The Next Chapter

By Venla Mäkelä

A Florida hairdresser, Anne-Marie, is shocked to learn her astronaut daughter, Lindsay, is leaving for a mission to Mars in three weeks. After crying for days, desperate Anne-Marie decides to go for broke and sneaks on board. The ship is well on its way when the crew discovers the extra passenger. The cherry on top is that Anne-Marie has taken her cat, Lucky, along as well. Everyone is furious, especially Lindsay - Anne-Marie's stunt is really selfish and dangerous, and there's no turning back.
But during the trip Anne-Marie starts to get the hang of things. And who doesn't love a great haircut! Anne-Marie sets up a small salon, makes friends and starts dating the ship's doctor. But there's trouble ahead - Anne-Marie and Lindsay will have to unite to try to save the mission.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Venla Mäkelä
• Release date: Oct 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9780463003145

Venla Mäkelä

Venla Mäkelä writes screenplays and fiction.She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

Book preview

The Next Chapter

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Venla Mäkelä

Copyright 2021 by Venla Mäkelä

Chapter 1

Here's what went down on that ship to Mars. Or in fact, let me start a bit earlier, before the launch, and tell you how Anne-Marie completely unraveled. On the ship she told me all about her nervous breakdown. My name is Helga, I'm a crew member. We had a lot of time during the trip.

Last year, April 2031. Anne-Marie Watson, fifty-four, a Florida hairdresser. One of those people with bubbly personalities. An extrovert, an optimist. A host who wishes the guests would never leave. Very sentimental too. Emphatic. Someone you'd share your deepest secrets with, after just two minutes.

The day she got the very bad news she was in her salon, curling her friend Sharon's hair. They went back for years. The salon was very popular, on a leafy shopping street. Anne-Marie was well known in town as one of the very best hairdressers.

Sharon skimmed a gossip magazine on a tablet. They chatted about celebrities' haircuts and dresses and marriages. Sharon asked if Anne-Marie was seeing anyone. Anne-Marie said no, just a coffee date here and there.

He was a great man, your Harry, Sharon said.

He was, Anne-Marie said. Tons of happy memories... She suddenly became aware of someone waving behind the shop window and looked up. To her delight she saw it was her daughter. Oh! Lindsay's here!

Lindsay moved to the salon door and stepped in. She seemed extremely excited. Anne-Marie patted Sharon's shoulder. Be right back - haven't seen her in two weeks!

Sure, take your time.

Lindsay greeted the other hairdressers, Lisa, Paula and Ashley - they had worked at the salon for years and were like her aunts - and then walked up to her mom. Hi!

Sweetie!

They hugged.

I'm so happy to see you! Anne-Marie said. I missed you!

Missed you too! Lindsay said. Come, come - I have news! She pulled her mother to the back room to have a talk.

What is it?

Lindsay waited until Anne-Marie had closed the door half way and then whisper-screamed, Mom - I got picked! I'm in! I'm in! I'm going to Mars!

Anne-Marie felt her core twist in a sick way. A dull electric shock gripped her gut. Half of her brain took in the news, while the other half tried to frantically reject it.

But don't tell anyone yet, Lindsay said with a wide grin, I don't wanna jinx it. I'll come over for dinner, can't wait to tell you all about it! Can you believe it!

I... can't.

I'm in! I'm in!

I... uh, huh, Anne-Marie said, doubling over.

Lindsay, who was used to her mom being quite dramatic at times, grabbed her shoulders and gave a vigorous shake. Stop that! Stop it! I'm so exited!

I'm just... stunned. Anne-Marie was dizzy, disoriented. Mars? That horrid planet? Radiation? Her twenty-six-year-old daughter would be dropped in the middle of it all. In her mind she saw Lindsay as a toddler, plopping hard onto dusty terrain from high altitude.

Gotta go! Lindsay said. I'll see you tonight. Don't cook, I'll order some take-out. She hugged her mom once more and rushed away. Bye!

Bye, Anne-Marie said, and she even managed to smile.

After a moment that felt like a thousand years, Anne-Marie forced herself to return to the salon. She saw Lindsay through the window, farther down the street, walking away, making a few happy celebratory hops. Anne-Marie felt faint and grabbed the back of a chair. Her wristband health monitor pinged a high stress level alarm - that had never happened before. She fumbled to silence it. Lisa, nearby unloading a box of shampoo bottles, stopped. Anne-Marie you all right?

Yeah... just need to get some... chocolate or... air... vodka...

What's wrong? Lisa got up and walked closer.

