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Chapter Text

Chapter 1

The Skeld

In a sea of blackness and stars, a small transport shuttle made its way through the cosmos. Strapped to the seats of the transport shuttle sat 9 crewmates. Some were fidgety, while others remained still as statues. Everyone was going to the same ship, a hunk of junk found between the route from Mira HQ to Polus. No one knew where its previous crew went, but most of them suspected the same thing: disguised betrayal.

The only one not strapped to a chair, a child wearing a cyan space suit to match her mother, hopped off her mother's head and started running around the moving vessel. Giggling all the while, adult Cyan unstrapped herself to try to catch her naughty baby.

"Sweetheart, come back here!" Cyan coaxed as she tried not to fall on her face from the rocking of the shuttle, "You're not supposed to roam around here. Wait until we get to The Skeld."

"No! Wanna play!" Baby Cyan pouted.

"Will you shut that kid up, lady?" Purple groused, "It's getting on my nerves."

"I can't help it," Cyan tried to explain, "She's been very fussy ever since-"

"Did I ask for your life story? No!" Purple snapped, "I asked you to get that brat in line! Parents nowadays…no respect."

"Pot, meet kettle," Tan snickered, the plastic heart on her head wobbling back and forth, "Why do you wear that stupid halo, Purple? It's clear to me you're actually quite a devil."

"Stay out of my way, Tan!" Purple huffed, "This is my fifth ship repair job and I'm in no mood to make friends."

"Really? We couldn't tell," Brown quipped.

"Are we almost there?" White suddenly asked, "This upward thrust is making me nauseous."

"And you're sitting next to me? Eww!" Purple exclaimed as he frantically pulled on the straps to his chair, "Get me out of here!"

"Sure thing," Tan smirked, "Somebody wanna open the door?"

"Dude, we're in space!" Red reminded her, "I don't wanna die out there!"

"Has anyone seen my notebook?" Green piped up, "It contains some very important research."

"Gotcha!" Cyan exclaimed triumphantly as she grabbed her baby, who was conspicuously holding something, "Sweetie, is that Green's notebook?"

"Look! Funny tongues!" Baby Cyan squealed as she held up the notebook.

Inside, there were pictures and diagrams of Imposters, some in their crewmate forms and some in their natural state. Cyan gasped, clearly disturbed by the content of the page.

"Give me that!" Green demanded, "That is my research!"

"You research…them?" Cyan whispered, not even wanting to say the word.

"Indeed," Green nodded shamelessly, "I have always been fascinated by our elusive enemies. Their culture is almost as mysterious as their natural form and environment. My official field of study is botany, but secretly, I have always wanted to meet an Imposter and speak to them on their level. Perhaps by learning more about them we could learn to coexist with them."

"If it's such a secret why did you just tell us?" Grey asked, "Can you believe this guy, White?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" White said as he held his mouth.

"Someone switch seats with me! Now!" Purple screamed in panic.

"Too late, grumpy pants," Light Pink giggled, "We're about to dock with the ship."

The Skeld, in all its scrap-laden glory, could be seen out the window. Cyan and her baby went to the window to get a better view since they were the only ones who weren't strapped down. Baby Cyan's eye went wide with wonder as she saw her very first real spaceship.

The door's clamps attached to the airlock, and one by one the crew were released from their harnesses and allowed to enter the ship. When they arrived, waiting for them was a cheerful looking crewmate wearing a black space suit and a blue copilot’s hat. Behind her were three more crewmates, all wearing identical blue hats with the orange one wearing a blue workman's suit.

"Welcome to The Skeld," The Black crewmate greeted them, "I'm your first officer today. Captain Light Yellow is in the cafeteria and is eager to meet you all. You were selected either because you are experts in your field, or we just needed more people for busy work."

"Gee, thanks lady," Purple grumbled under his breath.

"Hey look! Green has a fungus growing out of his head!" Tan taunted as she pulled on the rooted plant atop Green's noggin.

"Hey! I'll have you know this is the result of a lab accident!" Green shouted furiously, "Making fun of a man for furthering science…for shame!"

"This ship looks kind of dangerous," Red commented to everyone as he wrung his green fedora in his hands, "Why are we boarding a broken ship?"

"You want to go to Polus, right?" Black asked.

"Yes," Red nodded timidly.

"Well, Polus needs this ship, so therefore we need you," Black explained, "There are many problems with The Skeld, most of which only require rudimentary tasks to get her up and running again. For the issues that require higher maintenance, we've hired a few specialists and scientists. Let's see…according to the crew roster, Grey and White are our engineers, and Green is our compost expert."

"Compost?" Brown laughed, "You mean they brought you here to take out the trash?"

"Hey! It's a very complicated process in the depths of space!" Green barked.

"Yeah, it takes a lot of skill to pull a lever," Tan joined in on the ribbing.

"I'll have you know it's two levers!" Green screamed, missing the point of the joke.

"Hey! No shouting!" Dark Pink shouted.

"Um, who are those guys?" Light Pink asked.

"Well, since we've been having issues with…them," Black said conspiratorially, "The captain thought it would be a good idea to hire some extra security. Orange is our security chief, and Yellow and Dark Pink are his deputies."

"Your voice sounded like a buff dude," Brown told Dark Pink," So why is your suit Dark Pink?"

"Because I didn't like the colors coral, lime, or maroon," Dark Pink frowned, "Besides, at least I don't look like I just popped out of waste extraction."

Brown glared, but couldn't think of a comeback for the insult. Tan laughed, enjoying the show and the part she played in it.

"Well then, now that everybody is here, let's go meet the captain in the cafe," Black suggested.

Everyone followed their first officer, and found that the cafeteria wasn't very far away. For some reason however, the center table had a large red button in the middle. Pushing that thing would likely require a lot of force behind it, such as the force of a frantic fist.

When the captain turned around to greet them, most were surprised by what they saw. Instead of the serious looking official they expected, this guy was wearing a polka dotted party hat and drinking a shot of something that smelled strong. He looked happy enough, but not very respectable.

"This freak looks like a banana," Purple rudely remarked.

Rather than being offended however, the captain pondered.

"Banana…hm, I like it. Captain Banana!" The captain proclaimed, "Yeah, you can all call me that now."

"Captain, this is our repair team," Black announced, "Our engineers are Grey and White. Our Compost expert-"

Tan snorted laughter at this.

"-is Green. Our grunt workers are Purple, Light Pink, Red, Brown, Tan, and Cyan. Also, Cyan brought her baby with her, so that makes for a total of 15 people on this ship."

"Aww, what a cute little bugger!" Captain Banana gushed as he saw Baby Cyan, "Who's the cutest little crewmate? You are! Yes you are!"

Baby Cyan cooed and giggled at the attention, and the captain picked her up from her mother's head and threw her up in the air a few times. Baby Cyan loved it, and Cyan was relieved to see her having a child on board wouldn't be an issue. Some captains weren't as understanding, even given the current circumstances regarding the Imposters.

"Well, we can get to work at any time," The captain said goodnaturedly, "For now, why don't you all get something to eat from storage and join me? Storage is just down that hall. Yellow, Dark Pink, if you would?"

"Do I look like a maid service to you?" Dark Pink griped.

"Hey, it's fine," Orange calmed him down, "I'll help you guys. We should try to make the rest of our crew feel at home."

With that the security guards went to get a box of rations, and the crew sat around the table with their captain. White took out a bag from his pocket, but when he rifled around in it he made a horrible discovery…

"Hey! Who stole my gluten-free fair trade meat crackers!?" White shrieked.

"Your what?" Brown asked obliviously.

"I'm allergic to almost everything most ships offer!" White panicked, "I needed those crackers! Where are they!?"

"In here," Tan said, before she burped loudly, "Hahahahaha!"

"You thief! You stole my crackers!" White raged, "Do you want me to starve?"

"Hey, relax," Light Pink said as she moved closer to White, "Maybe I can help you find something to eat…"

White looked at her, saw how she was looking at him with a heavy-lidded smile, and wondered if she meant that to sound as suggestive as it did. Either way he was in no mood for it.

"I won't forget this, Tan," White vowed, "I will never leave food near you again."

Just then the security team came with a box of rations, and White just looked defeated as he realized everything in that box was something he was allergic to. Tan just continued to laugh as White walked over to another table to avoid temptation. Light Pink saw this and decided to follow White to his new table.

"Hey, don't look so sad," Light Pink said, "This is going to be an adventure. An adventure that maybe we can share together?"

"That is very forward of you," White said in a no-nonsense tone of voice, "I don't know why you have taken a sudden interest in me, but frankly I have no reason to trust you. I've been on these types of missions before, and have seen dead bodies that will haunt my nightmares forever. Usually floating in space due to crew suspicion. So please leave me in peace. I do not wish to get attached to anyone while I am here."

"Oh, well um…" Light Pink looked hurt, "I mean, I guess I see your point. Who's to say there's an Imposter here though? It's not very likely, given that this is a derelict ship. It'll take three months to get to Polus. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be lonely that long. Maybe you should drop your guard and be happy for once. We might like each other…"

"I have a reactor to repair," White reminded her, "Grey and I have obligations. I'm sure you have tasks as well."

"Oh, well, of course I do!" Light Pink said a little too loudly, "I have plenty of tasks! Would you like to help me?" She fluttered her lashes for good measure.

"No," White replied point blank, "You have others to help with your tasks, such as Purple or Tan."

"You mean Madam Munch and Grouchy Grape?" Light Pink said sarcastically, "Yeah, I'm really looking forward to working with them."

"Then team up with Cyan," White suggested, "She has a child. She would probably appreciate a babysitter."

"You really know how to take the fun out of everything," Light Pink fake-sulked, "By the way, I know we go by color-coded names here, so I just want you to know…call me Rose."

"Very well," White replied, "Call me if you find any gluten free fair trade meat crackers."

Rose laughed loudly, and White just sunk further into his seat. He just wanted to be alone and this crewmate was making it very difficult to do so. Now not only was he hungry, but he had a flower-headed pink stalker.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Skelding Hot

Cyan fumbled with her ID card in admin as Rose and Red waited impatiently for her to finish. Why was simply logging into the system so difficult? Was the card reader broken? It also didn't help that her baby was trying to reach down from her head to take her card away. This was very stressful considering it was almost the end of the work shift.

