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"Chert, um, are you awake?" Riebeck's voice broke the silence of their shared cabin.
The other space cadet had half the mind to cover their ears with a pillow. They trained with Gossan and Feldspar for most of their day. Chert went through the regular routines of maneuvering through the Zero-G Cave. The task would've gone fine enough if their instructors didn't have such differing methods to prepare them for the vacuum of space. Chert rolled, twisted, and glided in zero gravity to repair satellites and dodge objects in midair.
They would not mention the amount of times they crashed into something.
For the past half hour or so, Chert's aching body didn't allow them to sleep. They laid in their bed, closing their eyes only to have thoughts racing about how they would have dealt with training today or how to tell their instructors to choose a better way to train. Or the way they mentioned how close Chert was to their solo launch. Chert did not feel ready for their solo launch any time soon.
If Chert ignored Riebeck, the archaeologist would remain quiet for the rest of the night. Chert pressed the pillow against their face. They just needed to stay still and quiet, and Riebeck wouldn't be any wiser. Riebeck was on the bunk underneath Chert, so could catch any sign of movement. However, knowing Riebeck, they wouldn't be the first to mention this sort of discrepancy.
As much as Chert didn't want to deal with anything else right now, Riebeck was one of their closest friends. Riebeck didn't ask for many things. When they ask about something specific, they are more than a little worried. Chert couldn't bring their heart to ignore their worried friend.
Chert sighed and pushed the pillow away from their face. They forced their body to roll to the side despite their aching muscles. "I'm awake, Riebeck." They peeked over the railing and angled their head to face their fellow trainee. "What's the dirt?"
Riebeck laid still as a rock, staring above and holding their hands so tightly that some of their scales were sticking out.
"Riebeck, your hands," Chert said.
"Oh!" Riebeck released their vice grip and opted to fiddle with the blanket that covered them. They glanced at the bunk bed on the other side of the cabin and then back to Chert. "Did Gabbro come back yet? I haven't seen them since the Museum."
Chert pinched the bridge of their nose. "Gabbro goes here and there," Chert said. "I'm sure they're fine. We're not hatchlings anymore."
Riebeck puffed one of their cheeks. "That's the thing. they were at the Museum and when I turned around, I couldn't see them anymore!" Riebeck said.
"Do you think your eyes were playing a trick on you?"
"I... I don't think so? Hornfels talked to Gabbro too. They were talking about how they could use quantum mechanics for some improvements to our equipment. I think? I was focusing on the newest Nomai script we got. And before I knew it, Hornfels was asking me where Gabbro went."
Chert squinted at the other bunk bed. Gabbro took the top bunk, while the bottom bunk remained empty for the next space cadet incoming. Gabbro's bed had messy blankets and pillows. It wasn't made, but it seemed like no one had touched it tonight. That physicist would've woken up long ago to hear their peers talking about them. Gabbro did enjoy their sleep, so it was strange for them to not come back to their bed at the very end of the day or sometime early in the morning.
There were a handful of times where Chert had to get Gabbro to go to bed, especially during their hatchlinghood. It would lead to long conversation under the stars draped under the warmth of a blanket or two until one of them fell asleep.
The moonlight peeked through the windows. Chert pressed a hand against their face. Stars above, had Chert been awake for this long? Judging by the position of the moon, it was a little past midnight. They had been in bed since finishing dinner because they couldn't bring themself to move. Sleep hadn't been kind to them anyways. Normally, Gabbro would have come back home at this point or notified them of an eclipse or something.
Gabbro wasn't unreliable, sometimes they had their head in the clouds, or rather, they were not in touch with reality. Chert could rely on them to complete tasks or give a different perspective on a situation. Gabbro would find the best way to view the bigger picture then break this picture into small, manageable sizes. They were somehow predictable and unpredictable at the same time. Present and not.
"Were you up thinking about Gabbro?" Chert said.
