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Really, was there anything better than sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of tea, and reading a good book? Blue couldn't think of a single thing. In fact, with nothing on the agenda for the day, that just meant they didn't need to bother keeping their prosthetic on, and in the heat of the season, they couldn't be more grateful for that. Even though it was one of three custom-made, state-of-the-art pieces of equipment developed by Lime themself, it was also deeply uncomfortable to wear all the time solely due to its purpose and newness. With time, perhaps they would be able to sustain themself for longer, or find the right amount of padding for the socket, but as it was, having a day to lay on the couch and simply go without worked wonders for soothing their aching body. Besides, Lime never minded having to do a bit more. If Blue was being honest with themself, Lime seemed to like being needed, so it never felt like they were bothering them to ask for small favors.
Truly, it was a good life. Especially since they'd been receiving disability pay from MIRA, so they'd been able to purchase food to keep their pantry from looking like an apocalypse prepper’s. Unfortunately, that did require giving an address, and while giving that of a PO box worked for a time, they knew the clock was ticking. Even so, they'd expected they'd have more time before the knocking at the door.
Yet there it was. Three heavy knocks.
Only three weeks of rest before their home was found.
Blue picked up their cane and set down their book, reluctantly hopping their way to the door. They didn't even have time to open it before one of the MIRA enforcers did.
“Hi!” an overly-friendly crewmate said. “I'm here with MIRA to talk to you about the events on the Skeld. Do you mind coming with me for a moment?”
“I'm alright with that. I would need to lock the door first.”
“Oh, no need, we won't be gone long at all. At least, not if you can help us find the other crewmate who was on board! After all, they haven't even bothered to reach out to speak to representatives about their failure to keep the ship in working order.” Despite the peppy tone, it was clearly a warning-- either tell us what you know, or we’ll let your house get robbed. In fact, Blue didn't doubt that MIRA had sent someone else to slip in and search through everything for any company property, company secrets, and company problems. Anything that could be used in a whistleblower campaign and then the rest to boot.
“I wouldn't know their whereabouts,” Blue lied. “After all, I live alone, and I can’t exactly go far from home.”
They knew exactly where Lime was-- sleeping in after a long night of checking defenses, making sure the house was in order, and running around doing whatever work they thought was needed. Even though it was already 10 in the morning, Lime would likely sleep for another hour if all was well. Even so, as the MIRA representative leaned in, Blue could already tell that things weren't well.
“Now, Blue, it's rude to lie. After all, we already have footage of them coming into the house.”
Their blood ran cold at the thought. Not for themself, but for Lime. Surveillance that neither of them had noticed would only drive Lime to become more paranoid, more reclusive, and more isolated. Blue barely managed to keep their face blank, adjusting their grip on their cane instead of looking the representative in the eyes.
“So. Would you like to call for them now, or shall my colleagues retrieve them for you?”
“I…” Blue couldn't speak, unsure which would be worse. They could betray Lime’s trust, calling them to help or come see something, or they could allow others to ruin the safety of their shared home. Either way, Lime would feel unsafe in the one place they'd managed to relax.
…There was always a third option.
“Lime!” they yelled, turning back. “Lime, we’ve got company!”
They tried to walk back into the house, but before they could hop out of the way of the door, one of the enforcers grabbed them, picking them up by their backpack. Blue squirmed, desperately trying to free themself, but it wasn’t working. By the time Lime exited the bedroom, Blue already knew they were screwed. Lime had only begun to wrap their bandanna around their head when they saw what was happening.
“What the--” Lime started, before realizing what they were actually thinking. “Get your hands off’a them!”
“Hello, Lime. How lovely of you to join us!” the MIRA rep smiled brightly, as if Blue wasn't hanging by their bag a step behind them. “Why don't you come with us? We have plenty to talk about.”
“Let. Blue. Go.” Lime glared. “I don't care what you want-- let them go.”
The enforcer dropped Blue to the ground, but instead, took their cane. Blue barely managed to get to their single knee, looking up at Lime.
Run. Just run. I can make it through this.
Even so, Lime stepped forward, letting their bandanna fall to the floor. “...I'll hear you out.”
Blue could hear the resignation in their voice. As the representative brushed the salt off their hand from the doorknob, Lime walked to Blue’s side, helping them stand again.
“I'm sorry,” Blue said softly. “I just wanted to stop them from getting to you.”
“I don't blame ya. So don't blame yourself either.” Lime shook their head and readjusted Blue's grip for extra stability. “Gonna need to find a new shelter after this… can't stay here if they know where we are…” They trailed off into mumbling, trying to line things up in a way that would work for both of them. Blue, on the other hand, just waited for the MIRA people to bring their car-- a long, black thing with tinted windows-- closer. Getting Lime to walk to it took only a little effort, and Blue kept close, hopping and trying their best not to fall over. As soon as the two of them were in the backseat, the two enforcers took either side, boxing them in the center, while the representative took the front.
