‘Do you think he needs shoes? Has he lost them?’

‘I could try and ask…’

‘Of course you could.’

‘Shut up.’

Yoongi makes his way towards Jimin who stares about at them, posture uncertain and yet not afraid or shocked by their team.

‘Jimin.’

He turns around, a smile on his face. Yoongi tries not to let this stranger’s eyes get to him too much.

‘Yoongi,’ he says, giving him a small wave. Yoongi pauses- how was he going to ask about his shoes?

‘Uh-‘ Yoongi points down at Jimin’s feet. ‘Your feet?’

Jimin looks down at his feet, toes curling slightly on the leaf strewn floor.

‘Do you need shoes?’

‘I don’t see any scars on his feet,’ someone says behind him, ‘No heel scars from shoes.’

Yoongi finds that this statement is true. It seemed almost universal that all Beings with anthropomorphic bodily features all possessed the similar age-worn scar on their ankles as a result of the wear and chaffing of shoes. But Jimin doesn’t have them. He had plenty of other scars- but none to show any visible indication that he ever wore shoes. It’s confusing but Yoongi wants to make sure. The floors around the area were rather unsafe, with harsh stones or broken pieces of twigs and bark ready to cut or stab.

‘Shoes?’ Yoongi tries again and this time he balances on one leg and removes his boot. Then he points at it, and then back at Jimin’s feet. Jimin’s eyes light up in understanding and he shakes his head, speaking in his language as he points at his feet and then back at Yoongi’s shoes and shakes his head again.

‘No shoe I guess,’ Yoongi thinks to himself as he puts his boot back on.

‘Are you sure?’ he asks again. Just to be sure. But Jimin just tilts his head to the side quizzically. Yoongi smiles instead, which is returned quickly.

‘Uh- you want food?’ Yoongi asks again, this time miming eating with his hands and patting his stomach. He’s briefly worried about the state of this Being’s clothes. They weren’t the thickest or the most durable. Simple tunic, over which he wore a hooded cloak, and trousers with the bottom rolled up to under his knees. Was he warm enough? Or perhaps his body just functioned differently.

Jimin nods a little later, a small slightly embarrassed smile following. It's a beautiful smile, and Yoongi tries not to stare too much.

‘Food is always the best isn’t it?’ Yoongi grins as he sits down on one of the nearby rocks, beckoning Jimin over and pulling his bag over to the front. He can sense the Captain and the others watching them.

Jimin stands to the side a little hesitantly before settling on the stone next to him. Yoongi rummages around for the light-weight compressed food heavily laced with an excess of vitamins and health supplements.

‘I’m never satisfied eating these, but I’ve never been healthier,’ Yoongi says as he hands the packet to Jimin who looks at it dubiously. Not out of suspicion, but rather in a way that translated to: you eat this?!

‘Trust me, your hair will really improve in quality,- mine did,’ Yoongi opens the flat white packet and inside are flat wafer like biscuits. They’re not all bad- the flavor pleasant and didn’t leave a bitter aftertaste in your mouth. It’s almost similar to the flat-breads you could find on Earth in some of the specialty stores over at the neighbouring Settlement Arcs.

Jimin watches his movements, as though ready to copy. Somehow Yoongi wants to tell this young Being that he needed to be more careful. What if (not that Yoongi was going to) he was trying to poison him?

Jimin opens the packet and takes out the wafer curiously. He sniffs it a bit, one eyebrow lifted. Then he looks up at Yoongi as though asking: you expect me to eat this?

Yoongi laughs before he bites into the wafer, ‘Good for your hair.’ He repeats and adds, ‘Not that you need it.’

Jimin’s head tilts in confusion again but nonetheless bites into the wafer. Yoongi points at the wafer and makes a happy face and an upset face. Jimin laughs, biting into the wafer again before miming a middle ground.

‘That’s pretty accurate,’ Yoongi laughs, looking away from the Being before him.

There’s a cracking noise from behind them, from inside the forest. Jimin jumps, posture defensive, eyes wide. But it’s only another member of their team, walking back from using a convenient tree to relieve themselves probably. Jimin calms down a little, eyes still wide and scanning.

‘You look scared,’ Yoongi remarks, glancing at the forest and then back at Jimin who also looks away. There’s unmistakable fear and worry in his eyes. What had he seen? What had he been through?

‘Why are you scared? Is there something here we don’t know about? Something we can’t see?’

Jimin opens his mouth but stops. He grimaces a little before hesitantly pointing at the forest and then taps right below his eye and the gestures at the camp.

A shiver runs down Yoongi’s back. Words were not needed when the implication was so obvious.

They were being watched.

*

There’s little else Namjoon can really think about.

His mind has consistently been a mess since the mission started and now it was a perfect riot.

Why were they picking up these OrTanks from Kutsoglera? Were there Kutsoglerin Beings inside the OrTanks? But for what purpose and for what reason?

According to what Khonen had said, the Omhlophe wanted to create only the best, to birth the strongest, the most beautiful. Kutsoglera was nothing more than ashes and horrifying distorted destruction. And her people broken and far away from their mother planet.

Loud squelching sounds shakes Namjoon out of his thoughts. Some ways from the open Hangar entryway stood Taeh’yung, ankle deep in mud, glowing a faint green in the dark of Ubhuku’s night. 

Namjoon watches with mounting discomfort as Taeh’yung is lifted into the air by slimy gooey arms. The Zhak’gri seems to be enjoying himself and was far from uncomfortable or threatened. He’s talking to the gigantic blob-thing he referred to as Umholi.

‘Anything on the radars?’ Namjoon asks though a screen is in his hands.

‘Nothing- but we should get going. Taeh’yung?’ Hoseok replies.

‘I’ll be right there!’ Taeh’yung chirps back, turning his head to flash a smile that’s visible even from this distance.

To Namjoon’s side, Jimin chuckles quietly as he watches the scene progress to a loud squelching hug-session as Taeh’yung hugs the blob-thing. The other blobs are all gathered around the two, bobbing up and down like thick bubbles in a theatrically designed pot of soup. Jimin is splattered head to toe in mud, swamp water, and slime clings to his hair and parts of his clothes. Namjoon doesn’t even want to think about Taeh’yung’s state of cleanliness or lack thereof.

Jimin chuckles again, crouching down as he watches on. Namjoon has a lot to think about at this given moment. But he can’t help but go back to Jimin.

Namjoon is more than just a little confused at Jimin’s biological functions. They had taken the time to run tests and investigate his DNA and biochemistry in order to better understand him better, as well as have a sort of definitive list that clarified what could be harmful for Jimin. And the test results had come out not too far off from the general DNA structure and biochemistry of Humans.

To summarize it, there was nothing special about Jimin. At least, biologically, there was nothing out of the ordinary. There was still that confusion regarding his age, but Namjoon puts it down to the fact that Jimin had existed in whatever strange comatose state for an extended period of time.

It was possible that the Akramanese had kept him stored up in their mothership, for all those years. It would explain his aging as well as preservation. Namjoon frowns at the idea of technology existing where you could perfectly preserve an actual living Being without any side-effects. Well, at least they hadn’t seen any side-effects on Jimin. Yet.

Growing embryos and harvesting cells from genetic coding and sampling made sense- it was more or less just like AI technology. It was the whole preservation aspect of it that raised a lot of questions.

They had performed a full medical check-up on Jimin as well, with Taeh’yung translating. Jimin had said he was 247 sols old- though it’s confusing because Namjoon doesn’t know how to convert that in GLA standard measurement. But based off of their own previous scans, Jimin’s age matched with one of their scans. However, according to what they knew about Bhumi, the issue with the planet and the system, had been more or less a millennium ago. So when they scanned Jimin again, the same approximation age of 1450 sols kept appearing. It threw everything off by at least 300 sols.

The scans weren’t wrong, that much was for sure. So where did those 300 sols go off to? Was it a mistake?

There had been mentions of time-alteration, of time-manipulation, in some of the wilder reports Namjoon had dug into during his time as Information Analyst. But nothing could be proven, and nothing was conclusive.

So now here there were with an honest to Spaces alien- knowing nothing about him save from translations and possibly inaccurate medical scans. Not to mention his very broad set of skills and abilities. What else was he hiding up his sleeves? How much of what Taeh’yung translated could they trust? How much of Jimin could they even trust?

Namjoon is well aware of the risks they were taking right now, especially considering what they knew, where they stood in all of that, and how this was connected to some of the biggest criminal and horrifying secrets of the GLA and all associated organizations. But Namjoon’s been feeling like he was at the edge of discovery- of uncovering something. He would be naïve if he said he wanted the truth. He didn’t want the truth- because most times, the truth always originated in the selfish greed of some power-hungry Being.

Namjoon’s curiosity wasn’t based on figuring out the truth or uncovering the source of any of this.

He just wanted to know why.

Why did the Special-Jury put them together like this? Why did decide that Jimin’ OrTank needed to be taken back to Bhumi. Why did they want Yoongi and Jimin to reunite? Because that much was obvious- it was staged to a certain degree, and made to happen. What was in Yoongi’s past with Jimin that made his addition to this so important?

Were they born the same way?

Had Yoongi been taken, the exact same way Jimin had been taken? But that didn’t explain it either- because despite what Jimin has said about his apparent history with Yoongi, the Human clearly didn’t remember him. No records of a Human named Min Yoongi was ever reported to be part of any investigative panel in the GLA either. Namjoon had checked thoroughly.

Namjoon has had a lot of questions ever since the beginning of this mission. And at first he felt as though nothing could answer his questions. But now, with where they were and where they stood in all of this, Namjoon feels like he’ll finally be able to get answers.

‘We should close,’ Yoongi states blankly from behind them. Namjoon starts just a little but Jimin doesn’t seem surprised. Instead he beams up at Yoongi.

Yoongi pauses, and then he bows stiffly, extending his hand out to Jimin and says, ‘Your majesty.’

Jimin flushes bright red, hands waving frantically as he gets up, stammering in his language. Namjoon eyes Yoongi who has a curiously amused expression on his face, simply gestures for Jimin to go back inside the ship. Jimin is rapidly speaking, head shaking and hands covering his face as though embarrassed as he scurries off, Yoongi right behind him.