"Well, yes," Riebeck said, then covered their mouth. "Wait, not in that way!" Their voice came out in a squeak before returning to their usual soft tone. "But, um, they up and disappeared earlier when we were talking. I know they would've needed to pass me before they left. There's only one exit. But they don't usually disappear all of a sudden."
Riebeck kneaded their fingers in the blanket. "And... I know that Hornfels told me that Gabbro would come back. And! And that they'd look for Gabbro too." Their voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't help but be worried."
Out of the three trainees, Riebeck was known for their anxiety and apprehension for the unknown. Yet also known for their bravery and courage to examine such unknowns. They were always the one worried for their friends, sticking to them like glue and checking in on them whenever they had a chance with small snacks or encouraging notes. Of course, they would worry about one of their best friends disappearing through mysterious means.
It was strange that Gabbro didn't turn up around this time. Even for a quick visit to grab one thing or a quick snooze. The space cadets were so in tune with each others' rhythms for living together for so long. A little deviation became more apparent in a uniform schedule. And Gabbro was the one telling Chert to go to bed when it was late. That hypocrite!
Chert braced themself for the cold as they pulled off their blanket, ignoring the dull ache in their body. It wasn't like they were going to sleep anytime soon, better make the best of this situation anyways, and think about something else for a time. They pushed themself up and crawled towards the ladder at the edge of their bunk. In a practiced motion, Chert slid down the ladder and crouched down when they reached the ground. They straightened the creases on their clothes and went towards the wall where all their gear hung.
"Chert, what are you doing?" Riebeck peered from their covers.
Chert grabbed their jacket from the hook and wrapped it around themself. "Findng Gabbro. You coming with?" Chert tied their trust bandana around their neck.
"Ah." Riebeck looked at their blanket then back at Chert. "Yes!" As if they needed any coaxing to go find their friend. Riebeck scrambled out of their bed only to take a couple steps back to adjust their sheets. Then they walked next to Chert and put on their warmer clothes. Riebeck was already dressed rather warmly under the blankets, so all they did was pull on a cotton sweater. They strapped on their boots and then tied a small pouch around their waist.
"Hm... what do I need to bring...?" After Chert put on their own shoes, their hands hovered over their desk. They hadn't done a late night excursion in a while. They didn't remember the last time either with all the different tasks Outer Wilds Ventures needed them to do for training. Late night excursions meant they wouldn't have the energy to do their training or whatever observations they needed for the stars. They reached out for a flashlight and flicked it on. Off. They will be taking that.
"Maybe a scout?" Riebeck approached Chert's desk.
"Do we need to take pictures?" Chert said.
"Maybe Gabbro found something to take pictures of, and, um, you're a much better shot with it than either of us," Riebeck said.
Chert shrugged and plucked the Scout launcher from the side of their desk. They always had it in the same area. If they didn't need it for something, it was always there. Chert held the launcher in their other hand. They didn't have the straps of their EVA suit to help carry this launch. It'd be too inconvenient to carry anything else.
Besides, not wanting to carry anything else.
"Riebeck, you mind bringing your signalscope? We might as well since we're bringing the Scout," Chert said. Honestly, there wasn't any rhyme or reason to bring any more of this stuff. It wasn't like this was going to be a scavenger hunt for their missing companion.
"Got it." Riebeck went to their table and picked out a cylindrical device with a radio telescope at the base of it. They held it up to peer through the lens and pointed it around the cabin.
"You hear something?" Chert said.
Riebeck tweaked the channel, but only static greeted the two. "Not really." Riebeck attached the signalscope to their back. "Guess it doesn't hurt to have though."
"Just in case." More just in case Gabbro decided to play their flute that was attuned to the channel on their signalscopes and simplify this search.
Riebeck nodded,
Riebeck stopped before the two space cadets exited the cabin. Riebeck looked back and said, "Do you think Gabbro is cold? Should I bring a sweater for them?"
Leave it to Riebeck to consider other factors besides the current one these two were facing. It did get incredibly cold during this time of night on Timber Hearth.
"That's a good idea," Chert said, who removed their hand from the knob and leaned against the wall.
