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“Okay, Tucker, explain to me why you were messing around inside a dark cave without backup again.” Wash and Tucker were standing outside of the jagged hole in part of the wall of rock that was part of the mountains that half surrounded their new base. If you weren’t standing in the right place it was almost impossible to tell it wasn’t just a shadow on the rocks but standing where they were it was obvious that it led somewhere deep into the mountain. It was hard enough to see that even after being here running patrols for over a year no one had found it until now.
Wash, as usual, was completely buttoned up in his armor with his helmet in place and he was using the light on his rifle to check the inside of the cave like he was expecting something to jump out at him. It wasn’t like there was a whole lot on this rock they lived on they needed to run away from anymore since Sarge had wiped out the dinosaurs but Wash was gonna Wash there was no use trying to get him to not. But the guy still never slept very well, which meant Tucker didn’t either, and had permanent shadows under his eyes and scars that hurt like a bitch whenever it was less than Death Valley temperature outside. And if letting him Wash made him forget some of the shit they’d been through with everything then it was worth it.
Tucker shrugged. Unlike Wash Tucker had his helmet off so he could feel the cooler, damp wind blowing out from deep in the earth. When he’d first found the opening he’d almost left again but there was something about that wind that had made him take a few steps inside without really meaning to. Then once he was inside he flicked on his suit’s lights and looked around the main chamber until he’d realized Wash was probably looking for him and was going to freak out if he kept going.
“Well to start with, mostly I was just looking for a place to get away from Caboose.” Caboose had been after him the last few days for some project he wanted to work on and Tucker had made it his job to stay out of his sight until he forgot the whole thing. Usually it only took a few hours to get Caboose’s brain to move on to something new but he’d been unusually focused this time. Going up into the hills had been a last ditch effort to avoid him. “And then I was thinking about taking a nap but I knew if I didn’t report in you’d probably blow out a seal or something.”
“Tucker…” Wash was still wearing his helmet so Tucker had to imagine the eye roll that went along with the way he said his name but he’d seen it often enough it wasn’t a problem.
“I mean I don’t want to be the reason for more gray hair. Pretty soon you won’t be able to see the blonde anymore.” Tucker grinned at Wash when he heard the exasperated sigh come over the radio. “But seriously I only stepped in far enough to see there was more to it than a little dip in the hillside then I went and got you.”
Wash snorted softly but the radio still picked it up. Tucker knew it was a sign Wash was amused instead of pissed so he turned up the grin just a little bit more and bumped his shoulder against Wash’s. “Come on, let's check it out.”
He knew he’d won when he heard Wash call it into Carolina so she’d know they were doing something potentially stupid and dangerous in case they didn’t come back. Tucker slipped back through the crack in the wall of the hill and turned his suit lights back on. The light from outside only seemed to go a few feet into the open area before getting swallowed up by the black. The wind was still blowing out of the depths of the mountain carrying a wet, metallic smell like water that’s sat too long in puddles and was starting to scum up around the edges in the baked earth of a desert.
“Tucker put your helmet on.” Wash had slipped through the gap behind Tucker and edged in front of him in a protective move he would never admit to if asked. Still looking around, Tucker ignored Wash’s comment about his helmet.
With both of their suit lights bouncing off the walls Tucker could see that while it was fairly open right where they were standing it narrowed down into a shaft going straight into the mountain. Looking around he noticed the entrance used to be shored up by some sort of structure. “Look, Wash, it must have caved in at some point but it looks like someone made it.”
“If you want me to look, put your helmet on Tucker. We don’t know if there’ll be bad air or rockfalls and I like you better without your brain dented in.” And that was the tone that said Tucker couldn’t joke or argue his way out of it. Since he wanted to see what else was in here he pulled his helmet on and sealed it, the quick hiss showing he was now sealed inside. “Happy now killjoy?”
