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Seeing the familiar landscapes of Industria weren’t nice, the clouds that threatened to bring a storm didn’t quite help with the uneasiness that came with coming back to the planet. Having to deal with two imposters and all their friends being dead wasn’t pleasant. Well, Purple wasn’t sure they could call all of them friends, but Cyan was one they could sure of to say the least. With everyone other than themselves dead, Red and Purple were bound to get some sort of punishment from the higher ups.
Crack, Purple jumped at the sound of the lighting as it struck, luckily it wasn’t their ship that was hit. But it was still a bit of a scare.
“Hey Purps, you seem a bit jumpy?” Red commented, looking back at their friend who was probably staring into the void at the moment. “Look, whatever we do we stick together. I promise you that.”
“I know that, I’m just… worried,” Purple said, fidgeting with their fingers as they saw the familiar building that was MIRA HQ. “Worried that they will tear us apart by force somehow, ever heard about- never mind, you wouldn’t know about them…”
“Purps, you can tell me anything,” Red said, keeping their focus on Purple rather than the sky in front of them. “I promise I won’t let anyone else know if it's something that you don’t want other crewmates to know.”
“Look… I’m going to visit some of my family and friends once we get there,” Purple admitted, thinking of their parent Indigo. “I just need you to promise me you won’t attack any of them or accuse them of anything, okay? Or assume things about because of what they have become.”
“Weird way to phrase it, but I promise I won’t do any of that,” Red said with a smile before looking back in front of them and preparing to land. “You might want to hold onto something Purps, I’m going to assume this is going to be a bit of a rougher landing than normal.”
Purple held onto the chair they were sitting in, the landing was indeed rough, but nothing they couldn’t handle. Though they were shaken, but not from the ship. But with the ghosts it most likely held now thanks to the massacre that happened on it. How were they going to explain what happened when the rest of the crew were dead?
Arriving back at MIRA HQ wasn’t pleasant to say the least, there was a constant paranoia that Red would sign another NDA and make it so that they couldn’t get another job outside the company and essentially be forced to work for it or to turn to their family and possibly endanger them.
But landing in the all too familiar headquarters, it felt different... Like someone close to someone had died and the very walls were in mourning. Well, that did track with what they both knew about MIRA, Purple wasn’t all too confused by that part one bit. After all, they had been transporting alien parasite eggs for god knows how long. But this felt different from that, like a sense of dread that their world was going to be shattered again. It made Purple sick, but they hid it so as to not worry Red.
It didn't help that their family had been turned by the last species they tried to turn into fuel when they were just a baby. At least that time they were still there. Maybe they should check in with Indigo and good old gran-gran Dark Slate Blue, it had been a while since they last spoke, and comms were broken. Of course, there would be the problem of Red following them and ending up hurt due to the general hostility the imposters in the hideout had to crewmates. But it wouldn’t be that hard to just slip away, right?
No, they couldn’t let MIRA separate them while they simply visited family, they knew that already. But that would put Red’s life in even more danger and get an even bigger target on their back.
Landing, no one came, and Purple knew why. They were supposed to be dead, it would be useless to spend resources on a ghost ship after all. Which was actually perfect for Purple as the two stepped off the ship.
“Strange, normally people would come here to greet us, would they not?” Red asked, as if it weren’t obvious enough. “Wait… they probably thought we died after our comms went out… Well, guess we can just use my good old keycard and walk right to them to tell them what happened and get compensation!”
Opening the front door leads to a decrepit looking room. Normally it would be done all fancily to make sure the illusion of perfection was kept up. Just by the way that Red reacted was telling enough that this was their first time seeing it like this. And they wouldn’t blame them, MIRA was always good at covering things up after all.
“I got another idea, but you have to trust me, okay?” Purple said, dragging the captain to a vending machine and picking gran-gran’s favourite drink. It had plenty of nutrients and tasted delicious. “You promise not to drink this until I say you can? We might need this for later, well, more like you might need this for later.”
“Does this look like something I’d like? This looks like a drink someone's grandparents would like!” Red said, looking at the juicebox. It had an almond on the packaging that was blue, red, and white. “I promise not to drink it until you tell me to, because you seem to care so much about it.”
“How do you feel about running for your life?” Purple asked, guiding Red away from the vending and to a hole in the floor that led into darkness.
“Not a big fan of it,” Red said, peering into the hole with curiosity. “Why do you ask?”
“My family aren’t very fond of newcomers, well, besides my Gran-gran,” Purple said, jumping into the hole and waiting for Red. “Are you coming or what? It’ll be safer down here than up there!”
