Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

        Nathan looked down at his shaking hands, unable to steady them long enough to comfort the children crying beside him. He swallowed down the need to puke. Their dad was supposed to be here. Camille was supposed to be here.

        It didn't feel real. Nightmares couldn't exist here, in the real world, but he wasn't waking up. The burning pain in his chest wasn't ending and the gaping hole left behind fresh enough to bleed grief. His mind kept playing it over and over, torturing him into remembering and accepting this new reality. He didn't want to accept it. He wanted to sink into nothingness, he wanted to jump back in time and change everything, he wanted to lay on the floor and cry, he wanted to find the strength to comfort the kids and find the right words, but his throat was dry and his body numb.

        His fist clenched, nails digging in his palm as if to grasp the phantom of that damning action. He wasn't ready to let go—and he didn't think Black was either—but there was nothing left to hold onto. It was done.

        His friends. His best friend. His partner. Gone.

        There were only four of them left, how could this happen?

        Sitting in the same spot didn't help his bone deep exhaustion, even in the stagnation he felt like he was treading water. He was vaguely aware of Pumpkin and Pink arguing, but focusing on them took more energy than he had. Ebony buried her face in his side and clutched onto him hard enough to pinch, the pain felt like a ghost in his body. She started speaking as well, her voice foggy and he tried to concentrate on it despite the painful fullness overtaking his mind.

        "Prom...you...okay..."

        He felt the need to respond before he was ready to speak, delaying his reaction until he managed a groggy. "What?" Forcing himself to look at her, another wave of grief flooded him and tears stung his eyes.

        "Promise! You have to pinky promise we'll be okay!" Ebony shouted, silencing the heated discussion and making her brother jump.

        Nathan stared at her quietly, willing himself to react but finding no words to offer. Her frustration only grew under his uselessness and she stuck her pinky out stubbornly, waiting for him.

        "I...can't."

        He couldn't save her dad. He couldn't offer words of comfort. He couldn't fight this. And he couldn't even promise her.

        "Stop crying and hold her hand, Lime. This is ridiculous, we need to figure out a plan before we all die here." Pumpkin snapped as she slammed her hand on the table, her tone withering and lacking sympathy but her words remained true. "You too, White. Grieving is for later."

        "We need to leave." Pink murmured, busying her hands in Cookie's fur.

        "How? Who can we call? There is no backup here." Pumpkin responded and crossed her arms as she tapped her foot in thought.

        "Yellow?" White asked hopefully, but he couldn't hide the mirthless giggle under his breath. "Let's keep throwing impostors into the ring until one finally wins."

        "No." Nathan and Pumpkin muttered in unison, their sympathy for White's coping method wore thin. He shrunk back in response, covering his face and muttering apologies between twitches as he tried to suppress the reaction.

        A small flicker of guilt passed through Nathan, adding to what he already held, but it shook up the concoction of grief enough for him. It felt like squeezing a handful of nails, but he pulled together the pieces of his shattered heart and breathed deeply, taking Ebony and Sable's hands.

        "We need to fight back and get the kids out of here. No matter what." He said, wordlessly nodding to Pumpkin's axe.

        "I don't think we can fight this. I have a theory about this crew, but I don't know how to prove it." She muttered, pissing him off with her reluctance to use it.

        "Who cares? We could kill them with it. Then no one could stop us from leaving." White spoke again, pushing himself up from the table with a wobble and swallowing back another bubble of nauseous laughter. "They killed our friends, I won't even feel bad about it."

        "White-" Pink exclaimed, but no chastising followed as the clear favour for that option settled in the room.

        And then the lights went out.

        "Stick together." Pumpkin hissed, grabbing Nathan's shoulder as what remained of the crew held each other.

        The children whimpered, Ebony sobbed and crawled into his lap, making his body finally respond enough to wrap his arms protectively around all three of them. He knew what he needed to do, that he had to fight for them, but a bone deep exhaustion and decision fatigue built a barrier between his will and the knowledge.

Dead body reported.

        The alarm left a hollowness in its wake, but the knowledge they were all together soothed some of the anxiety once it passed.

        "It's not us." White murmured, but no one wanted to celebrate too early as footsteps echoed around them.

        "What happened? Did anyone see anything?" Banana's voice piped up from the darkness and everyone flinched away when she entered their field of vision.

        "I was with Maroon and Crimson, it wasn't them." Blue responded somewhere on the other side of the table.

        "What are you people doing, are you seriously trying to have a meeting right now?" Nathan growled, hugging the children closer when Crimson tried to take a seat beside him.

        "Go fix the lights, somebody!" Pumpkin shouted, blocking as much space as she could without leaving her crew's side.

        Despite the hostility, Crimson reached out amicably without forcing contact. "Can I talk with your crew? I have something to show you."

        "Crim, you heard them. Let's go fix lights." The man in blue interrupted, pulling him away and taking Maroon as well, who helped guide despite his protests.

        Nathan watched the three go until he could no longer see them, then looked to what remained of his crew. Everyone was too tense to question the interaction and he honestly did not care what the red crewmate had to show. They all just had to survive the meeting and get out.

        It only took a few painful minutes for the lights to turn on, but the absence of darkness was no better as what remained of the L-Crew stood around the few surviving V-Crew. There was no room to breathe as fingers were pointed instantly.

        "One of you had to kill poor Green." Blanc laid a hand over her heart while the other accused.

        "We were all together." Pink retorted, unable to fully convey the depths of her hatred in tone, though she tried.

        "Wait, we're still missing people." Banana intervened unintentionally, and the bubbling tension drew back slightly until Crimson, Maroon, and Blue entered the room. "Where's Aqua and Noir? We shouldn't start without them."

        "Probably in Medbay." Blue muttered, situating himself between Crimson who attempted to sit beside Nathan, the latter moving further away in response.

        "Actually, I last saw them in Navigation." Maroon supplied helpfully, filling in the extra space.

        "Either way, don't bother waiting for them. Can we just get this bullshit over with?" Blue sighed as if the horrors and death were a mere inconvenience.

        "Why are you all having a meeting right now?" Nathan demanded, helping the children off his lap before he stood up. "Our captain is dead. Your captain is dead. Why are we still here?! Let us fucking go already!"

        "Your crew has brought nothing but la morte. Death." Blanc hissed, standing as well to meet the challenge. "I am the new captain and I say no one leaves until the impostors are found."

        "What?" Blue and Crimson both protested together with the former continuing, "Come on!"

        "That one." Blanc pointed directly at White, who flinched violently under the accusation. "He said he will kill us without remorse. Eject him."

        "None of us have left Cafeteria, it isn't any of us!" Pink cried, clutching her boyfriend.

        "And that isn't evidence! You can't just point and eject people!" Crimson joined the defense as well, going as far as grabbing Blue who began to rise from his seat. "Blue, don't."

        "There is much at stake, Blue. Remember that." Blanc spoke gravely, but Nathan blocked her when she tried to approach White, who shook and wheezed.

        "Back the fuck off and shut the fuck up. Take one more step and I will break your jaw, you understand me?" Nathan continued to wall her off, but Sable slipped out of formation and ran at Blanc, punching her leg repeatedly.

        "Go away! Go away! Go away!" He yelled, hitting her as hard as he could until Nathan grabbed him.

        "Assault!" She cried, backing away and fleeing behind Banana. "That crew is dangerous!"

        Blue tried closing in, but Nathan stuck his arm out. "You too. Don't you fucking dare."

        "Blue, seriously, leave them alone." Crimson attempted to help, tugging the larger man in the opposite direction.

        "There has been nothing but trouble since they got here..." Banana said reluctantly. "What if we're next, Crimson?"

