Expand Your Mind

"Ugh, fuck sake." She'd curse to herself, and carefully pull back the covers from herself; trying not to bother the doll-man on the other side of the mattress; and she winces seeing a small red spot on the sheets to boot. "God damn it." Her sigh is heavy; and she quickly hides the spot, to quiet hurry off to deal with the source of the mess first and foremost-

If she hears Ken wake at all, she pokes her head back out the bathroom, and tells him not to move, and to give her a minute. -endlessxrealities (pls tag so I get notif! .x)

He woke shortly after she got up. Usually, they would wake up around the same time. They would have lazy mornings in bed before one of them had to get up.

So the fact she was up already and not in the room---he was worried.

When she called from the bathroom he answered back.

" Oh-Okay! I'll be right here."

He wondered what was going on with her and if he could do anything for her.

What was the purpose of period horniness- isn’t it like, the whole point that it’s too late for that, sorta thing at that level of things?

"Ugh, fuck sake." She'd curse to herself, and carefully pull back the covers from herself; trying not to bother the doll-man on the other side of the mattress; and she winces seeing a small red spot on the sheets to boot. "God damn it." Her sigh is heavy; and she quickly hides the spot, to quiet hurry off to deal with the source of the mess first and foremost-

If she hears Ken wake at all, she pokes her head back out the bathroom, and tells him not to move, and to give her a minute. -endlessxrealities (pls tag so I get notif! .x)

He woke shortly after she got up. Usually, they would wake up around the same time. They would have lazy mornings in bed before one of them had to get up.

So the fact she was up already and not in the room---he was worried.

When she called from the bathroom he answered back.

" Oh-Okay! I'll be right here."

He wondered what was going on with her and if he could do anything for her.

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

Once she gathers it’s her turn to speak, she takes another breath, before deciding where and how to begin.

“Well- uh, we knew each other, yeah.” She nods. “We met about I think- two weeks before launch..? Maybe three.” She scratches at her head a moment, glancing aside.. how much was she technically allowed to tell him, anyway?

“The uh.. so basically, Astrophage was-is- killing the stars. Namely, the sun, and therefore cooling the earth, eventually leading to an extinction level ice age… if nothing was done to stop it.” She makes sure to look at him, ever so often to check if he needed a second, or that he was following at all.

“It was proven to be a very fast-acting threat, and alongside many other scientists all around the world, you were brought in to.. figure it out.” She tells him, as gently as she could, given the weight. “Your methods were.. unorthodox, but..” there’s a tiny moment of a fond smile, and a glance away again.. as she recalls some instances of his explanations and showcases.

He watched her; seeing how she seemed to look away. What was that about ? He wondered.

“If it’s any consolation though, I looked at the records, there was nothing you could’ve done.” She tells him, that’s true.

“Yao’s been dead for multiple months, and Ilyukhina, for a few weeks.” Hearts stopping few days after their tubes clogged, given lack of nutrients already in the body to take from.

“I- apparently, died a day before you woke up.” She clicks her tongue. “Turns out, even NASA-grade AI, is still AI, and it figured a third tube clogging meant the person inside was good as dead anyway; hence my pod then being marked as such.”

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

Once she gathers it’s her turn to speak, she takes another breath, before deciding where and how to begin.

“Well- uh, we knew each other, yeah.” She nods. “We met about I think- two weeks before launch..? Maybe three.” She scratches at her head a moment, glancing aside.. how much was she technically allowed to tell him, anyway?

“The uh.. so basically, Astrophage was-is- killing the stars. Namely, the sun, and therefore cooling the earth, eventually leading to an extinction level ice age… if nothing was done to stop it.” She makes sure to look at him, ever so often to check if he needed a second, or that he was following at all.

“It was proven to be a very fast-acting threat, and alongside many other scientists all around the world, you were brought in to.. figure it out.” She tells him, as gently as she could, given the weight. “Your methods were.. unorthodox, but..” there’s a tiny moment of a fond smile, and a glance away again.. as she recalls some instances of his explanations and showcases.

