༓☾ 𝑹𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝑻𝒐 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏 ☽༓ || 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝑲𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝑯𝒚𝒖𝒏𝒉𝒐

༓☾ 𝐀 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐝 ☽༓

༓☾ Previously ☽༓

‚Was it wiped clean?' Hongjoong walked up next to him.

‚No.. I don't think so.. its not empty. There are probably some files left, but most of them are locked. You see.. they have different user profiles registered and I can't access any of them. The only one I could enter is basically empty, with no rights whatsoever. Everything else must be kept on the other profiles.'

‚What are the profiles called?'

Minho went back to where he could select a profile. They didn't have any special names. It was profile one two and guest. So it wasn't helping them in any way.

‚There was one thing I found though.' Minho said selecting the guest profile again. ‚One of the data storages is called MOTEM. It seems to be an abbreviation for something. But of course it's locked too.'

‚How?'

‚Biometric.'

༓☾༓

‚Well that's making up for the easy door code for sure...' Hanbin said and he had a point. Getting inside the base had been unusually easy, but finding out anything about it seemed now nearly impossible. If it was locked through a biometric code of any kind, voice, fingerprint, face or iris scan, whatever really, for all of these options they would need a member of the old crew to get through it, or at least someone whose biological data would be accepted by the system. They didn't know if the people of the old crew were dead or not, but they definitely weren't inside the base any longer. And no matter how far they've already come in science and technology, they still couldn't get a ghost to open those files.

‚Seungjun, can you get inside?' Hongjoong asked through the communication channel. The other end stayed quiet for some time, before the quiet voice of Seungjun answered their captain.

【 Maybe, though.. the chances are low. It will take quite some time. This is not writing a programme to try out various combinations of numbers. The security systems seem advanced. But I will do my best captain. 】

‚How much time do you think it needs, buddy?' Hanbin followed up.

【 Could be days.. weeks.. I can't say anything for sure, because I don't know yet with what level of difficulty I'm actually dealing with. 】

The captain sighed, turning and leaning back against the table. ‚Finding out what happened here... it's not our priority for now or ever.. so do what you can, but don't focus too much on it. Our priority is to get the communication systems back up again and until then, survive, get acquainted with our surroundings and-‚

【 I'm sorry captain. 】 Jihyo interrupted him. 【 But do you think it's possible that Blue Eyes might have access to it? Maybe it belonged to the crew? 】 The scientist suggested. Blue Eyes seemed to be the only living relic of the old crew that still lived inside the base. But the way it looked now, they were still far away from Blue Eyes helping them in any way. It wasn't sure yet if it could trust them or not, and up to now, it didn't even want to communicate with them. In Minho's opinion they were better off if they left it alone for a first.

Instead of the captain, it was Seulgi who answered her question. ‚It's not impossible, that's for sure.'

‚You think they had an alien in their crew?' The engineer commented, which left him with two furrowed brows of the doctor.

Seulgi turned to Hanbin. ‚They might be a lot, but I do not believe they're the mere alien, you believe they are.'

‚It ain't human for sure.'

‚Left on their own, surviving in isolation from any living thing for who knows how long.' She smiled, but it was a sad smile. ‚I wanna know if you still would be the human you are now after you went through all of that.'

Hanbin clicked his tongue, though Minho wasn't quite sure where to put his expression. Annoyed or not, fact was that they were all stressed out. Their fears and worries kept them constantly on edge, not ready to jump, yet not ready to take a step back either. In a state like that, single words could easily push them in either direction, leave them stumbling, maybe even falling. ‚Dr. Kang, I didn't know you had a major in alien psychology.' Where doctor Kang saw a living and feeling being, Hanbin still saw an inhuman predator. It became obvious, just how badly Hongjoong's decision from before had resonated with a number of them. And upon this, the pilot had two things he worried about. One, that they might regret this decision, two, that their crew's opinions might differ too much at some point.

