Chapter Text
Smitty sits up suddenly, his eyes widening and he starts to hyperventilate. Frantically he scans the room, basic metal walls, his and Johns basic bed and the window which only reveals the depressing grey of the all too familiar company building. How the fuck was he alive?! He runs through the events in his head, the tightening grip on his throat and head as the snare fleas body starved him of oxygen, collapsing as he heard John shouting for him. He springs up, rushing over to the mirror hanging on their wall as he checks his neck, not even a single mark like he’d usually get from a death, the hell? He then checks the accursed watch strapped to his wrist, the countdown of icons until he permanently died yet instead of displaying six used ones, there were seven, one icon left unused. Confusion fills him as the dull hum of the ship is disrupted by a confirming beep, they had made quota? His watch beeps as the icons turn into an unused state. The hell happened? He works up the nerve to walk into the main room, the console sitting quietly as the quota had been matched, 230/226. They did make it then, but how is he there now? Before another thought could cross his mind, familiar footsteps thumping against the metal grating and voices outside alerts him, John? Puffer?
“Smitty!” John shouts, his voice now full of relief instead of fear and worry, he practically throws himself into Smitty’s arms in an urgent embrace but this only caused more confusion, he was obviously so glad to see his lover but...
“John? What happened?” Smitty wraps his arms around John, a moment pauses before John pulls back enough. Their green eyes meeting before he scans over Smitty who now rests his hands on his lovers' hips. John cups Smitty’s cheek in an oddly gentle way, normally they were always teasing yet this moment, why was John being so soft?
“John?” Smitty wasn’t aware of how much the slight croak in his voice bought tears to John’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry, the snare flea just came out of nowhere, I couldn’t, I didn’t have the shovel and I tried to look-” “John, it’s okay, but how am I here?” Smitty urges, John just sighs before pulling away slightly. Almost embarrassed or ashamed as he rubs the back of his head, messing up his dirty blond hair. He couldn’t put it into words but shows his watch instead, he only had eight unused tokens.
“Wait, you had nine the last time we looked, why don’t you-” “I used it to bring you back, I looked through every file the company had and it said, if I sacrificed one of my unused tokens, I could bring back a dead...” John couldn’t finish the sentence but Smitty just pulls him into another hug as they share a longer moment.
“I hate to bring this up, but we all almost got wiped out that last run, quota is getting harder too. Even the safe moons are getting harder and the quota just went to 345” Puffer interrupts, his eyes desperate before softening as he looks at Smitty.
“It’s good to have you back, but we need to figure out a way to make sure this doesn’t happen again” Puffer continues, now addressing both of them in a gentler way. John and Smitty look at each other for just a moment, a full silent conversation passes through a few thoughts behind their eyes, John then turns to Puffer, a solemn solution to a terrible situation.
“We need more people then, we get more people and we at least have a higher chance, sure it means they might die but there’s a lower chance it’ll be one of us.” John felt awful saying it out loud. They both flinched but knew it was true, they needed more people if they were going to continue surviving through the hellish company. Puffer just sighs, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses as he walks over to the console, Smitty and John walking up beside him as silent encouragement.
“Are we sure about this? They could hate us as soon as they figure it out” Puffer doesn’t get worried, but his voice strained slightly and he refuses to look either of them in the eye.
“Yeah, we can’t let this happen again, we got lucky that I had a spare this time” John states, not from a lack of empathy but from a place of fact. Smitty just stayed silent as Puffer activates the alert for new hires as the low rumble which signalled they had taken off from the company building, Puffer disappears towards his bedroom silently, they knew procedures. Smitty and John went to their own room and sat on the bed together, Smitty knew what he was thinking.
“We have to, yeah? Even if we wanted to... somehow stop working, then we need more people.” Smitty tries to encourage as John just sighs, giving him a deadpan stare but with a thousand emotions just under the surface.
“I get it, yeah, I just wish we didn’t have to” John mumbles, moving into a laying position. Smitty remains sitting for another moment before cuddling up to John, they’d have to sacrifice if they both wanted to get out of this alive but they won’t stop, not until they were forced to.