Riebeck rushed back into their shared bedroom to retrieve a knitted sweater for their fellow space cadet. The two made one more check for all the things they brought.
Then, Chert opened the door and shivered. Yeah, these nights were getting colder and colder.
The two trekked to the Observatory since that was the last place Riebeck saw Gabbro. Chert could barely make out the shape of the structure at night. Darkness wrapped around it, void of any light or activity. If it weren't for the fact Chert spent most of their waking hours here outside of training they'd be frightened of this ghastly building. However, it was never dead. It was only quiet.
Chert flipped on the light switch. Light shined on the various exhibits Outer Wild Ventures found throughout their lifetime. Specks of dust fluttered in the air, and the whole place hummed with electricity. If this were any other day, Chert would have traced their fingers along the plaques or the ropes, but no, they needed to figure out where their roommate was, so their other roommate wouldn't worry themself to death.
Not that Chert would admit this was a much needed break from their endless training. Oh no. Nothing of that sort.
"The last time I saw Gabbro was around here." Riebeck gestured to the entire exhibition area, then they pointed to the Quantum Shard exhibit.
Okay, that... lessened the amount of places to look around then.
"Let's look over there." Chert motioned for Riebeck to follow.
The two approached the Quantum Shard exhibit. The chill wasn't the only reason Chert felt uneasy. This shard didn't feel like it belonged on this planet with its mix of blues and blacks opposing the warm colors of Timber Hearth. Their seniors had said it broke from the Quantum Moon. It was just otherworldly. Chert never had the same fondness for quantum mechanics as Gabbro did, but they could appreciate the thought experiments this strange rock represented.
The moonlight was too dim to navigate this exhibit without the flashlight. Riebeck stayed behind Chert as they mapped the area in their head. The exhibit had three small tree stump pedestals, each one housed the Quantum Shard every so often. Chert spent more time in the Observatory than this part of the Museum. The shard shifted to another position whenever the astronomer moved their head. They would've preferred something a little more predictable then an object that goes as it pleases. It didn't help that the shard was taller than Riebeck, which meant it was much taller than Chert.
The Museum Curator allowed visitors to touch this exhibit once they figured it would actively harm people. In fact, they encouraged people to observe this foreign object and test the limitless possibilities it had. Chert had tried it once, but they sat in silence watching a rock do nothing for an hour. Yeah, that wasn't Chert's expertise. They would much rather look at the stars.
"Are you sure that Gabbro disappeared around here?" Chert squinted at the Quantum Shard. Past the Quantum Shard was a tall jagged cliff that would take an impossibly long time to climb without being noticed.
Gabbro wasn't one for scaling up tall cliffs for the challenge.
Maybe they were, but Chert guessed otherwise.
Riebeck's gaze bounced around. "I'm sure. I don't know how they would've gotten out of here though.
The wind whooshed beside Chert. Their eyes moved away from the Quantum Shard. Surely, Gabbro wouldn't have climbed that cliff. There was only one obvious exit out of this Museum. With the sun and light keeping the shadows away, Gabbro couldn't have dipped into the shadows. What could it be then?
Think, Chert! Think!
Riebeck's yelp shattered Chert's thoughts.
Chert whipped their head around and almost dropped their flashlight. Riebeck ran over to their friend and hid behind them. With a shaky hand, chert raised their flashlight to trace Riebeck's path to find a large otherworldly stone standing tall on the wooden pedestal.
The Quantum Shard stood there as if nothing had ever happened.
Chert dropped the tension in their shoulders and sighed. "That's just the Quantum Shard, Riebeck."
"I know- I'm sorry, I just- I wasn't-" Riebeck gripped their signalscope.
"It's fine. You're fine," Chert said, lowering their voice a tad.
Riebeck took a large breath. "Yeah... It's fine. I'm fine." And they exhaled. They squared their shoulders and lifted the signalscope. They adjusted some of the knobs, After a couple of moments listening to frequencies, the archaeologist tilted their head. "The signalscope said there was a new signal. And then, um, the Quantum Shard appeared behind me."
