Chapter Text
I’m dying. I am dying, and against all odds, I am going to heaven. I can see it, the light at the end of the tunnel, a gleaming spaceship, a beautiful statue spinning and swirling. Or maybe that’s my vision spinning and swirling. It’s hard to tell over the excruciating pain splitting my chest apart. But it’s okay, there is an angel by my side, spacesuit instead of halo and harp, but he is taking me to rest. Finally. 549 sols of hell, a punishment for… what? I’m not sure, but I guess my punishment is finally up and the pearly gates have been opened for my wretched soul. In this case it’s the airlock door that I am being pulled through, but hey, I once heard heaven is different for everyone. I guess my version of heaven is being rescued by my crew at long last and being redelivered to Hermes. I am screaming and maybe vomiting into my spacesuit helmet, and I have never been gladder for the reflective helmet and the darkness of space, because the angels can’t see my wretched face. The airlock (gate?) approaches and I am brought into the heavenly light, bright clean light that isn’t marred by orange dust on every surface. This is how I know I am in heaven, that and the other angels slowly filtering in, numbering the same as my crew, their voices in my ears sounding better than any angelic harmony I had ever imagined. I feel the grip the angel by my side (Beck?) has on me shift, and the final stab of pain is enough for me to finally let go, falling into a blissfully dark unconciousness. I spare a passing wish that I could have said one last thing to the angels surrounding me, but it would have been the wretched mumblings of a dead man. I feel at peace, and my body goes limp, fully relaxing for the first time in 549 sols. Thank God or something.