‘Taeh’yung!’

A flash of green erupts, flooding the Lobby and blinding everyone.  Hoseok feels himself being pushed backwards by the force of the rippling energy that expands all over and retreats back just as quickly right back to where Taeh’yung had fallen over.

‘Taeh’yung!’

Jimin is partially hyperventilating, face grimaced in pain as he struggles under Yoongi’s bodily protection. The Human made himself into a living shield, covering Jimin from whatever Taeh’yung had just released.

‘What the is going on-?!’

Hoseok heaves as he stands, dizzy and pained and more or less barely staggers forward a few steps before he hears Taeh’yung’s giggle.

‘Buggy-?’

Taeh’yung appears from behind the lounge seats, looking remarkably well save for the slight bloody mess on his neck. And in his arms he’s carrying Jungkook, who appeared to be-

‘-fucking Spaces did you kill him?!’ Hoseok demands, pain forgotten as he rushes forward.

‘What? No!’ Taeh’yung looks wounded at being questioned so, cradling Jungkook even closer away from Hoseok almost. ‘He’s my baby! And so young!’

‘Tae-‘ a pained gasp from behind him resounds across the room.

Taeh’yung’s wounded expression changes to comic worry the moment he notices Jimin and Yoongi. He unceremoniously dumps Jungkook on the cushions and Hoseok is almost afraid to check on the young Being.

Obviously Taeh’yung wouldn’t have killed him, not especially after that excited look on his face when he saw Jungkook. How could Taeh’yung know what Jungkook was?

‘Lisai, medical scan right now,’ Hoseok orders as he painfully picks up Jungkook again. He was knocked out cold, face still and expressionless and so so young. Hoseok looks away to stop himself from feeling anymore than he was comfortable with.

Taeh’yung is helping Jimin  who has a frown on his face, looking up and around almost confused before he asks, ‘Sk’jin?’.

‘He’s recovering,’ Taeh’yung tells him, sounding unexpectedly grave unlike how he had been cooing over Jimin and Yoongi just seconds ago. Jimin is still confused and with more strength and energy than Hoseok thought he possessed, Jimin trips forward and into the center Medical Bay.

Taeh’yung follows him at once but Yoongi remains behind.

‘Yoongi- you need to get checked too-‘

‘I think he has really realized it,’ Yoongi says unexpectedly.

‘Realized what?’ Hoseok asks, unsure what the context behind Yoongi’s words were.

‘That I am not Yoongi,’ is the Human’s extraordinary reply.

‘What do you mean?’

Hoseok really wishes that the Beings around him would stop talking in riddles and metaphors and incomplete monologues spoken out loud.

‘The Yoongi he knew would have never done this.’ Yoongi says as he helps Hoseok stabilize Jungkook in his arms. ‘The Yoongi he knew would have never let Sk’jin go. The Yoongi he knew would have never let him go.’

‘Yoongi this is hardly your fault-‘

‘He needs to put in a Bed,’ Yoongi swiftly takes over, taking Jungkook from Hoseok. ‘I’ll set him up, you’ll be needed in the Bridge-‘

‘Namjoon can handle it for now it’s on autopilot,’ Hoseok replies with a dismissive wave of his hand before adding, ‘

‘Even if the Yoongi in the past had done what I did today, he would be remorseful. He would feel guilt from his actions,’ Yoongi looks up, face splotched with discolouration from acid burns, dried blood, and dirty water. ‘I feel none.’

‘The “Yoongi in the past”? What do you mean?’ Hoseok frowns as they enter the closest Bay. ‘Do you remember?’

The whole ship suddenly tilts, the lights flickering a little. Hoseok rights himself, dropping Jungkook’s legs in the process.

‘Namjoon what was that-’

Yoongi darts to the side, pulling up a digital screen and accessing the surveillance from outside. It’s dark and only actually visible during the lightning strikes- but the stark and bright light formations are enough to inform  them both on what was happening.

‘We’re being shot at-!’ Hoseok curses as another missile fires at their wings. Though there is no harm done, it’s disconcerting in this weather and with so many injured.

‘How?! We’re undetectable-’

‘But we’re visible-’ Hoseok curses. ‘We need to lose them higher up in the clouds I’m coming right now-’

This time something very powerful erupts around them, the whole ship shuddering violently. The lights flicker and for a moment the Medical Beds almost light-out.

‘Magnetic-pulses,’ Yoongi states rather simply as he picks up Jungkook’s legs and places them over onto the Bed. ‘They’re trying to shut us down.’

‘Lisai activate Bed 3 for complete scan and diagnosis, follow up on any required operation required- induce temporary delta sleep.’

‘Understood.’

Quickly placing Jungkook inside the Bed and activating the emergency safety straps, Hoseok darts out, wincing with every step he ran.

‘Yoongi we need you at the Mast,’ he calls back before rushing up the stairs. ‘Buggy, you’re in charge of the Medical Bays- make sure they’re healing.’

‘Okay!’ is Taeh’yung’s much too bright response for such a situation. Though Hoseok doesn’t want to hear Taeh’yung sounding serious because that would end rather formidably for everyone involved.

Literally tripping into the Bridge, Hoseok balances himself and skids past Namjoon who is valiantly steering the ship. Hoseok would commend him but is rather alarmed to find that Namjoon was literally watching a video-guide on how to pilot the Uzkulisai through the welcome package that’s a part of Lisai’s system.

‘A guide?’ Hoseok comments, unable to help himself.

‘And I’ve managed to not crash us so it’s working fine,’ Namjoon snaps but any other comment is lost on Hoseok.

A sizeable portion of Namjoon’s bionic skin has been eroded, exposing the strange network of bionic mesh, metallic skeleton, and an alarming glimpse into what Hoseok can only reason is his brain.

‘.’

‘Yeah now not the time can you please take over I might actually break down from stress,’ Namjoon actually does look incredibly, and comically, stressed.

Hoseok slips into his seat, safety straps shoot out instantly, locking him in securely and just in time because a small fleet of flying Transporters appear directly before them and Hoseok takes over manually, pulling up sharp.   

‘We can’t warp with all the debris outside or the storm,’ Namjoon exhales out as though genuinely breathless as he takes actual physical steps away from the cockpit as though to distance himself from the experience.

‘We need to get past their moon at least.’

‘Are we on track?’

‘Coordinates have already been set-’

A bright explosion erupts around, tilting the ship dangerously again.

‘-’

‘They’re trying to get our wings,’ Hoseok frowns, ‘They’re not equipped enough to take us down or cause damage but-’

‘But what?’

‘This storm-’

Lightning bolts the width of the Užkulisai flashes before them, heavy, destructive, and Hoseok can practically feel its power, goose-bumps erupting over his arms. His hair stands on end as the air outside the ship ignites and bursts into molten specks of light, sparking up the glass, threatening to eat its way inside.

‘Lisai track lightning and-’

A bright surge of power ripples through the ship and it’s immediately followed by a flurry of missiles.

‘Are- are they actually timing this?!’ Namjoon curses, strapping himself next to Hoseok. ‘What the -!?’

A fleet of heavy large-framed Transporters appear out of nowhere, and to Hoseok’s horror physically drive themselves into the Užkulisai.

‘We need to take them down-’

‘Yoongi! Bridge now!’ Hoseok yells, a flare of irritation flooding him at the Human’s absence.

‘Is he all right-’

‘He’s fine-ish,’ Hoseok snaps before yelling, ‘Yoongi we need you at the Mast, Jimin will be alright Taeh’yung will see to him-‘

Yoongi appears, unfazed and calm looking. He walks down to the Mast, without so much as sparing them a glance and is seated at the Mast.

‘Well that didn’t take much convincing-’

‘Lightning forming in 2.1 seconds.’

‘Shift gravity-alignment to Bridge!’ Namjoon orders just before Hoseok dives downwards, the ship tilting down onto its nose. But before momentum and Ynqaba’s gravity tugs at them, the ship re-configures its internal gravity-generator and adjusts itself to the balance of the Bridge’s floor, mainly the cockpit.

And using this sudden dive as leverage and momentum, Yoongi fires, bright blue tails appearing to curve upwards and away through the storm. To Hoseok’s surprise, Yoongi has fired the ship’s arsenal of what he considers rather weak for a situation like this.

And despite the previous irritation, feels guilty as he glances at the back of the Human’s head. But now was not the time to be thinking of anything other than dodging lightning and Transporter’s turned missiles. Instead he pushes away any feelings of guilt at having snapped at Yoongi and concentrates on his confusion as to why Yoongi seemed to have rather pointlessly fired out those missiles.

That is until another massive bolt of lightning erupts right behind them.

It’s not just the sound of thunder that explodes with so much force and raw energy, and the lightning that branches out immediately after is laced in bright-blue, similar to that of the proton-missiles Yoongi had just fired.

‘The fleet behind us is gone.’ Namjoon reports rather mutely, as though in awe of Yoongi’s actions.

‘There will be more above us.’

‘I’ll clear the path,’ Yoongi announces from the front.

For some reason this sends a strange shiver down Hoseok’s back. Glancing over at Namjoon, the Kutsoglerin doesn’t seem to notice anything odd. Instead he’s concentrating on the NaviLet in his hands.

‘We still don’t know what happened to The Omhlophe’s ship- though the magnetic pulse would have taken them out for a few hours-’

‘-they’ve had plenty of time to recover since then,’ Hoseok completes his sentence. ‘But they can’t detect us like this- we at least have that.’

‘Doesn’t stop us from being visible- , how are they still tracking us through this storm?!’

From what Hoseok could gather about this planet in the short but stressful time he’s been here, it was that the planet and her people were, mildly putting it, hoarders.

The storm they were passing through was something of a gigantic blanket of charged particles and ions, creating its own channels, disrupting everything in its path that was remotely digital or computerized. Judging by how the Ynqabans made use of old mechanical constructs, and also judging the make and design of the Transporters he had seen in-planet and off-planet, it was safe to say they relied more on fuel rather than energy-cells, allowing them to survive and pilot their crafts through the acidic storm raging through their stratosphere.

This also meant that even the most simple and basic radio-based scanner would be able to detect the complete lack of this charged space. They were undetectable yes, but in this situation, that was what made them starkly visible.

‘We just need to get out of the storm,’ Hoseok grunts as he twists them sharply and then pulls them up.

Yoongi fires again and follows it up with another singular one right above them.

The light that erupts around them is blinding and lasts for almost a while 10 seconds until they’re suddenly above the storm, lightning chasing them upwards as though unwilling to let go.