To call it the most awkward car ride Blue had ever experienced would be an understatement. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any other options. All they could do was obey and hope.
It had to be another intimidation tactic to put them in separate rooms, right? There was no other reason Lime could think of. They’d heard of the prisoner’s dilemma; they weren’t stupid-- This was the company trying to get them to sell each other out. It had to be that. They were being put against each other.
Hah. Good luck with that. Lime knew what the company wanted. They hadn’t been slick about it at all, so the message boards already knew too. Lime knew better than to trust anything from anyone-- Trust was a construct, one they never put any faith in, so they had better than that. They had their faith, and…
…and Blue.
…Maybe they’d let themself grow content. Sure, they’d known that was dangerous, but it had been comfortable to spend time with Blue. Blue had made it so easy. Everyone on the message board had called them crazy for staying in the same house as a doctor, of all people, but they'd always argued that Blue kept their word. They'd shredded the scans together. They'd agreed to the extra precautions when Lime worried about their safety. They'd even helped set up the gremlin traps in the kitchen!
Even so, Blue was still a doctor, and they'd involved with company policy much more than Lime. They'd eavesdropped before about the pages upon pages of paperwork Blue had dutifully completed before takeoff. All the scans, all the extra bits of work to keep track of information-- Lime would rather avoid thinking about that, especially since it had directly led to that alien attacking Blue. So much had happened, and Blue had made up for their actions, probably.
How much of that is just to get close to you? They could still be trying to trick you. What if they got infected by a different kind of alien, and they're still going to kill you? You could be staying with a monster. Anyone can be dangerous. You saw what happened to Red. You saw everyone's bodies. Blue missed all of it and you don't even know if they're lying about what happened! You still don't have proof of their story, what if they were working with the aliens and would've killed you if you had tried to run?!
Lime curled up on their chair, trying to create their own tiny space to occupy. Tight spaces were comforting, after all. Like closets, and vents, and crawlspaces. Places other people couldn’t follow them. If it took being under the house to keep away from everyone else, then fine.
But this, stuck in an open room with just a table and a chair and nothing else? It wasn’t safe. Nothing about this felt safe. If anything, it reminded Lime of school, and that was just another dangerous place where people ignored every problem just to blame the people who were actually willing to point them out.
Just as they thought to move to a corner and hide there, maybe moving the chair and table to feel extra safe, someone else entered. It wasn’t the same representative as before, though they wore the same uniform. This one looked to already be frustrated.
“I’m not signing anything,” Lime declared immediately. “No matter what you say, I don't care.”
“No, of course you wouldn't do so that easily.” They sighed. “Lime, you've always been troublesome for MIRA. I doubt you plan to continue working for the company after this. As such, we will happily accept your resignation on only one condition.”
“Which is?” They narrowed their eyes. There had to be a catch. There absolutely had to be a catch.
“You have to sign the NDA.”
Lime grinned. “Fine then. Fire me.”
“Actually, we can't.” The representative pulled out a paper, pointing to a specific clause. “Your contract states in no uncertain terms that your employment ends in exactly ten years. Unless there's a reason that you cannot continue working for MIRA, such as the workplace accident that befell your colleague… you are still employed by MIRA. I assume those ten more years would include at least twenty more trips to deliver Ore+, if we haven't found a better source of fuel by then.”
Twenty more trips.
Lime stared at the representative as they slid a paper in front of them, followed by a pen.
Twenty more alien egg deliveries.
The pen came to a rest just by the line for their signature.
Twenty more times of fighting for their life.
I, Lime, swear to never speak to anyone (including but not limited to press, friends, family, acquaintances, strangers, employers, employees, romantic partners, unromantic partners, the void, internet forums, petmates, politicians, police, lawyers, content creators, colleagues, critics, circus acts, chefs, waiters, influencers, and myself) about the Skeld, what transpired during the voyage of the Skeld, anything stored upon the Skeld, anything that may or may not have happened on the Skeld, any creatures who were on board of all species, all casualties that may or may not have occurred on the Skeld, any fellow crewmates who traveled on the Skeld during the voyage, and any assorted details about MIRA that I may have falsely come to believe.
Twenty more crews that would likely die.
Lime rose from their chair, keeping their face down as they took the pen in hand. They pressed it to the page, lightly, then harder.
With one sudden shift of their hand, Lime broke the pen, leaving the remaining ink to soak their hand and the page underneath.
“You've got nothin’ on me,” they spat. “You don't know my government name, you don't know my age, you don't know what I know. You're all too scared of what I'm gonna do, so instead you're gonna threaten to kill me too?” Lime turned to look at the representative, who still looked as disinterested as before. “You can't stop me from telling people exactly what you did! Those crewmates are dead because of monsters like you! You can't fire me? You don't wanna accept my resignation? Then too bad! I quit. I don’t give a hoot about the contract I supposedly signed. You got nothing that'll change my mind.” They stormed their way to the door, and reached to grab the handle, about to escape, and then--
“You must've forgotten,” the representative said, colder than before. “You didn't come here alone.”