‘That was totally on purpose wasn’t it pa?’

Namjoon curses- mainly because he told himself to get used to Taeh’yung’s ability to pop up literally everywhere. It’s basically how they met in the first place.

‘What-?’

‘Yoongi,’ Taeh’yung explains, unaware (or uncaring) of the wad of goo sliding down from his hair to his cheek and under his tunic. ‘He just purposefully addressed Jimin like that.’

‘Uh-‘

‘It’s so cute! It’s like he’s remembering!’ Taeh’yung grins before he shakes himself, goo and swamp water flying everywhere. Namjoon winces as he’s splashed. He makes a mental note to shower in the hottest water setting available.

‘Remembering?’ Namjoon repeats.

‘Yeah! How it was for him from that time,’ Taeh’yung sweeps back his hair, pushing the goo into his hair. Namjoon wants to push Taeh’yung into a vat of boiling water in hopes of maybe cleaning him.

‘…you mean remembering how things were before?’

‘Well yeah?’ Taeh’yung stops spreading goo deeper into his scalp as he says, ‘-I guess you could say it like that.’

Namjoon has a feeling that Taeh’yung saw more than he understood. The Zhak’gri waves brightly, palms glowing green as the blobs outside quiver and bob around as though in farewell.

‘Say “bye” pa!’ Taeh’yung grins at him. Namjoon turns properly to wave at the blobs. To his immense disquiet, they wave back weird gooey blob-arms.

‘BYE UMHOLI! BE A GOOD GIRL OKAY?’ Taeh’yung cups his hands together to yell.

Girl?!

‘How did you create those?’ Namjoon asks hesitantly as the engines hum to life and the Hangar doors close, narrowing their view of the swamp.

‘Hm-‘ Taeh’yung continues waving his arms. ‘-well, there were a bunch of…cells? And they were just, you know, thriving around the place.’

The Zhak’gri waves around the scenery dismissively.

‘And they kept dying- I don’t think that uh…living beings like creatures and animals can survive this environment- so those organisms kept dying?’ Taeh’yung explains. ‘And so I felt bad for them- then I decided why not give them a helping hand right?’

Namjoon nods hesitantly.

‘So I just sort of- you know,’ Taeh’yung rolls his hands in a forward motion and no, Namjoon does not know. But he nods anyways because he’s not entirely sure he wants to know the answer.

The Hangar doors close and Taeh’yung lets out a sad sigh.

‘You uh- you’ll see them again,’ Namjoon tries, ‘They’ll be here, and you can come back, right?’

‘It’s not that,’ Taeh’yung smiles, a melancholic expression settling on his features. ‘I could still sense him here- it was as though he was still living.’

Namjoon doesn’t have time to ask Taeh’yung who he was talking about as Hoseok calls them to secure themselves for take-off. Namjoon is spared having to ask Taeh’yung to not sit on the Lobby couches as the Zhak’gri sits himself down on the benches to the side of the Hangar Bay. Namjoon takes a seat on the bench as well, at a safe distance from the goo Taeh’yung was dripping in his wake.

There was so much shock, so many revelations, in the span of a single day, that Namjoon finds it hard to really scope the general outrageousness of their situation and the Beings involved. Not that he wasn’t aware of it. Sometimes the subject at hand was so overwhelming, you forgot to look at it individually. And so much had happened since Taeh’yung somehow slipped into the ship as part of their crew, Namjoon realizes that he’s never actually spoken to the Zhak’gri about their situation in detail. Or the fact that he was so closely involved with the whole case. He could even smell these Beings- whoever the Omhlophe were.

If he was going to get answers and start uncovering reasons, he might as well start with the Being who witnessed so much.

‘What do you think about this situation?’ Namjoon asks as the ship picks up speed.

‘Hm? About?’ Taeh’yung’s eyes widen in question.

‘Those Beings- the ones the smugglers were talking about,’ Namjoon clarifies. ‘The Omhlophe. And not just that- about the Alliance- how they’re connected to the Akramanese- how the Omhlophe are connected to the Akramanese- how Jimin and Yoongi are born from those eggs-‘

‘-Chim isn’t born from an egg,’ Taeh’yung interrupts.

‘…what do you mean?’

‘Yoongi is- for sure, but not Chim. Chim was just- always like how you found him,’ Taeh’yung explains.

‘How do you know this?’

‘They’re both from a different time- but Chim’s soul is still the same. Yoongi’s has changed.’ Taeh’yung says with a  serious nod. ‘I didn’t know about it until Chim told me that Yoongi felt different. He is the same- just different.’

Namjoon doesn’t know how to ask more questions based on that so instead he asks, ‘And do you think…do you think these Omhlophe- whoever they are, are like the Akramanese? Are they another Yisheng experiment gone wrong?’

This was one of Namjoon’s biggest worries.

The Akramanese were created by mistake and overlooked. They were able to discover through the Gaia Case that the some of the Yisheng Directory and a few of the Venture Unit Head of Divisions had organized their own attempt in creating a method through which they could somehow monopolize not just the entire Universe but to completely take over the freewill of the Beings living in it. With this came countless experimentations and studies, all conducted in hopes of creating a way to achieve this goal. Some were outright failures, while some fell off the grid, as was the case with Sk’jin’s history. The Akramanese however, had been a disastrous experiment and it was decided that they be cast out into a black-hole in order to completely obliterate and remove any such evidence of their existence.

However they survived this brutal attempt at execution and as a result they grew stronger and crept along the Universe. Transcending into Beings that were nearly multi-dimensional, the Akramanese succeeded in nearly over throwing the Known Universe into complete and utter chaos. The Akramanese had inherited a skewed notion of what the Yishengs and the Venture Unit had wanted to achieve- and so evolved into Beings with one singular goal in mind: to overtake the Universe.

Namjoon guesses they will probably never know how many planets, moons, stars, suns, this extra-dimensional force absorbed to power themselves- and Namjoon honestly would rather not find out.

So what if the Omhlophe were just like the Akramanese? Created by the Yishengs in their attempts to rule the Known Universe and then discarded and left to evolve on their own? Because what that smuggler Khonen had said was too similar to the way the Akramanese saw the Universe.

Like a place they had to cleanse and replace with their idea of creation and life.

‘No- they just smell like that ship. They’re not even similar to those weirdoes,’ Taeh’yung shrugs casually. ‘They smelt like them- but they were nothing like them. They seemed just…just like us.’

Namjoon frowns at that, looking over at Taeh’yung who pauses, eyes vacant as though listening to something else.

‘Just like us but-‘ he stops. ‘-a bit different.’

‘Different how?’ Namjoon asks.

‘…I don’t know,’ Taeh’yung replies softly, concentrating on something else.

‘Is that how the rest of the “eggs” were? I know that you were involved with removing the OrTanks from the destruction zone. What did they feel like?’

Taeh’yung hums low before he says, ‘Like they were children, fast asleep, getting ready to wake up- hoping to wake up.’

‘What sort of Beings were they?’ Namjoon presses, desperate for solid answers rather than metaphoric symbols and analogies. ‘What did they look like, from where- and why-‘

‘They were from this Universe, but from a much longer past. From a different Time. Some were old, weary-‘ Taeh’yung smiles softly at this, ‘Exhausted.’

Who were exhausted and why?

‘But some were young, strong, bright,’ Taeh’yung concludes and adds with a frown, ‘I thought they would all be safe. I guess there are more babies to save now.’

‘How do you think Jimin is connected to this? To the Akramanese?’ Namjoon asks. He was surprised to find that Taeh’yung was serious in all of this. The Zhak’gri’s expression is thoughtful and his demeanor focused.

Taeh’yung leans back, arms crossed. His movements are accentuated by sloppy wet sounds and more goo seeps out of him around the bench and on to the floors. He suddenly seems aged; harsh lines falling across the lines of his face that seemed to morph, slowly changing his features. But the moment Namjoon blinks, it’s gone and Taeh’yung gives him a squelchy shrug, eyes bright as he says, ‘I don’t know!’.

Namjoon nods with a disappointed sigh. It was sort of a stretch to expect Taeh’yung to know all of the answers when they didn’t even know what sort of questions they should be asking.

‘Are you all right leaving your uh, children, back in the planet?’ Namjoon asks awkwardly.

Taeh’yung’s expression changes from pleasantly surprised to emotional in 0.2 seconds and he leaps straight into Namjoon, never minding the strain of the security harness around his chest. Namjoon’s shirt is instantly soaked in slime.

‘Thank you for asking pa,’ the Zhak’gri beams up. ‘But they’ll be fine! Always trust in evolution! The progression of time!’

‘Uh- yeah,’ Namjoon tries to move away but slime and the power of Taeh’yung’s hugs is a little too much for him to counter.

‘Pa can I harvest some of the slime and grow them in the Medical Bay?’

‘What the -?! No!!’

*

Hoseok is obviously not pleased with the decision to forego Grisial for the moment and detour to the dead space between Cabcd and Sluchaen. It’s quite obvious from the permanent frown and the ‘Are all of you actually ing insane?’ that he spits out the moment Namjoon had asked if they should fly under the Ymir System or over it.

And Sk’jin has lived long enough to predict what was about to happen.

Namjoon, a little affronted, replies with a, ‘We already went through this- we’re going to gather information beneficial to the mission.’

Hoseok is very obviously not here for this.

Yoongi is watching the Head Pilot and Navigator stare each other down over the Navigation Table, neither of them backing away. His stance is easy and casual, but he’s at the perfect distance to separate the two if needed. Jimin is sitting on one of the footstools, looking uncomfortable and concerned, eyes flitting between Hoseok, Namjoon, and Taeh’yung, as though asking for translation. Taeh’yung on the other hand, is yawning mightily, looking like he was about to drop off to sleep any time now. He was miraculously squeaky clean and had decided to dress in the clothes he’d found in the smuggler’s ship cargo.

Sk’jin wants to sit back on his seat and just enjoy the show. He’s counting down inside his head, to how many more seconds it would take for Hoseok to snap.

Namjoon and Hoseok normally agreed on most matters, and listened to each other’s input more than they did anyone else on the ship. They both seemed to have that ‘Being A is from the same organization so Being A must be reliable’ mentality that seemed pretty asive throughout the Universe. It was applicable in almost any situation. And it wasn’t as though Sk’jin blamed them.

