#we go... together

The Sorrow-Filled Depths

The three survivors spend a few days relaxing, gathering local supplies, checking on the gardens and planning for the future.  On one of her solo trips out Hikari found a cave system that she thought would be worth exploring.  She and Nicholas go out and find another Degasi base, along with an alien containment system and a strange egg.  They install the system in the base, and put the egg inside.  Nemo on her journey for replacement parts for a new seamoth came across a different cave system - and in it she found some glorious vibrant purple plants along with one that was a delicate blue; she took cuttings of them both and then grew them in the containment system the others had set up. They talk a lot, and Nemo tells them a bit of her background, edited of course - there are few people who could learn the full truth and not run screaming.  But the explosion, the war, the fighting against a friend these things she tells them and the good things as well - snowball fights and dancing until dawn.  She learns about Hikari’s first paper published at 15, and about how Nicholas’ dad took him camping every year until he left for the Academy.  Hikari talks about the failed experiment that nearly killed her and Nicholas speaks of that one space flight where there was an unexpected meteor shower; a meteor tore a hole through the cargo bay and spaced three of the crew. Hikari finds a deck of cards in the belongings she salvaged from the Aurora and this leads to the three of them bemoaning the lack of a fourth player for Bridge or Hearts; Nicholas enjoys Up and Down the Spaceway but Hikari hates it, eventually they compromise on Sevens. Nemo carves a 3-player cribbage board from the wood of the island trees and then proceeds to soundly beat both of the others at the game. They still haven’t solved the deep-dive problem, the prawn suits can’t be built without aerogel and despite their best efforts they’ve not seen any aluminium oxide - corundum - crystals.    It’s Nemo who finds a potential solution in the form of a cyclops bridge blueprint - they’d need two others to be able to put together the larger sub but it gives much needed hope to the team. Hikari and Nemo travel out together to try and find more Cyclops parts but they end up in the wrong mushroom forest - however this leads them to a large cave system, there’s heavier water pooling and draining into the caves but they’re almost at the seamoth depth limit.  Further exploration reveals yet another base, they get in to start stripping it when they’re attacked.  The strange animal is a cross between a crab and a squid - it seems to be able to emit EMPs.   Nemo looks over at Hikari, who is frozen and Nemo can recognise a flashback when she sees one, so she grabs Hikari by the hand and swims them both out to their subs.  Abandoning the Falcon for now, Nemo once again seats Hikari in her lap and pilots the Makoto to safety.

They surface a ways from the base - driven by her healer’s instinct Nemo had headed for the sun - and it seems to be helping, Hikari’s shakes slow and then stop and she offers Nemo a soft apology.   “Nah, enough of that - you saw me after the explosion, I get it Hikari.  If you wanna talk I’m here and I’ll listen, you don’t want to say anything that’s fine too.” Nemo listens as Hikari talks about her young protege Berkeley - how he had a sense of humour and was her equal in terms of understanding and the project they were working on when the alarms going.  How they’d raced together to find a lifepod - and then how it took on water but they were able to create a bilge pump.  They had cobbled together rebreathers and made for the surface from nearly 500 meters below.  And as they swam they were attacked by one of those crab-squids.  Berkeley had looked her in the eye, lifted a hand in farewell and distracted the predator allowing her to reach the surface.  “I saw the pod when we were heading towards the base.  It just all…” she trails off and begins to cry.  Nemo holds her tightly, and rocks a little, humming softly and providing what comfort she can. Nemo doesn’t want to leave yet another seamoth behind, and so once Hikari has recovered some, tells her to head back to the base, that she will be no more than an hour or two behind.  Hikari gives her a watery smile “You best be, or I’ll sic Nicholas onto you.” Nemo mimes a stab wound to the heart, and the brief chuckle she receives in return is so worth it.  “Word of honour - see you soon.”  She makes sure Hikari is headed in the correct direction before diving back down into the depths. Nemo ignores her sub - currently idling around the back of the base and instead swims to find the lifepod Hikari had mentioned.  Magic swirled in her hands, and was sent into the sands, magic that sought calcium.  It returned to her with a skull but no more - the rest of the bones lost to the sea or to the monsters that dwelled here.  She carried Berkeley to the pod, and gently placed his skull inside.  She swam back out and called more magic - careless of the cost, and slowly oh so slowly the metal of the pod changed, becoming a memorial that none would see and as it shaped itself Nemo sang -a bubble of air to breathe in and the songs of mourning.  She sang his name, shaping it so that it would always echo a little in this place, sang of his deeds and his valour.  And she closed with the only prayer she used anymore - that peace would find him wherever his soul roamed.