        Her words made him hesitate and Maroon shook their head as they chimed in, "I don't like any of this. I want it all to stop."

        "That's what I'm trying to do." Blue continued, looking at his companions. "I'm saving both of you, Crim. Blanc and Banana are right."

        Crimson looked torn between his people and the beaten down strangers. "This doesn't make any sense. I don't understand what's going on." He muttered, backing away from the table and suddenly leaving the Cafeteria.

        Maroon followed him, but no one else left their positions as the situation continued to escalate and destabilize.

        "He took the words right out of my mouth. If we are causing you so much trouble," Nathan turned back to Blanc, "Let. Us. Leave."

        "Non." She uttered and Blue grabbed White, who flailed and screamed in response.

        "Put him down!" Pink yelled, launching herself at Blue as he began to drag her boyfriend away.

        Pumpkin's hand went to her axe, but she still hesitated, and Nathan prepared to jump in and help, but Blanc grabbed his shoulder. "You wouldn't want to leave the children alone, would you?"

        Little Blue and Ebony clutched each other, sobbing louder than anyone else and Sable looked ready to give chase if he wasn't being held back by Nathan. His fists clenched and his blood went cold as all the rage and adrenaline seemed to evaporate, leaving room for the helplessness to slither back in. The oppressive fog surrounding him made his legs weak as he watched Pink try to fight off the larger man by herself while White devolved into another fit all the way into the Airlock.

        "They promised me. They promised!"

White was ejected.

        Pink fell to her knees, sobbing as she slammed her fists against the closed doors. "No, no, no!" Cookie ran to her side and burrowed under her arm, desperate to soothe her but just as powerless as everyone else.

        Nathan couldn't force a tear as he plunged through the grief straight into cold, apathetic hatred. He couldn't take anymore of this pain, this rot. If he could find the right distraction, he would escape with the kids, return to their ship, attempt to grab whoever else survived, and then prime the weapons to destroy this ship.

        "Fucking, again?" His dark thoughts were interrupted by Aqua, who walked into the room with Noir right behind her. "This still isn't over?"

        Again with the carelessness, the indifference, the inconvenience.

        "We came to help you people." He uttered.

        "Yeah? How'd that work out for you? Now everything's worse for everybody."

        "You think this is bad? Blanc decided she's captain." Blue chimed in with a mirthless laugh of his own, earning a glare from the aforementioned woman.

        "Blanc appointed herself captain?" Aqua responded, seeming to count everyone in the room before taking Noir's hand. "Fuck this."

        "What are we doing?" Noir asked, clearly as confused as what remained of Nathan's crew, but no one stopped them when she followed her girlfriend to the Airlock.

        "Finding something better to do. This is just depressing." Aqua stepped inside with her partner faithfully in tow.

        There was no screaming, no fighting, no drama or protest. Only an empty annoyance at the thought of facing death as Blue approached the lever without prompting.

Aqua was ejected.

Noir was ejected.

        Whatever was going on, Nathan had enough.

        He knew Pumpkin saw him leave, she was the only one watching silently as everything unraveled, but Nathan wasn't here for the mystery. Ushering the kids out of the room, he headed upward then to the left, trying to circle around to where the pod was docked. Unfortunately they couldn't head directly for it with everyone gathered near the Airlock, but the distraction at least gave them time to wait out the eventual dispersal and get close enough to escape. 

        The children followed behind him in a line, holding onto him for dear life as he rushed through halls. He stopped only long enough to kick one of the guard rails surrounding the engine, securing the bar as a weapon. Something he should have done sooner. No more mistakes.

        "What are we doing?" Sable asked, struggling to keep pace as his crying sister held onto him.

        "I'm getting you guys off this ship and killing any motherfucker who tries to get in my way." Nathan responded as evenly as he could, leading them around a pool of blood drying outside Security.

        "You should grab a knife from Medbay." Sable continued, tugging on the man's sleeve.

        Nathan hesitated, silently acknowledging the good idea, but he had to shake his head. "We don't have time." He didn't know if even the bar would be enough.

        "I'm scared." Little Blue whimpered.

        "I want my dad." Ebony joined, clutching onto everyone within reach.

        "I know, me too." Nathan murmured, his grip tightening on the makeshift weapon as the anger within him threatened to be doused with another wave of grief. Not yet. Pumpkin was right, grieving was for later.

        They turned a corner, leaving the bottom Engine room with a straight shot to the escape pod. Everyone seemed to have cleared out in the time it took to circle around. All except one person.

        Nathan froze as his eyes locked on Blue, who didn't appear to have be waiting for them, but he turned when they stopped. He looked at the man, the children, the bar, and then the escape pod sitting between both parties.

        "What's your plan here?" Blue asked, his smug, confident tone making it all the more tempting to bash his face in.

        "Back off, man." Nathan snapped, letting go of the kids and moving to fully shield them while the other man stepped in front of the pod opening.

        He could feel his heart racing, his limbs shaking with tension, his head pounding, and his stomach twisting into queasy knots. His fists clenched and the metal creaked under the pressure. Bursts of panic threatened to unravel his anger and it only got worse as Blue seemed to sense this, poising like a predator as he approached slowly and deliberately, blocking the exit. The man and children backed up with each step, leading the tense show down into Electrical.

        Nathan had to fight, but his body locked up, wanting to flee, wanting to escape, knowing he couldn't win. Still, if he was going down, he was going to fuck some shit up.

        "Go through the vent and get a scalpel from Medbay." He whispered sharply to the children, though discretion didn't matter much in this situation. Ebony shook her head, holding onto his pants, but he pushed her away and kept his eyes glued to the threat. "Go."

        Blue seemed less amused by the situation and watched the children squeeze through the vent while Nathan stood guard, ready to swing if forced too. The impostor didn't stop the kids from escaping, but there was no way both men would leave this room alive.

        Nathan broke his hard stare long enough to glance and ensure the kids were gone. Then his gaze landed on the massive, drying bloodstain on the floor and Boombaby sitting beside it. His grief, anger, fear, and stress crashed together at once, creating a horrible concoction inside him. He lost control of his limbs and he swung the bar before he registered what he was doing.

        A tentacle wrapped around it, but he ripped it away before the grip could tighten. He swung again, his teeth gritting and his feet pushing him into the action. The impostor pulled back and his next attempt turned into a stab. A screech filled the room as the pipe punctured through flesh. He barely registered the victory and he ripped it out, jumping on top of the other man to stab again and again. Hands and tentacles pushed at him, trying to grab the bar but he held it so tightly every muscle up to his wrist ached. A sharp pain in his side startled him and his weapon slipped from his grip, impaled inside the impostor.

        Blue flailed, struggling to remove the bar and push the human off at the same time. Despite the man's wound, he was punched in the face and he shifted his focus purely into ending the fight. Wrapping his tentacles around the arms trying to bash his face in, he jerked the crewmate forward onto the pole sticking through his chest. It sunk home, blood spraying over him and soaking through his suit as the man collapsed on top of him. The fists in his grasp kept moving in weak attempts to break free and claw at him, but eventually everything stopped.

        He laid there, breathing heavily and staring up at the ceiling. His body actually hurt and he couldn't remember ever having a fight that intense, even though he won. Well.

        Blue looked down at the man's corpse and felt a gnawing hollowness over the kill. None of them felt good, but as he pulled the bar from his own innards and watched the body collapse, he felt a bone deep exhaustion. Was this going to be what it was like now?

        Pushing himself up, he staggard and leaned against the wall, his claws scoring into it. These humans almost reminded him of Crimson, but they weren't him. They were an obstacle to him. Another problem in a bitch of a situation.

