#post-loop

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Hal paced around the campsite until their feet hurt. Thoughts were tumbling around their head like fish caught in a geyser. Feldspar's... different. Is that really a surprise? Still, the way the other Hearthian had gone distant so suddenly... Hal couldn't help but feel they'd done something wrong. I wanted to make them feel valued. Maybe I just felt them feel guilty instead. It's not THEIR fault they're stuck out here. Hal groaned. The aching of their bones and pounding in their head did not help the situation.

Hal set about counting the supplies at the camp. Having ANYTHING to do made them feel better. Very quickly, things stopped making sense. Unless Feldspar had five times regular mission provisions and had been throwing empty cans into the fog, there was just no way they'd been here for the decade they'd been missing. Where the fuck else would they be? Hornfels had estimated their death after just two weeks, though that had been on the assumption they hadn't found a source of oxygen. Maybe Rhy's... Hal shook their head. They couldn't think about it right now.

The atmosphere was starting to make them lightheaded, and the scratching in their throat was only getting worse. Hal settled down in Feldspar's normal spot by the fire. They opened the notebook the older Hearthian had left sitting on the log. The scribblings inside weren't particularly useful. They weren't dated in any way, and were largely illegible. As they flipped through, a passage jumped out to them.

Slate, I'm so sorry.

They frowned, tracing their finger down the page. The rest of it was hard to make out. The paper was warped and the ink spread by moisture. I never [...] leave you forever [...] why I'm like this...

Hal closed the journal, trying to swallow the lump in their throat. They've been out here forever. They've had YEARS to blame themself and you had to remind them how much it hurt when they left. They squeezed their eyes shut and put their head in their hands. Rhyolite. If you're out there. I don't blame you. I just want you to come home safe. I love you.

The aching from their shoulder pulled them out of their thoughts. They swore and rubbed at the stubborn joint. A distant sound caught their attention. It was the roaring of thrusters. They quickly put the book aside and stood. They squinted into the fog. They could see the pinpricks of light getting closer. Relief washed over them They decided to come back! I can explain myself to them. They jumped as their radio crackled to life.

"Yo, Halite buddy, still dunno if you can hear us. There's a fuckoff big anglerfish right where the computer says you're at, and we haven't heard from ya in some time. Can you call back and confirm you're alive?"

Hal rushed over to the radio and crouched next to it. "Gabbro? Is that you? I don't see any anglerfish."

"Haha, I'll take that as a 'yes'." A distant beeping sound approaching. That sounds just like- Hal almost fell in the fire when a Little Scout flew right by their head. The scout alighted on the wall of the cave and the camera reoriented to focus on Hal. "Ahh, it's a skeleton! Cool. Oop, sorry buddy. Be there in like ten seconds."

The light from the thrusters grew closer. Gabbro's ship alighted on the outer ridge of the cave the camp was nestled in. A suited figure descended from the hatch and sailed deftly into the gravity field. Gabbro grabbed their arm, and their voice crackled from the radio.

"You're somethin' else, buddy. Hold on. Oh, and you might wanna hold your breath n' close your ears. I'll try to make this quick." Hal complied. They wrapped their arms around Gabbro's shoulders as tightly as they could manage and screwed their eyes and ears shut. One of Gabbro's arms went to supporting their back, the other presumably in control of their jetpack.

"And... Go."

Their stomach fell into their boots. It was like falling upwards and nothing AT ALL like the exhilarating feeling Rhy had described with sparkling eyes. Their ears popped painfully. They felt ground beneath their feet for a brief moment before Gabbro let go of them, sending them sprawling onto their back. Hal opened their eyes to see the cramped interior of Gabbro's ship. Gossan was already kneeling beside them, propping them up.

"Assessment?" Gossan's voice was tight.

Gabbro pulled off their helmet and made their way to their pilot's seat. "They didn't seem grievously injured or anything. Didn't even yelp when I blasted off. They'll almost certainly get pressure-sick though, if they're not already."

Hal wheezed and suppressed a cough. The atmosphere around them felt oppressive and heavy. Gossan's hands were scanning their body. Hal tried to wiggle away with a sound of protest. Gabbro smiled sympathetically.

"Let 'em be, Goss. They're not on the brink of death or anything and they need a sec."

Gossan reluctantly complied. The way their eyes flickered along Hal's shoulders told them that they were still anxious.

"I'm - fine." Hal gasped around another coughing fit. "Not- hurt-"

"Dunno if that's as reassuring as you want it to be, buddy." Gabbro was strapping themself into the pilot seat.

