Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You stare at the Floor B door, avoiding any thoughts of your current position. There isn’t shit you can do, and you know it. Especially not when you’re handcuffed and being threatened with death. You wouldn’t describe yourself as a coward, but there’s something about this situation that makes your skin crawl. You? A mere pawn of this so-called AB Project? Yeah, right. Brother had said so himself: this was your divine mission, your chance to cleanse yourself of your sins. And who are you to defy the Holy Brother’s wishes?

“Phi, would you head back to the garden? Kyle should be fully awake.” The doctor starts walking to a nearby Chromatic Door.

Phi doesn’t say anything; she just nods and turns around to start her trek. Akane tugs your handcuffs again in a ‘come along’ gesture. You follow Dr. Klim through the door, and you have no fucking idea what to expect. When you step through, the first thing you notice is the huge safe-like cabinet. Maybe it stores important documents. Now that you think about it, this is probably Dr. Klim’s office.

“Sit down,” the doctor commands, “We’ve got some questions for you.”

You roll your eyes and sit in the red chair near the computer. It’s not like you can physically fight back in this state. The only weapon at your disposal is your mouth, and as long as you don’t blow it, you’ll be safe. Who knows how long this’ll take.

Akane starts, “First of all: do you know the identity of Brother? That is, have you ever met him?”

You shrug. “Can’t say I have. I couldn’t fucking tell you who he is either.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Are you certain? I presume that someone of your rank would have seen him at least once.”

“Why the hell would I lie?” You scowl.

“I suppose you have a point,” she remarks.

Dr. Klim asks a different question: “What can you tell us about the Myrmidons?”

You smirk and answer, “We’re the hand of Brother and Free the Soul. I’m the best and most skilled of my generation, so I was chosen to lead.”

He folds his arms. “Alright. Anything else?”

You shrug dismissively. “I mean, Akane already fucking told everyone in the garden about us. I don’t see why you need to know shit.”

“Because, Dio,” he sighs, “whatever you tell us could be useful.”

“For what, exactly.” You stare at the doctor, deadpanned.

He stares right back and blinks. “None of your business.”

Akane chooses this moment to step back in, and she hits you with something that’s out of left field. “What is Judas to you?”

You open your mouth, but no sound comes out. Dr. Klim glances at her in confusion. She glances back at him as if she’s saying ‘work with me here’. Damn. You hadn’t expected that one. How the fuck could you even classify Judas? Sure, he’s hot, both in looks and personality. But he led you into temptation. And Brother would be displeased if he found out you’d nearly sinned again. You’d be cast out for sure.

After several long moments of silence, you answer, “Judas was…just a distraction. If it wasn’t for him, I could have moved on to the next world already.”

“Next world?” The doctor puts air quotes around the phrase. That pisses you off. How dare he trash it?

“Afterlife. Heaven. Whatever the fuck you want to call it,” you scowl.

Akane stifles a chuckle. “Down, boy. No need to get defensive.”

“I’m not your fucking dog either,” you spit.

She replies, “I never said you were. You merely made an assumption.”

“Really now, Akane…we have devolved into teasing,” he sighs.

She clears her throat. “Right. I must apologize.”

“Whatever…” you mumble.

“Anyway…it doesn’t seem like this will go anywhere. Let us try again another time,” he tells Akane.

Akane nods in agreement. “Yes. You are free to go, Dio.”

“Wait, what? Just like that?” You stare at her and Dr. Klim in disbelief.

She holds up two fingers. “However…there are two conditions. One: you must find a new purpose. I imagine Brother has something else in store for you. Two: if you attempt to disrupt our plans again, we will not hesitate to kill you.”

You gulp nervously. Purpose? What other purpose could you possibly have? You’d already fulfilled your divine mission from the Holy Father, Brother, and Master. Why are you even here still? Maybe the lady has a point. You still need to head back to your base and deliver a report to everyone else. Judas had also offered for you to come visit him on Earth. Beyond that, you don’t have a damn clue what you’re going to do. You hope that your reward is lavish. It’s the very least they could do.

“Well then,” you say as you stand up from the desk chair, “Peace out.”

Dr. Klim cautiously unlocks the handcuffs and puts them away. You hiss in pain as you rub at your wrists. You’d been wearing them for a while; goddamn does it hurt. You aren’t sure who handcuffed you to the sink initially, but Judas’s cuffing of you to him was admittedly smart. He’s a strange guy; he comes up with interesting plans under pressure. You rapidly blink. What in Brother’s name are you thinking, getting distracted by him again? For fuck’s sake, it was time to go.

You march out of Dr. Klim’s office, looking to your left. The Floor B door is still open, so you walk down the hallway to the pressure exchange chamber. You don the suit and go through the decompression process. Once you’re finished, you step outside to find a lunar buggy. There should be one around here somewhere, you think. You climb out of the deep crater with some effort; you pant while scouting out which direction to walk in. You catch a glimpse of metal. There it is. Exactly what you need. You sit in the driver’s seat, start the engine, and push the gas pedal with your foot. You smirk while navigating your way back home. Time to bask in the holy light of Brother’s words.

Chapter Text

“Judas, wake up! We’re back!” You’re startled awake by a loud voice, and you rub your eyes. You look for the source of the voice; Clover’s beaming. Alice and Junpei are grinning as well. You also notice that no one else has their suits on.

“I’m surprised that you slept through the landing,” Junpei remarks.

Clover shrugs. “He’s always been a pretty deep sleeper.”

You ask the first question that comes to mind, “Are we back on Earth for real? Am I dreaming?”

Alice chuckles and answers, “Yes, we’re home. Or as close to home as we can get, anyway.”

You doff your suit quickly and stow it away. After grabbing your bag of T shots, you rush to the window to figure out what time it is. What you see steals your breath. The sun’s starting to rise, with rays of light shining in between dark gray clouds. You still can’t believe that it’s been forty-five years since Free the Soul released Radical-6 into the world. You wonder what the higher-ups at SOIS thought when you’d been kidnapped and placed into cold sleep. Not that it matters anymore.

Junpei opens the hatch, and he lets the three of you disembark first. He then steps outside; the hatch closes automatically.

Clover squints and shades her eyes with her hands as she looks around. “Junpei, we’re in the Mojave Desert, aren’t we?”

Junpei grins and nods. “Yep. Hasn’t changed too much either.”

“Well that’s a relief,” you say.

Alice remarks while pointing north, “We should be able to get to your place easily, then. Look, there’s a car.”

“It’s a matter of whether or not it’ll actually start,” Junpei replies while starting to walk towards it.

You all follow Junpei without any further word; it’s a short trek. Junpei rummages in his pockets and triumphantly holds up a small car key.

“Can I drive us? Pretty please?” Clover asks while making puppy eyes.

“Do you promise not to put us all in danger this time?” Junpei asks in return.

Alice shudders, and you whisper in her ear, “What’s he talking about?”

“When I took Clover, Junpei, and everyone else in for questioning, Clover drove us out of this very desert. Let’s just say she was a speed demon,” Alice answers quietly.

You snicker and say, “Sounds about right.”

Clover giggles and says, “Yes, I promise. You can give me directions, too!”

“Deal.” Junpei nods and gives Clover the car key, then walks around to the passenger seat. You get in behind Clover, and Alice takes her spot behind Junpei. It’s a small car, but it’s decently sized for holding all four of you. Clover starts the car, and Junpei directs her to go north. She hits the gas, eliciting a yelp from you. She laughs as gusts of sand whirl behind you.

After what feels like an eternity, you pass through a smaller town. It seems abandoned, however. There’s no time to stop and investigate; you don’t even have your bearings yet. You assume that whoever lived here had either died of Radical-6, or moved elsewhere. You think of Finn and Light’s whereabouts again. They probably sheltered themselves during the early days. Finn certainly would not have wanted to get sick. The question: where did they shelter? It could literally be anywhere, you think. You need more information.

As you near what you hope is the end of this drive, you see a small house looming over a patch of dirt. Nearby, there’s a road that’s cracked and falling into disrepair. Other houses are interspersed by rusty fences and wild brushes. Clover pulls the car into the makeshift driveway and parks it.

Junpei groans as he stretches. “Finally…we’re home.”

Alice, having just woken up from a few hours’ nap, yawns and blinks. “I say we eat some breakfast before we do anything else.”

“Maybe Carlos already cooked some?” You suggest.

“Either that, or he and Quark were waiting for us,” Clover adds as she gets out of the car.

Seeing no point in further delays, you follow suit. The air feels crisp; it’s definitely winter still. You wish you’d brought a thicker sweater or worn pants without holes in them. You make a mental note to ask Junpei about clothes shopping later. That is, if such a thing still exists. Junpei knocks on the door, and almost immediately, it swings open.

“Grandpa! You’re back!” A small blonde boy exclaims as he hugs Junpei.

“I sure am, kiddo.” Junpei smiles as he returns the hug.

The boy turns to you all. “I’m Quark! Who’re you guys?”

Another voice calls from inside the house, “Who’s at the door?”

Junpei calls back with a hint of teasing, “Why don’t you come see for yourself?”

Just a moment later, another older man appears with a grin on his face. His hair is white and styled in a buzz-cut. His face is also wrinkled from a lifetime of smiles and raised eyebrows. Alice and Clover introduce themselves first, and no sooner do you say your name than you hear a gasp.

“You seemed familiar, and I couldn’t place why at first. But when you said your name, everything clicked,” the man with the buzz-cut explains.

A realization of your own hits you like a steel bat to the back of your head. “Carlos?”

“Oh my God!” Clover exclaims. “Carlos, it’s been so long!”

Carlos chuckles and says, “Hey, Clover. It really has…I remember when you were smaller.”

You smile, recalling the first time Carlos and Clover met. You’d been the one to introduce them; you and Carlos were dating at the time. Clover was impressed by his strength and firefighting skills. She asked him to pick her up, and he happily obliged. It’s nice to see that Carlos hasn’t changed much.

“I have just one question, though. How have you not aged in all this time? Aren’t you supposed to be old, too?” Carlos asks the three of you.

Alice chuckles awkwardly. “About that…that’s a long story. And you probably won’t believe us.”

“Oh, we’ve seen and heard some crazy stuff,” Quark says.

Carlos nods in agreement. “No matter what you have to say, I’ll believe you.”

“Well that’s reassuring,” Alice responds. “Why don’t we go inside and eat? I’m starving.”

Carlos hums and says, “I dunno if we have enough for a full meal at the moment, but you’re welcome to find something in our kitchen cabinets.”

“Alright,” Alice replies before making her way to the kitchen. You and Clover follow her, quickly checking to see if anything strikes your fancy. You find a granola bar with chocolate chips in it and taste it. You can’t afford to be picky. This is surprisingly good; you wonder whether it’s homemade. If so, then it would be extra delicious. You walk back to the living room and join everyone else, munching on your bar.

Junpei explains to Carlos and Quark all that transpired while he was gone. For him, it was only one week. For you, Clover, and Alice, it was forty-five years, one month, and two days. Whether he wishes not to frighten his family, or for some other reason, he isn’t telling the entire truth. That’s ultimately Junpei’s business, you think. Quark’s eyes are shining the entire time; he’s enraptured by his grandpa’s adventures on the Moon.

“Wow,” Carlos says while blinking rapidly. “I can only imagine how you guys must’ve felt waking up in those elevators, not knowing where or when you are…”

“Clover and I, at least, played the Nonary Game once before,” you interject.

Alice folds her arms and says, “I had no clue what to expect. Zero out of ten…pun intended.”

Everyone laughs, and it warms your heart to see Alice smiling again. Seeing her now, it would be hard to believe that she’d received news of her mother’s death a few days ago. But you know better than that. Grief is a funny thing, really. It crashes and recedes like an ocean’s tides. And for now, it’s receding.