        "Fuck. What am I doing?" Blue muttered, rubbing at his tender wounds before hissing at the sting of pain. Still not as bad as being ejected...

        The children.

        Blue squeezed through the vent, ignoring the blood seeping in through the grate and coating his unfolding form. He was sticky with gore, a dead give away if anyone saw him, but everything was quickly unraveling anyway. He could hear crying the closer he got to Medbay and the realization he might be caught already dawned on him. What was he really going to do anyway?

        "I can't kill kids." He muttered, unsure of why the idea made him uncomfortable.

        "Please, please help us!" One of the little girls sobbed as he pushed and pulled himself through the vent.

        He froze mid-form and felt panic begin to creep through him at the sight of who they begged for aid. Blanc stood in front of the children with an unreadable stance, like she didn't know whether to play along or just kill them. The girls were too distraught to notice or care, approaching her with trembling hands while the boy grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a metal tray.

        Blanc was the first to notice Blue and her demeanour shifted into cold calculations. Her attention made the kids turn as well, then they panicked more at the sight of him.

        "No, no, stay away!" The girl in blue ran to hide behind the boy, who held the makeshift defense tighter.

        The other little girl stared at him in horror, her entire form trembling as she watched blood roll down his tentacles before she collapsed to her knees.

        "Ebony!" The boy shouted, stepping toward her before hesitating at Blanc's proximity.

        An ugly guilt began to eat away at the hole in Blue's chest, but it took a back seat to the tension plaguing him as he stared down the other impostor, waiting for her move.

        "What are you waiting for?" Blanc questioned, using her tablet to close the door. "Finish the job."

        The boy instantly reached for his crying sister, grabbing Ebony's arm and pulling her closer, though no amount of distance would protect them from both impostors.

        "Why me?" Blue questioned, putting some attention on himself. "I'm not killing kids when there's more important targets right now."

        "You want to protect him, don't you? These children, this crew, they are in your way." Blanc said, pointed directly at them, proving she wouldn't be distracted.

        "Shut up." He snapped, getting closer to her as the urge to kill her instead grew stronger. "This was your idea and I've killed everyone."

        "Not everyone." She snipped, offended by the claim. "But if that's how you feel, d'accord, I will handle it."

        "Wait!" He tried to intervene as she lunged, but the boy was quicker, smacking her with the tray so hard the metallic sound reverberated through the room.

        "I'll fucking kill you!" The boy screamed as he hit her again.

        Blanc hissed, stumbling back before grabbing the tray on his next strike. Catching it clearly hurt, but she ripped it from his grip, flinging him across the room. He hit a wall, the impact resulting in a dull thud and sickening crunch.

        Blue regained his wits, grabbing the nearest child and pulling the girl in blue toward him. She screamed, high and shrill, but he held her in his arms as Blanc approached Ebony, who deformed into a mass of tentacles, raising them pleadingly at the larger impostor.

        "Ebony!" The girl in his arms cried, struggling to get out of his grip and reach for the little impostor.

        Blanc didn't care about the reveal or the child's submission as she gripped the tray with both hands and smashed it down, using all her weight to crush the much smaller form.

        "No!" The girl in blue cried, punching his arms and kicking her feet.

        He took a step back in shock, sickened as the little black tendrils twitched and Blanc smashed the tray down again and again. Every reason why he stopped working with her flooded back to him at once and horror crept through his own tentacles, his body jumping involuntarily every time the metal clanged.

        "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He uttered, staring blankly at the gore imprinted into the floor while the final child sobbed uncontrollably in his arms.

        "This is what you wanted, non? Witnesses talk, and when they talk, you get ejected." She stated matter-of-factly as she stood and wiped the impostor blood from her hands.

        "I won't say anything, please, please, just leave us alone!" The girl sobbed louder and started struggling in his grip again.

        "You hear that all the time, don't you, Blue? If you don't want to kill her, I can, but I do it my way." Blanc continued, approaching him with the stance of a skilled killer, but there was a hesitation in her steps, a maintained distance between them. "You've gone this far, there aren't many left. If she lives, this won't work."

        Blue felt that horrible squirming in his chest, confliction eating him alive as each option before him seemed worse than the next. If he killed Blanc so the girl could live there would be no one left on his side this time around, if he let Blanc kill the last child it would be painful and horrible, but if he killed her...

        "I'm sorry." He mumbled, her struggle intensifying as he adjusted his grip.

        "The painless option." Blanc remarked, sounding only half disappointed as he snapped the child's neck in one swift motion.

        The form in his arms went limp and he dropped it instantly, hating the feeling. How had he enjoyed killing? Doing what needed to be done was one thing, but he had taken delight in it a time ago. Now he just felt disgust at himself as he stared at the three little bodies.

        And then Blanc started screaming.

        Blue startled, staring at her in shock as the doors opened and she screamed even louder. He didn't understand the shift until he heard running footsteps and the situation dawned on him.

        What remained of both crews ran into the room, and it didn't take a genius to see his guilt as the tiny corpse laid crumpled at his feet. The distance between the other two didn't matter much as Blanc pointed at him emphatically and cried. "Blue killed the children! I heard screaming and came running, but he killed them!"

        Pink ran to the bodies, ignoring all accusations as her shaking hands brushed through Ebony's gore, the body unrecognizable and impossible to save. Blue barely registered her diving toward the child at his feet, his eyes jumping from face to face as he knew no life would be found beneath him. Blanc spun her frantic lies toward Banana and Pumpkin, but his gaze locked on Crimson, whose entire body language bled horror and disgust as he took a few disbelieving steps back.

        "Crim-" Blue began, but his attempt at words was cut off.

        "Sable's alive!" Pink exclaimed, carefully removing the child's helmet and releasing a pool of blood. "I need help stabilizing him, please!"

        Banana ran to help, but Crimson raised a hand to stop Pumpkin, grabbing her sleeve as his stare didn't waiver from the blue impostor. "Follow me, now." He spoke evenly, dragging Maroon along too.

        "Crim! I didn't do this, you have to believe me. This isn't me!" Blue shouted after the man, uncaring as eyes returned to him. "Crim!"

        "Pink, get any information you can from Sable." Pumpkin spoke over him, giving her last crewmember a final look before following after the red crewmates.

        Pumpkin remained silent as she walked, her jaw clenched so hard it ached. If she was wrong, if this was just a normal ship...Even if she was right, she may have let everyone be killed for nothing.

        "I'm so sorry about your crew." Maroon spoke quietly, looking back at her every once in a while.

        "I should have shown you sooner. I don't know if this can even help." Crimson said as he led them deeper into the second story of the ship.

        Pumpkin didn't say anything, her fist clenching around the handle of her axe as they stopped in front of a door. The man opened it, refusing to waste another minute as he turned the light on and beckoned her inside. She cautiously followed, finding the room completely destroyed.

        Shreds and crumbled sheets of paper cluttered the floor, along with a smashed lamp, and what looked like the crushed remains of a stim toy. Pumpkin only recognized the shape due to it looking like one she had in her academy days—the overall training from that time proved to be increasingly useless to her. Still, it was probably impossible to prepare anyone for these kinds of situations and though none of the mess looked like much use to her, at this point, there was nothing else to do. So, she looked closer.

        Grabbing a note off the ground, the half paper said, "'Don't eve u'?" She raised a brow, but found and read another one. "'Hey don't believe'. These are very helpful."

        "Those aren't the helpful ones." Crimson snorted, feeling around his pockets until he found a completed note and crouched beside his bed. "I'm finding the important notes, but if you want the full message from those, there should be some intact ones on the wall."