In a foreign situation, you were more likely to seek out someone who was similar to you. Be it in appearances, occupation, or criminal record history- you just gravitated to what you understood and what you were familiar with.

But Sk’jin isn’t like that. His motto (one of his mottos) in life is ‘trust no one ever’ and so far that sentiment allowed him to continue on this far. Or at least, it did, to an extent. As Living Beings, we were all more than capable of going against what we know is good for us.

Like right now.

In Sk’jin’s opinion, not that either Namjoon or Hoseok were asking him, was of indifference. He didn’t care where they went as long as they didn’t stay long. And if asked, Sk’jin would frankly answer that this entire idea of actually carrying out the mission was stupid. And seeing as his opinion was ignored, any additional journey made within that plan of stupidity was honestly just meh to the Khol’isa.

So while he did have a reason to go back, it was one he didn’t feel the urgency to see through into fruition.

‘You agreed on going here-‘ Namjoon states, repeating Hoseok’s agreement to their previous plan.

‘-I did, and that was before the Omhlophe showed up,’ Hoseok replies with a frown. ‘We need to get out of the vicinity – even if that vicinity includes a few systems-‘

‘-but this is too good an opportunity to pass up!’ Namjoon defends. ‘There are aspects to this that we do not understand, and with this planet, we have a higher possibility of understanding or clarifying what we need to know!’

‘Knowing more doesn’t equate understanding anything!’ Hoseok snaps back, ‘I think we’re all living a prime example of that- this side-trip is not going to ground any of our theories as the correct one- it’s just going to add more to our confusion and will create even more questions that we cannot afford to find out! We need to think smart here-‘

‘-and we are!’ Namjoon retorts. ‘We are thinking smart- we are thinking steps ahead of the Special-Jury, making layers upon layers within our plans and creating safety nets for ourselves! By doing this- we are not flying blind towards Bhumi without any additional information-‘

‘We are always flying blind!’ Hoseok looks 2 seconds away from pulling at his hair. ‘Not to mention Jimin doesn’t want to talk about his planet’s security measures- what makes you think he’ll explain anything when we go to this place? We’re just creating more openings through which we can be found-‘

‘But if we are able to-‘

‘Your plans have too many variables – it’s always what ifs and “what if” is not a good enough reason for me to willingly pilot this ship out of our planned trajectory!’ Hoseok spits out.

Namjoon gives pause before asking, ‘So you’re saying you won’t pilot the ship if we follow this trajectory?’

‘Yes,’ Hoseok replies stiffly.

‘Sk’jin- can you pilot us to that planet?’ Namjoon asks without looking away from Hoseok. Hoseok also doesn’t back down.

Sk’jin sighs.

He wants to say no- because he agrees that this is stupid despite his agreement to the plan. However, he does see a valid point in all of this mess. So he shrugs and says, ‘Eh, why not?’.

It’s not the most reassuring response Sk’jin knows, especially from the way Namjoon grimaces a little.

‘Hoseok you are relieved from your pilot-duties-‘ Namjoon begins but Sk’jin cuts across easily, spinning on his chair.

‘You don’t have the authority to do that.’

Both Namjoon and Hoseok break their glaring competition to raise a questioning eyebrow at Sk’jin.

‘Princeling there has that authority,’ Sk’jin nods at Jimin who’s expression shifts into a wary one as all eyes fall on him.

‘You don’t need to do anything- I quit this mess,’ Hoseok spits out, walking off of the Navigator’s Mast and out of the Bridge. Taeh’yung suddenly sits up at that, wide awake. Even Sk’jin finds himself feeling surprised. ‘You can drop me off in Ts’ets’khli as you’re so adamant in blatantly ing up everything!’ Hoseok yells behind him and vanishes around the doorway.

Sk’jin wants to laugh even though he knows it’s a bad idea. Because it was true- if they wanted to pass through Cabcd and Sluchaen they would have to make the compulsory stop inside Ymir in at least 2 different planets in order to gain the required and sufficient passes through the space-borders. If they decided to take another route- it would take 3 additional weeks in warp-speed to reach that location. Going through Ymir meant 2 days of normal-speed, and then a mere day in warp before they arrived in their location.    

Jimin and Taeh’yung follow after the Ngfy’widan and quietly make their exit though it’s not without looking back with confused expressions.

Namjoon curses under his breath, throwing himself into his chair heavily, head in his hands at once.

‘You should apologize,’ Yoongi says randomly from where he’s standing. ‘We need a head pilot.’

‘I’m sure Sk’jin is more than capable-‘ Namjoon mumbles from behind his hands.

Yoongi eyes him, as though silently asking him if he was indeed more than capable of being head pilot. And yes, Sk’jin is more than capable of course. But he raises an eyebrow in Namjoon’s hunched direction and shakes his head before nodding towards the doorway.

‘I don’t know what you mean by that.’

Sk’jin almost facepalms.

‘Let’s go prepare lunch,’ Sk’jin says instead, getting up from his chair. ‘Give Namjoon time to cool off.’

Yoongi nods shortly and follows after Sk’jin as soon as he crosses over the Bridge.

‘If you’re sure about this-‘ Sk’jin begins but Namjoon cuts him off quickly.

‘I’m sure.’

They exit the Bridge and make their way down the stairs in relative silence until Yoongi asks, ‘Do you think he’s sure?’

‘He could be,’ Sk’jin replies truthfully before adding, ‘We’re all under a lot of stress- what with all the things we’ve just recently learnt.’

‘You mean about the eggs from Kutsoglera?’

‘Exactly that,’ Sk’jin nods as they walk across the Lobby towards the Kitchens. Hoseok’s Cabin door is closed, but Taeh’yung’s and Jimin’s are closed. They were probably inside with the Ngfy’widan. Yoongi seemed to have come to the same conclusion as well, head turned towards Hoseok’s Cabin door.

If there was a possibility of understand where and what these eggs were- the answers were most likely with Yoongi. Sk’jin knew that Taeh’yung oversaw many of the procedures involving moving the “eggs” from the broken Akramanese mothership into safety. But Yoongi, a Being that Sk’jin is now nearly entire sure was chosen to specifically be “woken up” or at least, was allowed a form of evolution in his self-awareness, was probably the one Being who held the most answers to all of this. Even if the Being in question wasn’t aware of this.

Besides, Sk’jin had spoken to Taeh’yung, but the young Zhak’gri, for all his raw power and abilities, could be as dense as a meteorite and couldn’t really shed any light on the matter. Sk’jin has come to realize that in order to gain any consequential reply or information from Taeh’yung, you had to ask the right question. And at this very moment, they didn’t have enough concrete information to come up with a question Taeh’yung could answer for them. Or at least, they wouldn’t be able to understand Taeh’yung’s answer.

‘Could you take out the preserves from the pantry? I think I’ll make something sweet to eat.’ Sk’jin says as he passes his hands over the UV counter to clean them.

Yoongi carefully balances the jar of preserves in his hands and places it on the counter, eyeing the dark red jelly inside rather dubiously.

‘Isn’t this jam?’ he asks.

‘Jam?’ Sk’jin repeats as he holds out a sift for Yoongi to hold and places a bowl beneath it.

‘…I think it’s a Human term.’ Yoongi explains, eyeing the sift with interest.

‘Hm…seems rather fitting,’ Sk’jin shrugs and begins pouring the preserve into the sift before he grins and adds, ‘Because the ingredients are jammed together.’

Yoongi looks up at him slowly, and for someone who had a pretty expressionless face, Sk’jin feels incredibly judged.

‘Do you really know nothing about the eggs?’ Sk’jin hadn’t been planning on asking about this subject in this manner but the level of judgment he was receiving threw him off.

Yoongi doesn’t look up from watching the preserve slowly ooze out of the sift as he replies, ‘I saw a lot. But I do not understand.’

‘Keep holding that up,’ Sk’jin stops pouring out the amount he was eyeballing. Grabbing a flat spatula he presses down on the more solid bits of preserved fruit. ‘Care to tell me what you saw? Maybe we can understand together?’

‘I can try,’ Yoongi replies before asking, ‘You were inside that place. Did you understand what it was?’

Sk’jin shrugs, making sure that no lumps remained before dragging the bowl out from under the sift. ‘You can eat that. You might like it.’

Reaching for the compressor jar of cream, Sk’jin pours out the thick cream into the bowl of preserves before he answers, ‘There are things- some things, that can’t be explained. Thing that don’t have a logical explanation because its birth and foundation doesn’t always reflect or originate from what we know.’

He glances at Yoongi who was scraping the sift with a spoon. He seemed to be regarding the preserve with more concentration than what Sk’jin had said. Sk’jin wasn’t the most patient Being in the Universe. But he’s had his fair share of having to be careful and having to wait.

‘But that doesn’t mean you can’t try to understand it.’ Sk’jin mixes the combination together with a whisk. ‘Or at least see how it might affect the things you already understand.’

‘Like love?’

Sk’jin nearly upsets the bowl of creamed preserves.

‘Uh-‘

‘K’mara said that to me once.’

‘K’mara?’ Sk’jin repeats in a hollow voice, his mind racing.

‘I reported to her before the Gaia Case was in court.’ Yoongi says over a mouthful of preserves. ‘It’s very sweet.’

‘…it’s supposed to be. Do you like it?’ Sk’jin asks, hand stilling over the whisk.

‘It’s very sweet.’

‘…so, you worked for K’mara?’ Sk’jin presses.

‘For a brief period of time. It’s how I met you in Šerdesas, she asked me to keep an eye on the Heladian and the Long-Huon lieutenant.’

Sk’jin’s mind reels back, remembering the day he first met Yoongi. Had K’mara kept track of him since then? Sk’jin tries to quell the intensity of paranoia building in him. He hadn’t felt like this since the initiation of this mission. Maybe he was starting to slack-off. He was going to have to stay more alert from now on.

‘Did you tell her about me back then?’ Sk’jin can’t help the sharpness in his voice.

‘No.’ Yoongi reaches for the cream. ‘I deemed it unnecessary.’

‘Did…did K’mara mention anything about the “eggs”?’