Sparks melt and expand almost like rain on a window pane would before dissipating entirely as they now exit the planet. The storm below them looks almost solid, like a mass of slowly churning thick blackened water. Lightning erupts somewhere below, illuminating the sheer depth of the thunderstorm they had just escaped.

The Užkulisai shivers just a little as they burn through the final layers of the exosphere, leaving behind a dirty grey curvature of Ynqaba in their wake. Ahead of them, is a whole new level of stress.

There must have been some more space-battles or this area they had unfortunately decided to shoot out of was chalk-full of moon-rock, large shrapnel, asteroids, and other debris.

‘We need to have at least 8 Steps cleared before we can hope to warp in this mess,’ Namjoon calculates. ‘The ship is already prepared to dodge the larger asteroids-’

‘They’re still here.’ Yoongi announces rather simply from the front, pointing to the side.

Hoseok’s stomach feels it suddenly inverted when he spots a familiar white ship in the distance, hovering near the broken moon.

‘Great-’

‘And we’re getting out now!’ Hoseok curses, boosting their engines to maximum. ‘Yoongi-’

The Human doesn’t need to be told.

Pulling up the manual control that locks the Human up into an almost standing pose, Yoongi deploys the proton-cannons.

Unlike in the storm where the explosions of highly charged ions and particles doubled and exaggerated the force and effects of the smaller proton-missiles, out here in Space, the cannons create clear and clean tunnels through the debris.

There is no display of fire or particles reacting and fusing and falling apart violently. Instead oddly stark beams of a rather dull white fans out before them in one sweeping motion, taking with it anything that it touched.

A cloud of fine dust washes over their windows rather slowly, as though somehow surprised at finding itself reduced to such a state.

‘This is very harsh on our energy levels,’ Namjoon alerts them quickly. ‘You cannot use this more than 5 times-’

Another extended wave of dull white sweeps their way and Namjoon grimaces.

‘It’s the fastest way,’ Hoseok mutters before ordering, ‘Lisai prepare for warp now, shift manual warp to me after we’re green.’

‘Understood.’

‘Buggy, report.’

‘Jin stable! Baby stable and really knocked out! Working on Chim! He can talk now!’

Namjoon has an incredulously confused expression on his face at that, like he has at least five questions to ask.

‘Ready for warp at your command.’

‘We’re halfway-’ Namjoon glances over at the white speck in the distance, clearly praying or something that they don’t see them despite the amount of action following them. The Ynqaban fleet fires out of their planet’s spherical border and like projectile missiles shoot straight at them.

‘They’re shockingly fast,’ Hoseok complains just as Yoongi quietly remarks, ‘Adjust tilt-shift to 36 degrees please.’

Hoseok complies, unsure what to expect. Yoongi fires another cannon but it seems to pretty much miss everything in front of them and rather uselessly chips off random asteroids.

‘Yoongi-’ Namjoon sounds like he’s ready to tell Yoongi down to the fractions of how much the cannons were draining their energy levels when he pauses and says, ‘Eh- good idea.’

The half-eradicated asteroids ricochet off of their position from the sudden eruption of energy that blasted their halves into oblivion. In doing so, causing a high-speed chain of reactions where the previously still and thick ocean of space debris starts to shuffle around haphazardly, crashing into the Ynqaban fleet.

‘-17 degrees please.’

Hoseok complies without question.

‘We’re halfway-...’ Namjoon pauses, head still as he stares out of one side of the window.

‘ don’t tell me-’

‘They’re getting closer- they’ve spotted us-’

‘Lisai redirect anti-matter from Medical Bay reserve into cannon tank and fuse cannons 2 and 4, and cannons 1 and 3 together,’ Yoongi orders. ‘Extend and add range.’

‘Redirecting- Captain please confirm orders.’

‘Confirming orders, do it now!’ Namjoon yells as he gets up quickly, rushing down to the Mast next to Yoongi. He locks himself into the seat, lifting up in a similar way to Yoongi, hands gripping the controls as well. To Hoseok’s immense disquiet, the speck of white that he knows is the Omhlophe’s ship has become more than a speck, a blurred cloud around it where asteroids and debris were being blasted away as well.

‘In 3,’ Yoongi says quietly. Namjoon nods. ‘Hobi, 41 degrees.’

Hoseok complies immediately before calling out, ‘Buggy we’re going to warp - secure yourself and Jimin.’

‘1.’

‘Okay!’

‘2.’

‘Launching into warp-!

‘1.’

Yoongi and Namjoon both pull down on the controls, syncing their timing and firing at the same time.

Brighter than before but strangely smaller than before, the cannons erupt out faster and extends twice as far.

‘Warping in 3-’

The light fades and a clear path, carved clean and dark through the asteroids appears. It also shows the Omhlophe ship closing in at an astounding pace.

‘2.’

A bright flurry of heat signals indicate a barrage of missiles aimed at them from behind them.

‘1.’

Light bends and refracts, pulling and distorting the physics of their surroundings, impossibly bright light spilling through the gaps of stretched elements and particles.

The Uzkulisai launches into warp and within a second, they were back in the familiar non-space of warped space and time.

No one moves, no one says a word. Hoseok can still see the way Namjoon and Yoongi are both still gripping onto their controls, shoulders tensed, fingers ready to pull at launch-triggers and deploy any and all missiles.

It’s painstakingly quiet and Hoseok cannot remotely imagine relaxing at this point. They’re all incredibly high-strung; as though waiting for something to happen. Anything.

They were at warp yes, but lately even infallible notions and truths were proving themselves temporary and Hoseok can’t shake off the feeling of being watched, of being followed.

It’s after a few minutes that Namjoon deactivates the chair from attack-mode. He seems to fold into his seat, exhaling out tiredly.

‘How’s Sk’jin?’ Hoseok asks, glancing at his medical tab anyways.

‘I don’t know,’ Namjoon replies as Yoongi also settles back into his chair, posture still stiff though that was how Yoongi looked anyways. ‘When we got to him...he- he wasn’t breathing. I swear he died.’

‘What happened?’

‘Taeh’yung,’ is all Namjoon says. ‘He did something. I don’t know what, but Sk’jin was breathing again. There…-there was colour on his face- I don’t know.’

They sit in silence again. Hoseok finally disengages the defense-mode over the ship, adjusting the shields back to normal and realigning the cannons back to normal.

‘Lisai run a scan, report any and all irregularities on all functions and systems,’ Namjoon orders, unmoving from where he was slumped.

‘Understood.’

‘Who is that?’ Namjoon asks, not having to clarify himself because there was no one else he could be talking about.

‘His name is Jungkook,’ Hoseok answers, glancing at his medical tab as well.

‘Care to tell me why he’s in the ship?’ Namjoon asks tiredly.

‘He’s like me.’ Yoongi replies unexpectedly.

‘...former GI?’ Namjoon asks carefully.

‘No, I don’t think so,’ Hoseok replies when Yoongi doesn’t. ‘He’s too young; he’s...he’s almost wild. Creature-like. He has the same mark down his back like Yoongi- and he was...he was protecting Jimin? We had to be careful- didn’t trust us until Jimin said it was all right.’

Namjoon doesn’t even stir at the news.

‘It makes sense,’ he mutters instead. ‘In some stupid ed up way, it all makes sense.’

Hoseok nods in agreement.

They sit in silence for a few more minutes.

‘Where even are we going now?’ Hoseok asks after a few minutes.

‘Sticking to the plan, we’re headed to Grisial,’ Namjoon replies before he stands up slowly, as though his entire body was in pain.

‘You look like - you should go clean up,’ Hoseok remarks.

‘So do you,’ Namjoon rolls his eyes, which is a little alarming right now because his left eye is a little exposed, the skin around his socket having burnt off.

Hoseok’s skin has stopped stinging, his body no longer feeling fevered but rather almost numbed and strangely light.

‘I should shower,’ Hoseok frowns before he catches sight of Yoongi’s faded blue hair. ‘You too Yoongi.’

‘I’ll keep watch.’

Namjoon frowns at the Human who doesn’t even look around to acknowledge them. Namjoon raises a single brow in inquiry, eyeing the Human in question. They both remembered the odd messages they had received from the Human prior to losing communication with him. Hoseok still can’t understand the level and depth of how unhinged the Human had been when he found him. It was as though he was someone else.  

Hoseok shakes his head in reply and gets up from his chair, and all numbness fades away and gives way to the sticky burning feeling eating at his skin. Wincing Hoseok nods towards the entrance of the Bridge. Namjoon is still looking at Yoongi worriedly.

‘We’re in warp,’ Namjoon tells the Human, ‘Lisai will take over and we can come back asap- we at least need to have you scanned.’

It wasn’t even the fact that he was drenched in acidic rain, and still somewhat smeared in blood and dirt, or how his suit was scratched and peeling in some areas from whatever single-handed massacre he had conducted inside that Central Bridge.

‘I’ll keep watch.’ Yoongi states again.

‘You’re injured-’

‘You can relieve me when you have treated yourself and Hoseok.’ the Human turns his head a little, looking at them both briefly. ‘I am a-ok.’

Namjoon looks like he’s going to argue but Hoseok shakes his head at the Kutsoglerin.

‘The medical kit should be below your seat,’ Hoseok tells the Human who nods his splotchy blue-haired head in reply. ‘Tell us at once if you’re not well.’

Yoongi replies with a thumbs up this time.

*

Swallowing his pills dry, Namjoon wraps his burnt off bionic skin with lengths of tissue-plast. Not that he could feel the pain of it- it was just uncomfortable and seeing as he had the items needed to regrow his bionic skin, he might as well. Namjoon has long realized that no matter what Species you were, appearing unlike what you are perceived to look like caused more problems and difficulty than he was willing to deal with. And with the state of their ship being as such, Namjoon doesn’t think it would do anyone any good to walk around with their skull exposed. He’d seen the way Sk’jin had studied him before, and most recently the way Hoseok had looked at him.

And like an identification tab that would forever label him for the rest of his life, Namjoon knows he won’t be able to ever get away from the nightmares that birthed who he was today.

Pulling on new clothes Namjoon exits his Cabin to find Hoseok waiting for him near the Kitchen, nursing a nearly empty bottle of ionized water in his hands. His mouth is stuffed with some form of food Namjoon is guessing, though Hoseok himself doesn’t really seem to know what he was eating in the first place. Noticing Namjoon, he makes his way across.

