music here for bg!

‘The ending started here, in Megibīya. And this is where we will change that.’

Megibīya is a strange and beautiful planet.

The lands are brutal on this side, geographical masses formed and shaped by harsh unprotected heated UV rays, an already thin ozone layer barely filtering out the harmful rays from the surface of this orbit-locked planet. Massive curls and waves of ravaged earth arch high above them, broken and parched land, ravines plummeting deep into the core. Jimin told them that strange and unseen creatures lived deep down within the ravines, something Taeh’yung had been excited about. Namjoon had immediately banned him (and Jungkook) from attempting to make contact with the creatures.

Thick layers of clouds, a geomagnetic storm that was still raging on one side of the planet drape across in thick coils, blossoming on the side of the planet like some terrible portal. According to Jimin, that was never there before.

It’s incredibly difficult to maintain their speed adjustments so quickly after jumping out of warp after entering any planetary atmosphere- especially one this tough. But it’s almost a of luck none of them were expecting. To an extent.

‘This is not going to be easy on you guys,’ Hoseok says tersely, steering them through vibrant splays of light that erupt with the force and weight of lightning. It’s strangely cushioning on their engines and warp-core. Entering the storm through the atmosphere from space would be relatively easy; simply allow gravity to take over. However, exiting would be difficult.

‘Just get us through Hobi, I got this,’ Sk’jin replies calmly.

Something powerful breaks over the front of the Bridge, temporarily flooding the whole room with white light. Hoseok had been expecting this and they had already implemented filters over every window and gateway, but the light is still painfully bright.

‘Shields are still above 80%,’ Hoseok announces, ‘Our communications will be ty.’

‘Set up isotope-tracing map,’ Yoongi orders.

One of the GI next to Hoseok quickly taps one of the many tabs of the Communications Dashboard they customized to stand by Hoseok’s immediate reach.

‘Get the projections on please Yyna,’ Hoseok tells the GI who immediately obeys.

Immediately, 7 distinct coloured dots appear, surrounded by another series of dots in smaller forms. ‘Start mapping onto region-specified map- guys, 5 minutes.’

‘Got it. We’re boarding now.’ Sk’jin replies.

‘The sun is still behind us,’ Hoseok reports, glancing over at the display spread over the windows where a tracker was scaling after the violent light spewing from the sun. ‘Reaching the canyons soon, I can see them.’

Flat and high canyons appear in the strange mirage filled stormy horizon ahead of them.

‘Magnetic surge detected,’ Yyna tells him, ‘Employing diverting tactics.’

‘Guys hang on.’ Hoseok calls just as they spin sharply, momentarily flung harshly as they descend the skies of Megibīya.

‘Initiate automatic equalizers on all systems,’ Hoseok orders, eyes still ahead, looking at the glimmering gold canyons. The front of the canyons facing the sun was always molten, according to Jimin. The heat in this area would be intense, but their transporters would be able to withstand it. ‘3 minutes!’

No one replies back but it’s fine.

He breathes out slowly, momentarily closing his eyes.

‘The geomagnetic storm extends past the canyons for 200 kilostreams,’ Yyna reports, ‘An additional minute in our current speed, stable enough for take-off.’

‘Thank you,’ Hoseok nods at the Megibīyan.

It was strange. She would be returning to planet she held no memory of, no connection; she would have to see what once was, in a life she once lived, out of memory and time.

‘Geomagnetic storm ebbing out,’ another GI reports from the back, manning the Navigation Table. ‘5 openings found, leading into the outer-most valley outside the Crescent Ridge.

‘Okay, good,’ Hoseok locks on to one of the gaps in the canyon, ‘We’re going to use the central opening, everyone suited up?’

‘We’re good.’

‘We’re ready.’

‘1 minute,’ Hoseok glances at the dashboard to the side. ‘Preparing defensive shields, decompressing the Hangars now.’

The canyons are massive. The closer they get, the more overwhelmingly large they are. Jimin had explained that this canyons were formed during the genesis of the planet by flowing magma, heated continuously by the spewing gamma rays expelled by their sun. And over the ages, the surface stilled, forming lofty structures of a primitive rage and fear forever preserved along this ring that ran across the planet.

It was easy to say they were still molten by looking at them- rock surface slowly eroding away into heated dust particles, sparking the air and the ship like a physical wall of friction. The walls glow fiery red and gold, heat mirages twisting perspective and depth. He hears Taeh’yung gasp out in awe.

‘We’re in!’ Hoseok calls, and even though the ship is not effected by this sweltering oppressive heat, Hoseok feels himself sweating.

‘Atmospheric pressure stabilized,’ Yyna reports.

‘Great, perfect.’ Hoseok slows their speed steadily, barreling past massive columns of rock and dust, cracking open to expose fissures of heated gasses, forcefully enough to split rock.

‘Anything on our scanners?’ Namjoon asks quietly.

‘Nothing,’ Hoseok replies at once. ‘We’re clear. Give me 30 more seconds.’

Hoseok gradually steadies their speed, spinning briefly to avoid a massive expulsion of steam. He quickly rights them, staying just below the tops of the canyon and above the line of sunlight now far behind them.

‘Ready?’ Hoseok looks around to address Namjoon, Sk’jin, and Jimin on the surveillance feed to the side of his dashboard.

‘Ready,’ Namjoon replies while Sk’jin starts up the transporter.

‘Yoongi? Jungkook?’ Hoseok pulls up the second feed.

‘Ready,’ Yoongi replies back, also from inside a transporter, indistinguishable from the GI behind him with his complete GI uniform. Jungkook gives him a small wave from next to Yoongi, his helmet on his lap.

‘All right. Opening Hangar gates in 10 seconds,’ Hoseok taps over his dashboard, starting the countdown locally through their communications network. ‘Buggy? You’re good?’

Taeh’yung gives him a thumb’s up from the weapons dock.

‘This will work,’ he hears Namjoon say quietly, not to anyone specifically. ‘Remember, we are already checking the marks up until now.’

5

4

3

Hoseok checks on their isotope-tracking map one more time just to be sure.

2

1

‘Hangar Gates 2 and 9 opening. Transporter 12-03 and TE-02 have safely undocked.’

Hoseok takes a short moment to savor on one of their smaller successes.

‘Transporter TE-02 stabilized and on route to our destination,’ Yoongi reports.

‘Transporter 12-03 stabilized,’ Sk’jin reports back. ‘We are also clear for our trajectory. Shields full and cabin pressure at green.’

‘I have your transporters online. Autopilot functions are ready at any moment for both.’

‘We’re halfway there now,’ Yoongi states. ‘Getting ready to dismount and switch to the HoverPorts.’

‘I’ve got us through the edges of the storm- are we on the scanners?’ Sk’jin asks.

‘No- you’re good,’ Hoseok replies, ‘Our heat signature will stick out from the environment soon. We’re about a minute from being detectable. Buggy, how are our defenses holding up?’

‘We’re good!’ Taeh’yung promptly reports back, kneeling up on his seat to grin excitedly at him.

‘We’re on the HoverPorts. Nothing on our scanners either.’ Yoongi announces quietly. ‘Getting into formation.’

‘All right.’ Hoseok focuses ahead, weaving through the large canyons and rocky pillars jutting out in dark burnt hues. ‘If anyone’s out here, they’ll be able to see us any minute now.’

‘Leaving the thermosphere,’ Sk’jin sounds tense. ‘I am seeing nothing so far.’

‘Found a landing point within the heat-waves; exiting the TE-02,’ Jungkook sounds slightly breathless but there’s an unmistakable excitement to his tone, ‘Following Yoongi’s lead now!’

‘Exterior temperature has dropped below the ship’s readings,’ Yyna states. ‘All scanners will be able to pick up on us now.’

‘It will be okay,’ Jimin tells them, his voice unwavering, calm, and sure. ‘It will be okay.’

*

By the 3^rd day Hoseok is battling with a pretty bad case of jitters. Not because he’s nervous, or anxious- rather it’s the opposite.

Hoseok has never quite grasped the concept of a holiday.

He’s pretended he’s been on a holiday for several missions- acting the tourist, even participating in a guided tour, creating fake local crafts with believable enthusiasm of an ignorant tourist.

So he’s not sure what to do really.

He’s itching to grab his screen, discuss and plan- but even Namjoon was taking a break. His NaviLet opened to some trash novel series Sk’jin loved. Not that he was on it the entire time; Namjoon and Jimin were together more frequently than they were not in the past 2 days, seriously discussing things, making adjustments to projections Hoseok cannot define or make out. But they don’t ask for help or an opinion, so Hoseok doesn’t bother to ask. Jimin also took to speaking for prolonged periods of time with the GI. Hoseok had gone back inside to get his clothes dried after being dunked into the sea by Jungkook and Taeh’yung and had found Jimin sitting across from Nineti, neither of them moving or speaking. Hoseok hadn’t wanted to disturb, so he hadn’t approached them.

He’s not sure if others have seen it, or if this was supposed to be expected, seeing as Jimin did indeed know many of the GI present here. It would make sense if he tried to communicate with them.

So Hoseok approaches the holiday almost as though it were a mission. He would relax, soak up the sun, enjoy the water, enjoy food outdoors.

And so far he was doing a good job of it.

Mainly because he felt this was a good time to train Jungkook in some of the more random, but also missed opportunities the Vicitra would have otherwise never gotten the chance to experience.

Hoseok smiles to himself, remembering Jungkook’s reaction to the sea water. Teaching him how to swim was just an immediate natural chain of reaction. And Spaces does Jungkook takes to swimming with unnerving skill.

