Quote 4
This was an insane plan and somehow it worked! I'm going to be talking to someone again. I spent three months as the loneliest man in history and it's finally over. (11.23)
Getting in contact in NASA is a big deal—the only thing bigger would be if Mark stumbled across a fully-fueled, state-of-the-art Martian spaceship. His situation is still as terrifying as ever—and his odds for survival are still catastrophically low—but now he has reason to hope. Hope can be a powerful thing.
Quote 5
Now that NASA can talk to me, they won't shut the hell up. (13.4)
How quickly things change! We're sure that Mark wouldn't go back to radio silence if you paid him, but we can understand why he reacts like this—he simply misses his independence.
Quote 6
I never realized how utterly silent Mars is. It's a desert world with practically no atmosphere to convey sound. I could hear my own heartbeat. (21.167)
With the Hab disassembled, Mark feels the full weight of his isolation. Although he knows that he's beginning the final leg of his journey (whether he survives or not), he still can't help but feel unsettled. To be honest, we'd suggest throwing some disco on the stereo and blaring it to high heavens. Rovers have good sound systems, right?