o2. spinning wheels (video; un: burton)

[tumang]

[ The camera filming is the one from the console in the wall of the garden, the one that Haru put together. It shows Amos, fingers brushing along the plants hooked together along the wall. He has a smile on his face, and his touch seems incredibly gentle, his lips parted as he looks at the greenery. ]

Have you ever seen something more amazing? These plants are keeping us alive. Literally. Scrubbing up the air we breathe, putting it back out as something we can use. They take so much work, so much patience, so much knowledge. To keep them alive, help them grow. So amazing.

[ He stops, his face closing up all of a sudden. His jaw ticks with a muscle under the beard, and his hands turn into fists. He pulls away from the wall. It seems like a sudden change in mood, something like a switch has been flipped, all of a sudden. His posture tenses, his eyes start stinging. ]

This place is killing us. It's - it's killed my friend, already. He's more than a friend, really. He's my brother.

[ If you've met Amos, had a chat with him, you might realize that this video is pretty... well, unlike him. He doesn't seem to really recognize that fact, though, looking straight at the camera with his eyes slightly teary. ]

Be careful. This station does shit to us. [ Pause. Amos wipes at his eyes. Sniffles. ] Oh and by the way, guys, it's a station, not a ship. Don't make me say it again.

[ He doesn't sound angry, even when he says this, tired of having to repeat himself. There's a suspicious complete lack of anger throughout the whole entry. ]

Seriously, we need to get off this barge. All of us. If you think there's nothing you can do, I promise you, there is. We gotta work together.

Comments

[tumang]

I've been calling it a barge since day one. Rust bucket, too. A shitheap. All sorts of things.

[ He shrugs. ]

It's still a station, though, as far as we can tell. Not a ship.

[solarcharged]

[ yeah but: ]

Isn't a barge a ship?

[tumang]

[ Sigh. ]

Is it? To me, it's something very large that can potentially move. Which, as far as we know, this station might. I think most people say this is a ship and expect it to, I don't know, have the capacity to go at the speed of light, or something. This isn't it. At best, it's a barge.

[ He shouldn't have to explain himself to you, you pedant. ]

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo looks askance at the feed, with an expression that's halfway between amusement and disbelief. But mostly amusement. ]

Well. If you say so...

[ He's trying to do this thing, this don't-mention-the-war thing, where he doesn't obliquely point out the fact that Amos is acting so very worryingly weirdly. There are enough people to do that, and Apollo knows how fucking awful it is to have people make more of your vulnerabilities. Especially when you're feeling pretty vulnerable as it is. So, for now, pedantry it is. ]

Maybe we need a swear jar. But just dedicated to people who say 'ship'.

[tumang]

See, that'd be a good idea, but how do you enforce something like that? It was very obvious when the gravity snapped that people don't really pay attention to anything, around here.

[ As a distraction, it's working, by all means. ]

So, were you surprised that nothing happened once you opened the ops deck door?

[solarcharged]

And the whole lack of currency thing might be a problem too...

[ It was a stupid idea. So sue him. He isn't the brain of this outfit okay!

Amos's question gives him pause; he leans back, away from the feed, glancing away off camera briefly. ]

Yeah, I guess I was. Disappointed, too. I mean, I know I'm not exactly an expert on what ops decks are suppose to hold but...

[ He trails off in exasperation. There was so painfully little that he can't help but be disappointed. He focuses his attention back on Amos instead. ]

Still want to go hunting for your engineering deck? I'm up for it if you are.

[tumang]

What, would you rather we got attacked by something? That's fucked, man. At least now we got access to some new shit, and maybe we can unlock some stuff. Nobody died. D'you want people to die?

[ So maybe they're misunderstanding each other. Amos just thinks that Apollo wanted to find something to fight. ]

It's lacking, for sure. We should be able to have access to a lot more, but we need to work on it.

[ Amos shrugs. ]

The map seems to say it's in the shaft, and not on the lower decks. I don't know what it's going to look like anymore...

[solarcharged]

What? No! Amos, that's -- no, of course I don't want people to die! I want us to go home.

[ Come on, man. Apollo knows you're being a bit weird right now but PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. ]

I was disappointed we didn't find answers, not something to attack us. After everything we did, risking the entire station like that, all we found were a few videos and a map... [ Apollo shakes his head. ]

I don't know. I would have really liked a big red button that said 'Press Here to Go Home' but I guess that would have been too easy.

[tumang]

[ No you pull yourself together, Apollo! ]

Really? I thought you knew about space and shit. C'mon, you knew it wasn't going to happen. At best, we would have discovered controls we could do something with, but the tech has me stumped.

[solarcharged]

I know about space, not spaceships.

[ FUCK.

Apollo closes his eyes. ]

...Stations.

[ When he opens his eyes again, Apollo gives Amos a mock-accusing look. There's a smile behind it, hidden somewhere below. ]

God. This is your fault, you know. You talked about it and now you've got me doing it too.

[tumang]

[ Amos doesn't growl, exactly, but it's a close sound. ]

Don't blame me for your shortcomings, dude.

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo throws his hands up (fondly) ]

All right, mister 'I always call space stations the correct things'.

[ Although Apollo KNOWS he's right about the barge thing, god damn it ]

Also, I should have said before -- what you said earlier about us getting off this ship? We will. All of us will.

[tumang]

[ Listen!!! ]

I get shit wrong all the time. I make the wrong choices all of the time. Sorry if I cling to like, this one thing I know.

[ Now you've made him have a feeling, Apollo, well done. ]

[solarcharged]

Well, look. Now you've got two things you can be right about. Space station terminology and the fact we will get off this thing.

[ Apollo has found the optimistic part of this conversation and he is RUNNING WITH IT. ]

You and all of your crew. And I'm going to get Midnighter home too.

[ He snaps his fingers, realising: ]

I haven't told you the good news about him yet, have I?

[tumang]

About who? Who's Midnighter?

[ You never tell him anything, Apollo. Just use him when you need help. How terrible. ]

[solarcharged]

[ he has been kinda distracted lately okay!!! ]

Remember our little chat about someone with a certain amount of stopping power...?

[tumang]

[ Does he... remember... ]

Oh. Your husband's here? Are you telling me because you're angling for a threesome?

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo is giving you a Look right now, Amos, NOT THAT KIND OF LOOK as he leans back and away from the feed, crossing his arms heavily. Yes, there's amusement beneath the Look but the hell is he going to make it THAT easy to make him laugh. ]

By stopping power, I mean the break-your-legs kind. The still-has-eyes-and-can-read-the-network kind.

[tumang]

You realize I'm not the one offering, right? You're the one that keeps bringing him up like I should care.

[solarcharged]

[ ROLLING HIS EYES RIGHT NOW (fondly) ]

No offer, no invite. Sorry, Amos. I just wanted to share the good news.

[ They've got to take all the positives they can out here, let's be real. Any moments of happiness. No matter how small. ]

[tumang]

Well, I sure am elated for you.

[ Hear the sarcasm? Yeah, it's dripping from every word, sorry Apollo. ]

Don't let each other die, I guess.

[solarcharged]

[ Suppressing a smile, Apollo fires off a brisk, smart salute. It's only a little bit mocking. ]

We'll try not to, boss.