"I suppose we shouldn't have spent so long celebrating our arrival with the captain," Cyan sighed, "Oh, darn it! It was too fast again!"

"Will you please hurry up?" Red wheedled, "I want to get this ship running smoothly as soon as possible. The Skeld looks like a death trap, and I just wanna get to Polus before the star goes nova."

"That's not scheduled for another 100,000,000 years," Cyan pointed out.

"Exactly," Red harrumphed.

"Calm down, Red. We all have tasks to do," Rose interjected, "Say, um, did you guys notice how cute White looks when his face wrinkles in frustration around his goggles?"

"Not really," Cyan shook her head, "He seems kind of standoffish. Most of our crew does for that matter."

"Forget it, Rose. White and Grey are off-limits," Red warned, "They're Simons, and Simons don't date normees."

"What's a Simon?" Rose asked.

"Simons are reactor experts," Red explained, "They're called that because starting up a reactor looks like a game of Simon Says."

"Really?" Cyan's eye lit up, "Well maybe I can get one of them to show my little girl how the reactor works. She loves games."

"No!" Red suddenly shouted, "Don't let that rugrat anywhere near the reactor! If that thing melts down then the whole ship will become permanently inoperable! Then we'd all be trapped in space forever!"

"Or until someone comes to pick us up," Rose added nonchalantly.

"Yeah, like an Imposter," Red said ominously, "Imposters love this space route. If they found our ship adrift in space, we'd all be nothing more than leftovers."

Baby Cyan whimpered, and Cyan lifted her off her head and into her arms to comfort her. This caused Red to groan, since Cyan was still hogging the admin terminal.

"Could you move so I can do my card swipe?" Red huffed.

"Oh, sorry!" Cyan apologized, "Could one of you hold my baby so I can finish this please?"

"Ugh!" Red groaned loudly.

"I'll hold her!" Rose exclaimed chipperly, "I love babies!"

Cyan handed the baby over to Rose and tried a few more times to swipe her card. All the while Red glared at the clumsy mother who was keeping him from his task.

"Ooh, baby looks delicious! Nom nom nom nom!" Rose cooed as she pretended to nibble on the baby's stomach.

Baby Cyan giggled at the attention, all the while Red tapped his foot impatiently while waiting for Cyan to finish. After a few awkward minutes, Cyan finally got the card to swipe. Red let out a sharp breath and went for the card reader before Rose could cut in front of him.

"Thank you for holding my little girl," Cyan said gratefully.

"No problem! I love kids!" Rose squeed, "Since this card reader is so hard, I think I'll do it later. I'm gonna go see what White is doing. Bye!"

With that Rose skipped off, and Red grumbled as his own card had trouble being registered by the defunct machine.

"Who designed this ship, the dinosaurs?" Red snapped as he whacked the machine with his fist.

"Um…I'm going to go now," Cyan said awkwardly as she took her child by the hand, "I still have to help Green clean out the oxygen filters. Good luck with your card."

Red didn't reply, but just kept banging on the machine like a caveman.

Meanwhile, in the cafe, Captain Banana and First Officer Black were drinking coffee. Black drank it for energy, and Banana drank it to sober up.

"Do you think security is evenly distributed?" Black asked Banana worriedly, "I just noticed you stationed Yellow in comms."

"So? What's wrong with that?" Banana asked.

"Well, comms is our most outmoded system," Black reminded him, "Nobody goes in there. So, there's no reason to expect any theft or potential sabotage in such a place. Maybe he should be assigned to a more high-traffic area, like electrical."

"Nobody likes electrical. It's too dark," Banana said dismissively, "Yellow likes comms. He can listen to the radio in there."

"Yes, but this isn't about what your crew likes," Black replied uneasily, "This is about keeping things running smoothly. For all we know, one of the new crew members could be an Imposter."

"An Imposter? On such a small insignificant ship? Ha! Preposterous," Banana grinned, his coffee only kind of working to keep his mind focused.

"You also assigned Dark Pink to cams, which is a good thing but…we only have them installed in hallways," Black noted, "What if something bad happens in one of the actual rooms? We won't know who did it."

"You're just being paranoid!" Banana waved off her concerns, "There are no Imposters on this ship. There are no thieves. Just a nice new crew that will help us get to Polus."

Black didn't argue the point any further. She just sighed and went to the other side of the room to recycle her dishes. There was no point in arguing with her captain when he was coming off a buzz.

After a few minutes Banana was finally quiet. Black assumed the coffee had finally kicked in. That assumption was shattered like glass when she suddenly heard the buzzer for an emergency meeting, and turned around to see Purple glaring at her with pure hatred as he stood over the still bleeding lower half of her captain's body.

Everyone stared at the body on the floor, some in shock and horror and others in grim resignation. Some of these crew members had seen an Imposter kill before, but others had not…like the sniffling and crying Baby Cyan.

"What happened here?" Orange asked.

"Who could have done this to our captain?" Yellow asked hurriedly.

"It was Black!" Purple accused, "She was standing over there, only a few feet away from the body!"

"I was recycling dishes!" Black refuted, "I was…I was just talking to him a moment ago. How could the Imposter sneak in and kill him so quickly?"

"They couldn't, unless you were the killer!" Purple sniped.

"Now wait a minute!" Grey interjected, "How do we know it wasn't Purple? He could have come in, killed, and reported it so he could put the blame on Black."

"That's stupid. It's clearly Black!" Purple snapped.

"I've been here longer than any of you!" Black protested, "Why would I kill my own captain?"

"Because you were hungry," Green said as if it were obvious, "Judging from the curvature of the bone, I would say the captain's neck was snapped and he died instantly. The Imposter must have incredible strength and stealth to get away with such a sneaky kill with you in the room. Such a magnificent beast to mangle a corpse so well!"

"Hey! That's our captain you're talking about, you heartless ghoul!" Dark Pink shouted in Green's face, "How do we know you're not the Imposter? You're way too happy about this!"

"Of course I'm happy," Green admitted freely, "I've always wanted to see an Imposter in action. Perhaps now I will finally get a chance to interview one for myself. Considering one of you in the room is the Imposter, might I just say you are an incredible killer and I am honored that you have chosen this ship for your latest feast."

"I think I'm going to throw up," Red choked out, "Can someone please get rid of the body?"

"Yeah, and chuck Black out the airlock with it!" Purple demanded.

"Now hold on," Grey held up his hands for calm, "The only fair way to settle this is to put it to a vote. That way no single crewmate is culpable should we do something that's a bit…irrational."

"I'm game," Tan shrugged, "So, who we voting for?"

"Black!" Purple exclaimed.

"No! I'm innocent!" Black shrieked.

The crewmates pressed the buttons before them to vote, and when the tally came back up there were two votes for Purple, one vote for Green, two votes to not throw anybody out, and eight votes for Black. With such overwhelming consensus, the choice was clear. Throw Black out the airlock.

"No! You can't do this to me!" Black pleaded, "Without Banana I'm your captain! Who will get you to Polus if I'm not here?"

Nonetheless, the crew paid no heed to Black's desperate words. They threw her into the airlock chamber and closed the door behind her. Most of the crew looked grim yet determined as they watched her bang on the door and beg for her life. Purple looked satisfied with himself, and Green held out a notepad to take down notes of what happened.

With no further ceremony, Black was jettisoned into space. Her body writhed without oxygen, until eventually she went limp. Most of the crew looked horrified, but Rose just looked confused.

"Did something bad happen?" Rose asked the room.

"You bet it did," Yellow breathed, shaken up, "Black didn't transform. When an Imposter is forced into the vacuum of space, they can't hold their crewmate form, and revert back to the tooth-riddled monsters they really are. Black was not an Imposter. She was telling the truth."

"Throwing the body still serves a purpose though," Green added, "If there is an Imposter ship nearby and they see the body, they will take it for themselves. If they eat Black, then maybe they won't want to eat us."

"That doesn't solve our current problem though," Orange pointed out, "We still have an Imposter on this ship and are unequipped to handle it. We have to finish repairing this vessel if we are to have any hope of making it to Polus. Until then, everyone stay on high alert. Any one of us could be the Imposter."

"I bet it's Purple," Tan taunted, "He was so quick to kill Black. Who's to say he wouldn't be as quick to kill the captain?"

"You better hope it's not me, Tan," Purple warned, "Because if I were an Imposter, you would be next."

"Enough!" Orange ordered, "As your new captain, I say everyone gets back to doing their tasks. This emergency meeting is over. Dismissed."

Everyone went their separate ways as they left, but each one looked over their shoulders at the others. Any one of them could be an Imposter. Any one of them could be the next victim.

Red flashing lights and the klaxon's wail broke through the darkness of the forced nighttime on the ship. Grey was the first to awaken and check the on-board computer to see what was wrong. When he saw the results he was shaken to his very core…a reactor malfunction.

"Everybody! Wake up!" Grey shouted at his sleeping crewmates, "White! Green! Purple! Red! Get up!"

"Hrmrm, go away," Purple muttered in his half-asleep state.

"Wha?" Red yawned, "What happened?"

Then suddenly the sounds of the klaxon hit his ears.

"Ahh! Imposters! I surrender!" Red screamed into the night.

"Imposters?" Green popped awake, "Can I get an autograph?"

Grey just slapped his forehead in exasperation.

"You guys! We don't have time for this!" Grey urged them, "A reactor core override requires two hand scans! Someone has to come with me!"

"Hang on," White yawned as he shambled off the bed, "I'm coming."

Grey practically dragged White by the hand as they ran across the ship to the Reactor. Their bedroom was close to shields, so it was quite the journey to even make it to the reactor. When they got there, Dark Pink was already standing next to one of the hand scanners.

"Took you eggheads long enough," Dark Pink snarled, "We've got 15 seconds!"

Grey ran to the south hand scanner while Dark Pink placed his hand on the north scanner. With both of them there, the core override took effect. White, wasting no time now that the meltdown was averted, checked the reactor for any damage. Grey joined him, and Dark Pink just snorted and left.

"That was a close one," White sighed in relief.

"No, that was sabotage," Grey said gravely.

He pulled a few burned wires out of the reactor core, and sure enough, there were bite marks on the larger tubes that ran air and coolant into the reactor.

