Did I Ask?

Ever since your return home from the clinic that afternoon, Simon and Grace barely acknowledged you. Whenever you drew close to them, they would quickly shoo you away from where they were gathered in the bedroom, the bed scattered full of various papers and a few of the laptops from the Hail Mary. If you even attempted to take a look at what was on the papers, Grace would be quick to launch himself from where he sat to cover them with his body, or if you tried to look at the laptops, Simon was quick to shut them and give you a look. It was annoying, to say the least, and eventually you gave up trying to figure out what they were doing and left the room with a light grumble under your breath about how you 'didn't need to see them anyway and could easily entertain yourself.'

Despite what you said, you were still very bored for the remainder of the evening and anything you tried to put your mind too was quickly dismissed as your mind raced with thoughts as your eyes shifted towards the bedroom door that remained closed. You were majority confused and a little hurt at the fact that they were doing something without you and for some reason just couldn't tell you what it was. Even now as you stood in the kitchen quietly cooking dinner did your mind race with more thoughts; Did you forget something? Was today a special occasion and you didn't realize it so they were trying to plan something instead? Was there something wrong with them and they were trying to work through it by themselves so that you wouldn't have to worry about it? Your mind kept racing with more and more thoughts the longer you stood there, your brows furrowed together as you tried to come up with some sort of reason for as to why they would hide anything from you but the longer you thought on it, the more and more your heart began to hurt.

With a sigh escaping you, you shook your head and put your mind to the task at hand; Not burning the food you were making. You weren't the best cook when compared to Simon but you were certainly a better cook than Grace; Watching him pile away a cube of dried ramen with mustard on it certainly drew a line in the sand for you back on the Hail Mary and when you found out about his frozen diners that he would eat back on Earth? Yeah, he wasn't allowed in the kitchen unless you and Simon were around.

When it came to food on Erid though, there wasn't exactly a lot that could be made so you three always tried to come up with something new as to not grow bored of the same old stuff each and every day. Whatever you all enjoyed the most, the recipe was written down or typed up in the laptop for another day and if you weren't fond of a different recipe, in the trash it went and it was completely forgotten about until it was accidently made again some time in the future.

Normally Simon would cook but given how long him and Grace had been in the bedroom for, you couldn't wait any longer to eat and were growing hangry so you took matters into your own hands to get it started. As you moved about the kitchen, engaged in a talk with Armando as the robot swiveled around the room as to help whenever you asked for it, the door to the bedroom opened and you heard the faint footsteps of Simon and Grace step out. They stopped just outside the doorway to the kitchen, glancing at one another and quietly arguing like children just on the other side of it.

"You go first. You had personal lessons with them, so you know more than I do on this." Simon quietly said, gently nudging the blonde past the doorway and into the kitchen.

"Wha- That doesn't mean I'm better at it!" He quietly hissed back as he took a step into the kitchen though not of his own free will, glaring at Simon before he looked back to where you stood, your gaze having once been on them when they first appeared before your attention returned back to the stove.

"About time you two came out of there… I was starting to worry that I did something wrong or you were like, ignoring me on purpose." You explained as you looked towards Grace, suddenly growing worried again when you saw the expression on his face; He look conflicted, he was fidgeting with his hands, and he overall just looked nervous. You stepped towards him, taking his hands in yours as you gently squeezed them, the food on the stove quickly forgotten.

"Grace? What's wrong?" You asked, worry laced in your voice as Grace gently shook his head, his gaze finally meeting your own; There was hesitation swirling in those blue eyes of his.

"I-It's nothing we just um- I wanted to tell you something." He began and it did nothing to calm the nerves that began to spread through your body as you braced for whatever he was about to tell you; Your head slightly tilted, an eyebrow raised as if you were silently urging him to continue.

Then he said it.

He spoke your native tongue and for a second you were shocked and then you had to bite your lip hard and let go of his hands. You immediately had to turn away, moving a hand over your mouth as your shoulders shook and you tried your absolute hardest not to laugh. Grace watched you turn with a frown, noting the way your shoulders shook and felt a pang of embarrassment spread through his chest.

"Hey! Why are you laughing?!" Grace suddenly asked with a huff following his words. He and Simon worked hard to try and learn your language with the intent on using it on you to sweep you off your feet. The bad part? There wasn't a translator for Ziemian and while Grace did have your notes that you had given him whenever he asked to learn it, that was all he had to go on. So him and Simon had been spending the majority of today trying to piece together the words, piece together the pronunciation and this was the first official test run and clearly, whatever he said, did not have the effect he wanted.

"Grace, sweetheart, darling." You began after you calmed down, turning around to take his hands in yours once more and brought them up to your lips to gently kiss them before squeezing them. "I appreciate you trying to learn Ziemian, I really do, but do you know what you just told me?"

Grace began to panic now, swallowing hard at your words; He thought he complimented how you looked but as you stared at him, he realized that was certainly not what he said.

"I… No?" He answered you which had you trying hard not to break out into a grin, trying to keep yourself composed as best you could.

"Okay well- You just insulted me like, really badly and no, I'm not going to repeat what exactly you said." You informed him, watching as the color left his face and pure panic swirled in his eyes. Simon, meanwhile, was laughing behind the kitchen wall, his hand over his face; He was suddenly grateful he didn't say it and Grace did instead.

"Red I am so sorry I swear I didn't mean whatever I said! You know I would never insult you!" Grace whined as he began to ramble apology after apology to you, letting go of your hand to place his hands on either side of your face to cup your cheeks in panic which honestly only made you laugh harder at his rambling. You knew Grace and Simon meant good in everything they did and they would never do anything to harm you or speak ill of you but the way Grace was reacting right now was killing you.

"Grace it's okay! Please calm down-" You said, your hands moving to rest over his. "Like I said earlier, I appreciate you trying to learn and I'm not upset over what you said! It just means we'll need more lessons, that's all!."

Grace slowly relaxed at your words, a pained face crossing his features. He felt so bad now, so guilty at whatever he had just called you. He sighed a bit, putting his forehead against yours now as he shut his eyes. "I'm sticking with English from here on out. Any Ziemian that is spoken in this house will come from you and you alone." He spoke, opening his eyes to look at you. You smiled at him, gently pecking his lips as you pulled yourself away from him.

"That's fine by me. Why don't you go set the table for dinner while I have Simon help me finish it?" You questioned, watching as the blonde perked up and quickly gathered everything he would need before he slipped out into the dining room; You already knew that after dinner Grace was going to smother you with apologies yet again, so it was best to keep him distracted for the time being. As Simon rounded the corner after Grace left the kitchen, he moved to stand behind you, his arms wrapping around your waist as he rested his chin on your shoulder to watch what you were cooking.

"So, can I know what he called you?" Simon questioned as he shifted his gaze to you, watching as you tried not to laugh again.

"Honestly? It wasn't even that bad, I just liked seeing him panic so that's why I said it was bad." You explained, stirring the vegetables in the pan you had in front of you before you looked at him once more. "Honestly? It was a weird insult… A first for me, really. He said I was a ocajaimalazsy mawonrac ez weigel." You spoke your native tongue, watching the way Simon still stared at you like you were crazy before you spoke it back to him in English and only then did he himself begin to laugh.

Ever since your return home from the clinic that afternoon, Simon and Grace barely acknowledged you. Whenever you drew close to them, they would quickly shoo you away from where they were gathered in the bedroom, the bed scattered full of various papers and a few of the laptops from the Hail Mary. If you even attempted to take a look at what was on the papers, Grace would be quick to launch himself from where he sat to cover them with his body, or if you tried to look at the laptops, Simon was quick to shut them and give you a look. It was annoying, to say the least, and eventually you gave up trying to figure out what they were doing and left the room with a light grumble under your breath about how you 'didn't need to see them anyway and could easily entertain yourself.'

