The Kumbaya Approach
Fic Summary: Trevor is the captain of his own ship and is in need of a new pilot when his old one abandons the crew. Fortunately, his trusty engineer Gavin knows of a good one. Unfortunately, the cargo he brings along with him is a little more dangerous than they anticipated.Â
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Words: 15113 Pairings: Michael/Jeremy, Trevor/Alfredo Warnings: Mild descriptions of violence and blood
Notes: This was written for the Secret Springfairy fic exchange in the @rtwritingcommunity discord for @doolray! This was a ton of fun to write, I hope you enjoy, and big thanks to @fornhaus for proofreading/editing! Check the source for a link to read it on A 0 3!
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âWhat do you mean you quit?âÂ
âI mean I quit. Iâm done with this bucket of bolts. Every day thereâs a new problem, a new critical failure, a new busted part, and Iâm sick of it! What kind of commander canât get a handle on his own ship?â
âHey! Those problems arenât my fault, itâs the-â
â-The shipâs AI, right. Heard that one a thousand times. But theyâre part of the crew, too. Which means theyâre your responsibility. And if you canât keep them under control and keep your ship in shape, Iâm out of here at the next port.âÂ
The arguments had gone on like this for several days, nearly a week now, and it was the same thing every time. Jeremy would yell about how he was sick of being on the ship and lay down blame for its problems, and Trevor would defend himself against the barrage of insults instead of trying to change the otherâs mind. He knew that was a futile effort, and he knew better than to fight losing battles.
The pair were silent for a long time, staring each other down. Jeremy was looking for a reason to get more wound up, to start yelling all over again. Telling off his commander for mistakes that everyone had seemingly let slide for far too long felt really good, and he wanted to keep going. Meanwhile, Trevor was calming down and calculating his next move very carefully. It was fine if his crew wanted to question his authority, they did it plenty and he never took it personally. But as far as he was concerned, Jeremy was no longer crew and no longer privy to that same mercy. After all, heâd quit.
âFine. You can empty your quarters out and sleep in the observation deck, then. Youâre no longer a member of this crew, so you no longer get to stay in crew cabins,â he stated after a few long moments, his tone cold.Â
Jeremy blinked in surprise, not expecting Trevor to actually do anything about it. âWait, what?â
âYou heard me. You donât get a room anymore, those are reserved for the crew. If youâre unhappy with that arrangement, I can tell Lindsay to get the airlock open for you.âÂ
âYou know... If I leave, Michaelâs gonna go with me. He goes where I go,â he reminded, though he was no longer yelling confidently. He was stumbling and faltering. Trevor had called his bluff effectively, and it was hard to keep up steam.Â
âThen you can help each other clean out your quarters and keep each other warm on the deck,â he responded, shrugging casually. âFinding a new science officer will be just as easy as finding a new pilot.â
âAnd just how do you expect to get to the next port safely?â
Trevor chuckled softly, smiling. âLindsay is more than equipped with satisfactory navigational skills, isnât that right Linds?â
The comms system beeped to life, and a cheerful voice was heard over the speakers. âThatâs right, Commander! Jackâs charting us a course as we speak. Weâll be on our way shortly.â
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There was some truth to Lindsayâs words. They were equipped with the best-in-the-market autopilot functionality, but Jack was not charting a course. The entirety of the crew was gathered around a large monitor in the communications bay, watching the whole ordeal unfold through Lindsayâs eyes. There were bets on how it would end. Most of the money was on it ending in blows at this point.Â
âLike hell Iâm going with him!â Michael shouted, waving his hands and scoffing in disbelief as he looked at the screen. âIâm not idiot enough to throw away a good job when Iâve got it. I mean, sure the place is a shithole, no offense Linds-âÂ
âNone taken.â
â-But like⌠Itâs not like we have to do anything. If I try and find another crew, they may make me do actual work! Can you imagine? I am not going anywhere.â
âI donât think heâs going to give you a choice,â Jack said from beside him, the others all nodding in agreement. âI think youâre gonna have to go with him.âÂ
Michael huffed, rolling his eyes and turning up the volume on the terminal. âIf thereâs one thing you fuckers shouldâve learned about me right now, itâs this: I donât have to do shit. Especially not for my boyfriend.âÂ
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Jeremy grumbled to himself as he packed up his things. Michael was, of course, no help. He just stood in the doorway and spectated, making snide remarks when he saw fit.Â
âYou know, Iâd really appreciate it if you could be on my side with this,â Jeremy said, balling up a shirt and throwing it at him. âOr at the very least, help me pack.â
Michael laughed, knocking away the shirt before it hit him in the face. âFuck no, you dug this hole yourself. Iâm not the moron who quit.â
âThis place is a shithole and you know it.â
âYeah, but you never have to fix any of it! You just have to sit there in your comfy pilot chair and wait for Gavin to do it.â Had Michael always been a little jealous of his boyfriendâs job? A little bit. The med bay was cold and unwelcoming, but the cockpit was cushy and warm. Plus, with Lindsay on board, the pilot didnât really have to do much at all unless their systems went down. Which, to be fair, did happen a lot. âYou pilots are always so snooty. You knew what you were getting into when you took this gig, you canât expect it to be like the Ritz now.â
âJust fucking go,â Jeremy muttered, swiping up the last of his clothes from the floor. âDonât even bother visiting, either.â The comment hurt them both, but that didnât make him mean it any less. He didnât want Michael to visit, he wanted him to stay at the port with him.Â
The other just laughed heartily and shook his head, turning on his heel to leave. âWasnât planning on it.â
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The observation deck was, as it always was, cold and lonely. The warm blankets and fluffy pillows that were on his bed were technically part of the quarters he had previously taken residence in, so all Jeremy had to sleep on was the metal floor, cushioned by his clothing and a few other soft belongings. The things that he owned that were unfit for laying on were stacked around him. The observation deckâs window was huge, and as he laid there unable to sleep, the vastness of space no longer brought him the same comfort it had when he was in the pilotâs seat.Â
âHey, Lindsay?â
The comms beeped to life once more. âYes, Jeremy?â
âAm I making a mistake?â He asked, sitting up and leaning back against the stack.Â
There were a few long seconds of contemplative silence before they spoke again. âYeah, you are. A huge one, Iâd say.â
âThatâs not really comforting... I donât suppose Trevor would be willing to⌠Reconsider?â
âNo, I donât think so. You insulted the ship. The commander takes that personally.â Lindsay did too, but they figured that Jeremy already felt guilty enough without them piling on as well.Â
âCâmon, you know I didnât mean it.âÂ
âDo I, though? Because I really donât think I do,â they stated. Maybe Jeremy didnât feel as guilty as they had hoped, so their politeness parameters were temporarily suspended. âThis is a ship made from stolen parts, what do you expect? For everything to run perfectly all the time? If you wanted that, you shouldâve signed up for one of the legal spacefarers out there,â they quipped. If they had eyes, they would have rolled them.Â
Jeremy sighed heavily, sinking down the wall and burying his face in his hands. Maybe it wasnât too late to take Trevor up on that airlock offer, he was sure heâd be happy to oblige.
âIs Michael going with you?â Lindsay asked after a few minutes, breaking the silence and sounding innocent enough. Jeremy couldnât tell whether they wanted a yes or a no, but there was no use lying to them. Theyâd seen Jeremy packing alone, his quarters empty while Michaelâs were still very much full.Â
âNo,â he responded, shaking his head, âNo, heâs not. Heâs gonna be staying on board.â
âOh, good. I like him. Iâd be sad if he left.â
âBut youâre not sad that Iâm leaving?â There was no response to his words, just the comms beeping to signal that Lindsay wouldnât be answering more of his questions. Jeremy sighed again and lowered his hands, staring back out at the stars. âI donât even think that Michaelâs sad that Iâm leaving,â he muttered to himself, laying back down in his pile of clothes and shoving an old jacket under his head for a makeshift pillow.
He couldnât exactly blame him for it, either. Maybe he couldâve been a better boyfriend, maybe he shouldâve just bitten his tongue and held back whatever criticisms he had of Trevor and the ship. But part of this felt like it was inevitable, like he was always going to blow up like this. The worst part was that he didnât even feel guilty about any of it, he was only sorry that speaking up had the consequences that it had. It was hard to have any regrets about it when he fully believed he was doing the right thing, though.
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It only took them another week to reach the nearest spaceport, some podunk trading and tourist hub located pretty centrally to all the bigger colonies. Trevor liked it because theyâd be able to stock up on supplies without having to scrounge or overpay. That was something that desperately needed doing, the last few ports had single rations sold for thousands of credits or reasonably priced ones that were nearly a century past date. Plus, theyâd have pretty good odds at finding a replacement pilot there too. Jeremy liked it because it didnât seem like the worst place to be booted onto, he could find work with another crew or in the port pretty easily. Everyone else liked it because being at port meant a few days of rest. Lindsay didnât have to worry about some of the more power-hungry systems that came with flying a ship, which meant that Gavin didnât have to run around making patchwork repairs at every hour of the day. But for some, their work didnât stop. Matt always had to keep his ear to the radio for any incoming transmissions, and Michael and Fiona could only leave their experiments and samples unattended for so long before there were catastrophic results.
