaking," Maye murmurs from beside me, making me grin inwardly.

"He's doing just fine."

"We're here simply because of hard work. Hard work, and a lot of determination," Elon pauses, his eyes wandering the room, pausing on me a moment before flicking back down to his notes. "And thanks to you all, investors who truly believed that Tesla wasn't just a failed experiment and would actually go places, we are all standing here - successful."

"But just because we're now being deemed successful by the rest of the world, that doesn't mean we'll stop pushing forward. Innovation requires action, and action requires movement, preferably in a forward motion."

This raises a few laughs from the crowd.

"So, I simply wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for standing behind this company, and myself, no matter what. Without your support, I think Tesla would truly not be where it is today."

Applause erupts around me, the sound catching me off guard, but soon enough, I find myself joining in, clapping along in approval, pride swelling within me.

And by taking a quick glance at the mother beside me, it's evident that she feels the exact same way.

"I also came all the way out here to, in a way, say goodbye," The man behind the podium continues, a somber tone filling the room as the applause quickly ebbs away, leaving only a thick silence. "As most of you know, I'm off to Mars in about... 4 months or so. Which means this is likely the last Event I'll be attending until I return..."

A frown graces my lips, brows creasing slightly at his choice of words.

I don't think any of this was in his notes? Is he going completely off the books?

However, my frown is hastily replaced by a ever growing smirk, practically matching Elon's as his own lips twitch upwards into his familiarly optimistic grin.

Closing his binder of notes and tucking it under his arm, he makes one last remark before stepping away from the microphone entirely.

"Onwards to Mars and a better future! Thank you."

Once more, for what seems like the thousandth time that evening, the crowd around me bursts into applause, some people even cheering.

"That certainly went better than I expected," Maye hums, turning to face you with a slightly unreadable look in her eyes.

"He did a great job," I agree, nodding slowly, trying to figure out just what emotion the older woman in front of me is portraying.

"C'mon," She mumbles, taking my hand in hers, dragging me through the partygoers. "Let's go find that man of yours so you two can hit the road and get back to work."

Surprised by her sudden shift in tone, I follow along nonetheless as she guides the both of us out of the main room and to a much smaller and quieter one off to the side, practically throwing the door open before striding in.

Elon is standing on the far side of the room, seeming to be exchanging rather hushed words with someone unfamiliar, but, when his eyes land on the two newcomers that had practically barged into the room, his eyes widen and he hastily excuses himself.

"Well? How was that?" He jokes as he nears, instinctively drifting closer to my side.

"I think you did a fantastic job," I grin, tossing my boyfriend a genuinely proud smile, to which he returns.

"You're definitely making progress when it comes to public speaking," His mother teases, a trace of sorrow dropping into her tone, almost sounding foreign for someone as happy as she always seems to be. "I'm gonna miss you, Elon. I really am."

Your boyfriend's grin instantly drops, a frown instead replacing it as his gaze quickly surveys the room.

"Oh, Mom," He mutters, pulling the older woman into a loose embrace, her arms practically clinging to her son's form as if she doesn't want to lose him. "I'll be back before you know it. We all will."

"I know, I know. I just hate to see you leave. It's one thing to see you move to another part of the world, another country, another state... but a whole other planet?"

Maye chuckles sadly, lips twisting into a frown.

"It's going to be difficult to watch that rocket leave, that's for sure."

All I can do is watch the heartfelt moment between Mother and Son from the sidelines, a part of me longing that my own parents would be sad to see me go.

Will they even watch the launch?

I doubt it.

Dad'll just probably curse at the TV, knowing him.

"There. I got my hug. All is well," Elon's mother announces with the slightest trace of positivity bouncing back into her tone. "I better let you two get back to work, then."

"It never ends," I joke softly, sharing a grin with Elon as Maye finally lets him go from the hug, turning to face me, the teasing glimmer in her eyes back again.

"You'll look after him for me? Keep him outta trouble?"

"I'll do my best."

"I guess that's all I can ask for, isn't it?"

Before I can even formulate a reply, Maye Musk tackles me in an embrace, startling me slightly.

But, I'm quick to overcome my shock, returning the hug with a rather awkward pat to her back.

"I really would've never taken either of you to be huggers," I confess with a laugh, stepping out of the embrace. "I really wouldn't have."

"Ah," She smirks, taking a quick glance at her son, who somehow had managed to drift back to my side once more. "You've discovered his clingy side?"