Despite what you said, you were still very bored for the remainder of the evening and anything you tried to put your mind too was quickly dismissed as your mind raced with thoughts as your eyes shifted towards the bedroom door that remained closed. You were majority confused and a little hurt at the fact that they were doing something without you and for some reason just couldn't tell you what it was. Even now as you stood in the kitchen quietly cooking dinner did your mind race with more thoughts; Did you forget something? Was today a special occasion and you didn't realize it so they were trying to plan something instead? Was there something wrong with them and they were trying to work through it by themselves so that you wouldn't have to worry about it? Your mind kept racing with more and more thoughts the longer you stood there, your brows furrowed together as you tried to come up with some sort of reason for as to why they would hide anything from you but the longer you thought on it, the more and more your heart began to hurt.

With a sigh escaping you, you shook your head and put your mind to the task at hand; Not burning the food you were making. You weren't the best cook when compared to Simon but you were certainly a better cook than Grace; Watching him pile away a cube of dried ramen with mustard on it certainly drew a line in the sand for you back on the Hail Mary and when you found out about his frozen diners that he would eat back on Earth? Yeah, he wasn't allowed in the kitchen unless you and Simon were around.

When it came to food on Erid though, there wasn't exactly a lot that could be made so you three always tried to come up with something new as to not grow bored of the same old stuff each and every day. Whatever you all enjoyed the most, the recipe was written down or typed up in the laptop for another day and if you weren't fond of a different recipe, in the trash it went and it was completely forgotten about until it was accidently made again some time in the future.

Normally Simon would cook but given how long him and Grace had been in the bedroom for, you couldn't wait any longer to eat and were growing hangry so you took matters into your own hands to get it started. As you moved about the kitchen, engaged in a talk with Armando as the robot swiveled around the room as to help whenever you asked for it, the door to the bedroom opened and you heard the faint footsteps of Simon and Grace step out. They stopped just outside the doorway to the kitchen, glancing at one another and quietly arguing like children just on the other side of it.

"You go first. You had personal lessons with them, so you know more than I do on this." Simon quietly said, gently nudging the blonde past the doorway and into the kitchen.

"Wha- That doesn't mean I'm better at it!" He quietly hissed back as he took a step into the kitchen though not of his own free will, glaring at Simon before he looked back to where you stood, your gaze having once been on them when they first appeared before your attention returned back to the stove.

"About time you two came out of there… I was starting to worry that I did something wrong or you were like, ignoring me on purpose." You explained as you looked towards Grace, suddenly growing worried again when you saw the expression on his face; He look conflicted, he was fidgeting with his hands, and he overall just looked nervous. You stepped towards him, taking his hands in yours as you gently squeezed them, the food on the stove quickly forgotten.

"Grace? What's wrong?" You asked, worry laced in your voice as Grace gently shook his head, his gaze finally meeting your own; There was hesitation swirling in those blue eyes of his.

"I-It's nothing we just um- I wanted to tell you something." He began and it did nothing to calm the nerves that began to spread through your body as you braced for whatever he was about to tell you; Your head slightly tilted, an eyebrow raised as if you were silently urging him to continue.

Then he said it.

He spoke your native tongue and for a second you were shocked and then you had to bite your lip hard and let go of his hands. You immediately had to turn away, moving a hand over your mouth as your shoulders shook and you tried your absolute hardest not to laugh. Grace watched you turn with a frown, noting the way your shoulders shook and felt a pang of embarrassment spread through his chest.

"Hey! Why are you laughing?!" Grace suddenly asked with a huff following his words. He and Simon worked hard to try and learn your language with the intent on using it on you to sweep you off your feet. The bad part? There wasn't a translator for Ziemian and while Grace did have your notes that you had given him whenever he asked to learn it, that was all he had to go on. So him and Simon had been spending the majority of today trying to piece together the words, piece together the pronunciation and this was the first official test run and clearly, whatever he said, did not have the effect he wanted.

"Grace, sweetheart, darling." You began after you calmed down, turning around to take his hands in yours once more and brought them up to your lips to gently kiss them before squeezing them. "I appreciate you trying to learn Ziemian, I really do, but do you know what you just told me?"

Grace began to panic now, swallowing hard at your words; He thought he complimented how you looked but as you stared at him, he realized that was certainly not what he said.

"I… No?" He answered you which had you trying hard not to break out into a grin, trying to keep yourself composed as best you could.

"Okay well- You just insulted me like, really badly and no, I'm not going to repeat what exactly you said." You informed him, watching as the color left his face and pure panic swirled in his eyes. Simon, meanwhile, was laughing behind the kitchen wall, his hand over his face; He was suddenly grateful he didn't say it and Grace did instead.

"Red I am so sorry I swear I didn't mean whatever I said! You know I would never insult you!" Grace whined as he began to ramble apology after apology to you, letting go of your hand to place his hands on either side of your face to cup your cheeks in panic which honestly only made you laugh harder at his rambling. You knew Grace and Simon meant good in everything they did and they would never do anything to harm you or speak ill of you but the way Grace was reacting right now was killing you.

"Grace it's okay! Please calm down-" You said, your hands moving to rest over his. "Like I said earlier, I appreciate you trying to learn and I'm not upset over what you said! It just means we'll need more lessons, that's all!."

Grace slowly relaxed at your words, a pained face crossing his features. He felt so bad now, so guilty at whatever he had just called you. He sighed a bit, putting his forehead against yours now as he shut his eyes. "I'm sticking with English from here on out. Any Ziemian that is spoken in this house will come from you and you alone." He spoke, opening his eyes to look at you. You smiled at him, gently pecking his lips as you pulled yourself away from him.

"That's fine by me. Why don't you go set the table for dinner while I have Simon help me finish it?" You questioned, watching as the blonde perked up and quickly gathered everything he would need before he slipped out into the dining room; You already knew that after dinner Grace was going to smother you with apologies yet again, so it was best to keep him distracted for the time being. As Simon rounded the corner after Grace left the kitchen, he moved to stand behind you, his arms wrapping around your waist as he rested his chin on your shoulder to watch what you were cooking.

"So, can I know what he called you?" Simon questioned as he shifted his gaze to you, watching as you tried not to laugh again.

"Honestly? It wasn't even that bad, I just liked seeing him panic so that's why I said it was bad." You explained, stirring the vegetables in the pan you had in front of you before you looked at him once more. "Honestly? It was a weird insult… A first for me, really. He said I was a ocajaimalazsy mawonrac ez weigel." You spoke your native tongue, watching the way Simon still stared at you like you were crazy before you spoke it back to him in English and only then did he himself begin to laugh.

I'm gonna write a small thing about how I felt making this.

I grew up very dehumanized by the people around me, whether friends, family or strangers. I don't know if it was because I'm autistic or what, but I was always treated like an animal.

Simon has been an exploration of that feeling, the feeling of being treated like an animal sent to slaughter.

Simon speaks to the dog in me that felt conditional love. There is something so alluring yet terrifying about the feeling of unconditional love. It feels unreal, it feels wrong. But sometimes closing your eyes and putting out a hand is the first step.