“So…” Clover’s voice trails off before she speaks again. “Where are we gonna sleep? We can’t all fit in the living room.”

Junpei strokes his chin with two fingers. “We have a pullout couch in here. Maybe Judas can take it.”

You nod and say, “I don’t have a problem with that.”

“As for you and Alice…we have a spare room with two beds that you can use. We’ll need help cleaning it out, though,” he says.

Carlos adds, “We’d been using it as storage for ages. Just gotta figure out where everything can go again.”

“Can I help you clean up the rest of the house, Mr. Judas? I know where everything goes,” Quark says while standing up.

“I’d appreciate it, yeah,” you answer him.

With everyone’s cleaning duties stated, you all get to work. Carlos joins you and Quark to sweep the kitchen. You find a washrag, wet it, and wipe down the hardwood furniture. You also set your T shots bag down onto a bookshelf near the front window. Quark, meanwhile, searches the house to pick up any trash that had accumulated. The dusting doesn’t take as long as you expect, so you set the washrag down to vacuum. However, you can’t find any such vacuum. Oh, right, it probably wouldn’t work anymore. Carlos points out the mop and bucket; you thank him and fill it up with water. You mop the living room and kitchen fairly quickly.

Carlos groans as he stretches. “I think that’s good for now. Thanks for the help.”

“You’re welcome…Quark is probably done by now, too,” you reply.

“Let’s go check on the others, then.”

You find Quark in the spare room chatting with Clover and Alice; they’ve claimed their beds. Alice is on the right side while Clover is on the left side. Both of the beds are twin-sized, too. Junpei stands in an empty corner, leaning against the wall and observing the scene.

“Oh hi, saba. I finished picking up the trash,” Quark says cheerfully.

You tilt your head. “What does saba mean?”

Carlos answers, “It means ‘grandfather’ in Hebrew, and I chose it because ‘papa’ sounded too close to Junpei’s title for my liking.”

Clover perks up and says, “That’s what I called my grandpa.”

“I may or may not have gotten inspiration from you,” Junpei coughs.

She giggles and says, “Classic Junpei…”

“That’s clever. I like it,” Alice says as she stands up and stretches her shoulders.

“Oh! I just remembered what else I was going to ask,” you tell Junpei.

“Hit me.”

You tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “We haven’t been to town yet, and I’ve been wondering where we could get spare clothes.”

Alice’s eyes light up. “I was thinking the same thing, Judas.”

Junpei considers your observation. “Y’know, that’s a good point. Rude of Dr. Klim and Akane not to send anything with you.”

“Well, what’re we waiting for?” Quark asks.

“There’s one thing you oughta know before we head out,” Carlos says. “We don’t do money here. No cash, credit, or anything like that.”

Quark fiddles with his brown hat’s straps. “We either trade things or do favors!”

“Oh, thank God. Otherwise, we would’ve been screwed,” Alice remarks.

“What a relief,” you sigh. You won’t miss struggling to pay the bills, that’s for sure.

Clover says nothing; she opts to start walking and motions for you all to follow her. She leads the walk up the dirt road, stopping occasionally to catch her breath. As you walk, you notice people of all ages flitting about. From elderly folk hanging out on each other’s porches to young children playing games, it almost feels like you’re home. Of course, this isn’t Las Vegas, where the streets are—were—bustling. Here in this town, life feels slower. Maybe that’s not a bad thing after all.

Quark points out a slightly larger house than the rest. “That’s Ms. Emani’s house. She collects old clothes and then repairs them! And she can make new ones too.”

Clover asks, “Was she a seamstress or something before?”

“I think so, but I’m not sure.”

Carlos adds on, “There’s also a food bank nearby that people can use.”

Junpei stops walking to rest for a moment. “You can pick up whatever you need, or drop off what you don’t. Saved our asses many times.”

“Language, Junpei,” Carlos chides.

“Quark’s already learned a few curse words. What’s a few more?” Junpei shrugs.

Clover, Alice, and you giggle at the banter between them. Yep, they’ve been married for a long time. It’s sweet to watch, too. You can’t imagine not having anyone around while you survive these conditions. It would be miserable being isolated, you think. You can only speculate on what anyone living alone during the nuclear winter would have done.

Quark knocks on the door to Emani’s house; a woman with dark brown hair tumbling down to her shoulders answers it. She appears middle-aged; you’d guess she’s in her fifties.

“Hello, Quark! What can I help you with today?” Emani asks him.

“Hi, Ms. Emani! I’m not here for me. Grandpa brought some new friends with him, and they need some more clothes,” he explains.

Emani raises an eyebrow. “Are they new in town?”

Quark nods and waves to you, gesturing for you to join him. Junpei and Carlos walk up the ramp first, followed by the rest of you. You, Alice, and Clover introduce yourselves to Emani.

“Well, welcome to Ely! There’s a variety of styles available. I also won’t charge you this time.” Emani winks and grins.

“Thank you so much,” you say. “Where in your house are they?”

Emani steps back and holds her hand out toward her living room. “I keep some of them in here, but my works in progress are in my room. Come on in!”

You all step inside and begin your search. Long-sleeved shirts and pants are the main staple, you notice. Some are laid out on several smaller tables, and some are hanging on racks. You wonder how the hell Emani managed to fit everything in here. Maybe she rotates the selection based on the seasons? That would make the most sense to you. As you walk around, a glimpse of denim catches your eye. It hangs on one such rack, and you look more closely. A pair of overalls with a leather belt! Oh, how cute and practical! This could easily be a statement piece. Now you just need some other shirts to go along with it. You find a green and black sweater, and the colors alternate in wide stripes. You also pick out a solid, muted red shirt. It reminds you of Dio—oh God, why did he have to pop into your mind now of all times? You’re busy, for fuck’s sake. You pick up a pair of gray sweatpants for sleeping, as well.

You look over what you’ve chosen, and you’re satisfied. You figure that you can come back another time to get some more. You wave to Clover and Alice, and they wave back as you walk up to them.

Clover beams while looking at your newly-acquired clothes. “Ooh, Judas, those are all super cute!”

“I agree. They’re very you, too,” Alice remarks.

You grin back at them, and you ask, “What did you guys pick out?”

Alice holds up a pair of black pants, a pair of beige leggings, and a couple of light blue and yellow shirts. “I can’t exactly stay warm in my skirt, as much as I love wearing it.”

“I’m kinda surprised you didn’t find more skirts,” you reply.

She chuckles and snorts. “That can wait until spring hits us.”

Clover has chosen some flashier pieces, and one of the shirts even has a leopard pattern on it. They’re mainly bright colors; same goes for her leggings.

“I can’t believe these were still available! I just had to grab them,” she says.

You laugh and respond, “To borrow Alice’s words, they’re so very you.”

“Hehe, thanks!” Clover giggles and waves Emani over. “I think we’re all good here. Thanks again for letting us stock up!”

Emani nods and says, “You’re welcome! Come back anytime, alright?”

“We will!” You say as you leave her house along with Alice and Clover.

You meet up with Junpei, Carlos, and Quark after a bit of time spent searching for them. Apparently they’d gone to the food bank while you were shopping. They’re all holding paper bags, and you ask whether they need any help. All of them refuse. Fair enough; Carlos had always been strong. With your urgent needs squared away, you start walking back to the Tenmyoujis’ house. The sky is getting darker; the sun is setting. You hadn’t realized just how fast the day had gone. Then again, it could be a trick of the dust and ash in the air.

When you arrive back at the house, Quark yawns while setting his paper bag down in the kitchen. “It’s been a long day, huh?”

“Yeah, kiddo, it really has,” Junpei agrees while handing his bag to Carlos.

Carlos stifles a yawn while carrying both bags to the counter. “We’re gonna sleep so well tonight.”

“Oh, yes, we will.” Junpei grins mischievously while turning to the three of you. “You can take care of yourselves for the rest of the night, yeah? Don’t really need our help for that.”

You all nod and murmur in agreement. The Tenmyoujis retire to their rooms for the night while you find a place to store your clothing. The same bookshelf where you’d placed your T shot bag earlier makes for a nice spot. You then change out of your denim pants plus fishnet to try on the gray sweatpants. They fit perfectly; you elect to keep your sweater on for tonight. Now that’s maximum comfort. You take out the couch cushions, place them near the TV, and pull out the bed.

A few minutes later, you enter Clover and Alice’s room. “What a fucking day,” you sigh as you sit cross-legged on the floor.

“Tell me about it,” Alice says as she fluffs up her pillow.

“Hey, at least we’re not in that creepy rhizome anymore.” Clover shrugs.

“Seriously, Dr. Klim couldn’t consult a designer while decorating?” You joke.

A moment of silence passes, and you all burst out laughing. Alice states, “That son of a bitch sure loved his lions and suns.”

Clover wheezes and coughs. “Oh my God, did he have a pet lion in another timeline?”

“Stop, stop, you’re killing me--!” You wipe tears from your eyes; you’d laughed so hard that you’d started crying.

Alice snickers and says, “Careful, you’ll jinx us.”

“For real, though, I feel like we’ll find Light and Finn. Our chances went way up,” Clover states.

You raise an eyebrow. “I really hope so, Clover. When we passed through one of those ghost towns this morning, I had an idea. They could have protected themselves by sheltering underground initially.”

“That does sound like something they’d do, yeah,” Clover affirms.

You rest two fingers on your chin. “If that’s true, then where did they go after the nuclear winter?”

“They could be in a different town,” Alice suggests.

Clover nods sagely. “Yeah, I think so too…we still don’t have much to go on.”

You cover your mouth as you yawn. “We just have to keep searching, and they’ll turn up. I know it.”

Alice lays down and pulls her white blanket over herself. “We can’t do that without a good night’s sleep. Sleep well, both of you.”

You wish her a good night’s sleep, and you stand up while Clover gets comfortable in her bed. You head back to the pullout bed in the living room, settling down in it. The mattress is on the firmer side, but it’s a lot more comfortable than the infirmary bed you’d woken up on twice. Shit, you’re exhausted again. Alice wasn’t kidding about getting some sleep. You bury yourself underneath the top sheet and checkerboard-patterned blanket. You have no idea how long you lay there for, but eventually, you drift off to a dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

A few days have passed since you’d driven that lunar buggy back to your base. Officially, its designation is Rhizome-27. For you and your fellow acolytes, it’s your home. You spent the first day cleaning yourself up to Brother’s standards and resting in your room. The second day was packed with meetings, drills, and socializing. Really, it was just an ordinary day for you. You’d told anyone who would listen about your experiences, of course. The younger ones listened intently. Those your age and older, however, were less enthused. Weird, you think. Surely a completed mission of its caliber would have earned everyone’s respect forever. At least, that’s what you expect. Had you offended Brother or anyone else somehow? The thought makes you feel sick to your stomach.

Today, you’re woken up by a knock on your door. You groan as you stretch and sit up on your bed. You take a second to throw a random shirt on. You never know who could be knocking. Another knock, and you open the door in haste. It’s someone you don’t recognize. Certainly not a Myrmidon or a clone. What could they possibly have to say to you?

“Uh, good morning,” you greet them.

“Good morning, Dio,” they respond.

You lean on the door frame lazily. “Is there anything you need from me or…?”

They clear their throat. “Yes, actually. Brother wishes to see you in his room. I was told to guide you there.”

You raise your eyebrows a bit. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right out.”

You close the door on the messenger and visit the bathroom. Oh, now the Holy Brother is acknowledging you? You preen as you brush your hair and teeth. He was giving you a chance to rest first before your report. Why wouldn’t he allow rest after a job well done? You’d earned it. Yes, now the past few days make more sense.

