Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Firing retro rockets.

Exiting autopilot-mode.

Approaching [Brittle Hollow] , 120m/s.

Hornfels is going to kill them.

Okay, maybe that’s an overstatement, but it’s definitely a possibility, unless their swelling headache or hollowed breathing do them in first.

It’s been exactly fourteen days, three hours and twenty two minutes since their ship collided with one of hollows lantern’s fiery spheres of hatred, a mishap that not only shattered their entire windshield, but also fractured two of their ribs and landed them with the worst concussion-induced headache known to Hearth.

According to Gneiss it was a miracle they didn’t sustain any “life threatening injuries”, whatever that was supposed to mean, so a couple of weeks rest and a dubious amount of painkillers would probably bring them back on their feet.

Unfortunately for Alunite, they didn’t have a couple weeks, for all they knew their life ended the moment their ship made impact, because when their windshield broke and exposed the entire cockpit to the vacuum of space, all their belongings, including their precious audio-log recorder, were ungraciously sent hurling towards the crystalline planet.

Chert, ever the hypocrite, had advised them to take more physical notes, (a non-option, as their thoughts easily go careening around, tangling into each other, nothing a piece of paper can capture as well as hitting the record button and letting their mouth run freely.) or at the very least spread their recordings across multiple cassette tapes, so as to “not put all their eggs in one basket” or whatnot. But why go through the trouble of constructing and maintaining more tapes (that you’d also have to keep track off) when you could just keep everything on one!

They’d never expected to be proven wrong so disastrously.

Chert was coincidentally the first astronaut to receive their ship’s emergency signal, as they’d been using their signal scope to monitor fluctuations in the suns electromagnetic field, and they hadn’t even so much as entertained the idea of letting Alunite fetch their recorder, despite knowing how terribly important it was. Noooo, Alunite's bleeding head and battered breathing was ruled a far greater cause for concern, warranting immediate medical attention.

So much for being log-buddies.

Either way that doesn’t matter now when Brittle Hollow is so close they can practically taste it’s sulphurous air, or it doesn’t matter until they hear the crackling of the ships built in stereo as Hornfels agitated voice starts seeping through the cabin.

“-nite, what in hearths name do you think you’re doing!”

They re-engage the autopilot system to respond.

“Nothing that’s any of your business Hornfels, I’m getting my field logs”, or dying trying is left unspoken.

“In your condition? Seriously?! I knew you were reckless but even this is too far, can you even properly breathe out there!?!! And hones-” Hornfels practically yells, their tone getting dangerously close to ringing.

And Hornfels is right, as much as Alunite hates to admit it. Their ribs only recently healed enough that they don’t instantly faint when standing up, but that doesn’t matter, not as much as their research. Alunite quickly realises Hornfels never stopped talking.

“-ent for Riebeck telling on your location then Hearth knows what would become of you, Gabbro’s on their way to retrieve you so once you land you stay put do you hear me!”

Stars be damned Riebeck, can’t keep a word to themselves. Alunite had thought they’d been sneaky when they’d slipped out their window just after dusk, only to run head first into Riebeck on their way towards the launchpad. It took them what felt like years to convince the other that yes the logs are that important and no there was absolutely no way they could convince Alunite to stay put for even one more second.

And they didn’t want to think about it in the moment but Riebeck had looked so scared when Alunite turned their back on them-

The flaring debris rushing past their windshield brings them back to reality as the ship barely manoeuvres past Hollow’s lantern. The autopilot, as always, seemingly more attracted to fiery hazards than avoiding them.

“SHIT-“ they exclaim, regaining control of the ship and setting course towards Brittle Hollow instead. “I really can’t talk right now Horns I gotta make sure I don’t make a reprise of my last flight” they hurry out before manually disconnecting the call.

“Al-“ is the last thing they hear from Hornfels before silence fills the cockpit and they land, this time safely, on the surface of Brittle Hollow.

Chapter Text

The winds enveloping Brittle Hollow are as harsh and uncaring as always when Alunite sets foot on the planet, their feet sinking deep into the thick blanket of powdered snow. It’s a peaceful sensation however cold it may be, as they take a deep breath, mist fogging their visor. The crater they landed in appears to be a relatively new addition to the crust, its sharp, exposed edges still barren, but with a little time they will be covered in porous ice like the rest of the North pole.