“Yes. You may not care if your brain is protected but I do.” Wash was just so damn sincere when he was being protective that Tucker was glad his helmet was on because he had a feeling his smile was a little too on the ‘aww shucks he likes me’ side right now. How one overly regimented former agent of Freelancer made him want to grab him by the face and kiss him at the stupidest times was a mystery. Luckily Wash never took advantage of that because Tucker would be toast if he actually knew what buttons to push on purpose.
“And here I thought you were just worried about my pretty face.”
There was a slight clearing of Wash’s throat over the radio. “...that too.” Before Tucker could start in again Wash turned to head down into the mountain.
It was obviously constructed but whether by humans or aliens wasn’t clear. There were no signs or writing anywhere that might give them a clue. The walls were rock with metal braces shoring everything up. “Looks like they were playing real life Minecraft or something.” Tucker ran a glove over the rock and it came away clean. “It’s crazy clean for a tunnel in a mountain…I mean I think, it’s not like I’ve spent a lot of time in caves.”
“You’re right. There’s no signs of life but there was wind coming out there should be dirt or something.” Wash held up his hand to stop Tucker from moving forward but since Tucker had turned around to see if he could still see the light from the entrance he ended up bumping into Wash and saw they’d stopped when he turned around. “There’s something up ahead. Be on guard.”
“Got it. Don’t let killer aliens get the jump on me.” Luckily Wash had loosened up since when they first met so Tucker didn’t get a lecture about taking things seriously.
They moved cautiously forward until they got close enough for their lights to illuminate the boards blocking the tunnel. There were weird panels set into the wall on the sides just before where it was boarded off. They looked like they were some kind of controls but they were dark so either they had no power or they were broken if they were. The boards looked like crappy wooden boards from a trash heap and definitely didn’t fit the rest of the aesthetic. Even if it looked like they were in an old mine it was still all perfectly cut and braced by metal that looked like it had just been forged without any sign of decay or rust. The boards on the other hand were rough cut and splintered with gaps between them like they’d been put up in a rush.
Or maybe in a panic.
“What is with this?” Once they’d made sure there wasn’t anything else there to worry about Tucker got closer and used the light on his rifle to try to light up behind the boards. “Any readings?”
Wash shook his head and stepped over to examine the panels. “No power readings, no life signs, it seems deactivated. Wait, there are some weird power fluctuations but very, VERY, minimal.”
“Looks like the air is okay.” Tucker couldn’t get a good look through the boards well enough in his helmet, although he could see something when he flashed his light through the gaps so he pulled it off and held it under his arm while he looked.
“Tucker what did I say about your helmet?” Wash had turned to join him as soon as he heard the seals break on the armor.
“I’ll put it back on in a second.” Tucker leaned closer and watched as his light swept through the dark area and pulled back with a gasp. “Holy shit did you see that?” He almost dropped his rifle but immediately leaned back in to look again. Outside of the direct beam of the light it was just like the rest of the corridor they’d come down, although it opened up into a much bigger chamber. But directly in the beam it was definitely something else.
Wash was doing his best to look but he shook his head again when Tucker glanced over at him. “I don’t see anything unusual.”
Tucker looked back to where his light was pointing and saw people moving in and out of the beam. They were human, dressed seriously old school like old movie old school. They were obviously talking to each other but he didn’t hear anything. It was like watching a movie with the sound off but you could only watch the movie wherever he directed the light. It was even in strange shifting sepia tones that had flickers of color along the edges like when you used to have film and the projector would burn it. “You have got to be kidding me, you can’t see the people? Or the room?”
“Tucker I don’t see anything, just more of what we’ve already seen.” Wash’s voice was starting to get that concerned edge to it that meant he was going to drag Tucker out of here without letting him figure out what was going on.
“Look, humor me for a second. Take off your helmet. I don’t think the HUD can pick up what’s going on because I couldn’t see it until I took mine off…and don’t start telling me about it being bad air or some shit like that. I saw the readouts and they were all in spec with nothing more than what we’ve been breathing since we got here.” Tucker shook his finger at Wash without looking away from the weirdness behind the boards.