Reaching port this time was different this time around, though. Theyâd never had to say goodbye to one of their own before. Jeremy had been permitted one last night on the ship, but in the morning heâd have to go. To honor that last night, Gavin and Michael decided to organize a going away party for their fellow lad, complete with drinks and proper food (not just freeze-dried rations that pretended to be edible) and parting gifts.Â
It made Jeremy feel better about going when he saw how sad everyone seemed to be, how sincere they were in expressing how much they would miss him. Heâd convinced himself that they all hated him for speaking out the way that he had, no one had come to speak to him in the observation deck and the only time he saw anyone was when he was brought his rations, but the party was a good indication that they didnât hate him: they just pitied him.Â
Michael was certainly the most upset, despite the fact that heâd pretended to be unbothered only a week prior. Even if they had to do it from lightyears away, they promised each other theyâd find a way to make things work. The communication technology was there, theyâd still be able to talk. Michael was just glad that he wouldnât have to worry too much about Jeremy while he was gone. It was a busy port, thereâd be plenty of people around looking to hire a skilled pilot. And even if he couldnât find work right away, it was safe enough that he could stay there for a while without running into any trouble unless he went looking.Â
Despite all the fun of the festivities, Trevorâs absence was hard to miss. Jeremy had to admit that heâd been foolish for expecting it, but not getting a final goodbye from his former commander stung.Â
However, Trevor had decided that his day was best spent working instead of partying, arranging for fresh shipments of supplies to be loaded into the cargo bay and beginning his search for a new pilot. The first task was successful, the latter one⌠Not so much. No one was really giving him the time of day, not believing him when he told them he captained his own ship and could afford to pay handsomely for work. Or they simply werenât interested in the cargo that would need to be transported. After he was fed a lot of bullshit from people who clearly didnât know anything trying to weasel their way onto his ship, he reached his limit and returned to the ship, thoroughly disheartened by the end of the night.
Trevor spent the evening in his quarters, agonizing over the situation for a few hours. There were a few solid candidates when he looked past all their unfavorable qualities, but he still wasnât thrilled about any of them. Everyone was busy partying with Jeremy, he was grateful for the peace while he tried to work something out. The only thing that pulled him out of his thoughts was Lindsayâs chime. Usually that signaled that heâd been working for too long and it was time to get some rest, so he began to stand up, stretching his arms out over his head to ease away the stiffness.
âCommander, Gavinâs outside the door. Should I let him in?â They asked, sending a feed to his terminal of the lad standing outside the doors. He sat back down slowly, squinting as he looked at the grainy footage on the screen.Â
âDoes he look like heâs carrying any stink bombs? I canât tell.âÂ
There were a few moments of silent examination before the comms beeped to life again. âNope, heâs clear.âÂ
Trevor waved in approval then, twisting around in his chair to face the door. âLet him in, then.âÂ
The doors slid open to reveal Gavin standing there, fortunately empty-handed, with a smile on his face. âCommander! Missed you at the party, you shouldâve been there! I saved you a bev, if you want it.âÂ
âNo thanks. Some of us had actual work to do, yâknow.â He paused, looking the other up and down. It was always hard to read Gavin, he was always brimming with so much energy, it was hard to tell if his fidgeting was excited stimming or covering up for anxious nerves. There was no telling what he wanted to share. âI really hope you didnât come here just to chastise me for not going to a party for someone who couldnât stop insulting the ship every chance he got.â
âNah, I get it. No one insults our Lindsay and gets away with it. But⌠I do think I can help with some of your problems.â Trevor arched an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to continue. âI know a pilot at this port. Heâs one of the best. Well, actually, he is the best. And! He owes me a favor! So heâll definitely be taking the job.â
âIf heâs the best, how can you be sure heâs not currently in a crew?â
Gavin laughed at that, and Trevorâs face turned to one of confusion. âHeâs rather picky about the jobs he takes. And, like I said: He owes me.â
He was quiet for a few moments, biting his lip as he thought it over. Gavin hadnât led him astray before, it was how theyâd ended up with Michael and Fiona on the crew, but it all felt a little too good to be true. Coincidences made him uneasy, but what choice did he have? âHow soon can I meet him?â
âTomorrow, if youâd like.â
âIâd like to, yeah. After breakfast. Lindsay, set an alarm for the engineering bay to make sure Gavin wakes up in time.â
âYes, commander.â
âHey!â
Trevor grinned as the other pouted. âAnything else, Gav?â
Gavin flipped him off before breaking out into a grin of his own. âNope! Thatâs it. I should get back to the engines âcase they bust again, but Iâm happy to be of service. See you tomorrow, Trev.â
âSee you tomorrow, Gavin. Get some rest, donât stay up too late pestering Matt.â
âWill do, wonât do, goodnight!â
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The next morning came soon enough, the crew having breakfast together for a change since Michael had been kind enough to grab some fresh ingredients and cook them a nice meal. It was refreshing to have real food, not just the usual freeze-dried rations or nutrient slurries they normally relied on. And real coffee was always a treat, though no one would dare insult Fionaâs synthesized seaweed coffee replacement for fear of losing the one caffeine source they had between stops.Â
After the meal, Gavin and Trevor set out as planned. They had a pilot to search for, and the lad wouldnât stop ranting and raving about how great this guy was supposed to be. Trevor just hoped that he was going to live up to all the hype.
âWhen you said this guy is picky about the jobs he takes, just how picky did you mean?â He asked as they searched through the first hotspot. There were a few places this mysterious pilot liked to hang out in apparently, and there was no telling which one heâd be at.Â
Gavin chuckled softly, glancing over at Trevor with a smile until he realized he was being serious. Then, he just shrugged a shoulder. âI dunno. He wonât complain about the ship, if thatâs what you mean.â
âKind of. I just want to make sure heâs not too high class to run the sort of jobs we run.â
âOh, trust me. Heâs not. He is exactly low class enough to run these sort of jobs. But, yâknow, like everyone else he wants to make sure the moneyâs real, and that heâs not gonna end up space dust.âÂ
âFair enough.â Those were reasonable requests, and ones that were easy enough for Trevor to guarantee. No one on his crew ever ran out of credits, and no one had gotten seriously injured on a job. The âon the jobâ part was the most important part of that sentence, because injuries did still happen around the ship, despite everyoneâs best efforts.Â
Spots two and three were as equally bust as the first one, but Gavin was just as determined as heâd been at breakfast. Trevor, not so much. It was well past mid-day by the time they reached the fifth spot, some sort of hotel and lounge for people to catch their breath and put their feet up.Â
The moment they stepped in the door, there was a big beaming grin on Gavinâs face. âFredo!â He shouted, raising his arms as he cheered. âTook us long enough to find you!â
The man in question was seated casually on a sofa, nose buried in a magazine, though his attention was broken by Gavinâs shouting cutting through the ambiance. âGavin?â He asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion as he set his magazine aside and stood. âWhat the hell are you doing so far out?â
âAh, well, thatâs a bit of a long story,â he said, waving a hand to dismiss the question as he walked up to the man and wrapped an arm around him. He dragged him over to Trevor, still beaming. âTrevor, this is Alfredo. Best pilot on this side of the universe. On both sides, probably, but he doesnât like to brag. And Alfredo, this is Trevor. Heâs the big boss of the Morrigan.â
âI, uh⌠Yeah, thatâs me. Iâm the cap- The commander.â
âCat got your tongue, Commander?â Alfredo asked, smirking as the otherâs face tinted red. âCâmon, letâs go somewhere else and chat. Thereâs way too many people listening in out here.â
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They ended up in Alfredoâs room, crowded around the small table underneath a dim light. However, Trevor didnât need a lot of light to get a read on someone, and he noticed a lot of things about their potential new pilot in a short time. He didnât fidget like Gavin did, each movement seemed like it was with purpose, but sometimes heâd flex his fingers and roll his wrists. It told him that he was as experienced as Gavin said, because Jeremy had started to do the same thing after a long time behind the helm. His jacket was well worn, the red still bright in some spots but faded in others, and patched in places where itâd been damaged. That told him that Alfredo wasnât afraid of a fight, and he was resourceful enough to not let good things go to waste. All good things, in his book.Â
âSo, whatâs your offer?â Alfredo asked, breaking the silence once theyâd all gotten settled around the table.Â
âMy⌠Offer?âÂ
âYeah. If I work for you, what do I get?â
Trevor and Gavin looked at each other for a moment, the latter stunned by the bluntness of the question, but the former was used to unprofessionalism like that. In fact, he preferred it. âWell, for starters, a spot on the ship. You get your own private quarters. However, you really are there as a backup to our shipâs computer in case things get extra⌠Challenging. Theyâre good, but thereâs limits to every AI.â
Alfredoâs eyebrows raised at that. Heâd never been on a ship that had a computer like that on it before. âSounds like a fancy ship.â
Gavin snorted out a laugh, shaking his head quickly. âTrust me, itâs not. Itâs all cobbled together, and the only reason we ended up with Lindsay was because their system was gonna be salvage otherwise.âÂ
âRightâŚâ He cleared his throat, looking back to Trevor. âWhat about money?â
âWe all get an equal cut of the credits. Weâre all important on the Morrigan, no one gets more or less than anyone else.â Everyone put in a lot of work to keep the ship running smoothly, sometimes Trevor felt like he wasnât doing enough in comparison. Every now and then, heâd take less from his own cut to give everyone else a little more. It felt fair. âAnd we kind of just go wherever when weâre not running jobs.â
Alfredo was quiet for a few moments, thinking things over. He knew he owed Gavin a favor, but at the same time this whole deal seemed too good to be true. No commander was ever this reasonable, this good to his crew. âCan you go wait outside for a minute? Iâd like to talk to Gavin,â he said finally, and Trevor was happy to oblige. He didnât take his eyes off the other man until the door closing forced him too, then they were fixed on Gavin. âThis smells like bullshit.â
âIâm telling you Fredy, itâs not. We all get an equal cut, the rooms are pretty damn lush, and the jobs are alright. I donât do much but patch up the ship after them, but we havenât had any major hull breaches yet.â He seemed quite proud of himself for that, but deflated when Alfredo didnât respond in kind.Â
âYeah, but what about your last pilot? What happened to them? No one just leaves a gig this good.â
âAh, well⌠Actually, some do. There were a few⌠Disagreements. He wasnât happy on the ship, and Trevor doesnât like when people insult the Morrigan, or Lindsay,â he explained, choosing his words carefully. He wasnât sure either of the men involved would be happy if the story started to get spread. âBut itâs a good ship, a good crew, and Trevorâs a good man. Plus, you owe me.â
âI know, and thatâs the worst part!â He groaned, slumping forward with his face in his hands. âI hate owing you, you always make people pay you back in the worst possible ways!â
âOi! Iâm getting you a job!â
âYeah, and it all sounds shady as shit! I know youâre smugglers, but damn. Trevorâs cold.â
Gavin just chuckled softly, because he couldnât exactly disagree with him. The commander had his moments, but didnât everyone? âLook, Fredo. You need this, and we need you. So just⌠Take the job, would you?âÂ
Alfredo chewed the inside his lip as he thought it over, letting out a long sigh after a minute. âAlright, Iâll do it.â
âNow thatâs what I like to hear,â Gavin said with a grin, clapping Alfredo on the shoulder before yelling for Trevor to come back inside.Â
He genuinely couldnât guess what they had been talking about in there, but judging by the look on Gavinâs face it was something good. âYouâve decided, then?â He asked Alfredo as he took his seat again.