Grace sure seemed to be a magnet for the more weirder things going on in space outside of Earth's solar system. First he discovered Rocky while dealing with the Astrophage and the Petrova Line issue that threatened not only Earth but Erid as well. Next he, alongside Rocky, found the blood moon known as AT-5 and, after the Hail Mary's sensors informed them of life on the moon's bloodied oceans, rescued Simon from a rather harsh fate; It took some time for Simon to come around and trust them, having lashed out and been rather violent the first couple of days aboard the Hail Mary. He eventually came around, apologized for his actions, and from then on became the Hail Mary's pilot. And even now, as he and Simon stared out the window that was attached to the lab, they stared out at the large, dark gray ship that seemed to just be floating about. It didn't look damaged, no signs of a hull breach or anything of the sort, so both men found it awfully strange for it to just be there. It raised a lot more questions within Grace then it did Simon, and Grace decided he might as well at least ask one of the questions that swam in his mind.

"Is that um- I mean, that isn't one of the people lookin for you, is it? Y'know… You bein a convict and all." Grace questioned, his gaze turning away from the window to look at Simon with a worried expression; Simon had informed Grace of his story once he had calmed down and grew used to being around another human (and Rocky, of course. That took longer though, as he found it extremely weird to be talking to a rock). He had explained in detail to Grace on how he ended up on AT-5, of the COI and of Eden, of everything pertaining to him and his rather troubling past. As Simon's gaze scanned the ship over a few times, he gently shook his head in response to Grace's question.

"No, it doesn't look like anything from the COI. And it certainly isn't anything related to Eden…" He'd explain, his head slightly tilted as he watched the ship float effortlessly through space. It didn't look damaged, but at the same time it didn't look used either. Something was off, Simon could feel it, he just couldn't put his mind to it. "Maybe it's just some abandoned ship. I mean, how much shit truly gets left in space?"

"Explore! Statement!" Rocky shouted as he nudged his way between the two men, wanting to look out the window even though everyone knew he very obviously couldn't see very far in their current location. Simon would let out a small grunt as he stepped aside, staring down at the creature below before he shook his head.

"No, no exploring. We should leave it as it is and keep moving-" Simon began, but Grace was quick to cut him off.

"Now wait- Hold on- Maybe we should try to make contact with the ship? Maybe they need help-" Grace shared his opinion, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at Simon. Simon could only huff lightly as he gave the man beside him a look.

"What if it's some kind of trap? What if they want you to stop just so they could kill you then steal your supplies? Hm? I thought we needed to get to Erid as soon as possible, huh?" Simon shot back which caused Grace to make a face at the remark. In their own ways, both men made valid points. To Simon, everything was about survival, even if he knew he wasn't on AT-5 anymore; Ever detour they took was another day that was taken away from their estimated time of arrival on Erid, another day that was taken away from him being able to relax and not have to look over his shoulder every so often to ensure the COI wasn't hot on his tail. To Grace, this was a chance to see what else space had to offer, maybe a new species of alien or perhaps another human lost on some mission that he wasn't aware of. Perhaps someone really was in need of help, perhaps it was a trap set up by space pirates (If those even existed. Did they exist? Grace would have to ask Rocky at some point.). Neither man would be proven correct unless they attempted to contact or board the ship.

"Rocky say go anyway. More of us. Us is strong. Well, Simon strong. So is Rocky. Grace… Not so much." Rocky would butt in, voicing his own opinion on the matter as he began to sway the ball he resided in from side to side, seeming pleased with the idea to explore somewhere new. Simon could only sigh as he moved his hand up to rub at his eyes, defeat clearly in his facial expression as Grace beamed at Simon in triumph, though he was still hurt at Rocky's claim that he wasn't as strong as Simon.

"Well, that technically makes two against one! We'll just check it out- If we get bad vibes after making contact or entering the ship, then we leave." Grace spoke, turning away from the window with the wave of a hand as he began to make his way to the cockpit of the ship. Rocky quickly rolled after Grace, going on about what a 'bad vibe' was and how he would be able to use that phrase from here on out. Simon would let his arm drop to his side after, watching the two leave before he looked back towards the ship once more, a frown etched on his features before he'd tear his eyes away from the floating hunk of metal.

"You can't go anywhere without a pilot!" He'd call out as he turned to follow after them, rounding the corner that lead to the cockpit.

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After being unable to verbally contact the ship, Simon and Grace had agreed to board the ship. Luckily for Simon, the extra space suits from Grace's deceased companions fit him rather well, lack for better terms. Grace had to tie off the left arm of the suit so it wasn't just dangling there; He even attempted to put the left glove on Simon's nub of an arm, getting a small snort of a laugh from Simon in the process before he just decided to drop it all together. Simon couldn't recall the last time he even looked at a space suit like this, let alone had to wear one. He found it annoying, but he understood why; Whatever atmosphere was inside the ship could be deadly to them. He had survived the blood ocean, he wasn't going to let lack of oxygen take him next.

As the airlock hissed, the doors opened to reveal the interior of the Skeld's storage area; What looked to be metal crates stacked high on top of one another rested in the center of the room while a few smaller crates were knocked off with their contents spilled out nearby. There were also various metal drums containing who knew what lining one of the walls nearby, but Simon's curiosity wasn't drawn to them or to the fact that the ship had electricity running through it. No, his gaze was locked on what looked to be dried blood splattered across the floor just before them. Grace may not have seen it right away, but Simon sure did.

"This place is huge…" Grace called out, his voice crackling in Simon's ear as the space suits radio came to life. It made the man jump for a moment, flashbacks to the speaker in the submarine breaching his mind, but he wouldn't linger on the thoughts for too long. They had a task to complete, and if he spiraled out over some simple radio static, well he would rather have died in the blood ocean.

"Yeah, which means we should stick close to one another. We don't know what's lingering around here." Simon remarked, stepping fully into the storage room as he continued to observe his surroundings, his gaze finally being torn away from the splattering on the ground. A small hiss would escape him as he lifted his foot, glaring down as Rocky had all but barged himself past him and Grace, rolling along into the storage room to look around himself. Grace couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him as he followed after Rocky who was talking about how weird the ship looked compared to the Hail Mary and Blip-A.

They'd quickly take notice of how the room branched down three various halls, all of which were dimly lit with the occasional flicker from the lights along the wall, the low hum of electricity running through the walls being their only noise within the ship aside from the occasional creaking of the haul adjusting to the pressure of space.

"Let's head down this hall first, see if we can find anyone…" Simon spoke, looking back to ensure Grace heard him and began to make his way down the hall just right of the storage room. Grace was quick to follow after him, not wanting to be left alone in such a large space with Rocky following the rear. As they walked, nothing seemed to greet them in return. It didn't seem like a trap at least, but Simon knew better than to let his guard down.

As they came upon the first set of doors just to the right of them, the lock would hiss and open for them, revealing what looked to be a communication room. Yet again, there seemed to be no signs of life here, but all the equipment seemed to be working just fine.

"They still have power… I wonder why the ship isn't running then?" Grace questioned, stepping into the room cautiously as he looked from side to side. He took notice of the various electronics that were mounted on the walls, of the computers that were stationed on three different desks, and of the chair that was spun to face the doorway. Simon would frown as he stepped in as well, making his way over to the main computer that sat on the wall just across the door. "Maybe they ran out of fuel." Simon voiced his own opinion to try and answer Grace's question.

"What this? What this? Question?" Rocky would speak as he ran a circle around the room, taking in everything that resided in the room; Some things looked familiar to him, as the Hail Mary had a couple of the same things, but some of it was also different to Rocky. While Grace would begin to inform Rocky of just what was in the room and how it worked, Simon was solely interested in the computer that faced the door they had just entered, the one with the chair spun around. Attached to the top of it looked to be a camera of sort and as Simon tilted his head, he'd reach out to investigate the computer. It didn't seem like a log in was required, which surprised him, but made their job even easier. As he began to navigate the computer, Grace would come to stand beside him.