Or, the equivlent of one.. no class today. So Grace was home, reading one of the physical books Rocky had gifted him using many new Eridian technologies and the vast source that was Rockys own 'portable earth thinking machine'.

"Hey, Ry..?" Lauren, once pilot, now partner; apprehensively enters the living room of their also Rocky-crafted house. Her face turned in a way that meant she was trying to figure something out. Gaze outward, but not neccecarily at any actual target; and her hands held in such a way that indicated an attempt to count something..

"How long, earth wise, since we got here?" -endlessxrealities

He doesn't hear her at first. " Huh..." He blinked carefully marking the page in his book before he moved to set it down her words registering after a moment. He adjusts his glsses putting them on his head as he rubbed his eyes.

Oh yeah. He needed to take a break from reading. His eyes were starting to hurt.

“Two months?” She repeats.. eyes wide. Her eyes move from him, once again no longer at a real target; her mind trying to double check his claim but.. no, that.. that felt about right..

“Fuck.” She whispered first; hands coming up to her face, “Fuck!” It’s louder the second time.

She turns her entire body away from Grace; forcing his arms back to fall to his sides, and she steps into a brief pace, before halting and crouching down, still holding her face in her hands.. “..mother fucker.”

Ironically, all she can think about right now is how she’d thought it hilarious when someone had voiced if possibly somehow creating a condom that wouldn’t deteriorate after twelve years for the mixed-gender mission team, may come into play.. ‘don’t be ridiculous, Yao may be leaving his wife behind but he’s a loyal husband, and Ilyukhina’s a lesbian for crying out loud-‘ she’d said.

God, how does it always come back to god damn Ryland Grace not being part of the original plan? [-as far they had them believing at the time, anyway-].

" Babe. Honey--Sweethheart, love of my life...I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

"ℙ𝕚𝕝𝕠𝕥 𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕" More switches, dials and lights turn on, much like they did when Grace would sit in the chairs. Much unlike Grace however, Lauren clips herself in half-hazardly, to allow proper access, and greets- "A-LP Alpha." Lauren says, and presses a finger on the side of something, a quick beep is heard and the ship responds again;

"𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖, 𝕊ℙ-"

"Just 'Lauren' please, Mary."

"𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕕. ℍ𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠 𝕃𝕒𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕟."

As this oddly small-talk-like exchange happens, Lauren is without confusion, making sense of the many readings, controls, etc.

"Where are we looking at, then?"

From knowing him briefly on earth, she knew he was close to a genius, but they did not need a know-it-all attitude right off the gate.

Then again, she remind herself he’s been awake for a while already, completely alone, he was likely in a bit of shock himself, actually.. like herself.

Lauren sits back in the seat, and rubs at her forehead with a sigh.. forcing herself to stop the pure training mode, rather than human.

“All is well, then Mary?” She asks aloud.

"𝔸𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖"

Ryland taps his foot lightly; agitated. He studied Lauren for a moment. He feels like they knew each other before. Maybe not well. The more he looked at her the more he decided he liked her features. Back on Earth he wondered if maybe they dated ? He definitely could see himself maybe asking her out.

Or, the equivlent of one.. no class today. So Grace was home, reading one of the physical books Rocky had gifted him using many new Eridian technologies and the vast source that was Rockys own 'portable earth thinking machine'.

"Hey, Ry..?" Lauren, once pilot, now partner; apprehensively enters the living room of their also Rocky-crafted house. Her face turned in a way that meant she was trying to figure something out. Gaze outward, but not neccecarily at any actual target; and her hands held in such a way that indicated an attempt to count something..

"How long, earth wise, since we got here?" -endlessxrealities

He doesn't hear her at first. " Huh..." He blinked carefully marking the page in his book before he moved to set it down her words registering after a moment. He adjusts his glsses putting them on his head as he rubbed his eyes.

