Chapter Text
All was quiet aboard the D.Q.O., save for the whir of machinery and the constant hum of the interstellar cruiser’s engine. It’d been a hard-fought battle that required every single one of his wits. He’d thrown more than a comrade or two under the bus—or rather, out of the airlock—but it had all been worth it. At long last, every Gnosia had been eliminated.
Barring himself, of course.
Kisaki heaved a world-weary sigh as he stared down impassively at his former hero, lying utterly still with his eyes closed. He looks so peaceful like this, Kisaki mused. It was hard to believe that just minutes before, he’d been howling in protest, lunging forward desperately as merciless arms seized him from behind and dragged him toward the cold sleep room against his will. Even as the pod’s glass hood had slid closed above his head, literally sealing his fate, Takemichi hadn’t known when to give up.
It’s not me, it’s Kisaki! Kisaki’s the Gnosia!
He could still hear phantom screams echoing in his ears, and the memory made him smile. Takemichi had fought valiantly till the very end, just as a hero should. A commendable effort, albeit futile. Perhaps Takemichi would’ve stood a chance if he hadn’t been outnumbered two to one in the final discussion.
“It was you all along.” Kisaki tore his gaze away from the dead body to address the living one that currently stood across the room—his accomplice who’d just carried out Takemichi’s death sentence. “You’re the AC follower.”
“Oh?” Hanma peeled himself away from the opposite wall, teeth bared in amusement. “You sure about that?”
Kisaki had thoroughly researched the other crew members in his spare time, and the only one who’d come up nearly empty was Hanma Shuji. According to his sources, Hanma was an interstellar photographer who’d had the misfortune of being stationed on Liu-An at the time of the Gnosia outbreak. His history was a blank slate, but some sources had called him the Reaper, since death tended to follow wherever he went. Kisaki had dismissed this as a mere rumor that had run rampant, evolving into an urban legend.
But now, as Hanma approached him languidly like a predator stalking its prey, Kisaki wasn’t so sure anymore. Despite being corrupted by Gnos, the ability to feel human emotions like fear and uncertainty hadn’t left him entirely.
Kisaki reminded himself that he could annihilate Hanma at any time, that he was holding this conversation on a mere whim. He was the Gnosia, the predator in this scenario.
“Maybe I’m the Bug,” Hanma continued. “A cosmic mistake, a paradox that shouldn’t exist in the first place. Maybe I’m seconds away from ending the universe, and another loop will begin all over again.”
Loop? What on earth was he going on about?
Kisaki masked his confusion with a scoff. “AC followers are worshipers of Gnos. You falsely claimed to be the Engineer and reported that I wasn’t Gnosia, and the true Engineer already eliminated the Bug two warps ago. What else could you possibly be?”
“Ooh, don’t forget the part where I helped you vote Chifuyu into cold sleep.”
Chifuyu had been one of the other Gnosia. Kisaki had suggested that they put aside their differences from when they were human and form an alliance, and Chifuyu had grudgingly agreed. For the sake of Gnos, they would work together to carry out their mission and eliminate the other crew members onboard.
At least, that had been the plan. Back when he was human, Chifuyu had been Takemichi’s best friend. He was also fucking annoying, and being infected by Gnos hadn’t changed that. Naturally, Kisaki had killed him out of spite.
“How considerate of you.” Kisaki rolled his eyes as he casually circled around the aisle of cold sleep pods. No way was he letting Hanma trap him against the wall. “Now answer the question.”
“Would you believe me if I said I was only human?”
“AC followers are also human, despite siding with Gnos. That doesn’t tell me anything.”
“I don’t give a shit about Gnos.”
“Then what is it you want?” Kisaki demanded. “What the hell are you?”
“Since titles seem to matter a lot to you, let’s just say I’m a KT follower.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. Kisaki was tempted to kill him just for that one.
“I’ll tell you the rest on your deathbed,” Hanma said. “That, I promise.”
The serene smile on Hanma’s face, so different from the feral grin just moments before, gave Kisaki pause.
In Kisaki’s memory, he hadn’t done a single thing to earn Hanma’s favor. Sure, Kisaki hadn’t targeted him in the discussions, since Hanma’s lies had continued to benefit him, but Kisaki hadn’t exactly defended him when he came under suspicion either.
Despite that, had—had Hanma just promised to stay with him for eternity?
Because now that Kisaki had won the game as the sole surviving Gnosia aboard the ship, he was essentially immortal. Gnos was a hivemind, a coalescence of human consciousness that had merged into a single will—to bring more Gnosia into its ranks. Even if Kisaki felt some affection for Hanma, which he definitely didn’t, it was the Gnosia’s nature to erase humans and transfer their minds to the realm of recalculation, to become one with Gnos. Even Kisaki couldn’t fight that instinct.
“What makes you so sure I’ll let you live?”
“I’m not,” said Hanma with a shrug. “Actually, you’ll probably have to kill me to end this loop. But I’m sure we’ll meet again.”
Again with the loop. Kisaki wanted to ask, but he didn’t see the point when Hanma—or at least, his physical form—would be dead after the next warp. Maybe this was Hanma’s way of reassuring himself that there was life after death. After all, there was no way of understanding the true nature of Gnos until he became Gnosia himself. Yes, that had to be it, because Kisaki didn’t want to think about the implications otherwise.
“I’ll make it painless.” He didn’t know if it was possible, as the thought had never occurred to him before, but he wanted to try. Call it another whim—for the accomplice who’d proven himself useful till the very end.
“You’re a terrible liar.” Hanma laughed. “Say, Kisaki. What if you and I both end up as Gnosia next time?”
“There is no next time.”
“Just humor me for a bit, hm? Would you still dispose of me, like you did Chifuyu?” Then Hanma was utterly still, and if Kisaki hadn’t caught the barest waver in his eyes, he would’ve thought they were already in the middle of a warp. That time had already frozen for Hanma, and Kisaki could reach out and kill him with a touch.
“Yes.”
Hanma’s shoulders slumped. “No hesitation, huh?”
“But only as a last resort.”
At the look on Hanma’s face, Kisaki gave a smirk of satisfaction. He looked like he had more to say, before a familiar alarm blared across the ship, announcing that warp was imminent. Hanma glared up at the ceiling, cursing MontBlanc—the ship’s AI—for ruining their moment. It, or rather he, had definitely done that on purpose.
It was customary to return to his private room and lie down prior to warp, but Hanma decided he was comfortable right where he was. This was the cold sleep room, after all. This way, he wouldn’t have to dirty Kisaki’s hands. Only Gnosia could move freely during warp, and being killed by the love of his life was an experience Hanma preferred to be awake for.
“So long, Kisaki.” Hanma gave a flippant wave of his hand as he climbed into his resting place of choice—the last sleep pod remaining. Even as cryogenic gas filled his lungs, he wasn’t afraid. Instead, he leaned into that warm embrace, recognizing it for what it was. A promise of the future.
And thanks for all the thrills.
LOOP 205 -END-