"Find anything that may give us clues to what happened here?" He'd question him, leaning over a bit to look at the glowing screen before him as Simon began to click on various files; Some of them just looked to be random data that the ship provided the crew with, other files were things that Simon couldn't give a care for. The last file folder he clicked on sprang to life, what looked to be video files were stored here. The two men would look at one another before looking back at the screen, Simon moving the cursor over the first video file before he'd click on it.

A new tab would appear, a video player of sorts, and the video began to play with no extra attention needed.

The camera would be adjusted, a red gloved hand moving it into position before you sat back in the seat with a small huff, turning to look at the white suited male beside you. "Do I really have to do this? It's kinda stupid-" You'd begin to say, the male beside you laughing as he patted your shoulder.

"Yes, you do. Mira HQ wants us to record everything we do and see, you know, just in case something were to happen." He'd answer you, his white space suit covered in various patches, stating his obvious role as captain. You'd roll your eyes as he'd make his way to the door. "You don't need to spend all day here, just a few simple sentences and then you'll be done." He'd inform you before he'd leave the room, leaving you to yourself. You turned your attention back to the camera, crossing your arms as you leaned forward on the desk; Similar to the man who just left, you wore a space suit of your own though no helmet was seen and yours was colored red with a simple patch attached to your right sleeve with what looked to be a medical symbol attached.

"Right um… Video log one, Red reporting." You'd begin, making a face at having to record this stupid log and call yourself by that title. "First day officially on board the Skeld. Take off was smooth and breaking through the atmosphere and into space was simple enough. No issues there but that was to be expected, White seems to know what he's doing as Captain and Blue seems to be a reliable pilot. There's eight of us total and I was assigned here to be the crews medic because apparently someone has to keep these idiots alive from whatever we find out there." You'd huff out, glancing around the room a bit as you attempted to come up with something else to talk about so you decided to just give a debrief of the mission. "The mission sounds simple enough; Head to planet Polus, retrieve some data and find out why the outpost has been silent for over two months now." You'd lean back in the seat, letting out a low hum as you attempted to think of what else there was to report before you'd sigh, leaning forward to reach out for the camera. "Alright, I think that's enough. I'll report again when we reach the planet." The video went dark afterwards.

The two men would look at each other; There was, or possibly were, eight people located on this ship. So where did they all go? The ship remained silent, minus the sound coming from the computer, and Rocky had yet to report of any movement nearby, so what exactly happened? The amount of questions the two had began to add up and they hoped that with each log they found on this computer, their questions would be answered.

They'd continue through the logs, picking and choosing which they'd watch; Like you had stated, each of your fellow crew members wore a different colored suit and had their own roles within the ship, their suit adoring their respective patches on their arms. A Captain, two engineers, two scientists, a pilot, a medic, and a weapons officer; Seemed to be a pretty sound crew for the most part and everyone looked like they got along with one another just fine. So why was it that something felt off the more and more they watched? Simon would click on another log and you'd appear on their screen again, though you began to look tired.

"Video log fifteen, Red reporting. Something… Something is wrong." You'd begin, resting your elbows on the desk as you placed your head in your hands to rub at your face. "The crew that was stationed at Polus had seemed to just… Disappear. The only signs of life was the mess that was left within the outpost itself. No bodies, no skeletal remains, nothing." You'd inform the camera, lifting your head to look into it as you leaned back in your seat, your arms falling to your sides. "The data within the station had been extracted, along with any biological samples from the planet that they had been working on. The electronic data has been uploaded into the admin computer and will eventually be redirected back to Mira HQ for evaluation while the samples were placed in O2 lab for Green and Orange to look over but everything is just… Strange. How does a crew of twelve just suddenly disappear? It isn't normal-" You'd question, glancing over your shoulder before looking back at the camera, your voice dropping to a low whisper as if someone was lurking nearby.

"That's not the only strange thing… Recently, Yellow has been acting odd… Ever since we boarded the Skeld to return back to HQ, they've been… Twitchy, antsy. I've offered to help them, prescribe them something to help calm their nerves but they refuse each time. Said they're completely fine and appreciate my concern for them." You'd sigh, shaking your head. "I'm thinking perhaps it's just the nerves from not finding anyone at the outpost, but I guess you never know." You'd get to your feet before you'd cut the log without another word.

"Wait- Did they mention O2? As in oxygen?" Grace would speak, his eyes wide as he looked at Simon who looked at him in return. Simon would stand up, his hand immediately going towards his helmet before Grace would quickly grab his hand in a panic.

"Wait wait wait! Don't go yanking that off yet! We don't even know if everything is up and running! Maybe that's why we haven't found anyone yet, because their O2 diminished and they died from lack of oxygen!" Grace would shout, his eyes narrowing on Simon; Always quick to rush into things and not one to stop and think about the cause and effect. Simon would huff, shaking Grace's hand off his own.

"Then we should go search for wherever this lab is, see if it is running so I can take this stupid helmet off." Simon would bark back. The two stood in silence, glaring each other down before the automated voice of Rocky reached their ears.

"Rocky go find lab. Rocky fix whatever broken." Rocky offered, though it was more-so a statement as he began to roll towards the door without another word spoken. Grace would turn his attention to his companion, about to argue before he'd let out a low groan already seeing the Eridian leave the room and go down the hall to the right.

"Rocky- Would you wait?! How do you even know where you're going?! It could be dangerous!" Grace would call out, leaving Simon's side to chase after him, leaving the convict alone in the room. Simon would turn his attention back to the screen, clicking on a few more logs along the way to try and piece together what had happened here; Was it perhaps an O2 leak like Grace had mentioned? Did some sickness spread through the ship and you, their medic, was unable to catch it in time and cure it? He wasn't sure, but with the more and more videos he watched, the less and less he began to notice certain crew members record their logs. He'd notice how everyone began to look more and more tired, how some would show up more dirtied then others. Until he reached the last log; You'd appear on screen, your red suit stripped down to the waist, the arms tied tightly around your waist so the sleeves would've get caught on whatever you walked passed. The top you wore underneath your suit was dirtied with what Simon could only assume was dried blood, perhaps some grime from the ship itself. Regardless, you looked like you had been through hell and then some. Your hair was matted, your face and arms covered in cuts, bruises, and blood; Your head was just dripping with blood, he noticed. You also had a large cut across your right arm, but you didn't seem to care right now. You looked exhausted for the lack of a better term.

"Video log twenty-four… Red reporting…" Your voice spoke quietly, you sounded utterly defeated. "Despite there once being eight of us aboard this ship… I've now become the sole survivor. The reason Yellow had been acting strange wasn't because of nerves, or because of what happened on Polus. It was because it was the reason those twelve scientists went missing on Polus." You'd explain, looking away from the camera and towards the corner of the room. "This entire time, there was an imposter among us- A creature that wanted nothing more than to tear us limb from limb and consume us just as it did the others." You'd begin to tear up, your voice cracking as you moved a hand over your mouth, trying to keep yourself together long enough to at least get the recording done. "It had killed, maybe even infected Yellow back on Polus and managed to either copy itself perfectly to look exactly like him or managed to take over his body with no issues whatsoever. Regardless of what it did to him, it managed to act like him despite the antsiness I noted after boarding the ship."