Gossan embraced Hal. Hal awkwardly wrapped their arms around their caretaker. "...Goss?"

"Hatchling... you're ok..." Gossan's breathing steadied a little. "Don't ever do that to me again. Stars." Hal couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I don't plan to... Didn't plan to this time... I'm sorry..." Their voice felt weak and airy. Gossan held them tighter.

"I know, hatchling. It's ok."

"Alright, folks, I'm moving the ship so hold onto somethin'."

The ship rumbled to life beneath them. It reminded Hal a little of racing wagons down the hill as a kid. That's not so bad. They looked out the viewport window. It was really hard to tell they were moving at all with the fog pressing in on the ship. They felt even smaller in the ship, somehow.

Gossan was quiet, so Hal followed suit. There was no sound in the ship except the roaring of the engines outside and the crackle of radio static. Gabbro was clearly focused on navigating in the ship. When was the last time they flew?. Their ship had been repaired for almost a week, but Gabbro had shown no interest in taking flight again.

Hal was shoved against the wall by a sudden turn. Gossan had clearly been bracing for it, and held out a hand to steady them. Abruptly, the radio static resolved into a single, high chord that made Hal's heart ache. Gossan started to their feet.

"Shit. They're deeper in." Gabbro looked over their shoulder. "That's not a call I can make, Goss."

"Fuck." Gossan rubbed their face. "Why did that dumbass think it was a good idea to go wandering around the fog instead of waiting for us?"

"We couldn't hear you." Hal shuffled into a more comfortable position. Their legs had joined their arm in aching. "We thought the radio wasn't working."

"So it was only one-way working. Huh. Figures." Gabbro made a note on their dashboard. Gossan was pacing back and forth, which in the small cabin amounted to just one stride either way. Their expression was tense. Eventually, they turned to Gabbro.

"We can't. Hal's not an astronaut. We have to prioritize their safety."

Gabbro nodded, and made some adjustments on the controls.

"Wait." Hal stumbled to their feet despite the protests from their legs. "Wait you are not leaving Feldspar in here for me."

"That's the call, buddy." Gabbro said flatly. "Fish in hand and all that."

"But I'm not- Feldspar's alive and they're probably in danger."

Gossan's lips tightened. Gabbro unbuckled themself and sighed, turning to face Hal. "Hal, listen to me. You might feel fine but we need to get you to Gneiss and Porphy as soon as we can to keep you from getting really fucking sick."

Gossan nodded. Their expression was tightly controlled, but Hal saw a wetness to their eyes. "If we go after them, we could lose you both."

"No, we're going after them. I'm not leaving you a choice." Snapped Hal.

"I don't remember giving you one." Gabbro squinted at them.

"The longer we argue, the more time we waste." Gossan said. "Hal, sit down."

"They deserve a chance to live!" Snapped Hal. "I know you know I'm right. How far are they?"

Gabbro turned their head towards their instruments. "Says 800 meters. The estimates keep being wrong here, though, so who knows really."

"Please," Hal looked clasped Gossan's hand. "If anyone deserves to come home, it's them!" Gossan looked toward the viewport window with glossy, distant eyes.

"Gabbro, how confident are you that you can navigate out of here?"

"Bout... 80%."

"Does that change if we go after them?"

"Nope. Just depends if the weirdness of the place makes going 'out' weird too."

Gossan didn't say anything. Hal wrung their hands. "Please. I'll be fine. We can't abandon them, not after they survived for so long." Gossan bent their head and closed their eyes. Silence lapsed again.

"Are you changing your call?" Gabbro prompted. Their voice was firm, but not harsh. They needed a clear instruction, and Gossan needed to give it.

"Yes." Gossan said, their voice weak. "Radio Hornfels and let them know."

"Roger. I'll make it as quick as I can. So hold onto your asses."

This time when Gabbro hit the engines it gave Hal that upwards-falling feeling again. They hissed as they were pressed forcefully against the back wall of the ship's cabin. Their arm and legs screamed at them. All they wanted to do was curl up into a ball. Gabbro was flying in short bursts, burning the engines for a moment, coasting, then making an adjustment. The result was that Hal was jerked back and forth in the back of the cabin, while experiencing occasional moments of sickening weightlessness. Gossan had pressed themself firmly against the left wall, and was clinging to a net there that held supplies. There HAS to be a better way to fly than this.

