Chapter Text
Excerpt from Medical Log 17.4.0
Today is the start of the Skeld’s voyage. The last two crewmates are on board, and all medical records have been accounted for and properly notarized. All prior conditions have been registered. (Excluding the things Orange insists are prior conditions. No, needing to breathe should not excuse the company from liability if the ore is broken and releases toxic fumes. That's absurd.) As well, I have finally managed to document a vague amount of detail about that crewmate I was curious about, as they visited yesterday to ask me about my thoughts on an afterlife (while I finally managed to bandage that cut of theirs-- it's been looking worse by the day, and I feared it could lead to infection, but they have made sure to wash it.) As such, I believe I have everything properly prepared for this trip.
Now, I am aware these logs will remain confidential unless required. As such, I would like to use this space to document my thoughts on my encounter with said crewmate yesterday.
I really do wish that Lime would visit more often. Cyan stated that Lime doesn't appear to fall into the typical expectations of a Pisces, instead seeming more like an Aquarius, since they are fiercely independent and have an appreciation for art, which I wouldn't have anticipated. I wonder if they make any of their own? Would it be overstepping to ask them? I'd hate to make them uncomfortable, after all. It could be a way to…
Lime knew that the ship's walls were weak, but no one ever listened to Lime. They were used to that. Sure, they’d set up a few patches already, and they’d had to entirely block off the dormitories because the company hadn’t bothered to actually bolt the beds down (or maybe leprechauns had stolen the bolts, because they had places to bolt the beds, but they just weren’t attached). By the time Green and White got on, three of the beds had wrecked into the wall and disappeared into space, taking a good chunk of Red and Black’s things. It was sheer luck that meant that Yellow and Brown had decided to share their room instead of Yellow using the third one, but either way, it wasn't like any of them could use that part of the ship anymore. At least they had sleeping bags to use instead, since most of them would be sleeping in whatever room they found most comfortable, and Lime doubted anywhere on a rust bucket like this could be comfortable, contrary to Orange’s corporate prattle about imagining it as a sleepover with the work family.
Lime preferred to see it as a good excuse to sleep in the vents, where no one else would bother them. Without any exterior walls to worry about, the vents were one of the safest places on the whole ship. Well, it was that, maybe the reactor, security, and… medbay.
On the other hand, seeing a giant gaping hole in the wall of Storage was about as shocking as finding a fly in their tea (Which they obviously grew themself, since everybody knows there’s microscopic trackers in that store-bought junk) and maybe a tad more disappointing, since it’d take just a bit longer to fix.
They were about to say something, just in time to see Purple skidding across the space, torn from their footing by the air. Lime wasn’t one for swearing, but maybe they would’ve tried it if the rest of the crew wasn’t yelling. That was when they too began to tumble forward, past Black and directly into one of the crates with a grunt. They tried to climb back up, but the tiny grooves in the floor were nowhere near enough to get a grip.
“Geez, fine, I’ll help,” the white guy from earlier complained as they arrived, fixing their collar just in time to fly across the room and directly into Lime, smashing their head against the crate.
“White!” Orange exclaimed. (So that was their name.) Lime barely managed to shove White off their face when something pink flew across the room.
…Wait, pink? There was nothing pink on the Skeld. They knew ships like this and how they worked, there was nothing pink except Cyan’s clothes, and the noise it made was nothing like flowers or a shirt. There was so much moving, so much going on, and the rushing sound of air escaping the ship made it impossible to hear anything. Lime turned their head, finding the pink thing, just in time for it to crawl.
An alien. It had to be. It was some sort of goop creature, a monster too small to slaughter but big enough to suffocate, and it lunged for White’s mouth, forcing its way into their body. White didn’t even fight.
Blue was yelling something, trying to fix the problem most likely, but Lime couldn’t make out a word. A hunk of ore smashed beside them, cracking open to reveal another monster.
“The ore is eggs!” they exclaimed, but no one was listening. They were all yelling something else. Lime tried to shove White aside, tried to move out of the way, but the alien was already too near. It lunged for them, and Lime closed their eyes, gritting their teeth to keep their mouth from opening.
Yet… the parasite still found a way in. Their head had been split open on the crate, and it didn’t take any time for the parasite to slip in and stitch the wound shut. Lime couldn’t breathe at all.
Just like that, as they opened their eyes, the suction had stopped. White stood, approaching the others, while Lime only lay there, terrified.
Was Blue talking? Was anyone? They could only stare at the wall, trembling.
No. I… I can’t let it take over. I can’t let it win. I won’t. I WON’T.
“W-wait!” Lime exclaimed, finding their voice and finding themself as they stumbled to their feet. Something was pressing against their thoughts, a vice gripping their tongue, but they still spoke. “There-- something--”
Why couldn’t they get the words out? “There’s an alien parasite that infected me and White.” Simple as that. Yet even trying to speak those words fell flat, disintegrating like salt in holy water before they could spit it out.