Oh yeah. He needed to take a break from reading. His eyes were starting to hurt.

“Two months?” She repeats.. eyes wide. Her eyes move from him, once again no longer at a real target; her mind trying to double check his claim but.. no, that.. that felt about right..

“Fuck.” She whispered first; hands coming up to her face, “Fuck!” It’s louder the second time.

She turns her entire body away from Grace; forcing his arms back to fall to his sides, and she steps into a brief pace, before halting and crouching down, still holding her face in her hands.. “..mother fucker.”

Ironically, all she can think about right now is how she’d thought it hilarious when someone had voiced if possibly somehow creating a condom that wouldn’t deteriorate after twelve years for the mixed-gender mission team, may come into play.. ‘don’t be ridiculous, Yao may be leaving his wife behind but he’s a loyal husband, and Ilyukhina’s a lesbian for crying out loud-‘ she’d said.

God, how does it always come back to god damn Ryland Grace not being part of the original plan? [-as far they had them believing at the time, anyway-].

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

"ℙ𝕚𝕝𝕠𝕥 𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕" More switches, dials and lights turn on, much like they did when Grace would sit in the chairs. Much unlike Grace however, Lauren clips herself in half-hazardly, to allow proper access, and greets- "A-LP Alpha." Lauren says, and presses a finger on the side of something, a quick beep is heard and the ship responds again;

"𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖, 𝕊ℙ-"

"Just 'Lauren' please, Mary."

"𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕕. ℍ𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠 𝕃𝕒𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕟."

As this oddly small-talk-like exchange happens, Lauren is without confusion, making sense of the many readings, controls, etc.

"Where are we looking at, then?"

From knowing him briefly on earth, she knew he was close to a genius, but they did not need a know-it-all attitude right off the gate.

Then again, she remind herself he’s been awake for a while already, completely alone, he was likely in a bit of shock himself, actually.. like herself.

Lauren sits back in the seat, and rubs at her forehead with a sigh.. forcing herself to stop the pure training mode, rather than human.

“All is well, then Mary?” She asks aloud.

"𝔸𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖"

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

"ℙ𝕚𝕝𝕠𝕥 𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕" More switches, dials and lights turn on, much like they did when Grace would sit in the chairs. Much unlike Grace however, Lauren clips herself in half-hazardly, to allow proper access, and greets- "A-LP Alpha." Lauren says, and presses a finger on the side of something, a quick beep is heard and the ship responds again;

"𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖, 𝕊ℙ-"

"Just 'Lauren' please, Mary."

"𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕕. ℍ𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠 𝕃𝕒𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕟."

As this oddly small-talk-like exchange happens, Lauren is without confusion, making sense of the many readings, controls, etc.

"Where are we looking at, then?"

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

It processes then, he’s mentioned now how his memories are limited, and she remembers.. ‘he won’t remember it that way’

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

Really, Grace? He thinks to himself shaking his head.

" It's okay. I know it hurts. But it'll pass. You're just hungry and it's been awhile since you've moved."

She hisses as one mechanic arm grasps her wrist, and another inserts a needle into her arm.

“I’m sure you have questions-.” She groans softly at another poke from the robot. “-but if you can give me some time, here..”

Laying there for about 30minutes, before she once again - and this time slowly, sits up,

The robot suggests staying put, but does ultimately offer the IV bag for the taking with her.

When he speaks, she sniffles and glances over at him for just a moment- quickly straightening up and wiping her eyes.

“No- uh, not right now.” She swallows, and clicks off the specific stuff she’d been checking; clearance protected stuff.

Taking a breath, and meets his eyes, properly for probably the first time in the twelve years she’d just learned that they’ve been up here.

“Thank you, though.” She remembers her manners, and then gestures back out the bay, figuring they should go sit somewhere to talk.

The dark is disturbed as the door to the apartment opens and the hallway lights shine in.

Lauren lets out a heavy breath, as she tosses her keys aside and hits the lights, shutting and locking the door behind her.

