~20:57~
You finally got to the bridge and have never felt more terrified in your life. You didn't mean to panic in front of Jimin like that, but you couldn't hold it back anymore. He was the only one you even remotely trusted and you needed to let your emotions out somehow. You thought running away from your home life would be easy, but boy how wrong you were. Now you're a sole survivor, a possible witness to alien lifeforms, and you met up with another crew of sole survivors from a ship that got blown up in a clear act of war. Your life could not be any worse right about now. Oh, and add the fact that you're not even landing on Mars: you're being boarded.
Breaking down in front of Jimin was admittedly embarrassing, but he brought you back. Your parents could never bring you back when you had panic attacks, they had to wait it out. Same to your siblings and very few friends. Somehow a stranger brought you back when others couldn't. Maybe it was because he's the only one who cares.
Jimin sits next to you now, strapped in with a pistol in his holster. Every member of the crew except for you has one. Of course the Captain doesn't trust you enough to have one yet, and you understand that, but that doesn't mean you can't be mad about it. Truthfully, in your panicked state, a weapon is probably the last thing you need. Still, you'd like to be able to defend yourself right about now.
You have approximately one minute until you get boarded, and you've never been more nervous in your life. You're shaking badly, your right leg bouncing up and down repeatedly while your sweaty hands clamp down hard on the arm rests. The belts around your body aren't helping. They only make you feel more claustrophobic.
You squeeze your eyes shut, trying anything to distract yourself from the red lights in the bridge and the beeping of the proximity radar in the cockpit the pilot and Captain are monitoring. You want an escape. Something - anything to pull you away from what's happening in reality.
What you weren't expecting was for your sweaty right hand to be picked up. You open your eyes and peep to your right, watching as Jimin entwines his hand with yours and gives you a reassuring squeeze. You glance down at your locked hands, then back into his eyes. Your eyes are wide while his give you a knowing look. "You and me," he whispers, and you relax at the sound of his voice. Do you trust this boy? Hell no, but you want to. You really want to. So much so that you squeeze his hand back and sink into the chair as the beeping gets louder and louder.
"They're right above us," the Captain says. You don't panic, you merely focus on the feeling of Jimin's hand in yours, thinking about how the crew will keep you safe. Honestly, your last name will keep you safe. For once, there's a perk to being a L/N. Yippee.
Although you can't hear the Martian ship approaching, you know they're docking now. You can feel the docking clamps being placed on your ship. "Alright, we're docked. Be prepared. Get out of your seats, we shouldn't experience any turbulence now," Captain Kim says.
The crew unbuckles themselves and hops out. You reluctantly let go of Jimin's hand to unbuckle yourself, throwing off the hard straps and standing, a little wobbly at first, but you regain your composure as fast as possible.
Jimin stands next to you within a flash. "Are you okay?"
"I'll live," you reply with a dry chuckle. "Let's get this over with."
He hums in agreement as the main hatch opens, and several Martian officers step inside. They're donning heavy gear and look like the real deal: they appear to be a true militia. Hues of carmine and gold are planted on the metal of their armor, their weapons matching the color scheme. Oxygen masks complete their appearance, their figures seeming taller than even those living in the Belt. After a few moments of waiting, Namjoon goes over to them. And when they see him, they remove their helmets.
The closest one, a middle-aged woman, gives him a nod of respect. "Kim Namjoon, I presume?" she asks.
He returns the sentiment. "We have information about a possible declaration of war against Mars."
"So I've heard. My name is Diamond Commander Clementine Shoto. We'll be taking you and your crew into protective custody for the time being." The entire crew goes stiff. You knit your brows together, but even Jimin seems astonished by her presence.
"Thank you, it's truly an honor to meet you, Commander."
"Clementine, please," she replies, offering him a smile. "If you'll just follow my crew this way." Everyone obliges, stepping off, but she halts your group one more time. "Oh, and there's no need for weapons, please leave them here." They can't really refuse, so they take out their pistols and leave them on the nearest seat before following the officers, you on their tails.
You march into the new hallway. It seems more like a palace. You can tell this is the largest type of ship there is: a battleship class. These are rare, only the most advanced civilizations have the materials necessary to build one of these babies. Boy how you'd love to fly one.