Hoseok had applied a generous amount of repair-serum all over his skin. It’s already halfway healed, but areas around his neck, face, and hands were still serrated and raw. His hair has been pushed back, still very damp from having showered.

‘All good?’ Namjoon inquires. Hoseok nods in reply.

‘What happened with Yoongi?’

Hoseok hands him a filled bottle of ionized-water before he replies, ‘I think he’s-...I think he’s remembering a lot from his past- or at least the past of the Being he was modelled after or something.’

‘Did he say something?’

‘That,’ Hoseok nods, ‘And there was a moment where he didn’t seem to realize where he was- or who I was.’

‘Memory regression?’

‘I don’t know- but I think…’ Hoseok pauses, crossing his arms as he leans on the wall to the side, expression thoughtful. ‘Having Jungkook here, is going to help explain a lot of things. Taeh’yung called him a baby- the same way he did Jimin when he first “sensed” him. The same way he addresses every other “egg”- even Yoongi.’

‘What triggered it? Yoongi I mean- ever since that planet, he’s been off.’ Namjoon trails off.

‘What happened?’ Hoseok asks.

Namjoon fills him in on what happened in the Nightmare Planet, explaining what they found, and how they were now virtually flying invisible. About how Yoongi had collapsed, how Sk’jin had changed, how Jimin who wasn’t lying (or couldn’t), was clearly not telling them everything anyways.

Hoseok remains silent for a while after the explanation.

Namjoon doesn’t realize it until this immediate moment but Spaces did he miss having Hoseok around. The ship felt complete now. The tenseness of his entire Being just eases completely.

‘I’ve always had this question in my mind,’ he says quietly. ‘Why Yoongi?’

‘What do you mean? He’s part of the GI, or was part of it at least-’

‘It’s not that,’ Hoseok shakes his head. ‘There’s something else. I kept thinking that at first Sk’jin was the variable- the single addition that made no sense to this team.’

Namjoon wants to comment that he too thought like that and hasn’t actually really changed his mind about it either.

‘There’s no need to mention or hide the fact that we’re all extremely aware and paranoid of each other and our personal involvement with this case,’ Hoseok begins, ‘And while this case is no doubt, for the original reasons intended, important, there is obviously more to it.’

Namjoon nods in agreement.

‘I expected Sk’jin to be the odd one out- he certainly fit the role, no ship actually requires a Communications Manager to function. But he’s here. I even entertained ideas that he was here to spy- to feed back information and honestly his behavior certainly added to it.’

‘I’m assuming you changed your mind.’

‘I did, I have changed my mind,’ Hoseok nods slowly.

‘How come?’

‘Because Sk’jin is too angry. He’s too…’ Hoseok sighs out slowly, ‘He’s too broken.’

Namjoon wasn’t expecting that reply.

‘And...and so now you think somehow that Yoongi-’

‘I don’t think anyone is being used as a spy- I don’t think that’s even part of the equation anymore,’ Hoseok replies shaking his head. ‘I think...I think we’re looking at this the wrong way.’

‘How so?’

‘We are all potential threats,’ Hoseok states flatly. ‘Whether or not what we want is a simple life away from our wonderful pasts, we all have agendas and ideals. We all have greed, desire, fears- in short, things that can be used to manipulate us.’

‘Okay…’

‘We’re too closely tied to the Gaia Case- we are…’ Hoseok is struggling for words, ‘We’re too unpredictable- too dangerous to completely let go of, too important to kill.’

Namjoon nods slowly in agreement. He knew that, because that was why he knew that knowing what he did, he was safe from the Venture Unit/GLA’s possible decision to mark him out permanently. It had been his security- a double edged sword essentially. And it had been the same for Hoseok, and Namjoon had suspected the same for Sk’jin too.

‘Chaotic particles when alone often berserk out, causing or catalyzing reactions that cannot be predicted or determined.’

‘So basically they put us all here to keep a collective eye on all of us,’ Namjoon summarizes.

‘But there was no need to add Yoongi.’

‘But he knows-’

‘How do you think Yoongi became who he is? He talks about suddenly “knowing” or how he “woke up”- Yoongi was chosen for something. Out of all the Beings, of all the eggs that GI had with them or whatever they are, Yoongi was chosen and he’s aware. Only him- his name hasn’t changed, they knew who they were picking when they put Yoongi in the team.’

‘Because of Jimin,’ Namjoon states.

‘Because of Jimin,’ Hoseok nods in agreement. ‘This mission was always about Jimin- but now that I think about it. It has more to do with Yoongi, or at least, the both of them together, or something they both collectively know.’

‘But Yoongi has no memories-... he’s starting to remember.’

‘I can only assume he is,’ Hoseok shrugs, gnawing at his inner cheek before continuing, ‘There was more to why Yoongi was in that planet. There is more to Jimin’s story, not that I think he’s lying, but there was definitely something happening within his System than he was made aware of. A System like that, with such technology, the GLA would never let go that easy.’

‘So you think Yoongi might actually know more to all of this than he himself is aware of?’

‘I think both Yoongi and Jimin actually know more than they’re aware of.’ Hoseok corrects, ‘And we are just here to enable them.’

Namjoon pauses at that, his mind churning. ‘So what do we do?’

Hoseok shrugs in reply as though to say like hell I know and Namjoon can only grimace in reply because that was true. What could they do? While this was an interesting take on the whole matter, it still didn’t change the truth of their reality; they were still stuck in square one. In fact with what just happened in Ynqaba, Namjoon is pretty sure they’ve gone back a few squares and were now firmly in the negatives somewhere. But hey at least none of them were dead.

Maybe very injured and with an additional Being on board.

Speaking of which.

‘You said that the Being was like Yoongi- what else? Were there more of him around?’

‘I don’t know,’ Hoseok replies honestly. ‘It was just him in there- with Jimin. I thought about it and I think Jimin was thrown in there in hopes he’d be slaughtered.’

Namjoon grimaces at that.

‘What changed?’

‘Well...it’s Jimin isn’t it?’ Hoseok has a small smile, ‘He has that effect. Look at Yoongi.’

Namjoon nods in agreement a split second later.

‘He’s not GI- so I don’t know how he …-well, how he came to be. All the others I saw at the ship- they were mostly all fully grown, and very asleep. I don’t know how they could’ve woken him up- not in a planet like Ynqaba at least.’

‘The Omhlophe were waiting for delivery from that System though,’ Namjoon frowns. ‘That and the fact that there was clear Yisheng involvement of sorts. Maybe that ship was carrying eggs, and judging by the crash, the eggs...well, they just happened to be there?’

‘And the Omhlophe heard of it, and sent out their own people to search for more?’ Namjoon tries, ‘Spaces, how many of the eggs are down in Ynqaba? Or in that System overall?’

‘What- like, living breathing aware eggs?’ Hoseok asks, ‘Hard to imagine them so. Jungkook doesn’t seem all too tame- he can speak a little, but it’s like he’s survived solely on fear and whatever primal instincts he was born with.’

‘It’s not hard to imagine actually,’ Namjoon shakes his head, ‘The GI aren’t exactly prime examples of what these Beings were designed or gathered to be.’

Hoseok listens intently.

‘When the Akramanese, or the Red Evil as Jimin knows them, wanted to overthrow the Universe in their own twisted way, they were basically harvesting the Known Universe, for the most perfect or ideal “samples” of each Species, of each Race, to recreate them perfectly, into their own Universe. They didn’t just inherit the Yisheng’s ed up ideology but added more to it by wanting to grow their know Universe with what already existed here.’ Namjoon explains, ‘So those they harvested, they were in every way ideal, created to be the best of who they were, to essentially restart Life. They were made better, stronger- they were made equal.’

‘So you’re saying that there is a whole population of...genetically superior versions of every Species out there who are capable of their own thinking, asleep inside OrTanks, and now, we have these Beings who call themselves the Pure Ones are after them?’ Hoseok whistles low. ‘And they know who Jimin is, and are now without a doubt, after him, meaning all of us?’

‘Yeah so question is how they know about the “eggs”, and what they want with them, and who they are,’ Namjoon carefully pushes at his tissue-plast that he could feel slipping off. ‘And most importantly why they want Jimin.’

Hoseok nods in agreement.

‘Is that where that rumor about only GI agents being able to take on each other comes from?’ Hoseok asks wryly before adding, ‘So Jimin could take Yoongi down?’

‘Yoongi would lose to Jimin regardless.’ Namjoon waves a hand dismissively, ‘But this goes beyond that- I’ve been thinking about this for sometime but I think there’s a difference between the GI and the well, eggs.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I think that...fundamentally speaking, the origins of the GI, and the origins of the eggs are pretty much the same,’ Namjoon explains. Hoseok nods, encouraging him to continue. ‘But the way they are born- more like the way they...they become, is different.’

‘In what way?’

‘From what we know of the GI, and what Yoongi has sort of told us, and what we’ve heard in regards to the whole myth, they’re practically like cyborgs, not entirely capable of self-aware comprehension or expression. They just simply exist- quite literally almost exactly like what the Yisheng wanted in the first place. However, seeing Jimin, and judging by how you described the new Being, both of whom are clearly not GI or affiliated with the GI, their wakening, and their conscious selves are very...well very alive.’

‘Do you think there are more...more of them out in the Universe? I mean, in all honesty, transporting all sorts of living Beings illegally in OrTanks isn’t unusual. If these OrTanks were ever misplaced or lost, and the Beings inside them...woke up, then are they out there, unaware and just...just living?’ Hoseok asks carefully.

Namjoon shrugs in response again, ‘That’s a possibility. And judging by what we’ve seen so far, not a theory we can just ignore and say isn’t plausible. Not to mention the Alliance probably had some hand in all of this, if they were also transporting eggs like Seulgaan did, then this could have spread wider and further.’

‘What do you think happened to Seulgaan?’ Hoseok asks after a few seconds.

‘I don’t know,’ Namjoon frowns. He’d completely forgotten about the Tayian amidst everything that had happened. ‘Probably struck a deal or something and he’s in the other side of the Universe.’  

‘We could do it you know,’ Hoseok says shortly.

‘Do what?’

‘Track Seulgaan’s movement, narrow and define his contacts, find the others who are doing the same thing. See who they’re connected to.’

‘We could, but not with what we’re carrying- who we’re carrying,’ Namjoon shakes his head. ‘My curiosity and stubbornness already got us neck-deep into trouble. While I stand by the fact that Sk’jin purposefully kept information away from us, leading us to trouble with Orvan at the beginning of this mission waylaid us, my inability to see beyond what I wanted to see has gotten us here and here is not where I want us. We could have progressed further, progressed in a safer and faster route- one where we didn’t have to lose you and I am sorry for that.’

