Chapter Text
Being back in MIRA was not something Purple wanted.
Things would only go wrong, they predicted.
It was unfair, it really was. It wasn't Purple's fault that they got blacklisted by MIRA, never being able to get a job again. And as much as Purple hated to say it, it wasn't Red's either. (It was their fault for abandoning them, though.)
This wasn't what they wanted.
What they had wanted was to be able to stand against MIRA, having companionship and support from others, being able to build their own community with each other. With Red or not.
But nope, instead they were back to where they started.
In the trash.
Purple sat in the lobby, regaining their composure and energy, with unfortunately, Red beside them.
Red fixed their vest, adjusted their hat, always squirmed in their chair. Occasionally, they glanced at Purple, to which Purple did not glance back. Purple would not spare them a single drop of the possibility that they were still friends by even making visor contact.
Purple leaned back in their chair a little, looking up at the ceiling.
Working as a security guard... It was one of the internships they had taken when originally working for MIRA. Purple's work for it had been more than decent, and in MIRA's eyes, that meant placing them as the sole security guard of the fairly big ship, The Skeld, for a fairly important mission of transferring a brand new source of fuel to MIRA's headquarters over in Industria.
Red glanced at Purple again.
The moment they'd sat down next to them, Purple felt a spike of annoyance that gradually increased as Red kept shooting them glances. Twitching, Purple asked, "What are you looking at?"
Red jumped. "What? Me? Ehehe-- well, you know," Purple watched their facade of confidence build around their sweaty body in real time, "I was just thinking about the captain stuff I have this week-- you know, like err flying that Ore-Plus to Industria, and making sure the ship doesn't crash, like a good captain, right?"
"Shouldn't you be doing that "captain stuff"? Like talking with MIRA HQ?"
"I know! Don't think I forgot all my captain duties, haha." Red slapped the arm rest that was the only thing keeping either of them apart. "But I thought it would be good to take a nice break after all that heavy lifting I did to get that Ore Plus on the ship."
Purple sighed.
I wanna talk to Heracles.
Purple lifted their hat from their lap and put it back on their head. "Well then, I guess I gotta get back to my job to make sure no one's f-ing things up."
They got off the chair, and began making their way out the door, but Red called:
"O-Oh-- wait! Well, I suppose we should both get to our jobs then! I'll walk with you!"
Purple quietly scoffed, as Red got out of the chair and make their way towards them, footsteps echoing on the metal of the Skeld. Purple didn't wait up, as they continued through the ship, refusing to look back.
Great, now they would have to take the long way to Heracles now that Red was following. Go into Security, while Red would head to Navigation, then Purple would go back down, through storage, despite Cyan and Black being there, since neither of them would think to care about Purple being out of security, then go to Oxygen, where they could easily pass by Red since they always played video games on the job and would be too distracted to notice, then finally, Purple could chat with Heracles.
Upon entering Storage, Purple could hear Cyan and Black working with the ore at the other side of the room.
Purple thought them and Red were going to silently part ways as they went the opposite direction, left and right respectively, but Red called out once more, "Uh-- see you later, Purps!"
"Yeah, bye."
Purple continued through the ship, going through an engine and then up to Security.
They looked at the cameras, and scowled. Such terrible cameras. They didn't record and were in black and white. Who allowed this crap?
Oh right, MIRA.
On the screen capturing the left outside of Navigation, Red walked through the halls and into the room, hopping into the pilot's seat. Purple waited to hear the sound cue of Red either turning on one of their games or get into a meeting with the MIRA HQ. If it was the latter, Purple would have to take the upper route instead, so they wouldn't get spotted by the boss when walking by Navigation.
After a minute or so, they could hear the sounds of Red booting up whatever video game they decided to play today.
Purple left Security, going through the ship once again and up to Oxygen.
Right before entering, Purple carefully looked behind them, making sure no one else was there.
All in the clear.
Humming the ditty, Purple walked to the water container, peering inside. A few seconds passed, and Heracles swam out of the (fake) seaweed, and up to them instead.
"Hey, buddy," Purple muttered. "How have you been?"
They took the fish food shaker from their backpack, and standing on their tippy toes, sprinkled it into the water tank.
Watching Heracles swim around and eat the food, Purple deeply sighed.
"It sucks so much being here," they said. "You know all about it already. But man..."
Purple sighed once more, this time filled with even more sadness.
"What are we gonna do after? We can't stay like this forever." Purple rubbed their "chin". "Well, if we ever blow the whistle, maybe I could be an antiquarian..."
Heracles stared.
"But that's just wishful thinking."
For a couple minutes, Purple simply watched Heracles swim in the tank, listening to Red jump in fright as their game was interrupted by the MIRA HQ, and breathing in the oxygen.
"Those 2 new crewmates are coming on board, aren't they...?" Purple mumbled. "I almost forgot about them. I'm pretty sure one is an unpaid intern and the other is the contest winner."
Purple's visor turned downwards.
"Honestly, it's so stupid that they brought some random person on board for winning a contest. This place is already crammed enough! What's MIRA thinking..."
Echoing in the hallway, Red was finishing up the meeting with the MIRA HQ.
