Miranda hated the suit, she couldn’t worry her nails. Her cuticles ached to be in her mouth, peeling away under her teeth. She stared out over the expanse and watched a tiny earth sink below the horizon.

At the start, The Mission wasn’t fair to her. She demanded a female counterpart, it was no one’s business why this was important to her. First, the computer’s voice was changed to female. Then her male peers almost boycotted the flight when she was awarded the Commander position. Finally, the Russians politically sealed Miranda’s lonely fate by choosing a Central Asian bitch to fly with them. Ares!

After observing the men interact with Ares, Miranda finally understood what the experienced MARS program personnel already knew; her male crew couldn’t keep their hands off Ares. They argued over who she would sleep with, who would feed her and who she favored most.

In the peace and quiet, Miranda cut the silence. “Aunt B, locate Ares. If she’s not out here next to me within the hour, euthanize her.”