Pezzy lazes on the couch, his hand in Droid’s as the alerts had gone out again. A nervous excitement crackles through the air as Matt and Grizzy hover and watch the TV behind the relaxing duo. There were only half a dozen planets that were capable of human life in the Thistle nebula, they lived on one of the further less inhabited planets which people called an echo of its former self. People still thrive here but they are mostly creatives now, there isn’t much to do when everything is automated, yet this is also why everyone is so excited when the announcement of the Company hires. Every once in a while, they start hiring again and every town has a shipyard where a household is assigned a ship. The true process is entirely unknown but it’s something which everyone wants to do simply because it allows them to go off planet now.
“It’s been so long since their last hiring process, wonder why” Droid muses, Pezzy shrugs as Matt and Grizzy moved to the kitchen.
“They probably just need more people, I hope it’s us this time!” Pezzy stretches as they watch for the announcement on the TV. When the company started hiring, the announcement would alert on every broadcasting channel, it was by far the biggest events that they had, then the raffle started. Every household had the option to register to work for the company which is why they all lived together, that way there was no way they’d be separated post-hiring. Matt did tell them about an old friend named Smitty, they were neighbours at one point but Smitty and his boyfriend, John, were both selected years ago and he never heard from them again. It did make him suspicious but he figured that they were busy off planet, he is pulled from his thoughts as a chime announces that the raffle winners will be selected for hiring. They all gather into the living room as their house number appears on the screen, alongside a few dozen other numbers. They cheer and Droid and Pezzy embrace, this was the biggest news of their lives as they all dashed out of the living room to begin packing. Despite their excitement, they had no idea what was to come next, what they’d need or what their mission even was. They all decided to pack a small bag of essentials and clothes, surely the company would supply them with whatever they needed for their job.
An electric hum fills their veins as they exit the house, looking back with excitement as their lives are about to change. They start heading to the nearby shipyard with their documents, the entire trip and documentation was a blur until they had their hands on company issued watches, strapping them to their wrists. It was fairly simple as a digital display of the time shimmers into existence, Pezzys heart pounds in his chest as he looks to Droid who continued to inspect his own watch. The receptionist gave them directions to their new home that would take them to the stars, each of them hoisted themselves up the ladder to be met with three people standing by the console. Matt recognised two of them instantly, this is where Smitty and John had gone! The odds were almost impossible.
“Smitty! John!” Matt yells, excitement filling him as he rushes forward, pulling them a tight embrace as they return hesitantly. The other three looking forward with curiosity.
“Do you know-” “Yeah, we were neighbours before me and John were chosen” Smitty manages out, trying to remain smooth and uncaring of the dangers that he now realised that he had put his friend into but his heart betrayed him. Introductions were made as Matt refused to leave Smittys side,
“Is this everyone?” Puffer asks, doing a mental headcount, this bought the ship numbers to seven, a bit of a crowd but it meant higher chances of survival, more tokens for them all.
“I think s-” Pezzy couldn’t even finish his sentence before jumping as the doors slam behind him, a low rumble echoes through the small ship as the engines fire them into the upper atmosphere swiftly.
“If there’s two bedrooms, a few of you guys will have to bunk with me but there’s plenty of room for all of us” Puffer explains, starting a miniature tour for the newcomers. Pezzy and Droid took a spare room for themselves while everyone bunked with Puffer, he was hesitant but caring of everyone. Smitty and John prepare to set the autopilot to an easier moon, they shared a look before confirming. Yelps occurred throughout the newcomers were bound to their watched.
“The hell?!” Pezzy shouts, blood oozing down the back of his arm as he looks up at Droid, then to Puffer with desperation.
“Shit” Puffer mutters, Pezzy is outraged at the response, he knew that this was gonna happen?! He was preparing to shout before Puffer just raises his hands in defence.
“I’m sorry! This always happens, we can’t tell you about it otherwise we’d all be dead” Puffer tries to explain, showing his own watch, nine icons with various numbers.
“Let's all gather into the main room” So they did, Puffer explained everything. The quota, the risk, the fact that there is no end and no way to contact anyone else. Death tokens that allowed them to die and come back for as many times as there were highlighted icons, the value of what they held. When all was said and done, Puffer just walked back to the bedroom, shame filled the original crew as the newcomers felt almost betrayed. Conflict written on Matts face.
