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Stepping outside the cryo-pod, Mark felt his heart drop. It was dark and void of life.
No. not again.
He felt the restriction of air in his lungs, glancing around the room not once but multiple times over.
He was here. Again.
It was all the captain’s fault.
Scrunching his face, tears blurred his vision. Mark couldn’t take another round of being stuck all alone again. Again—
A faint clang came through the room from somewhere down the hall.
He sucked in a breath,
He wasn’t alone.
He noted the occasional candle leading to the cryo, Stepping through the halls. It was similar to— he pauses, staring down at the candle a few feet from the entrance to cryo.
What if he just walked into an older version of himself? With the paradox, he had seen himself before.
Hesitating, he peeks into the bay, freezing at a familiar figure.
His captain stood, eyes glaring at their helmet laid cracked on the floor. Their uniform undone, their sleeves tied at the waist, exposing the tight undershirt they wore. Layers of dirt and whatever else stuck to them as they paced the floor, mumbling to themselves.
Abruptly they slam their foot into the helmet sending it flying into the wall, “Shut up, captain!”
Mark covered his mouth with his hands, concealing his gasp, listening to the glass shatter on their helmet.
His captain waved their hand, an angry expression plastered on their face, “I already told you! Stop trying to push the blame onto others! Onto any of them,” gesturing behind them, and there he noticed the little wire doll-like messes.
One looked vaguely like… him. Mark's eyebrows furrow, his body tensing when he heard them continue.
“They didn’t deserve your cruel actions!” his captain’s voice cracking, they heaved, their eyes wide and panicked, “You just threw them away! Killed them! Look how much you hurt them,”
They paused, staying focused on the cracked helmet, “you’re terrible. It’s a…” they suck in a breath, blinking rapidly, “Suprise that you even became a captain.” their shoulders slumped, looking down to the ground, losing their anger, becoming enveloped in thought.
Closing their eyes, they nod, looking to something that could resemble Celci, “Yes, we should. If we want this ship running again… we have to keep working.” they glance at the mark shaped object, “Mark,”
Mark jumped at his name,
“Don’t argue with Celci, please. We can’t have any more problems.” they ran their fingers through their hair.
“Yes, yes, I understand— Gunther, stop antagonizing Mark.”
It was like they were actually talking to people… Mark felt guilt growing in the corners of his mind.
He watches his captain kneel in front of the control panel that seemed to have already been open, “the wiring needs to be good; when we get power back on, need to wake everyone and get oxygen running.”
Laughing, they get to work on the wiring,
“I suppose it’s a good thing I studied your work before getting on this ship, huh?” They smiled at the Mark-shaped wire doll, “Even back in the early days of our careers, I always admired your work. It’s truly impressive.”
They seemed to be talking with the doll. They laughed at it, “Well, yes, I…” they trailed off, smile dropping from their face. Any joy in their eyes was removed, devoid of any emotion.
They straightened up, “Someone’s breathing.” They hummed, grabbing a wrench that sat on the control panel.
Turning their eyes immediately locked onto Mark, they gasp and stagger back, squeaking,
“What the fuck!” they cried out, “Shit, I—” they blinked rapidly, rubbing their eyes, “You’re not real.”
Mark steps into the room.
The captain had been locked in a scenario similar to what he had experienced? They woke up alone and unable to escape? The same captain that caused all of this, they went through it too?
He tried to speak. His voice caught in his throat.
They shook their head, glaring to the side, “Shut up!” He flinched at their voice, “I’m just confused, that's all.” they turned their head away, tapping the control panel with the wrench, “he’s not real,”
They scoff, “I know— I just…”
“Captain?” Mark whispers; they jolted, staring at him.
“I…”
“I’m sorry, captain… I didn’t…” where was he even going with this. He didn’t know.
After everything, he should be losing it; he should be mad. But his… captain was suffering. They were clearly not okay.
They fidgeted, “You’re not real…” eyes darted around the room, “Are you real?”
Mark’s eyes widened, sucking in a breath. His hands trembled, feeling his throat close up; he swallowed in an attempt to clear it.
“I… yes?” he uttered, confusion underlining his tone.
They smiled, furrowing their eyebrows, “Yes?”
Walking closer, they dropped the wrench they held, a loud clang echoing throughout the room.
“Are you really?” they sounded hopeful, “You finally woke up?”
He stares, unable to say anything else, flinching as their fingers gently brush against his cheek.
“Wow,” they breathed out, tears falling from their eyes, “I…I’m sorry,”
They leaned into him, resting their head on his shoulder, “I thought you were gone. I— I thought you abandoned me… again,”
“I know you hate me…” they murmured, “I’m trying, though.”
Mark raised his hand from his side, patting their back with a sigh, “I know, captain.” their hand dug into his skin for a moment,
“Don’t call me that.” they force themselves away from him, their hands pressing against his chest,
“Why?” he asked, taking in the swirling anger in their eyes.
“I’m no captain!” they point to the helmet, “The captain abandoned those that depended on them!”
He took a step closer, concerned. “What are you talking about?”
They look down, walking backwards, “I’m not the person who caused all this!”
“Captain?”
“No!” they grasped their head, stumbling over the wrench, falling off their feet, “I care for you guys! I’m doing this for you!”
Pushing themselves off the ground, they tightly close their eyes, curling in on themself, “I wouldn’t mess everything up!”
Mark paused, noticing how his hands trembled, “I need you to calm down,” He wavers, whispering their first name, “please,” he added, reaching for their hand.
They slap it away, “No!”
Growling, they shake their head. “Shut up! I need to think!”
“I didn’t say any—”
“I wasn’t talking to you!” they turned their head, looking around, “Can’t you hear them?”
His head spun, not understanding what was going on,
“I’m not crazy!”
“I didn’t say that,” Holding his hands out, trying to defuse their outburst, he tries again, “Please, take a deep breath,” he starts to say captain, cutting himself off, muttering their name instead.
They drop their hands, letting them rest at their side. Mark held onto their arms, pulling them forward; they leaned into his touch, resting their head on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” Their whisper barely audible.
“It’s okay,” He whispered their name. Closing his eyes, he rests his head on theirs, “It’s okay.”
Even if they were the person who caused all of this… they were still his close friend.