        She followed his flippant gesturing and paused. Almost everything had been torn down, but 'they don't believe you' was plastered across the wall enough times she got the point and the millions of pieces thrown around the room further emphasized their importance. It would take years to write this many and from the various states they were in, it would be impossible for something like this to be set up in a day.

        Despite his attempts to find relevant notes, she still dug through some of the pieces, finding most of the same partial message or letters. Then she found one with the word 'impostor' and the letter 'B'.

        Her head snapped to look at the man. "You know who the impostors are?"

        "Not really, not unless these notes tell us." Crimson replied as he removed a stack of papers from under his bed. He didn't even look at them, instead extending them to her like he didn't want to see what they said.

        She abandoned the shreds and grabbed the stack, while Maroon took her place curiously sifting through the mess and trying to piece stuff together.

        "Okay, first one says Aqua is an impostor, but that doesn't really help." She murmured, tossing it aside and ignoring the man scrambling to catch it.

        "She ejected herself and she wasn't even caught. Did anyone else find that weird?" Maroon piped up as they finished fixing a few repetitive notes before grabbing another handful.

        "Yeah, well she probably knows something we don't." Pumpkin muttered, feeling the answer in her gut but refusing to settle on the conclusion until she knew for sure. Besides, even if she was right, knowing what it was wasn't the same as knowing how to fix it. "'Don't trust Noir', also not helpful. 'You're stuck'." The second one did make her pause, it seemed to be the only ripped one, but still, it didn't help. She was looking for, expecting, a completed guide or information like in her forums, not cryptic pieces of paper that only further alluded to what she was already suspecting. And the last two notes were the least helpful. "'Blue loves you' and 'You love Blue'. Really? This is supposed to help me?"

        Crimson snatched the two notes out of her hand, crushing them to his chest before carefully folding them to tuck in his pocket. "I don't know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I thought- maybe there was something important in there, but..." He deflated, looking around his destroyed room. "Maybe it's gone now."

        "What about this?" Maroon raised half a note from the wrecked pile and handed it to Pumpkin.

        She connected it with the other half in her hand, completing the message 'You're stuck in a time loop'. Her conclusion was solidified. "We are in the Horologium's Anomaly."

        "The what?" The red crewmembers questioned in sync.

        "It's a space legend I learned about in my forums, like Cetus' Field." Her current company seemed more lost by her explanation, so she focused on the myth in question. "The Horologium's Anomaly is an unmapped sector of space no one can ever find, but some say they have passed through it. Here, let me show you." She reached for her tablet and began scrolling through her apps before realizing she had no service to connect to the forums. "Shit, okay. From what I remember, not much is known about it because no one who tried to study it has ever come back, but, but those who claim to have gone through it all report the same symptoms. Heightened sensitivity to atmosphere change, nausea and or vomiting, memory alteration, unexpected loss of time, and a strange anomaly on their sensors in newer ships. Old ships can just feel it, I guess. None of that helps us with fixing it but if I can figure that out, I will be the first to study it." Her excitement settled as she remembered all the death and suffering leading up to the discovery. "Do you know how to reset the loops?"

        Crimson shook his head and rubbed his temples, "No, my head starts to hurt when I think about it, but if I knew how to escape I would probably write it down."

        "You didn't write it down because you never figured it out." A new voice stated, making everyone jump and turn to see Blue standing in the doorway. "There is no escape."

        Pumpkin got to her feet and removed her axe, holding it tightly. "I already know the way out. What I want to know is how to save my crew."

        "They're dead and they'll stay dead if you leave." He shrugged, leaning against the wall enough to block the door. "The best you can do for them is die too so you can all come back...eventually."

        "That can't be right." Crimson interjected, standing to join Pumpkin as he stared the other man down. "How did I lose all my memories then?"

        "I'm not here to answer questions."

        "Then why are you here?" He demanded, attempting to approach but Maroon caught his wrist and stopped him.

        "I was here to stop you from doing this, but I got caught up." Blue indicated to the three of them surrounded by notes.

        "Killing more of my crew?" Pumpkin muttered coldly, but he didn't answer. "I think I've had enough."

        Gripping her axe, she moved the man in red aside before sinking the head into Blue's shoulder. He flinched when it made contact, seeming to not register the weapon until it was actively hurting him and he shrieked when she ripped it back out. Tentacles burst from his form, but she swung again, stopping just before connecting with his throat and holding it there. The threat made him pause long enough for her to speak.

        "Now that I know what's going on, I want some answers." She demanded, applying a little more pressure.

        "You think death scares me? I've died hundreds of times and this wouldn't even make my top ten."

        "So you do remember things." She pressed, her irritation growing as information teetered on the edge of her grasp.

        "I do, and I know how to reset the loops too, but why would I tell you?" He tilted his head and smirked, revealing rows of fangs that made her hesitate and her skin prickle with fear.

        "Blue, tell her!" Crimson shouted, shaking her from her instinctual anxiety as he ripped one of the notes down and stomped over to shove it in the impostor's face.

        "No." Blue grit out, leaning back from the dual assault as the axe dug into his neck and his cocky demeanour shifted. "I'm doing this for you. You have to trust me."

        "Trust you?! What about any of this says I should trust you?!" Crimson's threw his hands out to gesture at the mess, growing louder and his voice nearly broke under his frustration. "You know more than I do, so help her. Help us all get out!"

        "You know what-" Blue deformed to duck under the axe and pull away from Pumpkin, but she didn't hesitate. She swung and he dodged, but he screeched in pain as his arm was lopped off. The tendrils dropped to the ground, changing shape and he launched himself toward Crimson, who startled away.

        Pumpkin raised her axe again, preparing to intervene, but Maroon stood to place a hand on her shoulder. "Wait. I don't think that's going to make him talk."

        The impostor didn't attack, instead dropping in front of the man. Crimson stood his ground, but his hand moved behind his back and stayed there. "Why are you being difficult?"

        "I'm the one being difficult? Don't you get it? I'm not ready!" Blue snapped, then hissed and clutched the squirming tentacles attempting to heal themselves. "I don't know how to keep you alive if they stop this. I never planned for out. We're here because I can't save you with infinite chances. What the fuck do you think happens with one?"

        "So-, so, what? Instead you kill them so they're stuck too? Then what? Keep doing this over and over? You want this to be our infinite life instead? This is how you want to live? Explain to me how this is any fucking better?" Crimson's free hand tightened into a fist as he released a disbelieving laugh but the impostor only looked down.

        "You're the smart one. Tell me what to choose then, which one is the better option? Their friends are dead and if there is a way out, they'll stay dead. If there isn't, you're going to forget all this anyway."

        Crimson remained completely still and silent for a beat, prompting Pumpkin to look at Maroon with doubt, but they were both caught by surprise when the man removed his hand from behind his back. He aimed a gun at the impostor's forehead, anger radiating from the simple motion but Blue didn't react until it shifted and Crimson turned the gun on himself.

        "Tell her everything you know or I kill myself right now. Either she figures it out on her own and I stay dead, or everything resets and we can keep doing this every, single, time." He spoke calmly, but fury simmered in his tone as he continued and removed the two notes from his pocket for the impostor to see. "What you're doing right now, it isn't love, Blue."

        Pumpkin watched the tension rise before just as quickly melting from Blue's body, defeat and exhaustion seeping into every tendril. In some weird way, she could understand the feeling. Her reaction when Yellow revealed herself, the assuredness that killing and ejecting were the only choices, that dissonance between caring about others and caring about what Pumpkin held precious, how convinced she was everyone else made the wrong choice. Then to see how wrong she was. Still was, despite her half-hearted attempts to understand and maybe even change.