She kicks the heels off her feet, letting them fly unceremoniously into the room.

Another wedding of a friend survived, alone.

She goes through the motions; a glass of water and some aspirin, to help with the amount of alchohol she'd had -an open bar, the only thing she ever enjoys at weddings- a small wash up of her face, pin up of her hair, and discarding the dress she'd bought for the wedding, never to touch it again. Walking into her bedroom, she feels the chilly breeze from the window, and she approaches to properly close it; glancing out at the starry night sky, and seeing a particularly bright star, not an uncommon sight.

She stares for just a moment, and lets her brain go through the silly motion of considering a wish..

She thinks of the way she watched the groom look at the bride all evening.. just, so enamored. As if she had truly been the source of his oxygen; the reason his world turned... like she hung the moon. Like she was the only and most beautiful thing in the room.

"Yeah.. I wish." Lauren murmurs under her breath, looking at that star for not a moment longer, before locking the window and shutting the curtains tight.. flopping into her bed, wrapping her arms around her pillow, and shutting her eyes with a final soft sigh.

She was definitely the one that called him here. But how do you tell someone.

I'm the wish you asked for.

He watched her turn and moved out of the way. He goes to a small table and made himself comfortable. When she turned back their eyes meet and he gives her another smile and a little wave.

Wake up, go to work, go home, see all her former classmates post about being promoted, married, engaged or pregnant, while she sat on her couch with microwave rice and the same sitcom playing in the background.

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

Really, Grace? He thinks to himself shaking his head.

" It's okay. I know it hurts. But it'll pass. You're just hungry and it's been awhile since you've moved."

She hisses as one mechanic arm grasps her wrist, and another inserts a needle into her arm.

“I’m sure you have questions-.” She groans softly at another poke from the robot. “-but if you can give me some time, here..”

Laying there for about 30minutes, before she once again - and this time slowly, sits up,

The robot suggests staying put, but does ultimately offer the IV bag for the taking with her.

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

Really, Grace? He thinks to himself shaking his head.

" It's okay. I know it hurts. But it'll pass. You're just hungry and it's been awhile since you've moved."

She hisses as one mechanic arm grasps her wrist, and another inserts a needle into her arm.

“I’m sure you have questions-.” She groans softly at another poke from the robot. “-but if you can give me some time, here..”

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

Really, Grace? He thinks to himself shaking his head.

" It's okay. I know it hurts. But it'll pass. You're just hungry and it's been awhile since you've moved."

She hisses as one mechanic arm grasps her wrist, and another inserts a needle into her arm.

Alarms sounded ; he jumped falling out of his chair with a thud.  " Owww....I'm okay!" The blonde grumbled popping up from the floor.  He scrambled reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon as he approached the med bay. Of the three pods marked deceased one was open. The body he had seen days prior very much not in it. " What the--"

He was the only survivor. There wasn't any one else alive...right?

" Hello!!!!" He calls out, looking around. " Please don't be a space zombie." He mumbled to himself.

All she could hear was some sort of alarm, and flashing red lights would not allow her eyes to adjust.

There’s an intense agony in her stomach- like she was hungry, no, starving.

“Oh god-“ she wheezes -that hurt too, pushing up to her hands and knees.. she crawled forward until hitting some kind of wall, finding the corner.. and curling up on herself in the agony..

A disgusting sound quickly followed, as her body hurched like a scared cat, and a small mouthful of bile came up- nothing else in her stomach besides that.

It burns, her stomach so upset, it feels like her chest is constricting, and breathing is like swallowing nails.

Mary, the ship’s AI says nothing yet but the actual medical bed slides out, and the arms come forward to help..

Still, she can’t do anything but let him help her over to the table, her hand pushing the first attempt of the arms assist, aside.

"𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕤𝕒𝕗𝕖𝕥𝕪, 𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕦𝕡𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞."

"It hurts." Lauren argues, trying not to hunch over again.