âHe has! He said that heâd joi-â
â-Gavin, dude. Let me talk,â he said, swatting at the other man to get him to shut up. âIâll join your crew, on one conditionâŚâ He trailed off, wanting to gauge the otherâs response before he continued.
âAnd that is?â Trevor asked, arching an eyebrow and waiting for him to go on.Â
âI have some cargo I need to get off this asteroid. Itâll be a win/win for the both of us: You get to see how good I fly, I get this job off my back, and you, me, and your crew get to split the money.â
Itâd be a good reason to get out of the spaceport faster too. Trevor wasnât planning on leaving until they had a job anyway and now one had fallen right into their laps with a new pilot in hand. âSounds like a deal to me,â he said, reaching a hand out for Alfredo to shake and smiling across the table at him. It was a genuine smile, the facade of the stern negotiator falling away.Â
Alfredo grinned right back at him, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. âHell yes.â
âWe can get into the details of the job back on the ship, but I wanna introduce you to your new crew first.â
âOh, youâre gonna love them, Fredo. Theyâre all brilliant.âÂ
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The Morrigan welcomed its commander back onto the ship with a cheerful musical tone, the doors sliding open as he approached with Gavin and Alfredo in tow.Â
âOh, now whoâs this?â Lindsay asked, curious about the new arrival. If they were being honest, they hadnât expected Gavin to be telling the truth about knowing a pilot, or for Trevor to be convincing enough to get him to join. Their expectations werenât pessimistic, just realistic. They knew their crew.
âLindsay! Hey there, perfect timing,â Trevor said with a grin as Gavin scurried off to go gather the rest of the crew. âThis is Alfredo, heâs gonna be our new pilot! And Alfredo, this is Lindsay, our ship's computer, and your co-pilot. If you have any questions about the ship, theyâll be the one to ask.â
âThatâs right!â They chirped, âNot to brag or anything, but I know more about this ship than anyone, except maybe Gavin. Weâre about equal, but donât tell him I said that!â
Alfredo chuckled, amused by just how much personality this supposed AI had. âAre you sure thereâs not a person on the other side of those comms, commander?â
Trevor simply shook his head. âNope, just a Lindsay!â He answered, motioning for Alfredo to follow him as he led him further into the ship. Doors opened and shut behind them automatically as they went, which meant that Lindsay was keeping a close eye on them. Theyâd really taken Jeremyâs comments about the ship to heart, and they had to make sure the new guy wasnât going to say the same thing.Â
âNo offense, but⌠How does a ship like this afford a computer like that? I know how much these jobs make, and how much those things cost, and⌠The math just isnât adding up.â
The speakers beeped to life with a gentle tone, and Lindsay spoke up for themselves. âI was a rejected version of an even more advanced system, but because of how advanced I still was, they couldnât just shut me down and wipe out all my data. So, they put me up for sale instead.â
âWe got a pretty good deal on them, actually. No one really wants a buggy AI, too much of a risk or whatever, but for a smuggling crew who doesnât care about perfection, theyâre perfect.â The bugs that the programmers had rejected Lindsay for were hardly even bugs in Trevorâs eyes, they were just things that made them too hard to control. There was no speech filter, no way to control them or make them do whatever you wanted, which is why theyâd been rejected. You had to treat them like a person, and their programmers had hated that.Â
Alfredo was genuinely impressed by the state of the ship, and how smoothly things seemed to run on the surface. Lindsay gave him a quick brief on the engine the ship was powered by and some tips for when he was at the controls to help work around some of its quirks. By the time their spiel was done, theyâd reached the bridge where everyone had been gathered so they could get introductions out of the way all at once instead of hunting people down one by one.
The Morrigan was no small ship, and its crew matched it. It was, by far, the largest smuggling ship that Alfredo had ever stepped foot in. Probably the happiest as well. Every role had a person to fill it, and none of them seemed to have many complaints either.Â
The first person to speak up and introduce herself was Jack, the shipâs navigations officer. She worked with Lindsay to chart their courses, keeping in mind everything that theyâd have to avoid ranging from rogue space debris to the ever annoying authorities. The three of them would be working very closely together, so Alfredo was glad that she spoke up first.Â
Michael and Fiona introduced themselves next, the former being the shipâs medical officer and physician while the latter was a scientist. She had her own experiments to run, but she also spent a lot of time helping Michael keep everyone on board the ship healthy. It was a much more difficult task than one would expect, apparently. Alfredo asked Fiona what she was doing on the ship, but she refused to say anything more than ânunya business,â and Trevor insisted that it was better if he didnât know, so he dropped the subject.Â
The communications officer introduced himself after that. Matt was more quiet and reserved than everyone else seemed to be, but he still seemed quite content in his role. It seemed like there wasnât much to do - there were no aliens trying to make contact, or even that many other ships for that matter - so he spent a lot of his time misusing the comms to catch up on radio shows from Earth or the other space outposts.Â
âAlright! Well, feel free to hang out with everyone for a bit,â Trevor said, noticeably relieved that everyone seemed to like Alfredo, and vice-versa. It was a good first step. Gavin was usually a pretty good judge of character, but one could never be too careful.Â
âYouâre not gonna stick around?â Alfredo asked, frowning a little. âYou canât just leave me alone with these guys.â That comment was hushed, he didnât want anyone else to hear.Â
âSure I can. Iâve got some work to do, and besides, they donât bite.â He looked pointedly at Michael. âUsually.â Alfredo whirled around to follow Trevorâs gaze, eyes going wide as Michael snarled at him. The pair broke out into laughter, making Alfredo huff in displeasure.