“It-- I need-- They-- Wh--”
“Lime, c’mon. Sure, it’s unconventional, but it’ll hold. Right, Orange?” Red asked, looking at the other crewmate. Though they had less knowledge about the way a ship’s wall worked than even Red, Orange still nodded.
“Of course! Besides, any methods to fix this wall that could possibly damage the Ore+ would be out of the question. Unless you can come up with something miraculous, why, this is likely the safest option we have at the moment. Though the damages will be coming out of your paycheck, White.”
“Hey, that means I’m being paid!” White cheerfully said. “This contest win is getting better by the minute!”
Lime glared at them. How could White look so cheerful after everything? Didn’t they feel it too? Weren’t they just as terrified? Lime’s body felt like it was on fire, and they couldn’t stop shaking, so how come this was all so normal to White?! Were they even aware of it? Or was White not even a crewmate before this all began?
“Anyway! Great job everyone, like I totally said, because I’m the captain. I think we should celebrate. Yellow, Brown-- Make your best pizza. We’re having a party!”
There were cheers, cheers that Lime couldn’t replicate, and then Yellow and Brown hurried away to the kitchen. As the rest of the crew dispersed, happy to believe everything was fine again, Lime just leaned against the nearest crate.
“Hey, White, wait,” the new intern said, hanging back. Lime watched silently, keeping an eye on them both. Whatever that parasite wanted, this could be the perfect time to act. The intern was isolated. No one knew them. They were weak, and sweet, and…
“What's up, Green?” White asked. Lime tucked that name away for later. “If this is about my awesome piloting skills, then you can tell me all about it at the party. I'm sure the rest of the crew would be happy to hear.”
“No, it's not-- I mean, it sort of is, but I actually wanted to talk to you about it really quick. I was… I really hoped I would get a turn on the controls too, White.” Green looked at their crewmate, unaware that they were looking at a walking corpse. Lime wanted to tackle them before they could get hurt. To scare them out of storage before breaking the ball barrier and throwing both themself and White into the nothingness of space.
Maybe the others would understand. Maybe…
No, they wouldn't. They'd never listen to Lime.
“That's what's bothering you? I thought you were going to tell me you lost one of your worms in my suitcase.”
“We got suitcases?” Green asked softly.
“We probably did. I just need to find where they put mine.” White chuckled. “But hey, there's someone who can do that for me! I'll just be heading out. I've got plenty of party planning to do, like figuring out who's actually fun. The doctor seems hot enough.”
“Blue,” Lime corrected, making both others jump. “Their name is Blue. Get it right.”
“Oh, hi, Lime. I thought you'd left with everyone else,” Green said. White shot Lime a glare before their gaze softened, just in time for Green to turn back. “Anyway, I should go find your suitcase! That's what friends do, right, buddy?”
Before White could answer, Green jogged off, leaving the two infected alone. Lime didn't bother staying long. Instead, they ducked into the nearest vent, and escaped before White could try cornering them next.
What were they supposed to do now? Everything they knew said that the aliens would kill them, not infect them-- it had to be making Lime a host, a skinsuit that it could rip off at will and devour the entire crew. There was nothing about how to prevent yourself from falling to a parasite like that-- all the forums talked about was how the government and companies like MIRA almost certainly knew about aliens being real, but kept it quiet to avoid letting the public know how to take down the big boss. That was the only explanation for why they'd hide it-- to protect their skin and their bottom line.
On their own, with no way to reach the forums or talk to like-minded people, Lime was stuck in the worst-case scenario: they had to figure out how to prevent the parasite from gaining total control and prevent White’s possessed husk from doing what all aliens wanted to do.
The thought made Lime's stomach turn. If they didn't find answers, then how long would it take before they were just the same as any other alien, killing indiscriminately all for nothing but a deranged, twisted enjoyment? How long before they would be a danger to the crew? Was it even safe now, or would their determination fail? If they were around the others, maybe they’d be just as dangerous as any other alien, but if they were to spend their time alone, everyone would jump to blame them. It was lose-lose. All they could do was try to stay in sight but not close. Probably doable. Just another thing to add to the list.
…Everyone else was likely already at the cafeteria. Lime crawled through the vents, finding their way with only a few missed turns, and they clambered out into the cafeteria to find Green only just sitting down. They spotted Lime and waved, running over with a smile.
“Wow, are the vents really that fast? I heard you get in back at Storage, but I didn't know it was that quick. Maybe I should try…?”
“Eh, depends. If you're lucky, yeah, but if not, you'll get a million cuts and still get lost. So don't go in the vents.”
“Oh. I… guess that makes sense. Maybe I should ask Purple about a vent map soon?”