The corridors are designed the same way as their armor, matching the shades of Martian pride. The gold and carmine spews onto the canvas known as the metal walls, the space between sides gigantic enough that you could run at full speed and still take several seconds to reach the other wall.
Countless soldiers pass you on the left and right, but none interact with you. There's also engineers working around you, sparks flying from their tools. "How would you like to work here?" you ask Jimin.
He looks like he wants to scowl. "I'm not sure it's my scene. Working on a large vessel was fun and peaceful, but I have to say I enjoy being apart of a smaller crew. Makes me feel more... I don't know..."
"Special?" you ask, which he nods to.
"Yeah, special. I feel more important. And not just because we have life altering information."
Before you can reply, the officers direct you to take a sharp left, right into a holding facility. "First, I need names and positions," the Commander says, watching as all six of you pile into the tiny holding area. "I know Captain Kim - what about the rest?"
"Gold Intelligence Officer Kang Seulgi," Seulgi says, standing tall, the other Martian guards with the Commander backing out of the vicinity.
"Bronze Agent Jung Hoseok."
"Silver Pilot Byun Baekhyun."
Jimin gulps before speaking. "Silver Engineer Park Jimin."
Her eyes land expectantly on you, and you hesitate. "Y/N L/N. I was a stowaway on a small ship named the Blackwell before it was attacked by something I've never seen before."
The Commander's mouth falls into an 'o' shape. "L/N..." Much to your dismay, she doesn't finish her thought. She motions to Jimin. "Might as well start with the engineer. Follow me." Jimin furrows his brows, but doesn't hesitate to follow the Commander out of the room. "Take the Captain to the bridge and have my Executive Officer get his statement," the Commander says to one of the other officers. Namjoon remains neutral even when the officers take him out of the room and close the door behind them. Now, it's just you four, sitting in the holding room.
"So is anyone going to tell me who she is or...?" you ask.
Seulgi grimaces, her eyes like a dragon's when she gazes at you. "She is a war hero. Fought in the Martian Civil war twenty years ago."
"There was a Martian Civil war?"
Seulgi raises her brows, her arms slinking over her chest. "Did your father teach you nothing about Mars?"
You return her mannerisms, scanning her up and down for a quick beat before answering. "I never left Ganymede even though I'm the daughter of a famous pilot, what do you think the answer to that is, princess?" At your words, she undoes her arms, preparing to step closer. However, Baekhyun beats both of you to the punch.
"Commander Clementine is a rank Diamond. She created that rank and is the only individual to achieve it to this day. She's legendary. Everyone on Mars and Earth knows who she is, but I can understand why your father didn't tell you. Maybe he thought he was better than her or something," Baekhyun says, holding up his hands in a defensive position.
You sigh, resting your face in your hands. "This nightmare will never end." Seulgi clenches her jaw but doesn't say anything. The others don't reply either. Well, guess you're alone in your thoughts... and you can't help but think about Jimin.
~21:09~
"Silver Engineer Park Jimin. Tell me everything," the Commander says.
Jimin gnaws on his lower lip. She looks exactly like the pictures. This has to be the real her. He wants to trust her so badly, but for some reason, he can't. At the same time, he can't keep his story in any longer. This is the most progress they've made in several days. He needs this.
"I was an engineer working on the Hephaestus when suddenly I was dispatched on a mission with those four other crew members you met. We went to investigate the Ganymede ship known as the Blackwell and found nothing but dead bodies. And... something else."
"Something else?" she asks, which makes him slowly nod.
"There was this open room with a lot of blood and dead bodies floating around." He pauses, his body shuddering involuntarily. Images of a dark sheet of maroon fill his mind, and they're followed by the memory of bodies. And more importantly: the blobs. "There were these dark green blobs floating around the area. I have no idea what it was, but it didn't look human. I've never seen anything like it."
The Commander's pupils dilate for a moment before she returns to her neutral state. "The Blackwell, Y/N L/N's ship. How did you find her?"
"We actually left, but we heard a comm link go off-" The ship jolts, the lights flickering, and the Commander peers up. Jimin goes quiet, observing the Commander.
"And?" she asks, her voice strained.
"She was asking for help, so we went back for her and quarantined her for two days. She still hasn't shown any signs of illness. It seems as though whatever was on that ship didn't affect her."