Minutes of uneasy travel slid by. Hal kept their mouth shut, despite the many complaints they planned on lodging when they landed. The ship came to a stop with an abrupt jerk.

"Shit." Gabbro muttered, standing up from the controls.

"What is it?" Gossan stumbled forward, squinting out the viewport window.

"Good news and bad news." Gabbro said as they pulled a tether out of the supplies strapped to a shelf above Hal's head. "Good news, pretty sure I found em. Bad news:" Gabbro jerked a thumb out the viewport window.

Hal crossed the cabin to squint into the fog alongside their caretaker. A long tangle of vines stretched from the right side into the distance. In the middle of the densest part of the tangle, a white structure was buried in the vines, surrounded by sparkling lights. "They're there?"

"Yup."

"The bad news?" Hal frowned and squinted at the structure. Entry didn't look like it would be hard.

"Look above it."

"All I see is a tangle of vines and a..." Hal's voice trailed off. Sitting above the tangle, what they had originally taken for a piece of debris, was a hulking monster. The anglerfish dwarfed the structure in size. As they watched, the creature flew forward with a flick of its tail, ramming into the structure. The whole structure shook, vines cracking under the force. "Holy shit."

"Yup, just about." Gabbro clipped the tether to the harness on their suit, feeding the other end through a loop on the hatch and knotting it several times.

"You are not going out there." Gossan shook themself free of their trance.

"Yes I am."

"If you get eaten, how are we going to fly home?"

"Huh, good point." Gabbro stood and walked to the control panel. "Come here, Hal."

"Huh? What?" Hal followed. They felt suddenly like they were being drafted into something beyond their understanding.

"Right, so, this big thing here is most of what you've got to worry about." Gabbro pointed to a yolk in the center of the dashboard. "It's really easy. In is forward, pull out to go back. Up and down moves up or down. Left or right to adjust the attitude thrusters on that side, and turn it for roll. If you want to turn the nose a direction, that's this lever over here."

"What?" Panic crept up Hal's throat. "You want me to FLY this?"

"Hopefully not," Gabbro leaned over and turned the ship so that it was facing the direction they'd come from. "Basically, if ya hear that thing make a noise, push in as hard as you can."

Hal swallowed.

"You cannot just give them a crash-course and go out on a tether!" Gossan snapped.

"Well, hopefully it won't be a 'crash' course, heh. And what else do you want me to do, exactly?" Asked Gabbro calmly. They had returned to making sure their tether was secure. "Leaving Felds to die is not an option at this point, we've come this far. You can't go out on a tether, cause you don't got a suit. Hal can't either, same reason. You can't fly the ship cause of your depth perception, so this is the only option. The way I see it, either I alert that thing or I don't. If I do, Hal hits the gas and either I survive or I don't. If I don't, you're both smart and can find your own way back out. Either way, I survive 66% of the time, I think," Their nose wrinkled. "Yeah, that's right. Anyways, I don't recall askin' you about it, Goss. This is my ship, and it's my life I'm risking." They gave Gossan a small grin. Gossan looked like they should have steam coming out of their ears.

"Do me a favor and stick up by Hal before they have a panic attack, yeah? Oh, and welcome to being a pilot, Hal. The anglerfish are blind, not deaf, so try to keep the thrusters at a minimum once you get away from this one." Gabbro secured their helmet over their head.

"Gabbro, you can't ask Hal to do this." Gossan's sounded like they were grasping at straws. "We should never have come back-"

Gabbro made an 'I can't hear you' gesture and dropped out of the hatch.

Hal's hands shook on the controls. Their breath felt feathery in their chest. Their throat itched and their limbs ached. Gossan swore and secured the hatch. After a moment, they walked up and put a hand on Hal's shoulder.

"Listen, Halite." Hal stared at them. Gossan's eyes were full of hard determination. Hal straightened a little in their chair, shoving down their physical discomfort. "You should never have been put in this position. However, I have the utmost faith that you can do this, and I'll do everything in my ability to help you."

The tension in Halite's chest eased a little. "Of course - I just need to steer. You can tell me what to do."

Gossan nodded firmly. "That's the spirit. I'm proud of you, hatchling."

Hal smiled a little. Something in their mind was still screaming at them. It felt a little easier to ignore now. They secured the harness around their body, tightening it significantly. Tall motherfucker. "Would you not have been if I didn't become an involuntary pilot?"

"Pfft, alright, I see Rhy's sass rubbed off on you." Gossan's affectionate expression dropped. Hal focused on the controls. Engines. Nose. Engines. Nose. That's all they said. Fuck, my head hurts.

