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Crewmate — Park Jisung.
Jisung can barely read it. The picture of his smiley face, in the front of the ID, flashes by when he swipes his card again.
ERROR.
He tries once more, but the button blinks red again, the familiar words jumping on the screen: ERROR.
Jisung quickly looks to the side, feeling sweat starting to bead on his forehead, but he's alone in the room. At least there isn't someone to see him fail over and over again.
He takes his card away, wipes it against the leg of his yellow spacesuit, and tries to swipe it once more.
ERROR.
On the eighth try, he finally succeeds. The light turns green, his access is confirmed. He can finally start his shift.
The walk to the navigation area is calm and lonely. He doesn't see anyone around — and that terrifies him as much as it is a relief.
He turns around the corner with a heavy stomach and his heart on his throat, but it all melts away when he meets an empty room. It's just him and the navigation panel, together with a big window that shows the dark sight of space.
Being stuck inside a spaceship miles and miles away from Earth, with someone killing all the crewmates one by one, would make anyone a bit anxious about entering empty rooms and turning corners.
He watches the view on the other side of the window for a while, being careful to keep an eye on the right bottom corner, where the glass is just a bit too reflective because of the lights. That way he can see his reflection and the hallway behind him. Can watch his own back. Stay alert.
Where once the view had been breathtaking, full of stars and galaxies swirling around, the colors mixing and blending together in the darkness of space, now in front of him laid only pitch-black nothingness. Not even a star to keep him company.
Jisung can't help but sigh deeply. He misses the beautiful sights he'd see on the daily, misses walking around the ship wide-eyed at everything, misses not worrying every second of his waking day (and sometimes during his sleep) about his own safety.
When he steps out of the navigation after fixing the wires, the lights around him turn red and start flickering, the words being projected on the inside of his helmet and filling his entire vision: REACTOR MELTDOWN.
Jisung draws in a sharp breath and runs. The feeling of someone watching his every step never once leaves him, not even in those moments — and he can only hope that this feeling won’t translate into someone actually following him.
The way to the Reactor is lonely and he doesn't see a single soul.
For a moment he worries he's entirely alone with the culprit and the reason for all the chaos they've been thrown into, that he's been the one left behind, but when he runs past Electrical and leaves the Lower Engine area behind, walking inside the Reactor, the red lights turn into their usual white and a low hum fills the entire spaceship.
For a moment, everything is well again. The sabotage has been taken care of once more.
He doesn't have the time to talk with any of his colleagues — they all quickly leave the room, focused on their tasks, and avoiding anyone they can. It's all they can do these days to not entirely lose their minds over distrust and fear of the unknown.
A place that was once filled with laughter and familiar faces now have been exchanged to cold rooms and heavy silence, faces obscured by helmets, not allowing them to see each other's expressions.
The sabotage on the O2 machines has happened too much for them not to be too careful these days.
They all leave but one person, and Jisung feels his heart drop down inside his chest. Did that mean his end was coming? He fights the urge to run away immediately and instead stares straight ahead, licking over his dry lips.
The feeling of being watched never leaves him. A shiver runs down his spine and he wonders if the one in front of him is the reason for that.
Instead of pulling a knife or stepping into his personal space, the stranger throws a peace sign in his direction, the pink suit crinkling slightly with the action before the helmet is lifted up and Jisung chokes on his spit, fingers trembling as he tries to take his own helmet off as quickly as he possibly can.
"J-Ja-Jaemin-hyung?" He chokes out, feeling his eyes stinging with tears.
It had been five cycles of sleeping and working since he had last seen Jaemin. Though he hadn't found Jaemin’s body lying dead in any place, Jisung knew some of the bodies would be taken care of when he was busy or sleeping, and he had no way of knowing who had been the last victim when they didn’t talk with each other.
Jaemin breaks out in his signature big smile, eyes crinkling at the corner and cheeks raised, his hair slightly ruffled from the helmet. "Jisungie," he says, affection dripping from his every word. "I saw the yellow suit and I just knew it would be you."
Jisung knows he was playing something dangerous by always choosing the same color every day. Creating a routine. Becoming an easier target. But that was his color and how everyone knew him. He wanted to be found out by his favorite people.
"I still have the sprout sticker," Jisung says, swallowing down every confession of fear and despair that had been stuck in the middle of his throat since that nightmare had begun. He turns his helmet to the side, showing Jaemin the small sticker stuck on it. "You can always find me because of it."
Jaemin continues smiling, but it's something a little less happy, a little less enthusiastic. There's a hint of worry swimming in his gaze and he quickly looks to the door of the Reaction before walking closer to Jisung.
"You need to be careful, Jisungie. You can't—you can't run this risk. Do change to another color later. Don't be predictable." Jaemin's words are spoken quickly as if he fears being interrupted at any given moment, and Jisung understands his fear. Someone could see them and know who they are. They could become the next targets.
