Star Bate Saga: XII

Firmament sat sprawled in a chair staring off into the palette of rock and dust that crossed their path like a family of geese or that of a drifting plastic bag. Chatoyant sat cross legged in the corner, her hands folded properly before her. Grayson was lying nearby on his back, his hands behind his head. Aria and Anderson were standing at the rail, holding hands and watching the rocks and the clouds of gases surrounding the stars. It was silent and calm.

Grayson got up absentmindedly and went to fiddle with buttons on the helm. He flipped one and was greeted with blaring music that made the whole crew jump. 

"Highway to the Danger Zone, Ride into the Danger Zone." 

Grayson smiled and skipped over to Firmament, giving her a thumbs up. Firmament frowned slightly.

"Honestly Grayson can you sit still. What if that was a radio that called out, alerting the whole universe to our escapades?"

"Then I would tell them that when they came to arrest us that they should bring a few pizzas because I'm starving." Everyone chuckled and Firmament only sighed. Chatoyant smiled and got up. 

"Fe, we did it. We're on our way. We could use a little fun."

"Like what?"

"Like, I could dig out some hypodermics and inject some cheap Andorian cognac into that funky jello downstairs." This brought instant applause. "Fe, trust me. I sense no danger or evil. Only calm." Firmament sighed and nodded. Everyone cheered.

Chatoyant and Aria went to collect the goods while Anderson and Grayson danced neurotically. Firmament once again sighed and got up, approaching the lift and making her way towards the brig.

Once there, she walked down the line towards the very last cell. There she found Angel sitting in the corner, head in his hands. 

"Despair was never a good look for you."

"Ahh, but captain is a good look on you." He said, slowly raising his head. His eyes were hard but he held that same cheeky grin he always seemed to wear. 

"You haven't changed much."

"Neither have you. I always knew you to be an anarchist. Just never thought it'd hit this close to home."

"Then you're dumber than I thought. I hate your father."

"That's one of the reasons you didn't get the ship. He'd knew you'd sabotage any and all operations."

"Smart man."

"So they say." Here Angel got up and went to the bars that flickered back and forth like that of a bug zapper. He was inches from Firmament's face but she didn't seem to mind. Her face still carried a deep set frown. 

"Did it even mean anything?" She asked calmly.

"Of course it did."

"Then why-"

"Why did I leave? Why didn't I wake you? Why didn't I defend you? Because I had to leave. I couldn't defend you even though every bone in my body yearned to let my soul leave; for me to scream out. But I couldn't. I don't know why I just couldn't. It's like we were apart of something bigger. Something destined that I couldn't control."

"That is shit."

"You know it's true. You feel it in your soul. I can see it in your eyes. You're unsure. This was supposed to happen but differently. On your own accord. This isn't. It's like we're chess pieces. Pawns in a great, godly game."

"There are no gods. Only men who play gods."

"I wish it were that simple."

Firmament was silent. She looked away and then looked into his eyes again. Angel did the same. 

"I'm sorry Fe." Here Firmament reached in between the bars and pulled him forward by the excess of his fatigues. They both were shocked by the bars. Now their faces were an inch away. 

"If that's true, then tell me, what are we supposed to do now?"

Angel paused and his eyes flicked to her to her lips and trailed up her marks to her eyes. 

Firmament loosened her grip. "We're not supposed to make it, are we." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. 

Angel shook his head slowly and sadly. 

Having just successfully injected a fourth jello cup with two shots of cognac, things on the helm were going swimmingly. 

Chatoyant seemed alive and joyful and Grayson was respectfully upside down. Aria could not drink or eat but was still laughing gayfully along at Anderson's bad jokes and hiccups. 

Everything seemed to be going great. 

Until Chatoyant paused and shivered, crashing to the ground and writhing up into a fetal position. The crew gasped and backed off giving her room. Her eyes were wide as if she was witnessing eternal damnation itself. Maybe she was. 

"Mayhem. Death. Destruction. Calamity. Impiety is coming for us. We are not worthy and shall perish in celestial flame. A blaze of glory. A parting gift. We are scum. We are savages. Savages." Chatoyant writhed until she stopped and lay still. A single tear leaked out of her eye. 

Grayson kneeled down and tried to help her up. He sat her up and held her. "She's freezing."

Suddenly, the ship violently shook. .