‚This is enough for now..' Hongjoong stepped in, before the situation could escalate. Minho was almost sure, that the cap had felt the same unsettling vibes, this discussion had been giving off. They just got here, it's barely the second day. They couldn't already fall apart. ‚Hanbin, Junhee, we'll continue searching for the main storage. Dr. Kang, will you be staying here and look more into things?'

She nodded. ‚Yes captain. I'll will have the medical facilities ready for.. whatever occurrences we might face in the future.'

After an approving nod, Hongjoong turned. ‚Heading out then. Report anything, especially thing's concerning Blue Eyes. That's an order for everyone.'

‚Aye cap.'

【 Yes captain. 】

The many voices of the crew resonated through the communication channel.

Minho watched how Team Supplies left the room again, after he gave an assuring smile to his friend Junhee and his captain. He didn't quite know how to continue now after their encounter with Blue Eyes and their decision to find a way to get its trust rather than work against it. But most of all, his mind was caught up on one thing in particular. One thing that wouldn't let him go. He couldn't forget its eyes, the fierce gaze it had had on him, yet not feeling like he was in danger when its icy blue eyes were searching his. And that was what he was knowing for sure now, Blue Eyes had been searching for him. Out of all, it was Minho who had caught its interest. He wasn't sure if he should be happy about that or add it to the list of things to be worried about. Probably the latter if their luck continued to be as outstanding as it already had been.

‚What do you think Blue Eyes wanted here?' He asked, knowing it was only Seulgi and him left again.

‚Contrary to what Hanbin said, I do not have a major in alien psychology as he nicely called it..' That really seemed to have stuck with her.. Minho believed Seulgi's opinions crossed a lot of controversial lines and offended a lot from the rest of the crew only because she was the only one actually trying to understand the unfamiliar being. Even after everything that already happened. For the other's it was sympathising with the enemy, for her logically caused behaviour of a living and emotional being that might or might not be extraterrestrial. She took a breath. ‚I assume they were here to observe a potential threat and letting us know of their presence.'

Observe again. It was always only observing.. So why.. why did their first encounter have to turn out as badly as it did. Why did Youngjo have to die.. accident or not. Just why...? Was trusting Blue Eyes really the right decision? He was worried, he didn't know what to do, but at the same time, out of some to him yet unknown reason he wasn't as afraid of Blue Eyes as he should be. He really should be.. he saw Youngjo die right in front of him, had his blood sticking to his fingers, yet he wasn't afraid. There was something in their eyes, when they looked at him, something that wasn't frightening him.

Minho looked at her. ‚Why would it.. they do that?'

‚To warn us, test our reactions, maybe even to communicate. I'm not sure. We will have to observe just as much as them to understand. That's all we can do for now. Best to just keep on going as we planned to and not force anything onto them. Give them space.' She looked around the room after a moment of silence that had settled in between the two. ‚How about we first take inventory in the storage, we gotta see what we're working with here.' The doctor suggested, Minho following close behind her to the back.

Taking inventory was an oddly comforting thing to do for Minho, it didn't require much attention, at some point he was working on autopilot. Seulgi looked through the stuff, calling out to him various words and descriptions that he was supposed to note down. They worked together, and the more time passed the more they had found themselves in a self-made a rhythm, understanding what the other wanted without many words. A flow of work that made the time go by very quick, even though it didn't actually feel like it. It's not like they could look outside the window to estimate the time by the light of day. Outside it was just pitch black, like the day before, like the day to come. Black.

‚I think that's all for now. Or well.. at least it's enough for today. We've been here quite some time already.' Seulgi announced after some hours of working their way through the storage room of the medical facilities. Minho looked at his arm panel, slightly surprised when he read the white numbers. Earth time said it was around seven in the evening. After everything that had already happened it was more than surprising that all this time the communication channel had been quiet. For a short moment he even feared that something was broken.. just because such a long time of calmness without any major events felt off.

‚I'm surprised how much stuff they still left here.' Minho commented, looking through the inventory list they had created so far. It still needed a lot of sorting through, picking out what of the stuff was still usable after all the time this base had been abandoned and what was far over its date.

