Chapter Text
I'm falling.
That's the first thing that registers in Green's mind, their senses thrown off by the gradually increasing slant of the room contrasting with the direction of gravity. The thought repeats itself over and over with increasing panic as Green tumbles screaming towards the giant astroid-induced crack in the hull that pulls them forward.
I'm falling I'm falling I'm FALLING!
Familiar figures tumble around Green. Giant crates slide unnaturally across the floor. Black rocks tumbles and spill towards the tear in reality, sucking them in like a black hole. Green sees a flash of orange as they fall head-first across the room.
Something hits them in the side, hard enough to penetrate skin. Green hardly notices the intense pain, but the cold mind-numbing chill that rapidly spreads through their body is hard to ignore. Green squeezes their eyes shut and continues to scream, awaiting the inevitable. Soon the unnatural cold engulfs even the pain until they feel nothing.
The sense of falling remains.
They are vaguely aware of the shouts of their fellow crew mates. Something about balls? It doesn't matter. They're still FALLING.
"Dump those balls!"
"It's too heavy!"
Their ears are ringing. The voices are muffled, distant, although they still recognize them as Orange and Blue. It sounded like they needed help. Green wished they could help. But Green is sure they've been sucked out into the cold vacuum of space by now and are awaiting death. They dare not open their eyes now.
A rush of sounds. Something like a million balloons popping. The swooshing leak of air silences itself.
But Green is still falling. Somehow. That's a long way to fall for still being alive. Surely the cold of space would have killed them by now.
Green ventures to look. The familiar view of the cargo hold welcomes them. Well… I mean, as familiar as having only seen it one time before can be. They peer across at the torn hull and find that it has been sealed up with-
"Oh! Trust balls!" Green cries with delight. "What a brilliantly convenient and friendship-y solution!"
Green still feels like they're falling. Or… Floating might be the better word? But that's probably just the adrenaline, right? They aren't really sure how spaceships work, maybe the gravity got sucked out!
The sound of cheering. Green turns to see his newfound crewmates sharing a big group hug, and patting each other on the back. Green rushes to join them, but their legs feel weird and they are slow.
"Wow." Blue is saying. "You've all done really well. I'm so impressed by your teamwork today. You've made me proud."
"What good luck everyone is okay!" Green cries as they approach the smiling group from behind. They can especially make out Orange and White in the back, grinning from ear to ear.
"Okay?" Orange says. "How is THIS okay?!"
"Oh, are you not okay Orange? I'm sorry I-"
Green falters. Red is speaking now, repeating whatever Blue had said more awkwardly. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that Orange's voice had come from BEHIND Green.
Which was odd, because Green was LOOKING at Orange's back, and… They weren't saying anything.
"O- Orange…?"
Green is afraid to turn around. The thought comes into their mind that the cold they thought had been the vacuum of space is still engulfing them, such that they can barely feel their own body. This isn't normal. Something isn't right. Something isn't…
They have to look.
Slowly, Green turns around.
Orange floats ethereally at the other end of the room, smoothing out the space where their legs should have been in a frenzied panic.
"This is a disaster! A catastrophe! A- A… Fashion Failure!"
Orange puts their hands on their hips and rotates them expressively with their words. "How am I supposed to 'dress to impress' for dinner WHEN I DON'T HAVE LEGS???"
Green backs up, panic rising as they begin hyper-ventilating. Only, they can't feel their own breath anymore. Nor, indeed, anything really. It's the ghost of a sensation of the panic attacks they used to get when they were younger.
"Ghost…"
Green looks down at their hands, watching as the familiar fingers raise up shakily. They are floating above the floor. Their legs are gone. Their hands are…
Green looks up at Orange, meeting their eyes as they realize something. Orange blinks ignorantly.
Green whirls around again, watching as the group of crewmates walks out of the cargo hold, ignorant of the two they are leaving behind.
"W-wait!" Green shouts, trying to follow them. "Guys, it's me! Over here!"
One lone crewmate halts. The rest exit the room. Green stops in their tracks as a chill runs up their non-existent spine.
The crewmate turns and peers back. Green catches their breath as they find themselves staring into their own face.
But… it's not them. And the thing in their body isn't looking at them either. It's looking THROUGH them.
"Don't worry." The thing says in Green's voice. "This shouldn't take too long."
Green can only watch in horror as the thing wearing their skin walks out the door and slams it behind them.
"Woah." Orange remarks from Green's side. "Metal."