‘No.’

‘Did she know you were born from one of them?’

‘I told her who I was at that time.’

‘At that time?’

Yoongi puts the sift down into the sink carefully.

‘I Am,’ Yoongi replies with no context.

Yoongi and K’mara. Both of them actively involved with the Gaia Case together, possibly before it even became an actual issue in court. 

Before Sk’jin can ask any more questions, the door to Hoseok’s Cabin opens and for some reason Taeh’yung is on Jimin’s back while the Ngfy’widan follows after them looking a little better than when he stormed out of the Bridge.

‘I’m making dessert!’ he announces.

‘Dessert! Forward Chim!’ Taeh’yung yells exuberantly as he points ahead. Jimin just laughs and as though Taeh’yung was a small child, runs around with him on his back around the Lobby.

‘Children,’ Sk’jin snorts.

But instead Yoongi smiles- a softened look on his face as he watches Jimin running around with Taeh’yung on his back. Sk’jin wants to alert Hoseok, draw his attention to the Human but Hoseok clears his throat and says, ‘Are you free for a moment?’

Sk’jin looks away from Yoongi, the cheers and squeals coming from Jimin and Taeh’yung turning into breathless giggles as they chased each other about.

‘Well- I can multitask?’ Sk’jin indicates down at the bowl. His mind is still reeling from the information Yoongi so casually dropped. Hoseok should know about this- or should he?

‘I don’t know what happened to you,’ Hoseok begins with no preamble. ‘Or much about anything that’s happened in that planet, how it relates to you- but do you really think any of this will actually bring about anything productive? I know what you said about going here- but even now, after what just happened, and knowing more about those Omhlophe Beings, are you still willing to take a risk for something that could potentially turn out to be nothing more than a waste of time?’

Sk’jin perfectly understands why Hoseok is clearly confused over his agreement to this trip. Back in Pompa, Sk’jin hadn’t exactly portrayed himself in the strongest light in regards to what happened in his past. So it was understandable that Hoseok would find his sudden change of mind to be questionable.

‘Jimin…’ Sk’jin begins quietly. ‘Jimin’s presence here. Who he is- where he’s from, and what he can do, all strangely ties in with everything we’re involved in. It might even be the reason why we’re all here in the first place. Or it could all just be over-thinking,’ Sk’jin admits truthfully. ‘But I can’t deny that there is something- connecting all of us with each other- to Jimin- to this planet, and what happened there. Not to mention the fact that these eggs seem to exist everywhere now. We’ve come this far- and I don’t want to remain in the dark about any of this anymore.’

Sk’jin is being genuine- after watching Jimin, listening to his story, putting all of the facts and data they knew- there was an undeniable desire building in him to recklessly dive in and discover what any of this meant.

And there was also another thing to all of this that was fuelling his decision.

‘And I also made a promise,’ Sk’jin adds casually, reaching for a baking tray. ‘Can you hand me a loaf of bread- the lighter one, please.’

Hoseok, unsure of this statement as well as randomness of his request, obliges in silence.

Taeh’yung and Jimin are still laughing, somehow having roped Yoongi into their antics. Taeh’yung uses Yoongi as a shield of sorts, hiding behind the much shorter Human as he giggles madly. Jimin tries his best to go around but Sk’jin has a feeling that despite looking like he didn’t want to be there, Yoongi was actually participating, deflecting Jimin’s attempts with such subtlety it could be overlooked.

‘…so what’s this supposed to be?’ Hoseok asks.

‘A sort of pudding,’ Sk’jin explains as he crumbles the bread into another bowl.

‘You’ve made it before?’ Hoseok asks, looking down at the preserves and cream mixture.

‘No- I just thought the combination should be nice,’ Sk’jin replies truthfully.

Hoseok gives him an amused look before laughing under his breath.

‘Is there another reason why you’re leaving?’ Sk’jin asks as he flattens the bite-size pieces of bread into a tray.

Hoseok fidgets for a moment, glancing out of the kitchen window, a distant look in his eyes.

‘There’s a lot,’ Hoseok mumbles, absent mindedly popping a piece of bread in his mouth. ‘But I don’t think I can do this anymore. But you guys don’t have to worry- it’s not like I’m going back to the GLA or Venture Unit. I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not welcome there anymore.’

‘If you have nowhere to go- you could just stay here,’ Sk’jin offers. ‘If it’s all the same to you.’

Hoseok shakes his head, smiling ruefully as he says, ‘I think, you know as well as I do, that it’s never like that.’  

Sk’jin nods in reply.

‘What do you think you’ll do now?’ Sk’jin asks as he grabs the preserve and cream batter. Hoseok holds the tray down for him as he pours the thick batter over the bread.

‘Go under for a few sols- if it’s just me, it’s easy,’ Hoseok replies with an easy shrug and Sk’jin believes him. Other than Yoongi, Hoseok would probably be the most difficult Being to find if he chose to remain hidden. And it wasn’t just because of his abilities as a Ngfy’widan.

‘If I hear about anything- I’ll try to get it to you guys,’ Hoseok adds.

Sk’jin chuckles at that, shaking his head.

‘You should stay away as much as you can,’ he advices with a wink.

‘Well you know me- attracted to danger,’ Hoseok winks back easily.

‘Take that handsome face away and put that tray in the oven,’ Sk’jin huffs as though flustered.

Hoseok laughs easily as he takes up the tray.

‘Children! What do you want to drink?’ Sk’jin calls out.

‘ANYTHING IS GOOD!’ Taeh’yung yells back amidst scuffling sounds.

By the time tea (without any trace amounts of radioactive isotopes) is set and poured into cups, and the pudding fully baked, Sk’jin calls the children over. This time Jimin is on Taeh’yung’s back, having finally managed to grab a hold of the Zhak’gri. Yoongi follows after them.

Despite Namjoon’s obvious absence looming around them, they have a relatively easy-going and light-hearted impromptu dessert-meal together. Jimin is clearly singing praises about the dish, having first taken a bite with some dubiousness.

They didn’t have any whipping cream, so Sk’jin wasn’t able to decorate the weirdly toasted yet mushy reddish lump that was pudding preserve. But despite it’s weird appearance, it tasted very delicious and the tray was emptied in minutes.

Food seemed to be the universal language of gathering and bring everyone together as a whole. Because despite the tense moment in the Bridge and the result that came about from it, they’re all freely conversing. Or at least trying to.

‘Tae- how about you and Jimin archive his language?’ Sk’jin suggests as Taeh’yung struggles to translate the more complex questions Jimin has about the food. ‘This will make everyone’s lives easier I think- especially Jimin’s, if he can easily communicate with us, even if it’s the basics.’

Taeh’yung nods enthusiastically at that, quickly translating Sk’jin’s suggestion to Jimin who is also nodding quickly, looking around for the screen Namjoon had fitted for him. Hoseok also looks on intrigued at the application Namjoon had designed.

‘It’s almost like every other GLA standard language translator during Exploration missions,’ Hoseok remarks. ‘It provides examples of key phrases that should carry the most commonly used words in a given language and forms a pattern based off of it. Except in this case, it also creates a response back to the foreign language, allowing the alien to converse back.’

Taeh’yung translates this excitedly and Jimin’s eyes brighten up, looking relieved and delighted. He turns to Yoongi, taking the Human’s hand in his as he excitedly speaks to him. There’s a slight look of alarm in the Human’s eyes, still not used to the way Jimin so freely interacted with him. Sk’jin looks away, trying to ignore the way his chest feels the faintest of pain.

Using their distraction, Sk’jin slips away quietly and pulls up another cup and saucer. He knows Hoseok is watching as he carries the items with him upwards.

‘You sound like you’re having quite the party,’ Namjoon says dully even before Sk’jin can make his way to the Navigator’s Mast. It was dark inside the Bridge and Sk’jin feels like an exasperated parent trying to amend some argument between his sons. Namjoon is slumped on his chair, eyes unfocused as he gazes out of the large HUD windows.

‘If you’re talking about the loud laughter, it’s all Taeh’yung,’ Sk’jin comments before placing the cup of tea on the side of the Table. Namjoon eyes it cautiously, as though surprised and suspicious.

‘Look- I’m not the type to poison okay? That’s Yoongi,’ Sk’jin rolls his eyes and adds without preamble, ‘You should probably apologize to Hoseok- attempting to officially throw him out of the ship is a little much isn’t it?’

Namjoon scowls as he sips on the tea.

Sk’jin leans against the edge of the Navigation Table, something he knows Namjoon really doesn’t like.

‘He said he was leaving-‘ Namjoon says almost petulantly.

‘-and you saw that as a real threat?’

‘Why would he say it if he didn’t mean it?’

‘It was his attempt at bargaining- he knew you wanted to go- ing Spaces he even agreed to go, he was literally the one who officiated the marriage of our opinions.’ Sk’jin waves a hand about. Namjoon doesn’t look amused by his analogy. ‘And you simply stopped it all.’

‘So now you want me to go and apologize and ask him to stay and go to Grisial?’ Namjoon asks back.

Sk’jin wants to roll his eyes until they roll back permanently. Instead he sighs as patiently as possible and reaches over to flick Namjoon’s ear.

‘I don’t want you to do anything you little -head,’ Sk’jin says calmly. ‘I want you to maybe stop thinking out of your for a moment but seeing as you can’t at the moment I brought you tea- because it’s supposed to make you Zen or something.’

He expects Namjoon to retort back a snappy remark but he gets nothing.

Sk’jin wonders if Namjoon knows about Yoongi’s involvement with K’mara and how far that transaction had gone on. He has half the mind to tell the Kutsoglerin but stops himself. It was, at this moment, inconsequential. And Yoongi hadn’t regarded it as a secret of sorts, so Namjoon would come to know the next time Yoongi drops an extraordinary fact about himself on them.

‘Take a ing moment and be calm. You’re smarter than this. Be smarter than this.’ Sk’jin adds before he pushes himself off of the Table and makes his way to the exit again before calling back, ‘And stop sulking in the dark! You’re a grown adult!’

*

Yoongi wants to talk to someone. Though he’s not sure how to instigate it. He could just ask someone if they had a moment to spare. That was the standard in most of the books he’s read. So now the question was: who to ask?