You finish your preparations, don your robes, and walk out of your room with the messenger. You strut confidently, grinning all the way. If the messenger’s excited as well, they don’t show it. Their face is expressionless; you can’t tell what they’re thinking. It’s kind of creepy, actually. No matter; you’re ready to finally meet Brother in person. The messenger opens the door to his room and stands guard outside. Brother’s head is propped up with two pillows. Right, you’d heard he was sickly.

You trace the Free the Soul symbol on your chest with your hand, and you bow. “Good morning, Holy Father, Holy Brother, Holy Master.”

Brother nods slowly. “Good morning, Left.”

“You wished to see me, and whatever you need, I shall give,” you say, almost stumbling over your words.

“Yes, excellent. Give me a full report of what occurred in Rhizome-9. Spare no detail,” he commands.

You aren’t one to question Brother’s authority, so you begin your tale. You explain how you initially snuck in, and how you played the Ambidex Game. You then mention the antimatter bombs being set. As you continue, a snake of doubt crawls up into your mind. You ignore it in favor of finishing your story. Brother says nothing; he merely listens. Maybe he’s saving his words for later?

“There you have it, Your Holiness. Do you have any questions?” You ask while beaming at him.

He waits a moment, then answers you. “In a manner of speaking. Do you realize what you’ve done?”

You furrow your eyebrows. “Yes…? Where are you going with this, if I’m allowed to ask?”

“Let me rephrase that,” he says as he props himself up in his bed. “There is something you did not complete.”

The snake of doubt latches onto you. You gulp nervously, and your smile disappears. Oh shit. You’d believed that despite all your setbacks, you still accomplished your divine mission. Here was His Holiness, rebuking you. You haven't fulfilled your duty. In fact, you’ve failed miserably.

Brother continues: “Firstly, you did not kill Akane Kurashiki. Secondly, the AB Project was still completed. Rhizome-9 and its inhabitants’ continued existence tells me all that I need to know.”

Bitter tears sting the corners of your eyes. You blink them back; it wouldn’t do to cry in front of the Holy Master.

After a moment of collecting yourself, you speak up. “Akane told everyone in that garden that I was just a pawn. That I was supposed to fail.”

Brother rubs his head and sighs. “Really now? You are just figuring this out? How disappointing.”

“What else was I to do?” You ask pointedly.

He shakes his head. “Nothing, as of today. You are hereby relieved of your duties.”

“Excuse me?” You blink and shoot him a questioning look.

He shoos you away with a free hand. “You heard me…Dio. I already found a suitable replacement. You have twenty-four hours.”

You glare at Brother, actual tears threatening to spill. Knowing there’s no way to fight back, you storm out of his room. The messenger greets you; you ignore them. Akane was right. You’d been set up to fail from the very beginning. You are nothing without the Holy Father. Could you even call him holy anymore? You are not worthy of anything, not even the Name.

After gathering your things in one backpack, you glance over it. You’re not coming back here anytime soon. You fucking hope not. The buggy should still be parked outside. Where to drive to, you’re not sure of yet. You zip up your bag, sling it on your back, and close the door behind you. You go through the decompression process like it’s nothing. You step outside in your spacesuit, stashing your bag in the passenger seat of the buggy.

You drive for what seems like an eternity before spotting another rhizome. This is Rhizome-26, you recall. The people who live there are friendly enough, and some of them are even scientists. Myrmidons could travel freely between bases, and you’d taken advantage of that perk to visit a few times. You park the buggy, grab your bag, and wait to be buzzed in.

The intercom hums to life, and the main entrance doors swing open. A disembodied voice calls out, “Entry granted.”

You walk inside the airlock, quickly navigating to the main hub. It’s lunchtime, by the looks of it. Everyone has their food trays, and they’re eating cafeteria-style. Well, small cafeteria-style. Might as well grab a bite while you’re here. In all the commotion this morning, you’d forgotten to eat breakfast.

“Oh hey, Dio,” someone says as you sit down at a table.

You look up to see who’d greeted you. Cherry had said it; she’s the bona fide bartender of this rhizome. She can make a mean cocktail. You’d tried it once, and it knocked the wind out of you. She laughed at you while fixing a glass of water afterwards.

Cherry speaks up again, “Are you in la-la land or what?”

You clear your throat. “No. Hi, by the way.”

“Damn, somebody’s in a bad mood,” she remarks.

“And what if I am?” You ask tersely before taking a bite of your pork.

She stifles a laugh. “Easy there, tiger. You can tell me and everyone else what’s up after we finish eating.”

Murmurs of agreement echo throughout the room. You nod and finish your lunch without a word to anyone else. You can’t stand to repeat yourself; you’d rather just say something once and move on. And if the other guy doesn’t get it? That’s not your problem.

Once everyone is done eating and the tables are cleaned up, you wave to get the group’s attention. “You wanted to know what’s up. Well, here we fucking go.”

You tell them a condensed version of what happened at Rhizome-9, why you’d been kicked out of Free the Soul, and how you now had nowhere else to go. After you finish, you sit back down in your stool. You sigh while your eye twitches.

“Sorry to hear that, man,” Cherry says.

Another girl adds, “Couldn’t you plead your case before Brother or whatever?”

You answer the girl, “He won’t give me another chance. This was my last one after I fucked up my previous mission.”

An older man simply shrugs. “If I were you, I’d get the hell away from those good-for-nothing cultists.”

“Where the fuck else would I go?” You retort.

“Another rhizome. Earth. Your choice,” he says gruffly.

Cherry nods and says, “He does have a point. Earth could do you some good. Figure out who you are that way.”

“Who…I am?” You wonder out loud.

“Think about it. You’re useless to Brother now, and I suspect the other members want nothing to do with you,” she replies.

You mumble, “I guess.”

She folds her arms. “You’re free to hang out with us now. Or anyone else, really. You’re free of the handcuffs that chained you to them.”

“When you put it that way…” you trail off.

The other girl exclaims, “Yes Cherry, exactly!”

“Can I at least stay here for the night?” You ask.

“Yeah, sure. As long as you know what you’re gonna do tomorrow,” the old man answers you.

“I’ve got a pretty damn good idea,” you tell him.

The rest of the day goes by fast, but it’s rather boring at the same time. Other than talking to the residents and playing games, there isn’t much to do here. Hell, you don’t even know how to play a lot of their video games. You feel…restless. You never realized just how heavily you rely on schedules. Or was that trait created by the Holy Master? How much of you is real, and how much is programmed? Are you even a person at all? Or are you clay to be molded to your Creator’s desires?

You flop down on your makeshift bed. Dinner had been just as filling, but everybody insisted on hanging out afterwards. Cherry had even fixed you her signature cocktail at your request. You could handle it better this time; you simply feel dizzy and tired. A lot better than coughing it all up, that’s for sure. You try to recall the name she’d given it. You can’t; you drift off to sleep while ruminating.

One uneventful and boring breakfast later, you saunter your way out of the airlock with your bag hanging on your shoulders. No point in sticking around after saying goodbye. You find the lunar buggy exactly where you’d left it, and you drive off again. Man, it feels like that’s all you’re doing these days. You retrace your steps; it had taken several hours to travel between Rhizome-9 and Rhizome-27. You still feel a bit hung over. However, you have no choice but to ride it out at this point.

After parking the buggy outside, you climb down the crater leading to Rhizome-9. You bang on the door as loudly as you can in this stupid suit. Almost immediately, it creaks open. It must be an automatic door, then. Standing in the elevator is the last person you expected to see.

Phi gives you a confused look. “Why’re you here? I thought you needed to pay a little visit to Free the Soul.”

“Yeah, uh…about that…” you trail off awkwardly.

She sighs. “A shitstorm, huh?”

You snort. “That’s one way to say it. Might as well gather everybody else up.”

“Uh, okay…” she replies, “Just follow me then.”

You take your suit off first and place it in the pressure exchange chamber’s lockers. Phi leads you to the lounge, and Luna is already waiting. Luna informs you that Dr. Klim, Akane, and Kyle will arrive soon. You sit down on the couch, cheeks burning as you remember your little escapade with Judas. Shit, it’d been right here, hadn’t it? He’d clocked you instantly, too.

Akane is the first to speak, asking you, “What exactly do you have to share with us?”

Kyle remains silent, leering at you. You blink at him before explaining: “So…I reported back to Free the Soul. A couple days went by before I got a message. It was to come see Brother. And…you can probably guess what he fucking did.”

Luna gasps. “You were kicked out?”

“Yep. That bastard even replaced me with someone else for leading the Myrmidons.” You grit your teeth.

Dr. Klim makes a ‘hm’ noise. “I can’t say I’m surprised. With that being said—are you willing to cooperate now?”

You scoff at the doctor. “Fine. I don’t have a goddamn choice, anyway.”

Chapter Text

It’s been a little over a week since you landed back on Earth, since you played the Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition, and since you woke up from cold sleep. Things have settled down somewhat, but you still get the nagging feeling that something is missing. What has Carlos been up to these past forty-five years? What have your family and other friends been doing? Are they even alive? You bolt awake, a wave of nausea hitting you. Maybe you just need some breakfast. You stretch and stand up to fix the pull-out bed.

“Morning everyone,” Clover says as she walks into the kitchen with Alice. Alice stifles a yawn.

“Good morning,” you greet while making your way over yourself.

Junpei, Carlos, and Quark have been up for a little while, it seems. They’d been cooking together, too. Quark says ‘good morning’ while Carlos and Junpei wave in acknowledgment.

“What’re we having today?” Alice asks sleepily.

Quark shrugs and says, “Nothing fancy…just some eggs, sausage, and pancakes.”

Clover’s eyes light up. “Ooh, that still sounds delicious!”

You smile at Quark. “I could go for that, too.”

“Good timing, ‘cause it’s ready,” Carlos announces.

You all grab clean plates, and Quark goes first. You, Alice, and Clover go next. Junpei and Carlos wait until everyone has their food, and then they grab their plates. Settling in the living room, you chat while eating. Other than Junpei going to work, there really isn’t much planned for today. Or so you think. You collect the dishes and silverware, and you take them to the kitchen sink to wash them. It’s your turn to do the dishes today, after all.

After Junpei leaves, Quark speaks excitedly, “Hey, guess what today is!”

“Hmm…is it a holiday?” You wonder.

“Somebody’s holiday, that’s for sure,” Carlos remarks.

Alice answers, “That’s a funny way of saying ‘birthday.’”

Clover gasps. “It’s Junpei’s birthday! Why didn’t he say anything sooner? I would’ve gotten him something!”

Quark grins and says, “Why don’t we go into town? I know what Grandpa wants.”

“Sure!” Clover exclaims.

“Ms. Alice, do you want to come with us?” Quark asks her.

Alice nods and smiles. “Let’s get ready first.”

You turn to Carlos after Alice, Clover, and Quark head out. “It’s up to us to bake the cake, then.”

Carlos chuckles and says, “I was just about to ask. We should have some ingredients in the cabinets…”

“What flavor does Junpei like the most?” You ask him.

“Vanilla, especially with chocolate frosting,” he answers.

“Oh, that’s not hard to make at all. Can’t go wrong with a classic,” you say with a smile.

Carlos opens a kitchen drawer and pulls out a piece of paper. “I wrote down this recipe years ago, and it’s held up ever since.”

You glance over the paper and read the ingredient list. “All-purpose flour, eggs, baking powder, milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract…”

“Hm, we should have all of those,” Carlos says while opening the fridge.

You pull out the stand mixer and set it up on the counter. Carlos, having found everything that was needed, places them beside the mixer. You crack the four eggs carefully and turn it on. Carlos picks up the sugar bowl, watching for an opportunity to add it to the mixture. This is your chance to ask him, you think.

“I’ve been curious about something, Carlos,” you remark.

“Shoot,” he says as he pours in a bit of sugar.