Lindsay is going to Mars, Anne-Marie said, pushing the words out.

Lisa gasped, horrified.

I'm just... in shock, Anne-Marie said. Oh my God Lisa, how will I get through the rest of the day? The rest of my life..?

Lisa steered her back to the break room and sat her down. Breathe. I'll get you a sedative. Lisa was good with recreational drugs.

Anne-Marie tried to inhale. Can you finish... Sh-Sharon's hair...

Lisa placed her hand on Anne-Marie's shoulder and looked into her eyes. Of course. You stay here.

I need... can you put me under for a few h-hours?

Sure let me see what I can find.

In an hour the salon quieted down and there was only old Mrs. Thompson in one of the chairs, rollers in her hair, playing Dotter - I assume you know it's that wildly popular game where you flick fast moving holographic dots. Drives everyone crazy. Simple and addictive. At the other end of the salon Lisa, Ashley and Paula had gathered around Anne-Marie. She was medically sedated by what Lisa called an uplifting hallucinogen.

Yeah, she's going to Mars. Next month. In three weeks, Anne-Marie said.

Paula leaned close to stare at her enlarged pupils. Why are your eyes like that? They are fuzzy!

Lisa gave me... some stuff.

Lisa! Ashley said.

I had to do something! Lisa said. Her daughter is going to goddamn Mars.

Anne-Marie said, I mean I knew this was coming... I just - I didn't really... She paused, inhaled, held her breath for a long time, finally exhaled. "Have to pull myself together, act happy for her... And I am happy for her. I am. It's her dream."

Her friends all nodded, horrified.

Anne-Marie lived in a cute house with palm trees and rose bushes. It was the house where she had lived with her husband Harry for thirty years, the house where Lindsay had grown up.

Lindsay, who nowadays had a room at the program training center, about ten miles away, came over for dinner. She brought Thai food. Lindsay hardly ate, she was so excited, going on and on about the Mars base. At that time it already had three large domes, connected by tunnels, so you could come and go without bothering with a pressure suit. There's even a greenhouse now, they just finished it last month, she said, reflecting photos from her bracelet against the nearest wall.

The first settlers, who had landed two years before, had set up the colony. More domes were erected all the time to house our mission, and the future ones.

Sounds great, Anne-Marie said. She handed over a dish of Tofu Pad Thai. Have some more, you look so skinny.

There was a loud tap at the window.

Oh look who's here, Anne-Marie said.

It was this tattered brown and black cat, Lucky, who had started to visit at dusk a couple of months back. A slinky creature with shifty eyes. Spent the days dozing, limp and flat, like a vintage fur tossed on top of the garden wall. Why are cats so strange? A bizarre looking thing. Mangy. But he was in tiptop health.

Hi Lucky. Anne-Marie opened the window, and Lucky slithered in.

Lindsay reflected another photo: the ship sleeping pods for the take-off. You go in and before you even know you're asleep! She didn't notice that her mom was in tears and was looking at her, not the photos. She scrolled ahead. And this is the nearest mountain! It's gorgeous, magical... oh my God I can't wait!

If you really like birds and water and green, Mars is not for you. Not for the next hundred years or so. As you know, it's orange, black and grey. But yes it can be gorgeous, if you like that sort of thing. Beauty's in the eye of the beholder, it's true. Excitement makes everything look weirdly wonderful. Lindsay was more than ready to go.

Two hours later Lindsay had to head back to the training center. Anne-Marie walked her out, holding Lucky. Lindsay's self-driving Bubble Carrier arrived, and she got in.

Dinner tomorrow? Anne-Marie asked.

Lindsay said she couldn't, unfortunately - there was a briefing and dinner with the investors. You know, those people always need the pompous bullshit party. But I'll call you.

Okay.

Bye!

Bye sweetie. Trying to smile, Anne-Marie watched the car reverse onto the street and take off. It felt like watching her lungs drive away.

The moment Anne-Marie got back inside she started crying. She went to the kitchen and pulled sheets of kitchen towel, rumpled it into a ball and sobbed into it.

Fifteen minutes later Anne-Marie had managed to calm down a bit. She patted her eyes dry and stopped in front of the portrait of her late husband Harry. Handsome Harry. Kind eyes, nice smile.

I hate you for making her love space, Anne-Marie said. Why couldn't you make her love diving or something? Knitting, pottery. No, it had to be space. Never-ending space with stupid worm holes and nebulas. Those awful sinister black holes...

More tears. She once again told him how much she missed him.