He immediately rules out Taeh’yung.

Yoongi feels he’ll be more confused.

He also rules out Sk’jin. He has a feeling things might take a completely different route on this one if he’s able to fully finish what he wants to discuss.

He weighs in on Namjoon. But the Captain was more than just distracted. News that more of the eggs were out and about the Universe- and that too in Kutsoglera, really seemed to have shaken Namjoon. That and the argument from the Bridge.

So that’s why he corners Hoseok in his Cabin, fresh out of a shower.

‘Fucking Spaces Yoongi!’ Hoseok hisses, holding up a TeorSer right at Yoongi’s forehead.

He had impressive reflexes though if Yoongi wanted he could have definitely dodged and disarmed Hoseok but now was not the time. He’s also quite sure no one showered with a TeorSer on their being so he’s confused as to where and how Hoseok pulled that TeorSer out from.

‘Do you have a moment.’

Hoseok gapes at him for a moment before sighing and nodding.

‘When do you have a moment.’ Yoongi asks.

‘Uh…I guess now is as good a time as any?’ Hoseok replies, tightening the towel around his waist.

'I want to talk.'

'...okay...' Hoseok pauses in his movements, looking like he wanted to ask Yoongi a question. But he moves on, walking towards his dresser. 'What about?'

'This.' Yoongi hands Hoseok the clip who takes it with a confused expression.

‘What’s this?’ Hoseok holds up the sparkly purple hair clip.

‘Jimin bought it for me.’

‘…I mean…’ Hoseok squints at the object. ‘I guess it’s pretty?’

‘I think he wanted to tell me something.’

‘About your past you mean?’ Hoseok asks sharply.

‘I think I had a sister.’ Yoongi states simply.

Hoseok looks up from the clip and then at Yoongi.

‘Are you remembering? Things from your past?’

Yoongi still had the records Namjoon had given him- untouched, unread. Namjoon had said it was monumental. But Yoongi doesn’t know why it should be. He only knows that he wouldn’t really understand most of what he read if he were to explore the contents.

‘I am different,’ Yoongi tries to explain. ‘There are things, inside database- inside my mind- that are new. Or improved. Or regressed. But there is something I didn’t know before.’

‘So do you understand what that is?’ Hoseok asks as he returns the clip.

‘No. And yes.’

Hoseok pauses at that, blinking a few times before asking, ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘I have an answer for that; an understanding based on what I have come to know from being Awake,’ Yoongi replies. ‘But my answer only brings more questions, and I have no definite answers for those.’

‘So…why don’t you tell me your answer? Maybe we can put things together? From an outer perspective,’ Hoseok offers.

Yoongi nods, this was exactly what he wanted to do.

‘Jimin says that he knew me. That I existed, and Was, all those sols ago.’ Yoongi begins, ‘He also says that I died.’

Hoseok nods, reaching for a shirt, a lone one hanging inside the dresser. Yoongi notices Hoseok’s bags are all packed.

‘Yet I am here. And so is he.’

Hoseok nods again.

‘But I do not remember what happened. But he does.’ Yoongi fidgets with the clip in his hand. ‘We spoke, we communicated- we protected each other. And I died. I do not remember, but he does.’

‘Okay…so what are you trying to say?’ Hoseok asks as he pulls the shirt over his head.

‘The scar on my back,’ Yoongi replies. ‘I have it. But he doesn’t. The rest of the GIU had it. But Jimin, who was inside the same OrTanks I came across in the Yisheng Headquarters, doesn’t have it.’

‘And none of the GIU, before you that is, had a cognitive memory or response to their existence,’ Hoseok ruminates slowly.

Yoongi nods in reply.

‘So my answer to your question is yes, I understand why this is happening to me,’ Yoongi has a strange feeling curling in the pit of his stomach. It was similar to how he felt when he first started waking up, and when he fell down the side of Zhoumi’s living complex.

A strange rush- light yet heavy at the same time, taking over his stomach.

‘The Human Jimin knew was not me,’ Yoongi states bluntly. ‘I am born of him- created and harvested, an exact replica- a complete and identical clone. The Human Jimin knew was not me. I am not that Yoongi.’

Hoseok pauses halfway pulling up his trousers.

‘So then…Jimin has remained the same. He hasn’t been replicated or cloned- the way you have, if what you’re saying turns out to be the truth of course,’ he adds as he slowly pulls his leg through the trousers. ‘So then why not replicate Jimin?’

‘That’s a question I cannot answer,’ Yoongi replies quietly and continues slowly, ‘But there’s also another question I cannot answer.’

Hoseok finally manages to wear his trousers, tossing his towel to the side.

‘And that is?’

‘I see dreams,’ Yoongi feels an almost strange sense of disassociation as he speaks.

‘What sort of dreams?’ Hoseok asks, pulling up his chair and taking a seat, leaning over to listen closer.

‘Of sunlight and rain- tiredness and pain. Of a planet I do not know. Of faces I do not recognize. Of voices I do not know. Of feelings I cannot comprehend. Of myself- but not quite myself. Of sunrises that never make it to day. Of Jimin.’ Yoongi lists the sights and visions that have laced through the darkness of his sleep for the past sols of being Awake. But now with Jimin’s arrival, his dreams were more than just blurred colours and shapes and sounds. There was form, line, and sense to the dreams he saw. And in them he sees Jimin.

‘Are these dreams…or are they memories?’ Hoseok asks carefully.

‘I cannot answer that- I do not know.’

Hoseok is quiet for a while, finger worrying at the edge of his trouser cuffs as he sits crossed legged.

‘When you clone someone,’ Hoseok begin seriously, ‘There is no possible way of cloning their memories- or their personalities. Memory, personality, perception- is all different no matter how similar you try to recreate the conditions by which they were created.’

Yoongi nods in agreement. He read the studies on cloning (illegal and banned with penalty of lifetime imprisonment in Teronko’ng Prison), and it had all been the same. Identical Beings were created, but none were the same in personality. In fact most cloning came out entirely wrong and incredibly ineffective.

‘Is this part of their technology?’ Hoseok ruminates slowly. ‘Is it something they do?’

‘I think it might have something to do, in their inherited obsession of finding a digitized soul.’

The moment Yoongi says it, he can tell from Hoseok’s response it’s something he wasn’t expecting. Hoseok’s eyes widen, yellow rings bright and alarmed.

‘What-‘

‘I am not a digitized soul,’ Yoongi states clearly.

‘…how can you know for sure-‘

‘Because I have seen one. I am not like him,’ Yoongi explains quietly.

‘You met-‘ Hoseok seems to balk at this. He stammers a bit.

‘Sk’jin has, so has Taeh’yung. But I don’t know if they knew.’ Yoongi adds.

Hoseok blinks a few times, head shaking a little as though trying to shake himself into understanding.

‘So…so if you’re not…then what are you?’

‘An attempt. A mass product. A failure,’ Yoongi replies. ‘Just a pawn to be used.’

Hoseok’s expression shifts, a ripple of pain spreading across his features.

‘Then why do you continue on?’ the Ngfy’widan asks quietly.

‘Because I want to know,’ Yoongi replies simply. ‘I want to know all the answers.’

Hoseok smiles but there’s no warmth to it.

‘Knowing doesn’t always make things better. It makes it worse.’

‘I know.’ Yoongi replies. ‘I want to know- not just for me. But for all of them. For the faces that I promised to remember. For Jimin.’

‘But Jimin remembers,’ Hoseok sounds confused.

‘But he doesn’t know why,’ Yoongi replies. ‘He left his home to understand why. And he never could. I promised him that I would protect him, that’s what Jimin said, and by doing so, I know I will find the answers.’

‘So the answers…could come from Jimin?’ Hoseok says tentatively.

‘They will.’ Yoongi replies.

Hoseok is clearly surprised by his confidence, his belief.

‘Namjoon found my records. From Earth- when I was alive,’ Yoongi adds without pause. He’s sure he’s read somewhere that there were better ways of going about a conversation. But he had a lot to say. And Hoseok wasn’t going to be there after today. So Yoongi doesn’t have time. Speaking of which.

‘Don’t leave.’

Hoseok looks like he’s not quite sure what to feel.

‘Wait- go back,’ Hoseok waves a hand. ‘You found your old records? Have you gone through them?’

‘No. I don’t…I don’t know if…-‘ Yoongi stops.

‘I understand,’ Hoseok cuts in gently, nodding at the clip in his hand. ‘It’s a lot to take in.’

Yoongi supposes so.

‘Why do you want to leave?’

Hoseok leans back, exhaling heavily.

‘I can’t watch this go on in this vein anymore,’ Hoseok shakes his head. ‘I am not going to relive this again.’

‘Does this have to do with your father’s involvement in the Gaia Case?’ Yoongi asks.

Hoseok hesitates before he nods. The Ngfy’widan looks like he’s weighing his options, eyeing Yoongi carefully. But Yoongi sees the way his expression of hesitance dissipates entirely- like he’d just given up. A sort of reckless abandon overtaking the latter.

‘How much do you know about me and my involvement in the Venture Unit?’ Hoseok asks as he gets up and falls to sit on his bedding instead.

Yoongi knew a lot. He even accessed the full video footage of the massacre as they dubbed it. But instead he replies, ‘Enough.’

Hoseok snorts at that, making himself comfortable on the bed and leaning all the way back onto the wall, legs stretched out before him.

Yoongi decides that he will take a seat on the chair. According to what he read in ’20 Easy Steps for Your Android to be more Life Like!’ in step 6, they said that most living Beings didn’t stand still for extended periods of time. That they shifted about a lot. And this was very true. Both Sk’jin and Taeh’yung rarely ever stayed still for longer than a minute. Namjoon was always fidgeting, hands moving a lot. Hoseok himself was prone to doing that too.

He’s about to sit at the chair when Hoseok’s damp towel catches his attention. A flare of irritation fills him for a fraction of a second. And before he knows it, he’s moving towards the offending piece of fabric. Picking it up, he spreads it out over the back of the chair and finally sits.

‘…why did you do that?’ Hoseok eyes the towel and then Yoongi. Yoongi doesn’t really know how to explain the urge that suddenly filled him out of nowhere when he saw the crumpled towel. Or the irritation.