Hoseok looks surprised.

‘Thank you for coming back.’

‘...you kinda rescued me so it’s not like you really gave me a chance to choose.’

Namjoon nearly chokes on his own spit but then Hoseok burst out laughing.

‘It’s good to be back,’ Hoseok coughs out, patting him on the shoulder, ‘Can’t let you and Sk’jin kill each other in front of the children.’

‘The children are probably older than us,’ Namjoon deadpans.

‘I’ll go relieve Yoongi,’ Hoseok wheezes out, grabbing another bottle of ionized water and some snacks from a cupboard. ‘I’ll check over the reports as well and scan the Underverse for news.’

‘Spaces, please never leave again,’ Namjoon groans as Hoseok snorts again with a wave of his bandaged hand.  

He waits until Hoseok is out of earshot and quietly calls out, ‘Lisai, is it possible to legally bind Hoseok permanently in service of the Užkulisai?’

‘That is a violation of Code 002 under the protocols regarding the establishment and practice of free-will. Unless you wish to force team members under a contract of slavery.’

‘Never mind.’

Namjoon doesn’t know why he’s sneaking into the Medical Bays but he is. He looks inside where “Jungkook” was being treated. Stepping in, he notices how the young Being...is actually incredibly young. It’s worrisome almost, the amount of injury and wounds he had. According to his health tab, he was estimated at 27 sols old.

There’s something different about how you become as a Being born into pain. Namjoon doesn’t know what to think of the Being before him.

Sure with him here, maybe they could have a clearer understanding of who and what he was, including Yoongi, Jimin, and a whole population of others like him. But then what would they do after?

‘Lisai do we have a complete biodata on him?’

‘Yes Captain, monitor 2 is updating.’

Namjoon pulls up monitor 2 and skims through the contents and is surprised.

‘Species: Pravasi M’hanun. Race: Vicitra.’

He didn’t look like any of the Vicitra Namjoon has seen before, live and or documented. But perhaps like every other specimen found within the OrTanks, he too had been modified or “made better”; something both the Yishengs and the Akramanese seemed to deem incredibly important.

Stepping closer to the Bed, Namjoon carefully examines the Vicitra.

The Vicitra were known cannibals, eating and consuming their own kind though it was not their only source of food of course. Cannibalism was part of their culture, a way of showing dominance, power, and or victory. They were normally very pale skinned, almost a pale lilac to an extent, and had  blood-tinted finger tips, eye sockets, and other extremities. While the Pravasi M’hanun weren’t the most advanced of cultures or Species, the Vicitra were something of a prime example of top-notch evolutionary progress. They were cunning, intelligent, highly adaptive, and could put on a terrifyingly convincing persona of civility. And while their rather crude and bloody culture did influence their entire behavior as a Species, the Vicitra were good at handling political discussions as well as willing to stay, for a certain period of time, as ambassadors of sorts. They were part of the GLA, but were not involved in anything more than simple diplomatic issues of participation in the Galactic Court when needed so long as they didn’t eat other Beings outside of their own planet.  

He hears Taeh’yung giggles, followed by a mumbling that distinctly sounded like Jimin. At least they were both all right- not too grievously injured or harmed.

Jungkook twitches a little at the sound but Namjoon remains calm. He had been under delta sleep while the Bed looked over his injuries, a wise move, Namjoon thinks.

What would they feed him? What would they do once he’s healed and alert? What do they do with him? There was no way they could leave him in some planet with living Beings in it. The possibility of his capture and torture, or worse enslavement was high. Not to mention of course, being a young and unaware Being running purely on defensive instincts his whole life, he could potentially attack and kill those trying to maybe give him aid.

Jungkook twitches more and turns to his side, his brow glistening with sweat, wrinkled with pain.

Namjoon can smell the filth on him afresh as he turns, but he’s too distracted by the carved in indent down the Vicitra’s spine.

It was true.

It was identical to the one on Yoongi’s back.

‘Is he healing?’ Namjoon asks out loud.

‘Subjects healing rate is naturally fast. All injuries should be healed in 18 hours. Internal infections are currently being targeted.’

That explained the feverish sweating and grimaces of pain. Walking around, Namjoon notices a gaping but shallow open wound on Jungkook’s head, already cleaned and waiting further application of whatever medical process was being implemented.

‘Continue delta sleep- monitor brain activity and heart rate carefully.’

‘Understood.’

The door slides shut silently and Namjoon quietly peaks into the next room.

Jimin is sitting on the Medical Bed, a funny wincing expression on his face as the operational-arms clean and disinfect the soles of his feet. Namjoon grimaces at the sight of the lashing, wondering if maybe that would motivate Jimin in wearing shoes. Jimin had changed, the remains of his previous clothes are in the form of dirty rain water puddles that lead up the shredder tube to the side. He was now just wearing Medical-robes, looking beyond exhausted. Namjoon briefly wonders where the suit and helmet he borrowed from Yoongi went.

His head was being neatly bandaged by Taeh’yung who was animatedly speaking to Jimin.

‘-and then I thought, you know, why wouldn’t that be a good idea-‘

‘-I don’t think it’s good idea,’ Jimin winces and wait-

Namjoon doesn’t know what to focus on. Jimin’s apparent new talent in Standard, Taeh’yung’s completely nonchalant attitude towards it, or Jimin’s very battered state, or the bloodied mess on Taeh’yung’s shirt.

‘Oh! Pa!’ Taeh’yung spots him and waves brightly at him with a length of tissue-plast.

Jimin looks up at him, a smile that’s familiarly bright and genuine in joy as though Jimin was actually very happy to see him again. It’s a little difficult to comprehend but Namjoon takes it as a sign that Jimin was doing all right.

‘So uh-‘ Namjoon begins rather intelligently.

‘Chim can speak!’ Taeh’yung gives him a thumbs up.

‘Um- hello.’ Jimin waves at him with two of his hands, smiling sheepishly.

Namjoon realizes that it’s not proper conduct to gawk at someone without explanation or warrant like a fish out of water.

‘How are…how are you able to understand? To speak? What happened?’ Namjoon asks carefully as soon as he’s somewhat recovered, still not able to process how any of this could have come about.

‘I-‘ Jimin looks at Taeh’yung, almost out of habit as though to start indicating where the Zhak’gri would need to start translating. ‘When I woke up- I hear voice. Lisai. Something happen- with…h-helmet.’ Jimin says slowly, indicating the shape of Yoongi’s helmet to Namjoon who nods in understanding.

‘There was letters. Words. Asking “yes” or “no”.’ Jimin continues, ‘And then…lots of light. I don’t remember. But when I wake up, I understand.’ Then as though a little embarrassed adds, ‘Difficult to talk.’

‘But you’re doing so well Chim!’ Taeh’yung exclaims, looking at Namjoon with an expected expression, as though silently telling him to agree.

‘Yes, you are doing very well,’ Namjoon says at once and he’s not lying either.

And while it was obvious Jimin was trying to explain how it happened, it was clear he didn’t understand it himself. GI technology was always a little fascinating. Developed in complete secret by the Yishengs, Namjoon has no difficulty in believing it would allow for such a thing to somehow install language skills within another living Being, especially one who has come to them under such circumstance.

Jimin smiles in thanks before tentatively asking, ‘Hoseok?’

‘He’s at the Bridge,’ Namjoon tells him, ‘He’s all right.’

‘Yoongi?’

‘I uh- I think he’s showering,’ Namjoon glances down at his NaviLet and finds that Yoongi is indeed in his own Cabin. ‘But he’ll come down soon- I want him to get checked as well.’

‘What happen?’ Jimin touches at his own face.

‘Just the rain,’ Namjoon smiles. ‘Nothing serious.’

‘Okay.’

‘Did they do anything?’ Namjoon asks carefully. ‘What happened when you crashed?’

Though Jimin certainly had no difficulty understanding Namjoon’s question, although he does have a slightly surprised expression throughout, as though surprised at himself for understanding him in the first place, Jimin takes a while to answer. He speaks out the words, sounding unsure, like a Being reading a difficult word out loud.

‘When I woke up,’ Jimin starts carefully, ‘I could understand.’

Namjoon nods for Jimin to continue.

‘Cy…borgs, take me to Seulgaan. He want to take me…away,’ Jimin says with a few pauses. ‘He called his…people. There were many survivors. They were leaving, but they came- the uh-…’ he looks at Namjoon as though for help.

‘The Ynqaban.’

Jimin nods, slowly mouthing the word as though to make sure he would say it right.

‘Ynqaban. Seulgaan tried to talk, but they didn’t listen,’ Jimin frowns. ‘They took his life.’

Namjoon is a little taken aback by how Jimin words it. While the news of Seulgaan’s death doesn’t cause any emotional reaction in him, Namjoon is more interested in the way Jimin is relaying all of this.

Language was a tricky thing. The usage of words, preference of words used in describing or relaying information, especially from a Being who didn’t have any previous knowledge in it, was always a clearer insight into the way their minds worked.

‘I was…’ Jimin pauses again, ‘I was not whole. I could not help myself or the others around me. I thought they would also take me with others- but they saw Yoongi’s hel-met, and clothes.’ Jimin looks down at his hands. ‘They could also see the weight.’

‘The weight?’

‘They know what it was. They thought I am Yoongi.’

They knew the uniform- the GI uniform. But how? The GI were considered an urban lore that mainly circulated within the Raksane Tayi System. And though based off of what Yoongi himself has said before, and how he has indeed gone much further and wider across the Universe than simply being stationed in Tayi, it was shocking to hear about the GI being known and recognized in a planet like Ynqaba.

‘They take me away- to the…Bridge,’ Jimin frowns, fidgeting with his bandages around his head. ‘There were Ynqaban there. But not like others. They were the merchants- they thought I was the same, with my back.’

He reaches behind him, feeling at his back carefully.

‘But you don’t have one,’ Namjoon says quietly.

Jimin shakes his head, ‘The merchants took their lives, they said they were thieves trying to deceive. They took away Yoongi’s helmet and clothes; to put with the others. I am sorry.’

‘Others? They said there was more?’

Jimin nods, ‘In store.’

That really made no sense.

‘They take me inside that cage,’ Jimin continues, ‘They want- wanted, to see, if I could survive.’

‘They put you in that place with Jungkook?’