"They'd have been proud to see you here, too."

"I-" an ear-splitting screech rang out around them. It made the blood freeze in their veins. The newt in their brain knew this danger. They slammed both arms forward as hard as they could.

There was a sharp crackling sound from Gabbro's comms, then silence. Hal flattened their ears and kept pushing forward. Their vision was beginning to blur at the edges like it had when they first entered the bramble.

"H-Hal- Slow down-" Gossan groaned from where they had been thrown to the back of the ship. Hal let go of the controls abruptly. They stared out the viewport. They were still hurtling forward. The scenery around them had changed. They were in a much wider, open space, with vines haphazardly branching across it. Lights danced in the fog. Hal felt their breathing coming in short gasps. Something banged on the bottom of the ship. Hal yelped and yanked the controls upward. Bang Bang Bang

"Shit-" Hal turned their head abruptly. Gossan had crawled up to the hatch and was struggling to open it. Bang Bang Bang.

All at once, the hatch gave way. Gossan hauled at the tether, and caught Hal looking. "Pay attention to where you're going!"

Hal shook themself and whipped back around, just in time to jerk the controls backwards to avoid crashing into a wall of tightly packed vines. It extended as far as their eyes could see. There was a deep grumbling sound that ran down Hal's spine. They froze completely as though encased in stone. There were sounds of shuffling behind them. Gabbro staggered into their field of view, leaning over the control panel. They'd taken their helmet off and were clutching their side with one hand.

"Great job, buddy." They hissed. "Now, please, give me my ship back."

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There was a ringing in Hal's ears. Their throat hurt - actually, everything hurt, and their head felt fuzzy. They blinked. It was so foggy they couldn't see the sky beyond the branches of the trees stretching overhead. Even the glow of the sun was obscured behind them. The ringing in their ears resolved into something that was decidedly more melodic. It made something in their chest ache with longing.

There was pressure against their face. They reached up to touch it. Something about the movement felt wrong in a way that made their head spin a little, but wasn't wholly unfamiliar. They fumbled around their face until they found the latch for the respirator.

"Hoho, hatchling, you're awake! Almost had me worried! Wouldn't do that if I were you."

They rolled to their side. They were lying next to a fire.

"Mmph... Goss-" that didn't feel quite right. "Slate?" They tilted their ears, trying to locate the source of the voice.

"Ahh, you're a little shaken up, so I'll forgive you for mixin' me up with those two." The voice carried a humorous, friendly inflection. Hal squinted. The source of the voice was a small, hunched figure, sitting on a log on the other side of the fire. Hal tried to sit up to get a better look. The figure darted to their side with surprising speed. Their head was spinning. They gagged. The Hearthian was rubbing their back.

"'S alright, hatchling. Takes some gettin' used to, I know."

Once their stomach stopped trying to empty itself, they refocused on the Hearthian who was now kneeling in front of them. A cracked visor, through which they could just catch the glint of an eye. The arrows on the helmet. The antiquated breathing apparatus. Hal felt like they'd been dunked into ice water.

"Fe- Am I dead?" They got to their knees, scanning the area. They were sitting on what appeared to be an island in an endless fog. Lights floated like distant suns in a pale void. "Where's Rhyolite?"

"Not last I checked." Feldspar placed their hand on Hal's back, in case they decided to be sick again. "And what's this about lil Rhy?"

Hal was frozen for a moment, scrutinizing the single eye they could see through the. "They..." Their voice faltered. "They're dead."

"Oh." Feldspar went still. They both sat in silence for a moment. Feldspar cleared their throat. "I have a few questions for you, actually - when ya care to hear em. I'm happy to share my tale first though."

Hal could hear the good humor in their voice. The change in posture exposed how their suit hung off their body. They looked so much smaller and more fragile than they remembered.

"Yeah, actually," Hal squinted. The rocky protrusions from around the campsite were looking more ominous by the second. "where are we?"

"Oh, hah, yeah, welcome to Dark Bramble!" Feldspar made a grandiose gesture to the fog. "Lots to see, as you can tell."

Hal inhaled sharply. The statement brought into sharp relief the alien-ness of the environment. The way their own weight felt wrong. Their skirt was almost floating around them. The low gravity and cool, foggy air combined made it fan out like a seedling's leaf. The ring of pine needles they knelt on gave way to that strange, smooth rock behind them. They looked up. The cave they were sitting in looked like the maw of a massive creature. The pine trees didn't even brush the ceiling. Hal wondered how they grew with such little light. In front of them, the fire flickered feebly.