"Is that so?" Chert tiptoed to get closer to the signalscope's speakers.
Riebeck nodded, pointed the signalscope towards the shard, and crept towards. "The Quantum Shard is producing a signal. I didn't know it could do that." They leaned closer to the rock, but it was as if there were an invisible barrier that stopped Riebeck from approaching. "It's like a quantum signal? Well, I've never heard anything like this."
"Can I try?" Chert tucked the flashlight under their arm and held out their hand.
"Yeah." Riebeck handed Chert the signalscope.
Chert put the signalscope up to their eye and zoomed into the Quantum Shard. On the bottom of the interface, it said '3m away'. Chert could trace the small craters and divots in the rock, it seemed like it had gone through a bit of wear throughout the years. A droning noise came through the signalscope as they pointed it at the Quantum Shard.
"I also never heard anything like this." Chert zoomed the lens out and examined the area with the tool. The sound wasn't like the high-pitched alarms from their ships or the hum from their equipment. It stood on a frequency that kept fluctuating, never quite staying on the same pitch, but also staying on the same pitch. This drone called out to other shards similar to this.
Chert's fingers flitted over the signalscope's controls before stepped back and examined the exhibit. This channel could pick up this specific quantum frequency. It should be able to pick up other instances of it. Chert flicked the tool towards the back of the exhibit.
Aha!
There was another signal with that same drone!
Actually, there were multiple signals that fluctuate the same way. It was safe to assume that Gabbro could be at the closest one. There was no way that physicist could be anywhere past the 1000 meter mark. Or anywhere off this planet for that matter.
"Chert?" Riebeck said.
Chert changed the channel to the Outer Wilds tune. All the astronauts' instruments had some signal transmitting device to send their music to a signalscope. Outer Wilds Ventures created that when there wasn't anything to radio over, but they needed to check if their explorers were okay. All the space cadets needed to attach a transmitting device to their instrument. It helped that many of the Hearthians were very fond of playing their instruments.
In the same direction of that quantum fluctuation, a flute played the same low note on and on until they decided it was time to add a flourish or some type of ornamental to their slow melody. Chert caught themself from rolling their eyes.
Chert was so right for bringing a signalscope along.
That had to be Gabbro. Gabbro was the only one with a flute who could play on this channel. And Gabbro would be the only one to play the flute in some sort of unknown place at this time of night.
Wait.
Was Gabbro harmonizing with that quantum frequency?
Chert switched between the quantum fluctuation and the Outer Wilds channels.
Even though the two notes never made a symphony in unison, they definitely harmonized with one another.
"Um!" Riebeck tapped Chert's shoulder. "Did you find anything?"
Chert lowered the signalscope. "I did. Gabbro's flute came over the speakers. I think we're gonna have to do some exploring tonight." So much for not having a whole scavenger hunt.
"Right... now...?" Riebeck shuffled their feet. The moon hadn't left the sky yet, but it was more than past midnight now. The sun could peek from the horizon in a couple more hours.
"They must've lost track of time," Chert said. Gabbro was one for taking a break, but they tended to lose track of time for one reason or another. Usually, it would be their interests and that would become their very state-of-being. Not that Chert could anything, the astronomer craved the stars very conscious moment.
The stars always called out to Chert. Stardust speckled itself in their blood.
There was another reason that Gabbro lost track of time, but that was a less favorable option. However, like a scientist, no option should be thrown out until proven.
Chert unbuckled the Scout from their side and passed it to Riebeck. "Can you take my Scout? I'll see if I guide us with this signalscope."
Riebeck held the Scout close to themself as Chert led them both out of the Museum. Chert was not scaling that cliff even if Feldspar wanted them to. They also doubted Riebeck would've wanted to follow in those footsteps either. So, out the museum they went. In one hand, Chert had the flashlight, and the other had the signalscope. Chert angled the signalscope to track the flute, and when the flute wasn't playing, they followed the quantum fluctuation.