"When Pink suddenly fell ill while working in the reactor, I just… I couldn't figure out why she fell ill. Nothing was showing up on my scans, no medicine I had on board was helping and eventually she passed in her sleep. After that, all hell seemed to break loose. One by one that thing took us out; We'd find Green choked to death in electrical with the wiring, Blue was shot in the pilots seat while Orange was found poisoned in O2 after a leak started." The cracking in your voice grew, the sobs becoming evident in your voice as you remembered everything that happened to each and everyone you began to grow close with over such a long period of time.

"I tried to save them all, I tried everything I was taught and then some, yet nothing worked. Those of us that remained began to look at me differently; Began to blame me for the deaths as if I had a hand in it!" You'd begin to break, your hands now moving into your hair to grip it as you leaned over in the seat to stare at the ground. "Eventually Captain connected the dots and it was then that the imposter began to take out the rest of us to ensure we wouldn't eject him. Captain…" You'd start, feeling your throat tighten all over again as more tears began to well in your eyes and fall onto the floor beneath you.

"Captain managed to tackle the imposter into the airlock… Yelled back at me send them both into space. I… I did it. I sent them into space- I watched as White died alongside that thing." You'd sob, breaking down all over again. "Black was the last alive but he… He was gravely injured. I tried to save him too- I stitched the wound, I disinfected it, I wrapped it so tightly in bandages I thought I'd break his ribs. I even gave him the blood transfusion so why… Why did he have to die too and leave me alone?!" You shouted, your hands suddenly slamming onto the desk as you stood violently, your tears visible on the recording as they fell and hit the table now. You cried for what was another minute, just standing before the camera and letting it all wash over you in one big breakdown.

Eventually you'd lift your head back up, your eyes puffy and red, the streaks of tears cutting through the blood and grime that covered your face. "I'm not making it home… This… This ship is my death bed. I'll die here like the others, though I'll die slower. There's enough supplies for another couple weeks but I don't… I don't know how to pilot this ship- I don't know how to ensure the O2 levels stay where they should, how to make sure the reactor and engines run without issues." You'd vent, your hands curling into fists against the desk as you'd let out a small laugh.

"How ironic, right? The medic being the last alive… The person that should keep others alive is the sole survivor." You'd sniffle, moving a hand to rub at your eyes before you'd exhale shakily, reaching out for the camera. "This is Red, signing off for the last time."

The screen froze as you cut the recording and Simon could only stare at your face in the paused frame. In a way, you reminded him of himself; Stuck in a hunk of metal with what looked to be no way out. Sure, the ship probably had an autopilot feature that could get you back to wherever you belonged, but if you weren't trained on how to use it, it was pretty much useless. There were more riskes to pressing random buttons than there was to just sit and wait out your death.

"Simon! Simon you can take your helmet off!" Grace's voice broke him from his train of thought, running back into the room with his helmet now off and held within his hand. "That log was right- There's a whole lab that controls the oxygen on the ship and get this, right? There's live plants in there!" Grace began, his voice laced with excitement but it quickly fell short as he took in the grim look on Simon's face, his expression falling quick. "What happened? What did you find out?"

Simon moved his hand up to his helmet, disconnecting it from the suit and placed it aside on the desk as he exhaled the breath he didn't even realize he was holding but he quickly tensed as he caught the faint scent of blood, long since dried but still the copper smell present just enough for him to catch it.

"There was a monster on this ship. It took out the crew except for one- This… Red person." Simon began to explain as he turned to look at Grace whose eyes widened at his words.

"Then they might still be around here! Simon we gotta find them-" Grace spoke as he moved closer, having Simon step aside as he began to check over the recording dates for the logs, his face scrunching as he attempted to make sense of the timing. It took awhile but he eventually put it together; Lucky for them, their numbers seemed to be in English. A weird coincidence.

"Okay! Here-" Grace pointed at the screen towards the numbers of the last log Simon had watched. "This is about two or three days old- They might still be around here." Grace looked to Simon, his expression hardening. "We need to find them, perhaps they're still alive." He'd state, looking at Rocky who rolled his ball from side to side in excitement.

"Rescue mission? Question?" Rocky asked to which Grace nodded.

"Rescue mission, buddy."

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For once, after having boarded the Skeld to make your way back home, you felt at peace. You felt comfortable, warm, content.

'Something's wrong.' You immediately thought, your body slowly waking itself from the darkness that surrounded you. Slowly your eyes would open, a low hiss escaping you as you were greeted to the vivid whiteness of the room you resided in. You'd move an arm up to try and cover your eyes, but would quickly take notice of the IV tube sticking out of your arm with what looked to be medical tape secured to it to ensure it didn't fall out. Suddenly all your senses were awake as you stared at it with wide eyes; The last thing you recalled before you finally fell unconscious was sitting with your back against the panel in the reactor room, staring across the hall towards the security room as the low hum of the reactor behind you lulled you to a sleep your body so desperately craved. You'd quickly sit up, looking around the room quickly; You weren't on the Skeld, that much was certain. This wasn't it's med bay and it certainly wasn't back in Mira HQ, this was someplace different. You didn't have long to think about where you could possibly be before mechanic armatures dropped from the ceiling to aid you as if sensing your sudden awareness, but you were quick to shove it away from you with eyes narrowed. You needed to be cautious, after all.

"Don't touch me." You'd hiss, your body in a fight or flight mode now. You'd watch as the armatures moved away with your shove before remaining in their places, though they never seemed to look away from you. You'd look down at yourself, a small huff escaping you as you noticed more tubes and wires attached to you in various points. Whoever, or whatever, found you clearly attempted to patch you up, or perhaps it was the very arms that wanted to help you moments ago? Any previous injuries that you were unable to take care of on your own were now patched to some degree. The cuts and bruises that lined your arms from your encounters with the imposter were now hidden being tightly wrapped white bandages that had turned a faint pink color in some spots. You'd raise your hand to your head and just like your arms, you felt the lining of a bandage there as well. At this point, you honestly couldn't recall all the injuries you had sustained over the past couple of days, as it was all just a blur of colors to you.

However many injuries you did have though, they must've been taken care of by these robotic armatures. You did notice though that you still remained in your red space suit, though your once dirty and tattered undershirt had been replaced by a newer, freshly cleaned one. A little baggie, you noted, but still covering you completely. Did the arms do that for you? Or did whatever had taken you on board do it? A frown crossed your features at the thought before you'd huff once more and began to rip the cables and wires off your body, a small wince escaping you as you tore the IV from your arm before you'd swing your legs over the side of the bed. The arms would reach for you once more, a mechanical voice speaking.

"Body motion detected. Please, for your own safety, return to the medical bed." You'd roll your eyes as you stood up, a little shaky at first but you quickly gathered your senses and began to walk towards the entrance you had spotted while observing the room. You yourself were a medic, you knew your own limits better than anyone else. Though you supposed throughout the past couple of days you had been ignoring said limits, but you weren't about to let some robot take care of you when you could do so yourself. As you stepped out into the corridor, your gaze immediately landed on the window that looked out into space just to your left. You quickly moved over to it, pressing a hand against the coolness of the glass to try and peer outside; Was the Skeld nearby? Were you able to pinpoint where you were? Annoyance crossed your features as you didn't take notice of your ship anywhere, but you did notice the stars looked to be in the exact same positions as before when you were aboard your ship and would stand in the cafeteria to stare out at them. So if this ship didn't move from where the Skeld was stationed, where was the ship?

As your mind raced with questions, your attention was turned elsewhere as the echo of voices began to reach your ears. You'd turn your head behind you, eyes narrowed slightly down the corridor before you began to follow the voices cautiously.