‘…it was annoying.’

Hoseok eyes him for a solid moment before he speaks.

‘When I was “invited” to join the Yisheng’s cause of Universe-Domination by my father- it obviously messed up a lot of things,’ Hoseok scoffs. ‘I didn’t know what to think- and when I did, I had too many thoughts, too many questions, too much of everything. I couldn’t look at what I considered to be normal or routine as normal or routine anymore- I suspected everything and everyone. I almost went mad with the idea that everything was fake- everything was just one grand illusion- a cover-up for a cover-up for a cover-up and on and on, stacked layers of deceit and lies. And in all of this I just wanted the truth- I just wanted answers. And I searched for them- and I did all I could to get them. In the end, it destroyed the Venture Unit, it destroyed my family, and it has probably destroyed countless other families, countries, even whole planets and systems.’

Yoongi knows Hoseok is not exaggerating. Every action had a consequence, no matter how big or small. One object in motion is extremely likely to trigger another object in motion. And that would form a pattern of creating motion. On and on and on.

And this particular one Hoseok is talking about was the event that caused the Venture Unit to purge itself, inside out. The exact official count of the Beings who died during this purge has never been counted.

Because it was still ongoing.

‘I knew what I was getting myself into. But I didn’t stop- it was too close to me, as a Being, as a son-‘ Hoseok pauses here. ‘I wanted to know more- I wanted to understand why­- and that’s exactly what Namjoon is doing right now. What Sk’jin is doing.’

‘You regret it.’

‘Of course I regret it!’ Hoseok exhales a humorless laugh. ‘Not a single day- a single minute-‘

Hoseok takes a deep breath and shakes his head as he speak, ‘So no- I am not going to involve myself in something like this again.’

Yoongi nods, maybe a little too late, and says, ‘Be safe.’

Hoseok looks surprised by his reply but gives him a small smile.

‘I’ll try,’ Hoseok huffs out with a humorless laugh but his expression is light and the air around him not as heavy. It was as though he too shed off some of the weight around his shoulders. He looks across at Yoongi and adds, ‘Is that all?’

‘One more thing,’ Yoongi had ruled Sk’jin out as a candidate to speak to because of this final segment he wanted to discuss.

‘What’s up?’ Hoseok asks, crossing his legs over each other and reaching over his bed for the night-stand where a bottle of water stood. Yoongi waits until Hoseok finishes drinking because he’s afraid that the Ngfy’widan might choke.

‘I think in the past, my relationship with Jimin might have been different.’

He does actually choke on air, hacking out a loud choking cough before settling down to calm himself. Hoseok grips the bottle in his hands almost apprehensively.

‘Okay…could you elaborate?’

Yoongi doesn’t know how to elaborate on this because it doesn’t make sense to him. Which was why he was even talking about it.

‘In my dreams- I…’ Yoongi pauses. ‘I feel different.’

‘…as in- physically? Or just- how you see things, or know things?’ Hoseok tries. Yoongi shakes his head.

‘All of that- but…whenever I see Jimin- I…’ Yoongi can’t explain the dreams- which he suspects are memories, but the very notion of that felt impossible. How could he inherit the memories of another Being he was cloned after? It was impossible.

‘In your dreams,’ Hoseok starts carefully. ‘Do you see yourself?’

‘See myself?’ Yoongi repeats.

‘Like…like in a movie- do you see yourself as an actor? Or is it as though you are seeing this through your own eyes?’

‘It’s me,’ Yoongi replies. ‘I see through my own eyes. When Jimin talks to me, I see him with my own eyes.’

Hoseok seems to have come to the same conclusion as Yoongi about memories and clones, a small frown settling on his features.

‘So you’re saying that your relationship with Jimin might have been…eh,’ Hoseok shrugs and adds with a hesitant expression, ‘Something more?’

‘I don’t know- because it’s different. I feel it in me, when I’m dreaming- I feel it, like it’s my own- but it’s his-‘ Yoongi really doesn’t know how to voice it.

His dreams have been laced with a strange sensation- one that fills him every time he spoke to Jimin, every time he looked at Jimin. He can’t explain it. And it doesn’t help because whatever he was feeling in his dreams/memories transferred out into reality.

‘Why don’t you talk to him about it?’ Hoseok suggests. ‘He can help you remember. If it’s something you want to do- maybe it will help you, maybe it will help Jimin too. Maybe it will help the mission.’

‘What’s the opposite of what might happen?’

Hoseok smiles ruefully at that.

‘Memories are tricky Yoongi,’ the Ngfy’widan says with a small shrug, going back to take another sip of water. ‘Because they outline who you are- and sometimes you don’t want to remember who you used to be.’

*

His hand is burning.

He picks up his bag and with one last sweeping glance around his Cabin, Hoseok walks out. There wasn’t a lot to pack up in the first place, so it hadn’t taken him long. He’s wearing what he wore when he first boarded the Užkulisai, so in a sense, there’s a nice feeling of completion.

To his surprise, Yoongi is standing outside his door, and he’s holding out the Heliord handle they had taken with them during their fight in the slaving ship back in Grezma.

‘I think you’ll be needing it more than I will Yoongi,’ Hoseok smiles.

Yoongi shakes his head and says, ‘You’re better using it.’

Hoseok wants to laugh because he knows for a fact that no one could defeat Yoongi in weapon usage. But he accepts it anyways and takes the handle from the Human.

‘Thank you.’

Yoongi nods and then as though really thinking it through, holds his arms out stiffly. It takes Hoseok a second too long to realize what Yoongi was trying to do and he can’t help but laugh out loud. He takes a step forward and embraces the all too stiff Human, patting his back in the process.

Yoongi steps away, looking the most uncomfortable Hoseok has ever seen him (except during that time when Jimin hugged him after he woke up in the Medical Bay).

‘Take care of yourself,’ Yoongi mumbles before he promptly walks away.

‘Isn’t he the cutest?’

‘ing Spaces-!’ Hoseok jumps when a pair of arms wrap around him from behind him. He hadn’t even left his Cabin – how in Spaces did Taeh’yung manage to slip in behind him without Hoseok noticing?!

‘Hi Hobi!’ Taeh’yung grins brightly, making himself shorter than Hoseok.

‘Eh- I can’t even stay mad at you,’ Hoseok grumbles as he struggles to walk forward, essentially dragging Taeh’yung along towards the stairs. He stops himself from taking the stairs and instead heads for the rarely used lift.

‘I’m gonna miss you Hobi,’ Taeh’yung states happily. ‘So will number 3!’

‘…I’ll you two too?’

‘No- it’s 3.’

‘…I’ll miss all of you?’

Taeh’yung makes a contemplative face, mouth puckering in thought.

‘I don’t know about 1, but I think 4 appreciates it. 2 doesn’t care but then again,’ Taeh’yung shrugs dismissively.

Hoseok manages to get them into the elevator and is a little alarmed to find himself actually breathless from tugging around Taeh’yung. He was going to have to increase his stamina level again.

‘I would go with you Hobi,’ Taeh’yung continues as though there had been no interruption or change of subject. ‘But I can’t.’

‘Stay with Jimin-‘ Hoseok knows how important Taeh’yung is to Jimin, and that was based only on the communications aspect of it.

‘Chim can take care of himself,’ is Taeh’yung’s unexpected reply. ‘I can’t leave Jin. Especially if we’re going there.’

‘What do you mean?’ Hoseok inquires worriedly. The Khol’isa had told him he’d be all right- and despite not knowing much about his history with the planet, Hoseok is still worried.

But the elevator doors open and Taeh’yung pushes them out. Sk’jin and Jimin are standing by the Hangar doorway facing the Lobby, Yoongi standing behind them.

A breeze fills the area- a natural breeze- and Taeh’yung inhales dramatically.

They had landed in Ts’ets’khli just about 15 minutes ago. The planet itself, much like every other planet in Ymir, was rather atmospherically toxic.

Ts’ets’khli was a rather large planet. Orbiting the planet were 3 half rings, creating a crooked and broken glittering ring of debris around the planet. From a distance, the planet was a powdery indigo, reflecting her natural state of geography and atmosphere. Ts’ets’khli was a very cloudy and misty planet, with a rather even distribution of land and water. The land was mainly mountains and valleys and due to the planet’s naturally acidic air. But unlike its sister-planets, Ts’ets’khli’s occupants dwelled underwater in large settlements, filtering their toxic air through intricate water-filtration systems. The landing docks were above water and had their own reinforced Atmoshield- allowing filtered air to flow through to mimic fresh and clean air.

Flying into the planet was tricky, what with all the heavy clouds and atmospheric storms with acidity levels that could melt rocks. But the GLA Officer on the Comm line made things easier as Sk’jin piloted them with ease through the opaque clouds and into a beautiful early morning sky.  

Jimin’s reaction to this planet was different, watching with quiet awe as they had flown over the faint glowing patches of light from the underwater settlements below. The rings around the planet cast their own unique light over the planet and Hoseok had held back a smile when Jimin traced the lines of light that fell into the Bridge right into Yoongi’s hair. Yoongi hadn’t moved, allowing Jimin to trace the tracks of light over his face and hair, watching his movements with confused yet content eyes.

Taeh’yung’s grip around him tightens as they walk over to the Hangar. The sun was starting to rise and it would soon be very warm. Hoseok would have to wait a full day before he can get another ship to go elsewhere.

‘We’re like an unhealthy relationship,’ Sk’jin laughs in greeting. ‘Only together for the drama. Though none of us are getting any make-up from this.’

Hoseok is surprised to find that he might actually miss Sk’jin’ antics.

‘We can have make-up if it means you’ll stay!’ Taeh’yung cries out, now wriggling down like some weird worm to the floor.

Sk’jin laughs so much Jimin ends up laughing as well.

Taeh’yung is latched onto his leg, long limbs successfully wrapping themselves in a weird knot. He looks up, eyes pleading and wide. Hoseok feels like he’s leaving behind a beloved pet.

‘Yeah well- I’ll get going,’ Hoseok says as he tries, with very small success, to get his leg out of Taeh’yung’s grip.

This felt weirdly awkward. And wrong. But Hoseok can’t stay here anymore. Not with the direction they were headed- both literally and metaphorically. His hand is burning and Hoseok needs to leave before his touch incinerates everything again.