        Pumpkin looked down at her axe, flexing her grip on the handle as the weapon remained overall unused. She wanted to learn, to discover what was going on, feel out her suspicions, but she also didn't care enough. There was a social duty to protect, it was pure survival, but she didn't actually care enough to kill for the others. She didn't have the passion or insanity for it, probably never would, but the desire to make up for it still settled in her gut.

        "I know you want to protect your people, but if he forgets everything when the loop resets, and we forget, this might be the only chance we have to escape. You're both alive right now and it can stay that way, but I need to know how it works." Pumpkin spoke and Crimson punctuated her statement by clicking the safety off the gun.

        Blue looked between the two of them and hesitated on Maroon's pleading hands before dropping his head with a heaved sigh. "Hurry up and ask your questions before I change my mind."

        Pumpkin considered punching him in the face, but her need for answers curbed the urge. "How, do, I, reset, the, loop?"

        He glowered at her condescending enunciation, though once his gaze returned to the man in red, he answered. "Killing everyone is one way to do it." He began, earning a scoff and his defiance gradually waivered under the scrutiny of his lover. "Fine. Two crewmates to every impostor keeps the loop going, but any less than that or if all impostors die, it resets. The whole thing also ends if everybody dies from a sabotage or if the crew finishes all their tasks. Don't ask me why, I don't know. I also don't know how your crew is going to affect that, you don't have tasks here."

        "I didn't finish my tasks." Crimson said, lowering the gun as he leaned against the desk to process the information.

        "Me neither, so you don't have to worry about us ending it." Maroon added, handing their friend a pen and paper to write everything down.

        "I'd be more worried about the deaths. You're running out of people." Blue eyed Pumpkin, but she kept her cool.

        "Everyone comes back on a new loop, right?" She clarified, tapping the head of the axe on the floor with a metallic clank.

        His attention turned to the threat, though it still didn't phase him. "Yeah, we don't always end up in the same place, but everyone is always back."

        "Without their memories." She pointed out, glancing at the two crewmates trying to help her.

        "I don't know when or what they lost, but yeah. Every new loop, crewmates end up a clean slate and you're in short supply with helpful impostors. So, good luck saving your crew and getting out of here with your life or all your memories."

        "Blue, I told you to help her." Crimson snapped, pausing his writing to glare at the impostor.

        "I did." Blue shrugged before standing. "I told her everything I know and I helped her realize how pointless it is to try. You're welcome."

        "I wouldn't trust you anyway." Maroon commented, looking to Pumpkin, but she already started moving.

        "I need to make a call. And find Pink." She said, pushing past the two red crewmates in her rush to leave the room. No one stopped her.

        "There has to be some way to fix him. He knows who did this, he could help us." Banana paced around the room.

        Her movements were a streak of colour in Pink's peripheral vision. There was no point in arguing or agreeing at this point, so she wallowed and silently begged for peace.

        "Maybe I should find the others. We need to figure out a vote if the kid doesn't recover."

        "Go then, just go!" Pink finally lost it, causing Cookie to bark at the other woman, who didn't need much prompting to leave the room.

        Pink fought back the tears welling up in her eyes as she reluctantly brought her attention back to Sable, continuing to watch him struggle. The damage was too severe, she knew it, but everyone held out hope that he would recover. That he could tell them all who had done this and put an end to the nightmare.

        He seized, grasping on to her desperately as she shushed him until he settled again. She climbed into the medical bed with him, breaking every protocol as she wrapped her arms around him, trying desperately to offer any comfort she could. He stared at her somewhat distantly as he fought to speak, but only pain came out.

        Cyan struggling on the Medbay floor, the fear in White's eyes as he was ejected again, and the girls' broken bodies all flashed in her mind. Her heart clenched painfully and her hold on Sable tightened.

        Even if he could somehow recover from this, he couldn't save any of them.

        His chest barely rose and fell, enough to tell her he was still alive. All the confirmation brought her was pain as she felt his heart begin to race and his breathing stopped when he clutched onto her, riding out another wave of seizing.

        "It's okay, it's okay. I'm right here." She whispered, running her fingers through his blood caked hair even as he stopped again. Hot tears began to run down her face when she closed her eyes and hushed him. "I'm here, I'll stay with you. It's okay."

        Trying to subtly wipe her face, she felt pressure build in her chest and a rattling breath escaped her. She struggled to keep the sobs down, but the dam broke when Cookie whined and nuzzled into both of them.

        "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She wept, letting the tears fall freely as she rested her head against Sable's and gave his forehead a kiss for his parents. She pulled back to look at his face, but he stared off into space even as his gasping breaths continued. He was still holding on for something.

        With a watery smile she brushed her own tears from his cheeks. "It's okay if you're tired. You can let go if you need to. We'll be okay. We- we'll figure it out." Her voice broke and she inhaled deeply, fighting to keep her voice. "You've been so strong, but I know you're hurting. You do what you need to do and I'll stay right here with you. The whole time, okay? Okay? I've got you." She cried harder and gave his hand a squeeze as her own exhaustion threatened to claim her.

        Maybe she should give him words of encouragement instead. Maybe she should tell him to fight and give him reasons to keep going. To tell him to stay...She was so, so drained. Everything was too much. She couldn't leave him to die alone, but she couldn't stay here and do nothing either. She just wanted it over with.

        "I know your dads can't tell you this, so I will. You are loved. Everyone loves you so much, sweet boy. Even if you can't hear me, I want you to know that, okay?" Tears blurred her vision and she felt a headache building up, but she continued regardless, "I've got you, but they're waiting for you too. Whatever you choose, we've got you."

        He seized again, but the movement was much weaker this time. Cookie whined and nudged the boy, just as powerless as she was. All she could do was make Sable as comfortable as possible. She laid down beside him, whispering reassurances until she felt his heart stop and his chest gradually go still.

        A small sense of relief washed over her, but it was quickly drowned out by a pang of guilt and then a new wave of overwhelming grief. She closed her eyes and completely broke down, pulling Cookie close and wailing into his fur. He licked her tear streaked face and rubbed against her, trying desperately to provide comfort as she fell apart.

        His presence helped, but she gave into her exhaustion and didn't have the strength to raise her head when the Medbay door opened. With her last bit of energy, she kissed her companion's nose, and waited for the killer to end her suffering.

        : We don't have much time. I need you on this ship right now. I can explain every- :

Dead body reported.

        The alarm cut Pumpkin off and she cursed under her breath. : Fuck, I need to go. Get here, now. :

        : On our way. : Yellow responded before Pumpkin ended the comm.

        Slamming down the headset, she ran out of the room. She thought getting an impostor on their side should take priority, but if Pink was dead, there needed to be a plan B.

        Expectedly, the survivors were all sitting around the Cafeteria table and throwing accusations before Pumpkin even stepped through the door. She didn't bother properly joining, instead counting heads quickly and finding few options. Blue, Blanc, Banana, Maroon, and herself were all that remained.

        "Shit." She cursed, finding the two people she was the most likely to trust were missing. It was pretty clear Blue had sabotaged her again by killing Pink, so Pumpkin didn't bother listening much as he yelled at the remaining women over Crimson's disappearance.

        Maroon sat away from the other survivors, fidgeting as they ignored the chaos too. They seemed mildly helpful at least.

        "Maroon, come here." Pumpkin called, unbothered as the others turned to her presence. "Let's go."

        Maroon hesitated, glancing at their fellow crewmembers before slowly leaving the table to join her side. "What do you need?"

        "I need you to watch my back and stay by my side, understand? I have a plan, but I'm not saying anything until we have back up."

        "I guess so, but I don't know how I can help." They said, nervously watching the argument grow in intensity.

