Work Text:
ALARMS BLARING
CONTROLS SHAKING
"Computer says you’re too tight."
"-NAH, I GOT THIS!!"
GRAVITAL ANOMALY TEARING AT MY CONTROLS
"Crossing the Straits. Shutting it down, Cooper."
"- EMERGENCY -"
"Shutting it all down."
"-NO, I NEED POWER UP!!"
DIRELY DRAWING OXYGEN THROUGH THE HISS OF MY MASK
"- EJECT -"
IT IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH
"NO!"
"- EMERGENCY - EJECT -"
IT IS LOUD
"NO GODDAMN IT, NO!!!!!!"
IT IS VIOLENT
"- EJECTING - EJECTING -"
WATCH IT ALL BURN AS I FALL AND FALL AND FALL AND
"NHAAAAAAAAA-"
#######
"Coop. Wake up."
It's TARS' duty to ensure crew safety. Health. Well-being.
"Ngh-"
"Cooper."
No response. The human thrashes and transpires profusely, hissing and growling in its sheets.
It's TARS' nature to assist. It is its programming to set its crew at ease.
And Cooper's heart rate had raised way beyond acceptable levels.
"Nh.. No.. Nonono…nghaa..!"
Calculating helplessly, TARS hesitantly reaches a tactile appendage towards Cooper's thrashing form, but refrains from applying pressure, the human's movements too unpredictable to prevent potentially hurting him.
[increasing volume to 85%.]
"COOPER!!"
"-NNHAAAAaHh-!!" The traumatized pilot bolts upright, briefly screaming like the day he soared unwillingly and watched his jet explode into flames somewhere way beneath him. Blind and frantic gasping between the realms of sleep and reality.
"Cooper, hey, you're okay," TARS calls out at default volume, bringing the appendage to Cooper's chest in an attempt to ground the distraught man. Wide eyes meet its lens in the dim dark.
"...It's okay, Coop. You're safe."
"-Nghk- F-..fuck, I-" Cooper chokes out, breathing irregularly with strain.
"Easy there, Captain. Eaaasy."
Finally, the gentle sounds of nature reach Cooper's ears - the earthly noises of chirping and splashing pouring softly through TARS' crunchy speakers.
"Breathe, Cooper," the angular device gently instructs.
Taken aback by TARS being the one to wake him from his recurring nightmare, and the way TARS is actually trying to comfort him, Cooper manages to get his mind off of the flashback, and draws a shaky deep breath, allowing his eyes to fall shut as he gives in - giving the robot's instructions a chance. Listening to the gentle whispers of planet Earth. Latching onto it.
Another calmer sigh leaves him, and he swallows dryly.
The mech's appendage lifts away from his chest, and moves with careful composure to reach for the cup of water on Cooper's nightstand- ever so precisely taking it firmly between its smooth metal digits to offer the man a sip of its contents.
"Here."
When Cooper opens his eyes, he gratefully takes hold of the cup.
"Thankyou Slick," he rasps softly. He swallows a mouthful of the cool water. "...'preciate it, buddy…"
"-Course, Coop." The gripper carefully reaches around to rest on the man's back - emulating a human gesture of comfort. "…Do you wanna talk about it?"
He drinks with composed sips, patiently emptying the cup. Swallowing one final time, Cooper shakes his head.
"...Nah. Nah, I'm good. Same old shit."
He hands the cup back.
TARS carefully grips it. Knowing the pilot's history and diagnosis, the ex-military machine gives a low affirming hum. "Hm. Anything else I can get you?" it offers softly.
Cooper moves to lie back down on his side.
"Mnaahh I'mma go back to sleep," he grunts, adjusting himself into the mattress, turning his back on the bot. "Thanks."
"-Alright. Anytime, Coop. Just say the word," TARS softly utters, turning then to leave.
"...Oh hey - TARS?"
The thudding steps of the bot halt, and it turns halfway, as if questioningly looking over its shoulder.
"...Can you uh… turn that noise back on and stay for a sec please?" Cooper asks quietly, still not looking back at his companion.
There was a pause, to Cooper's nerves.
"-...Sure thing."
TARS' steps return, as gently as it could. And with it, the hum of soft rain, thunder and modest birds returns.
Cooper's eyes relax.
That's good, he thinks to himself, the words too shy to share aloud.
The steady drop in the rate of his thumping heart sets TARS at ease.
A small spike-
"Oh and uh… Would appreciate you keepin' this to yourself."
"-It's between you and me, Sir. Safe and confidential in your medical file."
Cooper growls; "Nahh I don't want you lulling me to sleep and all that soft shit in my medical file…"
Amusement quietly sparked through the machine's emotional sim regulators.
"-Noted and excluded."
"Good."
Cooper lets out another small sigh, getting himself comfortable once more.
After a fair moment, Cooper concludes that he's still quite awake, shaken by the dream.
"...Can't fuckin sleep…" he murmurs, well within the robot's audio receptor's range.
"-Would you like me to read you a bedtime story?"
Cooper snorts and turns to glance at TARS' cue light, shining cockily in the dark.
"Heh… No thanks. Could you tuck me in though?"
Humans don't have a cue light.
TARS briefly weighs the parameters of the request, scanning for sarcasm. Unsure, it decides to test the human for additional data.
"...Sure could, but that comes with a free goodnight kiss, Sir."
Cooper turns away from the bot again, hiding his stupid smirk.
"Sounds like one heck of a deal, TARS… I'll take it."
And so, the tactical machine gently begins to fold the blanket tighter around its favorite crewmate. Ending with a few gentle pats to his well-wrapped shoulder.
And after an expectant silence, TARS supposes there remains one more thing to be executed.
It leans its display in, and gently presses it to the human's head, briefly, quietly.
To any other human, this deed would've likely been perceived as terrifying.
But Cooper sleepily smiled wide, peering right into the bot's optic lens.
"Goodnight, Cooper."
"-Night, TARS."