‚From what we already collected here, there is barely anything missing. It looks like they didn't take anything with them when they left. It's basically a full inventory they've probably had stocked up regularly too.' Seulgi analysed finally. ‚I don't know why you would leave all of this behind to go to waste.. most of the stuff is expensive nowadays.'

Minho nodded. He trusted Seulgi's judgement on that, so it seemed just as odd to him. ‚Whatever happened inside of here, it doesn't make sense..' There are no signs that the former crew had fled yet at the same time they also didn't leave because it had been planned, nothing was packed up, nothing taken with them. It's as if everyone just disappeared on the spot, everyone except Blue Eyes. ‚As much as I want to find out what happened, here.'

‚At the same time you're afraid of the answer, because the things that seem the most subtle in a way, can turn out to be the most horrifying in the end.' Seulgi ended his thought for him.

‚Something like that yeah. Just Blue Eyes seems to be left now.'

‚I feel the same way like you, it's unsettling to think about.' Seulgi came out of the room, leaning against the table.

Minho met her eyes before he set to say something. ‚It's also troubling me that we can barely do anything about our situation. Our lifes lay upon the possibility of reactivating our communication in time to some day maybe get rescued by the IAST. If they would even come for us..'

Seulgi stayed silent.. obviously she would have the same worries.. they've had them all. Everyone was worried about their life. It's natural, no one set out for this mission to simply die.. at least not this fast, somewhere in the dark where no one could even find them. For the people they had left back on earth, they would just disappear, like a rock thrown into the deep sea, lost forever.

Minho kept staring at the display on his arm, eyeing the time that had proceeded without their notice, without giving them a sign. ‚Maybe we should check in with the other teams.'

He pressed the speaker button to connect.

‚How's the status with everyone?' Minho asked into their shared channel. Hongjoong's voice was the first one that answered.

【 Everything has been quiet on our end. We found another storage room not too far from the main dorms. Most of the stuff inside of there are dry rations and emergency water canisters. 】 The captain explained. 【 We roughly calculated it through for now and with two rations a day for everyone there should be enough for three to four weeks. 】

That would give them enough time to set up their communication and maybe get rescued in time. Knowing this is relieving for everyone. Yet at the same time it made another feeling creep up in the back of their minds. The feeling of an end. Their life line had a set end now if no one would come for them. Before, left in uncertainty they had feared about their life differently. That it would end abruptly, out of nowhere.. but a death you could prepare for, wait for, might actually be worse, especially if there was nothing in their power to prevent it.

【 When everyone's ready we should recollect in the main dorms. 】 The captain suggested and as no one could come up with a veto to put in, it was decided what they would do.

‚Captain, I still have to finish something here. Won't take long.' Seulgi said a minute later after having found something of interest in a shelf, examining it.

【 That's fine, you two follow up as soon as you can. 】 The communication channel closed after that.

‚What is it?' Minho asked, not able to see what she was holding yet. She turned with a grave expression, something silvery white in her grip. The pilot could also make out a zipper before it dawned on him. His eyes darkening, subconsciously falling down onto his hands, that were nervously picking at his fingernails.

‚You don't have to come with me, but I believe he deserves at least this much.'

Letting out a shaky breath he looked back up at Seulgi. ‚No I'm fine, you're right. I'm...coming with you.'

The doctor nodded, with a reassuring smile, before she went out, leading the way to Minho's feared destination. It had only happened yesterday, the memories were fresh even if the blood had dried. The distinct oxidised black-red that still covered the wall, floor and metal, burning itself once more into his vision. Dried yet seeming like someone had tried to wipe some of it away, looked even more horrifying to him. Like a shadow of a demon that was unwilling to leave. Seulgi turned to him once more, trying to read his reaction.

‚Are you sure that you will be fine?'