They follow him to the Hangar opening. Namjoon isn’t there. And Hoseok wasn’t expecting him to be either. The grip on his legs is gone; Yoongi had deftly released Taeh’yung’s grip around him in a scarily easy manner and dragged the Zhak’gri by his long legs to the side.

The sun is fully out as Jimin steps forward, hair gleaming in an almost unreal manner in the Ts’ets’khli sun. He holds out his hand and Hoseok wonders if he too should call Jimin ‘your majesty’ just for the sake of it. But he doesn’t- because out here under the sunlight and with the breeze flowing around them, there’s something majestic in the way Jimin stood.

Hoseok finds himself feeling oddly subdued. Was this the effect Jimin had on Beings? Or did he just naturally command this sort of reaction? Hoseok takes his proffered hand in his left hand. But Jimin shakes his head and pointedly looks down at his burning hand. Hoseok almost feels as though it could literally be on fire as he lifts up  his right hand.

Jimin takes it and presses both of his hands on either side, sandwiching Hoseok’s hand between his own. There’s a small hard object pressed into his palm and on instinct Hoseok takes a hold of it. Jimin smiles and kisses his hand.

It’s weird- because Hoseok feels like he should be getting on one knee and kissing this actual royalty on his hand instead. But Jimin takes a step back and gives him a small wave.

It’s unsettling as Hoseok turns his back to the Užkulisai. He doesn’t look back even though he knows they’re watching after him. He enters the aquatic-lift to take him down to the T’se’tskhlese settlements below and as he sits, comes in full view of the Užkulisai again.

Taeh’yung is prostrated on the ground, only his head arched up. Jimin is crouched next to him, patting his head in a soothing manner. Sk’jin is standing at an angle, making sure to absorb as much sunlight as possible. Yoongi lingers in the back, barely visible. And right next to the Human is Namjoon.

Hoseok sighs.

He didn’t hate Namjoon. He didn’t dislike any one of them. The last day before this had been awkward and expertly maneuvered so they didn’t meet. He wants to tell Namjoon this wasn’t against him- against any one of them. But he doesn’t know how well it will translate. He tries a small smile and finds that it’s not forced. He manages a small wave, hoping to convey to Namjoon that he didn’t have anything personal against him.

It was just the fact that this entire mission was starting to feel too personal, in a way he hadn’t imagined would be possible. The lift completely submerges into the water and Hoseok slowly breathes out.

It feels strange. There’s no sense of finality or end.

Not the way it had felt when he walked out of the Venture Unit.

Or when he walked away from his mother.

He fiddle with his hands, rolling the small Comm-Device Jimin had slipped into his hand. A way to stay connected. Hoseok would have put it back- could have put it back. But he kept it with him. Hoseok is dimly aware of the fact that his hand no longer felt like it was burning.

A great shadow passes over him and Hoseok looks up from his hand.

Ts’ets’khli, like her sister-planets, was not the kindest to living creatures. Her land had plants and other flora, but not so much in terms of living creatures. However, her oceans and seas did host quite a bunch of diverse species. And the most famous of all their creatures was the balèn.

Large than the Užkulisai, the balèn were aquatic creatures with long thick bodies, flapper like fins, and a large fin-tail that slowly propelled them forward. They were gentle creatures, and were rarely recorded to be aggressive. Their skin is bumpy and textured and as they float past the aquatic-lift, Hoseok involuntarily holds his breath, gripping his seat a little tighter.

But they pay him no heed, and the balèn swim past him, straight upwards.

They travelled in herds, that’s what Hoseok had read about them. But they normally lived quite deep down underwater, and rarely surfaced if at all. Yet here they were, more than a dozen, all slowly drifting upwards. And Hoseok knows the reason why even before he can formulate the thought in his mind. And somehow it makes him smile.

The balèn all huddle under the shadow of the dock where the Užkulisai was docked.

Maybe even these creatures could sense royalty.

*

Jimin doesn’t have to understand their language to sense the ongoing tension in the ship.

It was already there ever since he was aware of what was happening in his dreams. A rift in the bonds within them. And not because of lack of connectivity- but rather a reflection of their own insecurities projecting out. And now it was increasing, monumentally- and now it had grown so large it was pushing someone out.

Jimin brushes his hand through Taeh’yung’s hair where he’s prostrated himself on the floor of the ship. The Zhak’gri was exaggerating of course, but Jimin could sense genuine sorrow at seeing Hoseok leave.

‘Is this because of me?’ Jimin asks carefully. He knew that the crew had a lot of disagreements. He’s had his fair share of dealing with committees and boards that never got along and tended to make things difficult for each other. It was easy enough to sense the discord and paranoia laced throughout the ship.

‘No,’ Taeh’yung pouts. ‘This is just stupid.’

Jimin turns his head to find Sk’jin also still gazing out, red eyes gleaming under the sunlight. A shadow forms around his head, shaped into two distinct shapes- an echo of what was. Taeh’yung had explained in some detail, what had happened to Sk’jin. But beyond what he knew, Jimin could sense what he can only describe as a storm brewing deep within this Being. A deep dark bloody storm that was contained and somewhat lost in this Being. But what confused Jimin about this, was how the storm had no beginning, but only a very violent and clear end.

Namjoon calls from behind them, already turning his back. He was probably telling them to get ready to leave.

Sk’jin says something along with Taeh’yung’s name before he too turns around and heads back inside. Only Yoongi remains, looking out with disconcertingly blank eyes.

The Human looks away from where Hoseok had previously and meets Jimin’s gaze , as though sensing it almost immediately. Jimin wants to see the liveliness and sheer strength of Life shining in the Human’s eyes again. He wants to see that familiar smile, hear that lilting voice as he laughs or cracks an obvious joke or smart response. But the look in Yoongi’s eyes haven’t changed.

He smiles, in hopes of having the Human smile back, like how he used to. But Yoongi doesn’t. Instead he walks up to them, and to Jimin’s surprise, sits next to Jimin. Taeh’yung turns his head, giving the Human a bright smile.

‘Yoongi looks like he doesn’t know what to do under the sunlight,’ Taeh’yung comments as he stretches rather violently.

‘He used to move through the woods as quickly as possible to get to sunlight before,’ Jimin says, watching Yoongi’s profile for a moment before looking down at Taeh’yung. ‘He was always looking for the sun. I think it made him feel better- like he was back on his planet.’

A pang of pain racks through Jimin. Earth had been destroyed not so long ago. Not only did Yoongi lose who he had been, but he lost his home in the process. Jimin cannot imagine how he must feel at this moment.

Taeh’yung turns over on his back, eyes nearly rolling back to look out into the sky. A breeze ruffles through his hair, a soft green glow in his eyes.

‘Do you know what it means?’ he asks.

‘What does what mean?’ Jimin asks in turn.

‘The nickname he gave you. Do you know what it means?’ Taeh’yung looks away from the sky and back at Jimin.

Taeh’yung had an interesting face- continuously changing though not in the same way as Hoseok’s did. Taeh’yung’s features shifted subtly, giving way to 4 distinctly different faces. Jimin can sometimes hear their voices when Taeh’yung spoke. It was very soft, and only audible if Jimin concentrated hard enough. And it was comforting.

Jimin has never met anyone like Taeh’yung before, and he doubts he ever will. Even the Yishengs he had met so long ago were nothing like the way Taeh’yung just existed.

He seemed to encompass Time, Memory, and Life- yet not possess any of it within him simultaneously- as though the raw power of those forces held no control over him.

‘No? Does it mean something funny?’ Jimin laughs, remembering the way Yoongi used to call the members of his team in altering names frequently. Sometimes the responses were to throw whatever was close at hand at the Human, amused scowls following quickly.

Taeh’yung laughs, a throaty laugh that Jimin associates with the oldest face that sometimes appears on Taeh’yung’s features. There’s a fond look on Taeh’yung’s face as he glances at the Human and then back at Jimin.

‘No- it means sunshine.’

*

On the first day itself, Hoseok finds a bunch of Excavators loitering around in an eatery and easily befriends the group. Ts’ets’khli had a unique geological history and if you were brave (stupid) enough to attempt going about on the Ts’ets’khli lands, then you could come across some very interesting minerals and deposits. These Excavators were clearly dumb enough to do exactly that and had just finished recovering from the intense acid burns all over their bodies. Despite wearing specialized gear, Ts’ets’khli’s atmosphere altered all the time, rendering it impossible to accurately pinpoint how and when the acidity in the air would change.

Hoseok makes friends with them easily, shifting in to the form of a Tayian (the go-to, most trust-worthy species form based on Hoseok’s experience) and taking up the identity of a lone traveller searching for his inner-self past the privileged confines of Raksane Tayi. His disguise is accepted and unquestioned and he’s welcomed to their ranks (with the added bonus of units) and Hoseok has a ship to get to a System some 90 light years away. That had been 2 days ago. And now they were going to leave the next morning.

Hoseok still can’t shake the feeling of being unsettled- as though he’d forgotten something.

And he knows he hasn’t forgotten anything. He rolls his eyes at himself and excuses himself from the Excavators under the pretense of being too drunk. Which is a joke because Ngfy’widan’s had a strong internal system and rarely got drunk. Dropping his drunken walk (an art form in itself) Hoseok walks back to where the Excavators parked their terrain-based vehicle.

As Hoseok easily walks through the crowds of people going about the night market, his attention is caught by the sight of a bunch of Beings who were easily pirates. Ignoring them and taking a different route, Hoseok casually strolls through the street, pretending to window-shop. He glances at the window-displays, absent mindedly wondering if he should get his hair trimmed when loud carrying voices come towards him in the form of other pirates. They’re scurrying, clearly in a hurry, pulling a gravity-lift with them.

‘-Khonen should have already been here,’ one of them hisses angrily just as they make it into Hoseok’s ear-shot.

‘They’re going to ing flip- we were supposed to meet up. Have they left already-‘

The sound of the crowds rush in again.

Hoseok can’t help himself as his body turns casually and follows after the two pirates. They’re both lugging gravity-lifts, behind which were stacked a pair of sealed OrTanks. A shiver runs down his spine.