No one in the village was out and about. There were soft snores as they passed various cabins. All the hatchlings were in bed. The rest of the Hearthians should be sleeping minus one or two houses that had lights on. The stars and moon remained as the sole witnesses to the two trainees' hunt. The breeze blew against them despite the shelter the village crater's walls should've given them.
And Chert almost hit one of those walls if Riebeck didn't warn them.
Thanks, Riebeck.
Chert had to change directions multiple times until they decided it would be a lot easier to get out of the village. As far as they were aware, no other Quantum Shards were in this village. Unless Gabbro found one here, and that wouldn't at all be surprising. As the two left the village crater, Riebeck stayed glued to Chert. Not quite sticking to them, but Chert could hear their shaky breaths and felt and nervous energy.
Once they left the crater, getting closer to the source of the quantum fluctuation wasn't difficult. It was a straight shot through the trees and hills.
The millions of stars and moonlight lit their path, rendering the flashlight not as necessary. If they weren't on a time crunch to check up on Gabbro, Chert would've told Riebeck about the constellations and the stories the Hearthians passed down about them. Riebeck would enjoy those.
Chert had no inclination to talk when the sun rose or when they couldn't find their third member of their trio.
As the distance between the space cadets and the quantum frequency clsoed in, they reached a small grove covered with trees full of leaves. When Chert blinked, they could've sworn some of those trees weren't there before. Like they appeared out of nowhere.
A low rumbling came from the ground, and it grew louder and louder until it started hissing.
And then...
Whoosh!
"AH!" Riebeck jumped back and held onto Chert. Chert patted their hand despite being as stiff as a board.
A tall stream of water popped behind the trees. It splashed in the sky for a second before lowering itself and leaving the two space cadets in silence.
"Oh, it was... it was just a geyser." Riebeck rubbed the back of their hand.
Chert double checked the distance to the quantum fluctuation on the signalscope. Close enough. They put it away. "Let's go see what we can find here."
The two approached the little grove. Chert still wasn't sure if it were a figment of their imagination that some of these trees kept moving. Turn one way, there was a new tree. Turn the other way, a tree was missing. This grove wasn't unfamiliar, but older Hearthians warned them of the unnatural phenomena of this location. They urged hatchlings to avoid this place, or anyone else for that matter.
This included Gabbro.
But that didn't stop the curious Hearthian from coming and exploring this place.
As they delved deeper into this small grove, they saw a pond surrounding the geyser they heard earlier. It reflected the starry night sky and rippled from the winds. A Quantum Shard was right next to it, much bigger than the one at the Museum. It still exuded that otherworldly quality from it blue shine and tinges of purple swirling together in the moonlight. Chert looked away.
And...
It was gone.
To the other side of the pond.
With some trees.
Great.
Okay.
That was another thought experiment they would much rather leave to the physicist of their group.
Chert walked towards the Quantum Shard and reached their hand to touch it. Nothing. It did nothing. The stone chilled their fingers just like a regular stone the would pick up by the stream. What were they expecting it to do? Transport them to a new location? Make them disappear and reappear? That was something for a hatchling's storytime.
While Chert couldn't hear the frequency from the Quantum Shard, they could most certainly hear a flute through the trees. It was low and slow hum, building a melody with the breeze, the crickets, and the leaves. Maybe even adding a quantum component to it.
Riebeck cupped their hands to their mouth. "Gabbro!" They swept their voice into the darkness. "Where are you?"
The flute responded with a loud blare, a pause, then a quick trill. Leaves fell from the foliage above them, and through the crevices, a certain Hearthian's head popped up. With their half-lidded eyes and lax expression, they tilted their head. "Oh, hey, I wasn't you all here." Their voice moved like sap dripping from the side of a trunk. "What's up, buds?" A greeting too casual for the scavenger hunt that the other two trainees had to do.
"'What's up?' Gabbro, we've been looking for you." Chert said, point the flashlight directly at Gabbro. The knot of concern in their stomach loosened. Chert didn't realize it was there. Good to see Gabbro out here though.