Lime froze.
…Blue. Right.
They trusted Blue. This was fine. They could trust Blue, they knew they could, so they just had to find them and make sure everything was fine on their end and they hadn’t signed away their soul to this devil of a company.
Fine. Yeah. Everything was fine.
Blue wasn't sure when their leg had become something to ogle and stare at, but apparently, the stump was just that fascinating to the resident doctor at MIRA. It really wasn't a big deal. If they were more abrasive, perhaps they would've spoken up earlier, but they never really had the heart to go against the grain if it wasn't for the good of others. Now, for instance, as the doctor eyed the end of their leg in disbelief, Blue wished they could.
“How long has it been since the loss of your limb?”
“Approximately a month. I've been using a temporary prosthetic to get around, though I've also used a cane, a wheelchair, and crutches depending on the day.”
“Hm. I would've assumed it's been only a week. Whatever prosthetic you've been using seems to be rubbing the skin off your leg, which is likely going to make things worse. I would suggest immediately ceasing use of that one and finding a proper manufacturer.”
Blue narrowed their eyes. “...As a doctor myself, and the patient to boot, I know better. The prosthetic I've been using is a state-of-the-art design created personally for me. The problem isn't the leg itself-- it's how much I use it.”
“You may be a doctor, Blue, but even you have your limits when it comes to technology. Especially if the source of that technology happens to be your colleague.” The doctor stepped back. “...Even without seeing the prosthetic, I doubt they've included enough padding--”
“Their plan was to change that today.”
“--Or the correct apparatus to attach the prosthetic to your leg.”
“It works well enough for me to walk with it.”
“Even so, I doubt it has the proper safety mechanisms.”
Blue almost laughed at the thought. Lime, forgetting safety mechanisms? Absurd. They'd sooner forget their own age. “Doctor. While I can respect your experience, I don’t think you know anything about my situation. There have been no x-rays, no scans, and no other tests. I understand I came here to talk about the events on the Skeld, but my injuries have been handled already. Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?”
“Yes. But not with me.” The doctor shook their head. “I hoped you would be willing to see some reason about this.”
“I hope that in the future, you’ll learn to take the concerns of the patient more seriously instead of attempting to change their mind about something perfectly fine.”
The doctor left Blue alone in their chair, but it was only a second before the representative from earlier returned. Blue nodded to them as they cheerfully walked in.
“Ah, hello again! How was your appointment?”
“Unnecessary. I have my next check-up scheduled with another doctor.” They sat up a bit straighter. “I would like my cane back.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t have it. I could ask my fellow employees if they’ve seen it in just a moment, but before that, I’d like to ask one little favor from you.” The representative leaned in, and they slid a paper onto the table. “Just sign this.”
Blue took a brief look at it. An NDA. Of course it was. “I am invoking my right to a lawyer,” they stated simply.
“Oh, silly Blue! That’s for the police. This is a company. The two operate completely differently. Police have to listen to regulations like that. MIRA doesn’t.” The representative laughed. “So. Sign it, and I’ll ask about your cane.”
“I refuse to sign this document without my lawyer present,” Blue said firmly.
“I really hoped for more from you,” they pouted. “Everyone looked up to you so much! I wish we could remain on good terms, but if you want to be so ornery, I guess we might have to wait a while. Are you sure your friend will be okay with that? They seemed so upset to be brought here in the first place.”
Blue didn’t respond, trying to remain perfectly calm and still. They couldn’t admit that they were worried about Lime.
“If you want, I can even check up on them. Though last I heard, they were hiding under the table…”
Blue’s heart ached at the thought. Corporate spaces were never places Lime belonged, and these rooms were interrogation rooms-- spacious enough to make them uncomfortable, but not big enough to feel like there was anywhere to run and hide. No vents, no secret spaces, not even a nice box… Goodness, Lime was probably horrified.
“Anyway, I’ll be off! Don’t worry, I’m sure this won’t take longer than a couple of hours!”
“Wait,” Blue said, and they stood, using the table to balance. They scooted the chair, hopping a bit to move closer to the MIRA representative, and gave their best charming look.
And then, as the representative blushed, Blue took a deep breath.
“LIME! I’m in here!” they shouted. “I’m ready to leave!”
Even though the representative slammed the door in their face, Blue didn’t think of themself. The moment it opened again, they almost collapsed into Lime’s face, pulling them into a hug without any thought for anything else.
“I was so worried about you,” they said softly. “I’m happy you’re here.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Lime mumbled, drawing back. “...Later, okay? We gotta get out. We can deal with the rest later.”
Even without the cane, Blue still walked by Lime’s side with them as their support. Not even MIRA could stop them. Sure, there was the surveillance, and the NDA terms, and the fact they’d just lost their good cane--
But Lime was right. They could deal with the rest later.