Jimin nods and then with a look at Taeh’yung says, ‘They control him. Like animal.’

Taeh’yung pulls out a small device, not more than an inch in width and almost entirely flat. It looked like a chip of sorts.

‘I think it’s something that when enabled, causes electric shock or something,’ Taeh’yung says, handing it to Namjoon who reigns in his anger that flares at the sight of the device.

‘It was on his head.’

Namjoon remembers the wound on Jungkook’s head and exhales out slowly.

‘He tried not to hurt me,’ Jimin tells him. ‘He tried very hard. He was in pain.’

Namjoon looks over Jimin carefully, eyes wandering over his wounds and injuries. His gaze lingers on his neck, close to his throat, where teeth marks could still be seen despite being nearly entirely healed over. Namjoon also realizes, with some alarm, that the bloodied mess on Taeh’yung’s clothes came from a similar wound though much fresher.

‘He did that?’ Namjoon asks, pointing to both of their necks.

‘He was afraid,’ both Jimin and Taeh’yung reply before the latter adds.

Namjoon nods in understanding, and with a carefully stable hand, gives Taeh’yung back the device.

‘Don’t alter anything in it, we can analyze it later and see what exactly was done,’ Namjoon tells him. ‘Why did you want to bring him here Jimin?’

Jimin pauses a little at that, a small frown settling between his brows.

‘He is young. Abandoned, and unaware- he has known no life other than pain, use, and hunger,’ his voice is soft but when Jimin looks up, there is a steeliness in his eyes that reminds Namjoon that Jimin, despite his gentle and near-ethereal appearance, was a leader of his System, a political figure of great power and authority, one who has no doubt had to make difficult decisions, learn ugly truths, and live a reality that didn’t allow him to be someone beyond his given title. And while he may have act upon moral and compassionate actions, he does not lose sight of the fact that everything had a much more deeper connection, darker story than visible. And that there was always something to gain, that there will always be something to gain first, before others can gain from you.

‘He is also born of the same place Yoongi was born from. His soul, his mind, his dreams are old- just like Yoongi. I want to know why. Why he is here, why Yoongi is here, why I am here.’ Jimin looks down again before adding in a quiet whisper, ‘I want to know why. And I want to know how.’

Namjoon nods at that.

‘I can accept that, and I can see the reasoning behind it. But when Jungkook wakes up, will he be…lucid enough to talk? Will he be able to communicate-‘

‘Not his words,’ Jimin interrupts him. ‘His words will not tell us. Yoongi’s words won’t tell us – but their souls can, their hearts can.’

Namjoon wonders if he’s missed something important here, pausing to glance at Taeh’yung who doesn’t seem to share Namjoon’s confusion but is instead nodding enthusiastically.

‘Get some rest,’ Namjoon tells them both as kindly as he can, hoping it didn’t sound like an order. ‘And when we can all gather-‘

Taeh’yung suddenly gasps and waves vigorously at someone behind Namjoon. Willing himself not to start too much, Namjoon finds Yoongi standing by the wall, half hidden from view.

He was no longer covered in blood and his hair was still dripping water as though he had hurried in his shower. He was also not wearing full black as was his norm, but instead a grey sweater over dark trousers. For a moment Namjoon almost feels as though he doesn’t recognize Yoongi like this. His expression is carefully masked, somewhat staged.

‘Yoongi! Come to get fixed?’ Taeh’yung jumps forward, trying to pull the Human in.

Yoongi is obviously there for other reasons; mainly Jimin.

Jimin pulls at the gauzing around his head, ducking his head a little and looking away from the Human.

A curious expression falls over Yoongi’s face, one that Namjoon feels as though could have been of regret- maybe even shame, as he too looks away.

This was odd.

It was already odd to find the Human anywhere else other than somehow being close to Jimin. Especially considering how close the Human had been to losing his mind over losing Jimin. He had even left Sk’jin behind as a result. And now that they were back, with Jimin injured, Namjoon had assumed it would take a fight and a half to get the Human to participate in ship duties rather than hover over Jimin. But here he was, putting physical distance between the two of them, watching Jimin with a rather nervous expression.

‘I’m fine,’ the Human replies to Taeh’yung questions, moving away from view as Taeh’yung tries to put a tissue-plast on him randomly, his voice fades as he steps away even more saying, ‘Just checking.’

‘Taeh’yung,’ Namjoon calls when the Zhak’gri looks like he’s trying to go after the Human. ‘Get Jimin sorted out first.’

Taeh’yung pauses, looking conflicted before he makes a grumpy expression and nods, returning to Jimin.

‘Shower,’ is all Jimin says as he gingerly rearranges his legs, making to get off of the Bed. ‘And rest.’

‘Both of you. Tae- you should rest too all right?’ Namjoon calls as he steps out of the Bay. He remembers the way Hoseok had drawn out a sort of compliance from Taeh’yung, addressing him with fondness which the Zhak’gri responded to positively. ‘Remember, you’re our buggy and you need to rest too.’

It seems to work because Taeh’yung looks at him with wide eyes that suddenly sparkle with the glittering force of a thousand stars and Namjoon is terrified that the Zhak’gri might start crying but he holds up valiantly and with an incredibly wide smile, Taeh’yung nods and says, ‘I will Pa! Don’t worry!’

Smiling to himself Namjoon walks out of the Bay and finally makes his way to where he had originally been planning on going.

However, Sk’jin is not alone. Yoongi is standing there, looking over Sk’jin with his usual blankness.

‘When he wakes up, he might try to kill me,’ Yoongi states plainly, barely acknowledging Namjoon’s presence other than to talk.

‘Which is understandable in a lot of ways.’ Namjoon replies wryly, pulling up a stool and dragging it over to the side of the Bay.

‘I am not sick,’ Yoongi continues. ‘Or unwell. I am changing.’

‘…change can be good,’ Namjoon replies slowly.

‘It can,’ Yoongi agrees. ‘I am aware of this change. But I do not know what it is doing, or how it is happening. There is change, but I cannot see it. I can feel it, but I cannot identify it.’

‘Is that what you meant when you were headed to the central-bridge?’

‘Yes. I did not understand it.’

‘Can you tell me…what it was?’ Namjoon inquires. ‘Or at least tell me what you felt?’

Yoongi nods, standing straight as though about to report to him. Namjoon wonders if it’s a conditioned action ingrained in the Human.

‘I felt pain,’ Yoongi explains. ‘Pain but not of my body, not of tissue, flesh, or bone. But there was pain. It hurt here.’

He raises his hand over his chest, over where his heart should be.

‘It kept growing- it expanded, all over me. To my legs, my arms, my fingers. I couldn’t control my actions- I was…-I was unsteady,’ Yoongi states slowly. ‘It was as though I had two minds- one unsteady, the other as I was.’

‘And what is that?’

Yoongi seems genuinely confused by this question.

‘Go on, sorry ignore my question,’ Namjoon urges.

‘The closer I got to Jimin’s location, the stranger I felt. I nearly uncovered my identity- not out of purpose, but because I couldn’t control what I was.’ Is Yoongi’s extraordinary statement. ‘But I could remain as I am. And I could go on- but I saw something and after that I do not remember what happened.’

‘You have a memory gap?’

‘I do not remember what happened, but I saw a dream,’ Yoongi explains. ‘I see a lot of Dreams.’

‘…what was in this dream?’

‘I was taken,’ Yoongi replies. ‘I was afraid. There was singing. Jimin was singing, and I needed to reach him. But I couldn’t. I needed to return.’

‘How did you wake up?’

‘Hoseok woke me up.’

That was when Hoseok found Yoongi. But Namjoon hadn’t been able to pay much attention because he’d been worried over Sk’jin.

‘Everyone was dead.’ Yoongi tells him plainly. ‘Everyone was dead. Even Seulgaan’s slaves who were captured there. I killed them all. And I do not remember.’

‘Yoongi,’ Namjoon begins carefully. ‘I think it’s possible that you might have been building up to a panic attack of sorts, maybe an emotional imbalance.’

‘Why?’

Namjoon gapes for a moment.

The logic and reasoning behind most sentient emotion was lost on Yoongi. Namjoon wonders how many things the Human felt on an everyday basis without realizing what it meant or how it even came to be.

‘Because you were worried. You were stressed. You were afraid.’

‘Why?’

‘I…I cannot say,’ Namjoon shrugs. ‘You were worried about Jimin’s safety, you were worried that the mission would fail. You were worried you wouldn’t be able to find Jimin. And if you did, you were worried about how you would get out. Sometimes when all of these add up, you just…-you just lose control.’

‘Has this happened to you?’

‘It has,’ Namjoon replies truthfully.

It hits Namjoon a little too clearly. A little too harshly.

Namjoon has been used to calculating and planning around Beings who have complex and ever-changing priorities, agendas, and thoughts. Yoongi was however, extraordinarily simple and straightforward. He just didn’t know how to express himself, and the Universe as a whole, did not know how to translate this either.

Yoongi was going through basic emotional responses and he didn’t know how to deal. As a result he seemed to somehow invert within his own mind, losing time and consciousness. Meaning his primal instincts, which were basically GI training and skills, kicked in, and went into overdrive as he tried to recover.

And maybe Yoongi actually knew this and didn’t know how to explain it, or even fully comprehend it. And maybe this was why he was trying to keep away from Jimin- because he felt guilt.

Deep down Yoongi knew that Jimin would not approve, that Jimin would not appreciate the blood spilt, that Jimin would not have left Sk’jin behind, regardless of what Sk’jin had done in the first place.  

‘Is this why you’re avoiding Jimin?’ he asks as gently as he can.

Yoongi stares at him for a moment before he adds in a voice almost as quiet as though he was whispering, ‘Jimin does not like me,’ and then he starts to walk away, ‘He doesn’t know me.’

‘…Yoongi I’m pretty sure Jimin likes you?’ Namjoon struggles, turning in his seat to call after the Human. Basic emotional responses or not, did Yoongi not feel the way Jimin looked at him?

‘I am not Yoongi,’ is his reply, looking down at his feet, expression just as blank as ever though his eyes are a little wide.

‘If you’re not Yoongi, then who are you?’

Yoongi pauses at the doorframe momentarily as he replies, ‘I am no one.’

‘Yoongi wait-‘ Namjoon tries to stop the Human but he’s already gone.

‘He said that before to me too,’ Hoseok tells him quietly, nearly making Namjoon jump. ‘I think his past memories- or at least the memories of the original Human Yoongi is making him realize…realize himself.’