The ship jumps again, and the lights threaten to turn off. The interrogation room suddenly feels like a death trap, and Jimin feels the overwhelming urge to leave. "What's going on?" the Commander asks into her wrist comm. There's static, then a frantic answer.
"Someone's here! Someone's attacking us!"
The Commander hops to her feet, rushing to the door. "I'm going to handle this, don't worry, you're still safe."
She leaves, closing the door behind her. However, Jimin notices she forgot to lock it. She's placing way too much faith in him. Jimin strides over to the door, his hand inches away from the button which will send the door up so he can go through. He considers leaving for several moments before deciding to step away from the door. Everything is fine. This is a battleship, there's nothing to fear. He's safe.
Jimin has to repeat several phrases in his mind to make sure he believes it himself, but he eventually calms down and decides to pace around the room, just like Namjoon would. Maybe there'll be an answer of what to do by pacing. It seems to work for Namjoon, hopefully it will work for Jimin too.
After several minutes of waiting, the ship shakes so rapidly that Jimin is thrown to the ground, his head hitting the wall with a massive thunk, and within a split second of contact with the wall, the darkness takes him.
~21:11~
"What the fuck was that!" you shout, standing with a teeter and rubbing your back from where you made contact with the ground. Seulgi is out cold, her limp body lying on the ground while Baekhyun and Hoseok get to their feet with loud groans.
"I have no idea," Hoseok asys, his eyes lighting up in a frenzy.
You, Hoseok, and Baekhyun make eye contact, and it's decided. "We need to leave," you say, snapping towards the door and pounding on it, pressing the button numerous times, but the door is locked. "Shit." A few seconds of silence pass, and you throw your entire body against the door, attempting to bust it down.
"Woah, woah. Y/N, that's not going to work," Hoseok says, coming up behind you. "Don't hurt yourself, we'll find another way." Your eyes narrow on the metal in front of you, but Hoseok's words reverberate around your mind. And that's what makes your decision.
"How much do you guys know about ships?" you ask, shifting to face them. Baekhyun stands a bit taller than before, but Hoseok's shoulders slump. "What's one thing that's mandatory to be kept in every holding facility?"
"A malfa kit," Baekhyun says.
Hoseok blinks. "A malfa kit?"
You hum, sprinting over to the corner of the room and feeling the panels until you notice one is loose. In fact, it's so loose that you're able to pry it from the wall with little to no effort. You grab the medium-sized white box hiding behind there and toss it on the ground.
"A malfa kit is specifically designed for emergency situations like these. Holding facilities aren't for criminals, that's what brigs are for. Holding facilities are for people like us, who need sanctuary. People who run out of fuel, who have been attacked, who are carrying valuable information," Baekhyun says.
"What does that have to do with the malfa kit?" Hoseok asks, which makes you shrug as you open it, your eyes widening at the tools on display before you.
"It means that since there aren't any criminals being placed in these facilities, it's perfectly safe to have tools hidden in case of an attack or another emergency situation. One of these tools should be able to override the door controls, but I'm not sure which one," you say. It's at this moment you wish Jimin was here; he would be able to pick out the tool and fix the problem right away. But no, you have to figure this out on your own.
Baekhyun kneels down next to you, grabbing a few tools and putting them on display. "Safety kits are hidden all over ships, even ships as small as the Athena. There should be a malfa in every single quarter actually," you continue to explain as Hoseok takes in the information. You can really tell he's a rookie, you didn't need the bronze ranking to get that idea. Poor kid.
You and Baekhyun keep pulling out random tools until Hoseok makes a cheering noise. "What is it?" you ask, turning around just in time to see him pick up one of the objects.
"I remember this tool from university. I think it's called a power disruptor. It's supposed to short circuit electrical currents."
You tilt your head. Baekhyun on the other hand lights up in understanding. "The door runs on electrical current, if he can use that tool..."
"Then we're home free," you finish, catching on.
Hoseok grabs the circular tool and approaches the door, placing it over the button. The Agent taps numerous buttons before the machinery comes to life and buzzes under the boy's touch. "I think I almost got it," he says, squeezing the tool against the door until finally, it pops. The door slides open, the lights in the room blinking.