“Isn’t that level restricted to only higher ups?” Red asked anxiously before looking behind them and sighing. “You know why that is, don’t you?”
“If I had a nickel for every time MIRA used alien parasites as fuel, I’d have two,” Purple said, which made Red rather shocked. “Don’t worry, these parasites only turn crewmates into imposters, don’t kill them. Though they might be a bit more hostile to MIRA workers like yourself. They were all once workers of MIRA, oblivious to the parasites that were being used like us.”
“Are you sure it's safe?” Red asked.
“As long as you stick to my side, it should be,” Purple answered honestly before hearing a thud and seeing Red down there with them. “Finally got the courage to come along captain? Also, I suggest not commenting on anyone’s looks.”
“Uh, why?”
“Could be the death of you,” Purple said, taking Red’s hand as they began to look for one of the many familiar faces that filled the halls. “Just don’t make fun of or point it out. It's normal down here to not look like either of us and to look like us.”
Red fell silent after that, staying close behind Purple as they ventured through the hallways without hiding. Red was probably scared out of their mind of some imposter jumping out and killing them, which wouldn’t happen on Purple watch. And they doubted they would want to mess with Indigo’s kid.
The walls all looked the same, they whispered their stories the same as well. The sounds of past ghosts filled them, the halls that were once filled to the brim with innocent crewmates living their lives now only a husk of what it once was. Hundreds of lives flipped upside down in one accident, one that had been so perfectly covered up by MIRA that no one even knew of the old fuel source besides those who were victims of it and higher ups. Red was probably going to learn about it one way or another.
Purple paused, listening in for anybody who may be wandering the same halls as them. To be fair, they didn’t know this part of the building, seeing as how only so few were allowed this far out in fear of someone getting hurt. It had happened before after all, that's why you had to go in a hoard to be this high up, it just wasn’t safe to be alone up here, let alone in a group below a hundred in numbers.
A familiar set of footprints was heard from behind them, Purple turned to face the two. They looked like they were in complete and utter shock at their existence, it was like they saw a ghost.
The once whole crewmate turned into two cyborg imposters stood in front of them now after Purple turned to face them. The two looked like they were about to cry at the sight of Purple. Blue Eye and Red Eye, renamed after the colour of the visor on their respective robotic halves so as to not refer to them as one singular entity like they used to be. Their claws weren’t bared like they normally were, which made sense for the current situation.
The sounds of something mechanical hummed in the air, and they knew where it was coming from. Purple took a step closer to them, in which Red gripped their hand tighter in an attempt to stop their approach to the two imposters. Clear panic was in the captains body language, but they did their best not to show it,
Blue Eye was the first one to run up to Purple, bringing them into a tight embrace, Red Eye soon followed as well. That's where they let their tears flood out as they held Purple like letting go meant they would disappear forever.
“Please don’t me this is a dream,” Red eye said through the sobbing, which caught Purple off guard. They could feel the cyborgs pinch themselves to prove they were awake. “We thought you were dead…”
“Dead like the whole version of ourselves,” Blue Eye added, wiping a tear from their face. “Dead l-like your twin…”
Purple froze at that moment, taking a moment to process what they said.
No… no they can’t be dead, they had everything they wanted after all… what happened..? Purple began to cry with them. They knew how to defend themself, they knew how to fight. They were a good fucking imposter dammit.
“Is this a bad time to ask why you didn’t tell me you had a twin of all things? I understand we just had a near death experience… but… I feel like that's important information?” Red said, very awkwardly, kinda ruining the moment. The two cyborg imposters now looked at the captain. “Look… I just want to know more about what's going on with MIRA, I just saw a lot of my friends die, and I just learned quite recently that it wasn’t the first alien species that MIRA has used as a fuel source!”
“Wait… MIRA found another species to turn into fuel?” The cyborg imposters said at the same time. Purple was lifted into Blue Eye’s arm and carried like a sack of grapes, Red Eye did the same for Red.
“I-us, I never caught you two’s names..? He, he…” Red said nervously as they tried to wiggle free of Red Eye’s arm to no avail, Red then got a glare from the cyborg imposter for trying to wiggle free, which did stop Red. “You don’t have to share it with me..?”
“I’m Red Eye, that's Blue Eye,” The cyborg said, pointing to their other half. “We used to be one crewmate, but MIRA turned us into these… things.”
“We suggest you start talking less, we don’t want none of them MIRA scientists finding us,” Blue Eye said, treating MIRA as, which didn’t surprise Purple one bit. “After all, they are the reason we aren’t whole…”
Red looked at the two, it was hard to believe that the two weren’t twins when you first met them. Of course, now they just called themselves that because they hadn’t been one single entity for years. The last time they were whole was before Purple was born, and they were an adult!