Namjoon sighs out, leaning back on the wall.

What did they do? How did they do it? How many more are there? And what do the Omhlophe want with Jimin? What do the Special-Jury want with Jimin? With Yoongi?

‘How’s everyone?’

‘They’re alright I guess,’ Namjoon wonders what “alright” even constituted for anymore in this ship. ‘Taeh’yung took Jimin up to clean up, his injuries have been checked and are being healed I think. Jungkook is in delta, being healed. And Sk’jin…’

Paying his full attention back on the Khol’isa, Namjoon leans in closer from his stool.

Taeh’yung had obviously done something to him. There was more to his relationship with Taeh’yung than he let on, more to how Sk’jin came back. And though Namjoon knows he should respect and understand the situation as a complex and very intimate relationship between the two, he can’t help but wonder the basis and implications of what it all meant.

Pulling up Sk’jin’s medical tab, Namjoon frowns at the oddly high pulse reading on the tab.

‘I think he’s doing alright too,’ Namjoon replies a little late as he reads his charts, ‘I think he might actually wake up soon-‘

And as though his words were a catalyst, all of Sk’jin’s readings shoot up at an alarming rate and the Khol’isa twitches just once and-

‘NO!’

Sk’jin sits up violently, chest heaving, still caught up in whatever violent reaction he had experienced just before losing consciousness.

‘No-! Drop it-!’ He screams, the panic and desperation raw and heavy in his word.

Sk’jin nearly falls out of the Medical Bed, his body unrestrained and moving unpredictably. He lands with a hard smack on the floor, wires snapping out of him, spraying the air with some blood that has Namjoon wincing.

‘Sk’jin-!’

Sk’jin flails violently, limbs snapping at Namjoon but mainly hitting the floors and walls. Namjoon tries to restrain the Khol’isa to prevent him from hurting himself but it’s proving difficult. Throwing aside all care about potentially upsetting his still healing injuries and wounds, Namjoon throws himself over Sk’jin bodily, pushing them down to the floor below the Bed.

Sk’jin screams.

‘Hey woah!’ Namjoon holds the Khol’isa down, restraining him from thrashing around too much. Where was Taeh’yung?

‘Sk’jin calm down! It’s okay- you’re safe- you’re safe!’

‘-get away-!’

Namjoon centers his weight down more, pushing Sk’jin down with his own body and blocking all of his wild movements.

‘Sk’jin you’re safe-!’ Namjoon manages to hold the Khol’isa’s head down, preventing him from hitting his head on the floor. Their eyes lock and Sk’jin suddenly stills. He’s still rigid, his body mid-thrash and Namjoon is painfully aware of Sk’jin’s knee ramming uncomfortably into his side.

‘You’re okay- you’re safe,’ Namjoon tells him carefully. ‘You’re back on our ship. You’re safe.’

Sk’jin isn’t even breathing, his eyes dilated to the point of pin-pricks. Where was Taeh’yung!?

He can’t look away, knowing that somehow this was helping Sk’jin, stopping him from thrashing. Desperately thinking back, Namjoon remembers the way Taeh’yung had addressed Sk’jin when he’d been unwell.

‘Hey Jinnie,’ Namjoon tries, ‘You’re all right. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you yeah?’

Sk’jin’s fingers are locked in a tight angled grip on Namjoon’s shirt, skin white from the strain. Slowly he takes a shuddering breath and his body shivers.

‘That’s it- take a deep breath, you’re safe,’ Namjoon shifts himself carefully, ‘You’re doing good. You’re safe yeah?’

Sk’jin takes a few more breaths, his pupils expanding to normal slowly. Each breath he takes reduces the tremors and after a couple of minutes, the rigidness of his posture eases and Namjoon carefully lifts himself, kneeling over the Khol’isa while still maintaining eye-contact. Slowly easing Sk’jin’s fingers off of his shirt, Namjoon carefully straightens his rigid and cramped fingers in what he hopes is a soothing manner.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Hoseok stepping away quietly, clearly having run down to help.

He settles Sk’jin’s hands down to the floor, carefully setting his limbs straight. Sk’jin’s blood that had splattered about while he was thrashing had splattered over the side of his own face, a few drops threatening to trickle down to his eyes.

Not wanting to break whatever state of focused shock Sk’jin was in, Namjoon carefully wipes at the blood splatter, sweeping it over to the side towards his temples, still not breaking their eye contact.

Sk’jin closes his eyes, chest heaving in one heavy inhale. When he exhales his body goes limp and Namjoon is frightened almost.

‘Sk’jin?’

The Khol’isa opens his eyes, struggling almost, as though he had been merely sleeping and was now waking up. When he fully opens his eyes, Namjoon knows that he’s back.

‘Hey,’ Namjoon quiets his voice as best as he can, sounding as gentle as possible.

Sk’jin looks around, confused no doubt, on finding himself on the floor.

‘You’re safe. You’re out of Ynqaba- we got you out of that mountain. You’re safe now.’

‘-m-mountain-?’ Sk’jin stammers out. ‘What- where-.’

‘It was bad timing- bad luck,’ Namjoon tells him quietly, ‘We planted a timed explosive, to use as a distraction, so that we could pull Jimin out.’

Sk’jin’s eyes are a little glazed, pausing in their movements.

‘We were keeping track of you, but the storm messed all of our signals. We didn’t know you would be coming to that area, we don’t even know why the explosive was triggered- or how but-‘

‘It was us,’ Sk’jin whispers. ‘In the end it was all us.’

Namjoon frowns, reshuffling on his knees to kneel better, ‘Sk’jin-?’

‘What happened- how-…how did I-.’ Sk’jin stops, ‘What happened to the-‘

‘They’re gone- it’s all right,’ Namjoon tells him quickly, ‘You’re safe, you won’t get hurt-‘

Sk’jin suddenly scrambles to his feet, a truly terrified expression on his face.

‘Sk’jin-!’ Namjoon stands as well, arms raised in case the Khol’isa fell again or started to go into shock.

‘No-!’ Sk’jin stops him, violently shaking his head, his face crumpling. ‘No!’

Namjoon pauses, unsure what to do. What had they done to Sk’jin that he looked so terrified? What happened that would warrant such a reaction?

Sk’jin stares down at his hand, and then his clothes, and then back at Namjoon.

‘You-‘ he stops. ‘You left me.’

‘What-‘

‘No-‘ Sk’jin shakes his head again, a strangely wide smile on his face before his expression contorts to anguish again. ‘No- I left.’

Namjoon cautiously tries to approach the Khol’isa again. It was wrong to see him this unstable- so completely and utterly helpless.

This was wrong.

Sk’jin was powerful, he was overwhelming and he knew it and he flaunted it. He was cunning, well poised, and incredibly prepared for anything.

Seeing him like this felt wrong. Namjoon almost wants Sk’jin to start insulting him, to start a verbal fight against him.

‘Sk’jin-‘

Suddenly, quite casually, Sk’jin stands up straight, his expression uncannily normal. He wipes at his face, seemingly not noticing the bumps and cuts and burns that tear open again from the harsh treatment, before clearing his throat and with an elegant bow of his head says, ‘I need a shower. I feel unreasonably dirty, Spaces, you would think hygiene was a priority in a Medical Bay.’

Then without so much as limping or looking strained, Sk’jin walks past Namjoon and straight out of the Medical Bay.

‘Namjoon?’

‘Yeah?’

‘I think…I really need a drink.’

Looking over at the Medical Bed, and at the walls still sprayed in fine spots with Sk’jin’s blood, and down at the floor where Sk’jin’s still rain-damp clothes had left smudged prints he sighs. CleanBots roll in swiftly, already cleaning up the floors while a few struggle to roll up on the walls. With a nudge from his foot, Namjoon pushes one of the rolling Bots to the wall and its whirrs as though in thanks.

‘Yeah, I’ll get us something.’

*

In retrospect, Yoongi realizes he should have probably informed Jimin that he was there. He’s read a fair amount of books and watched a fair amount of movies that have repeatedly advised against this, with a plethora of examples of why you shouldn’t. Though he’s fairly certain, that from Taeh’yung’s loud greeting that was louder than necessary, should have alerted the entire ship of his presence in that area. Not to mention the ‘here! Take over for me! I’m hungry!’ and very strong shove that pushed Yoongi into the Cabin.

But Jimin still looks surprised as he steps out of the en suite, looking about with wide eyes, nervousness oozing out of him. He’s wrapped in a large towel, his head covered rather haphazardly with another towel as though he’d done it in a hurry. Jimin seemed oddly jumpy, not looking Yoongi in the eye.

‘Sunshine?’

Jimin shakes his head and Yoongi pauses, wondering what Jimin meant by that.

‘I won’t stay long,’ Yoongi states, remembering what he read on “What to Say, How to Say it, and When to Say It- a Conversation Guide on Sensitive Topics for the Socially Inept”. ‘I would like to apologize, for what you saw, for what I did, and how I was unable to keep you safe.’

The book had said that Yoongi should be to the point, without going into excessive detail. In fact, he replaced the words in the given examples to suit this very purpose.

‘I also want to apologize for how I behaved, what I did-‘

‘What did you do?’ Jimin asks, unmoving from where he stood by the en suite.

It doesn’t seem odd to talk to Jimin-  to communicate with each other. There’s a feeling that almost resembles satisfaction. Or more accurately to Yoongi, like the finalization of a mission. Unlike how Hoseok and Namjoon had been incredibly flabbergasted by Jimin’s newfound ability to speak and understand Standard, it felt absolutely normal to Yoongi.

‘I left Sk’jin,’ Yoongi says bluntly. ‘I abandoned him, to distract his captors, and I would have left without Namjoon, Hoseok, or Taeh’yung.’

Jimin doesn’t say anything, still watching him carefully, processing his words.

‘I also killed those Beings in the Bridge.’ Yoongi continues and adds, ‘I am sorry.’

They stand in silence and Yoongi waits the time they mentioned in the book (25 seconds) before he walks out. (Silence can be interpreted as refusal of your apology or confession! It is best to give them their space and if ideal, try again some days later). He’s almost done with his countdown, already taking a step back when Jimin shakes his head.

Yoongi also shakes his head, mimicking the action as though hoping it would help clarify what he meant by it. They just stare at each other, Jimin looking like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how, and Yoongi waiting. It’s well past the 25 second rule and Yoongi silently steps back.