Hoseok tries to stop but it’s too ingrained into his Being.

Studying the two in front of him, he notices their clothing and their appearances- they were just like Khonen. Had the smugglers he  mentioned before already here? Or were these other smugglers? He casually checks out their OrTanks. They were the standard issue tanks- but were large enough to fit the OrTanks that had contained Jimin.

Hoseok easily walks past them when they meet up with some of their other crew. They’re angrily discussing amongst themselves while Hoseok walks over to a stand selling trinkets. He finds hairclips and briefly thinks about Yoongi. Out of the corner of his eyes, the smugglers all gather and begin moving. This time, there’s another added gravity-lift with them carrying an additional pair of OrTanks.

Randomly purchasing a star-shaped clip that was similar to the one Yoongi had shown him, Hoseok trails after them easily.

Just as he thought, they were headed for one of the aquatic-lifts. Hoseok walks past a few shops, snitching some items here and there and quickly changes his external clothing and shifts his face again. When they reach the lift, a few Beings were already there. Hoseok acts drunk again, tripping on his feet and losing his balance.

Some laughter follows as he attempts to stand and no more attention is paid to him. He trips after the smugglers and collapses on one of the chairs.

‘C-can someone wake- wake me up when we get up?’ he hiccups, words slurred and slow.

‘Yeah yeah- go off now,’ they snort. Hoseok’s head snaps back and he fakes passing out.

‘No word from Khonen?’ one of them asks gruffly.

‘Nothing- it’s why they’ve gone to check.’

‘I know our deal- but do they have to be here? They give me the creeps- and what are these anyways? We don’t traffic other Beings! This is the worst of illegal !’

‘We don’t have a choice! We have to do this!’

It’s silent after that.

‘Besides- it’s just that one last delivery from Khonen- and then we can take back what we need.’

‘Not all of it.’

‘This is business-‘

‘-our planet is not a business-‘

‘-it’s the only thing we can do! You think the heads of states care? Shut your mouth and just stay quiet! We don’t ask questions and we get what we need!’

Hoseok feels cold.

Khonen was back in Ubhuku, memories wiped clean from his mind. His hand starts to burn up, fiery warmth over his fingers, up his wrist.

And now it would seem the Omhlophe were headed there- or at least already there. How did they travel so quickly?

‘Should we wake him up?’

‘I doubt he’ll wake up,’ one of them snorts. ‘Can you smell that? It’s strong .’

They huff a little and exit the aquatic-lift. Moving quickly and swiftly, Hoseok slips past the closing doors of the lift, his form shifted. Discarding his jacket and picking up another shirt, Hoseok makes his way across the large Dock.

It was night but well lit. He catches up with their group a minute later, moving along the shadows of the ships docked there.

Hoseok is unsure where any of this was going to lead. What it would show him, or where it would take him. But he nonetheless activates the tracker in the Comm-Device and quickly attaches it to his ear. If he discovers something- anything – then he would be able to instantly alert Sk’jin.

He quietly thanks Jimin for slipping the device into his palm.

They stop at a large rather ordinary ship. Hoseok makes a round in its perimeter and estimates the crew at no more than 15 Beings. So far, no signs of the Omhlophe.

Quickly making his way into the ship, Hoseok sneaks in unseen and undetected.

Just like he suspected there were no surveillance, no active crew members, and zero security measures. He easily makes his way into the Bridge area. So far, nothing odd stood out to him. But then again, this ship was almost identical to Khonen’s ship. Nothing was out of the ordinary there too.

At the Bridge there are two Beings- both asleep.

Quietly Hoseok makes his way to their Navigation Table. Without the proper screen or identification or Namjoon’s hacking skills, Hoseok would have no way of getting through its contents. However, a small NaviLet is casually open to the side of one of the sleeping Being’s head. Without a sound, Hoseok reaches over and picks up the device.

Creeping out of the Bridge, he nearly shows himself but the smuggler who runs past him is too hassled to really notice Hoseok’s shadowed form in the dark hallway.

A bunch of them walk out quickly as well, groaning as they do so. Which was perfect because Hoseok now had a clear path to the Hull. Based on Van Seulgaan’s ship, all of the OrTanks had been stored there. So Hoseok quickly makes his way down.

He’s almost disappointed to find nothing when he ducks his head around the opening to the Hull. But the sound of footsteps alert him and he slips behind one of the engine-cores to the side. One of the smugglers from earlier in the night comes in with a gravity-lift and a pair of OrTanks. He walks straight towards Hoseok and past him to another section. He tugs at what looks like an ordinary lever-switch and the floors to one side slides open to reveal a dark ramp. Hoseok keeps still until the smuggler goes in and reappears a minute later.

He switches off the lights and leaves the Hull.

Waiting another minute, Hoseok activates his Heliord, the handle tucked away inside the inner pocket of his shirt, to shed some light. He finds the same lever and pulls on it. The floor opens quietly again and Hoseok steps onto the ramp. It’s darker in here than above and Hoseok carefully activates the Heliord on full power.

The under-floor storage is no ordinary storage space.

Two entire rows of OrTanks, stacked over each other, lined up the sides and middle of the storage hull. And inside of them lay a floating Being, suspended in mist-like fluid, eyes closed. Over towards the end, the OrTanks he had seen being pulled in stood there, still covered.

Hoseok feels a shiver running down his back. He takes a single step forward and as though creating a chain reaction, all the Being inside the OrTanks slowly drift in the misty-fluid to face him.

‘-‘ Hoseok reaches for his Comm-Device. He had to tell the others about this now. The NaviLet in his hand suddenly vibrates- nearly making him drop it. The screen was blank and unresponsive. Frowning, Hoseok pockets it safely inside his shirt and taps on his ear.

‘They listen to you. Because he has seen your dreams. Their dreams.’

Hoseok is quick to raise the Heliord over his torso, taking a few steps back and angling it to protect his chest as he crouches down in quick defence. But there is no attack.

Only a single Being stands by the door. An all too familiar unknown Being, clad fully in white, face partially masked, and their entire stance extraordinarily stagnant.

The Omhlophe.

‘Where are the others? We did not sense him arriving here. Or perhaps it was simply the water.’

The Being’s voice is neither male nor female- neither rough or smooth. There was something oddly automated and delayed with the words- as though they simply repeated the words given to them.

‘I’m here alone,’ Hoseok states, repositioning his foot to make a quick run past the Being if he could manage.

They weren’t supposed to be here- unless that smuggler from earlier had been misinformed. Did they go to Ubhuku and already come back? His hand holding the Heliord burns hotter.

‘You still stay here, Ngfy’widan. And then,’ it says, voice strangely flat and monotone, as though forced through a stabilizer of sorts. ‘They will come for you.’

‘I don’t work for the Venture Unit anymore,’ Hoseok states. ‘I am no longer an agent- I have nothing to offer you.’

‘We do not care for the Venture Unit,’ it replies. ‘We speak of your ship. We speak of the Kutsoglerin, of the Human, of the Khol’isa, of the Zhak’gri. And now of the Yemenifesi Ch’inik’eti.’

‘They won’t,’ Hoseok shrugs easily, his heart racing and his mind frenzied. They knew who Jimin was. ‘I quit- I am no longer part of their team. Working conditions- too much from the Pageant.’

‘They will come for you,’ it repeats. ‘And until then, you will remain among us.’

Hoseok doesn’t even see it move but the Heliord in his hand is now in the Omhlophe’s possession and it’s already standing past the doorway that was now closing.

‘Namjoon are you there-‘ Hoseok calls at once. He first feels the trickle of something sliding down his neck and then the pain hits him.

The entire side of his face feels like it’s burning and his body convulses from delayed shock. Hands shaking he feels at the side of his head, struggling to stand up as he feels the lower half of his ear has been clear ripped-off.

His Comm-Device is missing.  

‘-! ing Spaces-!’

Hastily ripping at the edge of his shirt, Hoseok tears a make-shift bandage to wrap around his head, hoping to stem the bleeding. He grits his teeth as the over-sensitive exposed flesh of his ear is pressed down by the rough fabric of his shirt. Taking a deep breath Hoseok scans the under-floor storage for anything he could use.

The OrTanks are secured and bolted to frames to keep them contained. There were security harnesses for maintenance workers and or androids and Hoseok makes his way there. There had to be some sort of maintenance kit here. Or a port for electric units and chargers. But there’s none. It’s dark but Hoseok doesn’t have an issue with the darkness. However, the darkness gives way to the soft and eerie light of the OrTanks.

He feels the ship start up, the air humming in vibration.

He was stuck.

‘.’

Securing himself into place on the wall, Hoseok leans back, taking a deep breath.

The Omhlophe were here- and they had left to check on Khonen and his ship because they clearly felt like something was wrong. And whatever these eggs were- they were important to them.

And more than that- they knew exactly who Jimin was.

And they wanted him.

He needs to get some form of communication through with the Užkulisai, to tell them to flee as far as possible. To take Jimin far away. He doesn’t know why they want him- but it couldn’t be for any good. He would have to be hidden- they would all need to work even harder to hide him. But how long would it take until they find him?

With both the GLA and the Omhlophe after them- and judging by how things were, they both knew exactly where they were headed. It was only a matter of time before either of them caught up to them in their trajectory to Bhumi.

He searches his pockets for any possible device he could use or attempt to fix to communicate with the Užkulisai. The NaviLet was switched off from the Navigation Table up in the Bridge so there was no chance of activating it unless he got to a power source to directly power it up. They had probably discovered that it was missing and so switched it off automatically. He puts the device back and his hand brushes against a small object. Pulling it out, Hoseok finds the clip he had bought in the market. He doesn’t remember even paying for it. He holds it up in his palm, the blue glitter catching the faint light of the OrTanks.

The burning sensation on his palm slowly abates.

*

(Author’s Note)

I AM SORRY

FOR BEING LATE

BUT WOW

UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN A TOTAL AND UTTER THESE PAST FEW WEEKS

AND ONE SPECIFIC PROFESSOR WHO WANTS TO SEE ME SUFFER I HATE HIM SO MUCH

I’m fine

So, my updates might be a bit random- but I will make sure to update every fortnight!! So don’t worry!!

I hope you enjoy the update!!!!