Quote 40
It won't be easy talking to a couple about their dead son. It's a lot to ask; that's why I'm asking you. (16.5)
Mark and Martinez must be bros for life. This isn't the kind of thing you'd ask of a random classmate or coworker—this is something you'd only ask of your best friend.
Quote 41
I think about the sheer number of people who pulled together [...] and I can barely comprehend it. My crewmates sacrificed a year of their lives to come back for me. (26.422)
That's powerful. Mark's disappearance actually created a community, bringing together disparate people from disparate backgrounds for one goal—to bring one dorky botanist back home. Most of these people didn't even know him; they probably hadn't even heard his name before. We're getting choked up just thinking about it.
Quote 42
You probably think losing a crewman is the worst thing that can happen. Not true. Losing the whole crew is worse. You kept that from happening. (16.214)
Now that's the truth. Whenever Commander Lewis feels guilty about leaving Mark behind, she should remind herself that doing anything else would have left them all dead. That means no more disco. No more '70s television. Unless that's what they do in heaven all day, which actually sounds kind of nice.