He also holds his breath for a worrisome length of time, making Hoseok, Sk’jin, and Namjoon nearly panic when the Vicitra doesn’t emerge 10 minutes later. Jimin, alarmed, takes to the water immediately, followed by Yoongi, diving under the calm waters. Hoseok spots Namjoon calling for the GI, all of them dropping their immediate task of fortifying a massive sand-fort and heading for the water when Jimin and Yoongi break the water.

‘Did you find him-?!’ Sk’jin calls hysterically, splashing forward hurriedly.

But instead, Yoongi is nearly doubled-over with laughter, leaning on Jimin’s shoulder, whole body shaking. Jimin looks like he’s unsure how to feel- a hesitant smile on his face.

‘Uh-‘

There’s a great splash some distance from the flatter shorelines and Jungkook appears for a moment before he sinks down again.

‘What’s happened?!’ Sk’jin demands, receiving a still laughing Yoongi with confusion. Then out of nowhere, Jungkook emerges, a massive bleeding and still struggling aggressive looking aquatic creature draped over his shoulders.

Yoongi is laughing even more, now supported by Jimin who just rolls his eyes, muttering under his breath in his own language, dragging the Human away with him.

Sk’jin lets out a loud squeak when Jungkook waddles over to them, big grin on his face, hair sopping wet. He looks incredibly pleased with himself.

‘Jin!’ Jungkook eagerly calls, ‘Look what I fought!’

Hoseok tries very hard not to laugh out loud as Sk’jin screams, wading backwards as quickly as he could, away from Jungkook holding the creature towards him. He collides into Namjoon who is laughing hysterically, but doesn’t move away as Sk’jin climbs up on him, trying to get away from Jungkook’s teasing.

‘Keep that away from me!’ Sk’jin shrieks, ‘Namjoon-! Namjoon hey do something! NAMJOON!’

Hoseok looks around, finding Yoongi and Taeh’yung in stitches on the sand as Jimin covers his face with his hands, shoulders shaking.

Ultimately, Jungkook stops his teasing and with a bright grin, proceeds to methodically kill the large aquatic slithering creature with a single crushing grip of his fists. Sk’jin is making loud retching sounds, pushing Namjoon to move away from Jungkook.

Jungkook takes his kill towards where Jimin, Yoongi, and Taeh’yung are, looking pleased. Taeh’yung is exclaiming at the colourful scales while Jimin does his best to praise the youngling. Yoongi is still laughing as he leaves the small group, heading back to the ship.

Hoseok stops Namjoon, nodding at the group, ‘Uh- I have a feeling they might try and cook that.’

Namjoon looks scandalized for a moment before he sighs in a resigned manner.

‘I’ll check to see if it’s actually edible and not like, poisonous or something.’ He sighs, walking over to where his NaviLet was.

‘Anything on our scanners?’ Hoseok asks, glancing up towards the sky.

‘Nothing,’ Namjoon replies, also glancing upwards.

‘I guess your theory is working?’

Namjoon shrugs. ‘I hope it is,’ he pauses a moment before asking, ‘Have you ever been to RY-522?’

It takes a moment for Hoseok to remember what or where that is.

‘Isn’t that in Fytikos?’ Hoseok quirks an eyebrow, ‘An asteroid?’

Namjoon nods.

‘Not personally- never really had any missions near Fytikos- it wasn’t necessary anyways. Cheimaros is no longer being threatened.’ Hoseok replies thoughtfully, ‘Besides, most of the regions in Fytikos are a no-travel zone.’

‘So basically no one would be able to enter? Was it under the GLA protection?’

Hoseok wonders why Namjoon’s asking him all of this. He was an Information Analyst, he should know more than Hoseok. He nods in reply but also adds, ‘I mean, technically you can’t go in; but GLA protection statutes and sanctions aren’t always the most full-proof. There’s always a loophole you can get around. Most of the time it’s the Yisheng’s themselves that are the loopholes.’

Namjoon squints a little, still searching for the aquatic sea-creature but his mind is clearly somewhere else.

‘If you wanted to get into Fytikos, into RY-522, how would you do it?’

‘They’re under a biophysical protection system right? Class A?’

Namjoon nods.

‘Well, I’d find a way to have those protection systems lifted,’ Hoseok replies thoughtfully, ‘By persisting an evidence that declares that whatever is in need of protection within RY-522 is under threat and needs instant analysis. This automatically shifts responsible authorities who are funding and overseeing the protection to check up on the “threat”- they will then need to send in external analysts to reduce bias as protocol dictates. Depending on the level of threat, either the GIU or Yishengs will be sent to investigate. If it’s RY-522, it’ll most likely be the Yishengs. During that time, I slip myself into the gathered team. Always more tricky when it comes to the Yishengs if I’m being honest. But if it turns out well, I hitch a completely legal ride into RY-522.’

‘So there’s normally always some form of loophole we can take advantage of then?’

‘More or less,’ Hoseok replies honestly, wondering what Namjoon was getting at.

Namjoon nods slowly to that before he exclaims, ‘Ha! Got it!’

‘What?’

‘The creature,’ Namjoon grins, showing him his screen.

Turns out that the aquatic creature, the tafata, was indeed edible. Hoseok wonders if Jungkook somehow knew and as a result picked a fight with it? Like some instinct told him that this creature was edible and he could hunt it if he wanted. Or maybe it was because it presented a threat, as Namjoon scrolls down the information to find out that the tafata was in fact a deadly and speedy predator that often fed on much larger creatures for sport. Yoongi is uncannily efficient in deboning and filleting the aquatic creature, pointing out how he’s doing it to Jungkook who watches with wide eyes, absorbing the information. Sk’jin pales at the sight while Taeh’yung takes the colourful fins and scales, fashioning some off device for his head with it. Jimin watches, both amused and slightly disturbed.

Namjoon is clearly finding all of this extremely entertaining.

‘It’s like you missed us,’ Hoseok teases.

‘Huh?’

Hoseok laughs, watching as Namjoon realizes what he meant by his words, looking back at the scene before them.

But Namjoon doesn’t splutter or deny it. Instead he shrugs a little and gives a short nod.

‘Yeah- I guess you could say that.’

*

‘, this place is…it’s different from what I remember.’ Yoongi says out loud.

‘You didn’t see these trees when you were here?’ Jungkook asks.

‘No- we were closer towards the cities- not this far out.’

Hoseok hasn’t seen trees this big before. Jimin had said that the vegetation towards the edges of the Crescent were massive. And he wasn’t exaggerating.

Some of these tree trunks were as wide and tall as the Department infrastructures in Šerdesas. The bark is stone like, oddly light, with thick veins of dark sap breaking through the layers at random. The leaves are browning and fall in a slow entrancing rain around them. Heaps of them fall, some branches swaying and snapping, heavy bouts of dust, greyish pollen, and ash-like particles gust about as well when they fall into contact with their shields.

‘Anything?’ Yoongi asks quietly.

Hoseok glances at the tracker to the side, watching Yoongi and Jungkook’s dots leading a stream of other dots behind them some 50 kilostreams away.

‘Nothing,’ Hoseok replies, glancing at Yyna who belatedly shakes her head. ‘We have nothing here.’

‘We’re getting nothing too,’ Namjoon adds, ‘I think we’re clear on starting up the geoscanners- clearly what the GLA has provided for “Bhumi” is incorrect.’

‘Nothing here too.’ Jungkook sounds excited.

He had picked up almost immediately on how to operate the HoverPorts. If they were that small, tracking their readings at the speed they were maintaining would be virtually impossible. They maintain a parameter around their trajectory. Hoseok is doing nothing to mask their presence- it would be difficult after all, with a ship of this magnitude.

‘It’s cool right?’ Hoseok asks Taeh’yung who hasn’t said a word since they broke past the canyons and into this strange dense colossal forest of gigantic trees. He had only stood, leaning over to the windows, palms placed on the windows, leaning is as though trying to feel the trees they flew by.

Taeh’yung doesn’t reply immediately, he’s unmoving where he stands.

‘Crescent Ridge city approaching,’ Yyna informs him. ‘Marked Keldana; a farming city.’

‘We can see it,’ Yoongi says at once, ‘Team B, scout the parameter.’

Hoseok brings the ship above the browning foliage slowly, pollen and dust wrapping around them briefly like vapor.

The city, Keldana as Jimin had called it, is not large. The stout and heavy looking infrastructure are much shorter than the trees that slope down in height towards the valley. And past the thicket of colossal trees that shrink in height the further they expand out, the last of the canyons flatten out into massive step-like plateaus. The structures appeared carved in mimicry of the canyons they had flown past- brown and grey walls broken by sporadic outcrops of windows, doorways, balconies, and bridges. Even from this distance, it appeared completely desolate and empty. The living spaces seemed to form a semi-circle, with a massive space in between.

‘I can see you,’ Yoongi reports.

‘I see you on the tracker,’ Hoseok replies back before calling, ‘Sk’jin? You guys good?’

‘We’re out of the planet’s gravity-reach,’ the Khol’isa responds, ‘Namjoon and Jimin are realigning our navigation charts- you should also start receiving the geoscans soon. I see nothing so far.’

‘Nothing from here too,’ Hoseok looks at their scanners, ‘We’re gonna land as soon as Yoongi gives us the green light.’

He slows their speed even more, glancing around every scanner they had on.

‘Buggy?’ Hoseok calls the Zhak’gri, ‘Everything okay?’

Taeh’yung looks away from the windows, giving him a sad look.

‘No,’ he replies simply, ‘This is a sad place.’