âThatâs not funny, man.â
âSorry, sorry, couldnât resist. Just⌠Relax.â He put his hands on the otherâs shoulders, giving him a little shake. âEveryone here is great, theyâre the nicest people on this side of the galaxy. Youâre gonna have to get to know them eventually, so you might as well start now. I got some work I gotta do to get us loaded up, but come up to my quarters later. We need to hammer out the details of that job so we can get outta here soon.â
Alfredo nodded slowly, mumbling a confirmation and watching as Trevor turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Michael and Gavin slammed a hand down onto each of his shoulders, snapping him out of his trance as they whirled him around.Â
âCâmon, Alfredo! Weâve still got some booze leftover from Jeremyâs going away party,â Michael told him with a wicked grin, âJack makes the best drinks, you gotta try one.â
âI dunno... I just joined, is that really smart?â
âIs what smart?âÂ
âDrinking.â
âNah,â Gavin scoffed, shaking his head quickly. âDrinkingâs always smart, trust me.â
Alfredo rolled his eyes. He knew firsthand that trusting Gavin was a bad idea when it came to alcohol, but on the other hand⌠Maybe itâd be a good way to get more comfortable around everyone. He was still a little wary, and a little overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crew, some help feeling more at ease was definitely welcome. It was called liquid courage for a reason.Â
And after a few drinks, he certainly felt more at ease. At the same time, it was weird being accepted so quickly. Sometimes he was stuck on his own, even when he was on a crew. Space had a tendency to be a very lonely and isolating place, it seemed like these people were well aware of the fact, and worked hard to make sure no one fell victim to its clutches. Fiona saw him standing off to the side, trying to edge away from all the excitement, and dragged him right into it. Jack gave him drinks when she spotted an empty cup, alternating between alcoholic and not to make sure he didnât end up too far gone. And Michael and Gavin were something else entirely, wasting no time in filling him in on the latest ship gossip and ongoing pranks. Ultimately, he decided that heâd made a good choice in trusting Gavin and joining the Morrigan.Â
When the festivities died down and everyone began to clean up and retreat to their quarters, Alfredo took it as his sign to go and find Trevor and discuss the job with him. Finding his quarters was easy enough, but he hesitated outside.Â
âHe already knows youâre there, you know,â Lindsay piped up, giggling when they saw Alfredo jump and search around for the source of their voice. It was all around them, coming through every speaker in that part of the hall. âHeâs got a video feed that shows the hall outside of his door. Put it in after Gavin pranked him a few too many times,â they added, this time only speaking from the nearest speaker.Â
âYeah, Gavinâs always been one for pranks.â He stepped closer to the door, but still didnât go in.
They hummed softly, some sensors whirring in a far off room of the Morrigan. âWhy are you hesitating?â
âBecause.â
âBecause why?â
âBecause!â Alfredo gestured in exasperation, activating the doorâs motion sensor. He jumped again as it slid open, staring through it and making eye contact with Trevor, who was seated at his desk and smiling knowingly.Â
âThank you, Lindsay.â
âAny time, commander! That trick never fails.â
Alfredo looked at Trevor with wide eyes, stammering out an excuse that was immediately waved off. âJust come on in, thereâs no use putting it off,â he told him. âThe sooner we get things sorted, the sooner we can get out of the port.â
âWhy the rush?â He asked as he stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him with a loud thunk. âItâs pretty nice, as far as spaceports go.â
âYeah, but Iâve got a disgruntled former pilot hanging around here now, and I really donât want him deciding that he wants to get revenge.â
âFair enough.â Alfredo sat down in the chair across from Trevor, watching him from across the desk. When the other didnât speak right away, he took it as an opportunity to do so instead. âSo, the job. Itâs several crates of cargo, will you have enough space in the hold for all of that?â
âHow many is several, exactly?â
âAbout ten, all pretty decently sized. A yard or two each way, at least.â
Trevor chuckled, nodding as he made a note. âOh yeah, weâll have plenty of room. Iâve got some supplies getting loaded up tomorrow, if you talk to a man named Geoff at the mercantile heâll be sure to slip âem in, make sure no one suspects anything.â
Alfredo raised his eyebrows, impressed. âThatâs it? No questions about the cargo?â
Trevor let out a long sigh at that, lifting his eyes from his notebook to look at him. âUsually, I donât want to know. Itâs not my business to know. Iâm not paid to know,â he explained, waiting until the other nodded in understanding to carry on. âBut, since you brought it up, I feel like I should ask⌠Is it alive?â
âUh⌠Yeah, it is.â
âIs it people? Cause I donât do that shit.â
âWhat? No. No! Itâs⌠Well, itâs-â
âIs it gonna break out of the crates and kill us in our sleep?â
Alfredo didnât have an immediate answer to that one. Trevor didnât find that comforting.Â
âProbably not?â
They stared at each other for a few moments, gauging each otherâs reactions until Trevor broke the silence. âWorks for me! Like I said, talk to Geoff at the mercantile, let him know where you keep everything, heâll get it all worked out.â He extended his hand, offering it to Alfredo for him to shake. âIâm looking forward to working with you, Alfredo.â
âLikewise,â the other man said, reaching out and giving Trevorâs hand a firm shake. âThe Morrigan seems like a real nice ship, I canât wait to see how they fly.â
With that, Alfredo took his leave, but Trevor kept his eyes on the door long after he walked out.Â
The comms beeped to life, and Lindsay spoke from a speaker on Trevorâs desk. âI like him already.â
âYeah, I do too,â he said whimsically before shaking his head to clear the thoughts from his mind and pointing a finger at the speaker. âI never said that. You didnât hear that.â
âOf course, Commander. I heard nothing.â
----------------------------------------------------
The cargo was loaded up without issue the following day. All Alfredo had to do was give the boxes a small mark once they were in the hold, that way theyâd know what was the smuggled cargo, but that was an easy enough task. They spent a few more hours at the port, letting everyone do a small tour around for some shopping and giving Michael a chance to say some goodbyes to Jeremy before they set out.Â
âAlright, letâs see how this baby flies,â Alfredo said with a grin once he was in the pilotâs seat, cracking his knuckles. This was the one place where he truly felt confident and in his element, and it was so good to be back where he belonged. âJack, we got a course set?â
âYup, Lindsayâs got all the info, and there should be a copy of it there on your terminal,â Jack said from her station, turning in her seat to look at Alfredo and give him a thumbs up. She grinned as she got one in return.Â
âSweet. Lindsay, you ready to take off?âÂ
A few melodic beeps came through the speakers as they checked in with Gavin to make sure the engines were all in working order, then they spoke. âI am! Gavinâs on standby in case anything goes wrong, too.â
âPerfect, start the launch sequence for me, please?â
âOoh, how polite! I like this one,â they hummed, and Jack laughed softly from her station at the way Alfredoâs cheeks tinged pink. âSure thing, Fredo. One launch sequence, coming right up!â
The Morrigan shook and creaked as the engines fired up, groaning with effort as the sound roared through the engineering bay and echoed around the spaceport. It was a big ship that required a lot of power to get going, even more so to break away from the gravitational field surrounding the port, and every time they took the crew was terrified that it would come apart at the seams under the pressure. But, like it did every time before, it pulled through, and it wasnât long until they were up in the atmosphere and out into space.Â
âWow,â Alfredo breathed, slumping back in his chair once things had stabilized. He hadnât even realized heâd been holding his breath. âIs it always like that?â
Trevor chuckled from behind him, smiling and nodding. âYeah, pretty much.â He walked up and patted Alfredo on the shoulder, making eye contact with him in the windowâs reflection before looking past it at the stars. âGet used to it, buddy.â The clanking of the ship heâd long since learned to tune out, but seeing the stars? It never got old to him. They were just as beautiful every time he saw them, and it was easy to get lost looking at them as they went by.Â
âGuess Iâm gonna have to.â It was clear that Trevor was lost in thought, so Alfredo just nudged his hand from his shoulder and leaned to look around him at Jack. âHow we lookinâ? Smooth sailing?â
âSmooth sailing. No asteroids, no authorities, no other ships if weâre lucky. Iâll let you know if that changes, though. Itâll take us a while to get to our next stop, few days at the most.â
âCan this thing handle lightspeed?â
Jack and Lindsay both broke out into laughter, and even Trevor snapped out of his trance to join in.Â
âAbsolutely not,â Lindsay told him, laughing brightly. They took great pride in the Morrigan, but even they knew its limits. âWeâve been trying to get our hands on a new warp drive for a while now, but no such luck. Weâre stuck inside this solar system for the time being, unfortunately.â
âPut my cut from the job towards one, then.â Trevorâs eyebrows shot up, and he met Alfredoâs eyes through the reflection once more. âIâm serious. The further you can travel, the better jobs you can get.â And even for short distances, Alfredo wasnât really one for travelling at a space snailâs pace. âThe better jobs you get, the more money you make.âÂ
Trevor couldnât disagree with that logic, so he simply just nodded in approval. âIâll start putting my cut towards one too, then.âÂ
âSeriously?â Jack piped up, âlike Gavin doesnât have enough to fix around here?â
The commander turned towards her, arching an eyebrow. âEveryoneâs free to spend their cut on whatever they like, and thatâs how Alfredo and I are choosing to use ours. Do I say anything when you spend it on baseball cards just cause Geoff and Gav talked about âem?â
âNoâŚâ