"Someone wanted this ship to be adrift in space," Grey deduced, "And that someone could be none other than the Imposter."

"How could they come in and out of here so easily?" White asked nervously, "Dark Pink was guarding the perimeter."

"Was he?" Grey asked suspiciously, "He didn't have his hand on the scanner when we got here. In fact, if we hadn't been together he could have killed one of us. We can't trust anyone on this ship, not even security."

"Shh! Don't speak so loudly about stuff like that," White whispered conspiratorially, "The cameras are right across from the reactor. Dark Pink could be listening to us. Besides, last time the group made an unfounded accusation Black turned out to be innocent."

"I know…I voted for her," Grey said sullenly, "I was so sure. She was so suspicious. After all, why would Purple report a body if he was the killer? It's too risky. It seemed so obvious. I thought I was being logical…"

"Exactly. That's why we have to be more careful from now on," White reasoned, "We need to have absolute proof before we throw anyone else out the airlock. In fact, don't we have a brig or something?"

"No. Budget cuts," Grey hung his head as he spoke.

"Seriously? First the crummy comm equipment and now this?" White complained, "Why are we on this ship again?"

"Because we're getting paid to be," Grey reminded him.

White just sighed at that reasoning and continued to help Grey repair the reactor. They likely wouldn't get any sleep that night, but they had to stick together. It was the only way to get the job done.

The next morning when everyone was given their new tasks, both Grey and White were too exhausted to focus. Purple just laughed at their misfortune before making snoring sounds to taunt them. Both shared a look that said 'I hope we can chuck Purple out the airlock'. At this point it was proving to be a long and tedious day.

While Grey went to calibrate the upper engines, White went to admin to examine the map. He still didn't know where navigation was, and he had to chart a course today because someone (Purple) was too lazy to do it.

As White struggled to make heads or tails of the map, he suddenly felt two hands cover his eye.

"Ah! Get away from me!" White shrieked.

"Not until you guess who it is!" A high pitched sing-song voice demanded.

"Henry Stickmin," White deadpanned through gritted teeth.

"Noooo," The voice replied playfully, "Get it right this time and you'll get a kiss…"

"Then I'm sticking with my previous guess," White said in an annoyed tone.

"Oh, you're no fun!" Rose pouted as she let go of White's eye.

"You discovered that yesterday, so why are you bothering me today?" White asked flatly.

"Well…honestly, I need your help," Rose admitted, "I can't do my tasks."

"Why not?"

"Because I was supposed to swipe my employee ID card yesterday, but I never got around to it, so now I'm locked out of all the key systems," Rose explained, "So, could you help me break into the card swipe machine so I don't miss a day's pay? Please?"

"I'm an engineer, not a locksmith," White told her, "Besides, your tasks are your responsibility. I have my own problems right now."

"Well, maybe I can help you," Rose said sweetly as she grabbed his hand with hers, "Come on, we can team up! That way we can be safe from Imposters and get our work done faster."

"Babysitting you would make my work go more slowly," White retorted, "Besides, we have no reason to trust each other. We don't know who the Imposter is."

"Well it's Purple, duh!" Rose giggled, "Everyone says so. That's why they avoid him like the plague. So, what do you say? We'd make a great team, like Romeo and Juliet! Or Magmak and Shloopeenga!"

"Please Rose, don't take this the wrong way, but there is no we. There is only me trying to get away from you."

"You know if I was the Imposter, you just gave me a great reason to kill you," Rose smirked.

"Yes, but not an ideal location," White pointed out, "Admin is a high traffic area. You could easily tell me you had a task in comms, lure me there, and then kill me. If I were the trusting type, it would be easy."

"So, you're saying there isn't anything you like about me?" Rose asked in a baby talk voice.

"Well…I like your laugh," White replied honestly, "People on ships like this don't laugh, and I like the sound of it. That being said, I'm not teaming up with you."

With that White grabbed his toolbox and left, finally aware of how to get to navigation. Rose looked at him walking away for a moment, but then came to a decision. She would follow him anyway. After all, she was a helpless little flower, and he was somehow even weaker than her. They needed each other, and maybe that need would blossom into something…a little less essential.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

Security Override

Purple came out electrical and walked down the corridor as he messily ate a big lettuce and mayo sandwich. Everyone around him talked about how hard their tasks were. He didn't see why. Nothing on this ship was essential. The old bucket of bolts was running after all, right? So, he just sat back and watched the chaos. He was still getting paid, and that was all that mattered to him.

He decided he wanted to watch TV, but the only TV set was in comms. Eh, so much the better. Nobody ever went in there anyway.

His mind made up, Purple waddled over to communications. Everything sounded like a cross between an old ham radio set and an old dial-up internet connection. In short, very noisy. Purple frowned, realizing that watching TV in this room was going to be super annoying.

Purple went to sit down in the office chair so he could at least adjust the radio, but then he felt something mushy and wet underneath him. Purple's face went slack as he realized what this substance most likely was.

He gulped, and slowly got off the chair, not looking down immediately. After he was sure he could handle it, he looked down.

Sure enough, it was the lower half of Yellow's body.

…

The emergency meeting was called, and one by one everybody shuffled into the room. A few exclaimed 'Eww!' when they saw the blood on Purple's butt. He almost looked embarrassed. Almost.

"Purple, why did you call this emergency meeting?" Orange asked, "This button is supposed to only be used once by each crewman, and you've used it twice in as many days."

"I found another body," Purple told him, "Yellow this time."

"Yellow?!" Dark Pink roared, "You killed Yellow! I'll kill you! Argh!"

Dark Pink lunged for Purple, but Brown and Orange held him back.

"It's him! Can't you see? He found both bodies! Self report! Self report!" Dark Pink raved.

"We can't prove that," Grey refuted, "We've already doomed one innocent crewmate. We must be rational about this."

"Rational? You think the Imposter is being rational?" Dark Pink asked, venom clear in his tone, "Yellow was my best friend! Purple killed my best friend and I want vengeance!"

"Hey! I didn't kill anybody!" Purple defended himself, "I just wanted to watch TV!"

"Yes, well you clearly didn't want to do your tasks," Tan smirked, "I saw you faking in elec. You just poked at the wires and hoped nobody noticed."

"I did not!" Purple argued, "I'm not an Imposter!"

"Hey guys?" Red suddenly piped up.

"Um, yes Red?" Orange asked.

"I have scan. Can someone watch?" Red requested.

"Ugh!" Purple groaned, "My life is on the line and you're worried about a stupid medical scan? I hate this crew!"

"We could tell. From the way you killed Yellow," Tan quipped.

"Wait, what if Purple isn't the Imposter?" Green asked, "Perhaps he is innocent and we would be condemning a man to death for no reason."

"Green has a point," Cyan nodded, "I know Purple is a bit…abrasive, but that doesn't make him a murderer."

"But two bodies? Two!?" Dark Pink pointed out, "That's too many! Come on guys, vote your conscience! You know it's Purple!"

"Actually I think it's you," White suddenly spoke up.

"Say that again, pencilneck!" Dark Pink growled dangerously.

"You only helped us with the reactor at the last moment," White observed, "If we hadn't shown up together, it would have been a perfect moment to kill whoever showed up and then escape through a vent. Imposters can change their shape to fit through small spaces, no?"

"Indeed they can," Green confirmed, "It's a fascinating trait of their biology I would love to study further."

"I still think it's Green," Purple groused, "Dude's a weirdo."

"Alright team, let's put this to a vote," Orange said solemnly.

With that everyone pushed their buttons, and a moment later the computer screen showed the votes. 5 votes for Purple, 5 votes for Dark Pink, and 1 vote for Green.

"Now what?" Tan asked, "They tied!"

"We can't throw two people off the ship," Cyan insisted, "That would be too awful to contemplate."

"Who voted for me?" Green asked, offended.

"I have scan! Please watch me scan, everybody!" Red shouted as he waved his arms in the air.

"This is insane," Orange sighed as he took off his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow, "Okay, since it's a tie, then we won't throw anyone off. We must be sure of what we're doing this time. Everyone, get back to your tasks. Except you Purple. You go take a shower. You're dripping blood on the floor."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Sheesh!" Purple harrumphed.

"Huh. Apparently a near death experience doesn't change you as much as TV says," Brown commented.

"I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight!" Rose exclaimed dramatically, "Maybe if someone were to stay with me…" At this she turned to White.

"You sleep in the female crew quarters," White pointed out, "Unless there is something you neglected to tell us."

At this Rose's face fell, and Tan laughed raucously at her.

"Better luck next time, glitch," Tan snickered.

"Don't worry, Rose. Azure and I will keep you company," Cyan offered, "We can read fairy tales and teach Azure how to make a flower crown."

"Azure?" Rose asked.

"My baby," Cyan explained.

"Oh! What an adorable name!" Rose squealed, perking up immediately, "But of course it would be, since she is just the cutest little crewmate in the galaxy!"

Azure waved at Rose, and Rose came over and patted the little one's head. White took her moment of distraction to make his escape, hoping he wouldn't have to make use of this skill for very long.

One by one the crewmates left the meeting, leaving Red as the last one in the room. Apparently this wasn't enough for him to get the hint.

"Hey! Can anyone watch me scan!?"

The next day, everyone got to work at a hurried pace. They knew this ship wouldn't go any faster, but they had to try. Squeezing every little bit of power they could might shave off a few days from their trip, and that might help more of them survive the Imposter.

Red nervously made his way down the halls, looking this way and that in hopes of not running into the Imposter. Why did ships like this always have to be so echoey and ominous? He heard every footstep he made, and every noise made him feel even more on edge.

He finally made his way to the medical bay, and heaved a sigh of relief that it was empty. Red then walked up to the scanner, but as he made his way there a shadow suddenly fell over him.

"No! Don't eat me!" Red cried out as he fell to the floor, "Please, Mr. Imposter! I'm boney and taste like burnt rubber!"

"Um, Red?" Grey called out in a flat tone of voice, "You asked for someone to watch you scan. You know, to verify your identity."

"Oh, haha. Right," Red winced in embarrassment, "I'm sorry, Grey. It's just this whole Imposter thing is driving me a little nuts. Who do you think it is?"

"I'm not certain, but I don't want to make an uneducated guess again," Grey told him, "I am compiling data on my tablet. I have determined that due to the Imposter's unique physiology that there are only three tasks on board this ship that can verify who is a real crewmate. One, of course, is a medical scan."