        "Fuck this, I'm done with this loop." Blue shouted, pushing off the table so hard it popped bolts and screeched across the floor. He stormed toward the cautiously observing pair and paused beside Pumpkin, she placed her hand on her axe in response. "Good luck." He murmured, before continuing past her and straight for the Airlock.

        "Idiot." Blanc hissed, but followed after him.

        Pumpkin watched as he flipped the woman off, but allowed himself to be ejected without further fuss.

Blue was ejected.

        She would never get used to how indifferent the impostors on this ship were to being killed. At least one problem was removed, but there was still one unknown killer among them. Banana or Blanc.

        "Mom?"

        Pumpkin's attention was instantly caught by the sound of Yellow's voice, but the focus wasn't returned as all gazes shifted to Blanc.

        The woman paused, seeming surprised by the newcomer, but nothing else. "Excusez moi?"

        "It is you. What the fuck are you doing here?" Yellow questioned, equal parts mad and in disbelief. She held Onyx in her arms, but passed him off to Pumpkin. She shook her head vigorously but awkwardly supported the baby forced into her hands for fear of dropping him in her rejection.

        "I don't know who you are." Blanc took a step back. "Where did you come from?" 

        Pumpkin didn't need more convincing and she quickly handed the baby to Maroon. They were even more lost, but accepted the baby better than she had.

        "If she's your mom, that's the last killer. We need to get rid of her." She barely explained before unsheathing her axe and chopping Blanc's head off.

        Banana screamed, but no blood spilled from the wound as the severed head shifted into slime on the ground and the body turned to the offender. Yellow was more than confused, but she didn't hesitate to step between her mother and her ex.

        "I don't know what's going on, but I've waited years for this." Yellow said, grabbing the white impostor, who tried to stab her with a tentacle.

        "Release me! What are you doing?" Blanc yelled, dropping her disguise to fight back, only to be caught by surprise when the newcomer easily met her move for move. "Who are you?"

        "Of course you wouldn't recognize me. You never change, do you?" Yellow said, forcing the older Slime closer to the Airlock. She opened the doors, but Blanc launched in the other direction, only to be stopped by Pumpkin's axe coming down and slicing through tentacles, forcing the impostor to retreat back.

        "You don't know what you're doing. I will make you all regret this!" Blanc hissed, slowly slithering forward.

        Yellow kicked the gelatinous form as hard as she could, sending her mother flying. "Get in the Airlock." She closed the doors and Pumpkin ran to press the button, while the impostor continued to spit and curse.

        "I will make you all suffer! I will tear you all apart and I will make it last! You will never know peace for the rest of your existen-"

Blanc was ejected.

        "Always so blood thirsty and dramatic. This is why I hated working with her." Yellow sighed, leaning against the wall before turning to Pumpkin. "So, what the fuck is going on?"

        "I'll explain everything on the way to Medbay. First, we need these two to scan." Pumpkin said, pointing to Banana. "Especially you."

        She didn't argue, clearly still in shock, prompting Maroon to speak. "I'm cool with that, but I don't know what to do with this." They jostled the baby, who happily conformed to their arm, lacing tendrils through any available loops and zippers in their suit.

        "Honestly, I don't know either. Black shouldn't have left him with me, but you're doing a great job. Whoever you are." Yellow gave them a thumbs up. 

        "Shit, I forgot about Onyx. It doesn't seem like the baby counts, but we need to be extremely cautious going forward. Every move we make matters right now." Pumpkin stated and began guiding the rest of the survivors through the ship.

        She talked about what happened to everyone, the deaths, the Horologium's Anomaly, the rules and the caveats. Though she didn't reveal her plan until Banana was on the scanner.

        "So, you called me here to either let you kill me or kill all of you?" Yellow questioned as they all watched the light yellow crewmate get cleared. "Because I don't kill anymore, so that's the first problem."

        "Killing us would be too risky. The timing needs to be just right for this to work." Pumpkin explained as she took Onyx and the notes Maroon held, then indicated for them to scan as well. She had to be sure.

        "So, you called me here to kill me then. I know we've had our problems, but wow."

        "It's not like that." Pumpkin quickly defended, though she could acknowledge how it all sounded. "You can do your own investigating if you don't trust me, but I don't know how long we have or if the other impostors are going to sabotage us."

        "How do you know it's going to work?" Yellow asked, taking a seat beside the woman and watching the strangers join them on the floor once Maroon's scan was complete.

        "Honestly, I don't." Pumpkin said, finding a pen in her pocket and using the back of a note to write down her plan. "If we fail, we'll be trapped forever. If we don't try, if we just leave, then that's it. We're all that's left." She continued, pausing long enough to look around the gore soaked room and the five survivors in it. Her gaze lingered on Onyx, who crept along her shoulder to reach out for Maroon.

        "I can barely take care of myself. I'm not raising a baby and I'm sure as shit not going to hunt down Tan to drop his grandson off and tell him everyone else is dead." Yellow sighed, staring at the papers spread between them.

        Maroon hesitantly allowed the baby to crawl onto them, knowing even less about anything. "My opinion probably doesn't matter anyway, but I'm not leaving without Crimson. So, I'm willing to take the risk."

        "I don't know what's going on or who to trust, but I'll help too. Whatever you need." Banana chimed in, though she kept a distance from everyone else.

        "Well, to start, I need you to go outside and attach the ships anchors together. Can you do that?" Pumpkin asked, receiving a hesitant nod.

        "Couldn't she die out there?" Maroon's question made the woman hesitate as well.

        "Someone has to do it and we can't risk throwing off the balance. All I can say is, secure your suit and be quick." She shrugged, trying to curb her inherent callousness, but she couldn't be rushed and tactful.

        "Okay, I'll do it." Banana agreed, climbing to her feet and allowing Yellow to approach to do a safety check.

        "Maroon, I need you in Comms so I can make sure we're able to talk. I'm going to take the pod and board my ship so I can check the reliability of our communication and physical links." Pumpkin explained, dividing everyone and hoping she wouldn't regret it. "We have to work together here. If anyone has any second thoughts, share them now."

        "We have one shot at this. If the loop resets, we all lose our memories, the plan, and the way out, so no fuck ups." Yellow further solidified, earning firm nods from the crewmates.

        "No fuck ups." Banana echoed, then hurriedly left the room to complete her task.

        "What do you need me to do?" Yellow asked as Maroon and Pumpkin began to disperse as well.

        "Stay by the Airlock and keep an eye on Banana, but mostly I just need you alive right now." Pumpkin said, taking Onyx from Maroon and passing him off to Yellow.

        "Can do, captain." She saluted, earning a light snort from the other woman.

        Pumpkin let the humour settled some of her nerves, but she didn't waste more time and left the room. Though she hoped she could rely on everyone here, there were too many opportunities for sabotage and selfishness. If Banana took the pod or the ship, they would be doomed.

        Maroon kept pace with her for a moment, looking just as nervous as she felt. "Where were you guys headed before you got stuck here?"

        The question caught her off guard, briefly breaking her spiral as she looked at them. "We were going to Polus before we got the distress call. We were almost there too, just a few days trip I think."

        "Well, I'm sorry you got stuck here." They said, slowly breaking off to head toward Communications. "And I hope you get out."

        "Me too." Pumpkin murmured.

        With hurried steps, she navigated through the rest of the ship until she got to the docked pod. Relief flooded her body and she climbed in, finding everything still intact. She was familiar enough with the controls and started it up, ensuring she sealed off the exit way to avoid leaving a hole in the other ship.