And Alunite can lie to themselves as much as they like, but the truth is they should’ve stayed put on Timber Hearth for at least one more week, let their body sort itself out enough that they could properly thermoregulate at the very least. Now the cold, instead of invigorating their senses like it usually does, worms itself deep into their bones. They fight the natural compulsion to shudder.

This was a terrible, stupid idea, what were they thinking!…were they thinking?

They decide to take in their surroundings as they work on regulating their breathing, judging from the areal perspective they got before landing they figure the crater must be close to the impact area, a couple hundred metres walking distance if they were to guess.

Although they doubt they’ll find what they’re looking for so close to the crash site it really doesn’t hurt to take a look, maybe they’ll find some of their lost rations or that stupid twigthian Gabbro made during their last fishing trip, it wouldn’t bother them so much if it just stayed lost in the snow though.

With their hands cradled in their armpits they slowly make their way towards the wreckage and sigh once they reach the remnants of their old ship. They’d liked that ship, as old and scrappy as it had become, and if it’s booster rockets had a tendency to engage without user input then that just kept them on their toes.

They shake their head to clear their mind. It’s nothing to be sad about now, what’s done is done and they’ve got a new ship to pilot (one that Slate had practically begged them to transfer to earlier without much luck). Turning over the wreckage they actually do happen upon some stray cans of mallows and a half burnt med-kit, but the rest of what’s left of the interior is either completely crushed under the ships own weight or charred beyond recognition.

An exasperated groan escapes their lips when their headset starts beeping, it’s undoubtedly Gabbro on the other end of the line. They consider avoiding the call altogether but cave in and answer, knowing Gabbro they’d find them no matter what they do.

“Heyo Luni, Gabbro reporting in from just around the corner of the universe, do you have a moment or are you busy fucking around on your favourite planet?” They say, their chipper tone conveying their amusement with the situation.

“Why’d Hornfels have to send you of all people?” Alunite replies.

“Because Chert was busy and you know how nervous Riebeck gets with situations like this, they were too nervous to fly on their own.” Gabbro responds absentmindedly.

“What do you mean- Is Riebeck on the ship?!” Alunite exclaims, a hint of purple treacherously creeping it’s way up their cheeks.

“Yeah” Gabbro sighs in feign yearning “I couldn’t just leave that lovesick tadpole grounded when hearth knows what you’re getting up to, you’re worrying them.” They continue, a smirk evident on their lips as Alunite strains their ears, faintly making out what sounds like a few protests, followed by the hurried shuffling of feet upon wooden floorboards.

“Stars this is a fucking nightmare…” They grumble under their breath, as Gabbro’s laughter echoes over the connection.

“Alright alright, jokes aside you shouldn’t be out there on your own, so please do as Hornfels said and stay put, we’re almost there.” Gabbro says with a finality, and Alunite hates it.

“Sure, will do.” They add with an edge to their words before cutting the connection. They can’t just sit around waiting for help to come their way and Gabbro knows that, likely planned for it too, so it doesn’t trouble them so much when they instead of “staying put” end up scouting the nearby area for any signs of their recorder.

The outline of Gabbro’s ship is still not visible on the horizon so they figure it'll take a while before the duo lands. Aside from the wreckage looking wholly miserable, the surrounding area is actually quite beautiful, with ice forming an intricate pattern where it’s likely melted upon their ship making impact and then rapidly refrozen. They continue scouting the area to no avail, finding nothing even vaguely recorder-shaped.

Disappointing, but realistic. Finding their recorder will likely take hours, if not days (if they ever manage to recover it), but as their eyes dart over a particularly tall piece of glacial ice they manage to spot something else. It’s the vague outline of the entrance of a cave and it immediately piques their interest. Despite their better judgement they immediately hurry over to investigate it. The opening is small and it’s evident its been around for a long time, it’s clear walls containing bits and pieces of unknown flora and more recognisable debris, completely frozen in time.

There’s always a possibility the recorder simply fell through one of the surface’s many cracks and landed somewhere beneath the crust, they think to themselves, a perfect excuse to investigate this new finding.

Besides, if they stumble upon some undiscovered segment of the planet, then they’ll have an excellent entry to add to their collection once this whole debacle is done and over.