"Good work Jung!" Baekhyun says, giving the Agent a pat on the back.
"Thank you, I guess school did something useful after all."
You peek outside only to see the ship in shambles. Lights are fading and emergency red bulbs are replacing them, officers are rushing around with weapons in their hands while engineers and casual workers are screaming and running away. "Oh my God, what do we do now?" Hoseok asks.
"Baekhyun, get to the ship and get us ready for liftoff," you say, approaching the men. "Hoseok, I need you to get Namjoon. If I show up he probably won't trust me enough to follow. But you? He'll trust you."
"What about you?" Baekhyun asks.
"I'm going to find Jimin then circle back and have him help me take Seulgi to the ship. Listen, I know you just met me, but we need to act fast and I figure this is the easiest position you guys can trust me with. Would you rather me get the ship ready or find your Captain?" They shake their heads. "Then we have to do this. Hoseok move fast, bridges are normally farther away than interrogation rooms which is why we can't take Seulgi now. Jimin and I will circle around and bring her back. Now let's move," you say, and Baekhyun and Hoseok take off. You do as well, rushing outside and following Hoseok while you track the interrogation rooms and the bridge. Eventually, you find where the bridge is and point Hoseok in that direction. He leaves you. Now you're alone.
No one bothers to stop and question you. They probably assume you're an engineer based on your scrappy look, if they can even see it in this lighting. That's why you're confident no one will recognize you as a L/N. Everyone is in too much of a panic to notice anything else going on.
You slow down, then start to concentrate, remembering your studies. All the late nights you would spend reading textbooks on battleships and where everything was in them. You freeze and rest your hand against the wall as chaos breaks out around you, but you don't let it bother you. Jimin needs you. You and him, together. That's how you're going to get out of this. That's what he said. And you'll make sure that comes true.
Your eyes shut, remembering the numerous pages of information you read every night before bed. You can see it, feel it, even. The window you always sat in front of, the textbook open while the smell of fresh baked cookies was in the air. Your mother always loved to bake, and reading with the scents of her delicious baked goods still soaring around the room was the most wonderful thing ever. Another thing you remember is scanning the pages with your index finger, smiling and humming a tune while engulfing the information.
Now, your eyes snap open. Interrogation rooms. Chapter 27, maybe 28 of Battleship Engineering. There are two wings of interrogation rooms on a modern battleship. Most are kept near holding facilities to ensure a safe, easy, and fast transport of victims to a questioning environment. Found on the left side of the ship, generally near the main restroom hall and only one corridor away from the main dining hall.
Upon seeing a sign for the restroom hall, you turn down it, finding the interrogation hall on the left side. "Yes!" you say, panting and grinning. You hold your hand on your hip, your entire back still aching from the impact you felt earlier. The door snaps up, and you peek inside to check the whole room: nothing. The second one: nothing. The third: nothing. The fourth: nothing. Your breathing picks up. There's only seven interrogation rooms per wing. What if he left before you got here? Normally doors are kept unlocked per protocol to make victims not feel like prisoners. Did he really leave?
You approach the fifth door and take a deep breath before opening it. When you peep inside, your heart drops at the sight of Jimin's body on the ground.
"Jimin!" you cry, rushing over to him despite the pain. You kneel down and feel his pulse, thanking whatever is watching over you that he's still alive. "Okay, okay. I can do this, I can do this..." you whisper, using all your strength to get him into a sitting position. When people are unconscious, they're a lot heavier. That sucks for you, but you look at his face, resting your hand on his cheek and brushing his soft skin with your thumb. It'll suck, but it'll be worth it. "I'll get us out of this, I promise."
The ship continues to rattle so much so that fires start to break out outside. You don't need to see them - you can smell them. The smoke is so thick you can smell it from the interrogation room. Eventually, the room itself will be a blaze. If you don't act fast, both you and Jimin will die from smoke inhalation.
With a heave, you try to regain your senses, praying for Jimin to wake up, but that doesn't happen. You know you can't carry him, and you can't drag him either due to your lack of strength. Well, you can try. However, people may stomp all over his body in their panic, or knock you over. So, there's only one option. You need something to push him in. You sigh, your eyes locking with the chair closest to you.
This is gonna hurt.