Hoseok doesn’t know how to respond.

‘There’s nothing here,’ Yoongi tells them, ‘I’m putting Team B on a 25 kilostream radius patrol around us, I’ll meet you where you land.’

‘Got it,’ Hoseok replies before adding, ‘Buggy, take a seat?’

Taeh’yung goes back to where Yoongi normally sat and doesn’t say another word.

‘Are they watching?’ Hoseok asks, pulling them a little higher again, the small city of Keldana getting closer, the trees shrinking in size.

‘Yes,’ Taeh’yung sounds dismissive, but not towards Hoseok himself, ‘They’re afraid.’

‘It’s okay to be afraid,’ Hoseok sighs out, the HUD automatically adjusting to track Yoongi’s and Jungkook’s tracker on to the screen once they’re close enough. Yyna locks on to their locations, allowing their surveillance to zoom into their location and setting up a landing spot. ‘Being afraid is a natural response.’

‘But everything here is so unnatural,’ Taeh’yung mumbles.

‘The air is breathable and clean,’ Jungkook tells him, sounding like he’s reading, ‘Um- just dusty?’

Yoongi and Jungkook and a few other GI with them are astride their HoverPorts. They’re sleek, gravity-based engines running off on air-particle converter engines. They were incredibly quiet, undetectable as they lacked any fuel trace, and incredibly fast. They were a completely new model- not available even to the Venture Unit agents. So when they found a stock of 50 HoverPorts in the Hangar stores, they put them to immediate use. Yoongi taught Jungkook how to use one in under an hour. Surprisingly, Namjoon took the longest and was deemed unqualified to handle it.

But Jungkook took to it easily, immediately joining Yoongi in their scouting mission.

The city they’re in is small, but eerily well-preserved. Evident remains of a normal life still remained, though incredibly faded. Empty and dead pots of plants line up balconies. Wooden sticks propping open windows for decades and decades still remain. Faded and tattered flags barely hang on to their poles, crumbling water towers and irrigation networks spreading around the city lay broken from time and lack of care. A sunken ravine has carved through some fallen buildings, where a water source had clearly leaked out a long time ago, breaking through the structures above it.

‘Sending you structural integrity readings,’ Yoongi says as they close in on the clearing at the center of the city. Remains of dead trees line up the clearing; what appeared to be crumbling statues line up certain areas, and at the very center, the ravine cracks through the grounds, creating a still and deep pool.

‘Did you catch that?’ Hoseok asks Yyna as he brings them right to the center. He doesn’t want the shelf they were landing on to crumble with their added weight, especially if an underground ravine was already expanding for Spaces knows how long.

Yyna nods, unaffected as they land in a city that would have had some sort of familiarity to her. But maybe it was good it didn’t. It was painful enough to hear Jimin talk about his home-system in the past-tense, a suppressed and desperate strain of hope in his tone.

‘We are receiving geoscans,’ she tells him.

‘Okay- let’s put that through into the Table, alert me when it’s completed.’

‘Understood. We are also clear to land.’

‘Great, okay we’re landing now Yoongi.’

Hoseok spots them below, moving to give the ship a good wide berth to land. He’s barely gotten them down when Taeh’yung immediately rushes out of his chair and sprints past. He doesn’t move with his usual eagerness, but rather with a somber determination. Hoseok makes sure that the ship is stabilized, locking it onto autopilot and follows after the Zhak’gri.

The air is cool, but a strange staleness lingered heavily. The infrastructure seems both heavy and fragile now that he’s outside. Looking around briefly, he catches sight of Taeh’yung’s lanky figure near the mouth of the ravine.

‘A search around the parameter indicates no sign of life,’ Yoongi tells them, ‘I’m going to have Team B expand their patrol.’

‘Got it,’ Yoongi looks behind him, catching sight of the HoverPorts drifting around the massive opening, keeping close to the ship but maintaining a good distance in the same time. ‘Are you guys all right up there?’

‘We’re fine- still headed for our coordinates.’ Sk’jin replies at once. ‘We’re halfway to the mark.’

‘All right, do you want me to patch the ship’s surveillance to you?’

‘No. It’s okay,’ Jimin replies back.

Taeh’yung squats down, looking down at the ground beneath him, and then around him.

‘Anything?’ Hoseok asks, not sure what he means by the question, or if Taeh’yung could possibly give him an answer that made sense.

‘It’s empty,’ Taeh’yung sighs out, placing his palm over the ground, weak echoes of green spread from his hands. ‘No life lives here anymore- this planet has been dying.’

‘So…-so that means Jimin was right?’

Taeh’yung gives him a sad look, standing up slowly.

‘I think this is something he knew in his heart the moment he woke up,’ Taeh’yung says thoughtfully. ‘But I think he was trying to deny it.’

‘So then…Menigišiti...’

‘Just ghosts,’ Taeh’yung looks around. The shadows around Taeh’yung flicker, the air momentarily stilling. ‘Angry, trapped ghosts.’

Hoseok feels a shiver run down his back.

‘Can you sense anything else?’ Sk’jin asks tersely.

Taeh’yung looks a little uncomfortable- mostly sad as he glances about the clearing. The water in the ravine is not very forceful but it at least fills the air with some sort of sound of motion. Something other than the still and deep crumbling of the infrastructure around them or the falling faded leaves.

‘It’s almost as though…’ Taeh’yung frowns, looking around and then back at Hoseok, ‘I saw this happen to Earth.’

Hoseok can practically hear his heart beating. He’s seen the footage in Court; watched, alongside so many others, the ruin and destruction of a planet home to millions. A planet rendered to nothing for no reason other than to display power.

‘But this is incomplete,’ Taeh’yung mumbles, ‘It’s why this is happening. This slow decay.’

‘Do you think it’s possible the other planets have faced the same fate?’

Taeh’yung shrugs, looking about and scuffing the floors with his bare feet. The shadows disproportionate around him flicker and bend.

‘What do they observe from this?’

‘Wrath,’ Taeh’yung replies at once, ‘Punishment.’

‘And what do you observe from this?’

Taeh’yung looks up, surprise in his eyes, flickering copper and green. He smiles a little before looking up, gaze pointed upwards.

‘I see that all life is Continuum.’

‘I’m getting a report that there is a small encampment in what appears to be a depository 150 kilostreams from Keldana.’ Yoongi says suddenly, ‘It appears to be quite recently constructed according to observation. I’m headed there to investigate. Jungkook will remain here and receive the scans from our Irises.’

‘Got it,’ Hoseok steps away from the cracked edges of the ravine and towards where Jungkook was getting off his HoverPort, removing his helmet in the process.

‘Wow, Kookie’s gonna break a lot of hearts when he grows up,’ Taeh’yung remarks almost nonchalantly.

‘You stay the away from him you ancient pole,’ Sk’jin snips in immediately.

Taeh’yung splutters a response, stomping bare feet on the ground. Jungkook gives them a brief confused look before handing his screen to Hoseok.

‘I don’t like how it smells,’ is the first thing he says.

‘Yeah, it smells stale,’ Hoseok nods in agreement. Taeh’yung stops explaining himself to Sk’jin and sniffs the air aggressively a few times.

‘Huh,’ he looks at them in mild surprise, ‘My nose is bust?’

‘Side-effect we did not foresee,’ Namjoon quips in at once, ‘Another thing we should make note of.’

‘They’re all laughing at me,’ Taeh’yung frowns behind him, his eyes glaring.

‘Ignore them,’ Hoseok pulls Taeh’yung closer so that they can all look at the screen together. ‘Are you getting this as well Namjoon?’

‘We are.’

‘We never used fuel in the form of wood,’ Jimin tells them, ‘We had abundant resources if we wanted, but harnessing our sun’s energy was so much more efficient. This depository was built to maintain and keep a balance on wood-rot among the trees. We always had Megibīya fully supplied for their energy needs. Megibīya had no actual use for wood as a material, other than for certain religious practices, hobby, or recreational crafts.’

Sk’jin snorts at that, ‘Recreational crafts- is that what the kids call it these days?’

‘But,’ Jimin continues, not acknowledging Sk’jin’s jib. ‘It appears to be fully stocked, and the trees in the zone have been felled, not naturally.’

‘It’s possible that it’s pirates,’ Yoongi says quietly, ‘We’re running a scan and examining the grounds before heading in.’

‘What do you guys think?’ Hoseok asks the two on either side of him.

‘Um, this planet was empty for a long time right?’ Jungkook asks, ‘No one to really guard. Trees were rare in Ynqaba, and the Kabans would hunt more for it- pay more for it. Trees like this,’ he looks around, eyes wide, head tilted all the way back as though trying to see every single tree around them, ‘trees like this would be invaluable in Ynqaba.’

‘Megibīya really is kinda a sitting varak,’ Hoseok mumbles, ‘You just need a good pilot and you can get in, take what you need.’

‘Isn’t that what you thought about Menigišiti as a whole?’ Sk’jin asks no one in particular. ‘That now, it would just be one massive source of material and resources?’

‘It’s a possibility,’ Jimin replies evenly.

‘We’re clear,’ Yoongi chimes in.

‘All right, I’m pulling up all of your Irises now,’ Hoseok announces, tapping the side tabs to pull up all of their feed from Yoongi’s Iris as well as the GI with him.

The forest there is much more sparse- whoever was felling the trees were being sneaky about it. They took down the trees at every odd interval, spreading the loss of trees in a way that almost appeared natural if it weren’t for the fact that from ground level, the evidence was pretty clear. Whoever was doing this, wanted to avoid detection from surveillance above.