"I'm not clingy," My boyfriend protests, almost genuine offense on his features. "Laura just gives the best hugs."

"Same could be said for you, E."

"Are you two seriously bickering over-"

"Who gives the best hugs? Yes, yes we are."

"It's definitely you. You just have like some sort of ability to sense when people need a hug the most."

"Sure, but when you give hugs, it's just so much better-"

"Enough you two!" Maye finally breaks the petty argument, a burst of laughter following. "Like I said last night at dinner. Behave yourselves."

I can't help but chuckle, last night's 'argument' over dinner about whether or not I give myself enough credit to my piloting skills arising in my mind.

"Well," Elon starts from my side, his voice pulling me from my thoughts. "We best get going. Our flight is supposed to be leaving late tonight, in about four hours, I believe."

I roll over my wrist, checking the time.

9:44 PM.

"And we've still got to pack up our things back at the hotel - that's gonna take some time..."

"So then get going!" The woman in front of us scolds playfully, gesturing towards the back door, accompanied by the same coat rack our winter clothes had been hung up on previously.

Sharing a nod, we both say one final goodbye to Maye and shrug on our winter gear, before hurrying out the door and into the chilly air of Toronto, a light snow falling from the sky as the door shuts behind us with a soft click.

"I know it's a bit early, but Merry Christmas, Love," Elon murmurs from beside me, an arm linking with mine as we continue along, the snow crunching under our feet as we go, a winter breeze tickling my cheek.

"Merry Christmas to you too. And that's okay that it's early."

"You know, when we get back to JSC, training starts up again right away. We only get the morning off on Christmas Day."

"I know," I nod, elbowing my Partner's side gently, minding my apparently sharp elbows, as Mark has let me know on numerous occasions. "But that's fine with me. We've got to be ready. And the only way we'll be ready is if we keep on top of our skills."

"You're right," He chuckles, the sound warming my heart. "You're always right."

"Ha. Hilarious."

"I'm not joking."

Passing Elon a look of 'are you kidding me', though my lashes, I fall silent, simply enjoying the sounds of the city and the Canadian winter surrounding us.

And even as we climb into the familiar cherry red Model X, with Bernard at the wheel, I can't help but sigh.

I'm gonna miss the snow.

****

"Whatcha doin'?" I inquire casually, leaning towards the man sitting beside me, the seatbelt around my waist digging in slightly.

"What do you think?" Elon chuckles half heartedly, passing me a glance.

"Solving the world's every problem by the sole power of your laptop?" I tease, which earns an eye roll.

"Yeah, totally," He grumbles, with a shake of his head. "I'm good, but I'm not that good. I'm just checking up on emails, that's all."

"I take it there are quite a few? Considering those bags under your eyes," I gesture, a pang of compassion running through me. "You need to get some sleep, E. Emails can wait."

At this, my Partner just huffs, seemingly annoyed, though his demeanor instantly changes, his gaze locking onto the screen in front of him.

"What is it?" I urge softly, peering at the screen with a newfound curiosity, matching the man's beside me.

On the screen is an email.

And a very important one at that.

Sent by NASA's very own Administrator, Jim Bridenstine.

The sender's name is enough to gain anyone's attention.

But it's the subject line that really stands out.

'URGENT. PLEASE REVIEW.'

"Well?" I mumble, my curiosity getting the best of me. "What's Mr. Administrator got to say?"

"They're adding a 5th Crew member," Elon states plainly, eyes darting from left to right, across the screen, absorbing the information.

"Why would they?..."

"This new addition to your MR-2 Crew is non-negotiable. Due to his expertise and experience in the realm of space flight and every aspect encompassing it, he is to join your Crew's training sessions immediately." My Partner quotes off, simply reading from the email, a hint of distaste falling into his tone.

"This makes no sense," He mumbles, continuing down the message. "There's an attachment here."

"Open it."

So, he does.

And on the screen in between the both of us is a formal picture of a man, dressed in an all too familiar bright orange flightsuit, his facial features appearing oddly familiar.

"That's a Shuttle era flightsuit," I muse aloud, confusion dancing across my headspace.

"It is..." Elon trails off, continuing to scroll down the attached PDF, coming to a halt on one of the most professional and full looking resumes I've ever seen.

The man's name is Alan Turner.

Space Shuttle veteran.

And apparently now, our fifth Crew member.