"Grace you can't be serious about keeping them here. What if we run out of supplies? Or they try to kill us? What then?" A deep male voice spoke but was quickly cut off by another voice, also male.

"This ship was originally designed to house three people, we'd have more than enough supplies to get us to Erid if they wanted to come with! And I mean- I don't think they'd want to kill us… You watched all the video logs, they don't seem like the type to kill unless they absolutely needed too! They're a medic, after all." The second male would voice his opinion, his tone firm. So you were on a ship with two others, good to know. As you made a left turn to make your way down the next corridor, you quickly caught sight of another window. With caution thrown out the window, you quickly raced over to it to take another look outside. It was there you saw the Skeld, attached to what you could only assume was this ships airlock system. A sigh of relief escaped you before you'd glance back, hearing the voices once more. Behind you was another corridor, much shorter though, and what looked to be a lab was attached at the end of it.

You'd take note of the two males there, one with long darker hair and the other with short blonde hair, glasses hanging off of his face. What really took your interest? The creature in the glass ball that seemed to be looking directly at you.

"Grace, Simon-" The creature began to speak, though similar to the medical room you were in, it sounded automated.

"Not now Rocky." Simon (Or Grace, you didn't know who was who) spoke down to the creature without taking his gaze off the other human before him.

"Urgent! Very urgent! Statement!" The creature spoke again, but both men seemed to just ignore the creature as they continued their argument above him. How rude of them. You'd slowly move away from the window, making your way down the corridor to where they all stood. Rocky, you assumed it's name was given the one male mentioned it, began to roll in the ball, making a quick lap around the two to try and get their attention once more before it began to make it's way over to you.

"Simon! Grace!" Rocky called out again as it stopped just before you to try and properly get a look at you.

"What?!" Both men shouted in unison before turning to look at where Rocky had rolled off to, only for both of them to go silent and wide eyed as you stood there. You'd have crouched down to inspect the ball, your head tilted curiously at it's design. What looked to be glass panels were attached to every side of it, welded together with a thin seal of… Some type of element or metal, you weren't sure. You weren't the scientist of the group, that much was certain.

"Weird…" You'd speak before your gaze turned to the men and your heart all but stopped. You stared with wide eyes at the male with the dark hair; Half of his face, around his cheek area to be exact, were sharp jagged teeth that jutted out from what looked to be a wide scar across his face that branched out just above his nose. He was also missing his left arm, but that wasn't what made you so fearful. It was the teeth, almost looking exactly like those of the imposter that took over Yellow.

As if sensing your sudden fear, Grace quickly moved to stand in front of Simon, his hands held up in defense. "Wait wait wait- Don't freak out, okay? He's not as scary as he looks! I promise!" Grace began, unsure if you were even able to understand his language. Well, you did speak perfect English not even a second ago, so perhaps you did understand. Simon made a face as the fear crossed your features and turned his head away to hide that mutated side of him.

"Simon safe! Everything here safe! Statement!" Rocky spoke as he rolled around you as you stood to your feet, still looking a bit defensive; You had every right to be. You were taken from the comfort (if you even wanted to call it that anymore) of your own ship and were now surrounded by 2 strangers and a rock-like alien. If it wasn't for the lack of knowledge of the ship you were on, you would've bolted and attempted to find your way back to the Skeld. You'd keep your gaze on Simon for a moment longer before shifting your gaze to Grace, finally putting names to faces.

"Where am I? Why did you bring me here?" You'd begin your long list of questions to which Grace would relax a bit; Good, you were gonna trust them for the time being. He'd take that small bit of trust and run with it for as long as you'd let him.

"You're on the Hail Mary, a spaceship from the planet Earth. And I mean… You looked like you were dying on your own ship when we found you. You needed the help so we brought you back to get that help." He'd answer honestly, slowly lowering his hands. "Why don't you come and have a seat in the lab and we can talk…? I'm sure you have a lot of questions to ask us and we have a couple we'd like to ask you as well. I'll get you something to eat too, you're probably starving."

You'd fall silent at that as you thought it over; You didn't have much of a choice to be fair and your stomach eventually gave your answer as it growled loudly. Simon would snort lightly upon hearing it and you'd huff quietly, moving your hands over your stomach as you glared down at it in annoyance. You supposed you did owe them your thanks for saving you, so it was only right that you answered whatever questions they had.

"Fine, but only because food is an option."

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You'd sit at one of the lab tables, balancing yourself on the stool as you shoveled in whatever food Grace had given you. This was much different then the food on the Skeld and honestly? It tasted so much better and you didn't think you could return to what you originally ate on the ship.

"Okay so- First things first." Grace spoke as he paced the lab on the other side of the table you were currently sat at, Simon leaning against the counter on the opposite side with his hand gripping the edge of it as he also watched Grace pace around. Rocky remained seated nearby in his ball, though within view of everyone.

"We found the video logs on your ship and we know about your mission and… Parts of what happened to your crew. Our condolences, by the way." He'd offer, turning to look at you in which you'd give a small nod as 'thanks' as you continued to eat; By the way you were inhaling it, you obviously hadn't eaten in a couple days. "I guess the main thing we want to know is what attacked your crew? Were you able to figure out what it was? Is it a possible threat to the rest of us?" Grace finished as he stopped just beside Simon. You'd finish your meal, pushing the garbage aside into a small pile before you'd lean your arms on the table, looking between Simon and Grace with a content look now that you had been fed.

"I'm still not sure myself what it was if I'm being honest... It must've came from Polus, perhaps a parasite or maybe just an alien with shape-shifting abilities? Then again that wouldn't explain just how it knew Yellow's memories if it was a shape-shifter so I've started to lean more towards parasitic. Though without Yellow's body I'm not exactly able to confirm any of the theories I have…" You'd shrug lightly. "Unless you intend on going to the planet Polus, I don't see it being a threat to anyone here."

"Is your name actually Red?" Simon would ask next, causing Grace to give him a look like 'Are you serious?!' A small laugh would escape you, shaking your head lightly; Grace had informed you several times over (Rocky as well) that Simon wouldn't hurt you, that he wasn't like the monster that had killed your crew.

"No, my name isn't actually Red. When creating the crew for the mission, they grabbed crewmates from various parts of the planet. Some of us had names the others couldn't even pronounce, so they decided to have us go off the colors of our suits. It made things easier, in a way." You'd inform them, watching as Simon gave a slow nod and Grace raised an eyebrow in response; He supposed in a way it would make sense, I mean, who didn't know their colors?

"Anyway- My turn." You'd sit up a little more, leaning over the table to point directly at Rocky. "What's that?"

"Me?" Rocky would speak, slightly annoyed you'd refer to him as a 'that.' "I am Rocky!" He'd shout, starting to roll towards you until Grace stuck his leg out to stop him, picking up where Rocky had left off. "He's an Eridian, from the planet Erid. Which, actually, is where we were headed until we saw your ship just… Floating around in space." Grace spoke, nudging Rocky back with his foot. A small chuckle would escape Simon at the small altercation, even more so as Rocky would grumble something that the computer was unable to pick up on, rolling back to where he once sat to continue what could only be described as his pouting session.

"Erid?" You'd question, tilting your head before you'd frown. "Where are you even from then? Shouldn't you be going home?" You'd question, looking between Grace and Simon. Simon would make a face at your question, looking away a bit before Grace would clear his throat.

"It's uh- A rather complicated story… One that would take hours to explain." He'd begin, waving his hand as he made his way over to lean himself on the table you sat at. "Short story is he doesn't really have a home anymore." He'd point to Simon. "I don't have enough fuel to get home." He'd point to himself. "And he needs to return home to save his planet and we only have enough fuel to get there." He'd point to Rocky. Slowly you'd nod your head, a frown crossing your features.