Towards the center lay a high mound of logs of varying size. Evidently old ones were at the bottom- cracked, dried, many crushed to flattened pieces of bark and fiber. Some are evidently much newer, the barks still intact and stuck onto the main wood core. There’s a sort of chopping device, rotted and faded heaps of wood shavings lumped to one side, some sort of fungi growing over them. There are small stone huts, many dilapidated, but at least 3 were still standing with their domed roofs still intact. Outside one of them, Hoseok spots the remains of a fire pit. It’s not new- maybe some weeks, possible a month or two old. It’s dry, the burnt wood hardened ash and charcoal. Around the huts the floors are paved with smooth flat stone slabs, dried weeds and roots piercing through. But the area before one of the huts has been cleared of the bigger roots.

‘I don’t think the Beings doing this are doing it um, legally,’ Namjoon ruminates, ‘It’s secretive, but they’re also trying to prolong this activity; like they’re trying to maintain it. It’s not done with confidence that there will be no repercussion.’

‘There are old tracks- transporter brakes,’ Yoongi crouches down, tapping gently on the cracked stone floors, showing distinctly familiar scorch marks from a transporter brake turbine. ‘Someone used to come here, land here. Live here, and take things.’

‘Could be pirates,’ Sk’jin ruminates.

‘Could you check inside the huts? Be careful though.’

They watch as Yoongi approaches the hut where the entryway has been cleared.

The door is barely hanging to a hinge, and inside there’s evident signs of struggle. But all the furnishing, the peeling plaster on the stone walls, the dried climbers that must have once took over the whole place are covered in dust and in a ruined state. It’s not old, but it’s not quite recent at the same time.

‘Something definitely happened here,’ Hoseok contemplates, ‘Not very recent.’

‘There’s no remains,’ Yoongi says quietly, scanning the hut and entering the back room and dark en suite as well. ‘I don’t see any evidence of a living Being being here.’

Suddenly, Jungkook’s gloved finger reaches out to the screen and taps on one of the other feeds. At the same time, Sk’jin curses under his breath.

‘Is that-?’

There’s a burnt mound, blackened and even after this time, somehow strangely damp as though still bleeding from what was placed there. The charred bits of wood are placed in a circular pattern, pointing inwards in varying lengths that quickly form a distinct pattern, like the rays of the sun.

‘Most of the Megibīyan cremated their dead,’ Jimin says quietly, ‘For both life and death came from fire.’

‘So this is a pyre.’ Namjoon states, ‘The customs of the Megibīyan- are they applied to the other dead who are not from Megibīya?’

‘No,’ Jimin replies, ‘It was only reserved for the Megibīyan- and-…this perfectly mirrors exactly how it was done. The placement of the pyre wood and-‘

‘There’s another one,’ Yoongi cuts across shortly.

Hoseok quickly finds Yoongi’s feed, enlarging it a little. And true to his word, Yoongi comes across another circular pyre, the logs of varying lengths placed systematically here too.

‘There’s another not too far from it.’

‘Team B, spread out and find other pyres,’ Hoseok orders, ‘Report back on how many you find.’

It’s painfully quiet waiting for the GI to accumulate how many pyres they find because it doesn’t seem to end. The further they spread out into the trees of the forest, in nearly every direction, pyres spread across the ground. Many covered with years of vegetation.

‘What does this mean?’ Jungkook asks.

‘This is a graveyard,’ Yoongi announces, voice unnaturally level, sounding very much like how he did in the past. ‘These are all pyres. The wood was cut, to fuel the pyres.’

‘…maybe Prat’tna buried them,’ Namjoon says tentatively, ‘There were others before him- before Yyna, maybe this-‘

‘It’s too many,’ Yoongi cuts across quietly, ‘There’s too many here.’

‘Can we run any samples on the remains of the ashes?’ Sk’jin asks sharply, ‘Rather than speculate, let’s make sure what we’re looking at is what we think it is.’

‘We can try to extract DNA prints from the ashes,’ Namjoon confirms, ‘Each living Being has a unique chemical make based off of their home-planet. If there is any sample that is foreign to Megibīya, it will show up.’

‘Team B, collect samples,’ Yoongi orders quietly.

‘It seems like it was done respectfully?’ Jungkook asks quietly, sounding unsure.

‘A sacrifice is always executed respectfully,’ Taeh’yung remarks as he steps back.

Hoseok’s hand tingles, heat over his palms slowly.

‘Hoseokkie, do you think you could check around the city?’ Sk’jin asks, his tone purposefully light.

‘What? Why?’ Hoseok looks back around at the crumbling city.

‘Great, not just the ones outside, maybe further deep inside- closer to the ravine maybe,’ Sk’jin continues, ignoring his question.

He understands what Sk’jin is implying and Hoseok wishes he didn’t.

‘Team A, split up,’ Hoseok orders, ‘Drive by slowly- find any indication of recent activity around the infrastructures- check for areas with less weeds, or area specific erosion, water connection- things like that. Nineti, with me.’

Immediately, 6 of the HoverPorts depart ahead of them while Nineti approaches Hoseok. Hoseok quickly climbs up behind him. Taeh’yung is quick to scramble ahead with Jungkook.

‘Yyna- make sure you’re keeping an eye on all the scans,’ Hoseok glances up at the ship towards the Bridge.

‘Understood.’

‘Let’s split up and cover more ground,’ Hoseok orders, shoving his screen into his inner pocket. ‘Let’s go Nineti.’

The city is not large, but a lot of it was clearly suffering from erosion and lack of care. Massive cracks and veins ran up the chipped plastered stone walls, giving Hoseok the strong impression that any force applied would send the walls around them crashing.

‘Here,’ Nineti says suddenly a few minutes later.

‘Here?’ Hoseok looks about as they reach a crossroad. Evidence of stalls remained around the streets- possibly a smaller market area. None of the goods have survived but evidence of earthenware, what appeared to look like some form of OrTanks, and other display facilities lay abandoned around the area.

Nineti stops and Hoseok gets off.

‘Clear view of the clearing,’ Nineti informs him in monotone, ‘Shelter above.’

Hoseok glances up, spying a wide rocky shelf jutting out from the side of the canyons. He can hear the water streaming just some ways to their right.

He glances at the stocky stone-faced structures around him. Most of the doors are haphazardly flung open- some shut closed by more than just bolts and locks, but with age and decay as well. Hoseok squats down, looking down at the floors around the streets. It’s faint, but Hoseok knew what he was looking for.

‘Here,’ Nineti says again, crouched down, hand touching the ground before him in an almost gentle and respectful manner. ‘This drag mark is recent.’

The stone floors were naturally quite scarred and eroded, but Hoseok can spot serrations, paler than the outer stone face, scratching up in an unmistakable manner.

‘Something was dragged here.’ Hoseok remarks, ‘Team A, rejoin us at Nineti’s coordinates.’

‘You found something?’ Taeh’yung asks eagerly, ‘Because I was about to say we did too!’

‘If that’s the case, continue to check- we have a lot of ground to cover in this street itself.’ Hoseok nods at Nineti, pointing towards one of the doors at random, ‘Start with that one there- check to see if there are cellars, basements – even attics.’

‘Understood.’

Hoseok waits a minute before he spies two of the GI approaching on their HoverPorts before he ducks into one of the doorways himself.

The structure of the place is sound- mostly appearing to be carved straight out of stone and rock but with a smoothness that was definitely not natural. There’s a cleverness with the structure of the domed roofs that Hoseok would admire more if he had time. But just one look inside tells him there’s no possibility of someone living in here even in secret- not with the way most places are caved in.

He walks out and into the next doorway.

‘Yoongi, anything?’

‘We’re still finding more,’ the Human says. ‘There’s…there’s a lot.’

Hoseok knows he’s found something when he enters his 4^th doorway and he finds tell-tale signs of TeorSer blasts scorch the walls.

‘There’s signs of struggle here,’ Hoseok reports immediately.

‘Here as well,’ one of the GI announces quietly.

‘Here as well,’ another echoes.

Hoseok stops, looking about the seemingly “normal” abandoned area.

‘Cellars,’ Jimin tells him quietly.

Hoseok looks to the ground at once. Visually he can’t tell anything apart with the inlaid patterns, clearly designed to keep hatches hidden. So he lightly taps his feet around, listening to the echoes. Right next to an archway, the echoes from his steps sound marginally hollow. Crouching down, he removes one of his gloves and traces his fingers along the stone patterned across the floor.

‘Press down around the edges,’ Jimin instructs him, ‘Near the walls, it should allow you to slide the panel off.’

Hoseok’s fingers immediately dig around the sides of the archway wall. There’s the faintest feeling of one of the stones being loose so he presses down on it.

The panel slides off so lightly, Hoseok has a hard time believing how seamlessly the hatch had been hidden in plain sight. According to Jimin, so much of Megibīya was a front. The whole planet pretending to be a slow-developing planet just somewhat out of it’s secondary genesis stage. Their infrastructure, architectural landscaping, exposed technology, and projected lifestyle was all to display an uninteresting façade to any who might be interested enough to visit. But their work with stone and rock was more than just phenomenal. According to Jimin, the Megibīyan could hide their lodgings and dwellings into solid rock faces with no one ever noticing. So it made sense that their cellars were so cleverly hidden. In fact, Hoseok doesn’t believe that they’re actually considered all that great by Megibīyan standard.

Inside, deep stairs open up to him.

Old stains mark up the surfaces and Hoseok’s stomach drops.

‘Head Pilot Hoseok, I have found more evidence that a raid once took place in here. How to proceed.’

