Astronaut Deserts Mission to Mars - Date: 2048

Astronaut Lieutenant 'K4522' knew there was no guarantee of coming back from Mars. He gave it much thought & felt it would be miserable to be away for 18 months, thinking of many possible bad scenarios. He had made up his mind. But, he knew the other 5 NASA Astronauts would've panicked, suddenly realizing he's missing, being the last to have walked on board. He did not want to leave a new lady friend. He knew he would be charged with desertion; an awful humiliation, but he thought it was the best choice, for his mind & body to be on Earth. Behind him & his crew mates, were many years of testing, that had to be overcome before sending a human Mission to the planet, including technological innovation. to a better understanding of the human body, mind & how to adapt living on Mars. He & his cohorts had gone through rigorous tests. Now he had become depressed. He went into a luxury hotel, not dressed as an astronaut, as he didn't want to be noticed. With much pressure building up inside, his salvation was a bottle of Bourbon & a pistol. His mixed emotions simply got worse & worse.