You fold your arms. “How did you and Junpei meet? I mean, it has to have been before…well, all of this.”

He nods and says, “You’re right on that part. But it would take a while to explain.”

“We’ve got nothing but time right now,” you muse.

He hands you the sugar bowl. You take it, adding a bit more to the mixing bowl. He speaks up again. “Hm, where to start?”

“What were the circumstances?” You suggest.

Carlos clears his throat. “Do you remember how Maria fell into a coma?”

You nod in agreement. “Yeah; you had a lot of trouble paying the hospital bills, too.”

He begins to explain: “One day while I was on lunch break, a coworker told me about a money-making opportunity. I was skeptical, so I asked how much we were talking. Five hundred thousand dollars, he said.”

Your eyes widen, and your jaw drops as you pour in the rest of the sugar slowly. “Shit, I would’ve taken the money too.”

He continues, “I then asked him how you could get it. His answer: participating in a simulation, where you live as if you’re on Mars. The test site, DCOM, wasn’t that far from Las Vegas, either.”

You check the egg and sugar mixture, noting that it’s turned white. You turn off the mixer for now. “Was it…legitimate?”

“Yep, from what I could tell. I looked it up later that day and found its website. There was a whole page dedicated to the simulation, so I read it over. They were also looking for participants. I signed up for Maria’s sake,” he says.

DCOM sounds vaguely familiar, but you can’t quite place why yet. You know for a fact you haven’t been there, though. You grab a whisk, mixing together the flour, salt, and baking powder. “When did it start?”

Carlos answers you, “It started on Christmas Day in 2028…I think you, Clover, and Alice were already asleep. Junpei was a fellow participant, and he joined for his own reasons. Little did I know that danger awaited all of us.”

You nod to show that you are listening, and then add the first part of the flour mixture to the bowl. You turn it back on, setting it on low speed. You grab the butter and milk; you place them in the microwave and start it up.

“On New Year’s Eve, I woke up in an underground shelter along with everyone else. We’d been kidnapped and separated into three teams. Junpei and Akane were my teammates. I was the designated leader.”

“What did you have to do there?” You ask, gulping nervously.

His eyes darken for a moment. “We had to play the Decision Game.”

“Not to be confused with the Nonary Game, I imagine…” You open the microwave door to take out the melted butter and milk.

“It was just as dangerous, if not more so. But that’s beside the point. Let me ask you a question in return: what do you know about SHIFTing?”

You mix a little batter into the hot milk to cool it down. “Well, Akane described time jumping, but didn’t use that specific word. It has to do with the morphogenetic field. Only a few people can actually do so. I’ve got a decent amount of power as a transmitter, but I obviously can’t SHIFT.”

“Oh good, that makes it easier to explain. During the Decision Game, I discovered that I could SHIFT. So could Junpei and Akane, I realized. We were in the Transporter Room when a hologram of Zero cut on. He told us that he was currently dead, but would answer our questions if we met him in a timeline where he was alive and we were dead.”

“And how did the transporter room come into play?” You ask as you pour the milk mixture back into the whipped eggs.

“The transporter copied whoever or whatever was in its pods. They would then be sent to a certain point in time. Whether it was in the past, future, or another history, it didn’t matter. It also used a massive amount of energy,” he says.

You line the cake pans with parchment paper and fill them up with the batter. “It must’ve been pretty damn powerful, then.”

Carlos turns on the oven. “It was exactly what we needed. After Zero finished talking, a robot attacked us. With my help, they escaped to another history. That left me in a tricky spot, though. I SHIFTed to a timeline where I killed Akane with an axe in order to think.”

“You WHAT?” You look at him in bewilderment.

He stifles a laugh as he puts the cake pans in the oven and sets the timer for thirty minutes. “Don’t worry about it—I didn’t kill her here. Anyway…I then SHIFTed to a timeline where I pressed a button to activate acid showers for the other teams.”

You cover your mouth in shock. “C-Carlos…what the hell?”

Carlos continues talking, unfazed by your reaction. “I found the transporter and sent myself back ten months. And then I just…waited.”

“Were you not able to do anything else?” You ask.

He sighs wearily. “Exactly. When the time came, I broke into the shelter to rescue Akane and Junpei. But…Akane was pissed. She yelled at me for not stopping Zero, and for allowing Radical-6 to be released into the world.”

“I mean, you had no real way of knowing about all of that,” you say.

He nods sagely. “That’s what I tried telling Akane. Junpei wanted to help her stop the pandemic too, but she refused. Our bracelets had a memory loss drug in them, so she stabbed him with hers.”

You furrow your eyebrows. “No wonder they were silent in the garden. What do you even say when you have that sort of history?”

He shrugs and says, “You don’t.”

“That clears up some things. What about, well, your marriage?” You ask after a moment’s silence.

Carlos smiles at you and answers, “I’ll tell you more after we take this cake out of the oven. I’m feeling thirsty, to tell the truth.”

You check the oven timer and say, “About twenty more minutes ‘till it’s done.”

You and Carlos grab glasses to fill them up with water. You walk to the living room, and you sit down. During this intermission, so to speak, the only noise that can be heard is the occasional squeaking of the furniture. You appreciate how you don’t have to fill the silence around Carlos. He’s considerate in that aspect. You sip on your water, relishing the taste. When you finish it, you bring your glass to the sink. The oven goes off; perfect timing, you think. You put a pair of oven mitts on, grab the pans, and set them down on the stove. You take them off; you return to the living room.

Carlos sees you and says, “Oh good, I take it that the cake’s done.”

“Yep, at least from what I can see.” You sit back down.

He smiles warmly. “Now…it took a while for me and Junpei to actually get together. Circumstances, you know? After Radical-6 got released, we decided to hunker down together. It was the least we could do to protect ourselves.”

“Yeah, that makes sense…” you muse.

He takes another sip of his water. “As the days went by, we gradually got closer and closer. It was through talking and just…spending time together. I mean, we couldn’t exactly do anything else, unless we wanted to risk our lives. The nuclear winter was especially rough.”

You nod solemnly. “I can only imagine how that must’ve felt.”

“I won’t sugarcoat it: it was hell on Earth. We started holding each other close, claiming it was for warmth. And then it became a daily thing, along with flirting. We’d already been acting like a couple all this time, but neither of us said it out loud.” He snickers at the memory.

“Actually, that sounds about right. It’s the point of inevitability that a lot of romances hit.” You giggle.

Carlos agrees and continues: “Couldn’t have said it better myself. It was a bitter-cold night when I asked Junpei: what were we? The question floored him. He stared at me for a few moments, then burst out laughing. See, he’d thought we were already together. He pointed out all the couple-y things we’d been doing, including kissing.”

Your jaw drops again, and it hangs open for a good minute or so. “Carlos…dude…you’re kidding, right?”

“Nope.”

“Carlos! How?! Did it never occur to you to ask before then—“ You wheeze-laugh.

A blush spreads across his face, but he takes it in stride. “To be fair, it had to be incredibly obvious first. I agreed with Junpei; he then asked me whether I officially wanted to be with him. I blurted out, ‘Yeah, marry me while you’re at it, why don’tcha?’”

Your jaw is on the fucking floor. “Where are the rings, then?”

He holds out his right hand, showing off a golden band. “Junpei wears his on a necklace for safekeeping. He found both of them while scavenging a few days later.”

“Pretty unconventional…then again, I’ve never known you to be traditional,” you remark.

He laughs with you. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, honestly. I love him, and that feeling’s only grown over time.”

You smile at him and say, “I know I was ribbing on you a bit, but I’m genuinely happy for you guys.”

“Thanks, Judas. I hope you can find someone like Junpei, too,” he replies.

Your cheeks warm up. “How’d you guess I was still single?”

“Easy. If you had a partner, you would’ve said so much earlier.” He finishes his water.

You chuckle, and suddenly you remember something else you’d wanted to ask. “Junpei mentioned that he’d received the Radical-6 vaccine. Did you receive it, too?”

He nods and says, “Yeah. We were part of the first cohort of people to receive it. We’d been at the underground shelter, the initial outbreak site. That was the scientists’ reasoning.”

“Huh, an Occam’s Razor…the simplest solution,” you reply.

Carlos groans as he stretches and stands up. “Well, let me go put my glass in the sink. The others should be back shortly…”

You peek out of the living room window, and you notice that it’s about noon. The sky appears like it would at twilight if there was little dust in the air. That still trips you up. After watching the clouds blow by for a few minutes, you hear several knocks at the front door.

“Come in!” Carlos calls out.

The door opens, and Quark triumphantly holds up a box. “Saba, look what we found!”

You turn around to see what Quark’s talking about. “House MD?”

Clover grins and says, “It’s one of Junpei’s favorite TV shows of all time, according to Quark. And we found a collection of DVDs!”

“In pretty decent condition too,” Alice adds.

“And now Grandpa can add it to his grandpa video cabinet,” Quark jokes.

You glance at him and furrow your eyebrows. “I’m sorry, the what cabinet?”

It’s Carlos who answers you this time: “That’s just Junpei’s collection of videos that aren’t appropriate for Quark.”

Alice sniffs the air and exclaims, “Ooh, it smells good in here! Did you guys bake a cake?”

You answer, “Yeah, and it’s vanilla. To be honest, I did most of the work…”

“Why don’t Alice and I ice the cake, then?” Clover suggests.

“Go for it,” you say as you sit back down.

Alice searches for the chocolate icing while Clover finds a knife in the kitchen. Quark puts the DVDs on the counter, and then joins you on the couch. He leans against one arm. You smile at him; he gives you a toothy grin. You’re reminded of Finn at the age of ten. He would always brighten up whenever he was in your presence. You hope that he’s alive; you haven’t even begun your search yet. Where would one even start in a time like this?

“Mr. Judas, is something wrong?” Quark asks.

“Nothing, really…I was just thinking about my brother,” you say casually.

The kid tilts his head curiously. “Where is he? Did he go off somewhere?”

You sigh. “That’s the thing: I don’t know, and neither do Clover and Alice.”

He shrugs. “Maybe he just went to a different town for work.”

“That could be the case. He’s a grownup too, just…younger than me,” you add.

“Well, I hope you find him soon,” Quark says while fiddling with his hat.

After a moment of silence, you ask, “What do you keep in your hat? Anything fun?”

Quark grins mischievously. “I keep my snacks in here. Want to see?”

“Why yes, I would like to see them,” you answer.

He takes his hat off and opens the sides of it carefully. He presents it; noticeably, the containers are empty. It’s not long before he falls into a giggling fit.

“Aw man, you got me!” You exclaim, though you figured it’d be empty anyway. You’re just playing along.

“I’ve got other hats, but this one is my favorite,” he remarks.

You reply, “It is pretty cool. How’d you find it?”

“I went scavenging with Grandpa and Saba, and it was sitting in a dusty old box in a warehouse. I guess somebody left it behind? When we got home, Saba washed it and put it on my head. It was so big on me! And I’ve had it ever since,” Quark explains.

You chuckle quietly, appreciating his enthusiasm. His optimism is also unmatched. Probably for the best, you think. You glance at the kitchen to see what’s happening; the cake’s fully iced. Alice and Clover grin at each other, then at you, Quark, and Carlos.

“Let’s surprise him,” Carlos suddenly declares.

“Yeah!” Quark cheers.

A smattering of agreements resound from the rest of you. Luckily, you don’t have to wait too long. You hear a knock on the door, and Quark rushes to answer it.

“Happy birthday!” You all say at the same time.

Junpei gasps and raises his eyebrows. “You guys didn’t need to do anything for me today…”

“But we wanted to, Grandpa,” Quark says before leading him to the kitchen.

Carlos leans on the counter and says, “Judas and I baked your favorite cake, too.”

Junpei grins excitedly, and it grows wider when his eyes fall on the House MD DVDs. “Damn, how’d you guys find this?”