“Not unless you’re willing to deal with real tight corners and whatever rusty metal this ship’s made of.”
Green fell silent at that. Lime, satisfied that they had won the argument and successfully avoided being out of eyesight for too long, finally got out of the vent, checking on the rest of the crew from a distance. Green quickly left them alone, likely off to keep searching for White’s suitcase, and Lime searched for who was and wasn’t there. Cyan, Purple, White, Red, Blue and now Green again. Yellow and Brown were with each other in the kitchen, Black had already set up at a table with a pair of headphones on, and Orange…
Well, it was lucky for Orange that Lime was watching them as they entered, because otherwise their approach would've led them to punch the HR rep. Though that was never really off the table, they held their hands clasped behind them as they sighed.
“What d’you want now, Orange?”
“Lime! It’s so good to see you, you’re just who I wanted to talk to!”
“No, I’m not. You’re here to lecture me about something. Skip to it already.”
“Well, yes, but we’re all part of the MIRA family, Lime. I really wish we didn’t have to argue like this.” Orange put a hand on Lime’s shoulder, and they immediately pushed it off. “After all, our lovely contest winner has told me you made them deeply uncomfortable with your rudeness.”
“Bah. Who cares?”
“They’re the offspring of two very important donors to MIRA, Lime. I’m sure you understand how much this means to me and the company.”
Lime would’ve rolled their eyes if it weren’t useless. Talking to Orange was always a headache with all the corporate talk, but with another, way bigger headache, it was a nightmare. They were still yammering on while Lime was focusing on the others around. Cyan had arrived, carrying their creepy dreamsnatching journal with them as they talked to Blue with pure admiration in their eyes. Right, they should be focusing. Orange was probably almost done with their lecture by now.
“So, I hope that you can apologize to White for how you acted!” they finished, cheerfully.
“Green was there too,” Lime muttered. “Nothing about them, huh?”
“Well-- I mean--” Orange sputtered, before turning around, looking for a way to avoid the question. “Hello, Blue!”
“Orange. Thank you again for your sacrifice in the storage room; I understand that your trust balls mean a lot to you.” Blue gave them a look, and even Black looked up for a moment. It wasn’t like many folks wouldn’t listen when Blue talked.
So if I managed to get Blue to listen, they could tell the rest of the ship what’s going on, and then we could stop it before anyone has to die!
…the problem was obvious. Lime. With Blue. Yeah, getting a chance to talk to Blue and get them to listen was less likely than Orange understanding the gremlin problem, seeing Cyan angry, or getting Yellow or Brown to say one negative thing about the other. If they couldn’t say it before, then how could they say it now? They doubted even Blue would believe them, and they were usually willing to listen.
Even though they stuck by the sidelines, watching as people came in, Lime didn’t make any effort to talk to Blue. Nor did they try to talk to Red when they finally returned. Sure, Red could say something to the others, but it wasn’t like Red ever listened to anyone. Over the last few days, Lime had seen enough to learn a few things: Red was a bad leader, they liked video games, and they were intensely busy trying to talk to Purple and get their attention.
Speaking of Purple, they entered in a huff, giving Red as much space as possible by instead choosing to talk to Lime. “Hey, uh, anything new in the vents today?”
“Nothin’ but me and the gremlins. Found a few beans though.” Lime looked in their pockets. “And a pen cap.”
“...Honestly, I kind of hoped someone would’ve dropped something interesting, but I guess it’s too early for that.” Purple sighed. “I… Your turn to come up with a conversation topic. Anything so we look busy.”
Lime almost laughed. Almost. There was too much to say, but if they could, then Purple was the only one who could get through to Red.
“White--” they started, trying again to say it, but no words came out. Lime grumbled, rubbing their head. “...Can’t even say what I’m tryin’ to. White and I. It… We were in Storage.”
“Did they… do something?” Purple asked, softening their voice and face. “Are you okay?”
“Not yet,” Lime managed. “And I’m--”
“Pizza’s ready!” Yellow yelled. “Come and get it!”
“...Maybe pizza will help?” Purple suggested. Lime only shrugged.
Just as the pizza came out, Green entered, looking around in confusion. “Has anyone seen White? I have to tell them I couldn’t find their suitcase.”
“Ugh, seriously? We already lost them?” Purple grumbled. “Fine. I’ll go look at the cameras to see if I can find them. They’re probably already causing another mess…” They walked away.
“And I’ll go,” Red jumped in. “Because I’m the captain. Green, you can come with me and see how it’s done.”
“Really? Awesome!” they cheered.
“Alright. Everyone else, you can either stay here or help.” Red started walking. It was quiet for just a second before Black stood.
“I’m going to make sure they aren’t messing with my stuff either.”