‘Take samples,’ Hoseok orders, as he makes his way all the way down. It’s dark but his eyes adjust quickly. He makes out beds, bunkers, storage facilities- and they’re somewhat recent. Not more than some decades old.

‘Um, Hobi,’ Taeh’yung says gently, ‘I think we’ve…found something we need help with. None of you babies come here though!’

‘What?’ Hoseok takes a clear look around the place.

‘Please come,’ Jungkook requests, sounding somewhat pained. ‘Sending you the coordinates.’

Hoseok follows their coordinates- not too far from where he was, just a little deeper into the city. He catches sight of the GI quietly moving through each accessible stone structure. Hoseok picks up a brisk jog, stopping before what appeared to be an incredibly damaged and run down building. Jungkook’s HoverPort is outside, still humming quietly, ready to be jumped onto if needed. He can’t tell when the building must have fallen, but Hoseok forgoes that for now and enters through a crumbling doorway.

He’s not sure what about this place might have attracted Jungkook and Taeh’yung to search this place. The hallways, which were surprisingly intact the further Hoseok goes in, are dusty- no indication of struggles here.

‘Hobi?’ Jungkook calls out.

Following his voice, Hoseok steps into one of the doorways in the hallway and then once more through another doorway he thought would maybe lead to a washroom. But he’s mistaken. Instead the doorway turns sharply, stairs leading downwards. Jungkook is there at the bottom, his expression worried.

Quickly, Hoseok makes his way down.

‘What is it?’ Hoseok asks at once, ‘Why did you tell the GI to stay put?’

Jungkook just gestures behind him.

Once he reaches the bottom of the stairs, Hoseok first spots Taeh’yung, kneeling on one knee on the floor, hand reaching down before him. Around him lay corpses, decayed, aged, and preserved. Hoseok has seen Yyna, as well as Prat’tna’s images to easily identify the Megibīyan corpses. But there’s a clear difference separating the corpses; two of them are dressed in garments visually different from the others.

Taeh’yung answers his unasked question when he pulls his hand away, lightly grasping at the fragile fabric that wrapped around the corpse.

Even in death, after what appeared to be some months, the indent on the back of the dead Megibīyan is clear.

‘I found this,’ Jungkook says from behind him. ‘It’s just like the ones the GI use.’

89886743. is handed a long handle- a Heliord, not unlike the ones Yoongi recently equipped himself with. In fact, it’s identical to the ones Yoongi was using- identical to the ones the GI were using.

‘What is it?’ Sk’jin asks sharply. ‘What’s wrong?’

Hoseok changes their communication channel, speaking only to the other 6.

‘We’ve found bodies of several Megibīyan, as well as the Megibīyan GI,’ Hoseok tells them quietly.

The silence is deafening.

Hoseok kneels beside Taeh’yung, observing the body of the GI before him. Then he hears Sk’jin sigh quietly.

‘We are at 500 pyres,’ Yoongi breaks the silence- sounding strained, ‘I’m stopping us before we get too far from the ship.’

‘Return to the ship,’ Namjoon tells him tersely, ‘Have the samples analyzed. And we proceed ahead to the next city.’

‘Buggy, Kook, do you think you could take the samples? For the GI as well as the Megibīyan,’ Hoseok asks as he stands up.

Jungkook nods before he hesitates and asks, ‘What happened here?’

Hoseok looks around the secret room, notices the cellar panel that has shifted slightly to reveal the way inside. He walks over, pushing aside the panel to reveal the stairs. There’s another body there across the stairs.

‘Something we wouldn’t have been able to stop.’ He replies simply before adding, ‘We’re headed back to the ship. Yoongi, could you tell the Teams to head back as well- I think we should move on to part 2 of this plan.’

‘Coming back now.’

*

‘Where’s Yoongi and Jimin?’ he asks the two.

‘They went for a walk around the shoreline,’ Jungkook reports immediately, ‘I think they said they would collect dry flora for the fire.’

Hoseok smiles in thanks. He climbs up some of the stacked flat rocks about the shore, squinting around to spot Yoongi and Jimin. He catches sight of their small figures in the faint light of the dusk, and because he was looking for them, 2 of the GI some ways from them.

Yoongi had been looking better the past few days. It wasn’t just Sk’jin who seemed to improve by being out here. The Human appeared well rested, the dark rings around his eyes lessened though his skin didn’t seem to gain back any colour. Not that he had much of it before, but there’s a sort of permanent starkness to his skin that was clearly indicative that something was wrong. His entire Being however, seemed to have blossomed under the sun; he was much more expressive. Laughing, smiling- even making dumb jokes, sharing stories and anecdotes, giving Taeh’yung and Jungkook genuine and constructive advise on many topics, offering support to the two. Hoseok believes that when Yoongi had been truly alive all those centuries ago, he must have been an incredibly fun and grounding Being to be with.

It made sense that he would have reached out to Jimin the way he did when he first met him.

Breathing out slowly, Hoseok looks all about the island they’re on.

Overhead to the distance, one of the many water-harvesting machines that dotted the skies of Odgõti-32 was drifting by. Great ventilation systems beneath the machines absorbed and filtered the sea water, purifying it for export. It trails behind it great clouds of vapor. One of them had passed overhead earlier that morning, their hair immediately turning damp and their skin dewy.

‘Hobi?’

Suddenly, Taeh’yung is leaning against his legs from where he’s plonked himself on the rock surface.

‘Hey buggy.’ Hoseok leans down a little to ruffle Taeh’yung’s hair.

Taeh’yung takes a deep breath and exhales slowly.

‘Smells nice here,’ he remarks, twisting his arms around one of Hoseok’s legs.

‘Yeah, the air is nice isn’t it?’

Taeh’yung nods against his knee.

They stay like that for while.

‘Buggy, you’re okay with leaving right?’ Hoseok asks, looking down, ‘Feeling better or do you think we should still stay?’

Taeh’yung looks up, eyes large.

His hair had grown out a little, the humidity and wind and sun browning the Zhak’gri’s hair and curling it a little. His skin was tanned more than usual, the copper lines across his skin glittering at random.

‘I am,’ he smiles, breaking the silence that was stretching after Hoseok’s question. ‘Don’t worry Hobi, I know I’ll get better.’

Hoseok nods to that, though the stories he had heard from Taeh’yung himself as well as Sk’jin were far from reassuring. But Taeh’yung didn’t seem too unwell or weak.

‘You’ll tell us right?’ Hoseok asks again, ‘If anything feels wrong.’

Taeh’yung beams up at him.

‘Of course!’

Yoongi and Jimin return, carrying with them armfuls of washed up and dried out flora. According to Namjoon, while appearing quite barren above the water-level, the sea floors were teeming with vegetation that supported a wide and diverse ecosystem. The flora that washed up were akin to fibrous bark and made for great burning fuel.

Sk’jin tells them a few stories from his past life, stories that seemed too fantastical to seem real but at the same time, with conviction and detail that would be hard to make up. Hoseok even spies Namjoon attempting to fact-check Sk’jin’s stories. Jimin, Jungkook, and Taeh’yung seem to enjoy this the most- but not as much as the GI who crowd around them, listening to Sk’jin’s wild stories.

Sk’jin, who needed no sleep, walks around with the GI, beguiling them with narration that Hoseok is pretty sure were made up on the spot. The few GI who stay with them are, surprisingly, displaying their desire to hear the stories. And Namjoon, with a short laugh, dismisses them.

19. no delay or awkward pacing as they all but run towards where Sk’jin gathers them all by a rocky alcove, now explaining in full detail how he crawled out of the digestive track of a ruul some 2000 years ago.

Long after everyone yawns out their goodnight’s, Hoseok stares blankly at the night sky above.

His mind is empty, but he can’t find any rest. Physically he knew he had to rest- not that the was exhausted, but sleeping was important. He wasn’t uncomfortable- he’s slept in worse conditions and he still managed to sleep well in those times too. He didn’t feel like he was in immediate danger- no anxiety niggling into his mind, keeping him up and alert.

He stays like this for almost 2 whole hours, attempting to at least physically rest his body by laying like this. But it proves difficult. Exhaling slowly, Hoseok makes his mind up and decides he should maybe find Sk’jin and keep him company. Or maybe he could go inside, check on things. Barely making a sound, Hoseok sits up.

‘Your hand is on fire.’

The fire pit they’re sleeping around is a low and small light- only embers remaining of the crackling fire they had going on some hours ago.

And in this dim light, instead of slumbering forms spread in a semi-circle around the pit, 4 figures are kneeling before the pit.

Hoseok has no weapon immediately on him. The GI were close by though. They even had 2 of them just past Namjoon’s lightly snoring form.

Hoseok has never seen these Beings before. But there’s a strange uncanny familiarity to them despite the fact that Hoseok does not recognize their thick layered clothing or the fact that he can’t even see their faces.

Hoseok tries to move, but realizes he’s somehow paralyzed- unable to do more than move his eyes about and blink. His fingers are stuck over the thin blanket that covered his legs, halfway pushing them off.

‘Your hand is on fire.’ They say again.

Hoseok is nowhere near the no longer aflame fire pit. But at their words, his palms start to heat up- an invisible flame over the skin there.

It almost feels wet in its heat.

Realizing he can still speak, though it’s hard, Hoseok asks quietly, ‘Who are you?’

He gets no answer and he also gets no reaction. Not from them, nor from the others around him or the GI. He’s pretty sure the GI would have sensed these intruders- pretty sure Yoongi would have sensed them, even Jungkook. But they’re both asleep, on either side of Jimin to Hoseok’s left.