Clover giggles and says, “There was somebody in town giving away DVDs, so we asked for it.”

“Really, I talked for all of us,” Alice remarks with a giggle of her own.

“Ms. Alice turned up the charm,” Quark says.

Carlos gives Junpei a kiss on the cheek. “Birthday kiss for the birthday guy.”

Junpei blushes as he grabs a plate, a fork, and a pie cutter. “Thanks, everyone. Haven’t celebrated like this in a long time.”

Your stomach growls, and you say, “Before we eat this cake…let’s make some lunch.”

Everyone agrees, and you make some sandwiches at Junpei’s request. After you fix your plates and grab some cake, you all sit down in the living room. Junpei picks the movie Night at the Museum and turns on the TV. He presses play, and then settles into his spot besides Carlos. It’s been literal years since you watched this movie; you don’t quite remember how it goes. Nevertheless, you enjoy yourself along with everyone else. The rest of those questions that jolted you awake could wait.

Chapter Text

Cooperating with people who fucked you over isn’t that fun, it turns out. You’d learned this lesson the hard way over these past few weeks. You still won’t tell the old bastards anything about your former home, much to their annoyance. You don’t feel like being harassed by Phi, and Kyle is off-putting in a way that grates you. Luna, at least, is good company. Unlike the others, she’d never had a real problem with you. Oh sure, she’s a robot programmed to assist that doctor. But her kindness still feels genuine.

Your stomach grumbles, even though you’d already eaten dinner. At Luna’s insistence, however, you still search the pantry for a snack. Something about ‘eating when you’re hungry’ and ‘building up muscle’. Why does she care so much about your health, anyway? You’d subsisted just fine on the meals provided at Rhizome-27. Whatever, you think. You find a bag of potato chips and open it. As you eat them, you savor the taste. You’d recently discovered that you enjoy these, though they’re plain otherwise. You finish the bag fairly quickly. That hits the spot. You throw it away and wander around for a bit. Tonight’s another restless night, it seems.

You eventually find yourself in the lounge again. You think you’re alone; a glance over the bar says otherwise. Kyle is standing behind the bar quietly. His face is unreadable.

“Uh, hey,” you call out as you approach the bar.

Kyle doesn’t say anything. You take a seat on a barstool, and you try again. “Hey, man.”

He blinks, as if he’d been shaken from a dream. “Oh…my apologies. I did not hear you.”

“Why are you here?” You ask.

“For the same reason as you, I suspect,” he replies coolly.

You raise an eyebrow at him. “Let me guess, you got bored and didn’t want to lay there in your room.”

He nods and agrees, “That is one way of putting it.”

“Right…I ate some potato chips from the pantry,” you say, though you’re not sure why.

“Ah yes, a midnight snack,” Kyle remarks, “Would you…like a drink?”

You rest your chin on one hand. “A midnight drink, huh? Sure, why the fuck not.”

He grabs two glasses and sets them on the counter. “What do you wish for me to mix?”

You glance at the liquor shelves behind Kyle; damn, there’s a lot of different bottles. You answer him, “How about a cherry vodka?”

He nods again, and he turns around to find the vodka bottle. Since when did this guy know how to mix alcoholic drinks? Maybe he learned from Akane; there’s no way Dr. Klim had the time to teach him. After a few moments, he pours you a glass. It happens to be cherry-flavored already. Kyle sets about fixing himself his own glass, and you watch in curiosity. He fills his glass up with ice, then pours some gin. He adds the tonic water, stirring it in gently. Gin and tonic, huh? Can’t go wrong with that, you think.

He takes a seat on the couch and beckons for you to join him with his free hand. You reluctantly do so. You’re not exactly sure whether he’s got anything up his sleeve. After sitting down, you take a sip.

“Oh shit, this tastes good,” you say.

“Thank you,” Kyle says before tasting his own drink. “I am pleased with how this gin and tonic turned out, too.”

You shrug. “It’s hard to fuck up a simple recipe like that.”

“That is true. I enjoy garnishing it with lime slices. Unfortunately, they are not available at the moment,” he muses.

You take another sip. “Damn, that sucks.”

He shrugs back at you, but remains silent. A few sips later, he asks, “How was your day?”

You guffaw and respond, “Seriously? That’s all you can think of?”

“Forgive me for attempting to make conversation. We do not know each other well,” he states.

“I guess you have a point. Boring and shitty, if you really wanted to know.” You continue to sip on your cherry vodka.

Kyle also savors his gin and tonic. You can’t help but be struck by how similar he looks to Dr. Klim. Well, a younger version of him, at least. You’d seen a picture of the doctor and Kyle in the laboratory just the other day. You hadn’t meant to look, but you did anyway.

You’re almost finished with your drink when you say, “Hey, I’ve been wondering something.”

Kyle looks up from his empty glass. “Yes? What did you want to know?”

“What do you think of Dr. Klim? I know he’s your father, but that’s it.” You set the glass down.

“Oh. I see. I suppose since no one else is here, we can discuss him.” He frowns slightly as he stretches.

You blink at him and ask, “What’d he do to you?”

He puts a finger on his chin and answers, “Hm…it is a matter of what he did not do.”

“What, he didn’t take care of you?” You furrow your eyebrows. Not that you would know what parents are like.

“In a manner of speaking, yes. Physically, I had everything one could ask for. Emotionally…that is a different story,” he explains.

You lean over, propping your arms on top of your knees. You drawl, “The old man was so busy with the project that he didn’t make time for you.”

Kyle blinks in surprise. “Ah, right, Ms. Kurashiki did tell you all about the AB Project.”

You nod in agreement. “After she finished talking, Dr. Klim got slapped across the face.”

He exhales through his nose, stifling a chuckle. “It must have been hilarious to witness. By any chance, did you hit him?”

“No, as much as I wanted to swing at the fucker. Can’t exactly do so when you’re handcuffed to someone else.” You grimace as you sit up straight.

“…What?” He stares at you, dumbfounded.

“I got handcuffed to a fucking sink before that. I don’t recommend it.” You groan as you stand up.

He raises an eyebrow before joining you. He nearly stumbles for a second. “Oh dear. I appear to be tipsy.”

“You and me both, man,” you say.

He poses another question: “Where are you heading now?”

You answer him with a question of your own: “Want to play a game in the rec room?”

“I would like that very much. Shall we go, then?”

“Sure.”

You and Kyle start your trek to the rec room. Thankfully, the lounge’s exit leads directly to the elevator. Kyle hits the down button, and when its doors open, he steps inside first. You follow him silently. The rec room had been inaccessible during the Nonary Game. Come to think of it, a lot of the other rooms in this rhizome were blocked off, too. You figure that it was on purpose.

The rightmost blue door slides open, and the lights to the rec room turn on automatically. Kyle gravitates towards the darts scoreboard. He gestures for you to see it.

“Darts, huh? I haven’t played in a while,” you remark.

Kyle opens the small cabinet holding the aforementioned darts. “Which color?”

“These. What about you?” You collect the red ones.

He chooses the yellow ones. “Do you need a reminder of the rules?”

You shake your head. “Nah, I’m good.”

“Excellent. Let us begin,” he says as he turns on the electronic scoreboard.

You decide to go first, and you step into what you think is the ideal position. You aim the dart at the center target. It hits the outer ring, and you scowl in annoyance. Kyle takes his turn, deep in concentration. His dart hits the middle ring. Oh, that’s it. He’s so going down. You throw your second dart; it lands just a little closer to the bullseye. He aims his dart at the center again. This time, however, it completely misses the scoreboard. It sticks to the wall.

“Oops,” Kyle murmurs.

You burst out laughing, clutching your stomach. “Oh man, you fucked up!”

He huffs indignantly. “If there are any marks, they can easily be fixed.”

“It’s called a joke, Kyle. You oughta try cracking one sometime,” you tease.

He deadpans, “I know what a joke is. I was not raised entirely without education.”

That statement only makes you laugh more. “You’re pretty funny.”

He chuckles quietly, but says nothing else. You pick up your final dart, mustering up all the concentration and focus you possibly could in this tipsy state. You narrow your eyes at the scoreboard. The dart flies and lands on the bullseye. You cheer triumphantly.

“Take that!” You exclaim.

“I would not celebrate quite so soon, Dio,” Kyle says as he prepares his final dart.

Your eyes widen as his dart lands in the bullseye next to yours. “Well damn, I guess we’re tied.”

Kyle collects the darts and puts them back in the cabinet. “Not to say ‘I told you so’, but…”

“Yeah, whatever. You’re still going down in pool,” you say dismissively.

“Getting competitive, are we?” Kyle asks as he walks over to the pool table.

You shrug at him, and then you join him. He’s already grabbed the triangle; he’s setting all the balls up. You grab a cue, coating the top with blue chalk. You’d learned how to play both pool and darts at Rhizome-26, you recall. The residents had brought those rules with them from Earth.

Kyle snaps you out of your thoughts by asking, “Are you ready? I shall make the first move, if that’s alright.”

“Go for it,” you say as you move to another side of the table.

He nods and aims his cue. The cue ball strikes the other balls; a solid ball falls into a pocket. You attempt to hit a striped ball, but you miss. Back and forth it goes, with nothing but the noises of the game filling the air. Neither of you speak; you don’t feel the need to. Once it’s down to the 8-ball, the atmosphere turns tense. You hit the cue ball, and it only nudges the 8-ball. You groan in frustration. Kyle takes his turn, hitting the 8-ball into the lower left corner.

You point at him and say, “I demand a fucking rematch.”

“Alright,” he affirms.

You agree and set up the balls. You coat your cue with blue chalk again, preparing to hit the cue ball. This time, you’re hitting the solids. He takes his turns with ease; damn, he’s had a lot of practice. You’re rusty, admittedly. Still, you catch up to him. During one of your turns, however, you get caught off guard.

Kyle holds a hand up to stop you from hitting the cue ball. “I have wondered something, myself. Who is this ‘Judas’ that I have heard whispers about?”

You stare at him, astounded. “Why are you asking me of all people?”

He blinks at you. “Out of everyone currently present in Rhizome-9, you spent the most time with him during the Nonary Game. Need I remind you that I was sleeping in the botanical garden pod?”

“Oh…shit, you got me there,” you admit sheepishly.

He looks at you expectantly, and you find yourself clamming up for just a moment. Then, you start to speak. “Judas was one of the other players in the Nonary Game, and he and I were paired up in round one. We went with Luna into the infirmary. I was kinda curious about him, ‘cause of his eyes. I’d never seen anything like them. One almost-black eye, one gold eye.”

“Ah, he has complete heterochromia. How fascinating,” Kyle remarks.

“His hair’s a sorta dark green, and it comes down to his shoulders. Taller than Phi, but shorter than Luna. He has a mole under his gold eye, I think.” You could so clearly picture him, and yet, he’s just out of reach.

He folds his arms. “Forgive me, but how is his physical appearance relevant?”

You hold up a finger. “I’m getting there. Anyway, we escaped the infirmary and went to vote. I didn’t trust a damn thing about Luna, so I said to betray. Judas didn’t agree, and he fought me on it for a few minutes. I tried to press the betray button. That sneaky bastard pinned my wrists down to stop me. He made an offer: if I pressed ally, he would give me a massage and a kiss. Like the fool that I was, I took the offer.”

He asks, “Why did you take it? Surely the massage would have been enough.”

You sigh. “This is gonna sound stupid. If you laugh, I’ll kill you.”

“Oh, I am aware this is no laughing matter. Go on,” he says.

“I thought he was hot. That’s it. It was a really fucking good massage, too. After round one was over, he passed out from Radical-6. K—uh, Akane—and I brought him back to the infirmary. I saw him again in the lounge, napping on the couch. He woke up, and…” You trail off as your cheeks grow warmer.