“That’s a great idea! We should all make sure White isn’t where we usually work; then they can come back and enjoy the pizza before it’s cold.” Orange cheerfully replied. Black grumbled, and walked out, avoiding their gaze. Cyan hurried after them, and Blue left to check in medbay while Orange jogged off in another direction to check places most people didn’t work. Lime reluctantly followed Blue, fully aware that it was likely their job to check the reactor room. As they rounded the corner, a flash of movement at the other end of the hall distracted them, but it was going in the opposite direction, so they brushed it off. It only took a minute once they got there, looking each way before turning around to return to medbay.
They only took an instant to look at security, too. The door was closed. Most likely, Purple’s attempt to keep Red out. Lime didn’t know if it had worked, but they didn’t bother knocking to check. It was probably safer in there than outside, with White out here. Instead, Lime once more returned to the cafeteria.
“Checked reactor. Nothing.”
“Nothing in medbay, either,” Blue added.
“Or storage. Except for some broken ore. I’ll handle it after pizza, just don’t tell Orange.” Black took a few slices.
“The energy is all off,” Cyan sighed. “We’ll have to do our best to fix it.”
“As I said, I’ll handle it.” Black walked off to a table. Blue followed them, leaving Cyan with Lime.
“I hope Blue can help them. Their aura is so dark lately… I know there’s something wrong, but I can’t figure out what it is.” They looked at Lime, then the floor. “...sorry, you… probably don’t want to hear it.”
For an instant, Lime nearly just grabbed their own pizza slice and ducked back into the vent. However, looking at Cyan… They knew that look. The rejection, the worry, the fear that no one would understand or listen…
They couldn’t just leave. Not now.
“Nah, I getcha, kid.” Lime patted Cyan’s back. “Let’s just get some pizza. You can tell me about it. Any of those gems of yours good for protection?”
Just saying that made their whole face light up.
“Yep! Black tourmaline is the usual choice, but there’s also quartz. You have to be more intentional with quartz, though. I’ve been keeping some moonstone on me since it’s a long trip, and a lot of gems have some sort of protective property, but if it’s you… I think I know just what would help!” They cheerfully ran to a table, and Lime picked up a plate for each of them. As soon as Cyan reached a table, they were already opening their chest of gems, separated by color and meaning. Lime frankly found it a little overwhelming, but metals and rocks were respectable things-- things they could trust. Rocks didn’t turn their backs, and gems were just fancy rocks, while metals were strong rocks. Simple as that.
“Here you go!” Cyan proclaimed, extending their hands to Lime. Within them sat a small circular gem, perfect for a necklace or bracelet. “This is peridot. It’s perfect for warding away evil spirits and nightmares, and you just need to carry it with you. It chips a bit easily, but it’s really good for spiritual growth too-- Like you said, you’re a minister, so that’s probably important too, right?”
As it tumbled into their hands, Lime stared at it. The gem was nice to look at-- a light green, brighter than most liked, but still nice. Sure, it had a couple scratches, but who didn’t? Most of all, looking at it in their hands, Lime could tell how much thought Cyan had put into their selection-- it was the same shade as them.
Barely anything was that shade. A few leaves, but their color always faded before long. Unripe fruit, cacti, frogmates, algae, things that were widely disliked or seen as gross. But here, in their hands, was something viewed as good. A protective charm.
“Uh-oh… Lime? Are you okay?” Cyan asked, nervously. They reached into their front pocket, quickly emptying it of anything unimportant-- pen cap, fuzz, string, zip tie tied too tight to fix, mint, piece of trash. Finally, they set the peridot inside, patting it lightly.
“...Hope it works,” they said, their voice breaking.
“Oh! I hope that isn’t bad crying.”
“It… It isn’t,” Lime said, shaking their head. “I just expected to have to do something for you first, or something. I’m just not used to… this.”
“Aw. Well… if you ever need someone there, Lime… I’m here.”
“You’re…” Lime turned away. They wanted to say something smart. To thank them, to look friendly, to…
Instead, they just took a slice of pizza and stared at it. The pizza had no answers. It didn’t even have pepperoni. At least they could try to say something important.
“You gotta stay away from--”
“We found them!” Orange exclaimed, returning triumphantly. Lime turned, scanning the room. Now Orange and White were back, while Red sat with their own slice of pizza, picking at it like a kid who’d just been refused candy.
Lime finally managed to eat their pizza slice, just in time for the other two to arrive together. Green looked nauseous, while Purple was stumbling, barely able to remain upright.
“Purps? Green?” Red asked, immediately jumping up and running to greet them. “You two look awful; what happened?”
“It-- It’s Purps, they-- They--” Green stammered. They let go of Purple for only a second, but that second was long enough.
Purple’s head fell from their shoulders, rolled, and stopped at Red’s feet.