The Mars shuttle Argonaut, was forty-three minutes late on return to Earth. By the time it was returning to NASA central spaceport the place was alive with security and ambulances.

Having missed the most docile time for re-entry, the hull was black and charred from its trip through the atmosphere. Paramedics tried to guess the extent of the three pilot's burns while execs fumed over the loss of five billion dollars worth of kit that was supposed to be reusable.

Sirens screamed as the ship landed. The wheels, bent at an obscure angle, snapped as they hit the runway. The belly of the ship burst as it hit the cold asphalt. Contents spilt out like guts from a rabbit. People closed in trying to find out how the crew was.

From a distance Michael Scarlet and Angela Vice watched the commotion.

"I suppose we should get some pictures." Mike's voice betrayed no emotions for the pilots.

"UNIT will want to see how they died, no doubt try to blame it on aliens."

The two agents moved in, peering through the crowds.

"Quick, they're bringing a stretcher over." Mike struggled for his camera.

"That means they're alive. We should try and get some words."

As the stretcher rolled past they saw briefly the sights. Scars adorned the patient's face and arms, but no features could be seen through the blistering. The jump suit he had been wearing had melted into the skin. He would never walk again, that was if he woke up at all.

Mike got a picture, while Angela looked on at the departing body, not knowing what to say.
Someone walked past talking into a phone.

"Two dead, didn't stand a chance. One got out, unlikely he'll live."

Mike pulled Angela back to their car, then they waited till the ambulance the body was in left, then took off in pursuit.

After fifteen minutes Mike's phone rang. Angela picked it up and answered. She listened for a bit.

"Okay. We're already on our way." She turned to Mike. "They reckon from your photo that we've got half an hour max to get to the survivor, pump him with stimulants and get an explanation."

"Subtle as ever..."

They drew into a rough path, the ambulance nowhere to be seen.

"We should give them some time to unpack, lets go on foot." Mike stopped the car and they began to walk towards the farmhouse in the distance.

***

There was still no sign of the ambulance, but footprints in the mud betrayed a recent stretcher load. They knocked on the door and a young man opened it. He bore a NASA insignia on his jacket. He took one look at the pair, pulled out a gun and shouted, "No Hacks!"

He fired it once into the air.

"Its okay," said Angela, "We're with UNIT, part of the base security."

The man was relieved. "Sooner than I expected, but I'm just glad I don't have to kill you both. You'd better come in."

Inside the walls were matt white. All the original farmhouse walls had been knocked together, to form a hall, in which other NASA personal paced whilst talking to mobiles.

"As you can see, we're having a bit of a crisis." He led them to a wire lift in the corner, and they were taken down at least three levels. "Some weird stuff going down for sure."

"Can we see the patient?"

"You can interview him, in fact, you could take him out for lunch."

Mike and Angela exchanged looks. They went past a room with Greg Powell on the door. Through another door they were shown Greg through one-way glass. Inside Greg was reading a book. No scars or burns could be seen.

"Shit..." Angela shook her head.

"Is it the same man?" Mike just stared at Greg.

"Within thirty minutes he's made a full recovery. And that's not all." Their guide held up a set of pictures showing emergency surgery on the man. "All these incisions have healed over. No scars visible."

"I need to speak to him." Mike left the room and reappeared beside Greg.

They exchanged words, but mainly Greg just shook his head. He began to look up and down at Mike, assessing him.

***

Through the glass Angela couldn't hear a thing. "It's like he hasn't seen a human before."

"He's been doing that to all the staff we send in there."

Without warning Greg jumped at Mike. Greg's hands around Mike's neck. It looked like Mike's neck had been snapped but they couldn't be sure through the glass. Angela took off to stop the fight. The guide ran after her.

By leaving the room they missed the green glow that came from the one-way glass.

On opening the door Angela ran straight into Mike. He looked down at her. "Its okay I managed to stop him. I think I scared him with some of my questions."

"The patient?"

"It's okay, I've got everything I need to know." He led her out of the room.

***

It was a while before they were allowed to leave. Once all the correct files had been filled in and Mike had detailed the scuffle they were led to the door.

They didn't talk on the way back to the car, and soon they were driving away. Angela got started then looked away from the road to Mike in the passenger seat.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"-"

Angela tried to concentrate on the road. "Don't do that, it's like your trying to work out how to kill me."

Mike just stared at her.

"What the hell did Powell do to you?

Mike hit at her, and she fell back. The car swerved dangerously. He pulled out his gun and aimed at her. She kicked at his hand, opened her door and jumped out. Moments later the car drove off the road and hit into a dyke.

Angela peered into the wreckage. Mike was pretty dead. The dashboard had done a cowboy's job of cutting him in half, while the bent roof had crushed his head.

Half-crying Angela set off at a run back to the farmhouse.

Once there she noticed most of the staff were outside patrolling the perimeter. She made toward the entrance, but was stopped by cold arms around her neck. She screamed.

"Let her go Greg, or we'll fire." The voice was cold and authoritative. Angela had no doubt it would shoot her to get to Greg.

Greg didn't say a thing, just tightened his grip around her neck, and began to pace backwards with her. He motioned to the gunmen not to follow.

Angela walked with Greg, afraid for her life. The gunmen grew further and further away. Then Greg twisted her around. He grabbed at her neck from the front, pushing her back as he killed her.

Suddenly a gunshot rang out, and Greg fell back. Angela turned round to see Mike, good as new, holding out a gun.

"Something fell out Angel, when I hit my head. It's me."

"But you couldn't have survived..."

Mike looked at his torn clothes yet perfect physique and shook his head. "We ought to deal with Greg, if I can survive a car crash then a bullet won't stop him." Mike shot the corpse again and again.

***

"Well Angela, It's him alright, but his body defies belief. It's like Powell rewrote his entire DNA code while you weren't looking." The unit doctor motioned a nearby room. "You can go see him if you want."

Angela walked through the door to where Mike lay in a hospital bed.

"Hi there, I thought you'd abandoned me."

Angela looked at Mike cautiously. "I thought you were dead for sure."

"I'm told you nearly killed me." He laughed. "But I'm worried..."

"It's okay."

"No Angela, They told me the other two pilots Calvin and Donovan were confirmed as dead."

Angela gasped. "They'll have taken the bodies to be examined."

"And if they can rejuvenate like me and Powell?"

"Oh my...."