“You kissed him again.” Kyle smirks.

Your cheeks are burning as you recall what happened next. “Shut the fuck up. Akane walked in on us and told us there was a bomb in the crew quarters. I’d planted it, but Judas didn’t need to know that. And then it was time for round two. I went with Clover and Tenmyouji to the garden. We escape and all that shit. And that’s when Judas tries to kill himself. ‘Course, it was the Radical-6. It was freaky as shit.”

Kyle frowns and muses, “Goodness…that is awful.”

“He got sedated, and we voted again. He woke up after round two was over, and Phi was about to search all of us for evidence. I was sweating bullets. Sigma accused me of planting the bombs. Judas walked up to me and stole the detonator. The bombs activated, and next thing I know, I’m being pinned down on the floor and injected with Soporil.”

“How did he steal the detonator?”

“Not important. The point is, there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about anything. When I woke up, I was handcuffed to the sink in the infirmary. And who did I see? Judas. And you know what he did with the handcuffs? He kept one on my wrist, and attached the other to his wrist. Something about ‘following protocol’. I called bullshit, obviously.”

He tilts his head curiously. “Interesting way to resolve the handcuff issue.”

You scoff and continue, “The last time I talked to him, he was going to Earth. After the shit we both pulled, he still invited me to see him. I don’t know what the fuck goes on in that head of his. He’s a pretty strange guy. And yet…”

He adds some fresh blue chalk to his cue. He echoes your words: “And yet?”

You glare at him, resuming your turn without another word. You’re not going to let this conversation distract you anymore than it already has. Thank the Holy Master that Kyle takes the hint to drop it. The rest of the game passes by without another word from you or him. You actually win this time, and you’re pleased.

Kyle yawns and says, “As much as I would like to keep playing, I am tired.”

You stifle a yawn and reply, “Yeah. I uh, enjoyed our time. You’re not so bad after all.”

“It is good to know that you are mostly bark, and only a little bite,” he muses.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” You ask as you put your cue up.

He doesn’t answer you this time. Instead, he walks out of the rec room after waving goodbye. You head to your room; your head’s killing you. Damn, that cherry vodka’s strong. You crawl onto your bed, settling in. It finally hits you that you’d made a new friend. You also had fun with said friend. The way he questioned you about Judas was annoying as hell, though. For some reason, you still haven’t gotten your mind off of Judas. Whatever. You’re too tired to decode the reason right now. You yawn and pull the blanket over your body.

Chapter Text

You feel a gentle nudge on your shoulder; you yawn while rubbing your eyes. Yet another dreamless sleep. You’d found yourself pondering over DCOM more often since Carlos’ mention of it. You had another friend before. They actually worked at DCOM as an astronomer, though they weren’t allowed to disclose many details. A way for Free the Soul to keep them on their leash, you suspect. You wonder what has become of them; you hope they’re alive.

“Good morning Judas! Or should I say: birthday guy?” Clover asks.

“Wait, already?” You stretch while sitting up.

Alice and Carlos laugh, and they all say ‘happy birthday’ at the same time. You can hardly believe it; this means you’re twenty-eight now. Such a weird feeling. At least you have plenty of good company to celebrate with. Junpei and Quark walk up to you and wish you a ‘happy birthday’ as well.

Junpei clears his throat to get everyone’s attention. “As much as I want to stay here and celebrate Judas’ day, I’ve got a larger scrap haul to take care of. So Carlos and Quark are coming with me to help. We’ll be back later.”

You nod at Junpei. “Good luck and stay safe.”

After they leave, Alice and Clover turn to walk back to their room. Getting dressed for the day, you presume. You fix the pullout bed up, lifting it and pushing it into the couch. You change into your outfit: the overalls and black-and-green sweater you’d obtained from Emani. It’s still a bit chilly outside even though it’s March. Your thoughts wander to your eighteenth birthday.

It’s so rude that you still had to go to school on your birthday. What made you go anyway was Carlos’ offer to pick you up afterwards. You eagerly agreed; he even hinted that he was taking you somewhere. You went about your day with nervous anticipation. What could he possibly have planned? As you walk out after your last class, you spot Carlos’ car. You wave to him with a grin, and he blows you a kiss in response. You giggle as you get into the passenger seat.

“Where are we heading?” You ask.

“You’ll see,” Carlos says with that signature smile that you adore.

You raise your eyebrows. “Oh, okay…I hope there aren’t any nasty surprises, though.”

Carlos squeezes your hand reassuringly as he starts driving. You turn on the radio and change the station to the alternative station. Smashing Pumpkins is playing; they’ve been one of your favorite bands for as long as you can remember. Then you notice that this route is familiar. Going to your house, maybe?

Your hypothesis is proved correct as Carlos pulls into your driveway. Other than your parents’ car, you don’t see anything else. You walk up to the front door and open it.

“Surprise!” Multiple voices exclaim at once.

You gasp softly and flinch, shrinking back into Carlos a bit. It only lasts for a moment; you look around to see who all is here. Your parents, Finn, Clover, Light, and Ms. Field. You breathe a sigh of relief and thank everyone.

The birthday party itself was pretty decent, you recall. The Halloween party that you and Finn went to was fun as well. It was the kidnapping afterwards that soured Halloween for you. You enjoy it again now, but the first few years were rough. That’s enough reminiscing for now, you think. You brush your hair and teeth before rejoining Clover and Alice.

Clover stretches and asks, “So what do you wanna do today?”

You purse your lips. “I…don’t know. I actually thought Junpei would pull us to help him out.”

Alice’s face lights up. “What about that bar with the root beer floats Quark loves? I don’t think we’ve been there yet.”

Clover beams and adds, “That’s a great idea! We might get some info on Light too.”

“Yeah, let’s check it out. Off we go!” You exclaim.

The three of you walk out of the front door and begin your trek into town. You let Alice and Clover take the lead; they seem to know where the bar is. You wave to some of the neighbors passing by. They wave back at you with smiles. As you walk, you notice some buildings in various states of decay. One building, however, is still standing strong.

You tilt your head like a curious dog. “Is this it, by any chance?”

“Yeah, it has to be,” Alice says.

“It matches up with what Quark said too,” Clover remarks.

You nod to each other and open the door, unsure of what to expect. What you see makes your eyes pop out. The interior’s been well maintained over the years. Dr. Klim certainly didn’t design this. You almost think that it’s 2028 instead of 2074. Several people mill about, drinking and chatting. It doesn’t seem too busy right now, either.

You take your spots at the bar, and Alice waves to the bartender to get his attention. You study the menu while you wait. You’ve never been much of a drinker, but every now and then, you liked to order lighter drinks. Today feels like one of those times.

The bartender starts with you: “What would you like, sir?”

You answer him, “Oh, uh, a raspberry mojito, please.”

He jots it down on his notepad and moves to Alice. “And for you, ma’am?”

“Whiskey sour,” she says with a polite smile.

He nods and moves to Clover. She gives her order: “Strawberry daiquiri!”

“I’ll have those right out,” he replies, “Just give me a few minutes.”

While the bartender fixes your drinks, Clover whispers to you. “If he does bring Light up, I want to take the lead.”

“Go for it,” Alice whispers back.

You take a moment to reconsider the facts. One: Light is alive. Akane had said so herself. Two: his location is unknown. There’s a couple of possibilities as well. He could have settled down somewhere, or continued to travel around the land. Either way, he’s a slippery snake.

“Man, I wish that harpist was still around…” the bartender remarks while setting your raspberry mojito in front of you.

Clover asks him, “Who are you talking about?”

He garnishes Alice’s whiskey sour and replies, “I can’t recall his name, but I’ll never forget his face for as long as I live.”

She follows up on her question: “Well, what did he look like?”

You take your first sip; wow, this is tasty. You mentally pat yourself on the back. Alice nods in approval after tasting her drink.

“Hm…he always kept his eyes closed,” the bartender says as he sets Clover’s glass down.

She prods him: “Was there a reason?”

“He was blind, I think? His hair looked grey; it was longer too. Grew to his shoulders,” he answers.

You murmur, “That does sound like Light…”

He continues on, “Every so often, he would come by and play a set. It was a mixture of original songs and covers. All of it sounded very…new age-y. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean,” Clover responds while sipping on her drink.

Alice interjects with a question of her own: “Did you ever speak to him outside of his sets?”

The bartender sighs. “Only once…I was curious whether he’d stick around. He said he’d love to, but had to continue traveling. If I had to venture a guess, he went east. Can’t exactly go west without hiking through a bunch of mountain ranges.”

You muse, “So basically, he figured Utah was his best bet.”

“What’s formerly known as Utah, yeah.” He takes your glass; you’d finished it at this point.

Alice hands him her empty glass as well. “I see the logic in that. Where the hell else could one go on foot?”

Clover beams at him. “Thanks for telling us all this. It was very helpful.”

“Oh, you’re welcome. Your drinks are on the house, by the way.” He starts rinsing out the glasses.

“For payment—would you like a massage?” You offer.

He chuckles and says, “Don’t worry about it. Talking with you all satisfied me. It was nice to see some new faces.”

Alice stands up and stretches. “Well then, shall we?”

You and Clover agree, and you wave goodbye to the bartender and patrons. Clover’s practically bursting with excitement as you walk back.

“Finally! A lead!” She exclaims.

“And it was actually useful information.” You grin at her and Alice.

“What a relief,” Alice remarks.

Clover then says, “We should go as soon as possible. Who knows? Maybe Light was searching for us too!”

Alice places a hand on her shoulder. “Hold your horses. I’m just as excited as you are, but there’s still a lot we don’t know.”

“I agree. Light could’ve traveled east, then changed directions. And besides, that interaction between him and the bartender could have happened years ago,” you suggest.

“You’re not wrong…but it’s still good news! Let’s just savor it for now,” Clover insists.

You see no reason to argue her point. She’s right; this is a good opportunity. The topic of conversation turns to more light-hearted things. You all arrive back at Junpei’s house with a pep in your step. Clover opens the door and calls for Junpei, Carlos, and Quark. Hearing no response, she heads to the kitchen. It was her turn to do the dishes. You take the broom and start to sweep the floors. Alice, meanwhile, starts dusting the wooden furniture.

A little while later, Clover calls to you. “Hey Judas, I’ve been wondering something.”

“What is it?” You call back.

She stifles a giggle. “What would you do if Dio showed up at the doorstep right now?”

You stare at her with your jaw hanging open and a blush on your cheeks. To tell the truth, he’d been on your mind again. Although you’d been busy settling into your new life, you couldn’t help but wonder if he missed you at all. Hang on, missing? Since when do you miss Dio? That train of thought unsettles you.

You clear your throat. “We’d have a lot to talk about, that’s for sure.”

Clover shakes her head and snickers. “You’ve never been a good liar…admit it, you want to kiss him again!”

“What? No! No way!” You exclaim in shock.

“Yes way! Look, you’re swimming up the Nile again!” She points to you while laughing.

You fold your arms and pout playfully. “You’re being rude to the birthday guy right now. Apologies will be accepted in the form of taking it back.”

She resumes washing a dish. “Okay, fine…you still didn’t answer my question, though.”

You set the broom down and take a seat on the couch. “I’d sock him in the face.”

“With your hand, or…actually, never mind.” Clover giggles again.

When you’re finished with your chores, Junpei, Carlos, and Quark finally reappear. They look tired, but they join the rest of your birthday festivities nonetheless. You ask everyone to watch the sunset with you. They happily oblige; this is the highlight of your birthday, you think. Your friends, and a beautiful sight. What more could you ask for?

Chapter Text

A loud bang on your door stirs you slightly, but you make no move to leave your bed. You don’t want to start the day yet. You almost want to say ‘just a couple more minutes’ to whoever had the nerve to wake you up. You rub your eyes and yawn. After several more bangs, your eye twitches as you answer the door.