âNo, I donât. So, you mind your business, and Iâll mind mine.â Trevor could take a ribbing as good as the rest of the shipâs crew, but there were some things he just wouldnât take. The ship was still a very sore subject for him. Jack let out a long sigh but nodded, knowing that there was no use in pushing the matter further. âSo, Alfredo. You donât have to stay here all the time, Lindsayâll put an alarm out if thereâs any immediate threats youâre needed for. I donât expect you to be sitting here all day, every day. Thatâd just be mean.â
Alfredo nodded in understanding, spinning around in the chair to get a look at Trevor. âIâll probably hang out here most of the day, though. Nice view, yâknow? Plus I wouldnât want Lindsay and Jack to get bored,â he joked, cracking a smile.Â
âGood plan.â Trevor nodded in approval before he spun around to leave, though he lingered just out of sight. Alfredo was agreeable, almost too agreeable. It wasnât that he didnât trust the guy, or that he cared if he was a troublemaker, but it was certainly an oddity to have a crewmember that actually wanted to do their job. There had to be a catch. There was always a catch.Â
Jack scoffed from her seat once she thought Trevor was gone, glancing over at Alfredo from her terminal. âYou let him walk all over you, dude.â
âHeâs the boss, Iâm gonna listen to him,â he responded simply, looking to her for barely a second before his eyes were back on the stars.Â
âYeah, but you can push back a little, heâs not gonna bite your head off for it.â
âHe gets enough of that from the rest of you assholes.â
âWhoa, okay. Just trying to help.âÂ
Alfredo turned in his chair then, meeting Jackâs eyes. âI donât need your help. Did you hear what Trevor said? âYou mind your business, Iâll mind mine?â That goes for me too.â Heâd put up with enough bullshit from the other crews heâd been a part of and jobs heâd taken, and he wasnât going to let this be like the rest of them. He knew the difference between letting himself get pushed over and keeping his head below the fenceline so he didnât end up losing it.Â
They stared each other down for a few long moments, sizing each other up. Jack realized then that sheâd misjudged Alfredo. He wasnât some rookie pilot pulled off the streets, he was the real deal, and he wasnât going to take any shit from anyone. On the other hand, Alfredo realized that heâd judged Jack correctly, and he didnât like antagonists much. He knew heâd warm up to her eventually, he had to if he didnât want this whole thing to fall through, but that was an awfully bad start.Â
Lindsay couldnât stand the tension that was building in the room, making the air so thick that the vent system was having a hard time sucking it up for purification. So they did the only thing they could to break it: Sound a station-wide alarm. Trevor had to come out of his hiding spot then, running up to the main console to check the system.Â
âLindsay, what the hellâs going on?!â He asked, having to shout over the blaring alarm.Â
âI donât know, the alarm just started going off!â They shouted back, sounding panicked, although it was all an act. They pretended to flounder for a moment, making sure that there was enough time for the tension to fade entirely and that Alfredo and Jack had forgotten about their spat before they killed the alarm. âThere! All sorted, I think it was just a crossed wire or something. Crazy, huh?â They could tell that Trevor didnât quite believe them, but at least Jack and Alfredo had gotten back to work. âMaybe you should stick around for a bit, commander. Just to make sure nothing like that happens again.â
âHm.â He hummed as he took a seat in the commanderâs chair, kicking his feet up onto the console in front of him. There was no way to tell what they were playing at, but keeping an eye on the new recruit wasnât exactly a bad idea, especially if Jack was going to be giving him trouble. âI think youâre right, Lindsay. Canât be having any trouble on the bridge now, can we? Good call.â
âNo commander, we canât. And thank you.â
----------------------------------------------------
Things were quiet for a few days. Too quiet. There were the usual pranks and fights and other nonsense, but there were no large scale problems. Any commander would be happy about that and proud of their crew for avoiding disaster, but not Trevor. On the Morrigan, that meant there was a ticking time bomb hidden somewhere on the ship, and it was only a matter of time until it blew. He allowed himself to sleep, but only for a few hours at a time, and when he was awake he was on constant patrol. The previous longest record for going without a major incident was about three days, and it was now encroaching on a week. He wasnât counting the detour theyâd had to make to avoid some random authorities patrolling the system as a major incident, just a minor setback, so they were still due for something.Â
When it hit a week since their last incident, he was almost convinced that he could relax, that he could let his guard down and accept that there was nothing waiting just around the bend for him. Almost. Barely a second after that thought crossed his mind, he heard footsteps quickly approaching from behind him.
âHey, Trevor-boy!â Gavin called out for him, making him spin on his heels. âSo, got a bit of a problem for you.â It was weird seeing someone relieved to learn there was a problem, but Trevor certainly looked that way. âThereâs a lot of uh⌠Banging, coming from the storage deck.â
âHave you gone down there to check it out?â He asked, already knowing the answer before he even asked.Â
âAbsolutely not! Are you insane? Michael wonât go either, before you ask, youâre gonna have to go down there and look,â he informed him, and Trevor pinched the bridge of his nose. âHey, donât give me that! We donât know what Alfredo brought on board, and Iâm not trying to get eaten.â
âHe promised me it wouldnât kill us in our sleep.â
âThat doesnât mean it wonât kill us when weâre awake, though.â
Trevor sucked in a breath, holding it for a moment as he thought his next words over carefully. âLindsay?â He called, his attention no longer on Gavin as he began to walk
The speaker system chimed to life, and Lindsay greeted the two of them cheerfully. âYes, commander?â
âWhereâs Alfredo?âÂ
There was a beat of silence as they checked all of their ocular systems. âHeâs in the bridge, why?â
âHave him meet me down by the storage bay, would you? And have Michael bring down a few weapons, I donât know what weâre dealing with. Can you tell if anythingâs started moving down there?â
âThere is a lot of movement down there, but I think whatever it is, itâs still in the crates.â The comms system buzzed as they went quiet, searching the cargo bay to make sure they werenât sending their crew down into certain death. âYeah, no, itâs definitely still contained.â There was a beat of silence before they whispered, âfor now.â
That brought some relief, at least. Still, he didnât want to go in there with nothing, just in case. At least they managed to hit a new record. Heâd have to mark it on his calendar when he got back up to his quarters.Â
He let Gavin get back to work somewhere along the way down to the bottom of the ship, waiting outside the door to the hold and tapping his foot as he waited for Alfredo and Michael to join him. As he opened his mouth to ask Lindsay to let them know he was waiting, he heard the telltale sound of yelling that signalled Michaelâs approach. Alfredo was much quieter, but he had no doubt that he was in tow.
Still, he was impatient. Trevor always was when it came to the safety of his crew. If there was anything that had the potential to harm them, he wanted it dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible. There was no room for wasting time. He already had his hand out as Michael rounded the corner, and he didnât lower it until he felt the weight of a gun settled in it.Â
âGave you your usual rifle, boss. Figured youâd want something reliable,â he explained, watching as Trevor inspected the rifle to make sure it was up to his standards. âGave Fredo the harpoon gun, figured it might be handy and he said heâs used one of those before. Plus pistols for the both of you. Try not to miss your shots, though. Gavinâll be pissed if he has to do a hull repair.âÂ
âThank you, Michael. Weâll take it from here, butâŚâ He trailed off, noticing that Michael himself was also armed with a variety of weapons. âStandby out here, just in case. Lindsayâll let you know if we run into trouble.â They nodded at each other in understanding, the doors to the cargo bay sliding open in front of them. âLetâs go.â
Alfredo could only give a tiny nod himself, following behind the commander as they stepped into the hold. It was bright, the lights at full blast to make sure there werenât any shadows to hide in. But that wasnât enough to stop him from being nervous. His hands didnât shake, but he was chewing on his bottom lip so much that it was starting to bleed, and every little noise made him raise the harpoon gun and aim.Â
âYou wanna tell me whatâs in those crates?â Trevor asked as they worked their way towards the center of the hold, checking every nook and cranny as Lindsay kept them updated on any movement around them that was out of the ordinary. âI was fine with not knowing before, but-â He was cut off by the sound of wood scraping against metal, dull thuds as whatever was inside of them grew restless. âBut because of things like that, I canât let things slide anymore.â
The other man hesitated, continuing to bite at his lip, but Trevorâs gaze was piercing and it made his blood run cold against his tongue. Nothing got past the commander, even the smallest of lies. âPlants. Itâs plants.â
âPlants donât move like that,â Trevor pointed out, and Alfredo couldnât exactly refute his claim. âNow, what the hell is actually in these crates?â
âIâm being serious. Itâs plants.â A beat of silence, more piercing stares, before he continued. âMutant plants that were definitely overfed a ton of fertilizer and who only knows what else, but⌠Yeah. Plants.â
âMutant⌠Plants?â The words fell slowly off of Trevorâs tongue, processing what they meant at the same time they left his mouth. âJust how mutant, exactly?â
âDepends. Some of âem are still pretty plant-like, but⌠Others are getting pretty close to Audrey II territory.âÂ
âAs much as I appreciate the comparison, Iâd appreciate a little more seriousness even more.â Alfredo murmured an apology, but Trevorâs silence made it clear that the time for talking was over.Â
After a few more paces they reached the crates, specially marked to make it stand out from all of the other similar crates, but only to the trained eye. Sure enough, there was some banging coming from inside the crate, as well as some angry hissing, but it wasnât exactly loud enough to be heard from the engineering deck, especially not over the roar of the engines either. If Gavin was able to hear it, it had to be something much bigger, much louder.Â