Riebeck visibly relaxed when they saw Gabbro.
Gabbro covered their eyes with a hand. "What do you mean? I've just been here."
By here, Gabbro probably meant in this grove for who knows how long.
"You didn't come home. We were worried, Gabbro!" Riebeck said as they peered through the leaves. "You just disappeared from the Observatory all of a sudden and never came back. It's almost morning now!"
Gabbro's eyes widened when they looked to the sky. "Oops...?" The moon was more than quarter way from dipping into the horizon. Stars, were they out for that long already?
Chert switched their flashlight on and off in quick succession into Gabbro's eyes.
Gabbro hid their face in the foliage and laughed. The type of laugh that didn't quite seem as genuine as they would've planned it to be. "Wanna climb up the tree?"
Chert blinked. "Not really." It was way too late to engage in any more physical activities with their aching body.
"I'm okay," Riebeck said in their usual quiet tone. They angled their head upwards and twiddled their thumbs. "Can you come down instead?"
Gabbro hummed noncommittally. The leaves rustled and the tree shook as Gabbro balanced on the branch to get to the trunk. Then one by one, they stepped down the branches to reach the tree's base. They leaned against the trunk and twirled the flute in their hand. They had almost a lazy smile.
But Chert had known Gabbro for far too long to identify a real smile and fake smile from their friend.
The prominent bags under Gabbro's eyes indicated that this physicist was here for much longer. Riebeck probably made the same assumption as their eyes softened with concern. Riebeck was the best of the three of them when it came to comprehending emotions.
Chert bit down the obvious question about asking how Gabbro was doing to ask. "How did you get here?" Talking with Gabbro during these times wasn't a hard dance, but it was more testing what details Gabbro would open up with.
"I heard a noise that sounded like our Museum Shard friend and I followed it all the way over here." Gabbro glided their flute in one motion. They tapped their flute against their chin. "Did you know that Quantum Shards sound the same? This same undulating frequency that calls out to each other."
Chert pursed their lips. "No, before that."
Gabbro tilted their head.
"You disappeared from the Museum," Riebeck said, their voice wavering, very careful not to state the obvious question in the frigid air. "More than half a day ago. I didn't even see you leave! Hornfels didn't know what was going on either."
Gabbro nodded and closed their eyes. "Was that so long ago...?" They waved their flute in the air as if to cut the sort of reverie they were in. "So y'know that Quantum Shard in the Observatory, right?"
Gabbro waited for the others' acknowledgement before continuing. "I planned to tell Hornfels some of the theories I had with quantum mechanics. Maybe Outer Wilds Ventures could use it for something. The shard was cool, and the concepts were impressive. It was how to implement them. Hornfels told me to note down some of my observations, then one thing led to another. It became really dark and I closed my eyes and I was in another part of the exhibit."
"That stone can move you?!" Riebeck said, eyes wide.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Gabbro's mouth curled upwards. "I tried copying that move a couple more times with varying degrees of success. Still couldn't figure out what was going on with my procedure, but I have a couple of ideas." Their eyes traveled to the Quantum Shard nearby with a slight gleam. "Then, for some reason, my last trial took me out of the Observatory? Still have no idea how this could've happened."
"That's when I heard it. Another quantum signal, and I followed it all the way over here." Gabbro nudged their head towards the otherworldly stone. It hadn't moved at all since the last Chert saw it. "Found out we had another quantum friend all the way here."
Chert pinched the bridge of their nose. Good for Gabbro for finding some interest in this subject. It was nice to hear Gabbro talk about something they were interested in. It would be so much better if it weren't the dead of night when Chert could be sleeping in bed, or laying in bed and watching the ceiling. Whatever.
Chert doubted it was the full reason for Gabbro's extended stay here, but they did have theories of their own working its way up in their mind. Gabbro could keep their other reasons to themself for now.
"And you decided to stay here?" Chert said.
Gabbro shrugged. "I wanted to test out some more hypotheses before I came back home." They plastered a lazy grin on their face that didn't quite reach their eyes. "I'm a scientist after all."