"I know. That's why I knew this would help me," Red nodded.

Red hopped up on the scanner and began the diagnostic as Grey continued to explain his plan.

"I have also discovered two other tasks that will aid in identifying our crew. You see, the strongest part of an Imposter is their tongue. In their natural state this is their sensory appendage as well as their mobile appendage. Similar to an elephant's trunk or a Gloobian's tail."

"So?" Red asked, confused.

"So, while they can mimic the appearance of our hands, they can't mimic their strength," Grey explained, "Therefore, they don't have the physical capability of pulling the levers that release the trash. So, whoever does trash is one of us."

"Green said he had trash duty," Red recalled, "Maybe we can watch him to verify him as crew."

"Perhaps," Grey nodded, "The third task is shooting down the asteroids that get in the way of the ship. You see, a key is required to operate the system for obvious reasons, and it takes a great deal of dexterity to turn that key. Therefore, Imposters cannot access the system without turning into their true form. So, whoever shoots asteroids is safe."

"Is anybody stationed there?" Red asked.

"Not right now. There are no asteroids at the moment," Grey replied, "When it becomes necessary however, we need to be there to witness the weaponeer in action."

"Can I stay near you?" Red asked timidly, "I don't wanna die, and I don't trust anyone else. I definitely don't trust Purple, but most of the others also give me the creeps. It's like everyone's an Imposter and I'm on their menu."

"I know what you mean," Grey confided, "I wanted to say I suspected Dark Pink, but I was so afraid of being wrong. If White hadn't said anything, no one would have known what he did. I just don't want more blood on my hands. Black was innocent, but I voted her out. She didn't deserve to die just on the word of one crewmate. I should have thought through what I was doing."

"Well, don't worry," Red smiled as he spoke, "We can get through this together. We'll sus out the killer in no time."

Just as Red stepped down from the scanner, Cyan came in with her little one tagging along by her side. She went over to the scanner, but before she got on she gave a skeptical look to Red and Grey.

"Um, do you boys have to watch me do this?" Cyan asked apprehensively.

"Yes. We must verify the crew," Grey insisted.

"I don't remember you being on the security team," Cyan challenged, "Besides, it's not polite for you boys to watch me scan."

"Why? You hiding a knife in there?" Red asked suspiciously.

"No, I'm hiding my lady parts in there, and I'd appreciate keeping those to myself," Cyan argued.

"Cyan, please understand our position," Grey reasoned, "We have to make sure as many of us as possible are who we say we are. That way we can sniff out the Imposter before they go on to hurt anyone else…including Azure."

At this Cyan instinctively looked down at her little one, and saw her watching the specimen beakers behind the protective glass as they filled up with liquid. The tiny crewmate-in-training was mesmerized, and Cyan's heart melted even now at seeing such innocence. Sighing in resignation, she hopped up on the scanner and allowed it to catalogue her in front of the other crewmates.

"There. That wasn't so hard," Grey said nonchalantly.

"You sound like my old doctor," Cyan teased, "Anyway, I guess I better be going. It's almost Azure's nap time."

With those words Cyan headed in the direction of the upper engine, all the while Red and Grey were left to plan their next move.

"So…should we stick together?" Red asked, "I mean, now that you know I'm innocent, and I can vouch for you too if you're with me the whole time."

"That is a good idea," Grey nodded, "As we go through our tasks I will observe the other crew members. Determining who is innocent is paramount at the moment. We will determine the guilty over time through process of elimination."

"Good idea," Red replied, "So, what's your next task?"

"I need to upload some repair data in admin. Join me?"

"Sure thing, Grey."

With their plan in motion, the newly formed duo went to find admin and do some more 'research' on the crew. Red only hoped that Grey was truly a crewmate. He was still nervous, but thus far Grey hadn't done anything dubious. Perhaps this was the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

It was almost nighttime on The Skeld. Cyan had refueled upper engines, lower engines, and refilled the gas can in storage at least three times over. She was starting to feel like a flight attendant serving drinks to the ship, and even Azure was getting tired despite her seemingly boundless energy. The mother and child sat down on the floor in the lower engine room to try to catch their breath.

"Cookie!" Azure exclaimed as she made a reaching motion with her hands.

"Not yet, sweetie," Cyan gently chided, "You haven't shown me you know how to refuel the engines yourself yet. Remember, if you're going to survive in space, then you need to know how to do tasks just like the grown ups."

"Did Yellow get eated?" Azure suddenly asked.

"Well…um…yes dear, he did," Cyan reluctantly admitted.

"Like Daddy?" Azure further inquired.

"Yes dear, like Daddy," Cyan sadly replied, "That's why we have to work quickly. The sooner we finish working, the sooner we can regroup with our friends. When we stick together, the Imposters can't touch us."

"So Yellow not come back?" Azure then inquired.

Cyan's voice caught in her throat, and she found that just for a moment she was having trouble answering Azure. Cyan was so sensitive about the topic of Imposters, and she missed her husband Lime even to this day. He had never even gotten to see Azure being born.

"Engi need fuel?" Azure asked, pulling Cyan out of her reverie.

"No, that one is fine," Cyan told her, "But we should probably check on the upper engine. The Skeld is an older model, so it requires two engines to work independent of each other."

Azure yawned, clearly not interested in the engineering lesson. Cyan just smiled at her little girl and took her by the hand. They were about to leave for the upper engine when Cyan heard a creaking sound. It was a sound crewmates were trained to know and fear…a vent was opening.

Cyan backed away with Azure, and not a second later the Imposter burst out of the vent! Cyan gasped, grabbed Azure, and ran for her life!

The Imposter was on her tail, and Cyan knew that running wouldn't work for very long. Imposters were rumored to be faster than crewmates, and their long tongues and pistols could kill in short order. If all else failed an Imposter could simply throw a knife at her. She had to think quickly if either of them were going to survive.

Cyan ran past the engine room entirely and headed for medbay. She knew that would be a dead end, but she didn't plan on stopping there.

When Cyan made it to the medbay entrance, before the Imposter could make the sharp corner turn, Cyan threw Azure inside and kept running down the hall. The Imposter saw Cyan running and continued to give chase, while Azure was left crying on the floor, not understanding why this was happening to her.

Cyan ran into the cafeteria and considered pushing the emergency button, but she knew it wouldn't be enough to save her life. The Imposter would kill her before anyone came to help her. Her life was over, and she knew it. The only hope left to her was that Azure would escape, and the only way to ensure that was to keep the Imposter busy for as long as possible.

Cyan ran past the cafeteria completely, and instead turned into admin. She knew there was no way out, but she also knew it was a high traffic area. She had hoped that someone would be there to see her, but alas, there was no one.

With no way out, Cyan pressed her body against the wall, trying to hold on to the few precious seconds she had left. The Imposter cornered her, a disgusting gaping maw forming out of what should have been the crewmate's chest. Those teeth were the stuff of nightmares, though Cyan doubted she would ever have such a dream again. This was the end for her.

"Wait! You don't have to do this!" Cyan pleaded with the Imposter, "I know you're not like us, but we don't have to be enemies. Remember staying up late telling stories to Azure? Remember the fun we had? You can still be part of this ship, even if you aren't-"

Cyan's words became nothing more than a choking sound as a sharp tongue pierced her eye and her brain. Within moments Cyan was dead, and the Imposter was free to feast on her flesh. The Imposter would have to be quick though, as someone could enter admin at any moment.

The emergency meeting was called, and everyone was shocked to find that Cyan, the crew's only parent, had been murdered.

"Where did you find the body, Purple?" Orange asked.

"In admin, right next to the card reader," Purple told them, "The Imposter had already eaten the head."

Azure whimpered at the mention of the brutal act, and everyone glared at Purple for being so insensitive.

"What?" Purple asked as if everyone else was being mean instead of him.

"I don't buy this story," Dark Pink challenged, "I was patrolling admin only a few minutes ago, and I didn't see anybody there. The time it would take for an Imposter to kill the victim and eat them is too short for someone to just 'stumble' across the body. I say it's a self report."

"No way! Why would I kill Cyan? She's the only one that hasn't been riding me lately!" Purple argued.

"Imposters don't kill for vindictive reasons," White pointed out, "They kill because they're hungry. Crewmates are just food to them."

"Well I think it's Dark Pink!" Purple accused, "He's clearly trying to frame me! He knows I have the weakest position and wants me to die."

"Of course I do!" Dark Pink confessed shamelessly, "You killed Yellow! I don't forgive or forget!"

"I didn't kill Yellow!" Purple shouted, "I didn't kill anybody! I am a crewmate! I am! I am! I am!"

"Then why do you keep faking your tasks?" Tan asked snidely, "We've been on this ship for days and you've done nothing. Even if you weren't the Imposter, you're still dead weight."

"Oh, so that's how it is!" Purple got in Tan's face, "Just because I enjoy life you think I deserve to suffocate out in space, huh?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Tan smiled wickedly.

"This is crazy!" Rose spoke up, "We're all turning on each other without proof! Now, can anyone tell us anything about the crime scene that would be useful?"

For a long awkward moment everyone was silent, either lost in thought or unable to think of anything helpful. Finally though, a little voice spoke up.

"Mommy got eated. Like Daddy."

Everyone looked down at Azure, who was staring up at them all in turn. This was the break in the case they were waiting for! The child was with Cyan. She could have seen the killer!

"Yes, she did, little one," Orange said somberly, "Now Azure, this is important, do you know what the Imposter looked like?"

"The vent popped, and out came the monster!" Azure recalled.

"Yes, yes, but what did the monster look like?" Orange pressed.

"It had teeth," Azure told them, "More teeth than Mommy. Mommy threw me in the medbay. It hurt. I fell on my bottom."

"This is ridiculous!" Purple snapped, "She clearly didn't see anything, and now you're gonna go all angry mob on me and kill me! So, just do it! Just kill me, but know this: I'm not the Imposter, and you will all die without me here to save you."

"You didn't save anyone," Rose countered, "You just found the bodies."

"Yeah, all of the bodies," Dark Pink added.

"I ain't the Imposter!" Purple shouted again, "Lock me up in the brig if you want, but I'm innocent!"