"Yeah, 's a bit to take in. You don't look like you're dressed for space either, hatchling." Feldspar leaned back, studying them critically. "Unless Goss took an unexpected turn into minimalism, that is."

"No - no, I'm definitely not supposed to be here." Hal looked around frantically, as if there was a door they could step back through. "How did I- Where-?"

Feldspar pointed, and Hal followed their finger. Far up in the cave was another tangle of vines, nearly identical to the one Hal had set to hacking up on Timber Hearth. The interior was dim. No strange, white light spilled out.

"I was just sittin' here, and that thing spits you out and stops glowing." Feldspar tilted their head at Hal. "Makes you wonder what's on the other side, hmm?"

"Timber Hearth." Hal stood up. Feldspar made a noise of curiosity. "At least... I'm pretty sure." Hal stepped around the fire to get beneath the tangle. Their stomach dropped as their foot fell and found no purchase on the ground. Feldspar pulled them back sharply.

"Careful, hatchling. That's the edge of the gravity." Feldspar nodded to a gravity crystal set against the ground. "Ok, so Timber Hearth's on the other side, sure. But how'd you get here?"

"There was a seed," Hal wheezed, leaning back against a tree thankfully. "It crash-landed on Timber Hearth a couple of weeks ago. Me and the other tree-keepers have been dismantling it." They swallowed. "I was sort of... working on it alone when..."

"When you got pulled through." Feldspar finished. They tapped their harmonica against their helmet. They'd already resumed their seat on the log next to the fire. Hal pretended not to notice the way their legs were shaking. "What exactly were you doing?"

"I was taking down the petals." Hal crouched down next to the fire, staring into the coals. "Then I took a couple swings at the entrance..."

"So that must've... broken it, somehow?" Feldspar suggested.

"I guess?" Hal felt exasperated. Their stomach hurt. Their arms hurt. Everything kind of hurt. "Gabbro did say something about - vacuums or wormholes or something?"

"Aha!" Feldspar said. There was a note of pride in their voice. "Knew they'd be smart. Told Fels as much. It's always the quiet ones."

Hal snorted. "I dunno about smart."

Feldspar turned to them. "What, they knew more about this than you, didn't they? 'Sides," They ducked their head a little, mocking avoiding eye contact. "They're not the one who got themself trapped somewhere by goin' to a worksite alone."

"Yeah, I deserve that..." Hal muttered. "This is, incredibly weird. How are you even...?"

"I don't know myself, bein' honest." Feldspar set the harmonica aside and rummaged through the supplies next to them for a notebook, which they flipped through absently. "I mean, judging on your size, must've been way longer than I estimated. Hah! Guess that makes me even better than I thought." They shook a mock fist at the fog. "Still got a few mallows to share, though."

Hal was already getting tired. They rubbed their shoulder. "No, I'm alright. I can probably go a couple of days without eating, and you shouldn't waste your supplies on me." They drummed their fingers on a rock. "I'm going to radio for help."

Feldspar started. "Wh- Hatchling, you've had a radio this whole time and ya didn't bother to tell me?" Some emotion slipped into their voice beneath the bravado. Annoyance, maybe?

"Yeah - sorry, it's been a really weird day." Hal pulled the radio from where it rested on a strap around their shoulders and tuned the radio to the emergency frequency and pressed the call button.

"This is Halite. There's been an accident. I'm on Dark Bramble. Feldspar is alive, they're here with me." Hal squinted around in the fog. They didn't have a reference point to give directions from. "I'm leaving this on for as long as it has power so you can trace the signal."

Hal held their breath, listening for a response. There was none. Only empty static. Hornfels NEVER leaves an emergency call unanswered, even when it's clearly a joke. Feldspar exhaled.

"Should've figured it wouldn't work. Good on you for trying, hatchling."

Hal stared at the radio. Their chest felt empty and constricted, like a snake was wrapped around it. "I guess... I'll leave it in 'call' mode like I said I would." Hal set the radio down and stared into the coals.

"Hey." Feldspar shuffled around the fire to put an arm around Hal's shoulders. "We'll get out of this, Hatchling. You and I."

Hal shook their head. "I... I don't know if I care anymore." They bit their lip. "Well, I care for you, obviously. You should get to see Gossan and Slate and... everyone else again."

"Well what's this about not caring then?" The humor had left Feldspar's voice, replaced with concern.