They began to inspect the crates one by one, making sure each one was intact and tightening whatever screws had started to get knocked loose by the thrashing within. All the noise and movement had Trevor on edge, his heart racing and normally steady hands shaking each time he had to touch one of the boxes.Â
âThatâs all of them. Nine crates, all secure.â
Alfredo frowned, eyebrows furrowed together as his eyes flicked from crate to crate. âThere should be ten here.â They both counted, and re-counted, and counted one last time for good measure. Sure enough, there were only nine crates with no sign of a tenth.Â
âLindsay, double-check the manifest for me?â They did, which only confirmed that there was a crate missing. Trevorâs face mirrored the pilotâs then, concern etched deep into their features. âAlfredo? Any explanations?âÂ
âAlright, this isnât my fault.â
âIâm not saying it is, but I would still like an explanation. Or at least some way to make sense of⌠This.â
Alfredo shifted, uncomfortable under Trevorâs gaze. âWell⌠Best guess is that⌠Either Geoff miscounted or left one off the ship, or-â
â-Which is pretty likely-â
â-Or one of the plants escaped. Which is also pretty likely. Maybe even more likely.â
âWell. Shit.â They both hoisted up their weapons simultaneously, knowing that they couldnât afford to get caught off guard by anything. âLindsay, lock down the cargo bay! Nothing gets in or out of here, not even the two of us. If anything starts moving other than us or those crates, you tell us immediately, got it?â
âSure thing, commander. Thereâs just⌠One teensy-tiny problem.â
Trevor groaned loudly, looking up at the speaker. âAnd that is what, exactly?â
âWell, you see⌠Thereâs so much movement in those crates that⌠I kinda canât see any movement anywhere else in the ship, and especially not in the cargo bay. It throws my whole system off, I canât see anything.â
He whirled around to look at Alfredo upon hearing that, rifle still raised, and for a second he thought that the commander was going to shoot him right where he stood. The thought crossed Trevorâs mind, he wasnât going to lie about that, but he decided that it would be unwise. He needed someone to watch his back, even if that someone was the one who got him into this mess. Turning back around and marching on, he let out a very slow, very shaky breath as he tried to control his anger.Â
âAlfredo?â
âYes, sir?â
âYou and I are going to stay in here and keep watch on the rest of these crates to make sure no more of theseâŚâ He trailed off, glaring back at the crates before his gaze was back on Alfredo. âThings escape before we reach our destination. Michael and Jack are going to be patrolling the rest of the ship to keep everyone else safe. I donât know what the hell these things are capable of, and Iâm assuming you donât either, so we need to be on high alert. Got it?âÂ
Alfredo nodded quickly. âYes sir.â
âGood. Now⌠Lindsay, how far away are we?â
âWeâre about a day out. Iâll try and push the engines so we can get there faster but-â
âDonât bother, Iâd rather not blow the ship. Alfredo and I are just going to have to find some way to keep ourselves occupied.âÂ
A day stuck in the cargo hold with the commander, who was very armed and very angry, really wasnât ideal for Alfredo, but he acknowledged that there were worse punishments he could be given. He was just glad that heâd already opted to put his cut towards the ship, because there was no way heâd be given all of it after this.Â
----------------------------------------------------
âGot any sevens?â
âNo, go fish. Got any threes?â
âNope, go fishinâ! Got any⌠Got any aces?â
There was a long moment of silence, and then: âThis would be easier with cards. I donât remember what I have or donât have anymore.â
âYeah, me neither.â
It had been several hours since the start of the cargo bay lockdown, and they were already running out of things to do. Theyâd searched the hold over and over until they found scrapes in the floor that lead to a splintered crate at the far end, but nothing that told them where the plant monster had run off to. Then, they reinforced all the remaining crates, doing what they could to make sure nothing else would try to escape and end up succeeding in their attempt. After that, theyâd sort of run out of things to do to keep busy. âImaginary Go Fishâ was only entertaining the first time (though Trevor would disagree), and Lindsay had shut off all their sensors in the hold in an attempt to get everything else back in working order so they could help Michael and Jack. Not only were they cut off from the rest of the crew, but they were alone for the next twenty or so hours.Â
âAt least weâre down here with the supplies so we donât starve,â Alfredo muttered, trying to find any possible brightside to the situation.Â
Trevor hummed in agreement, standing up and shaking out his arms. âYeah, at least we wonât starve,â he agreed, the slightest hint of mockery in his tone. He had yet to outright voice his displeasure, but he was sure Alfredo could put the pieces together. After stretching, he checked his watch. âTime for another walk around. You stay put.âÂ
Slumping against a crate, Alfredo nodded, making sure he had his own weapon in hand as Trevor readied his own and walked off. They did this every half hour or so. Trevor made him do the first few, but he mustâve gotten tired of sitting around because it was the first time heâd offered to go.Â
His footsteps echoed off the thick metal walls of the hold, and Alfredo listened intently to them. The only other sounds were the dull thuds of the contained plant monsters and the usual creaks and groans of the Morrigan itself, but those were easy to tune out once they droned on long enough. When the footsteps stopped, it was like the hold went completely silent.Â
He was immediately on edge, standing up quickly and hoisting the harpoon gun up as he went. âTrevor?â he called, taking a few hesitant steps forward. When there wasnât an immediate response, he took a few more, heading towards where heâd last heard the otherâs footsteps come from.Â
âIâm fine,â Trevor called back after a minute, âJust stay there, everythingâs fine!â
âYou donât sound too sure,â was the response he got, and he just let out a huff.Â
It was true, he wasnât too sure, because in a corner Alfredo had surely overlooked on his previous patrols, the plant had taken over. Its thorny vines stretched across the floors and up the walls, writhing and squirming as it supported the weight of what looked like a giant flower bud but⌠Flowers werenât supposed to have teeth. That was the one thing that had been consistent across the planets heâd been to. Plants didnât have teeth. âIâm not,â he muttered to himself, wondering why the hell heâd agreed to take this job in the first place. You needed a pilot, he reminded himself as he took slow, careful steps back in an effort not to startle the thing. But I donât think we needed one this badly.
âWhatâs going on? Iâm coming over there.â
Trevor turned around slowly, carefully, just in time to see Alfredo running up. âNo, donât!â he shouted, putting a hand up to stop him, but something stopped him instead.Â
A vine wrapped itself tight around his arm, the thorns digging in deep and latching on. It had been resting peacefully before, able to slumber without being disturbed by the occasional movement and noise from the two men, but Trevorâs sudden shouting had woken it up. And it was not pleased.Â
He cried out in pain, instinctively trying to pull his arm free, but it only made the vine hold on even tighter. It reminded him of those finger traps Jeremy had brought on board one time: the more he pulled, the more it constricted his arm. But unlike those finger traps, it had no intentions of letting go once Trevor relaxed.Â
Alfredo stood there in shock, eyes wide and frozen in place until the commander barked out an order. He didnât even register the words, just that he needed to move, and he needed to move now. Gavin was going to kill him for the damage later, but there was no time to aim the harpoon gun properly before he was pulling the trigger. Though it missed the bud by a few feet, the harpoon did manage to sever a few of its tendrils. The plant monster let out an ear-piercing shriek, untangling itself from Trevor in order to start scaling the wall and worming its way into an air vent. The metal of the grate covering it bent and snapped from the force, and the ends of several vines hung out through the remaining slats.Â
âNice work,â Trevor managed through gritted teeth, trying to pretend like his arm wasnât bleeding as badly as it was and didnât hurt nearly as much as it did. Alfredo saw through the act in less than a second, retrieving the harpoon before dropping the gun and approaching Trevor.Â
âThat looks⌠Bad. I shouldâve given you my jacket,â he muttered, pushing his sleeve up to get a better look at the damage. Bruises were already starting to form where the vine itself had been, and there were several grisly cuts from the thorns, all bleeding pretty badly. âFuck⌠Lindsay! We need Michael down here, now!â
Trevor pushed Alfredoâs hands off him before sinking to his knees and gripping his arm, trying to cover at least one of the cuts in an effort to stop the flow of blood. Whatever wasnât soaked up by his shirt dripped down to the floor, creating a pretty sizable puddle beneath him that began to soak into the knees of his pants as well. âThey canât hear you⌠They shut down all their sensors for this room, remember?â There were a lot of flaws in their plan, he saw that now. But at least he knew that the beast was for sure in the cargo bay, not that there was anything that could be done about that right then. âThereâs⌠There may be some emergency supplies by the door, Michael makes sure thereâs some in every room.â Accidents happened everywhere, and the lad hated having to run all the way back to the medbay for a bandage every time someone got hurt.Â
Once Alfredo had retrieved the medkit, he helped Trevor to his feet and guided him back to their makeshift campsite. The further they were from that vent, the better off they were, though the plant monster would easily be able to follow the trail of blood Trevor left behind right to them. They sat down together there, Trevor still clutching his arm as he leaned back against the crates with a soft groan. He was feeling a bit woozy,Â
âIâm gonna⌠Iâm gonna bandage this up for now, hopefully that stops the bleeding, or at least slows it,â Alfredo murmured, popping the kit open and breathing out an audible sigh of relief when he saw that it was fully stocked. âThank the stars,â he breathed, almost smiling as he grabbed a roll of gauze and began to wrap up Trevorâs arm. He was silent as he worked, faltering when the other spoke up.Â