"I know," he answers. "But I wanted you all to know who I was and—"
"We always know who you are, Sungie," Jaemin cuts him off quickly, and rests one hand on Jisung's shoulders, squeezing briefly. Jisung swallows hard. He can't feel a thing because of the thick spacesuit, but he likes to imagine he could feel the heat that would always emanate from Jaemin. "We're looking for you and taking care of you whenever we can, even if you don't know it's us, okay? We're with you."
Jisung can't hide how his eyes well up with tears and he sniffles once, nodding his head as he lowers his gaze. "But I don't know who you all are..."
Jaemin's voice gets a little softer, a little lower. "We don't know how to safely speak with each other yet, especially when the communication area is always getting fucked up, but we'll find out a way, okay? Have you seen anyone else around? Talked with them?"
"Sometimes I see Chenle when I'm going to sleep. And I think I saw Mark-hyung twice yesterday, but I'm not sure if it was him…"
Jaemin nods. "Jeno is here today. He's the one in the dark blue suit."
"How do you know that?" Jisung asks, furrowing his brows. “When we—”
"We're working on some signals and all,” Jaemin replies quickly. “I know it's him. Trust me, okay?"
Jisung quickly nods. "Okay... Take care... Please, be careful," he adds, voice getting a little weaker at the end.
"You too, Sungie, you too. You can't ever be too careful. Don't slip up."
Jaemin's hugs always felt like home and this time it isn’t any different. Jisung can feel his heart beating hard against his chest as Jaemin holds him as tight as he can, even with the thick suits in the way. It feels like he had finally arrived somewhere he was always supposed to go.
Jaemin smells like sweat and grime, nothing like his usual perfume or shampoo. It feels foreign, but Jaemin’s hugs are still the same and Jisung clings to that familiarity. A tear slips down his cheek, falling on Jaemin’s shoulder, though he doesn’t feel any of that because of the suit, and Jisung makes sure to run a hand over his face when they pull apart.
They don’t waste any time in putting back their helmets. Jaemin only has the time to pat him once more on the shoulder before the lights around them turn red, and all that Jisung can see in front of his vision for a second is: COMMUNICATIONS SABOTAGED.
He runs side by side with Jaemin, his heart racing and ears ringing all the way until there, a lump stuck on his throat.
When his shift ends, Jisung carefully walks back to Admin, making sure to keep looking over his shoulder the entire time.
It's when he's finally signing off, sliding his card once again (finally managing to succeed under five times, his personal record), that he hears a 'psst' sound coming from the other end of the room.
Jisung lifts his head up, eyes widening. There's someone blocking the entrance of the room. Someone with a red suit.
He can't help but swallow dry. Before he can do anything, before he can lift one hand, the doors close behind the person in the entrance and traps them both together inside the room.
And that's it. Jisung can feel it deep in his bones.
He had heard stories like these — people getting trapped together in a room just for no one to leave the place alive. For their bodies to be discovered later.
For one second, Jisung feels relief flooding his body — he had seen Jaemin earlier, had talked with him, hugged him. Had seen him one last time and had gotten the news that there were people that cared for him and were looking out for him, that would miss him when he was gone.
But it all vanishes when the figure in the red suit steps forwards. His relief quickly changes to pure fear; a fear that clings to his guts and makes him feel sick; a fear that makes his eyes well up with tears and his mind run wild.
Jisung finds that he can't say anything. He wants to. He wants to break the silence, wants to beg for his life, wants to ask what's happening, but his throat is too dry, his tongue too heavy, and he can only look.
The door closes behind the red suit, the figure steps forward, and Jisung gasp loudly.
It's only one second of terror that makes his body shake and his card slip from his fingers to the floor, but then the red suit takes the helmet off and Jisung leans forwards, bracketing his arms on the desk and taking a deep breath in.
"Donghyuck-hyung," he mutters, voice sounding all distorted because of his helmet, but the relief is out there in the open. It can't be hidden how his body sags with relief, how his shoulders shake a little before he can get a grip on himself. "Donghyuck-hyung," he repeats, licking over his lips, hands trembling as he tries to take his helmet off.
It's been too long since he had last seen Donghyuck. His hair seems a little longer — Jisung knows, that rationally, it doesn't make sense. It hasn't been that long since he had last seen him, right? But still — Donghyuck's hair seems longer, his eyes are shiny like always, but his eyebags are more prominent, and his face seems more sunken in than before. Tired. Older.
He wonders what Donghyuck sees differently in him after all that time.
"Jisungie," Donghyuck says, voice light. "There you are. Jaeminnie told me about the sticker...Tsc, tsc. Don’t be dumb, Jisungie. You need to be careful here.”
"Hyung..."