“So, you’re telling me, that while you’ve been risking your lives up here, everything that we’re told is a lie?” Matt manages out, looking up at Smitty and John, who share a slight nod with sad eyes.
“Trust me, this was the last thing we wanted but... Smitty ran out of tokens, he was dead, gone” Smitty looks away and deep into the metal grating. The others looked shocked between them; Droid is thoughtful for a moment before he stands.
“Then it’s settled then, we work together no matter what” The groups nods, they had to work together, it was the only way they’d survive.
As the approaching alert wakes them from their slumber, Puffer explains the process of each shift. They are to go in, collect metal scrap and bring it back to the ship, try to leave before sunset and they should all get out fine. They also have to avoid the monsters which lurk in the abandoned moons, the newcomers were all nervous as they slip their respective suits on, colours which they had requested all that time ago. Pezzy looked at his purple suit, then at Droid who slipped into a green one, each suit fit like a glove as he sighed, the hell did they think this job was? The doors snap open as Puffer, Smitty and John vault over the balcony railings with practiced ease, Grizzy and Matt look at each other as the rest of them go to the ladder and climb down. The clocks on their watches already ticking, showing what the time was, 8am bright and early yet the red sand blusters around violently from an unfelt wind, Pezzys eyes widen at the mass of a building ahead of them as they all eagerly run towards the tall ladder. They all enter a garage area and look at each other as they enter the building one by one, meeting in an entrance as Pezzy stares at the rotating fan on the ceiling. Smitty looks to Matt and Grizzy, agreeing to take them as a group.
“Fuck that! We only have flashlights, you aren’t-” “Puffer, they need a guide in these halls and you fucking know that” Smitty crosses his arms, John lowers his head as he knows that arguing with Smitty is useless. He checks his death tokens, all unused obviously but he nods, he hated being out of control. They split into two groups, Smitty with Matt and Grizzy while Puffer and John are with Pezzy and Droid, it is impossible to split seven into even groups after all.
“So, this place is dangerous?” Grizzy eventually asks, they were walking the halls as Smitty taps his watch, sending out a slight pulse, to look for anything they could take as scrap.
“Something like that, there are monsters and traps, if you die to them, you-” “lose a token, we get that” Grizzy finishes, he still didn’t believe it and he didn’t want to.
“Yeah, so this place is dangerous” The silence extended as they kept searching, picking up a Rubik cube and a plastic fish, an egg beater and a metal baking tray.
“I think this is about all we’re gonna find so we should head back” Smitty expresses out loud, they had gone a short way but he still felt super lucky as his watch displays the value of the haul so far, at the very least they managed to find 202 credits between them. He hoped that the other group would find other scrap, it had been suspiciously quiet, not even the distinctive footsteps of a bunker spider or the scraping of a thumper which he was glad of. The two behind him were silent the entire time, radiating terror as the halls bended almost endlessly as they prepare to head back, but Grizzy thought he saw something as he got left behind by the other two.
“Hey! Guys, what’s th-” a screech and muffled screaming followed as a snare flea lands on his head, Grizzy tries his best to find a purchase as he could barely hear Matt screaming his name. Smitty held Matt back as he tried to rush to Grizzy’s aid.
“We can’t do anything! Matt! You’ll only die too” Smitty shouts, struggling to hold back his own tears as Grizzy collapses, another second and the snare flea crawls into the darkness and they see it jump onto the ceiling. Smitty releases Matt who collapses at Grizzy’s side but Smitty just sighs, regret across his face before hearing gunshots in the distance, soon followed by an explosion. His every urge screamed at him to run; to go find his other friends but he fights it and puts a hand on Matt’s shoulder.
“We have to go! Now!” Smitty urges, the facility was waking up now.
“We can’t just leave him! What the fuck is this job Smitty?!” Matt shouts, springing to his feet, getting close enough for Smitty to see the rage and a deep sadness in his eyes.
“I didn’t know when I joined either! We were neighbours, I would’ve told you if I could’ve!” Smitty shouts back, stepping away slightly and unable to meet his old friend's eyes.