âCan we please talk?â he asked softly, eyes meeting Alfredoâs when he looked up. âIâd really like something else to focus on other than the pain.âÂ
âI thought you were mad at me?â
âI was⌠I am, but⌠Iâd still rather talk than sit in silence.â
âOh.â He continued to wrap his arm, securing it with some tape once he was done. âWhat would you like to talk about?â
âAnything. Something. I really donât care.â He held his arm to his chest, cradling it in an effort to soothe the pain.Â
âWell, howâd you become in charge of your own ship?â Alfredo asked, settling in beside him and leaning against the crate as he began to rummage through the medkit.Â
Trevor chuckled quietly, turning his head to look over at the other. âNow that is a very long story, but⌠I guess weâve got the time.â He checked his watch, taking a deep breath. âI worked on a lot of ships that treated their crews like shit. Treated their ships like shit too, honestly. I bailed on one before my contract was up once I had enough credits saved up, hid at one of the starports until they stopped searching for me, and then⌠I bought a ship of my own. It was small at first, real small. Couldnât do much with it, couldnât really go anywhere with it either, but I managed to swing a few small jobs.â He stared off into the distance as he spoke, looking out the small port windows at the stars outside the ship. It had been a while since heâd thought about any of this, even longer since heâd talked about it, but there was a fond smile as he did. âI donât miss any of the bullshit at the start.â
Alfredo listened intently, a small stack of things from the kit forming in front of him. More gauze, disinfectant, rags, a suture and thread. He wasnât really thrilled about the prospect of stitching up Trevor, but those wounds were so deep that something more needed to be done. âI donât think anyone here misses the bullshit at the start. I sure had my fair share.âÂ
âHow did you get started, then?â
âI used to be a pilot back on Earth. I was good at my job, really good, so they bumped me up to piloting shuttles between the colonies. After a while, I guess I got sick of seeing the same places over and over again,â he explained, letting out a soft âa ha!â as he pulled a bottle of painkillers from the bottom of the kit. âLotta ships need good pilots, and they paid better than the other gig, so I jumped ship, so to speak.â Shaking out a few pills, he passed them to Trevor who swallowed them down dry with a grimace. Anything to help the pain. âNever really wanted to own my ship, seemed like too much work, but⌠I was cool with piloting them. I get paid to see space, how cool is that?â
âIt is a lot of work,â he agreed, still trying to get the pills down. âSometimes, itâs too much work. But at the end of the day, itâs all worth it.âÂ
Alfredo was quiet for a few long moments, the silence hanging heavy between them. âWill this be worth it?âÂ
âYes.â Trevor didnât need to think about his answer as much as Alfredo had needed to think about his question. âAbsolutely. You seem surprised.â
âBut you got hurt. That thing could have killed you!â
âBut itâs still in the cargo bay, and it didnât hurt anyone in my crew. Better me than anyone else.â His crew was his family, and if he had to get hurt to keep them safe, so be it. It was a small price he was willing to pay.Â
Alfredo scoffed and shook his head. âI donât get you.â
âWhat?â
âNo commander gives this much of a shit about their crew.â No captain gave their crew an equal cut, they always took more for themselves. No captain would sacrifice themself for their crew, they always forced their crew to do the sacrificing for them. No captain would adopt a broken AI like one would a stray cat. It just didnât happen. âNot a single one. Iâve been trying to figure out your game from the start, and I just⌠I canât.â The laughing only added to his confusion.Â
âI know. No other commander does, but I do. And youâre gonna have to get used to it, Alfredo. All those assholes on the other side of the door are my family, and Iâd sooner die for them than let anything bad happen to them,â he stated firmly, making sure the other was looking at him and meeting his eyes as he spoke. âThereâs no game, no ulterior motive. Youâre part of that family now too, so youâre just gonna have to learn to live with it.â
It had been a long time since Alfredo had been a part of any family, since anyone had accepted him so completely so quickly. While he didnât fully trust Trevor just yet, he trusted him more than he had a few minutes ago. âAlright. Iâll learn to live with it.â
----------------------------------------------------
Alfredo was silent as he worked to stitch up Trevorâs arm, hands steady as he did so. Heâd spent some time cleaning up the now dried blood, disinfecting the wounds and getting a better look at them. Some of the cuts were only surface wounds, already scabbed over and barely noticeable, but others were pretty gruesome. He didnât say anything because he didnât want to freak Trevor out, but he was pretty sure that he could see bone in a few of them. âMichaelâs gonna have to redo these, but theyâll hold for now,â he murmured, tying off the last one and bandaging him up again before things got too bloody again.Â
âHow bad am I, doc? Am I gonna make it?â Trevor asked, really glad that heâd taken some more painkillers because he couldnât imagine all of those stitches would feel great in a few minutes.Â
âYeah,â Alfredo said with a soft smile, taping down the end of the gauze. âYouâll make it.â I hope.Â
----------------------------------------------------
As hour six rolled around, the comms hissed with static and a few musical beeps, surprising Alfredo and making him lift his head. He and Trevor had decided that sleeping was a pretty good way to kill time, so the commander had ended up fast asleep and slumped with his head on Alfredoâs shoulder. The other man hadnât been so lucky, wide awake and checking every few minutes to make sure that he hadnât gone and died on him.Â
âLindsay?â he asked softly, hoping theyâd see the situation and match his tone.Â
âAlfredo! What the hell happened?â They could see everything the second their cameras were back online: The broken vent grate, the vines coming out of the grate, the severed tendrils on the floor, the puddle and trail of brown dried blood leading to Alfredo and a very injured Trevor. âIs he⌠Heâs not dead, is he?â
âNo, heâs alive. We found the plant, and it⌠It got him good,â he explained, tipping his head forward to make sure Trevor was still asleep. âI patched him up, but⌠Heâs gonna need a lot more than some stitches.â
âIâll get Michael to come down-â
âNo,â he stated, and Lindsay let out a soft scoff of indignation. âNo one else comes down here. If you lift the lockdown, that thingâll get free run of the station through the vents. Weâll be fine⌠Weâve got food and water, this kitâs got enough supplies to last us, and⌠I think as long as we leave it alone, itâll leave us alone.âÂ
Lindsay hummed as they scanned the room. The plants in the crates had calmed down a little bit, and as far as they could tell the one in the vents was perfectly still, only shifting every now and then but not making any grand movements. âWhat should we do, then?â
âMake sure everyone else evacuates the ship the second we touch down and send Michael down here with a flamethrower. Weâll take a bit of a hit to our pay because weâll be short a crate, but I donât care. I want that thing dead.âÂ
âIâm sure the commander feels the same way⌠Are you sure heâs gonna be okay?â They asked, dimming the lights a little. If it was dark, the plants would probably stay calmer. It would make sleeping a little easier for the pair as well.Â
Alfredo bit his lip, shrugging a shoulder before shaking his head. âNo, but Iâm trying to be optimistic.â He leaned his head back against the crate and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh of relief heâd been holding for far too long. With Lindsay back, it meant he wasnât alone. There was a buffer between him and the commander, someone to help fill the silence.Â
They were quiet for a few minutes as they relayed information to the rest of the crew, before the comms crackled in the hold once more. âYou should try and sleep too, âFredo. Now that we know where it is, I can keep an eye on it.âÂ
âNo, I gotta make sure heâs still breathing.â
âI can keep an eye on him too. The crates are quiet, so all my sensors are in working order. His heart rate is normal, if a bit weak, but heâs breathing fine. You should rest.â
He didnât really have the energy to argue with them further, so he relented. âWake us in a few hours. Iâm gonna have to change his bandages and clean those wounds. Michaelâll kill me if I let those get infected.â
âYes, he will.â
----------------------------------------------------
As hour twelve rolled around, Lindsay brightened the lights slowly and chimed softly to wake the pilot and the commander. They hoped that the plants wouldnât be disturbed as well, but considering how long it took the pair to wake up, they werenât really too concerned.Â
âTrevor,â Alfredo said softly, jostling him gently with his shoulder. His ass and his neck ached from sleeping on the hard metal floor in such an awkward position, and he was sure that the other man would need another round of painkillers too. âTrevor, câmon man. Wake up.âÂ
He did so with great reluctance, groaning softly as he registered several different aches and pains. âWas this really necessary?â
âYeah, it was. Gotta change your bandages so Michael wonât have to cut off your arm,â he said, encouraging him to sit up before reaching for the supplies in front of him. âOr my head.â
Trevor laughed softly, starting to stretch his arms out over his head before he stopped short, wincing and clutching his bandaged arm to his chest. âFuck⌠I thought that was a dream,â he muttered, eyes squeezed shut.Â
âI wish it was,â Alfredo sighed, âBut while you were sleeping, we got Lindsay back. So thatâs good, at least. Told them everything. They wanted to send Michael down here, but I told them not to.â
âAnd why the hell did you do that?â Trevor winced as Alfredo started to unwrap the gauze. Despite how careful he was being, it still pulled at the cuts uncomfortably.Â
âBecause,â he started, murmuring an apology when he saw him wince and trying to go slower. âIf the lockdown gets lifted, that thing can go through the vents and go anywhere it wants, which is bad.â