Donghyuck walks closer to him and doesn't hesitate in taking the helmet off. Jisung just keeps staring at Donghyuck, letting the other boy hold both of their helmets.
"Hyung—the doors—we—"
"It's okay," Donghyuck is quick to say. "Don't worry about it."
"But—"
Donghyuck waves one gloved hand. "So," he says instead. "Are you okay?"
Jisung nods his head. "Y-yeah... Like, as good as one can be, I guess."
"Hmm... Take care, Jisungie. Don't trust anyone but us, got it?"
"Of course, hyung," Jisung answers, nodding his head vehemently. "I only trust you guys."
Donghyuck smiles and pulls Jisung into a quick hug. Jisung tries not to melt too much into the hug, looking up scared to the locked door. It's still closed. It should've opened by now.
"Hyung," he tries to get Donghyuck's attention, pulling on the edge of his suit. "The door is still closed. I think something might be happening. Or will happen. It mustn't be good."
He doesn't answer immediately, but Donghyuck stares straight at Jisung, his eyes always shining, always bright. "Don't worry about it," he says again, but then seems to think better, almost cocking his head to the side. "You know what? Fuck it. You trust us, right, Jisungie?"
"Of course," Jisung replies quickly. There's no doubt about that. He trusts them just as much as he possibly can. They were by his side every day of training, on every step until they had gotten into that mission, until they were inside that spaceship. There isn't anyone he trusts more than those 6 other boys. 'Why you ask so?"
And then Donghyuck opens another smile. He pats Jisung on the back, his hand heavy even with the thick suit in the way, guiding Jisung away from the desk and in the direction of the corner of the room, closer to the wall.
"My ID—" Jisung tries to say, pointing to his card that was left on the floor.
"We'll get it later," Donghyuck answers. "Don't freak out, okay?"
"What?"
In one second Donghyuck is there, right by his side. On the next, Donghyuck is nowhere to be seen. Jisung gasps and steps back, eyes wide as he stares at the empty space. When he looks down, the vent is open.
"Sungie!"
Donghyuck’s voice comes from inside the vent.
Jisung takes one deep breath before walking closer, tilting his head to look inside the vent. Right there, in a space that seems a little too small, it's his close friend, the person he trusts so much. Donghyuck.
"H-hyung...?"
He isn't stupid. They don't have access to vents. Jisung knows that clearly. He joined enough discussions, had too many headaches pondering on how the killer could be doing all of that and going into other rooms without being found. He knows that the vents are one of the things people suspect the most.
And right there is Donghyuck — inside of one.
He trusts him. He trusts Donghyuck more than he can say — but that... that is something different, something he definitely wasn't expecting. And, somehow, he imagines that the others must have known all about this before him.
"Do you want to test and try this?" Donghyuck asks, smiling.
Jisung only shakes his head.
Donghyuck crawls out and closes the vent. The doors are still closed.
"That's also you, right?" Jisung asks, pointing at the doors.
"Yeah. I think Renjunnie is controlling them right now. Not too sure, though. He can hear us from the security room—wave to the camera!"
Jisung weakly waves towards the camera.
"Hyung... this... this..."
Donghyuck walks past him, getting Jisung's card from the floor and giving it back to him, waiting for him to pocket it away before giving back his helmet.
"There's someone else killing people here," Donghyuck says. Suddenly his voice is low, tone light. "Someone is killing us one by one. And we can't let this happen. So we're taking matters into our hands. We're going to be safe here, Jisung. Believe me."
"Us?" Jisung asks, feeling his throat dry.
The glint in Donghyuck's eyes is everything Jisung needs to know. "I'm not saying you will join us. We're focused on keeping you safe for now. And we're trying hard. But you need to stay alert, you hear me? You need to be careful. Take the sticker out later and change suits tomorrow. We will always find you."
Jisung nods his head, listening to every word that Donghyuck says. "That's weird—that's so weird—I just—"
But there isn't enough time for them to talk more. The lights turn red and the doors open. Jisung quickly puts his helmet on and the words jump into his vision: REACTOR MELTDOWN.
Donghyuck takes one last look at Jisung before saying, "We're killing to survive and we won't give up. Hold on tight, Jisung. We won't fail here."
They're killing us one by one, Jisung remembers when he runs past the cafeteria, side by side with Donghyuck, in the direction of the reactor. He doesn’t know how to feel about the news — about maybe one of the murders being because of his friends, his brothers. But then he remembers — they're trying to protect him. They say they know who he is, that they're watching him. That they'll look after him.
And he wants to do the same for them. So maybe he'll close his eyes just this once, and if Jeno or Renjun appears from a vent, he won't scream or press the Emergency button. He knows what they're doing there. That they're protecting each other.
Someone is killing them one by one, but he knows they’ll be safe if they stick together. He's sure of it.