A scientist just like most of the members in Outer Wilds Ventures. When any of these members got their heads stuck somewhere interesting, they wouldn't leave until they found a satisfactory conclusion. Gabbro was one of the best examples of this. Others in the village would brush it off as Gabbro being Gabbro, but they were building ideas and figuring out hypotheticals. Gabbro tended to lose track of time, getting lose in the motions, and staying in the moment. They would forget where they were until someone reminded them of other tasks to do.
A faint breeze blew past the three of them. Chert shivered. How could Gabbro deal with this chill? Gabbro only wore one of their loose fitting shirts. Seasons had gotten colder and colder each year on Timber Hearth. Their elders always recommended everyone to bring something warm to stave off the cold past a certain time. Chert would've passed it as a little bit of paranoia due to the small Hearthian population, but they had examined the temperature records throughout the seasons. The pattern didn't seem like it was going to change.
Maybe Chert could find an explanation for this when they went up to space by themself.
Oh, they still couldn't wrap their mind that they would have a solo launch soon. And they tucked that thought away for another day to deal with.
RIght now was for Gabbro. And even if they don't say a thing about their concerns, Chert and Riebeck would be there.
"Aren't you cold, Gabbro?" Riebeck said, offering the spare sweater they carried throughout this small expedition.
Gabbro rubbed their uncovered arm and then shivered. They sheepishly took the warm sweater from Riebeck. Riebeck held onto Gabbro's flute as they put on the garment. Only for Riebeck to hand it back after Gabbro adjusted their beanie. "Thanks, Riebeck. I appreciate it."
Riebeck returned a gentle smile. "It's no problem."
Gabbro's eyes meandered to the sky. The moon grew closer to the horizon every second, and the sun could come up at any moment. Then their gaze traveled to the Scout Riebeck held. "Kind of wish I brought my Scout. I had an idea forming with this Quantum Shard."
"We could, um, test it out, maybe?" Riebeck held out the Scout, turning it over in their hands.
"It's way past a good time to sleep," Chert said flatly. "You're not going to make good progress over some research while sleep deprieved."
"I think I do pretty well in that department," Gabbro said.
"I rather you not," Chert said. "If we don't leave go back to the cabin soon, I'm going with or without you." This was shallow lie and the other two knew that. Chert cared for them dearly. They had known each other from hatchlinghood to the present, and they trained for the same goal of exploring the stars. However, Chert did not want to entertain the idea of quantum mechanics and disappearing shards.
That would give them too much of a headache. Their body ached enough as is.
And they knew that coaxing their friends to rest would be a more reasonable pastime than whatever the Quantum Shard represented.
They were growing Hearthians. They needed to rest.
"Aw, I wanted to see the Scout Master in action," Gabbro said, a teasing quality in their tone.
Chert scoffed. "You can see the Scout Master another day. It's gonna be morning soon."
"You're right," Riebeck said, tucking the Scout away. "We should probably go back." Riebeck rubbed the back of their hand.
Gabbro's eyes remained stagnant on the Quantum Shard with an expression Chert couldn't parse. Gabbro's hand twitched like they were reaching out to touch it. They gripped their flute instead. What was Gabbro thinking? Chert knew them for so long, but as they grew up, Gabbro kept their emotions more to themself. Did Gabbro think this shard was lonely? Was there something aout this shard that they couldn't let go?
Sometimes Chert could understand Gabbro's mind, but other times, it was a whole mystery. As hatchling, these three would gather around and talk about their grandiose dreams of taking to the sky. During festivals or cold nights, they huddled around a campfire with blankets and big goals. It led to many marshmallows, all eaten because someone did enjoy their burnt marshmallows and a connection amongst the three of them. Under the night sky, the stars partook in their dreams and milestones, and the space cadets somehow found the time to appreciate them.
These hangouts went on until Chert joined Outer Wilds Ventures.
It was no surprise. Chert was the oldest of them, and the astronomer obsessed over the stars. However, the long days and nights of training meant they couldn't see their best friends as often.