But Jimin quickly steps forward, looking pained as he hurries on his feet to somehow waddle and stand in front of Yoongi, barring his way. His towel slips on his head and he desperately tries to cover his head, turning sideways and ducking down, crouching by the doorway with a sharp exhale of pain.

‘What happened?’ Yoongi asks at once, also crouching down, wondering why Jimin was so adamant in holding the towel around his head, nearly dropping the towel around his body in his efforts to keep his head covered. Was it hurting? Yoongi knows he was injured, having read the full details of his injuries carefully, watching his health-tab as he healed.

He shakes his head when Yoongi reaches for his head. Dropping his hand at once, Yoongi waits for some sort of explanation.

‘Are you hurt?’ he asks. ‘What can I do? Medical Bay? Taeh’yung?’

Jimin just chews on his lower lip for a moment, eyeing him with an expression that Yoongi categorizes as apprehension.

‘Sunshine? I-…will you let me help you?’

Maybe he didn’t want Yoongi’s help- maybe he didn’t want Yoongi there. And maybe he didn’t know how to say it to him.

‘Do you want me to go?’ Yoongi asks as Jimin secures both towels around himself a little more securely. Jimin shakes his head and quietly says, ‘No. Stay, please.’

‘What can I do?’

Instead of replying, Jimin shakily reaches up and pulls away the towel with a shaky breath.

A bitter feeling wells up in his throat, overwhelming Yoongi to his core.

Jimin doesn’t look up, instead fiddling with the towel in his hands, as though he can’t face Yoongi.

It now made sense, what he had seen in that Central-Bridge. Jimin’s head is shaved, shorn, and reddened, his skin bruised and bumpy. Without the towel, Yoongi can also see more of his half-healed injuries and wounds around his neck and shoulders.

He makes to cover his head, unable to look at Yoongi as though afraid of what Yoongi would think. But Yoongi catches his hands, lowering them again before gently turning Jimin to face him.

‘Does it hurt?’

Jimin shakes his head, unable to hold his gaze for more than a few seconds.

Yoongi pauses before touching his head, giving him time to move away. But Jimin stays, breathing in and out in a purposeful manner.

Whoever did this hadn’t done it to simply cut off his hair- but to shame and humiliate him. To make him feel out of control and to feel powerless. Yoongi’s entire being burns with anger and pain. He doesn’t know what to do. Jimin stays there, trying to make himself small, head ducked, eyes downcast, shoulders drooping.

What memories Yoongi has of Jimin, what recollection of thoughts, emotions, and senses he can still feel simmering underneath his consciousness, all shapes and illumination of Jimin have always mainly been of strength, grace, and a beauty that no words could justifiably describe. Jimin was by no means a physically large Being, he was barely reaching Yoongi’s height and he was built slim. But he carried himself in a way that just overwhelmed you through his sheer presence, like all light instantly shone on to him.

And at this moment, Jimin appeared broken, tired, and drained.

Diminished.

Yoongi’s chest constricts at that- a feeling of pain he can’t quite understand or classify.

He gently brushes his fingers over the shorn scalp. Some places were cut so close to the scalp, it left red burn-like scars.

‘Not beautiful,’ Jimin says quietly and unexpectedly.

Yoongi kisses the top of his head- his lips feeling the shaggy and slightly bumpy texture of his scalp. He’s not sure why he does it, but he’s seen Taeh’yung do it, and he knows it’s a common way of comforting someone, he’s read about it as well in countless books. And so the instinct comes rather easily.

And Yoongi wants to comfort Jimin. He needs to.

‘I’m sorry,’ Jimin tells him quietly. ‘Not beautiful.’

There’s a sudden realization in Yoongi, one he can’t exactly comprehend.

‘You’re the most beautiful to me.’

Jimin sniffs, fingers clenching and unclenching around the towel.

‘Always beautiful,’ Yoongi says again before kissing his scalp again.

Jimin ducks his head again, though this time more out of shyness than shame, his ears turning red.

Yoongi follows his instincts, pressing soft light kisses around the shorn head, down to the side and over to reddened ears. Yoongi knows that kissing was a form of comfort, but he had always thought it would be comforting for the person to receive it. So he doesn’t know why he’s feeling comforted by this. But feeling Jimin’s warmth like this, feeling his presence, his solidity- knowing he was right there in front of him, safe and secure enough that Yoongi could do this rather small act of comfort in turn settles his own restlessness.

Jimin’s breath is a little shallow, somewhat unstable. But he seems to melt into Yoongi’s hold, eyes closed, a rather overwhelmed expression on his face. He shivers when Yoongi kisses down the side of his neck, following a track of healing wounds, pink and shiny with new skin.

‘So beautiful.’

Jimin ducks into Yoongi’s hold, shivering as a few sobs shake his body.

Yoongi holds him as close and as tightly as possible while avoiding Jimin’s upper torso. They stay like that for a while, with Yoongi pressing soft kisses around his head and neck, before Jimin’s soreness catches up to him from sitting in a cramped manner on the floor. Jimin freezes as Yoongi scoops him out of the floor easily, seating him on the edge of the bed carefully before retrieving the medical-kit from the en suite.

Yoongi helps him reapply the repair-serum while Jimin cuts lengths of tissue-plast, handing them strip by strip as Yoongi bandages his feet. Without thinking much about it, Yoongi kisses the top of his feet after making sure all the tissue-plast were secure. Yoongi is about to lean away and stand up but Jimin beckons him closer, taking the repair-serum and dabbing it onto Yoongi’s face and ears where the acid rain had burnt his skin.

He would heal of course, having treated himself and eating the required medication for his injuries. But this felt nice.

Different from when the others had checked his injuries. Different from every other time he’s had injuries.

‘I want to cut,’ Jimin tells him quietly after they pack away the medical kit.

‘Cut what?’

Jimin reaches up to his scalp, fingers gingerly brushing over the shorn scalp and random tufts of hair.

‘I’ll bring you the shaver,’ Yoongi tells him quietly as he stands up, his skin tingling from where the repair-serum was still wet and active on his skin.

Each of the tiny en suites attached to the Cabins were stocked with every form of self-grooming devices you would ever need or imagine you needed. Yoongi remembers a shaver being one of the items in this compact and well organized kit and finds it under the sink inside a small pouch.

When he returns, Jimin has used the towel that had been on his lap as a cape of sorts, to catch whatever stray hair that might escape.

‘Do you want to do it?’ Yoongi asks.

Jimin looks at the shaver for a moment, then slowly shakes his head and says with a rather amused small smile, ‘Cannot see.’

‘May I?’

Jimin nods.

Being as gentle as he could, Yoongi holds the shaver up to Jimin’s shorn scalp. Jimin jumps at the sound of the shaver but doesn’t flinch when it touches his skin.

It’s a quick and easy job. Not much of Jimin’s hair had survived the ordeal and whatever was left was easily shaved off. Jimin shivers at random, unable to control his body’s reaction.

‘Finish,’ Yoongi tells him, putting away the device on the nightstand.

Jimin carefully feels at his scalp, eyes blank for a moment before he looks up at Yoongi and laughs quietly, as though somewhat tickled by the new sensation.

Yoongi smiles back, or at least he thinks he might be. He hopes he is.

Jimin looks down, as though shy, before he notices that he was covered in fine and small strands of hair. He tries to brush it off of his arms but it doesn’t work.

‘Wait,’ Yoongi stops Jimin’s hand from spreading the strands. He removes the towel Jimin had been using as a cape to catch any stray strands of hair and folds it inwards a few times before using the damp cloth to gently wipe at Jimin’s bare arms.

Jimin squirms a little, face flushing with colour, but he doesn’t stop Yoongi.  

He’s extra careful around his ears, and very slow around his still very fresh wound expertly patched up and already in the process of healing. A bit of Jimin’s ear had been sliced off near the top, but it was sealed and re-growing with the aid of a tissue-plast.

‘I can do it,’ Jimin tells him but he doesn’t stop Yoongi.

‘They took your clothes. And helmet,’ Jimin tells him, ‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s okay. You’re safe.’

Jimin shivers even more when Yoongi gently tugs the other towel off, patting him down of excess water. He brings out his clothes and helps him put them on, pausing every other moment to gently kiss a bruise or healing scar. It makes Jimin laugh quietly, and Yoongi feels accomplished. Making sure his pant-legs didn’t rub against the still healing gashes around Jimin’s feet, Yoongi stands up and picks up the last item of clothing he’d brought with him.

‘Do you want to wear this?’ Yoongi asks, holding up the light-fabric beanie.

Jimin takes it slowly, feeling the ribbing between his fingers. With his free hand he carefully reaches up and feels at his scalp. With a slow shake of his head, Jimin gently pushes the soft fabric away and instead sits back further on the bed, exhaling out as though suddenly exhausted.

‘Sleep, sunshine.’

‘Yoongi also sleep,’ Jimin tells him quietly, reaching out to take his hand.

‘I will,’ Yoongi replies and it’s the truth. He needed to sleep. He also needed to Dream again. He had to.

‘Sleep here,’ Jimin tugs at his hand quietly. ‘Please?’

Technically speaking Yoongi knows there’s nothing different from sleeping here than in his own Cabin. In fact, he appreciated having Jimin next to him when he slept.

It had been once, but Yoongi doesn’t remember ever feeling that warm before. It wasn’t as though Yoongi was ever cold when he slept. His blankets were thick and warm, his mattress comfortable and firm, his pillow at the perfect height.

But sleeping was always such a strange event for Yoongi. A whole process to embark upon through the day, and straight to bed only for the sake of dreaming, for the sake of Knowing.

And Yoongi always woke up cold.

Cold and strangely adrift.

But that time when Jimin had slipped into his bed, arm curving around him securely, breath warm through his shirt, Yoongi only realized how adrift he had been the entire time.

Not just in sleep, but within his very waking hours.

So he just nods and sits down next to Jimin.

‘Sleep,’ Jimin tells him, pushing him down a little. Yoongi goes down at once, laying on his back, arms at his side. Jimin shifts up on the bed and gingerly settles down as well, first on his back, and then carefully turning over to his side.

‘Yoongi?’

Jimin shifts a little closer, his head lowering down on the pillow until his forehead gently bumped onto Yoongi’s shoulder, sighing out slowly.

‘Yes?’

‘Stay,’ Jimin whispers against his arm, his legs curling up over Yoongi’s own.

‘I’m staying.’

‘Okay.’

Carefully lacing their hands together, Yoongi cradles their hands together against his chest. Jimin watches him with focused but sleepy eyes, blinking slowly.