"There is no brig," Grey pointed out, "This ship is for cargo, not prisoners. Besides, the reason we have to take such drastic steps is because Imposters can escape through bars, survive electric shock, and are virtually indestructible by conventional means. We have to burn them, send them into space, or drop them from incredible heights. Otherwise, they don't die."

"We have to do something, and quickly," Orange declared, "Crew, it's time to vote."

The crew deliberated on their decision for a few brief moments. It didn't take long for them to come to their decisions this time. Purple: 5 votes. Dark Pink: 4 votes. Red: 1 vote.

"Who voted for me?" Red whined, "I scanned!"

"The majority has it," Orange said grimly, "Purple, I'm sorry, but we have no recourse. Imposters must die."

Purple didn't put up a fight. He merely scowled at everyone as they dragged him to the airlock. Some looked happy to see him go, but a few had the decency to try to look upset. As Orange set the controls to eject Purple, they could all barely make out his final word through the blast doors.

"Idiots."

Purple was jettisoned into space, and everyone watched with bated breath to see if this so-called crewmate was actually the killer. Much to their shock and horror, he didn't change. He was, in fact, a real crewmate.

"Purple was not the Imposter," Orange whispered gravely.

"Ah!" Red screamed, "That means it's one of us!"

Everyone looked at one another, not sure who they could trust. A few doubtful glances went Dark Pink's way, but no one said anything out loud.

"Crew, I know this has been difficult, but there is one final matter to attend to before I can dismiss you," Orange said as he hung his head, "Baby Azure must be cared for, but according to our records Cyan was her only living relative."

"That's not surprising," Green shrugged, "Our species has been practically endangered ever since the Imposters found us. I calculate that in 75 years we will be completely extinct if we cannot find a way to either communicate with or combat the Imposters."

"I'll do it!" Rose raised her hand as she spoke, "Please, I'll take care of Azure. She already knows me, and she needs something normal in her life right now."

"Thank you, Rose," Orange bowed gratefully.

Rose picked up the little crewmate and rocked her to try to help her feel better. Azure didn't giggle and coo like she used to, but she did look up at Rose in appreciation.

"Everyone is dismissed," Orange announced.

One by one the crewmates took their leave. Rose slowly walked with Azure, but after a moment she realized she was being followed. To her delight and surprise, it was White.

"Hey, Rose? That was very…I don't know the right word," White fumbled, "I mean, to care for a child you've known for less than a week. Well, that's not something everyone would do. I suppose I didn't realize you were…like that."

"You mean you didn't know I was capable of compassion?" Rose asked, trying and failing to sound light, "White, I might have my own agenda, but I'm not heartless. Azure is a good kid, and she deserves to be loved and cared for. I like taking care of helpless things. Always have. When I was a kid my parents got so mad at me for all the injured animals I would bring home."

"I had a similar problem when I was young," White confided, "Listen, I can't stay. I just wanted to say that…well, I don't know what I wanted to say. Congratulations sounds like the wrong thing. Thank you also seems inappropriate since Azure isn't my child. Sorry also doesn't feel right since I am not wrong for feeling uncomfortable with you stalking me."

"Hey! I didn't mean to creep you out," Rose giggled, "I just think you're cute is all. You look like you need someone. In our line of work it's hard to find someone you can trust. That can get very lonely, don't you agree?"

"I don't need a relationship," White insisted, "I just need to find something on this ship I can eat that won't make me break out into a rash."

"Wait, you've been here five days, and you haven't eaten anything?" Rose gaped.

"I couldn't. Tan stole my food," White replied sourly, "It's okay though. I'll live. I mean, it's just a few days until we get to Polus, right?"

"It's three months," Rose reminded him.

"Oh," White said flatly, "I'm doomed then, aren't I?"

"Teehee! Don't worry White, we'll find you something to eat!" Rose laughed as she grabbed his hand, "Come on!"

"Wait! Where are you taking me?" White exclaimed worriedly.

"To the kitchen, silly!" Rose replied giddily, "I'm going to help you find some food!"

"Why do I get the feeling this is a bad idea?" White asked miserably.

Rose just laughed at his discomfort and kept pulling him forward, little Azure in tow. After a moment Rose realized White was keeping pace with her. She looked at his face, and could see he was smiling. Rose beamed with joy at seeing this. Despite the walls this sickly crewmate put up, she could tell he needed someone. She just hoped she could be that someone.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Abandon Ship

"I can't feel my face…" White grunted as he sat in medbay; swollen like a balloon, "Am I supposed to taste my own blood?"

"You seriously tried to get him to eat steamed carrots?" Tan asked Rose in a sardonic tone.

"I didn't know he was allergic to vegetables," Rose replied apologetically.

"I only licked it…" White tried to defend himself.

"Good thing I know first aid," Tan laughed, "Hold still White, this will only hurt a lot."

With those words she jabbed a big needle into White's side, and he howled in pain. Little Azure covered her eye at seeing such a barbaric display of medical ineptitude. White, starting to not look as swollen, glared at Tan.

"I hate you," White glowered.

"You're welcome," Tan replied with a sly grin, "So, anybody got to scan in here?"

"No, sorry," Rose replied, "I registered at Mira HQ."

"I scanned alone," White told her, "Before I realized how important scans were going to become. Anyway, I still have to help Grey fix the reactor."

"Can we come?" Rose asked as she fluttered her lashes, "Azure loves blinking lights, and so do I."

"No," White insisted, "It's not personal, Rose. I just don't think amateurs should handle such delicate equipment. We can get together later, perhaps over a lesser task like fixing wires or diverting power."

"No way!" Rose shuddered, "I'm not going in electrical. That place is a murder pit!"

"Fine, you can pick the task, just not now," White sighed sharply, "I need to continue to secure the reactors. Good day Rose, Tan, Azure."

White then walked away from the group without looking back, but Rose was definitely looking back at him.

"Isn't he adorable? Pretending he doesn't need our help," Rose gushed.

"Yeah. Without you, who else would help him achieve his dreams of becoming a hot air balloon?" Tan snickered.

"Hey! You're the one that stole his food!" Rose huffed, "So really this is your fault."

"Whatever. Helping out White has distracted me from my tasks," Tan replied in a holier-than-thou tone of voice, "I think you should find someone else to pester. Later, loser!"

Tan left the medbay, and Rose looked down at Azure with a look that could best be described as amused yet incredulous.

"I think she might be the new Purple," Rose commented, and Azure laughed.

Red followed Grey's plan to the letter, and went to the reactor as soon as he possibly could. If they stuck together, then they could catch the killer. Red was nervous, because at this point it could be anyone. There were so many suspects, and Red had trouble keeping them all straight.

Orange was their current captain, but he never said much one way or the other at emergency meetings. Dark Pink was clearly sus, but then again maybe he truly believed Purple killed his friend Yellow. Rose and Tan both hung around Cyan because they shared a room. Perhaps one of them could be the Imposter. This level of deduction only served to hurt Red's head and fuel his paranoia. It didn't help that Red's actual task for the day was fixing wires in storage and admin, and he had no business being in reactor. Oh crud! What if that made him look suspicious?

Red's fears calmed down for a moment when someone came into the room. At least with Grey around he would be protected.

"Oh, Grey. Thank goodness!" Red said as he began to turn around, "I've been thinking about- Hey, wait! You're not Grey! What are you-? Oh no…teeth! Help! The Imposter is-!"

Red's cries were silenced by the Imposter slicing his head clean off with a sharp tongue. The Imposter quickly devoured the upper half of Red's body, but stopped short when the sound of footsteps leading away from the reactor could be heard. Someone had seen the Imposter!

EMERGENCY MEETING!

The crewmates gathered as soon as they heard the buzzer. Everyone was on edge, and just waiting for something else to go wrong, so it didn't take long for them to run to the cafeteria. When everyone got there, Grey was waiting for them with his hand on the table from where he had pressed the button.

"Crewmates, I have uncovered the Imposter!" Grey announced, "I saw Tan kill Red in cold blood."

It was at this moment that Tan came running in from the hallway leading from medbay. She heard Grey's accusation however, and glared at him in defiance.

"He's lying!" Tan countered, "Grey killed Red and I walked in on him. He killed our friend and now wants to kill me!"

"Of course I want to kill you," Grey spat, "You are the Imposter! Red trusted me to protect him, and I failed. I will not hesitate again. One way or another you are getting off this ship!"

"Now, now, wait!" Orange interjected, "Do either of you have evidence to back up your claim?"

"I do!" Tan declared, "Just a few minutes ago I was with White and Rose. White had an allergic reaction and Rose insisted I help him. Baby Azure was there too."

"That was nearly an hour ago," Rose pointed out, "You've had plenty of time to kill Red since then."

"So you believe I killed Red?" Tan asked Rose, "How could you?! I thought we were friends! We promised to stick by each other no matter what!"

"I never promised you that," Rose refuted, "Tan, you are being way more dramatic than usual."

"Because this Imposter wants to kill me!" Tan shouted, "Grey is the Imposter! He killed Red! He killed him!"

"Actually," Brown said, "I have some information that might be pertinent to this case."

"Well then by all means, Brown. What have you found?" Orange inquired.

"Well, I was on cams, which as you'll recall is right across the hall from the reactor," Brown explained.

"We know, genius," Tan interrupted, "We only walk through these halls every stinking day."

"As I was saying," Brown snapped, "I saw Tan enter the room a few minutes after Red. I also saw Grey creeping around outside reactor without going in. The important thing however was what I heard. Red said, and I quote, 'You're not Grey.'"

"You were listening to that and didn't report it?" Dark Pink asked aggressively, "I think that sounds kinda sus."

"Forget about Brown," White insisted, "Our suspects are Grey and Tan."

"Yes, and it seems clear that Tan is the Imposter," Green deduced.

"So, are we voting Tan?" Dark Pink asked the group.

Everyone looked at each other sharply, knowing what they were about to do. Tan realized it as well, and knew that she had lost.

Suddenly, Tan's body shifted into that of an Imposter, and her gaping maw readied itself for another kill! Everyone scattered away from Tan, fearing for their lives. Orange, thinking quickly, grabbed a taser from out of a nearby drawer and shocked Tan to stun her for a moment.

"Quickly! Let's throw that ugly monster out the airlock!" Dark Pink rallied.