        Then, she took off, and caught sight of Banana releasing the L-Crew's anchor. It would be impossible for her to get to the other ship to attach them, and though the V-Crew anchor was already secured to her ship, two lines would always be better than one.

        Using the mechanical arms on the pod, Pumpkin carefully navigated over to the other woman and took the line. : I'll attach it to my ship, make sure the one on your side is hooked in properly, then get back inside. :

        Banana nodded and followed the instructions, while Pumpkin pushed the pod to its limits in her haste the reach the main ship. The mechanical arms were clunky and she didn't want to risk getting out to check the line, but she did her best to hook the anchor. Then she returned the pod to its original docking port.

        Once she boarded the ship, a terrible thought plagued her. What if she just...left? She wasn't that attached to everyone, was she? Of course Yellow would never leave without the rest of the crew, and Maroon already stated their attachment. Pumpkin though, she had valuable information about one of the biggest space mysteries this side of the universe. She liked her crew, she thought they were good people sure, but enough to risk her life? Enough to potentially lose her memories and become stuck in a cycle of murder and betrayal?

        Then again, what was the point in abandoning her plan? She wanted to see if it would work, she came up with it, so why not see? There wasn't anything for her out in space. Would she really fly the rest of the way to Polus, by herself? As if she wasn't just as likely to die that way, and permanently for that fact. She could return to Mira, but then what? She had family there, but they would just assign her to a new ship, a new crew, and who knew what surprises waited for her there.

        "Don't be a fucking idiot." She cursed herself, shaking the unhelpful deliberation from her head and flicking the Comm system on. : Maroon, can you hear me? :

        : Yes, I'm going to transfer the frequency to private comms so we're not stuck in Communications. Give me a minute. :

        : Okay, I'm going to Navigation. If I don't hear from you, I'll be back in five minutes. :

        : Got it. :

        Pumpkin left the room and tried not to let the emptiness of the ship unsettle her. It only made her feel worse about her doubts. She had a chance to bring people back from the dead and she considered running, even if only briefly.

        "This better work." She muttered, taking a seat in the Navigation chair and checking the console. The anomaly was still visible on the scanner, confirming the way out wasn't far out of reach. The real tricky part was going to be timing.

        : Can you hear me? : Maroon's voice came through her suit, but their tone sounded panicked, raising her anxiety.

        : Yes, what's happening? Is everyone okay? :

        : I found Crimson. He's still alive, but he's hurt really badly. :

        : How badly? Can he move? :

        : No, no, I don't think so. His insides are- :

        Pumpkin cursed under her breath, not really wishing death on the man, but her lack of people skills were worn thin enough as it was. She paused long enough to collect herself, before attempting to bluntly but nicely lay out the situation.

        : If he isn't in a condition to help us, you have to leave him. There's no point saving him if we're resetting everything anyway, got it? :

        : I can't just leave him like this! :

        : I need you to focus, Maroon. He'll come back good as new, right? The faster we fix everything, the less he suffers. :

        Pumpkin heard the line drop and she sighed in aggravation, feeling her nerves spike again as she used the new connection to reach Yellow.

        : Yellow, is Banana back yet? We might have to continue without Maroon. :

        : Yes, she's with me waiting for your new orders, I'll tell her to turn her comm unit on. :

        : What's going on? What happened to Maroon? : Banana's question crackled through and the tentative trust strained further.

        : They found Crimson's body and they're refusing to leave him. I need you to get to Navigation. I'm going to fly my ship and you're going to fly yours behind me, got it? :

        : Okay, but how are we going to reset everything? :

        Pumpkin paused, squeezing her eyes shut as she considered the question. Without the extra pair of hands...

        : Scratch that, then. You're going to eject Yellow when I tell you too, I'll fly my ship and we're going to have to hope the lines are strong enough to pull both ships out. :

        : Will that even work? :

        : Hold on. : Yellow interrupted, sounding relieved. : Maroon is back. :

        : Sorry, I needed to... : They reconnected their comm, but hesitated. : I'm ready. Tell me what to do. :

        : Great, okay. Banana go to Navigation, you're going to fly and keep an eye on my ship. I'm going to tell Maroon when to eject Yellow, but if comms die, eject her when my ship disappears. Everyone got that? :

        : Got it. : Maroon and Banana both responded.

        : What about Onyx? : Yellow asked, forcing Pumpkin to make another hard decision.

        : Take him with you. He's an impostor too, I don't know what will happen if he's still alive. :

        : Take the baby with me? Black would kill me! :

        : Yeah, well, we'll either have an eternity to make up for it or he'll have to thank us if it works, so I'm not taking any chances. :

        : Can we stop saying if and start saying when this works? My life is kind of on the line here. :

        : I'm in position, I need to reroute the course and put the ship on manual, but I'm ready. : Banana interrupted.

        : Okay, Yellow I need you and Onyx in the Airlock. When this works, I will see you on the other side. And Maroon, wait for my signal or for the ship to disappear, if we reset too soon, everyone stays dead. :

        Pumpkin started up the ship and clutched the wheel, feeling her heart begin to race and adrenaline tingle through her limbs as the final step approached. She left her comms on to ensure she would hear if the lines went dead, but the static and thrum of the Reactor only added to the nervousness twisting her gut.

        : Our reactor is melting down! : Maroon suddenly yelled, startling her and making her curse again. She could faintly hear the alarm in the background and hoped she could be heard over it.

        : Just ignore it! We can out fly the count down, just stay with Yellow! And Banana, keep following me! :

        : We're behind you- :

        The ship shuddered around her and her comms went dead, the console reading the edge of the anomaly as her ship began to breach it. She kept pushing the ship forward, but mashed the buttons on her unit trying to reconnect it.

        : Thirty seconds! I repeat, thirty seconds! Eject them in thirty seconds! :

        She shouted in her comms as she was nearly thrown from her seat, the rattling of the ship grew louder, but it was too late to turn around. "Please, please, tell me they listened to me, please."

        The ship suddenly settled as the scanner showed nothing but clear space in front of her. She kept flying, feeling resistance from the anchors and pushing to free the other ship from it.

        A sharp jolt reverberated around her and the ship groaned in protest. She slammed her hand down on the accelerator, then all the stars in the sky vanished, plunging her into darkness.

        "Our mission is of the utmost importance. Tasks will be completed, sabotages will be fixed, and errors will be erase-" The Captain cut eirself off, tipsily gripping the main table where the crew sat in confused silence.

        Pumpkin found herself sitting around another table with her own crew, but none of them stayed sitting for long as the fog seemed to lift and realization set in.

        "Everybody out now!" Brown shouted, causing his entire crew to scramble.

        Pumpkin caught whoever bumped into her, noticing Yellow and everyone else wobbled in their haste, like the entire crew was hung over. Cyan collapsed, but Red and Lime quickly dove to support them, helping them get out of the Cafeteria as chaos erupted behind them. The entire L-Crew began screaming, impostor and crewmate alike, as the effects of the Horologium's Anomaly slammed into them full force.

        "Cyan, Dark Blue, Pink, White, take children, use the pod and get to the ship! You're going to dock it at the Airlock so the rest of us can get aboard!" Brown began shouting orders, grabbing everyone he could to keep them all in order. "Everyone else, stay together and block the Airlock!"

        Pumpkin's hand was caught, forcing her to follow her crew, but she still watched as the L-Crew completely fell apart. Most of them were on the ground, screaming or writhing in pain, and vomiting all over the floor if they got there helmets off. A few of them struggled to get away from the others.

        "Impostor!" The Captain coughed out, pointing accusingly at Blanc with a shaking hand. She launched at em, nearly missing her mark in her own wooziness, but she managed to sink her claws into em.