“Hey, didn’t you hear me the first time?” Phi asks you.

“Oh I did, alright. Don’t you know not to interrupt a man’s beauty sleep?” You snark back.

She folds her arms, eyes boring into you. “It’s already morning. We’ve got somewhere to go today.”

You squint at her. “Who the fuck is ‘we’? Couldn’t you just go by yourself?”

“Look, I’ll tell you more after breakfast,” she says, exasperated.

“Uh, okay?” You raise an eyebrow.

Phi doesn’t dignify you with a response; she walks away quickly. Part of you does wonder what the hell has her so…excited. Couldn’t she have just waited until everyone was at the dining table, though? You scowl as you change into clean clothes. Guess you’ll find out soon anyway. You walk to the lounge, passing by Luna on the way. She smiles and waves at you. She adjusts her stride to match yours wordlessly.

Everyone else is already here; they’re grabbing their food. Kyle nods at you as a greeting. You nod back with a slight smirk. Dr. Klim and Akane don’t say anything either, as they’re focused on finding places to sit. You prefer them when they keep their mouths shut. You heap some eggs and sausage onto your plate. You hate the taste of bacon, you’ve found. Luna had suggested both these foods as a protein alternative. Seriously, why did she care so much? Maybe you’ll ask her sometime soon. It’s been bugging you lately.

Other than the typical small talk, the meal’s pretty quiet. That suits you just fine. Not like you had much to say anyway. But when you all walk out of the lounge’s front door, a cackling voice rings throughout the warehouse. You hiss and jump like a scared cat. You would never forget that voice for as long as you lived.

“Goooood morning, everybunny!” Lagomorph says cheerfully.

Everyone else greets him, unfazed by his booming voice. He asks, “What’s on the agenda today, Doctor?”

Dr. Klim straightens up. “Well, er…I was going to perform some more experiments with Luna and Kyle’s assistance. I cannot speak for anyone else, however.”

“I was going to take Dio with me to investigate something,” Phi says.

“And she told me fuckall before dragging me into it,” you grumble.

The rabbit snickers, relishing in your agony. “Too bad, B.O.”

Akane turns to you and Phi, asking, “Where do you plan to visit?”

Phi finally answers your burning question. “Rhizome-4. I found some interesting records about it in our database and read all about it. I wanted to see for myself whether it was still in use. Going alone is a classic horror movie mistake, and I’m not willing to do so.”

“I guess that makes sense…protecting each other or whatever,” you reply with a roll of your eyes.

“I see. You may go,” Akane says, “My curiosity was also piqued.”

Lagomorph grins. “Oho, this’ll be fun for you kits! What could possibly go wrong?”

You glare at him. “Would you shut the fuck up?”

He laughs at you again. “It’s just soooo much fun to rile you up! Anyway, gotta go!”

With that, Lagomorph disappears from the screen. Phi walks to the warehouse door, gesturing for you to follow her. You join her and ride to the decompression chamber in complete silence. After donning your suits, you walk to the lunar buggy just outside the crater Rhizome-9 is housed in.

“I call dibs on driving,” Phi says.

“Do you even know how to?” You ask her bluntly.

“Does it really matter at this point? It’s not like you need a driver’s license for these things,” she quips.

You shrug while getting into the passenger seat. No point in arguing. She starts the engine and touches the gas pedal. Interestingly, she’s driving in the opposite direction from where you drove to Rhizome-27. This would probably be a shorter drive, then. You do have a burning question, however.

“What the hell is a driver’s license?”

Phi glances over at you. “I thought you of all people would know. Didn’t Free the Soul teach you and your cronies anything?”

You bristle at the mention of Free the Soul. “There wasn’t any need to drive on fucking highways. Isn’t it enough just to practice?”

“Th—that’s not…” Phi sighs and shakes her head.

“Oh, and let me guess, you’re gonna tell me how important it was,” you say sarcastically.

Phi speeds up a bit and says, “Actually, I was going to say your fly is down.”

“Fuck you! You made me look!” You exclaim after glancing downwards frantically.

She snickers but doesn’t say anything else. And that pisses you off. You’d fallen for a childish trick. Kyle, at least, would have the sense to keep his damn mouth shut. You can’t even begin to guess what Judas would do. No, this isn’t the time to daydream. For what seems like an eternity, you stare out the window, watching the lunarscape.

Phi parks the buggy just outside the entrance, and she steps out. You follow suit; you stroll towards the door. In the entryway, you decompress and doff your suits. That’s weird, you think. You expected some sort of security system to stop you and Phi. Either someone else turned it off, or this place is abandoned.

“Let’s split up,” you tell her.

“Yeah, we’ll cover more ground this way.” She turns to walk down the left hallway.

Meanwhile, you turn right to check the other side. Other than the typical metal walls and minimal decor, nothing in particular catches your eye. You see an unlocked door and peek inside the room. Never mind, it’s just a bathroom. Boring as hell. You keep walking, and you sweat a bit. It’s pretty warm in here. You see a couple of other doors, but upon testing them, you find that they’re locked. The second door has ‘kitchen’ written on the plaque. You could go for a bite to eat, but Phi would probably yell at you. According to Luna, Phi allegedly raided the pantry herself. That makes you snicker quietly.

You finally spot something interesting. A set of glass doors loom over you, and as you step closer, they automatically open.

You turn around and call out, “Hey! Get over here! I found something!”

Phi calls back, though her voice is fainter. “What’d you find?”

“Some glass doors, but I haven’t gone inside yet,” you answer.

“Okay, I’m coming,” she replies.

A few moments later, Phi joins you. Your eyes widen as you step inside the large dome shaped laboratory. All sorts of scientific instruments are scattered about, but fully operational. You see several glass cases housing different species of plants. You read one such panel; it contains information about the plant’s growing conditions. You’d never been super interested in botany. But the measurements are what draws your attention. It seems like this particular plant shriveled up because it was ‘growing’ in Martian ‘soil’. You start to suspect that you’re not alone, after all. By the looks of it, at least one batshit scientist like Dr. Klim works here.

You wander over to the desk. Maybe you’d find some notes. You flip over the papers, frowning. Most of the papers are blank, save for some doodles. All the drawings depict a person with long hair and scratch-shaped scars on the left cheek.

“Interesting,” Phi says while examining a tool.

“Think this is somebody the guy who drew this knows?” You wonder out loud.

Phi glances at the drawings and nods. “Evidently, he had a thing for the subject.”

You furrow your eyebrows. “As in a crush, or…?”

“Could be. Or maybe they’re already together,” she suggests.

“Huh. I didn’t think you were the type to gossip about other people,” you remark.

She shrugs at you nonchalantly. “I wouldn’t call it gossip. Just stating a fact.”

You’re about to retort when a gruff-sounding voice interrupts you. “What are you doing here?”

You and Phi slowly turn around to find the source of the voice. An older man wearing a long grey ponytail and rectangular glasses stands before you. He’s got darker skin too. He also holds a clipboard. He must be the scientist running this lab, then.

“Let me repeat: what are you doing here?” He asks.

You answer him, “Well, uh, we just…happened to drive by—“

Phi elbows you in the ribcage, and you yelp. “Ow, what the hell?!”

She glares at you as a silent warning to let her handle it. “Sorry about that. He doesn’t know when to shut up. Anyway, we came here to see the plants.”

“There was no need to sneak around. You could have just asked…” the old geezer sighs.

“We weren’t sure if anyone was here,” she admits.

“I see,” he says curtly.

After a few tense moments, you ask him, “You got a name?”

He stares directly at you for the first time since he’d shown up. “Dr. Huxley Rivera. Yours?”

“Dio.”

“Phi.”

Huxley’s gaze is creeping you the fuck out. Does he see through you somehow? You catch a glimpse of a frown before he shakes his head. He takes out a pen and writes something down. He then hands the scrap of paper to Phi.

Phi studies the paper curiously. “What’s this code for?”

“In case you wish to visit again, this is the security key. Though a heads up would be much appreciated,” he explains.

“Oh. Thank you, doctor,” she says.

You pout slightly. “How come you didn’t give me the code?”

Huxley eyes you suspiciously. “Let’s just say I know your kind very well.”

“My ‘kind’? The fuck would you know?” You ask defensively.

“Ah…sorry. I got a bit carried away.” He sets his clipboard down on a nearby counter.

Phi interjects, “Anyway, I think we’re done here for now. I’ll be sure to pay another visit soon.”

He nods to her. “Well, then. I need to eat some lunch. My spouse should have finished preparing it by now…”

“Wait, you’re married?” You blurt out.

He doesn’t answer you, but you do notice a ring glistening on his necklace. He walks out of the lab without so much as a goodbye. You and Phi glance at each other before you turn to leave as well. That was fruitful, but not in the way you’d expected. More questions than answers. You walk back to the decompression chamber and don your suits. As the two of you drive back to Rhizome-9, you can’t help but wonder about something.

“So, what the fuck is that geezer’s deal?”

Chapter Text

You’d been outside all afternoon, lounging in the old patio chairs with Clover and Alice. The days had finally started warming up. It still feels chilly to you, but at least you don’t have to bundle up as often. Just a sweater and pants would do. You catch yourself thinking about all the weather-related complaints Finn would have. The last time you saw him was during the National Day of Mourning that your family observed instead of Thanksgiving. It was a few weeks before you’d been placed into cold sleep, too. How did he feel when you disappeared? And where could he and Light have sheltered? According to that bartender, Light headed east. Did Finn travel with him, or did they go their separate ways after the nuclear winter? It’s hard to know for sure right now.

You sigh and say, “Today’s April 13th, isn’t it?”

Clover nods somberly. “Forty-five years since the reactors blew up…”

“I wonder if there’s been any traditions to mark this anniversary,” Alice says.

“Maybe so. It wouldn’t hurt to ask,” you reply.

Clover stretches and stands up from her chair. “I’ve been out here long enough, I think. I’m gonna see if Junpei, Quark, and Carlos are back yet.”

“They should be here soon,” Alice says while brushing her skirt.

“Any particular reason?” You ask.

Right as you ask that question, you spot Quark walking up. You wave at him; he, Carlos, and Junpei wave back.

“Hi Mr. Judas,” Quark calls to you.

You chuckle and grin. “Hi, Quark. We were just wondering where you guys were!”

He adjusts his lopsided hat. “Did Grandpa tell you what today is?”

You shake your head. “Is it a special day or something?”

“Or any holiday we’re forgetting about?” Alice asks.

“Actually…” Carlos trails off, glancing at Junpei.

Junpei raises his eyebrows. “Oh, I really didn’t tell you guys, huh? Passover started a couple days ago.”

Clover gasps and exclaims, “But we missed the first night!”

“It’s okay, Clover. We’re all going to the Prices’ house tonight for this year’s seder,” Carlos says.

Junpei laughs and remarks, “This is one of Quark’s favorite holidays. He loves the stories.”

You turn to Carlos. “Feel free to stop me if this is a weird question. Did you ever convert yourself?”

Carlos runs his hand through his hair. “Ah, no…there wasn’t any need to in the first place. Thanks to our marriage, I’m considered a friend of the Jewish community here in Ely.”

"Oh, that’s cool! I hadn’t known that was the case. I thought you had to convert in order to marry,” you remark.

“In some more traditional communities, yeah,” Clover replies.

Alice speaks up after a moment’s silence. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get ready and head over.”

“I advise that you wear something a little dressier. Passover is one of our most important holidays, after all,” Junpei says as you all walk inside.