Taeh’yung is nowhere to be seen.

That’s when it dawns upon Hoseok. He glances back at the 4 kneeling before the fire. He still can’t see their faces- but he sees hands over knees. In this dim lighting, he can make out the shimmer of copper lines. Some hands are incredibly old and gnarled, others more delicate, slender, long.

‘Where’s Taeh’yung?’ Hoseok manages to get out.

‘We can no longer hear him.’ They say. ‘He can no longer hear us. Chooses not to hear us. It’s what he’s always wanted.’

Hoseok tries his best with his limited movement to catch sight of Taeh’yung but the Zhak’gri is nowhere to be seen.

‘But he’s not scared, is he? No he’s not- he quite likes this I think. Really? Do you think so think so think so think so? It’s because he’s foolish- he knows we cannot continue this way; it’s not right. We cannot go.’

‘Go where?’

‘We cannot go there- they’ll see us, find us, destroy us. We cannot go.’

‘What will?’ Hoseok frowns at the figures, thinking hard, ‘The First Children? Is that what you’re afraid of? Of going to Menigišiti?’

‘It has been many many long lifetimes since the First. The Third should know when to hold their tongue, perhaps they would not have had to perish so young perish so young perish so young perish so young, allowing the Fourth more time to grow. But perhaps your grievances of the Fifth is because of what the Fourth refused to acknowledge by not listening to me. And-‘

Hoseok frowns.

Was this…some astral-projection of a family argument?

‘Excuse me,’ Hoseok mumbles out, ‘But uh- I’d kinda like to leave.’

The figures turn their covered heads towards Hoseok and-

Hoseok is not a believer of the supernatural. He’s not afraid of “ghosts” or “echoes”- there were more frightening real things around the Universe. But he’s filled with a sense of terror at the sight of the heavily robbed figures. There’s a glaring blurriness to their forms, but the edges of their silhouettes seem to move constantly- almost like the surface of a body of water when it’s disturbed. If he wasn’t already frozen in place, he’d be paralyzed with a strange primal fear.

Because he can’t explain what he’s seeing before him and there is not explanation for it.

‘Your hand is on fire.’

Hoseok could roll his eyes. And he does.

‘You will be touched and stained by more than just fire. This is no easy feat- no easy step or idea you wish to fulfil- the others will be touched by more than fire. You will enter this place, and something more than fire will be waiting for you. Do you wish to be that sacrifice? Do you wish for the others to be that sacrifice? Isn’t that what she said to you that day your memory goes back to goes back to goes back to goes back to?’

Heart in his throat, the smell of smoke, burning fat, sweat, incense clogs his nose and throat and his sight warps-

‘Get out of his head- I’m here.’

Another figure appears, materializing through what Hoseok can now tell is a wall of water. But that didn’t make sense. Hoseok was very much in bed-

‘You would not speak. The Fifth has a responsibility to this responsibility to this responsibility to this-‘

Water pours around them, shadows warp alarmingly and Hoseok realizes he’s very much indeed chest-deep in water. But that didn’t make sense? He doesn’t remember falling asleep- but he doesn’t quite pinpoint the moment he was truly awake either.

‘And that is why I’m going, haven’t I already said I would not do what any of you did? Leave us alone, stop interfering.’

A force is wrapped around him- like an elastic pushing through and Hoseok struggles- he wasn’t paralyzed mid-sleep; he was weighed down by the sea around him.

‘Do not stray from our path- you know we are only left because we were allowed to. We only watch, we only see- nothing more.’

A hand reaches for him and Hoseok gasps, breaking the surface of the water, air flooding into his lungs, burning his chest.

‘Then why don’t you do that and leave us alone?’

Taeh’yung is there, looking solemn and apologetic.

Spitting water out of his mouth and coughing a little, Hoseok realizes they’re quite far out of the shore.

‘I would make us steps, but I can’t right now,’ Taeh’yung tells him.

‘What did they mean you’re only here to watch?’ Hoseok asks instead, realizing that he had been mislead. He had been asleep- he had fallen asleep. But somehow he’d been redirected in his sleep.

Taeh’yung’s eyes are gleaming in the dark, rings of green that reflect briefly in the moving water around them. There’s a seriousness, a gravity to him that was somehow incredibly jarring to behold.

‘Tae?’

Taeh’yung blinks, looking like he’s been shaken from his thoughts.

‘I’m sorry they dragged you into this,’ Taeh’yung sighs, swimming over, hands paddling before him. ‘After Camil poisoned me, it was like I was disconnected from them.’

‘Them? Are they…are they like your ancestors?’ Hoseok reaches over to take Taeh’yung’s arm in his own, kicking his legs to allow them to float a little.

‘Hm,’ Taeh’yung nods thoughtfully, twisting around to float on his back. ‘I’m the Fifth.’

‘So I’ve heard,’ Hoseok also floats alongside the Zhak’gri.

‘According to them, we’re supposed to…supposed to just observe. I think fear of what Yisheng did in the beginning, the persecution and execution- it’s molded their fear, forcing themselves to live a life only of observation,’ Taeh’yung says leisurely, allowing Hoseok to pull him slowly towards the shore, feet kicking a little to keep balance in the sea. ‘The Khol’isa- they no longer remember what it was that drove the Bloodmoon. Most Yishengs do not remember the nightmare they used to live through in their sleep. Many of us no longer exist or are lost- and it’s out of fear.’

‘What are you afraid of?’

Taeh’yung turns his head, dipping a little into the water.

‘Oh, I’m not afraid,’ he grins, ‘I don’t want to be afraid like them anymore.’

‘That’s good?’

Taeh’yung laughs as he says, ‘It’s because we’re all here right now, out of fear. The Universe exists in fear- we always have. How could we not when we were born out of fear?’

Hoseok can see what Taeh’yung is saying, but he also strongly suspects that there’s more to his words.

‘And I don’t want that anymore. Especially not for all those babies out there- they don’t deserve to live with that fear,’ Taeh’yung looks back up at the sky. ‘I want to do something they have never done before.’

‘So…no more blowing up moons?’

Taeh’yung laughs, wiggling around in the water as though it were quite solid and squirms up to Hoseok, wet hair as dark as the sea water. For a fraction of a second, Taeh’yung encompasses the seas and starry sky above him, moving with them- or at least, they move with him.

‘Only if it’s necessary.’

Hoseok can accept that.

‘Why did they come after me?’ Hoseok asks instead.

‘Probably because you care the most,’ Taeh’yung chirps, now using Hoseok as buoy and making himself comfortable. It’s not physically taxing as the water naturally leads them towards the shoreline, Hoseok is barely kicking his feet.

‘Oh?’ Hoseok frowns in thought.

‘Also because you’re probably the most sane out of all of us.’

Hoseok splashes the Zhak’gri.

‘Namjoon and Jimin would resent that.’

‘So don’t tell them,’ Taeh’yung grins, eyes gleaming almost hypnotically.

‘You’re okay right?’ Hoseok asks again, feeling worry for the Zhak’gri. ‘You’re sure?’

Taeh’yung just grins before leaning forward to kiss him sloppily.

‘This is why they came for you- you care the most.’

‘Buggy…’ Hoseok begins. He’s not sure how to even ask the question- if there even was a question he could formulate.

‘It’s okay Hobi,’ Taeh’yung flaps his hands over the surface of the water unhelpfully. ‘I’ve got it under control.’

Hoseok pats his wet head a few times before saying, ‘You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone or anything.’

Taeh’yung blinks in surprise up at him from where he’s propped his head up on Hoseok’s chest.

‘Who you are right now, how you’re here, where you are- that’s enough.’ Hoseok tells him quietly, ‘If you want to do more, be more- that’s up to you too. But…but trying to do something, just to prove something in the face of an antiquated belief that shaped a past memory-‘ shadows stir beneath them, shadows connecting past and around them from the depths of the water up to the skies and stars above, ‘-it won’t recognize the changes you have lived. It won’t see the truth of what you know now.’

Taeh’yung doesn’t say anything, the shadows swaying slowly around them. Instead he takes Hoseok’s hand, misbalancing their movement over the water and they both dip below the water surface. But Hoseok isn’t scared or shocked when they’re submerged.

The shadows around them glow a faint green, pulsing in time with what Hoseok guesses is Taeh’yung’s heartbeat.

Taeh’yung takes both of his hands, his hands cooler than the water around them.

It’s peacefully quiet down here.

‘I won’t,’ Taeh’yung says, though Hoseok doesn’t understand how he’s able to hear the Zhak’gri. ‘I won’t just stand by and watch anymore. I won’t let it burn us, won’t let it burn you.’

Hoseok’s grip involuntarily tightens in Taeh’yung’s.

‘I won’t just stand by anymore,’ Taeh’yung grins, ‘Not when I have all of you with me.’

When they break the surface of the water, the sky has lightened, and Hoseok feels a sense of being reborn.

*

The next city is completely destroyed. It’s evidently not recent. The explosion that erupted here must have been devastating, seeing as a massive crater now lay at the very center.

89886743. didn’t fly them too high up, maintaining a decent distance. He can spot Yoongi, Jungkook, and the other GI below, small dots moving to and fro wild and deadened growth. Landing them in the city below is a little tricky- landing right at the center of the crater felt too exposing, not to mention strategically not ideal. He’s able to find a somewhat decent stretch of space not too crowded with jutting and broken rocks and structures, much bigger and elaborate than Keldana. They were now in what remained of one of the bigger cities in Megibīya named Saṁkrāna. There’s a massive growth and decay of wild-life here, covering the desolate city in another layer of melancholy and loss.