        Pumpkin was pulled from the Cafeteria, but she didn't need to see it to know what was going to happen next. Though she felt a small sense of regret leaving her allies like that, she did what she needed to do. Survival took priority.

        The pod crew had already embarked and she slid into the body shield the rest of the crew made as they all took defense in front of their only escape. No one was trying to stop them, but it was abundantly clear there would be no do overs this time. Not for anyone.

        Within a few minutes, Pumpkin spotted Aqua and Blue struggling to drag Crimson, Maroon, and Noir away from chaos. The impostors seemed just as affected as the crew, their forms nothing but trembling tentacles and wheezing mouths. Moving, let alone helping the three humans, seemed to take more energy than they had, but no one helped.

        "Please, take them with you." Blue begged, collapsing five feet away from the other crew.

        Yellow hesitantly took a step forward, but Brown stuck his arm out and stopped her. "Your crew is free. Figure the rest out yourselves."

        Despite his words, it was awful watching the five of them writhe and cry in pain on the floor. The only solace was the sound of the Airlock clicking and hissing with a dock. Seconds later, the secondary set of doors opened, signaling the connection was completed.

        "Let's go." Black pressed the button and began ushering everyone inside.

        Pumpkin was the only one to pause, and he didn't wait on her, prompting her to be quick. Unsheathing her axe, she tossed it at Blue's feet, then closed the door with a final message. "Good luck."

        Brown returned and grabbed her sleeve, pulling her into the safety of the ship without further delay. He did stop long enough to shut the Airlock doors and disengage the locks to avoid tearing the ships apart, but then he was back to barking orders.

        : Stations everyone! : He spoke through his comm unit before turning to speak to those present. "Nathan, get into Weapons and blow the anchors. Yellow help White stabilize the Reactor. Pumpkin, you're with me in Navigation."

        Everyone dispersed without acknowledgement, equally eager to get as far away from the anomaly and other ship as possible. Pumpkin followed the captain closely, feeling relief wash through her despite the adrenaline as she passed various crewmembers settling into their designated rooms. The ship was alive again.

        "Thanks are in order once we're out of here." Brown said, wheezing a bit under the strain of running, but he still placed a supportive hand on her back.

        "Don't worry about it." She dismissed his gratitude and helped him get to the captain chair.

        Dark Blue sat in the navigator seat, charting the course, so Pumpkin took the only other empty seat. She buckled in just as she heard the weapons online, the whine vibrating through the ship and Brown turned it to give Lime a clear shot of the anchor lines. They watched the laser blast through it, shaking both ships and sending them further apart from the force alone.

        "Set the course to Polus, I'm going to make sure we direct away from the anomaly, then punch it." Brown said, dividing the tasks between the two women on either side of him.

        Dark Blue gave him a thumbs up then began plotting on the display screen while he turned the ship back. Pumpkin watched the L-Crew disappear past the front window, and once the way was clear, she grabbed the lever in front of her and yanked it down.

        The ship jerked, then launched forward. Deeper into space and far from the danger.

      Once the ship was stabilized and back on course, the Navigation room released a collective sigh of relief. Dark Blue was the first to stand, though she paused, bringing attention to herself.

        "How are you feeling? Still dizzy?" Brown asked, placing a hand on Pumpkin's shoulder as he passed her, but his focus remained on the other woman.

        'A little.' Dark Blue signed, leaning against the chair as she caught her bearings and continued with slow, hesitant movements. 'I... My daughter was alone...again. I need to see her, but I can't. What if she hates me?'

        "It wasn't your fault, and I think she needs you more than anything right now." He reassured, though there was a notable waiver in his voice. "We all need each other."

        Pumpkin got up as well, though she didn't try to offer words of comfort. Without the rush of danger, she felt awkward in her idleness, lost for what to do now that everybody was safe.

        : Can everyone please meet me in the Cafeteria? : Brown spoke through his comm unit and reached for the women's support. "We need to have a meeting."

        Pumpkin helped him, latching onto the clear goal as the three of them slowly trudged into the Cafeteria. The rest of the crew waited for him, a silent atmosphere clinging to the room despite them all being together again.

        Brown quietly thanked her once he could rest against the table, though few people sat down. Then he straightened to the best of his ability and addressed the crew. "I wanted to apologize. I should have listened. I shouldn't have put you all in that situation, I'm so sor-" His voice broke and he looked away, his fist pressing into the table. "I'm sorry. This was my fault."

        He turned to Cyan as he spoke, cautiously reaching toward them with trembling hands. They met him halfway, hugging him tightly with a loud sob. 

        The air of uncertainty snapped and the dam broke as emotions came flooding out and the embrace grew. Everyone fell into or were pulled into a group hug. Pumpkin reluctantly allowed it as bodies mushed against hers, a rush of weeping apologies surrounding her. She endured for as long as she could, knowing it was what the others needed, even if she didn’t understand the comfort in being part of a crying mass.

        Then Cyan tried to thank her, and she forced her way out. Her spot was quickly filled by the group embrace tightening.

        “Someone needs to watch the systems.” She excused herself, thankful when no one tried to stop her. Still, she glanced back and watched them all as she walked away.

        Pink was an inconsolably crying and kissing White, Black and Lime clutched onto their kids for dear life trying to comfort them, Brown continued to hold Cyan and apologize profusely with Red and Yellow hugging him as if they could stop the breakdown through touch alone. Dark Blue had separated as well, though she didn't stray far from the crew as she silently sobbed, signing at and touching Little Blue with trembling hands.

        Despite all the pain, Pumpkin could confidently say she made the right choice. The risk was worth it.

        She left the others to process and grieve while she followed through on her excuse. Someone had to monitor the ship, trying their luck at this point would be stupid and the last thing she wanted was for them to unintentionally fly through Cetus' Field next or some other anomaly of legend.

        "My forums." She murmured excitedly as realization dawned on her.

        Sitting down in the navigation chair, she pulled out her tablet and began typing up her report on the encounter. She made sure to change names, most details, not go into detail about the deaths, and scrambled her frequency postage code before sharing all her findings. It would be a while before it'd reach the servers, but maybe it could help future victims of the Horologium's Anomaly. Maybe it might even help human and impostor relations.

        The sound of footsteps startled her from her tablet and she looked up to see Black standing in the doorway, holding two of his children.

        "May I come in?" He asked, his voice terse but respectful.

        Pumpkin didn't really confirm or deny, instead gesturing to one of the empty seats and watching him take the one beside her. Silence stretched on between them and she occasionally glanced out at the stars, trying to find something to hold her attention while she waited for his reaction. Even in the window's reflection there was a subtle anger radiating off of him as they just sat there.

        "Look, I understand if you hate me-" She began, almost preferring for him to start yelling or trying to attack instead of leaving them in an awful limbo, but he raised his hand to cut her off.

        "You are not the one I'm angry with." He said evenly, though he didn't elaborate. "I came to thank you. I don't trust I could have done what you did." His focus shifted to Onyx and Ebony, who cuddled into him, the latter whimpering and squeaking.

        "Thank me by telling the crew not to thank me. I did what I had to do and I don't want any further acknowledgement over it." She replied, finally settling in her seat as the nervous tension left her body.

        "I understand." He murmured, rubbing his daughter's head. "I will make sure we never face that situation again."

        Pumpkin almost commented on his inability to control that, but stopped herself. "The trip is almost over, so we won't have to worry about that soon."

        He hummed in response, though her attempt at a distraction did bring both of their attention to the console displaying their course. No space storms, no anomalies, no dangers in sight. Just clear, star-speckled skies welcoming them through the rest of their journey. It wouldn't be long now.

        They were four days out from their destination. Polus.