It took over a minute but eventually he heard Wash break the seals and pull his helmet off. Tucker couldn’t help looking over at Wash, there was nothing better than slightly irritated wild helmet hair Wash in his opinion. He’d got in the habit of running a hand through it and ruffling it up when Wash had it combed neatly back and Wash wasn’t paying attention.
“Okay, look through where the light hits and tell me what you see.” Tucker aimed the light through the gaps in the boards and Wash hitched in a surprised breath. “Crazy right?”
“It looks like…a party?” Wash took the light off his own rifle and a second beam of light joined the first. Where they ended up crossing over each other the picture suddenly got stronger and more color bled into it. “Like an old Earth party from a very long time ago.” He leaned against the boards as he was sweeping the light around and there was a loud crack as it broke loose from the wall making Wash stagger. “Shit!”
“You okay?” Tucker had reached out to grab Wash’s arm just in case. He was fascinated with all of this but he didn’t want to see what would happen if they fell in.
Wash smiled at Tucker with a quiet huff of embarrassment. “It just surprised me. I’m fine.”
The smile made Tucker’s heart do an extra skip in his chest. Damn, the man needed to smile more. To cover the fact he was getting that ‘aww shucks’ expression again he nodded to the barricade. “Why do you think someone put these boards up?” He pulled experimentally at a different board and apparently the one breaking had loosened the rest up because half the barricade fell down in a crash. “And why did they do such a shitty job?”
Wash grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back a step. The boards landed and nothing else seemed to happen so his grip eventually loosened up on Tucker’s armor. “Maybe they were in a hurry. Or maybe they just didn’t care. When you shutter a base usually people kind of half ass it on the way out.” they directed their lights back into the dark space beyond and watched the scene flicker back into life. “But I’m guessing it probably wasn’t the second one.”
They could see more clearly now. The room was definitely a party. There were people dancing and they were all wearing formal clothing. “So…looks like old movies you make us watch when it’s your turn on movie night.” Tucker liked old movies but only if they were Reservoir Dogs and there was a lot of violence. Wash liked shit with dancing and singing numbers. White Christmas was a yearly tradition since Wash had joined them and the clothes in that sort of resembled what these people…were they really people or just a weird projected image?...wore.
“Maybe 1930s or 1940s. Hard to tell.” Wash propped his light on the floor to keep shining in the space and turned up the lights on his suit. The more light they added the more clear the other room became. Now they could see a small band with a piano and string instruments to one side.
Since they weren’t looking neither of them saw the lights flicker and turn on in the panels to the side when they added more light.
Tucker snorted and turned up his own suit lights. “Nerd.”
Behind them more lights came up on the panels.
This time it seemed to bring the whole room into view. Tucker jumped when two people walked right in front of them in the light. The woman had her head back laughing and she was so close the lack of sound made it even eerier than all of this already was. She was so close you should hear her laugh, hell you should be able to hear her breathe at this range. Without meaning to, Tucker reached out to touch her.
“Tucker, NO!” Wash reached out and knocked his hand away before it could cross the barrier but when he did his own hand breached the horizon and a flare of light surrounded it. It caught him and Tucker could see Wash struggling to yank his hand back out.
“Shit, oh shit oh shit.” Tucker grabbed Wash’s arm trying to help him pull himself out but it didn’t seem to be helping at all. “Wash what do I do?”
Wash’s face was pale and strained with sweat beading around his hairline. They’d all seen him after the Meta had nearly killed him when he’d been in high paranoia mode and refused to take real pain killers. This was Wash in pain, crippling pain, whatever was happening hurt like hell. “Pull. No time.”
Tucker braced his feet and put his entire weight into pulling but it didn’t even slow down the relentless pull that was taking Wash through whatever barrier was there. “It’s not working…oh my god Wash, your arm!” Through the barrier Wash’s arm was no longer armored, instead it was clad in the sleeve of one of those old time tuxedos.
“I know.” Feeling fresh panic both of them pulled as hard as they could but they might as well be trying to move the base for as much difference as it made. “Tucker, let go.”