‘Jimin.’

‘Hm?’

‘I’m not Yoongi,’ he whispers quietly.

He’s going against everything he’s read in all the books he’s consulted, in all the videos he’s watched, in all of the coding that came from Android Core manuscripts.

Yoongi feels Jimin still, his body stiffening a little.

‘I am not Yoongi. I’m sorry.’

‘You are,’ Jimin tells him, sounding a lot more awake now.

‘No.’ Yoongi shakes his head, looking up straight ahead at the ceiling above him. ‘Your Yoongi would not have done what I did. Your Yoongi would not have done any of this. Your Yoongi died, I am not Yoongi. I am no one.’

Jimin pushes himself up, making his way into Yoongi’s line of sight.

‘Mine,’ Jimin tells him earnestly as he shakes his head, as though to refute Yoongi’s words. ‘Yoongi is mine.’

‘I’m not Yoongi-‘ he feels a strange sense of frustration. He can remember. He can See what he had seen. Remember what he had thought of. But it wasn’t his- he inherited those memories, inherited those thoughts, inherited the irrational fear with which he had woken up with- screaming against a long gone reddish nightmare that tore him away from the stars. That tore him away from the sunlight.

‘How many Yoongi’s do you see?’ Yoongi asks desperately. ‘I said I would come back to you- that I would always come back to you but Yoongi didn’t- I’m not Yoongi I don’t know-‘

But they weren’t his.

They were not his memories.

‘I know.’ Jimin tells him slowly. 'I know you.'

The very air is still, held in suspension from the light of Jimin’s eyes.

Never stare straight at the eclipse- it’s dangerous.

His body pressed against his, Yoongi feels a weight settle into him, one that has been missing. One that wasn’t even there in the beginning.

He was no longer adrift. Not anymore.

He was bound, anchored.

Jimin looks him in the eye and Yoongi is hypnotized. He can’t look away. Jimin leans in and kisses him softly, pulling away with a smile.

‘Mine.’

‘Jimin-‘

‘-mine,’ Jimin kisses him again. ‘Yoongi is mine. I know you. You are mine.’

‘-I don’t think-‘

‘-I don’t think-‘

Jimin kisses him again, longer, and so much softer.

If this was what it meant to be comforted, why did Yoongi feel strangely pained?

‘Mine,’ he whispers against his lips before kissing him again. ‘Please.’

Yoongi hadn’t realized how tightly he was holding onto Jimin until the newly grown skin-tissue on his hands pulled rather painfully. He lets go a little, a panicked desperation to just touch Jimin’s face.

Jimin leans into his touch, head turning a little gingerly before kissing his palm and then the pad of his thumb.

‘Mine.’

Yoongi nods slowly.

Maybe this was his answer.

It didn’t matter. None of it.

Who he was. Who he wasn’t.

If there was anything Yoongi had in common with the past, with who he used to be, or who he born out of, made an image of. They had one thing in common.

‘Yours.’

They both belonged to Jimin.

*

Sk’jin has lived through more than his fair share. Seen more than his fair share.

Things rarely ever surprise him. What happened in Ynqaba is not something he’s not seen before. It’s practically textbook at this point.

Wiping at the condensation of his mirror, Sk’jin studies his face carefully.

He’d been rather harsh on his skin, rubbing it almost raw despite the many blisters and cuts he had all over his skin. But at least he sort of felt clean.

He gargles a few times, retching a little again after having hurled the contents of his stomach in the toilet an hour or so ago. His throat feels raw and it burns every time he swallows. But he continues to gargle, until at least his mouth tastes fresh. Opening his mouth wide, Sk’jin takes a look at his teeth. There’s a gaping hole that’s slowly sealing over. Gingerly poking at the empty socket with his tongue, Sk’jin wonders if one of the CleanBots has his teeth.

And of course Sk’jin knows how much he contributes to this- contributed to stories like these. There was no easy or correct way of going about it. Sk’jin contributed to situations like those in Ynqaba and he had profited from it.

‘Lisai how un-dead am I?’ Sk’jin asks as he retrieves the medical kit from under the sink.

‘Communications Manager Sk’jin, you are in 81% good health, a healing rate of 162%, detoxification process almost complete. You will be in full health in 2 hours, 17 minutes.’

‘Thanks.’

Squeezing out liberal amounts of repair-serum, Sk’jin starts methodically dabbing it across his face, careful around his temples that though were not hurting at this moment, felt strangely sensitive; cold, almost.

A Yisheng would be able to heal him in an instance, Sk’jin knows. Maybe not regrow his horns, but at least make him feel like he wasn’t incomplete.

Not that he would ever voluntarily allow a Yisheng to touch him that is.

They had rewritten the narrative of the entire Ynqaban race. Of their planet. Of their entire System.

Would the Universe even remember what Ynqaba would have been like. What it could have been.

Could the Ynqabans ever realize it themselves?

Changes within history, not limited to just something destructive or vile, altered the minds and hearts of those who live through it. Of those who are born of it.

And even more so, those who would see it as history.

Labeling something as history often removed yourself from the change in the narrative that lead you to where you are. And in doing so, history is then nothing but a story, rarely viewed as the catalyst that has raised you on its foundation. Courses of action taken now, in the past, in the future- shape and form the outcome of what is seen, what was seen, and what will be seen.

And the Yishengs know this.

And yet, there they were, uprooting and vilifying an entire System only for the sake of their greed and superiority complex. As though they had a higher calling, giving them the right to dictate and control those who did not live under their beliefs, all while lying, masking their actions with a sweet and gentle guise, fooling the entirety of the Universe.

Sk’jin absentmindedly realizes he’s completely crushed the serum-bottle in his hand, the liquid oozing out of his hand, between his fingers. 

Sk'jin was part of the Universe. He was part of Life. He had taken up the pen, and had rewritten countless narratives, rewritten history as it was being made. How many were there? How many countries, planets, Systems- could they even begin to comprehend any of it? Could they even begin to realize what they did, what they were doing, was effecting their present now.

How many Ynqabas were there. How many Bhān’s. How many Camat’s.  

And maybe Camat hadn’t been born or alive in that situation- she was still oppressed and victimized by the state of living she was born into, a result of history that should have been written differently. Where their history should have been spoken into truth from a different narrative.

And it was because of that same change in history. That same alteration in the narrative of their connected lives, that Sk’jin had been there. The same reason why he had found himself at that very spot, at the very moment.

The same reason why Camat would think of picking up an OrTank. Why she would see that smooth OrTank and think of the profitable trade they could gain, think of contributing to their livelihood. To help her family in any small way she could.

Her mind, her priorities, all shaped and formed to think of only one thing: survival.

And it was in the end the one thing that killed her.

That killed everyone on that mountainside.

It was in the end what killed Sk’jin too.

Because while he could so easily blame the Yishengs, blame the GLA, blame everyone else, it didn’t stop him from being guilty either. Because if every action taken by these Beings effected, in some way, the lives of those who weren’t even born to witness that action taking place- what then of the actions Sk’jin took?

How many countries did Sk’jin upend? How many cities, countries, even whole planets and Docks. Sk’jin cannot prevent the truth because he’s lived it, with complete awareness.

He’s lived it with complete awareness but it never mattered as much as it does now because Sk’jin knows he can’t make things right- I’ll make everything right again when I come back-

Survival never lead to life. Survival was the beginning of the end.

And Sk’jin has long lived out his end.

And that was the difference now.

He was no longer trying to survive, he was just trying to make his way to the end.

Checking his face carefully over one more time, Sk’jin steps out of the still steaming en suite and into his much cooler Cabin room. On the floor are his dirty clothes, loaned to him by Bhān and Camat. He opens his closet and takes out a clean and simply robe-set. It’s a nice cool blue in colour, neither bright nor dark- a colour Sk’jin thinks looks a lot like the eastern sky towards the evening. It’s one of his more simpler robes, that Sk’jin categorizes under sleeping robes. The fabric is incredibly soft but doesn’t cling.

Sk’jin pulls on the soft fabric of his robes over his shoulders but stops abruptly.

It doesn’t feel soft anymore. Doesn’t feel silky against his skin. Not because the fabric had been ruined or because the stitching had frayed.

Sk’jin feels encased in ashen, gritty dust. Smothered in it- cocooned in it. His mouth is filled with it.

It almost feels as though he was wearing the earth that has buried him so many times.

Stripping himself of the robes mechanically, Sk’jin hangs it back into his closet and shuts it close.

*

(Author’s Note)

Random topic here but have any of you experienced legit gay panic or remember your first ever gay panic

I was pretty late in discovering my orientation (i’m panromantic) and a lot of pretty intense christian up-bringing does sort of tend to you know, shadow and condemn a lot of things but that being besides the point, let me lay out the scene of my gay panic ™

my sister is a lecturer at a university here and she has an assistant, so this assistant helps her out a lot when it comes to translations and my sister asked her to accompany us to the hospital for better communication with the hospital staff

i went there to get my sister diagnosed

not be attacked with gay panic

my sister’s assistant who will remain anonymous ing took my breath away?!? i couldn’t look her in the eye?!? when i had to talk to her about filling out forms i was addressing her left eyebrow?? and a really nice left eyebrow at that too btw

and i swear this is the Art Student ™ talking but she has a really nice neck to head ratio/slope

also her hair was like, idk, nature/gravity/everything proof idk how she does it it was silky and it literally looked like those hair commercials idk what i wanted to do like do i ask if i can use her hair as reference for my 3d work? would it even render right? what settings do i use? final gathering or mentalray?? would it do her hair justice??? idk probably not with maya maybe nuke

i spent the entire time i was with her not looking at her directly and just giving really awkward replies which thankfully were not really noticed because i am just generally speaking socially awkward so it wasn’t anything really out of the ordinary for me to reply 2 seconds too late but my mind was ike ‘PANIC PANIC PANIC A PRETTY GIRL WHAT DO YOU DO OH GOD SHE’S TALKING TO YOU OMG SOUND LIKE AN INTELLECT FFS YOUR IQ IS 134 SO ACT LIKE IT’ and im like ‘where can i get fruit shakes’ when we’re standing literally right in front of the fruit-shake stand

*sighs*

i need help

i also hope i don’t see her again i am not ready and will never be ready

I am also writing a one-shot namjin and I hope to put it up by next week! Because wow n a m j i n

THAT THING THAT HAPPENED

I STILL CAN’T GET OVER IT

So yeah hope you enjoyed this chapter