"I see… I'm sorry for asking." You'd say as you sat back onto the stool. Grace would give a small shrug as he straightened back up. "Ah, don't worry about it. Not like I had anyone waitin' for me anyway. Though, that does bring me to my next question. What are you going to do now?" He'd question you, crossing his arms.

This question had caught you by surprise; What were you going to do now? You could return to Mira HQ, report your findings and then who knows what would happen from there. They'd probably put you in quarantine for awhile before dumping you into some lab to be watched and tested in case that imposter had, in fact, infected you. Perhaps after all that was said and done, you'd be forced to lead another team back to Polus to investigate those creatures further. In the end, you could only see yourself dying on that planet at the hands of another monster, where it'd take control of your own body to lure that new team to their own demise. You'd make a face at the thought, picking at the bandages that wrapped up your arms as more and more scenarios played out in your mind.

Simon would watch you closely, his head tilted ever so slightly. "You don't want to return to wherever you're from, do you?" He'd question, as if reading your very mind. Your eyes would widen as you looked at Simon, mouth slightly agape as if trying to come up with some reasoning to give him. "It's written all over your face, you know. You're afraid to go back, afraid they'll send you back into the same mess you were just in. I know that feeling, I was stuck in something similar." He'd inform you, a knowing look in his eyes. You didn't need to fully understand his story to just know he understood you. You'd hum lowly in response, looking down at the table.

"I'm… Sorry to hear that. And I'm sorry for judging you so quickly. After everything happened I really thought you were one of those things…" You'd apologize, watching as Simon simply shrugged it off before speaking. "It happens, don't worry about it."

Silence fell between the four of you, everyone had their eyes on you and what your decision would be. After some thinking, some serious thought on your end, you'd open your mouth to speak.

"I'd... I'd like to go with you to Erid. If you'll have me,that is. I have medical knowledge, maybe not as much as that machine in the other room but I can be useful!" You'd offer yourself up, looking between the two men with wide eyes. "Whatever supplies are on the Skeld are yours to take. There's food and water, though it's not as good as what you gave me earlier. Not to mention various medical supplies, lab equipment, there's even plants within the O2 lab we could bring aboard if you so wanted."

Simon and Grace would look at each other then down to Rocky, almost as if they were all silently having the conversation that would decide your very fate. You'd bite your lip, already getting antsy and trying to think of something else to offer up that would get them to accept you on board. You'd already offered the food and water, not to mention all the equipment on the ship, what else could you offer-

"Of course you can come with. Why wouldn't we take you along?" Grace would speak up, looking at you with a warm smile. You'd relax immediately into the seat, letting your head fall back for a moment. Similar to when you laid in that bed earlier, you felt at ease; You'd be away from the disaster that had been the past couple of weeks and start new, start somewhere fresh.

With that decision in mind, you'd work with them to gather the supplies you needed off the Skeld and onto the Hail Mary. You informed them of where certain supplies were, of what could be removed and brought with and what had to stay. Simon had knowledge of how to pilot ships, or at least that's what Grace had informed you of since he sorta became the pilot for the Hail Mary when needed, so you had requested he figure out a way to return the ship to Mira HQ. The least you could do was return it to them, along with the bodies of your deceased crewmates that resided within the medical bay. You refused to let Grace or Simon enter that room for that very reason. Only you would go in to retrieve the supplies and say your final goodbyes to the bodies of your crewmates. You'd apologize for not being able to save them and hoped that the stars that surrounded you took their souls and carried them into another world where they weren't subjected to such a terrible fate.

With everything now secured within the Hail Mary and the autopilot that Simon figured out set for departure within the next ten minutes, you sat within the communication room once more. You needed to record one last log, after all. You could hear Captain White already nagging at you to get it done and over with so you all could go about your day. You'd reach out towards the camera, pressing the button to turn it on. The familiar red light began to flash.

"Video Log twenty-five. Red reporting." You'd begin, just as you had so many times before as you adjusted how you sat within the chair. "This is actually the last log, not the previous one, obviously." You'd joke before delving into your final video log. "Thanks to a group of other survivors aboard another ship, I'm still alive and kicking. With that in mind though, I will not be returning to Mira HQ for a number of reasons that I refuse to list in this recording but if you watch the other logs, I'm sure you can piece it together very quickly." You'd inform the camera as if you were talking to researchers back in HQ.

Leaning back in your seat, you crossed your arms over your space suit and put your head back a small bit to stare up at the ceiling. "I've gone ahead and logged all the data needed from the mission to Polus and I've even recorded another video to inform you all of a possible parasitic alien residing on the planet that was the reason for everyone being killed. I advise you all not to return there, to abandon the planet all together, but I know how it all works. You'll take my warning and throw it aside until the same situation happens again, and again, and again." You'd sigh, shaking your head as you thought of what poor unfortunate souls would be sent there next.

"Regardless," you'd begin again, lowering your head to look at the flashing red dot upon the camera. "I'll be sending the Skeld back to you, though it's supplies have gone with me. Figured you'd all just toss them anyway once it returned in fear of them being infected so might as well put it to use somewhere else, am I right?" You'd stand from the seat, uncrossing your arms as you leaned forward with your hands on the desk. "Aboard the ship within the medical bay are the bodies of some of the crew, though not all are here. Please, return them to their families or loved ones so proper burial and cremations may be taken care of." With a low hum and some thought if you had missed anything else, you decided to wrap it up, you were running short on time and the Hail Mary and it's crew were waiting for you, after all.

"With all that said and done, I believe it's time for me to take my leave." You'd reach out, your hand hovering over the camera's record button. "Red, officially signing off, and good luck." You'd click it off. You'd move away from the computer after making sure the log saved and the computer turned off, leave the communication room, and make your way through the storage area one last time. You'd stop at the air lock, looking back into the ship once more, taking it all in once more just as you had done the day you boarded it.

"Red coming? Red should come over now. Ship take off soon. Will be stuck alone." Rocky called out from where he was positioned on the other side of the tunnel, gently rocking the ball he resided in as he eagerly awaited their newest companion.

"Y-Yeah you really should come over now-" Grace began, growing nervous as the time ticked down to when the ship would depart. "I'd really rather not get sucked out into space when we're so close to Erid all because we didn't close the airlock in time." Grace called out, a small laugh escaping as you as you'd turn and make your way across and into the Hail Mary where they all stood, Simon just on the other side of where Rocky was.

"Alright, alright. I'm comin." You'd speak, looking back as Grace closed the airlock and ensured it was properly sealed before he'd move away into the main portion of the ship. You'd move towards the nearest window and watched as the Skeld, not even two minutes after you had boarded the Hail Mary, powered itself on and without hesitation, turned itself 180 degrees and blasted off into space in the direction you could only assume the planet where Mira HQ resided in was at. You'd remain beside the window for some time, your eyes glued to the bright light of the ships large thrusters until they disappeared among the stars. With a low hum escaping you, you looked back over to Simon, Grace, and Rocky; These three individuals were now your newest crew, and like hell you'd fail them as you did those on the Skeld. Grace watched you with a warm smile, a hand on his hip while Simon's head was slightly tilted, an eyebrow raised as he expected you to say something or perhaps see what your next move was. Meanwhile, on the floor of the ship, Rocky seemed to be buzzing with excitement within his glass ball.

