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Black is sat in the storage room thinking about everything that's gone wrong during this journey. The room can't even be considered a storage room anymore. It's become a make shift morgue full of the mangled bodies of their coworkers. It's just a cemetary that they're keeping rocks in.
Black used to think that they'd find death comforting but now they know that it is anything but. They're not ready to go but if they have to go, they want to go alone. They're used to being alone. They can handle being alone.
As they are sitting there contemplating their death, a chill passes through the room and unbeknownst to them, a ghost appears over them. Cyan is watching them in death, quite literally.
Cyan watches as Black talks to their corpse. They thought Black hated them so it's shocking to see Black so affected by their death. It's hard to watch as they try to crack jokes to hide how vulnerable they feel, apologizing to a corpse. Cyan could fell that there was something underneath Black's angsty bravado. That they care more than they let on. Maybe if they would have let Cyan in sooner, they really could have been best friends for life. Or best friends until they inevitably got killed by Alien imposters together.
Black finds Cyan'a dream journal buried underneath Cyan's corpse covered by the thin white tarp. A colorful thing that is the complete opposite of Black's whole personality but is a reminder of how vibrant Cyan was.
"This your weirdo notebook?", Black speaks into the empty room (that is not as empty as they think). They're still trying to crack a joke. Still trying to hide that vulnerability. Cyan releases a light giggle that nobody can hear. Black always had a strange sense of humor.
Cyan watches as they open the book and read their personal thoughts. Maybe they should be upset but if anything, they're glad that Black gets to read what they wrote. After all, a lot of it was about them, about their relationship.
"Everyone on this ship is so different, but I'm gonna do my best do match their energy. My star signs are retrograde, but I'm gonna put in so much effort that it's gonna flip to trendy-grade." Black sighs at that one and furrows their face, closing the book and moving away from Cyan's corpse to inspect the book further. Cyan's ghost follows them across the room, hovering over their shoulder once again.
That one was so Cyan that it was almost painful to read. Black can even hear it in their chipper tone. They don't know that Cyan is above them laughing at their reaction, Black never was a fan of their vocabulary. They never cared to hear about star signs and astrology.
Black opens the book again and reads the next excerpt they see aloud. This one even more revealing than the other.
"And Black likes to pretend they are tired of it all, but I can still see a little glimmer when they talk about geology. The passion is there, and I'm going to bring it out of them."
Black cites the lines with a quiver in their voice and a expression that makes it clear that they are holding back tears. Instead of crying, they squeeze the open book to their chest and their face contorts in a way that shows how much it meant for them to hear that. Cyan is glad that they are able to witness this moment. That Black is able to see that they weren't being annoying, that they just wanted Black to be happy again. They wish that Black could see them now. That they could see them watching over them as they make these discoveries.
Black glimpses over at the ore plus that Cyan left behind and groans. They start to look at the journal and flip through some more pages, mocking what they find. But then they stop when they see "connected energies". Maybe Cyan was onto something with their constant ramblings about "vibes".
They start to read aloud again "The ore wants to be one. It strives to be whole but the broken ore is different. It strives to be broken. The energy is bad. I'm going to contain the pieces with cleansing salt and purifying amethyst until I can figure out how to make them whole again."
Black picks up the ore plus and tries to piece it together, not sure what any of those words mean. But they have to try, they have to see if maybe Cyan wasn't so wrong afterall.
Cyan watches over with glee as they bring the ore over to the microscope to make the dreadful discovery. The discovery that Cyan was so close to finding out themselves. The one that might have saved everyone.
"Thanks Cyan. Maybe there is a reason to be optimistic." That's all Cyan could ask for. They just wanted Black to experience even the smallest big of joy. The joy that comes with discoveries made with friends. They would have been great partners if given the chance.
Black opens the book again and starts writing down what they discovered. Happy to have found out what they did.
"Eat it losers. I did it!" They say cheerfully after they throw their pen to the ground.
But that's not right. They didn't do it alone.
"No. We did it, Cyan", they say in a much softer tone as they stroke the journal and hug it to their chest once again, this time even tighter and with an expression showcasing deep delight. An expression not often shown by Black. Cyan hasn't seen such an expression from them in a while.
After they high five the book is when the embarrassment of the situation sets in and Black becomes aware of their self again. But, it doesn't matter. Nobody can see. Except Cyan can see. Cyan has seen it all. So they watch as Black grabs their glowsticks and dances out of the room with the most energy they've ever seen from Black. Except for the time they were low on oxygen and got naked and...
Now is not the time to reminisce. Cyan wakes themselves from their daydream and follows after Black once again. They can see them dancing their way through the hallway. Nobody around to ruin this moment for them.
Except, they have forgotten where they are. Cyan's stops when they hear Black's chatting stop and they scream, both of them turning around to see Green. To see Green morph into a monster.
Black runs and runs and they make it to the cafeteria. All with Green, who at this point is a terrifying fleshy pink thing that is digusting to look at. Cyan follows along too, scared for Black, knowing that the fate they will meet will not be pretty. That their death will be gruesome and they will have to watch.
"I wish I could save you." Cyan, says into the open air where nobody can hear them. They remained mostly silent throughout their haunting, too scared to break the moment. But now, It's already too late. The moment is broken. The moment is destroyed.
Black is panicking and they start to speak to themselves again. The wall breaking over them and the threat of death imminent. Cyan listens closely for this is the last words they'll hear from an alive Black.
"Okay, Black, you're gonna die, and that sucks. But maybe Cyan's right. Maybe this isn't the 'end' end. Maybe I could be reincarnated as a dwarf star or a pile of dirt or a noodle or...."
Cyan is happy for Black that they finally found some optimism but they were wrong. There's nothing beyond this. It's lonely. But if you're lucky you can come back and watch over those you left, like Cyan is doing now. Maybe if they're both lucky, they will be reunited.
Black seems to regain their original nihilism as they continue "Ah, screw it, I'm about to be nothing."
Their final words before the monster comes from underneath them tearing them apart are "Let's do this, already!" They go out with a scream and their body splattered across the ceiling, blood dripping down to the floor. Cyan has to avert their eyes. They knew it wouldn't be pretty.
Cyan disappears with Black. Leaving before the others run into the room. They've seen all they need to see. They'll go somewhere where Black can find them. Maybe Purple can come too, if they don't make it.