Minho's head fell back, some tears having pooled in the corners of his eyes. A chuckle escaped his lips, one that sounded only wrong and misplaced. ‚It's not the first time that I'm seeing one of those bags. I've seen them too much. It's like they're following me around.' He gulped slightly, feeling like the words were about to get stuck in his throat any moment. You'd think after seeing it so many times you'd grow numb to it. The truth was though, you never could. Minho never could. A fact that wouldn't change, neither through avoiding, nor pretending not to see. So he might as well face it each time.

His eyes fell back on the red remains of a life ended too soon. ‚I'm fine.'

‚He's in there. I didn't want anyone to accidentally stumble upon his body. This-‚ Crusted red stains. ‚-is already enough to cope with.' Memories stained like walls, floor and metal. Stained hands, bringing guilt and sorrow. Silent pain that would ever linger.

Seulgi opened a door a bit to the right. The room behind was mostly empty. It looked similar to a conference room. Tables, chairs and some other clutter scattered through the room and lying in its midst a pale body, equally stained in red es everything outside, yet appearing to be sleeping with a calm expression. Not much had changed in a day. It was still Youngjo lying there, only now his body had become ice cold and stiff. The person that once was, gone forever.

Upon facing this sight, Minho's thoughts drifted off. When he looked down his hands were once more covered in the sticky red substance. The red he couldn't forget. In front of him lay a body on the pavement, but it wasn't Youngjo. Pale skin covered in bruises and scratches, red oozing from underneath the head, colouring the hard stone. Cheeks stained in tears, lips parted from the last words he couldn't finish. ‚I'm sorry..' A voice echoed in his mind, his own voice. He had told him he'd be fine, that he didn't have to worry. He had been lying. His hands were shaking, the red that was covering them, the smell of iron making him feel sick. The one he loved right there, yet far away out of reach, gone to somewhere he couldn't follow. He looked not much different from all the moments Minho had watched him sleep, only this time he couldn't watch him wake up, he never would. People surrounded him, one of them holding something silvery white in their hand. He wanted to stop them, if he only had the strength, if only it would change the cruel reality he was facing.

The noise of the translucent plastic that had covered a body bag, broke the silence in a horrifying way, drawing Minho's attention back into the present moment. Minho hated these bags. They were keepers of an illusion. Ever since a hundred years ago when someone invented a technology to preserve deceased bodies by using these bags, the people faced a much harder time to let go of their loved ones, when their time had come. Deceased looked like they were only sleeping, even if they had been dead for days and weeks. Suicide rate and mental illness had increased, as death didn't feel final. The people knew it were only bodies and that they would never wake up, but some believed that a body that didn't decay could be saved, a body that didn't get eaten by time wasn't dead. Some believed even to their own bitter end. They gave you a choice, but who would choose fire and destroy what they loved. Minho had. Every time. Because if those eyes and lips he loved could not smile back at him, he would be holding on to something that wasn't real. He would rather receive the ashes of their worldly remains, as their souls had already gone back to the stars.

He watched as Seulgi walked over to the body, spreading out the bag next to it. She pulled the zipper, another noise that would make cold shivers run down your spine. He didn't like it, but this wasn't his choice. Without needing to be asked, the pilot also went over to her, helping her to open the bag, spreading it wide open so that they could lay the body inside. It was in the middle of this that Seulgi became still, her movements on the bag ceasing, her eyes looking up. Minho too raised his eyes, yet didn't meet hers. She was looking past him. His muscles tensed more than they already were, jaw clenched as he slowly turned his head. Instead of red on the opposite wall, blue was all he saw. In the door stood Blue Eyes, its body wary of everything that was happening in front of it. Watching, like its eyes always would. They knew, even if they couldn't always see what's hiding in the shadows.

Had Blue Eyes been following Minho? Why did it appear yet again? Here out of all places, when the proof of what it was capable of was right in front of them. Right there, reminding them that none of them was safe. Minho's fingers clenched around the fabric of the bag, not able to look away, almost as stiff as death itself.