‘Yyna, take over the cockpit,’ Hoseok orders once they’re stabilized, ‘Watch the scanners.’

‘Understood,’ the Megibīyan replies.

Hoseok quickly makes his way down to the Medical Bay where they were running their samples. So far, every single sample Yoongi and Team B brought in were from Megibīyan sources.

‘Anything on the scanners?’ Sk’jin asks.

‘Nothing,’ Hoseok responds back at once as he steps closer to the slim window of the Medical Bay. ‘But we’re close to finishing the geoscans. And I’m watching over all of the samples we collected- from the city, as well as the pyres. What about you guys?’

‘Nothing yet. But it’s what we expected. We might be here for quite a while.’

‘Well- we’re still on track, right?’ Yoongi asks.

‘For ’s sake, yes,’ Sk’jin sighs, ‘Can you stop repeating Namjoon.’

There’s a snort from Yoongi’s side.

‘There’s…there’s something interesting here,’ Taeh’yung comments, a small frown appearing between his brows as he pokes his head into the Bay. ‘Can I go down and check?’

‘Go ahead,’ Hoseok nods, ‘Just be careful.’

‘I can come pick you up?’ Jungkook offers.

‘It’s okay Kookie!’ Taeh’yung coos, ‘I need to set up an environment where I’m not distracted by your handsome face!’

‘Taeh’yung.’

‘I’m complimenting him!’ Taeh’yung whines, briskly walking out of the Medical Bay.

On one of the Medical Beds was one of the GI corpses Jungkook and Taeh’yung brought in with them. Every single test they ran over it proved the GI to be Megibīyan. So now the pyres, the bodies, the obvious signs of survivors, the signs of struggle; they were all starting to fit in together.

The last of the samples are completed and everything comes out as they had anticipated, albeit regretfully.

‘All the samples are Megibīyan,’ Hoseok sends over the results to Namjoon’s screen. ‘Including the GI. The Heliord has no issue date or manufacturing stamp- but none of the Heliords on board this ship have them either.’

‘How about running an ion-sample on the metal?’

‘I did,’ Hoseok replies, ‘And it’s the same as the ones on board the ship.’

‘So it’s the same batch?’

‘Yeah,’ Hoseok pulls down the mounted screen attached to the Bay’s wall. He logs all of the records on a separate archive Namjoon had built for them, the main storage based with Lisai on the Laikin still stored in one of the Hangars. Then he deletes the readings, has the samples disposed of in the biohazard chamber.

‘Head Pilot Hoseok, the geoscans are ready,’ Yyna reports to him.

‘Thanks Yyna, send them to everyone’s screens please,’ Hoseok accesses the main drive on the Medical Bay screen and waits for the upload to complete.

‘Well, it’s certainly very different from what we have on “Bhumi” from the GLA,’ Sk’jin remarks, ‘Damn, is that a crater?’

The planet projection is incredibly rough and incredibly different from the somewhat smooth and evenly distributed map they had. Each sides of the planet not in the habitable Crescent appear terribly ravaged, and to one side, an unnervingly large and deep crater, like some deep ocean trench. The canyon range they had gone through earlier rings around the Crescent like a protective shield from the sun-lands, and to the other side, mountains and peaks spread like frost. There are areas of water, but small, and concentrating mainly in or around the borders of the crescent. Jimin had told them he had “landed” in the night-lands when he had come here; they had followed the irrigation system, pulling water from deep within frozen lakes, to supply into the Crescent. Yoongi had followed up saying that they had all been under the impression that what was happening was being watched and orchestrated by the GLA; they had landed somewhat safely, though their ship was taken down as a result of engine failure when entering the oddly polluted atmosphere.

‘I think that’s where the Red Evil shot down on the planet,’ Yoongi chimes in, ‘Based on simulations of what happened to Earth, and many other planets and moons, it looks the same.’

‘Then how is Megibīya still here?’

‘Because I arrived,’ Jimin replies, ‘They couldn’t afford to destroy the planet just yet. Then they continued to use Megibīya as a base long after until…until those who managed to escape returned. This would later alert the GLA, and that’s when Ndica, alongside Amme, arrived here to investigate what remained of the planet.’

‘I’m going to realign the markings you guys made on what we had and overlay it with the geoscans,’ Hoseok tells them, pulling up their previous maps. He quickly studies it, frowning as he notes how much geographic changes had occurred- not all of them natural either, seeing as craters even larger than the ones in Saṁkrāna were spread out around the Crescent.

‘This is where I landed,’ Yoongi says, a spot illuminating some 300 kilostreams from their location, ‘This is where we believed we would be able to access the broadcasting signal to reach the GLA.’

‘So I’m guessing this area here, is Udāvana?’ Hoseok pronounces carefully.

‘Yes,’ Jimin replies, ‘If we’re able to find the remains of any GLA archives, it would be there. That is, if they have not been harmed.’

‘Yoongi, Jungkook, if you guys are done with searching the area, let’s move forward,’ Hoseok suggests, ‘I think we should head for Udāvana- we might get something more- it’s also not very damaged compared to the map we have from the GLA Jimin corrected.’

‘Hobi- um, can you give me some more time please?’ Taeh’yung asks suddenly.

‘What is it?’ Hoseok asks at once, swiping between tabs to pull up Taeh’yung’s location. He was either an incredibly fast runner or he was on a HoverPort/equivalent. Because he’s quite far from the ship, in a different direction from where Yoongi, Jungkook, and the GI teams were combing through the debris.

‘Um- I’m not quite sure yet- it’s been a bit difficult, but I think I can…hear something.’

‘Hear?’ Hoseok frowns, quickly sending the geoscans to Lisai for storage before grabbing his screen and exiting the Medical Bay. ‘What are you hearing?’

‘Dreams.’

Hoseok quickly pulls up the feed from Taeh’yung’s Iris. He’s walking through a dense wooded region that had spilt out of the surrounding forests with smaller and shorter trees. But the trees are all dead, fragile branches barely holding up to trunks. There’s an area that looks suspiciously crashed through, and even from here, Hoseok can pinpoint the form of a transporter wing.

‘Yoongi, double back to Taeh’yung’s position,’ Hoseok orders at once, ‘He’s found a transporter.’

‘On my way.’

‘Buggy, just stay put for a while yeah?’

‘Okay!’

‘Kookie, could you come get me?’

‘On my way!’

‘That’s not a Yisheng grade transporter,’ Sk’jin comments, ‘Looks like every other nondescript transporter a pirate would use.’

Hoseok hurries out of the Lobby and downwards to the Hangars.

‘It’s what I thought too,’ Hoseok replies, sliding down the rails of the stairs and landing firmly on his feet before jogging ahead to the Hangar doorways. ‘Yoongi, you almost there?’

‘Almost.’

Jungkook slows down before the Hangar doorway just as Hoseok exits. His visor is up, not liking how it was when his helmet was fully enclosed. Hoseok quickly hops on, balancing himself before tapping Jungkook once on the shoulder.

It’s quite the distance, and though there’s nothing to indicate any recent changes in the ruins, Hoseok isn’t surprised that Taeh’yung would have found something amidst the monotony of destruction that remained of what was clearly a once beautiful planet.

The woods are more like fallen forest brambles, layered over each other after centuries of growth and decay. The same stale odour permeates the air here too.

Jungkook stops where Yoongi’s parked his HoverPort. Past the brambles and fallen trees, Hoseok can make out both Taeh’yung and Yoongi.

‘Kookie- circle around the area, if the wing is here, the other parts of the transporter should be around too.’

Jungkook nods, his visor still up. There’s an unnerving edge to Jungkook like this, dressed in complete GI gear, the bleeding red of the skin around his eyes stark against his pale skin and dark helmet.

‘Hobi!’ Taeh’yung waves both arms as if Hoseok couldn’t see them. ‘Here!’

Hoseok makes his way over what was a thin layer of dirt, covering the face of a vast building. Great rooks twist and break through windows, their flaking barks shedding a thick layer of dust everywhere.

The wing is large and crashed through a few trees, partially buried into the side of the building.

‘I think we should head that way,’ Yoongi says, pushing his visor up, ‘Judging by the damages to the trees around here- it’s crashed from this general direction.’

Taeh’yung nimbly jumps over roots and fallen tree trunks, leading the way ahead. He exclaims every now and then, pointing at eroded shrapnel and plating.

‘Here!’ Jungkook calls from ahead, sounding like he was somehow underground. They quicken their pace, passing through a part of the forest shaved off almost, with some great force. Trees were in disarray, their destruction like some arrow, pointing downwards until they come across a gaping hole, spread over two fallen buildings forming a trench where the rest of their mystery transporter lay, half buried in deadened vegetation and stone.

Standing on a collapsed staircase is Jungkook opposite them, holding one arm up and the other pointing downwards.

‘It’s the ship!’ he grins, looking pleased with himself as he pushes the helmet off of his head.

Taeh’yung gasps, immediately jumping down before either Yoongi or Hoseok can stop him. There’s a spluttering flicker of green, and Taeh’yung more or less drops the entire height of the Yisheng ship, exclaiming loudly in comical pain.

‘Idiot,’ Yoongi huffs worriedly, ‘You can’t do like that anymore.’

‘Sorry?’ Taeh’yung wails while Jungkook scales down the trench with envious ease, reaching Taeh’yung to check on him worriedly, grumbling in a scolding manner. ‘I got excited! It’s louder here now!’

The shadows around him flicker visibly, as though agitated.