"Wait!" Green shouted.

Green then stood in front of Tan, his arms stretched out to prevent anyone from coming too close to Tan. Everyone was shocked that he would protect the creature that had been killing their friends since they got to The Skeld.

"Get out of our way, Green," Grey ordered.

"No!" Green refused, "This Imposter is our chance! We can learn so much from her, and perhaps even form friendlier relations with their species. Tan, please, let me help you. I promise if you cooperate that I will protect you."

"You would protect me? After everything I've done?" Tan asked softly.

"Of course," Green assured her, "We don't have to be enemies. I have always had a fascination with your culture and wanted to know more. Please, give me this opportunity, and we can make a new start for our peoples."

"Oh, Green…"

Tan then took Green's offered hand, and Green thought he would pass out from exhilaration. It was happening. It was finally happening! An Imposter was going to give him the information he had craved for so long. Even only half transformed, Tan looked so menacing…yet so graceful.

Green helped Tan up, and then Tan took a step toward Green. With one fluid motion, Tan flicked her tongue and sliced off Green's head! Everyone screamed, and Tan laughed maniacally.

"You stupid little meat sacks!" Tan gloated, "You think killing me will save you? What do you think is waiting for you on Polus, huh? Death! That's what's waiting for you! We've already won, and soon your species will no longer exist!"

"Enough of this!" Dark Pink cried out.

Dark Pink then body slammed into Tan, knocking her into the open airlock. Tan couldn't even get her bearings before the door was slammed on her, and she was forced out into space. Tan's body froze quickly, and she completely transformed into the hideous Imposter she truly was.

"Well…it's over," Orange whispered amidst the silence, "We won. Now we can go to Polus in peace."

"It's going to be more difficult now," Grey pointed out, "There are only six qualified crewmates left, and one small child. We'll have to work around the clock. I'll do my part and take on the more remedial tasks of my fallen friends."

"And I'll take on the remedial tasks of Purple, because he had no friends," White said to lighten the mood.

Rose laughed, and White blushed. He wasn't used to making jokes, especially not after something so awful happened. Still, he liked hearing Rose laugh, so it seemed like the risk was worth it.

"Alright everyone. Back to your tasks," Orange ordered the remaining group.

Everyone left, but it was with heavy hearts. In the span of an hour they had lost three of their crew, two to the Imposter and one to betrayal.

It was late into the night cycle, and soon the new day would begin. Not everyone was sleeping however. White was in the cafe trying to figure out what ingredients would be safe for him to eat. He wanted to do this alone so that no one would see him if he had another allergic reaction. He found the experience to be embarrassing, and he had an epy-pen with him just in case. He would be fine alone.

He had figured out that there was one type of cheese in the fridge that didn't make his throat tingle when he sniffed it. He had also discovered ketchup, which was fine for him, as well as pepperonis. Meat was okay for him. If he could just cobble together some dough, then perhaps he could make a pizza. Not the galaxy's greatest pizza, but something edible at least.

His late night snack search was interrupted when he heard someone coming in from the right side of the ship. He turned and saw Rose carrying Baby Azure on her head, and the baby was playing with Rose's flower pin.

"What are you doing awake?" White asked.

"Azure couldn't sleep," Rose said with an over-large smile.

White looked at her quizzically, and she deflated.

"Oh, alright. I couldn't sleep," Rose admitted, "My only roommates were Tan and Cyan, and without them I hear every noise on the ship. It's like the engines themselves are moaning, and I don't know how to make them be quiet so I can sleep."

"Just imagine that it isn't the ship at all," White suggested, "I like to think of those sounds as a large Hihan floating through space."

"Hihan?" Rose asked.

"They're creatures that orbit Polus," White told her, "They're kind of a dusty pink color, and have long graceful feelers coming out of their bodies. They are very peaceful with a song that travels through space. Scientists still don't know how they do it, since sound should not travel through space at all. They are also very peaceful creatures that cannot live in a weighted atmosphere due to their organs being so sensitive and pliable. When you try to sleep, think of the ship's noises as a peaceful Hihan floating by."

"Aww, that's such a beautiful thought," Rose cooed, "I didn't know you scientific types had any sort of imagination."

"Visualization helps one to cope with long journeys," White explained simply, "So, do you want me to walk you and Azure back to your room?"

"I'd like that," Rose smiled sweetly.

White held out his hand, and Rose cheerfully took it. At first White had been upset at having to spend so much time with her, but overtime White was starting to think there was more to Rose than he previously thought. She was caring, brave, and had a lust for life that was rare among crewmates these days. Their species had been careening toward extinction for decades, yet she continued to think the best of people. That was truly a rare find.

As they walked through the central hallway to admin, a form caught their eyes next to the admin table. Rose turned to look at it first, and White followed her line of vision. There, where the map display was, was the body of Grey!

White flipped the body over, and Rose took a closer look. She gasped at what she saw, and White looked like he was going to be sick. Rose handed White Azure, and then raced back to the cafeteria.

Rose quickly pressed the emergency meeting button, and Orange and Brown came running in. White sat at the table holding Azure, guessing that Rose likely wanted to conduct this meeting.

"What happened?" Brown asked first.

"Guys, we have a problem," Rose said shakily, "There's another Imposter!"

"That's crazy," Brown refuted, "We caught the Imposter."

"No, you don't understand!" Rose squealed, "We found Grey's body! He's dead!"

"Do you think Tan came back on board the ship somehow?" Orange asked.

"I don't think so," Rose shook her head, "White and I examined the body, and this one isn't like the others. Tan's victims were brutalized, either through neck snapping or being hacked to death by her tongue. Grey was shot, and we know only Imposters use bullet-based technology in their guns."

"Grey ratted out Tan," Brown realized, "That means this was likely a revenge kill."

"An interesting theory," White said; his eye narrowed at Brown, "Care to tell us how you came up with it? Perhaps you have inside knowledge as to the Imposter's thought process?"

"What? No! It isn't me!" Brown exclaimed frantically, "I'm just saying it makes sense!"

"An interesting statement, considering I never accused you directly," White pointed out.

"Hey guys?" Rose piped up, "Where's Dark Pink?"

Everyone just stared at each other for a moment, as if their minds were trying to catch up to this new piece of information. Dark Pink wasn't there. That meant the two most likely options were either he died…or he was the Imposter.

Before anyone could say anything, an emergency klaxon started going off.

"Sabotage!" Rose squealed.

"No, it's the life pod sensors," Orange explained, "Someone is trying to abandon ship without proper authorization and the life pod isn't ejecting."

"Dark Pink…" Brown growled as he balled his fist.

Everyone followed Orange's lead as he ran down the halls to where the life pods were kept. Most of the rest of the ship didn't even know they had life pods.

When the group of four got there, Dark Pink was inside banging on the console in an attempt to make the thing dislodge without Orange's authorization key.

"Dark Pink, out of the pod, now!" Orange ordered as he held a laser pistol to the door, "You have ten seconds."

Dark Pink bolted out immediately, and then was stopped by Brown and White before he could run away completely. He struggled for a moment, but then sagged in defeat. Orange, thinking it was safe, put his pistol back in his coat pocket.

"Care to explain what you were doing, Pink?" Orange demanded to know.

"Please, you've gotta let me off this ship!" Dark Pink pleaded, "I found another dead body! Grey is dead! There are more Imposters!"

"And you didn't report that?" Rose asked, "Seems pretty sus."

"What am I even protecting anymore?" Dark Pink asked helplessly, "For all I know you could all be Imposters and I might be the last crewmate left. Please, just let me go."

Orange gave him a look that somehow managed to convey both disgust and pity. Dark Pink was ashamed of himself for so quickly abandoning his principles, but he was sure if he stayed on that ship he would die.

"Orange, Captain, think about this," Dark Pink urged, "If I'm the Imposter, then my leaving is a good thing for the ship. It means I can't hurt anyone else. But, if I'm crew, then I should still be allowed to leave so I don't get killed."

"That's a fairly selfish viewpoint," White commented, "I mean, nobody wants to die. Why is your life worth more than ours?"

"There are only two life pods," Orange added, "These are for emergencies only."

"An Imposter is an emergency!" Dark Pink shouted, "Let me out! I demand you let me off this doomed ship immediately!"

"You conniving little…" Brown growled as he stomped closer to Dark Pink, "You would really leave us here to die when it's your job to protect us? You're lower than an Imposter! You're a coward!"

All of a sudden, the docking clamps unlocked from the life pod. Everyone was confused, but then saw that Orange had taken out his authorization key.

"Go," Orange ordered sharply, "You want to abandon ship? Fine. Go. Whether we live or die, no Imposters will make it to Polus."

"Thank you, sir," Dark Pink nodded before getting into the pod, "I won't forget this."

"Neither will we," Orange said bitterly.

Dark Pink at least had the decency to look ashamed before the door to the life pod closed on him. The pod took off, and Orange walked away. The other three followed him, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"You just let him go?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Orange replied curtly.

"But why?" White asked, "If he's the Imposter then he'll just head for Polus and eat more crewmates."

"No, he won't," Orange said gravely.

Orange then went to weapons, where they kept the gun that shoots down asteroids. Orange sat in the chair and aimed the lasers directly at the retreating life pod. Everyone was shocked when they saw Orange fire on the fleeing vessel and obliterate it with Dark Pink inside!

That one action proved two things about Orange. One, Orange was a crewmate, as he could actually operate the machine. Two, no matter what, Orange would not allow an Imposter to escape The Skeld.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

Unrest

White went to admin to check the oxygen alarms. Imposters liked to sabotage the O2 when they got the chance, so making sure those alarms worked could be the difference between life and death for the crewmates. When he got to admin, he saw Rose was there with Azure, trying to perform a very familiar task…

"It's been almost two weeks and you still haven't swiped your ID card?" White asked with slight incredulity.

"I've been trying, but the machine always rejects it!" Rose whined, "I hope I'll still get paid for these past two weeks. Why won't this stupid thing go through!?"

Rose then tried swiping the card again, but it once again buzzed in rejection. Swipe. Buzz! Swipe. Buzz! The noise was irritating, and Rose looked ready to lose it. White didn't know whether to retreat in fear or laugh out loud. In the end he did neither, but rather came up to Rose to try to diagnose the problem.