Chapter 7. Weightless

The next morning after everyone’s up Hikari and Nicholas find Nemo unmaking the bedrooms - their personalisations, clothing etc have all been piled up in the hallway “Nemo, wha are you doing?” asks Hikari “Gimme a sec,” is the reply as Nemo crafts a new room - this one is larger than the regular multipurpose rooms, as if a few have been stuck together and with a wave of Nemo’s hand all their belongings fly in and rearrange themselves around the room, including one of Nemo’s blankets which drapes itself over the rather large bed that’s up against one of the walls.  Once Nemo’s happy with how everything looks she turns to see nearly identical expressions of “please explain” on her teammates faces. “Um, so if you hate it I’ll put it back but none of us are having an easy time and physical company can help with that so I thought perhaps we could share a bed at least on base…” They stare at Nemo, who starts to get worried but then both of them are hugging her and think that it’s a great idea.

That night both Hikari and Nicholas sleep soundly - Nemo knows this because she was awake for most of the night.  But she’s never needed much sleep, and their presence in the room helped her from getting caught up in waking nightmares and negative spirals so she counts it as a definite win, she even managed a few hours of peaceful meditation.  In the morning as the light comes filtering through the window she stirs the others to wakefulness, and enjoys the dawning clarity on their faces as they realise they slept through the night.   “I told you, human touch works wonders,” Nemo says, half jokingly to them “Mmm, it does.  Thank you Nemo,” replies Hikari who leans up and presses a kiss against Nemo’s cheek, causing her to blush slightly.

“Yes, thanks Nemo,” echoes Nicholas, and Nemo’s blush deepens when he also kisses her cheek.

That sets the tone for the next few days, there’s a lot of casual touching going on, almost as if they had all of them needed a push to reach out.  Hikari decides to work on installing communicators into the seamoths so Nemo and Nicholas leave her to it and head out with their seaglides - searching for the mushroom forest that Nemo knows she was near the other day - it takes an hour and a half but then they’re there.  The jellyrays are so lovely, and it’s peaceful.  Nemo and Nicholas manage to find the rest of the Cyclops parts scattered in between two copses of the mushroom spires.  Nemo also scoops up a jellyray egg because she’d love to tame one.

They float together basking in the sunlight for a while after they’ve finished collecting everything - there’s a moment when they both reach for the other to hold hands and it’s sweet and gentle and such a bad idea - nonetheless Nemo doesn’t pull her hand away, lets herself enjoy the moment.  And when they return to the base, Hikari greets them with a wide smile and glasses of greenish liquid.  Bemused both Nicholas and Nemo take a glass, then sip.  Nemo’s eyes widen “Hikari.” “Yes, Nemo?” “Did you somehow manage to create marblemelon liqueur?” “Yep.  I thought we deserved it.” Nicholas laughs, “I’ll drink to that.” The alcohol is sweet with a subtle burn that reminds them to be cautious.  Still they’re all a little tipsy after the first bottle.  Tomorrow they’ll go out and make a Cyclops but right now this break, Nemo knows it’s stopping them all from literally falling to pieces.  

“You know what this means?” Hikari says as they sit around their table with full glasses, two more bottles of melon liqueur and Nemo’s freshly made potato crisps - because they need something to soak up this alcohol. “Never have I ever?” asks Nemo, half jokingly “Precisely!” Nemo sighed, but topped up everyone’s glasses, “you in Nicholas?”

He shrugged “why not - shall I begin?” “Go ahead” “Never have I ever driven a car.” Nemo sips, as does Hikari - who goes next “Never have I ever cheated on a test.” After a while the questions turn personal “Never have I ever had sex outdoors.” Nemo drinks “Never have I ever tied anyone up in bed.” Nemo is wondering if they are trying to get her drunk as she finishes a glass and pours another - she’s at a distinct disadvantage due to her age, and while she’s sure she could technically only count the time spent in this universe for the game where would be the fun in that.

A few rounds later, the last bottle of liqueur is open and half empty,  Hikari is giggling and between them gets out “Never have I ever been with more than one person.”

Nemo looks at her glass, and finishes the drink.  “Well if you’re both interested in changing that let me know on a day we’re all sober.”  

She then bids good night to her stunned teammates - when they go to bed later though she’s not in the room.  “Did we screw up?” asks Hikari

“I don’t think so.  We’ll ask Nemo when she returns.” replies Nicholas.

Chapter 2 - Nemo sighs internally as admitting to fighting a stalker had caused both of her basemates to do the headless chicken thing."Please, calm down - I'm alright."  She rolls up the sleeve of her shirt revealing the bite marks "see it's barely a scratch"

Chapter 3 - Nicholas stuck his head into the room “Where would you like the melons?  I have so many melons!” // Hikari pulls apart the fabricator because she can.  A bit of fiddling around with the programming and she’s able to override the limitation code which will enable them to do more cooking that just “cooked fish” and “cured fish”.  

Chapter 4 - On the Aurora Hikari wants to get back out into the water to help Nemo but Nicholas stops her - in an argument reminiscent of the first they had, “Nemo wanted us to change the distress call.  We should honour her sacrifice by doing so.” “I’m a little upset that you think a fish would be the end of me,” comes Nemo’s voice from the other side of the platform.