Round 3 is "colonization" and my prompts were a) the moon Triton and b) five quotes which are in bold
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"I told you this wasn't going to work." Kiara was gritting her teeth as she packed her equipment. "And I told you this was why!"
"Kiara, we don't have time for you to pack--" The building shook and I stumbled. Delicate -- that is to say expensive -- instruments crashed to the floor and I saw my head scientist cringe as she watched her toys shatter. "We need to go now."
"But did you listen to me?" It was like I hadn't said anything at all. Maybe she didn't even see me anymore. "No, of course you didn't."
"The Alliance needs water! We can't just sit back and let Herack claim every remaining source can we? Besides, my team said--"
"Oh your team, huh?" Kiara's eyes were a blaze that matched her wild hair. "At this point I should inform you that I intend to form my own team, and destroy the molecular bonds that bind your very matter together, and reduce the resulting particulate chaos to tears!"
I blinked. "So...you're mad at me?"
"We're about to have the ice under our feet tear apart with tectonic force. If we don't fall in and get crushed, the resulting cryovolcano will either pump so much methane and ammonia into our air filters that we'll suffocate, or the water vapour will literally freeze us all solid in an instant." She tossed her bag aside and we rushed along the red strips of light that would lead us to our escape vessel. "So... Yeah, I'm mad at you."
"So many ways for our lives to be cut short. What is this preoccupation you have with dying? I think living is much more attractive."
"Yeah, well, it's about fifteen minutes till prom and our hot date seems to be ditching us. Looks like we'll have to settle for life's ugly step sister won't we?"
"I for one am not giving up hope." Even though I knew it was wrong, I felt a chuckle growing inside of me that just could not be suppressed. It lashed from my mouth for just a second before I managed to contain it, but even that was too much. I could see I'd only fuelled Kiara's temper.
"What's so damn funny?" She asked as the facility shook again. This time lights fell from the ceiling and shattered all around us.
"Uh, I don't know. I kind of promised myself I'd get off the computer, be more physically active, get some exercise." A steel beam crashed down between us and we leapt out of the way.
"Good to see you can follow through on at least one of your promises!" Her voice was reaching a crescendo. I hadn't heard her so angry since...
"Look, I know it's a long time coming but... I'm sorry, okay? What I did to you was wrong."
Kiara stopped running and I slammed into her. Our bodies pressed together a moment too long before she pulled away. "Thank you," she muttered through a curtain of loose hair.
"But can't you just for one second see that you were more wrong?"
I could see the rage filling her face now, the colour of cranberries and just as sour. "I can't believe you! We're going to die and you can't just give me one moment of sincerity?" She pushed my shoulders and I stumbled backwards. "What does that even mean anyway? 'More wrong'? Wrong is an absolute state and not subject to gradation."
"Of course it is; it's a little wrong to say a tomato is a vegetable, it's very wrong to say it's a suspension bridge."
"Obviously a tomato could never be a suspension bridge! They've got almost no structural integrity! They're all squishy and watery, not to mention -- spherical! Who ever heard of a--"
"So you see my point then?"
Even over the sounds of our Ecosystem collapsing around us I could hear her teeth grinding together. "Fine. I was 'more wrong', happy?"
"A little." I tried not to smile, I knew she'd lose it if I smiled.
"So then why did you have me ordered to come with you to this doomed colony if I'm so damn wrong?"
I let the grin sweep over me, I couldn't hold it back anymore. "Because this was my opportunity to save... Well, everyone! And you've got better instincts than any field agent I've ever worked with." She was red again, but this time it wasn't rage. "And you know what I always say! Opportunity plus instinct equals profit!"
"Well I'd like the record to officially show that I would have rather stayed at my Jupiter research station then cash in on this glorious pay day." The floor cracked beneath our feet and she screamed as she jumped into my arms. "Do you know how close I was to harnessing the storm? Just two more years and all our ships would have to do to recharge is dock at the station and fill up on kinetic energy, but no! You suddenly missed me and dragged me off to my death on some god forsaken ball of ice and methane -- which I said repeatedly would never be fit for colonization!"
"Well I guess now I'm the one who's more wrong."
"Yeah, I guess you are."
And that's when it all fell apart. Literally. The ceiling let loose an explosion like thunder, and I was pinned under the rubble. Kiara was trying to say something, but her words were lost as every molecule of air was suddenly racing for the exit. She was holding my hand as the breech pulled anything that wasn't bolted down out into space. Through my half conscious daze I could see the terror twisting her face and her feet kicking out behind her and that was when I realized I knew all along that this was how it would end.
Maybe that's why I went above her head and forced her to come with me. Maybe some sick part of me couldn't stand the idea of her going on with her life while I was just some frozen bit of space dust. I hated myself for that -- but not for long because the moment I allowed myself to accept the truth, my lungs collapsed in the vacuum and silly things like guilt, hatred and even love all ceased to exist.