"Oh good. Maybe you can fix this stupid machine," Rose said as she backed away to let White work.

White looked around for a moment, but didn't see any issues with the card swipe. Finally, after a moment, he took a look at Rose's ID card, and snorted in a vain attempt to hold back laughter.

"Um, *snerk*, Rose?" White barely held it together as he spoke, "This is a Don Dew Soda loyalty rewards card."

"What?!" Rose shrieked as she snatched the card from White's hand, "OMG! This isn't my ID card! Where could I have put it?"

"Getting you a new card is going to be rather difficult," White stated, "Perhaps you should attend to a different task."

"Well, I do need to fix cafeteria wires," Rose pondered, "But I'm afraid to go alone. So many people have died in cafe. Will you walk with me?"

"Very well, but I don't have long," White cautioned, "Since I am now the only reactor specialist on board I have to be very vigilant about keeping the reactor functioning. Sabotage on reactor systems is quite easy for Imposters, you know."

"I understand. Just watch me do wires, okay?" Rose requested.

"Very well," White nodded, "Perhaps Azure will learn how to maintain a ship, and one's ID, from your example."

"Haha," Rose barked sarcastically, "And here I thought without Tan and Purple the snark factor would go down."

"Hey, someone has to pick up the slack around here," White said with a teasing smile.

The pair walked together, and Rose reached for White's hand. It was starting to feel more natural to White, walking hand in hand with her like this. He didn't want to become too attached, given their current situation, but his feelings for Rose almost felt like an inevitability…wanted yet unwanted at the same time.

"Could you hold Azure while I connect the wires?" Rose asked White when they got to cafe.

White agreed, and soon Azure was in his arms. She wanted to climb on his head, but White prevented this by holding her away from his body. He knew that was unprofessional, but he wasn't exactly an expert on kids.

"Fwiend!" Azure squeaked, holding her hands out for him.

"Colleague," White tried to correct her.

"Colic," Azure repeated.

"That wasn't even close," White chided.

"Alright, I'm done with the wires!" Rose announced, "Did you see?"

"Not really," White said as Azure squirmed in his grip, "I've been rather preoccupied."

"Well, thanks for coming with me anyway," Rose said gratefully, "I'm going to do my next task in the upper engine. You wanna come along?"

"I'll walk you there, but I have other duties to attend to in reactor," White told her.

"Oh, I understand," Rose replied; disappointed, "Well, it's been fun hanging out with you anyway."

White smiled, trying to reassure Rose. Everyone was on edge, and he could tell the situation was starting to bother her. He wondered what kind of life she'd had up to this point to only just now start to feel the pressure of Imposters. Perhaps she was one of the lucky few raised by her parents. Perhaps she had never seen Imposters before. Perhaps her life had been hard but she didn't let on. He wanted to ask her, but it felt too intrusive to do so.

They walked to upper engine, and White kept on walking to the reactor room. Rose started aligning the engine output, a relatively simple task, but she hesitated. The equipment was still rather intimidating, and it wasn't like anyone was watching her now. Perhaps she could wait here for a while. Perhaps this didn't need to be done right now.

Rose took a tennis ball out of her pocket and started rolling it to Baby Azure. Azure giggled as she caught the ball and rolled it back to Rose. Rose smiled, happy that Azure was happy, but then accidentally rolled the ball off course to the dusty corner of the room.

When Rose went to retrieve the ball, she gasped at what she saw next. Brown was right next to the vent, and the vent was open!

"You!" Rose shrieked as she pointed her finger at him.

"Huh? Me what?" Brown asked when he turned to face her.

"You came out of the vent!" Rose accused, "You're the other Imposter!"

"Are you serious?" Brown asked condescendingly, "The other Imposter was Dark Pink. You saw the way he acted. I'm just cleaning the vent."

"A likely story," Rose hissed, "I know it's you!"

"You don't know your ID card from a hole in the ground," Brown snapped, "Would you look at this crap? Hair pins, pizza slices, tennis balls…why is there so much random junk in this vent? None of our crew even had hair!"

"How do you know about my ID card?" Rose asked suspiciously, "I only just found out the problem myself."

"I heard you talking to White," Brown shrugged, "This ship is small, and word travels fast. Look, I'm very busy and you're obviously not, so could you leave a working man to do his job?"

"I know what you are," Rose declared, "I won't let you hurt the ones I love. Azure, White, Captain Orange…they're all counting on this mission to succeed. I'm watching you."

"If I was the Imposter you'd already be dead," Brown scoffed, "Besides, how do I know it's not you? I mean I still think it was Dark Pink, but my next guess would be you."

"You're accusing me?" Rose asked, affronted, "I haven't done anything!"

"Exactly," Brown smirked, "You don't do your tasks, and you've tried really hard to cozy up to White. If I didn't know any better, which I don't, I'd say you were marinating him."

"I'm…what now?" Rose asked in confusion.

"It's an old astronaut term for when Imposters try to win the trust of certain crewmates to create an alibi," Brown explained, "Of course, if you were a crewmate you'd know that, wouldn't you?"

Rose looked aghast as Brown grinned in triumph.

"So let's rephrase that, Pinky," Brown said gamely, "I'm watching you."

White catalogued the parts in reactor that would need to be replaced when the ship docked. He had been working for hours, and knew that darkness would envelope the ship soon. He had to work faster.

He felt so small when he leaned down to examine the reactor's parts, like he was a mouse trying to crawl into its hole for the night. Doing this work by himself made every noise feel amplified, but the ambience was nice for a change.

His work was partially interrupted when he saw a shadow fall over him. White didn't even turn to see who it was. He was very busy and didn't want to lose the rhythm of his work.

"White?" Orange's voice reverberated through the large room, "I thought I would find you here. I was also hoping to find Rose."

"She was in upper engine last time I saw her," White replied, "Did you need something, captain?"

"I just want to explain what happened," Orange told him, "I know you, Brown, and Rose are probably a little shocked by what I did to Dark Pink. I've never been in command before, so I've never had to make such a difficult decision. If there was even the slightest chance that Dark Pink was an Imposter, I had to kill him. Our species is dying because of those monsters. Those of us in command have to be ready to make the difficult choices for the good of our crew."

"I understand," White replied stoically, "I do not judge you for this. Dark Pink left his post. He sealed his fate by trying to avoid his responsibilities."

"You make it sound so…cold," Orange whispered ruefully, "I worked with Dark Pink for months. If that was even the real one, that is. I hear Imposters will take on the identities of the crewmates they've killed and eaten before. For all we know Tan could have once been a real crewmate with a life and a family before that…thingkilled her and stole her life. I just don't want the Skeld to bring this plague to another innocent colony. We have to protect Polus, no matter what."

"I cannot remember where I was in my cataloguing," White commented; mildly annoyed, "I might have to restart this task tomorrow. Sir, would you like for me to walk you to your quarters?"

"Sure. I'm sleeping in comms now," Orange replied.

"Comms? But why?" White asked in puzzlement.

"Nobody goes there," Orange shrugged, "Besides, if there's an SOS or a message from Earth or Polus, then I need to be there to receive it."

"Understood, sir," White nodded.

White followed behind Orange at a brisk pace as they went to comms. They passed no one on the way there, which wasn't too surprising. Rose and Brown were probably asleep at this point anyway.

When they made it back to comms, White could see that Orange had set up a cot with a blue and white checkerboard blanket, and a few photos placed lovingly on the desk. Clearly Orange intended to sleep in this room for the duration of the trip.

"I'm gonna be honest, White. When I first met you I didn't think very much of you. Not that I didn't like you or anything, just that I thought you were too weak to be serving on a cargo ship. You were sickly, easily ruffled, and antisocial. I worried this mission would eat you alive, but you've held up better than I expected. You have a quiet strength of character I didn't expect."

"Well sir, you are not what I expected either," White replied, "You struck me as very easygoing, if somewhat aloof. Now I've seen a determination in you that I find admirable."

"It's not determination, just obligation," Orange sighed, "I'll be honest, kid. I'm tired. I've been doing this job for 25 years, and I've lost a lot to the invasion. My wife Tangerine was killed by an Imposter nearly 10 years ago. I still think about her every day, and say goodnight to her picture before bed. My daughter Mandarin has just entered college, and I think Tangerine would be so proud of her. I'm proud of her, I know. She wants to be an engineer, but I'm afraid of what she'll find out there if she pursues it. She wants to work at Mira HQ, but I don't even think that place is safe from those horrible creatures."

"I see," White replied awkwardly, "Well then…goodnight, sir. I think I can stay up all night and get the rest of my tasks done in reactor."

"You kids and your boundless energy," Orange chuckled, "What I wouldn't give to have that again. I know I'm gonna have nightmares tonight though."

"Nightmares?" White asked.

"About Dark Pink, about Tangerine, about Imposters. It's a heavy weight on my shoulders, and sometimes that makes it hard to just breathe."

"I think I understand what you mean. Goodnight, sir."

Without even waiting for a reply, White went back the way he came. There was still a lot to do in reactors, after all.

Orange got in his cot and prepared to turn out the lights, but not before looking at the picture of Tangerine's smiling face one more time. He sighed, stroked the picture with gentle fingers, and then turned out his light.

"Goodnight, Tangerine," Orange whispered into the darkness, "May a warm hand hold yours, and may your smiling eyes shine through my nightmares."

Orange fell asleep uneasily, but after a while he managed to drift off to what he hoped were dreams of better days.

The ambient lights in the hallway to comms were dim, but they were enough to highlight the shadowy figure looming in the doorway. The stomach of the fake crewmate ripped open, revealing several sharp teeth.

The Imposter wasted no time in eating Orange, who hadn't even woken up to see the danger he was in.

The next morning was quiet, almost too quiet. Rose walked down the halls with Azure on her head. She knew she was supposed to prime the shields, but there was nothing outside that required any immediate attention. Someone else would probably do that task anyway.

"Wanna play radio!" Azure demanded.

"Not now, Azure. That's in comms. Orange said don't go in comms," Rose told her.

"Wanna play radio!" Azure insisted, and hopped off Rose's head.

Rose gasped, seeing that Azure was running toward comms. She didn't want Azure in there, so she ran after the little escape artist.

Rose managed to scoop up Azure just as she made it to the doorway of comms. Rose sighed in relief, but that relief soon turned to ice water dread when Azure spoke next.