Blue Eyes slightly tilted its head upon meeting the brown eyes of the pilot, not blinking, not looking away even when the doctor made a move.

‚We should just keep going.' She said in a quiet and calm voice, careful not to unsettle Blue Eyes. ‚Try not to stare, it might seem challenging. Keeping them on edge. Minho, keep moving slowly and look at me instead.'

His mind started spinning. For a few more moments he wasn't sure if he should actually look away, afraid of what would happen if he turned his back on Blue Eyes, yet by taking a breath in and out to calm his heart, he lowered his eyes away from the blue eyed being, turning his head back to Seulgi and the bitter task at hand. His back and neck were tingling in an unsettling way as soon as he had done that, as if he could feel Blue Eyes' look on him. Watching him and his every movement. Another breath, before he could get his hands to continue moving again. Together with Seulgi they spread the bag open, before the doctor moved to take a hold on Youngjo's shoulders whereas Minho took his legs. Cold limbs, barely moving, hardened through death. They pulled his body up placing it atop the bag's silvery white material. It felt wrong to do, even more so with two blue eyes watching behind them, that was if Blue Eyes hadn't left already. It could move so silently that they wouldn't know.

Trying not to think much about it, Minho proceeded to cover the body, closing up the bag, so that the zipper could seal this death for good. Having pulled it up to the Torso, his hands froze once more. Something white and pale stood in his peripheral view, closer than before. Watching. The pilot kept himself from looking to the side. Blue Eyes was still with them inside the room, circling them ever so slightly, careful with each step it took. Prepared for everything that could be done to it, yet nothing came. Seulgi and Minho were again crushing the being's expectations. Each of them was wary, but none of them felt threatened in this moment. Only nervous, afraid maybe, but trying to give each other space.

Seulgi took Minho's frozen hand, startling him slightly with the sudden touch. But when he saw that she was finishing up the last bit of the zipper he had an odd feeling of relief in his chest. He had seen Youngjo die in his hands, he didn't also want to see his hands doing the last step of setting his death in stone. Clearing the remains of the body that had once held his breath, and with it every sign of Youngjo's life that had been still among them.

When it was done the brunette felt the need to look away, for his chest to feel less heavy, crushed from the weight of guilt that he couldn't shake off. It was when he noticed that the being standing a bit to his right, wasn't looking at him any longer. Blue Eyes had a fixed gaze on the white bag that was now only vaguely resembling the shape of a body. It raised one of its arms, luminescent blue eyes moving back and forth between the bag and ultimately its cause, then it touched its wrist. Watching it Minho tried to find out what it might be thinking, but its expression was unreadable. It wasn't neutral, yet neither negative nor positive, nor anything. Minho didn't even know if it could be described as a humanly expression. Its whole being, the way it behaved felt otherworldly, like nothing he had ever seen before.

Like this the three of them stayed in a heavy silence, until suddenly Blue Eyes' gaze was drawn away from the abstract portray of death in front of them and back to the deep brown it couldn't part from, the brown orbs which it felt oddly drawn to. It was looking at Minho unmoving, gaze piercing and sharp, then jumped over to Seulgi for a short moment, before Blue Eyes suddenly turned and disappeared out of the room through a vent at the side as quick and silent as it had come, leaving no trace that proved that it had ever been with them in the same room.

==============

For Everyone that wondered what happened to the body... haa...

totally everyone wondered and wanted to return to this traumatic place in the base riiiight?

Yeah well.. at least Blue Eyes seemed to have wondered and followed them around, how nice..

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, it got way longer than I expected.

I know I've disappeared for quite some time, so even if I'm late I wish you all a happy new Year! 

I'm now close to exam time, which means I might not have as much time, but I definitely got some inspiration nowadays for some upcoming scenes. I hope I'll be able to write them soon.

Until then, I hope y'all have been good?

I was, lots going on in my life actually.

Now, I hope to see you again in the next chapter sometime soon.

Until then-

Stay awesome and awesomely healthy!

Draven out <3