“I’m sorry, we have to go now, someone else has died and we need to go” Smitty lets the regret shine through his eyes, his voice straining as he wants to empathise. Matt just looks back at Grizzy.
“He’ll be back, right?” the hesitation on his expression said everything that Smitty needed to know.
“Yes, he will, even if we don’t make it back ourselves, you’ll see him again as soon as we’re back in orbit” Smitty gives a slight smile, he knew that it wasn’t much but Matt does nod as they start walking back to the entry room where they soon met everyone else, minus Droid. Pezzy looked shaken, his eyes wide as blood dripped down his sleeve and he remained silent, Smitty and John shared a look as they both knew what it felt to lose someone they love.
“We gotta go, I had a check outside and its past sunset, this means that you must remain silent. There are... dogs, blind demon dogs which crawl out of their cave when it gets dark.” Puffer starts to explain, looking at everyone in the group. They knew what they had to do, even though they only felt fear.
One by one, they left the facility as they practically crawl towards the ladder. Descending it and ensuring their breath was as quiet as the wind itself, yet their heartbeats thundered in their chests as Pezzy felt as if the blind dogs could hear them. They make it halfway to the ship before Matt trips, yelping quietly yet it was loud enough for a dog to perk up, it’s tail and head raising as it tracks the noise, Matt curls into a ball and covers his mouth with his hands as the maw of the dog drools in front of him. Smitty had to act, he motions to Puffer and Pezzy to pick up the small amount of scrap he had, passing them off as he crawls away from the group. John watches with wide eyes, shaking his head but Smitty nods, then he coughs quietly as the roar of the dogs' rush towards the noise, tails up as they investigate the tiny noise. Smitty keeps a hand on his mouth as he stands, creeping away from the danger but another sound of dropping metal almost thunders from the ship, someone dropped something and the dogs leap up the balcony, growling.
“Take off! Now!” Smitty shouts as the dogs rush out the door, Puffer launches the ship as John rushes out and Smitty just smiles, looking up at the leaving ship as pain rips through his entire body, the needle-sharp teeth of the dog causing agony until he feels nothing except weightlessness. Time didn’t matter in this space as he opens his eyes again, he had been here countless times before, deep space where the stars were only barely breaking through the void. A door opens in the void and he steps through willingly, he knew no matter how long he waited, he would always end up in the orbiting ship. He wakes up in bed, breathing a gasp as the lingering pain in his chest fades quickly, he didn’t know how it worked but it did. He checks his watch to see the used token fading into the background, he sighs and silently thanks John, who actually rushes into the bedroom and hugs Smitty, pressing a forehead onto his forehead.
“You fucking idiot” John mutters as he helps Smitty to his feet, Smitty only gives a wide grin before it softens.
“You love me really” he waves off, walking to the main room where everybody was waiting. Droid had burns across his neck as Pezzy clings to him and Grizzy had obvious marks around his neck from the snare flea. Smitty just knew that he had teeth scars across his entire torso, whatever bought them back made sure that they didn’t forget that they had used a token to come back. Grizzy, Matt, Pezzy and Droid all stand together, eyes wide and they were all speechless at the events that had occurred, yet Smitty could hear the slight mumbles between them.
“We are really sorry we couldn’t tell you before you joined, we’d all have been tossed into space, we thought...” Smitty leads off, but Grizzy and Droid look at each other for a moment before grinning as they look back.
“The way we see this, we signed up for this and we won’t shy away from it” Droid had bounced back dramatically from how he was looking before. The surprise couldn’t be hidden from Puffer's face, John simply stuck close to Smitty.
“Yeah, thats about it, and we will figure out a way to survive this all together”
“And we have this quota thing in the fucking bag man” Droid boasts, tapping his watch seeing the value go up to 260 credits total. The group looks between each other, slowly nodding and understanding, they did have this, they could absolutely do it.
“Right, two more days then we sell” Puffer steps up, they were all undoubtedly terrified, the trial by fire burned them all and set the stakes of what there was to lose. None of them truly wanted to do this but they knew they had to, so they’ll do it the best they can, they’ll work together and do this job. They’ll either get out alive together or none of them will survive.