"Blood," Azure stated rather calmly.

"Huh?" Rose looked down at the little crewmate.

Rose looked inside the room and sure enough, there was the captain's mangled body, along with a very familiar face…

"Brown!" Rose exclaimed, "I knew it!"

"Knew what? That I'd find you out?" Brown growled.

Rose knew she couldn't stay there, and Brown had the same thought. Brown pushed Rose out of the way, but she immediately got up and started running. They raced each other to the cafe to push the emergency button, though really it was only for the benefit of one crew member.

White, meanwhile, had fallen asleep at the reactor console. He tried to stay up late, but his body resisted too hard. When he heard the emergency button however, he wasted no time pulling himself together and rushing to meet up with the crew. When he got there, he noticed there were only two adult crewmates left, and each was glaring at the other.

"White! Oh thank goodness you're okay!" Rose shouted frantically, "Brown is the Imposter! He killed Orange right in front of me!"

"Yeah, right! Pink killed in front of me!" Brown refuted, "She's the Imposter, and is trying to use you and Azure to take over the ship!"

"No, no! Really! I saw Brown over Orange's dead body!" Rose screamed, "Please don't let him get away with this! He'll kill us all and then take the Skeld to Polus!"

"Hah! You just gave away your game plan, Imposter!" Brown accused.

"No! It's him! It's him it's him it's him!" Rose repeated hurriedly, "We have to eject him from the ship, before he kills again!"

"No, we have to vote Rose out!" Brown insisted, "Look man, I know she's gotten to you, but you have to believe me. I am crew, she is not. Vote Rose!"

"Vote Brown!" Rose squealed miserably.

White, who up to this point had said nothing, looked from one to the other. He looked at Azure's tears as she silently sobbed on the floor, he looked at Rose's face as she tried desperately to get him to believe her, and he looked at Brown gesticulating as he made his case. They were accusing each other, and the final vote was his. He would decide the Skeld's fate.

"There is only one choice I can make in this situation," White said solemnly.

Rose and Brown waited to see who he would vote, but instead he pulled out a gun. It wasn't a laser gun however…

"White, what is that?" Brown asked nervously.

"I vote Brown," White replied; his words both a gavel and a coffin nail.

With that, White aimed the gun and shot Brown dead before he could even run. Rose screamed in terror, seeing an actual bullet go into Brown's head. There was only one type of being that still used guns like that…

"White…you?" Rose whispered tearfully, "You're the Imposter?"

"Turn away, Rose," White ordered her, his voice cold as ice.

"No, please! Don't kill us!" Rose begged, "Azure's just a baby! Maybe, maybe you could keep her for a…a pet, or something like that. Please White, there has to be another way!"

"Rose, I'm serious. Turn away," White said stonily.

"Please don't…" Rose whimpered.

White just stared at her, and Rose knew her fate was sealed. She turned away from White and Brown's body, and held Azure close to her chest so the child wouldn't see White shoot her in the back. Instead of being shot however, she heard the sounds of ripping flesh and crunching bones. White was eating Brown!

Once White was finished with his grisly meal, he walked around to where Rose was standing with Azure. She could see the blood on his chest, no, his mouth, and she could see the gun in his hand. The crewmate she had been falling in love with never existed, and in his place was a monster she had never known.

"Why are you doing this?" Rose sobbed.

"Because I'm hungry. Why else?" White shrugged, "Your species is inferior, and soon all that was yours will be ours. We are hungry for flesh, and we are hungry for power. You give us both."

"You're evil," Rose whispered as she turned away, unwilling to even look at him.

"Brown get eated?" Azure asked both of them.

Rose was shocked by Azure's calmly asked question, but knew this little kid wasn't as dumb as people thought. She was born a crewmate, and knew the risks of what that meant.

"Yes, I ate Brown," White finally replied.

"Why?" Azure asked.

"Because I am a carnivore," White explained as if this were just any other lesson, "Do you know what a carnivore is?"

Azure shook her head no.

"It means I have to eat meat, or I'll die," White answered in a slow, even tone of voice, "You can eat meat or vegetables, but I usually can't. Vegetables make me sick. You might want to write that down for future reference."

"Why?" Azure asked again.

"You'll understand when you're older," White told her, "Now, can you go get me some paper from storage? I want to talk to Rose for a moment."

"She gonna get eated?" Azure asked matter-of-factly.

"Eating more than one crewmate at a time would cause gastronomical distress," White replied, but it was clear Azure didn't understand, "Um, no. She's not."

Azure, satisfied with this answer, left for storage. Rose didn't stop her, because she didn't want the little one to see her be killed by their resident psychopath.

"Rose," White addressed her curtly, "There is one life pod left on this ship. I'm feeling generous today, so I'm giving you one chance. I'm going to rip the comm system out of the life pod so you can't warn Polus about me, but I will allow you and Azure to escape with your lives. I don't care where you go, just get off my ship."

"You're going to shoot our pod down, aren't you?" Rose sniffed.

"No, I am not," White replied, "I could use the asteroid guns when I transform into my natural state, but I see no reason to do so. You and the child are no longer a threat to me. Now, follow me to the life pod."

Azure hopped into the room with an armful of sticky notes, but White brushed past her without even giving her a backwards glance. Rose, sure that this was some kind of trap, felt torn between following him and escaping. What would she even do if she ran? Hide on board the Skeld for the rest of her life? That wouldn't work, and the life pod was the only way off the ship. She had no choice but to hope the Imposter wasn't lying to her.

It took White only a few minutes to rip the comms system out of the pod, and he threw it on the floor without much fanfare. Rose and Azure just watched silently, and waited.

"Rose, throw that into the trash, would you?" White requested, "I can't work the handle with these stubby hands."

Rose gulped, but complied. White didn't seem like he was going to strike, but he was still holding a gun despite his word that he wouldn't kill them. She was sure it had to be a trick. At first she had felt betrayal, but now all she felt was fear and tension stored up in her bones.

Final task complete, Rose and Azure piled into the life pod. Was this thing sabotaged or something? What if he shot it down anyway? Rose wanted to run away, but she couldn't. Her legs felt like jelly, and her heart was trying to escape her chest. All she could do was sit there as White strapped the safety harness over herself and Azure, who was sitting in her lap. White then placed a box on the seat next to her.

"What is this?" Rose asked.

"Crewmate food," White replied, "I think it's some sort of grain bars or something. I don't know. I just know how it feels to not be able to eat for days at a time. Tan not only stole my food, she also killed most of the crewmates. I'm not sorry she's gone. She was very selfish."

"So that's why you were so weak before…" Rose realized.

"You seemed to prefer me that way," White observed.

"Well…I've just always liked taking care of helpless things," Rose explained, "I want to be a nurse, but I can't afford tuition. That's what this job was for. I guess…I guess I liked you because I felt like you needed someone. Boy was I stupid."

"Yes, you were," White twisted the metaphorical knife, "Goodbye, vermin."

White then slammed the door on the life pod, and used the late Orange's access key to send it off into space.

Rose looked out the viewport as the ship grew smaller and smaller. She felt lucky to not see the outside of the ship after being ejected into space like some of her fellow crew, but she also felt hurt at not being able to save her colleagues. If only she hadn't trusted White. If only she could have seen him for what he was. He didn't care about her, and he used her burgeoning love for him to deceive the crew.

As Rose thought back on everything she hugged little Azure, who hugged her back. At least she was able to save one. She knew that Cyan would have been pleased to know that her daughter wouldn't die at the hands of the Imposters. Rose was lucky that she didn't either, though she suspected it was just because White wasn't hungry at that moment.

With nowhere else to go, Rose set the coordinates for Mira HQ. She only hoped the research facility was still hiring. She would need a good job if she was going to take care of a new child.

White watched the life pod until it was no longer in view from the cafeteria window. He took his hand off the glass, and then watched it transform into one of his many tentacle limbs.

White finally felt like himself again; transformed into his true form and no longer worried about some pesky crewmate catching him. He had accomplished another successful mission for his people. They had yet another ship to add to their growing collection, even if it wasn't exactly the best in the crewmates' fleet.

White walked to the weapons room and sat down in the captain's chair…his chair. He would need to make a stop at a food depot before going back to the home world. He needed more fair trade gluten free meat crackers. He could have skipped the stop if he had just kept Rose and Azure around to eat, but…

Wait, why didn't he do that? White sighed as he thought about Rose again. She was so annoying, and yet so endearing. Even on his home world, he wasn't used to seeing people that were so willing to help each other out. It wasn't because she was a crewmate either. Crewmates were selfish creatures that would quickly turn on each other as soon as they felt like there was one of his kind on their ship. They were animals, and unworthy of sympathy or respect. At least, that was what he always thought.

Rose challenged everything White thought he knew about crewmates. Even the real White, the one whose identity he stole, had been a boorish buffoon that thought he was smarter than everyone else. It had been a pleasure to eat him, even if it meant he had to take his name and face.

Rose wasn't the only one though. Orange was a kill White actually felt bad about. When Orange mentioned how tired he was though, how much he missed his wife and how the never ending fight was becoming too hard for him, well…it only made sense that White should put him out of his misery.

He had been on five previous missions before taking the Skeld. This was probably his least prestigious takeover, but he knew he would never forget it. He would also have to file a report to explain what happened to Tan. That would be three hours of his life that he would never get back.

As White walked around the ship looking for things to repair before meeting with Imposter HQ, he passed by the female crew quarters. He had never been in this room, but he decided to look in there now. He could see pictures of Cyan's family, crumbs all over Tan's bed (jerk), and a pink handkerchief that White assumed belonged to Rose. There was also a tennis ball, a toy Rose had that she would use to play with Azure. White took the toy, held it for a few moments, and then put it right back where he found it.

With nothing else to do until the next shift, White went to the kitchen to make himself a pizza. Weirdly enough tomato was a vegetable he wasn't allergic to.

As he sat there waiting for the microwave to finish cooking his meal, thoughts once again went back to Rose. He had wanted to keep her with him, but it wouldn't have worked. She could never love him now, and if she stayed too long he would just end up killing her to feed himself. He couldn't do that to her.

"Goodbye, Rose," White whispered into the air, "I know you don't understand, but someday I hope you will forgive me. May we never see each other again."

The End