Chert saw Riebeck and Gabbro a handful of times before those two started their own training. However, since they all sarted at different times, their training regimes rendered them passing ships. The only got to see each other at night, but everyone was tired from their work or studying during the day. Riebeck and Gabbro had to go through the same routines as Chert, but they were met with some difficulty. Riebeck's anxiety rendered them unable to continue their training for the day until they could breathe. Gabbro would go to and fro because they weren't up for dealing with certain routines for that day. Chert had an inkling that Gabbro was overwhelmed.
But Gabbro didn't say anything about that.
Now, they stood as young adults, where the night got colder and words didn't flow like waterfalls. Their eyes so full of stars and supernovae, reduced to dim torchlight. They gathered around no campfires to protect them for the chill. Riebeck wore their emotions on their sleeves because slowly and surely the expectations from the village was getting to them. Gabbro became more and more nonchalant to avoid the pressure from the village. Despite that, Outer Wilds Ventures always had expectations for their members no matter what they did.
Gabbro broke the staring contest between them and the Quantum Shard. "Yeah," Gabbro said, almost breathlessly. "I guess so." Their ears twitched as if straining to hear a noise that wasn't quite there. They perched the flute on their shoulder. "Lead the way, Scout Master."
"You're never going to see the Scout Master at this rate," Chert said. They turned away from the geyser and left the little grove that housed the Quantum Shard with their fellow trainees in tow.
Chert traded the signalscope for their Scout as they walked back. Throughout the walk, they were the designated leader and paved the way using their flashlight. It had been such a long time since they did something similar to this. They were the unofficial leader in their small group, not for any certain reason, but the pieces just worked out like that.
Chert had a general idea where the village was. It was a straight path. This walk was silent, no discussions of dreams or goals or activities they wanted to try. Yet there was a sense of comradery amongst them.
Chert wished they could point out the stars, the constellations, and the planets at this distance. Yet their need for sleep and aching muscles argued with them. Training hadn't been easy for any of them, and the energy to talk diminished with each step they took. Yet, it warmed Chert's heart more than a conversational campfire to see three sets of footsteps moving together.
Soon these feet won't be on the ground. They'd dance in the zero-gravity of space.
Would these three share moments like this anymore? Would they even find the time to talk or radio each other through with the busy lives they led? Riebeck had plans to go to the Hanging City on Brittle Hollow. Gabbro didn't exactly have a plan. Or well, Chert didn't have a single clue what Gabbro would do in space. They'll find out when Gabbro does whatever they wanted. Chert wanted to document the stars and watch their behavior. All of these tasks in space, but none quite overlapping. How could they keep this friendship of theirs strong enough to survive through space of all places?
Chert would cross that bridge when it came up.
Their journey to the cabin didn't take too long. No one fell down or no quantum shenanigans plagued them. It was a peaceful trip to their shared cabin.
Gabbro looked back every once in a while, but Riebeck would meet their eyes with a comforting expression.
As soon as the trio came home, they put their equipment where they belonged in their spaces. Chert waited as Gabbro and Riebeck prepared for bed and shut off the light when everyone else was in bed. Chert was the very last one to go to bed.
Chert's body and bones melted into their mattress. One by one they draped themselves in their warm blankets.
Chert closed their eyes and tried to fall asleep. Their consciousness drifted away.
Then a quiet voice spoke. "Thanks for coming to get me." Chert had to strain their ears in order to hear Gabbro.
Riebeck made a small exclamation before saying, "Of course we would, Gabbro. We're friends." Riebeck's tone had a hint of determination.
These words knocked Chert from the grasp of sleep. "Yeah, we're in this together," Chert said. "All of us."
Chert couldn't see Gabbro's expression from this angle, but the astrophysicist stared at the ceiling. Gabbro always had trouble voicing their emotions even in their hatchlinghood.
Then Gabbro nodded. "Yeah, you're right. We're in this together."
Those words rang throughout the entire room.