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I looked around. The bridge of the Invincible II was dark and nowhere as lively as I remembered it to be. In fact, nobody was around, nor did I hear any sounds at first. Quiet, eerie and empty. Only a few candles had been set up in various places, but mostly on the floor. Speaking of the floor; it was a mess. There were papers with drawings and random notes strewn about. I picked up one of them but I couldn’t make much sense of it. For me, these were only random lines. A noise attracted my attention and I dropped the drawing. I took careful steps towards the hallway that connected the bridge to the rest of the ship.
It was a whisper that lured me closer and I peeked into the corridor before me. I couldn’t see anything besides some more candles. This place was different - it was wrong. Nervously I rubbed my hands together. I didn’t want to be there, yet I continued forward. My steps were the only thing that broke the silence until I reached what once had been the entrance to cryo. This room looked as messy as the bridge but there were a few more candles in it. A figure sat hunched over something on the floor, surrounded by what seemed to be small spare parts. Even with his uniform ruined, his hair and beard grown out - I recognized the voice immediately.
“No, no, no, see? I told you. I’m right, so shut up.”
Of course, I wondered who he was talking to. “Mark?”
He froze. Then he looked up. I saw his eyes glisten in the dim light. “Captain? Well, that’s new. You can head over to the other friends that I’ve collected.” He pointed at a pile of random things in the corner and then continued to do whatever he was doing. If I wasn't mistaken I could see Celci's jacket among other things. I shook my head and knelt down in front of him, eyebrows raised. The Head Engineer ignored me for another few seconds until he raised his head again. Hesitantly he reached out. First only his fingertips touched my cheek, followed by his fingers and ultimately the rest of his hand. “You’re here. You’re real . I don't understand."
“I’m here”, I assured him and put my hand on top of his. It was nice to have him close like that. “I never should have left you alone. I’m sorry.”
Mark’s hand dropped, as well as his gaze. “You’ve never ended up here before.” I wasn’t sure if it was a simple observation or an accusation. Possibly both. “They’re all gone, Captain”, he stated and avoided eye contact. “I tried to save them, I really tried but…”
I wanted to comfort him by placing my hand on his leg. “I know you did.” In front of me sat a broken man.
“We were lost without you, Captain - I was lost without you.” Mark got to his feet and started pacing the room. I watched him walk over to one of the walls. His fingers traced some lines that had been scratched into ir. “I don’t even know how long it’s been. Feels like forever”, he said and turned to me. With a sigh I also stood up. I couldn’t imagine what he had gone through and I didn’t know how I could help him. Helplessness was taking over. Mark approached me slowly. “Do you know what it’s like? Once I think I’ve finally found a way out - I go and I come back. I solve problems and I come back. I go and I always come back! ”, he shouted, voice full of frustration.
“I had no idea”, I responded, or rather defended myself. I didn’t know why I felt like it was my fault; it was not my fault. I knew that.
“Don’t worry I don’t blame you. I really don’t.” Suddenly he grabbed my left arm where the crystal and the mysterious device were. “But the others do. They blame you for abandoning us.” He turned his head away from me, gesturing wildly as if he was discussing with someone. “No, no I don’t. And the Captain wouldn’t.” He turned back, tightening the grip around my arm a little. “You carry the solution right here.”
I pulled my arm out of his grip and stepped back. I had never seen such a crazed look in his eyes. It scared me, I couldn’t deny it much longer. At this point I feared for my life. “This is not the solution. It won’t help you fix things.”
“Give me the device, Captain.”
“No.”
Mark’s face darkened as he came closer. He pulled something out of his pocket, all I could see was that it was sharp and pointy. “Forgive me, Captain.” He attacked me instantly and I barely managed to dodge him.
I stumbled backwards. “I’m working on this. Please trust me!”
“Trust you?”, Mark scoffed. “We all trusted you - I trusted you!” Again he attacked, this time it was much closer. I jumped back, getting caught off guard by hitting my back against the wall. Trying to stand my ground was no use. So, running it was. However, I didn’t get far anyway. Mark was quick, he pulled me back by my shoulder, our feet got in our way and we fell. I crawled away, hitting the device repeatedly, hoping that it would get me out of there.
“Captain!”
I only saw the incoming attack and raised my hands to shield me. I felt something . At first it didn’t hurt. Not even when I saw the blood running down my arm and dripping onto the floor. And not when I realized the metal piece had pierced my hand. It started hurting when I saw the madness in Mark’s eyes. A wave of pain rolled over me. It hurt so badly, my hand, my heart, everything. I screamed, at least I think so. Then I collapsed. I simply gave up. I was tired. Somewhere at the edge of consciousness, I heard Mark’s voice.
“Captain?! Captain!”
“ Captain… ”
Captain.
“Captain.”
With a deep breath I opened my eyes. It was bright, I recognized the ceiling above me and the cozy blanket I was wrapped in. These were my quarters on the ship. I was in my bed. My eyes found someone approaching me.
“Wakey wakey, Captain”, Mark said with a bright smile and two mugs in his hands. It was him, the Mark I knew and loved. “We’ve got a lot to do today!” I didn’t have the strength to get up yet, so I just looked away. Had it just been one of those damn nightmares? They wouldn't leave me alone. The Head Engineer set down the mugs and came to sit on the edge of the bed. “You look pale, are you alright?”
Without a warning, I sat up and threw my arms around him. He was definitely surprised but then gently held me in his arms. We didn’t say anything, he didn’t ask and I didn’t want to share what happened. We just sat there and I was grateful that he was there. When we let go I looked down at my hand. Where the crystal had been was now a small red scar. "It's over, right? We finished the mission."
"Yes, we did."
“I didn’t think this would get to me as much as it did", I admitted and dropped my head into my hands. The small scar on my hand was nothing compared to what an impact this whole thing had left on my mind.
“You don’t have to face this on your own.”
“I know”, I muttered and looked at him. Mark gave me a warm smile and an encouraging nod. I leaned my head against his shoulder. “I know.”