Chapter Text

The further they travel the narrower the tunnel becomes as Alunite struggles to find their footing, slipping in knee-deep meltwater. Worst case scenario they’ll probably find themselves faced with a roadblock or completely submerged inside a freezing cavity, but the light fracturing off of the caves icy walls makes them hopeful, as it seemingly gets brighter and brighter with every step they take.

And the tunnel does indeed lead somewhere, Alunite realising it’s somewhere they’ve been before as they suddenly find themselves overlooking the water source of the hanging city. They immediately unclasp of their helmet, turning it counter clock wise tugging it off to take a long awaited breath, helmet cradled against their frontside. The air is humid but sharp, stinging as it travels through their chest, a sensation that makes their eyesight blur and mouth stretch into a shameless grin.

They’ve really, really missed this place.

Around the water source the gravity crystals flicker like candle light as their vibrations send ripples across its surface. They’re probably the reason behind the drastic change in temperature around the waterfall but it’s an unstudied concept, one Alunite is sure Gabbro would find great interest in if they weren’t so damned lazy. Treading through the water towards land they quickly check their oxygen tanks saturation level before re-fastening their helmet.

A few steps off shore stand three ancient murals who have always served as a great mystery to them, much like all other Nomaian remains around the solar system. They’d initially caught their craze about the Nomai on Ember Twin when Chert had mentioned finding sandstone fragments inscribed with complex runes, so naturally Ember Twin had to be the first planet to visit on their inaugural flight. The runes twisting in detailed spirals were as beautiful as the sunrise on Timber Hearth, so to find out that not only did their solar system use to house alien life but that what said alien life could create beauty rivalling nature, is something that still makes them smile today, as they gently place their hand upon the nearest mural, examining its surface.

The stonework on Brittle Hollow is the very same as that on Ember Twin, the murals in front of them adorned with equally mesmerising patterns, glowing a beautiful, deep shade in the cool light. Their smile falters a bit however as they try to take in the individual meanings of the runes, it’s always saddened them that they can’t read the scriptures.

Chert had tried and failed to teach them during their training but something about the shapes and spacing made the entire message disassemble, snaking around their vision until they couldn’t see any of it. A couple of the elders back on Timber Hearth had called it “dyslexia”, Alunite preferred the word “detrimental”.

Right, they’re here to retrieve their logs, not to wallow over the unfairness of life.

Gazing up at the ceiling they shift their focus towards what they can control, searching the crust for potential cracks, instead their eyes land on the inaccessible part of the city, hanging just above their head. The path upwards collapsed long before they first arrived to the planet and in gazing upon the strange, quadratic shapes just out of reach, they wonder if there’s possibly another way to get there. The thought occupies their mind up until they see something else further up ahead; a massive gaping hole where a part of the upper city was previously attached.

It’s quite the shocking sight considering said piece was very much present the last time they visited, and perhaps the rumble of their crash had knocked it loose. Either way it’s as good a lead as any they can currently come by, so Alunite decidedly makes their way towards it, heading in the direction of the crossroads.

It’s around this time that Gabbro finally sees it fit to contact them, forcing Alunite to fess up and tell on their own location while also bemoaning that so far, they’ve seen jack all resembling their tape recorder. It’s a statement that is closely followed by a half-hearted lecture from Gabbro and a very real threat passed on by Riebeck from Hornfels, by the end of which they all decide they’ll meet by Alunite’s usual campsite.

“You two haven’t come across my recorder, have you?” is as good a conversation starter as any, Alunite figures, standing face-to-face with the other astronauts.

There’s a prolonged silence before Riebecks voice breaks it. “You’re shaking”, is all they say.

Looking down Alunite sees what they'd previously failed to notice, hands tremoring bad enough they struggle to even press them against each other. It’s a strange feeling, forgetting they have a body, as sensation and dread starts creeping it’s way up Alunites throat. A weakened “hah” escapes their lips.

It only takes a moment for Riebeck to worm themselves underneath Alunites arm, which is something they’d find impressive considering their height difference if they weren’t having such a hard time thinking straight, something they don’t know wether to blame on their sudden fatigue or the close contact.

Despite their visor (which Alunite was suddenly very grateful to wear) obscuring most of their face, Riebeck seems more than a little aware of their current predicament and immediately turns their head in the direction of the campsite.

Gabbro, unsure of wether to remain a bystander or to take the lead shrugs their shoulders, settling on saying “I'll go start a campfire”.