‘I got the cable,’ Yoongi sighs, ‘It’s like babysitting teenagers.’ He adds, grumbling.

They secure a cable around a stone pillar, sliding down easily just as Jungkook calls out, ‘I found an opening!’ followed by a crashing sound.

‘Found or made?’ Yoongi sighs, sounding genuinely tired. Hoseok quickly studies the Human, noticing that his dark circles were back, eyes glazed a little as though he were running a fever. His lips are pale and chapped.

‘Are you hydrated enough?’ Hoseok asks, stopping Yoongi from following after Jungkook’s impromptu opening in the ship that Taeh’yung quickly dove into.

‘Yeah it’s just-‘ Yoongi grimaces, ‘It feels strange.’

‘Being back here?’

Yoongi nods.

‘It’s kinda…it’s like remembering details of a dream you can’t quite remember clearly.’

‘If you need to go back, you should,’ Hoseok says firmly, ‘We’ve got this covered.’

‘I know,’ Yoongi nods, ‘I won’t do anything to push myself.’

Hoseok trusts that Yoongi would know when to stop himself- or say something.

He studies the ship buried in rubble and debris, some small roots twisting over the exposed areas.

‘It’s been here maybe a sol or two,’ Yoongi observes, ‘Hopefully, we can still access the Navigation Table.’

There’s a sudden sharp and piercing pitchy sound erupting in their Comm Devices, making both Hoseok and Yoongi wince, hands going up to the sides of their heads respectively.

‘What the -?’

‘We’re here,’ Sk’jin suddenly says, his audio is filled with crackling white noise. ‘Spaces, .’

‘Is it-?’ Hoseok and Yoongi share wide eyed looks.

‘Yes,’ Namjoon sounds awed even in static, ‘, okay- okay, so far we’re on track-‘

‘Don’t ing finish that sentence. Hobi, we’re-…, I ing-…Hoseok! We’re gonna be busy for a while!’ the line crackles sharply before fading in a way that would be worrisome if they hadn’t been anticipating it.

‘Got it- good luck,’ Hoseok shares a worried look with Yoongi who presses his lips together in a thin line.

Just as they predicted, their communication instantly drops, the lines cutting off abruptly.

Yoongi looks like he wants to say something, but he stops himself. Instead he exhales briefly before nodding towards the ship.

Inside the damage is quite extensive but contained. The transporter was strong- not just some easily obtained customized and easily disposable pirate-made one. It’s also quite big, which makes Hoseok guess that it might be a cargo-freighter instead of a transporter. It explained the wider spaces inside as well.

‘Doesn’t seem to have been disturbed much,’ Yoongi points out, ‘I don’t think anyone outside of us have been in here.’

It’s crashed at an angle, so Hoseok has to climb upwards to the cockpit.

‘If that’s the case-‘ Hoseok begins, struggling a little to push open the doorway to the cockpit. ‘-then…yeah. .’

Still seated on their seats, two corpses are perfectly preserved. Yoongi is quick to activate the lamps on his helmet, illuminating the place. The entire front of the cockpit has sustained immense damage- the two main front-seats for the captain and co-pilot or Navigator have been entirely crushed. But the two behind them are not too badly damaged. Hoseok steps forward to see if there’s anyway they can directly access the cockpit’s main controls but it’s far too damaged to try.

‘You think we can access the Navigation Table from here?’ Hoseok nods at the two seats where the corpses were still attached. Yoongi was carefully pushing them forward, checking gingerly on their backs.

‘Pirates,’ Yoongi observes, ‘Both of them.’

‘According to the GLA, pirates did sometimes come by here,’ Hoseok ruminates, ‘But I mean, who knows. I’ll try and access the Table, or their systems from here.’

‘Okay- I’ll check on the rest of the ship; see what Taeh’yung’s found,’ Yoongi nods, reaching up to pop out his headlamp and handing it to Hoseok.

‘You’ll be fine?’

Yoongi doesn’t answer, simply slides down his visor shut.

‘I mean, you don’t have to be dramatic about it-‘

‘HOBI!’ Taeh’yung roars, a flash of green spreads around them, strange indents forming along the metal in asymmetrical triangles. ‘YOONGI OH SPACES!’

They slide most of the way down, angling their bodies to maintain balance. The transporter is longer than they had guessed too, further cementing that this was some form of freighter.

Jungkook pokes his head out when they break their slide on a heavily littered and very recently broken through wall. Hoseok absentmindedly thinks that Jungkook’s strength had nowhere to go except up and he’s happy they were the ones who found him. The Vicitra’s expression is a combination of shocked, awed, and confused.

‘Tae’s found something,’ he tells them quickly, ‘And um-‘

They quickly follow him, bumping and sliding stiffly while Jungkook maintained perfect balance on the tilted floors and walls before literally diving downwards into what must have been a vent-shaft opening.

‘Why are they all jumping-‘ Hoseok grumbles but Yoongi keeps quiet, instead sliding down to the floor and slipping in rather than jumping in. Hoseok mimics him, pausing a few seconds before following him through the vent shaft.

It slides down before abruptly opening up into what must be the interior of a Megibīyan building. The floors and walls are tilted too- but in a way where they’re able to walk though it’s mainly on crushed windows and furniture piled up in chaos. Hoseok can see how the transporter broke through the fallen buildings and debris, the lower half of the ship crushed and yawning wide open, jutting through the stone wall.

They’re in some wide space, broken stone pillars holding up each individual floor aging and cracked. The carvings on the stones are beautiful, repeating patterns forming shapes that felt organic despite how geometrically accurate each cut line was. Yoongi is a little ahead of him, head slowly moving around, looking over every detail carefully. How did Taeh’yung know to come down here?

‘Here!’ Jungkook waves at them from close to the end of this wide space.

There’s a definite hollow sound to the place, Hoseok imagines there are several floors buried beneath them- a whole city crushed. What once were houses and homes now underground tunnels and caves.

Quickly, Yoongi and Hoseok make their way ahead, eyes wide and alert in this still darkness.

There’s a faint green light- characteristic of Taeh’yung in the dark, though much fainter than normal, and they’re able to make their way over quickly.

‘What is it?’ Hoseok demands once they’re not in yelling distance. But the moment they’re in not yelling distance, Hoseok’s eyes are able to adjust to the darkness around Taeh’yung, and sees very familiar outlines.

‘-those are-…’ Hoseok falters, eyes widening. Almost instantly, Yoongi’s headlamp brightens, and Jungkook also follows, as though remembering he had that on him.

‘Yeah,’ Yoongi exhales out, eyes wide, ‘Eggs.’

Around 8 or so of the OrTanks they had found Jimin in are scattered onto the debris across the walls at this end. They clearly fell out of the ship when they crashed.

‘- are they alive?’ Yoongi asks quickly, making his way to the closest OrTank, hands hovering in an unsure manner.

‘Um, yeah- but not all,’ Taeh’yung says in a small voice. There’s a flicker of shadows around him, one that everyone notices but no one says a thing. ‘3 of them are dead.’

Not all of the OrTanks contain a fully grown Being. And that’s what makes it more unsettling. Here, buried deep in the dark, growing and asleep away from thought or time. But not away from death.

‘We’ll need to take them back,’ Yoongi is saying, but Hoseok is piecing things together.

‘This is like Khonen,’ he tells them, ‘Khonen bringing in the eggs. Even possibly like Camil, considering where we are.’

Yoongi turns to look at him, ‘You think the Omhlophe have been here then?’

‘It’s likely, but I don’t think directly. Just pirates doing runs for money- but I think…I think it’s more likely that they were supposed to be here for a delivery.’ Hoseok looks around the place, ‘And they crashed.’

Hoseok looks at the eggs, feeling a sense of sorrow building in him. When he had been taken by the Omhlophe, he had, in his anxiety and worry, regarded the eggs he had been placed with as strange and alien. But now, the desire to bring them to a home builds stronger.

‘Is this where I was born?’ Jungkook asks. He doesn’t sound sad or disgusted. Instead he’s just curious. ‘Me, and my siblings, and anu?’

‘My babies,’ Taeh’yung smiles up at the Vicitra.

‘Not the exact same like me though, right?’ Jungkook asks, looking at the 2 fully grown Beings inside the OrTanks. ‘Do I have to fight them?’

‘No,’ Yoongi says quickly, ‘None of them are Vicitra, or any Being from Pravasi H’manun. It’s okay Kook.’

‘Okay- is this all of them?’ Hoseok directs the question to Taeh’yung who shakes his head.

‘Only them here, dreaming and singing.’ He replies, gently brushing his hand over the surface of the OrTank, he grins suddenly adding, ‘I think they’re happy we’re here.’

‘Yeah?’ Yoongi smiles at the Zhak’gri.

‘They’re not alone anymore.’

Hoseok squats down, wondering how they’re going to take the eggs out when Yoongi says quietly, more to himself than anything else.

‘We’re found.’

*

(Author’s Notes)

This was not supposed to be this late an update

I’ve rewritten these up coming chapter 5 times and worked very hard on it because this is the chapter that bookmarks the final leg of this au! I think we have about 20 chapters, give or take a few, until ADEGU is completed.

I also want to thank the people who are still reading this! It means a lot to me!!

And if anyone’s confused, the chapter is kinda divided into two timelines, you’ll see why!

Btw does anyone else get headaches before its gonna rain or when the humidity is up? I think it has to do with atmospheric uhh air pressure, and I always get headaches before it rains and my lowerback starts aching though I still

Don’t know

If that’s because of my old injury

Or my terrible posture

Or both

Lowerback pain people in the house can I get a high-five