"Welp, that's my que." Purple stepped away from the water tank. "Bye, Heracles. Go on, go back behind the seaweed again."
After Heracles swam back into their hiding spot, Purple, leaving the room, took one step into the hall but froze, upon hearing voices comimg down from Weapons.
One was Orange, and the other two Purple was unfamiliar with-- the new crewmate and contest winner!
Uh oh, Purple was supposed to be in Security right now. If they were spotted in Oxygen for no apparent reason, who knew what would happen.
The voices drew closer and Purple took a step back, closing the door.
They held their breath, as footsteps echoed through the hall and the hollow, metal interior of the Skeld.
And then slowly, Purple let it out.
They waited for a few minutes to go by, letting whatever conversation Orange and those two new crewmates and Red were having to pass. Purple unlocked the doors, and walked to Navigation to join all of them.
They needed to inform Red about the terrible security equipment. They were going to do it when they were heading towards the asteroid, but they landed a lot sooner than Purple anticipated and everyone got busy then. And back in the lobby, Purple was just tired.
"Hey, Captain," Purple started, walking in. It was strange to call Red of all people captain. Red was standing by their pilot chair, while Orange was right behind one of the new crewmates, Green. "There seems to be-- woah, is the contest winner flying the ship?"
White, the other new crewmate, and the contest winner, was in supposed to be Red's chair, twisting and turning the ship's controls. It didn't even look like they were doing it right!
Red chuckled. "Purple! Yes. Uh-- uh... they're doing it for a very captain-ly reason... that I will say soon."
"Oh!" Orange from behind perked up. "This is Purple. Our head of security!"
Purple glanced at Orange, then at Green. "Yeah, hi." They looked back at Red, pointing at White. "Is that allowed? Seems kind of irresponsible."
"Irresponsible..." Red turned around, pulling something out, hiding their face as they let out quiet mumbles that Purple could not hear. "Uh-- I-I-I mean," Red whirled back around, tucking whatever item they had away. "I don't see any reason why not."
They chuckled weakly, and Purple did not look impressed.
Red increasingly looked more and more worried. "Or uh, maybe the unpaid intern should be flying the ship?"
Visor narrowed, Purple pointed at them. "You should be flying the ship."
"That doesn't sound right."
Purple briefly groaned. Lord. "Okay. I just came to say there seem to be a lot of security issues." They gestured to the camera tucked in the corner of the ceiling of the room. "The cameras don't record, they're in black and white, and--"
Red lightly slapped Purple's side. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Purps. We're just going to Industria."
Oh, come on! This was their job. Purple wasn't going to be in Security 24/7, and if someone was trying to sabotage the mission for whatever reason, they wouldn't be able to catch it because the cameras wouldn't be able to!
It wasn't like anyone on the ship seemed malicious by any means, but who knew what was behind those visors.
Behind them, Green shrugged. "Yeah, Purps, we're just going to Industria."
Purple's visor narrowed once more, with even more irritation. "Well, I can't do the job that you're asking me to do without this stuff--!"
Everybody's bodies flung forward as something crashed against the ship. Yells of shock and fright were thrown around the room before Purple lost balance and slammed into the metal floor.
As the ship's alarms went off, Red clung onto the pilot chair, making their way to the front. They pointed out the window. "We've struck an asteroid!"
Boy, I wonder why, was on the tip of Purple's tongue, but there were more pressing things to worry about.
As Purple regained their balance, White began speaking, far too indifferent about having crashed their ship into an asteroid, "Oh, this kind of thing happens to me all the time. Don't worry-- someone will fix it!"
Purple stumbled over, "WE have to fix it!"
Running out of Navigation and down to Storage, where others were grouped at, Purple, Red, Orange, and Green arrived at the scene (White staying behind because they weren't qualified in the slightest for this situation).
The doors opened and Lime slipped, wrench flying out of their hand and sucked through the giant gaping hole in the wall at the other side of the room.
Upon seeing Lime cling onto the doorway for dear life, Purple yelled out, "Shut the door to the storage room!"
A heavy weight leaned onto Purple, that being Red. "No! We've got to save the Ore Plus!"
Purple yelped, briefly losing their grip on the doorway from being pushed. They were surprised they didn't have a heart attack right then and there, as they almost slipped into Storage.
The emergency seals didn't work, Yellow got tossed near damn into the cold, vacant world of space but Brown caught them, and Purple--
Uh oh--!
Purple lost their grip on the doorway and nearly immediately followed Yellow being flung through the storage room.
"AHH PURPS!!!"
This was how they died. Yup. Being sucked into space, barely missing Red's outstretched hand, being nothing more than another MIRA employee. No one would be able to take care of Heracles. No one would clean those vintage binoculars. No one--
OUCH--!!!
Slamming into the metal wall of the other side of storage, Purple's visor cracked open so loudly, they thought their brains were going to start spewing out.
They thrashed in discomfort, as the insides of their body twisted and squirmed.
Luckily, it was all over. They passed out.
Oh wait, maybe that wasn't such a good thing. They were maybe going to get sucked into space after all.