“I’m sure Indigo and Dark Slate Blue will be more than happy to see you, little fish,” Blue said again after a moment, trying to cheer them up.
“Oh stop it with that nickname!” Purple playfully shoved the cyborg that held them, which only made them laugh at the reaction Purple had to the old nickname. “Just because I’m a good swimmer-”
“I don’t have enough fingers on either of three bodies I’ve had in my life to count the amount of times you’ve scared the ever living shit out of us because we thought you were drowning,” Red Eye deadpanned, which made Red have a very concerned and even more confused expression. “You are such a water baby when you were a little mini crewmate, we had to deal with your little temper tantrums whenever we brought you out of the water. They were quite cute, but so troublesome as well.”
“Purps and temper tantrums in the same sentence? Never thought those two things could be in the same sentence,” Red said, quite surprised to learn what Purple was like before they met at their internship. “You never struck me as the type to be one of those kids to be honest.”
“Oh we are so showing them little fish’s baby photos with Indigo and Dark Slate Blue after we discuss about the new parasite fuel source,” Blue Eye said with a snicker as they put the two on their own feet again. “Looks like we found a hoard to join into, we recommend you grab onto someone if you're unfamiliar with being in a hoard.’
Red immediately clung to Purple as a large group of imposters walked by. They were a plethora of colours, it would be easy to lose someone you know in a crowd like that. At least, if you weren’t familiar with all their faces that is.
The three people familiar with the place jumped right in, Purple had to drag Red in with them as they held on like their life depended on it. It most definitely did, but that wasn’t the point. Hoards were always a blast, you always got some trinkets, some food, even some newer imposters! It was rare to see crewmates interact with a hoard outside of being chased by them, but they were sure that anyone would love to join one. Well, there would probably be a few crewmates who didn’t like the idea, but that was fine.
…
Red wasn’t sure what they were looking at. The large imposing figure in front of them, that being Indigo, was scolding Purple and the two cyborgs for joining a hoard without coming to them first. It was honestly quite weird for Red, seeing as they were left out of the conversation as they were an unwilling participant.
“So, you're the Red my child has talked about,” Indigo said, they were quite tall… taller than any crewmate or imposter they’ve seen. “Its nice to finally meet you, though I doubt that feeling is mutual as I’m and imposter and your a crewmate.”
“I mean, I have nothing against you..?” Red said, feeling quite nervous in the presence of someone so tall, they didn’t know what to say to Purple’s parent! “Purps here is amazing and has helped me learn to take accountability for my own actions, I could only assume they learned it from someone else.”
“Its a skill every competent leader has to know unless they wish to make everyone else under their leadership fall,” Indigo said, which proved their point of complementing both Purple and their parent in one go. “Though I am glad you saw your flaws and how to better yourself, captain for the sake of your team.”
“They're kind of dead, thanks to a new parasite that MIRA is using as a fuel source,” Purps said, which made Red feel really guilty. “I made a friend there… they were then killed by someone I thought I could trust… Turns out the parasite killed the real guy and took their place. It did the same thing to another person as well.”
“I’m going to assume you're going to need to recover from that event, so why don’t you head on over to your gran-gran? I’m sure those two have already told you about your twin’s death…” Indigo looked away from Purps as they looked at the ground. The air was heavy with grief, and Red could see just how tragic it must have been to lose such a close family member. “Also, did you bring gran-gran’s favourite drink with you? I haven’t been able to get my hands on it anywhere.”
“I have some,” Red said, pulling it out of their backpack. “Purps gave it to me earlier to hold onto.”
“Well then, that answers my question, if you need anything you know where to little Purple,” Indigo said, turning back to do some more work with the other imposters in the area. “Oh, and before I forget, don’t forget to not touch any black parasites with red eyes unless you want to be turned into one of us. I know how much you crewmates hate the idea of that happening to ya.”
Being brought out of the room as what looked like thousands of imposters began to enter and crowd the area. Red relied on Purps as a guide once again, Purps grew up here so of course they would know their way around. They just felt like they weren’t meant to be here… It would be funny to say they felt like an imposter after all they had gone through together, but it was true. They felt like an imposter in that environment.
All Red could hope to do was help Purps get over the loss of their twin, who had to be close to Purps to have such a reaction from them. It was a whole body reaction, and they didn’t blame them. They had just lost so many people, just to learn they lost another. Red would be there for Purps, and they had no doubt their family would be there for them too.