“NO!” Tucker shook his head. “If you go, I’m going.”
Wash’s ear was almost to the barrier and the pain must have been getting worse because he was starting to talk through short pants of air. “Someone has..to tell…get help…keep others safe…”
“Listen to me asshole, I am not letting you go, do you understand?” Tucker could feel his voice shake. “I’m not. You can’t ask me to. I’m going to go with you.” He dug in his fingers doing his best to keep him here and if not to be dragged in along with him.
“It’s okay Tucker.” Wash smiled. Despite the obvious pain he was in, it was such a sweet smile it made Tucker’s heart ache. “I love you too.” And with a quick twist of his arm he broke Tucker’s grip and stepped into the barrier to make sure he didn’t drag him into it with him. As soon as he went through the seemingly empty air shimmered and solidified into place like a glass wall.
With a low cry of despair Tucker flung himself at the barrier but instead of it grabbing him he bounced off of it. “NO!” He threw himself at the barrier again and again screaming Wash’s name and beating it with his fists trying to either force it to let him in or to make Wash hear him.
Because Wash was there on the other side only now he was dressed in a tuxedo, with his hair slicked back under control with an urbane smile on his face as he looked around the room like he belonged there. It didn’t matter how hard Tucker slammed himself against the barrier, it refused to move in the slightest. He kept throwing himself against it until he sank to his knees in exhaustion. He knew he should leave and go get Carolina but he didn’t want to let Wash out of his sight.
He watched a woman in a slinky gown with some sort of sequins or crystals peeking out of the folds making it look like she was wearing a dress made out of stars, walking up to Wash and holding out her hand with a smile. He felt his heart crack when Wash smiled at her and took the offered hand to follow her out onto the dance floor.
Tucker couldn’t manage anything but letting his forehead rest against the barrier and watching Wash dance with tears streaming down his face.
That was where they found him. Apparently when Wash went through the barrier it had caused his armor to transmit an alert beacon to Carolina. Tucker was still leaning against the barrier with Wash’s helmet cradled against his chest. Once they understood what was going on Carolina had insisted they call Doctor Gray and Kimball to help them investigate. She’d also tried to get Tucker to leave while they waited. When she tried to pull him back through the tunnel he’d punched her right in the damn mouth. Caboose, Grif and Simmons had taken a step back with a gasp, obviously trying to get out of range of Carolina killing him for the insult but after rubbing her jaw she’d just sighed and stopped trying. Instead she made them bring some food and she sat on the floor with him and waited for the others.
Once Kimball and Doctor Gray showed up they made him move just enough to let them run tests and diagnostics. He didn’t need to hear what they were saying to know that they weren’t going to be able to fix it. Tucker hadn’t intended to fall asleep but realized he had when someone calling his name jolted him awake.
“I’m sorry, Captain Tucker. We think it’s an old research project. We don’t know much about it but for now it looks like now it’s activated we can’t turn it off.” Gray touched his shoulder and sighed. “At least not now, since you found it in a less static state we hope there’s something. we’ll keep looking into it. We have to be careful, we honestly don’t have any idea of what we’re dealing with and we don’t want to make things worse.”
Tucker didn’t bother looking at her he just nodded numbly as he looked into the now sealed portal at Wash. He was just so…light. Like all the horrible things that had weighed him down had never touched him. Wash took the hand of the woman and stepped into the dance floor.
He was laughing. There were no shadows behind his eyes as he threw his head back and laughed without missing a step of the dance.
Even if someday they figured out how to get him out of there should they? What would it be like to come back and have that staggering weight of his old life put back on his shoulders? Tucker put his hand on the portal that wouldn’t let him through and for a moment Wash turned to look in his direction with a puzzled expression creeping over his face. Then the woman he was dancing with tilted her head and touched his face to get his attention and Wash shook his head slightly and smiled at the woman and pulled them both back into the steps of the dance.
Wash was happy.
Tucker was alone.
And it was all his fault.