It doesn’t take much to figure out that Colt has a thing for praise. You watch him while he works and notice his smile burns brightest after a stunt if he gets a “Hell yeah, Seavers!” or “Well done!” from someone who was watching; it doesn’t matter who. That in and of itself isn’t conclusive, so you decide more research is in order. Colt is a giver by nature and it’s therefore easy to find an excuse to lay on the adoration. “Thank you, sweetheart. You’re so thoughtful,” you say when he brings you coffee one morning. You kiss his blushing cheek and find him still smiling an hour later. 

You lean into it, showering him with compliments for even the smallest deeds so you can watch how he melts and ducks his head in embarrassment. Your favorite is when he bashfully rubs the back of his neck, which affords you a spectacular view of his ridiculously defined bicep. He tries once, half-heartedly, to get you to stop. 

“You don’t have to say that,” he mumbles, glancing away as heat creeps up his face. 

“Sure, but I know you like it.” His eyes go wide. His lips part but nothing comes out. “Don’t you?” you press. 

“Uh-huh,” Colt responds, staring and sounding a little dazed. 

You grin. 

You wouldn't call K quiet; he can actually be fairly talkative when he’s in the mood to be, but he is shy about what he likes, so it takes time to find out he's fond of your voice. K is new to gentleness, to relationships that aren’t transactional, so you’re more than happy to take things slow. You walk together and explore the city, sometimes without saying a word as he glides along at your side. But the silence is comfortable, and you suspect he needs more of that in his life. Your evenings are spent in his apartment, where you cook for him in exchange for him teaching you how to dance. After, you lay on the couch with your head in his lap and he reads to you from real books he’s picked up here and there. 

It happens when you suggest you read to him for a change. K settles against you and his head rests on your thigh as you begin the next passage from the battered novel. Nothing strikes you as out of the ordinary over the next few nights; you’re too absorbed in the story to notice K’s breathing pick up or to attribute the discrete shift of his hips to anything other than him getting comfortable. 

It takes K actually sitting up to pull you out of things. “K?” you ask, then let out a surprised gasp as his lips find your neck. It’s controlled but intense, so much like the rest of him. 

“Keep going,” he urges, and you do your best. 

Sebastian… leave it to the pianist to be really into your hands. He is not subtle, though little about Sebastian could be said to be understated. When you’re together, it's a given he’s holding your hand and is probably running his thumb over it. He’s constantly bringing your fingers to his lips, to the point you’re not certain he’s aware he’s doing it. He lights up when you touch him, not in a bright burst, but a warm, steady glow that softens his features and brings a wondering smile to his face. Sebastian can be a bit of a live wire, but you never feel it when your hands are on him. 

You realize there's another layer to his fixation when he’s listening to you play a moderately challenging piece from next to you on the piano bench and his hand slides onto your thigh. You glance at him, stopping, but Sebastian isn't looking at your face. It’s only after he realizes you’re waiting for an explanation that he pulls his eyes away from your hands. He has the grace to blush. 

“Uh, I was just…” he stammers. “Watching your form.” 

You raise an eyebrow. You lift your hands off the keys and press two fingers to Sebastian’s lips; his pupils dilate fast. “Want to do more than watch?” you offer. He nods eagerly, and opens.  

Katoptronophilia. Derived from the Greek words for “mirror” and “love,” as Ryland explains it. Of course he would know the etymology of the proper term for his mirror kink. At first you think he’s just being cute, pulling you to his side when he catches sight of a mirrored surface so you can admire how fine a pair you make. “Look how beautiful you are,” he’ll murmur in your ear, or, “See why I can’t keep my hands to myself?” The behavior fits neatly within Ryland’s mile-wide romantic streak, so you never attribute it to anything more. 

Until you catch him eyeing your reflections in the portion of the bathroom mirror that’s visible from where you’re making out on the couch. It ruins the mood for you, and Ryland makes it worse by launching into a spiel that sounds distressingly rehearsed about why what he was doing isn’t that strange from a scientific standpoint. You just think he’s vain; that’s as far as the subject goes that night. The next day you apologize for reacting so badly and the two of you are able to have a clear-headed discussion about it, which concludes with Ryland picking you up and carrying you to the bedroom. You wiggle out of his arms and position your full-length standing mirror so it has a good view of the bed. 

“Care to show me what’s so interesting?” you purr, and Ryland hauls his shirt off so quickly it rips his glasses off his face. You retrieve them and set them back on his nose. “There. Now you can see me from whatever angle you want.” 

There isn't much talking after that. 

Not in ten thousand years would you have guessed that Lars has a breeding kink. You haven’t gotten to sex yet, but things are definitely heading in that direction. Making a grown man come in his pants just from humping him over his clothes is surprisingly fun, and you’re in no rush to move to deeper waters until Lars feels he’s ready. What you don’t know is that Lars is stalling; not because he’s nervous the physical sensations will be too much for him, but because he’s worried he’s going to say something completely insane like, “Gonna get you pregnant,” even if he knows it’s impossible. 

It turns out Lars’ fears are well-founded, because the first time he fingers you it comes out. 

“You feel so good, baby,” you whine, arching off the bed as Lars’ thick fingers pump inside you. “Wanna feel the rest of you.” 

“Yeah?” Lars breathes, hooking his fingers and making you gasp. “Want me to fill you up?” 

“Yes!” 

“Gonna put a baby in you, make you mine-” Lars full-body freezes, registering what he just said. Your reaction is not what he expects: a throaty moan as you grasp his wrist to try and get him to move again. 

“Yes daddy, I’ll be so good for you… Please…”

Lars is so turned on he can’t see straight, but doesn’t let that get in the way of taking care of you. After you return the favor, you brush away the hair that’s fallen on his forehead. “Was that too much?” you ask nervously. 

He raises his eyebrows, incredulous. “Was- You-” He shakes his head vigorously. “I was the one who got carried away…” 

You smile. “I liked it.” 

Lars makes a split-second decision. “Can you say it again?” he almost whispers.

You wrap your arms around his neck and put your lips against his ear. “Daddy.” 

He’s done for.

Luke getting off on submission is simultaneously unexpected and unsurprising. He’s always been a sweetheart, and the longer you’ve been together the more it shows. He’ll pick up things from the store you mentioned offhandedly that you needed, often throwing in a little something extra, like the chips you’ve been craving. When deciding what to do for the day or what to have for dinner, he’s always giving suggestions he thinks you’ll like, even if you know he’d make a different choice if it was just him. Luke loves being able to do things for you, and sometimes you’ll ask for his help even if you don’t need it because seeing the look on his face when he can be useful for you is the best part of your day. 

The strongest hint you have is his physical deference to you. He doesn’t take the lead while kissing unless you ask him to and even then he lets you move him however and wherever you want. He gravitates to you being on top of him, whether that means straddling him on the couch or laying him out on the living room floor and kissing him senseless. It’s during one of those times you realize how committed he is to his role. 

“Tell me what you want and I’ll do it,” Luke murmurs between kisses. 

You sit up on his hips, considering. “C’mon, please?” he nearly whines, and that’s when you understand it’s serious. 

“Arms over your head,” you try, and Luke obeys instantly. You feel him shudder. You take off his belt and use it to bind his wrists together. “Is that okay?” you ask. 

Luke huffs affirmatively. “If you want to put it around my neck, that’s good too.” 

Your eyes widen a little as you feel your body react to the suggestion. Very carefully, you put your palm against his throat and let your fingers rest on the sides of his neck. “How’s this?”

Luke tilts his head back; his pulse is flying under your hand. “Good, really good.” 

You give a light squeeze and he gasps. Really good, indeed.