Trevor hummed in agreement, but it was reluctant. He didnât like knowing Alfredo had been giving orders while heâd been asleep, even if they were the same ones he wouldâve given. âWhatâd you tell them to do, then?â
âKeep the lockdown going, evacuate everyone once we land, and then send Michael down here. With a flamethrower.â
âGood thinking.â
âWhy, thank you.âÂ
They fell into a comfortable silence then, Alfredo removing the last of the gauze and cleaning up his arm. The bleeding had stopped, thankfully, so now it was just a focus on preventing infection, which he hoped would be easy enough. It would be even easier once they got back on solid ground, when Michael could actually get in here and kill the thing. Bullets probably wouldnât do the trick, theyâd just piss Gavin off by causing damage to the ship, but fire was pretty damn effective in every circumstance.Â
âLindsay?â Trevor called softly, feeling instantly comforted when he heard their voice over the speakers. âWhere is the thing? Still in the vent?â
âYep. Still in the vent. Itâs almost cute like this, even if it did try to eat you.â
âIt didnât⌠It didnât try to eat me.â
âSure, sure. Whatever you say, commander. Oh, and Matt would like me to tell you that he thinks itâs hilarious you got your ass kicked by a plant.â
Trevor huffed, rolling his eyes and sinking back against the crates. Even when he was isolated from his crew, they still found a way to pester him.Â
Beside him, Alfredo shrugged off his jacket, flipping it inside out so the soft lining was visible before balling it up. âYou should get some more rest,â he said as he held it out to Trevor. âItâs not much, but itâll be better for your neck than the crate.â
He hesitated a moment before taking it, sinking right down to the floor to lay flat since he had a pillow now. âItâs weird seeing you without your jacket on.â Alfredo had been wearing it from the moment heâd met him until now, he hadnât seen him with it off once.Â
âHe even wears it to bed,â Lindsay piped up, laughing as Alfredoâs face went as red as the leather.Â
âI do not!â He shouted defensively, glaring up at the ceiling. âItâs just part of my style, thatâs all.âÂ
âRelax,â Trevor chuckled, reaching out blindly to pat Alfredoâs arm. He missed and hit leg instead, but neither of them said anything. âI wasnât making fun of you. Itâs a good style, I like it.â He turned his head, looking up at Alfredo with a small smile.Â
The other couldnât help but smile back, getting comfortable against the box behind him. He didnât know why that compliment made him feel so warm, but he was lucky that his face was already red from Lindsayâs teasing so it didnât give him away. âThanks, Trev.â
âAnytime, Fredo.âÂ
----------------------------------------------------
The hours rolled by easily, the pair spending most of them asleep because there wasnât much else to do. They woke up a few times so Alfredo could change the bandages, munching on some rations at one point since the last meal theyâd had was breakfast that morning. Chatting with Lindsay was another good way to pass the time, too. They were able to keep the crew updated on the situation down in the hold, and keep the commander updated on things going on on the other side of the door. There wasnât much going on, just a lot of worry, but Trevor still didnât want to be out of the loop.Â
Once theyâd slept as much as they could and talked to Lindsay until there was nothing more to talk about, they decided to do the only thing they could to pass the final few hours before the ship landed: Talk to each other.Â
âYou said you used to work on Earth. What was that like?â Trevor asked, looking down at Alfredo. They swapped who got to use the jacket-pillow every couple of hours, and since they werenât going to be sleeping anymore Trevor had decided to surrender it back to its original owner (even though it was still technically his turn for another thirty minutes).Â
âYouâve never been?â he asked, sticking an arm beneath his head to prop himself up as he looked back at the commander, who shook his head. âI mean, it was fine? I guess? Kinda boring compared to space. The sky was always the same, and there were way too many people. Have you seriously never been to Earth?â
âNo, I grew up out in the Terra 2 colony. Then I got sucked up into a spacer crew, and that was it. Never saw any reason to go once I got the Morrigan, and now without a warp drive weâre too far out.â
âIâm shocked a job hasnât taken you there, people there are always looking for stuff smuggled in from the far reaches,â he said, shaking his head in disbelief. Customs was a bitch to get by, but he still had a few buddies down there whoâd be willing to let them through. He was sure of it. âOnce we get that drive, weâll pick up a few jobs thatâll take us there.â
âWhatever you say, man. But you didnât exactly make it sound worth the hype.â
âOh, itâs absolutely not, but still. I canât believe youâve never been!âÂ
Talking to Trevor was a lot easier than it had been before. He wasnât as scared of him, and a lot of the distrust had faded. The feeling was mutual, as well. The commander wasnât angry at Alfredo anymore, because ultimately, none of this was his fault. He was the one who hadnât checked in on the cargo sooner, he was the one whoâd startled the monster, all of this fell on his shoulders because it was his ship and he was responsible for everything that happened on it.
âIâm sorry,â Trevor said out of nowhere, almost startling Alfredo with the suddenness of it. âIâm sorry I blamed all this on you.â
âItâs fine.â He hadnât been expecting an apology from the commander. Maybe a month or two on bathroom cleaning duty, sure, but not an apology. âWe both had our fuckups in this mess.â
âWe did, but itâs unfair to blame the whole thing on you. Most of it, sure?â Alfredo cut him a look, and he just laughed. âKidding. Iâm kidding! Donât give me that. Itâs really more like⌠Fifty/fifty.â
âSixty/forty. Youâre the sixty.â
âYeah, okay. Fair enough.âÂ
They grinned at each other, oblivious to the way the ship began to creak and groan around them as Lindsay initiated the landing sequence. The plants in the crates kicked up again, but the one in the vents was still.Â
âYou know what? Youâre alright, Fredo. Gavin was right about you.âÂ
Alfredoâs face matched his jacket all over again, and he had to fight hard to get the words out despite how flustered he was. Trevor hadnât called him by any sort of nickname until now, it made him feel good to know that the commander was finally warming up to him. âWhat⌠What did he say about me, exactly?â
âThat you were the best of the best. And he was right. Normally heâs not right about these things, but⌠He nailed it with you.â
âYou sure youâre not still woozy from blood loss?â Alfredo asked, arching an eyebrow as he sat up, meeting Trevorâs eyes. âBecause I know we just did that whole heartfelt apology thing, but⌠I definitely almost got you killed.â
He shook his head fervently. âNo, you didnât. You saved my life.âÂ
âWell, I wasnât going to let you die.âÂ
âAnd I owe you big time for that.â
The ship jostled as it landed on uneven earth, and Alfredo grabbed onto Trevor quickly to prevent him from sliding around with the crates around them. Even as things settled, he didnât let go, hearing something hiss in annoyance from the far end of the cargo hold.Â
âLindsay⌠Please tell us Michaelâs on his way,â Trevor said, sinking back into the pilot in an effort to hide as he scrambled to grab the harpoon gun.Â
âHeâs outside the door, weâre just waiting for everyone to be off the ship so I can lift the lockdown. I suggest staying out of his way⌠Heâs been wanting to use that thing for the last eighteen hours, and I donât think anythingâs gonna get in his way.â
âIf he dies, Alfredoâs the new medical officer.â
âNoted.â
Using a flamethrower while they were in flight was unwise because of the oxygen rich environment, but back on terra firma it was the perfect weapon for dealing with unruly plant monsters. Michaelâs cackles of delight echoed off the walls, mixing with the roar of the weapon and the shrieks of the plant as it burned. The noises kicked off another escape attempt in the other crates, but the reinforcements theyâd made held firm. Only a few crates of supplies got caught up in the crossfire, and Michael was relatively unharmed aside from the ash staining his lab coat.Â
Alfredo let the harpoon drop from his hands once he realized he wouldnât be needing it, instead helping Trevor to his feet and keeping him steady as they made their way to the bay doors. âMichael,â he said, watching as the man kept scorching the charred remains. âMichael!â He stopped firing quickly, whirling around with wide eyes. âStop dicking around, Trevor needs help.âÂ
âA thank you wouldâve been nice,â Michael muttered as he dropped the weapon, knowing heâd need his hands free to help Trevor.Â
âThank you, Michael. Now help him, please?â
âYeah, yeah. Lindsay told me that you were trying to steal my job, I just hope you didnât make things worse,â he said as he swapped places with Alfredo, supporting Trevorâs weight to make sure he wouldnât fall. âAlright, Trevor-boy, letâs get you to the infirmary.â He started to lead him out of the cargo hold, and Alfredo watched them go for a second before turning to start cleaning the mess theyâd left behind up.Â
Trevor stopped after a few paces, glancing over his shoulder. âYouâre not coming?â he asked, the smallest hint of a frown etched into his features.Â
âUh.â Alfredo blinked, not sure how to answer. âNo?â
âYes, you are. Câmon.â
âWhy?â
âI need someone there for moral support. Michaelâs not as gentle as you are and I need someoneâs hand to hold while he patches me up.â Trevor cracked a grin despite the fact that he wasnât telling a joke, and Alfredo mirrored the expression after a moment to process exactly what heâd said. âCome on, I donât have all day,â he insisted, holding out his hand towards him as Michael began to pull him along.Â
Alfredo jogged to catch up to them, abandoning the task at hand in favor of taking Trevorâs hand. He was happy to have escaped the cargo bay alive, and even happier to know that he was back in the commanderâs good graces. Their relationship was different, stronger and a lot friendlier than it had been now that they were no longer wary of each other. Trevor couldnât think of a single member of the crew that he wouldâve rather gone through that ordeal with, either.Â
âThanks for not letting the boss die, Fredo,â Michael said, cutting into the silence once they reached the infirmary.Â
âYeah, thanks for not letting me die, Fredo,â Trevor agreed, smiling kindly at him and giving his hand a squeeze.Â
âIâd do it again in a heartbeat.â