"I just. I can't. You know?" Hal said desperately. Of course Feldspar wouldn't know. They're the one everyone keeps comparing Rhy to.

"You might have to be slightly more specific," Feldspar prompted. After Hal was silent for a long moment, they continued. "You and Rhy were pretty close, is it about them? Was it... recent?"

Hal's vision clouded. Feldspar pulled them in closer. "Oh, hatchling..."

"It was their first launch day." Hal croaked. "They... they didn't even come to see me. And now they're gone and..." Pressed this close to them, Hal could feel Feldspar's frailty through their suit. The older Hearthian didn't respond.

"I just -" Hal sniffed pathetically. "I just wanted them to be safe. That's all. They were... so excited." Hal squeezed their eyes closed. "And now you're here, and I don't know what to think anymore!" They didn't mean it to come out as frustrated as it did.

"Hatchling, I know. If I could trade places with them, I would." Guilt filled Hal's throat. I shouldn't be making Feldspar feel like I don't care that they're alive.

"I- No - everyone... really missed you. They'll be really glad you're home."

"Yeah, but you had some time to get used to missing me. This is new." Feldspar reached up a hand to rub away their tears. The movement was made very clumsy by their suit and Hal's respirator. "'Sides, only so much folks at home could miss me, eh?"

Hal stared at Feldspar. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was hardly a pillar of community, Hatchling. I may have been the best pilot but I'm pretty sure most people were used to not seeing me Hearthside already." Feldspar chuckled a little.

Hal opened their mouth. "I - Feldspar that- The entire village fell apart without you!" Now they felt angry for an entirely different reason. "Slate and Gossan won't even talk to each other anymore! Hornfels set up the entire museum in your memory. Gneiss couldn't even make a harmonica for your memorial."

"Ah." Feldspar pulled away from Hal very suddenly. Fuck. I went too far. "Well, seems the radio ain't gonna get through to them. I'm not gonna let you die in a place like this." They made a disgusted motion at the little camp. "So if it's all the same to you, hatchling, I'm going to try and find a way out."

"Your helmet?"

Feldspar motioned dismissively. "I'll be alright. I've had how long to get adjusted to the atmosphere here?"

Hal grit their teeth. Why the fuck do I have to be the adult here? "You can't just march into the fog with a breached helmet."

"Nah, I won't be marching - I'll be soaring!" Hal could feel Feldspar grinning at them.

"Ugh, ok, look." Hal pulled the respirator off their face. "Use this to bypass the broken part of your breathing apparatus - is your oxygen tank still intact?"

Feldspar shrugged. "Probably, I think."

"Does it fill automatically?" Hal wasn't familiar with the specs of the first generation of suits. It was something Rhyolite would have known immediately. Thinking about them right now made Hal want to shove their hand in the fire.

"Nah. I already filled it in case I had to leave here in a hurry." Feldspar took the respirator from Hal's hand. It had ridges on the exterior filters, which would allow Feldspar to twist the end of their own breathing apparatus over it, creating a new seal over their face. They pulled off their helmet to do just that. Hal tried not to stare. They had more scars than they remembered. They looked so much older. Their face looked almost hollow from malnutrition. The secondary eye on their right, where the faceplate had been broken, was squinted shut. Hal swore they could still see shards of the faceplate glinting in the dim firelight. Their face smarted in sympathy.

"Are you... sure you can even make it?"

Feldspar glanced over at them with a too-big smile. "Of course, hatchling! Don't even worry about me."

"What about your ship?" Hal was beginning to feel desperate. Please, I can't do this again. The tightness in their chest was only worsening.

"Nope. Anyone who gets near it will get fried." Feldspar pointed out the back of the cave, where a blueish light flickered somewhere in the fog. "Proper shorted out the electrical system." They placed the respirator-helmet over their face again. Hal didn't miss the wince. They reached up and put a hand on Hal's shoulder.

"I'll be alright, Hatchling. I'll get us both out of this."

They could tell Feldspar was trying to project a comforting aura. It made them feel all the more frantic. "Feldspar - I'm going to die if I'm left here alone."

"You'll be just fine, hatchling. You're young and strong, and there's still food n' water left." Feldspar let go and stepped to the edge of the gravity field. "Oh, and the centipedes are edible, by the way. Better if you mix em with some sapwine, that's in the brown bottles. "

"Feldspar, wait -"

Feldspar kicked off the edge with a salute and activated their thrusters. Hal watched, wide-eyed, until the flare from their jetpack was lost in the fog.