You nod to him and head to the living room to search for an outfit. You’d been keeping your clothes in the dresser drawers at the bottom of the bookshelf. You pull out a muted orange maxi dress with a belt cinching its waist. Perfect. Deciding which shoes to wear is an easier matter—you pick out your black sandals. You’d obtained both of these from Emani shortly after your birthday. You glance at your T shots before you close the drawer. You’d been injecting every Saturday ever since you returned to Earth. You make a mental note to do your shot tomorrow morning.

After changing your clothes, you head to the main bathroom to brush your teeth. You didn’t need to shower; you’d done so last night. You leave the door open so Alice and Clover can come in if necessary. Alice joins you shortly afterwards to brush her own teeth. Clover, meanwhile, sets her outfit down on the counter. She grabs a towel and washcloth from the hallway closet.

“I won’t be long,” Clover promises you.

You nod to her while Alice says with a smile, “Let me know if you want me to fix your hair in any way.”

Clover nods to her and shoos you out of the bathroom. You brush your hair, electing to leave it down. Alice pulls her hair back into a ponytail, and she adorns it with two gold hair clips. It pairs nicely with her teal shirt and black skirt, you think. You sit down on the living room couch; she sits next to you. A few minutes later, Clover walks out of the bathroom as promised. She’s wearing a black and white dress; the pattern’s almost like a zebra’s stripes.

“Could you braid my hair, please?” Clover asks Alice.

“Sure,” she answers while patting a free spot on the couch.

Clover takes the spot, facing away from Alice. Alice gathers her damp hair into three sections. You watch as she deftly weaves Clover’s hair into a French braid. Shortly after she finishes, Carlos gently taps her shoulder.

“Are you all ready?” He asks you.

You nod to him; Junpei and Quark have already started walking out the door. You all join them. You have no idea how far the Prices’ house is, but you suspect there will be a fair bit of walking. Quark leads the way, excitedly chattering about the delicious food. You find that quite adorable. It’s also nice to see a child that can freely celebrate despite the circumstances. You smile wistfully; Finn acted similarly when the two of you were kids. He and Quark would have gotten along well, you think.

Your feet are starting to ache when you reach your destination. Maybe you should’ve worn a more comfortable pair of shoes. Junpei knocks on the door, and a younger man answers the door. He can’t be much older than you and Alice.

“Welcome, welcome! You’re just in time,” he says.

“Thank you. Got a few new friends with us this year,” Junpei remarks.

He nods to Junpei and turns to you, Alice, and Clover. “Nice to meet you all; the name’s David. My wife, daughter, and I set the seder up in our backyard.”

You introduce yourselves to David, and he eagerly ushers you to the backyard. Carlos points out a large round table for your group to sit at. As you glance around, you see several other groups sitting at round tables. Some are families, and some are friends and couples. Makes sense; there wouldn’t be a rectangular table of the right size for every single person here. You choose to sit with Clover and Alice.

You lean over and whisper, “So how does this go, exactly?”

Clover whispers back, “Don’t worry, they’ll guide us through the whole dinner.”

“That’s reassuring,” you murmur.

David walks to the center alongside his wife and daughter and rings a hand bell to get everyone’s attention. “Good evening everyone! At each table, there is a pitcher of grape juice for you to fill your cups with. We will drink four cups tonight to represent God’s fourfold promise to our ancestors in Egypt.”

You pour your first cup and pass the pitcher around. David says a blessing in words you don’t recognize. You figure it’s for the juice. After all the tables have finished pouring, Mrs. Price explains what each food on the seder plate represents. She then breaks a piece of unleavened bread, calling it ‘matzah’. According to her, it would be hidden for the children to find later.

A small girl hiding behind David shyly speaks up. “Hi…”

David chuckles and smiles at her. “It’s alright, Max. It’s your turn now.”

Max nods at him and turns to face you all. She recites her questions: “Why is this night different from other nights? On all other nights, we eat leavened foods and matzah. Why, on this night, only matzah? On all other nights, we eat vegetables. Why, on this night, only bitter herbs? On all other nights, we don’t dip at all. Why, on this night, do we dip twice? On all other nights, we eat either sitting upright or reclining. Why, on this night, do we all recline?”

As she asks those questions, a vague memory drifts into your mind. It was during Sunday Mass that you first learned of the Exodus. You don’t recall exactly when that was, however. The prophet Moses fascinated you; his story even inspired you. You also remember that he initially refused God’s call.

“To answer those questions, we must first tell the story. Otherwise, what meaning would they hold?” David puts a couple of fingers on his chin for effect.

Naomi adds, “Our sages spoke of four types of people whenever they ask questions. One is very inquisitive. The second is still curious, but shy. A third one is scornful. A fourth one is indifferent. We retell the Passover story in various ways to help all four types understand its meaning and ideals.”

David nods, and he starts to speak again. “A very long time ago, our forefather Jacob went down to Egypt with his children during a famine. The king that ruled at that time favored them. He gave them their own land to live in, and they prospered for many generations.”

“The new pharaoh, however, feared us. He believed that should war ever come, we’d side with the enemy. He made our ancestors slaves, attempting to break their minds and spirits. One mother placed her son in a boat of reeds and sent him up the river. She hoped that he would be safe,” Naomi says.

“And that boy was Moses!” Max exclaims.

You chuckle softly; her enthusiasm is contagious. The rest of your group is just as entranced as you are, especially Quark. David goes on to explain how Moses pleaded with the pharaoh many times to let his people go. The pharaoh would not relent, so the ten plagues were unleashed. Naomi then tells how the Jewish people finally left Egypt via the Sea of Reeds.

“And so, to answer those four questions you asked…” Naomi trails off.

David grins and takes a sip of water. “We eat matzah to remember that our ancestors didn’t have time to wait for the bread to rise before leaving. The bitter herbs serve as a reminder of the horrors of slavery. We dip twice, once for gratefulness, and once to sweeten ourselves. Finally, we recline to demonstrate our freedom.”

Although this isn’t your personal tradition, you feel a deeper appreciation for the Exodus story. It’s more engaging than the version you heard as a child, you think. No wonder Quark, Clover, Carlos, and Junpei enjoy partaking. You glance at Alice to gauge her reaction. She’s in awe; she almost forgets to pour her second cup of grape juice. She passes the pitcher to you, and you refill your cup.

Once everyone has poured themselves their cups, you start to eat. The herbs are not your favorite taste, but you eat it anyway. At least you could say you tried them. The mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon, and wine—charoset, Naomi called it—is definitely more delicious. You could take or leave the matzah.

Junpei clears his throat to get your attention. “There’s something I’ve wanted to tell you all.”

“Oh? What is it?” You ask.

“I have a story of my own that I wanna share. I figured you three especially would want to hear it,” he says after taking a sip of his juice.

“Well, you can’t just leave us hanging,” Clover jokes.

Alice raises her eyebrows in mild surprise. “Go on…”

Junpei nods to you. “Imagine a group of a hundred motorcycles driving down an endless freeway. Eventually, they hit a junction. One continues off northwest, and the other stretches out northeast. One guy pipes up and suggests going northwest.”

He takes a deep breath. “The bikers go northwest, but about a mile past the intersection, something horrible happens. A semi driving the other way veers into their lane, and plows through the bikers. Ninety of them die. Ten are wounded, but survive.”

“What happened to those ten bikers?” Alice asks.

“They don’t stop. They keep riding down that highway, and eventually, they’ve gone 10,000 miles. Sure, the loss of those ninety lives are unfortunate. But it wasn’t as if exclusively bad things happened during that trip. Maybe one adopted a child along the way. Maybe another fell in love with a woman at a gas station.”

Clover tilts her head curiously. You wonder where exactly this is going, too. Junpei gulps down the rest of his grape juice. Carlos squeezes his hand affectionately. Quark also finishes his matzah.

“They overcame their own misery and loss, and made the best of it with the hand they’d been dealt. I think that’s worth something. My point is—don’t give up here. You’ll find your own happiness,” he reassures you.

Clover sniffles. “What about Light and Finn? We’ve been looking for them for a while now, but—“

“Lemme say it again: Don’t. Give. Up.”

You blink back tears of your own. Junpei’s right. Despite everything you’ve been through, there’s been some joyful moments. You’re even more sure of it now. You will find Finn and Light.

“Thank you…” Alice says while dabbing her eyes gently with her napkin.

“You’re welcome,” Junpei says with a grin.

Quark joins the other kids to find the matzah piece Naomi hid earlier. Junpei leans on Carlos and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Clover and Alice wander to another table to chat with some strangers. You glance up at the sky; it’s almost completely dark now. The moon is shining brilliantly as always. You ponder how Dio’s doing up there. Did he settle in as well? Would he ever come down to Earth for a visit? Sure, he said he couldn’t ‘guarantee shit’. But you don’t quite believe that. And then, it hits you.

“Are you kidding me…? Is this some kind of sick joke?” You whisper while burying your face in your hands.

Chapter Text

After getting your ass kicked by Scorpion in Mortal Kombat yet again, you groan and turn the game off. Kyle showed you how to play a little while back, but it wasn’t until recently that you started playing on your own. Beating your opponents’ asses is pretty fun. It’s a better way of blowing off steam, you’ve also found. Today, however, it isn’t enough. Ever since your little visit to Rhizome-4 a few weeks ago, you’d been mulling over some things. Just what was up with that old doctor? Did you know each other somehow? Annoyingly, Luna still reminds you to eat regular meals. Why the hell does she care? She has no reason to. Or so you think. As for Judas…

“Ow,” you say to no one in particular.

Your face feels funny. Your heart races for a moment. You still can’t wrap your head around this reaction. Why does this always happen whenever you think about him? Or when someone else mentions him? Talk about living rent-free in your head. Brother probably would have seen him as an enemy to be eliminated. He was investigating Free the Soul with those two chicks, after all. But that doesn’t really matter anymore.

“Where the hell is Luna, anyway?” You murmur to yourself.

You walk out of your room to search for her. You head to the laboratory first, as that’s where she’d normally be at this time. Nobody’s here; you frown and duck into the pantry. Nope, not here either. You ride the elevator up to Floor A and check the infirmary. Still no sign of Luna. Damn, just where did she go? You have a feeling she isn’t behind the green door or any of the white doors. That leaves the blue door. You rush back downstairs and head to the garden.

“Luna!” You call out.

“Y-yes?” A faint voice calls back.

You follow the crosswalk, and it leads you straight to her. She’s watering some of the smaller plants. She turns to face you with a polite smile.

You wipe some sweat from your forehead. “Hey, there you are.”

She sets the watering pot down. “Hello, Dio. Did you, um, need something?”

“Yeah, got a couple of questions for you.” You take a seat on a nearby bench.

“Go on…”

“Did Dr. Klim order you to take care of the plants?” You ask.

She shakes her head. “No…it’s just a hobby of mine.”

You then remember what you were actually going to ask. “So. You’ve been making me eat more food. Why?”

“If you will forgive me for saying so…you were very scrawny. I couldn’t help but notice. Free The Soul must not have prioritized feeding you properly,” she explains.

You’re taken aback. “Wh—how? How’d you know? You’re right, but—“

She folds her arms. “It’s a common tactic for control. I think. Restrict the amount of food and drink your members can have, and they become more vulnerable. Easier to take advantage of.”

A chill snakes its way down your spine. Now that you think about it, you hadn’t been stopped from eating anything in the time you’ve been here. You’d actually noticed a bit more meat on your bones, so to speak. You could eat pretty much whatever you wanted. And for once, you don’t feel ashamed.

“Dio? Are you alright?” Luna’s question cuts into your thoughts.

“Mmhmm,” you say absentmindedly.

“You clearly have more on your mind than just food,” she remarks.

You blink at her. “Uh, I guess so. Like whether that old scientist Phi and I met was an enemy we needed to keep an eye on.”

She picks up a pair of pliers. “Hm, I don’t think so. He could easily have killed you both. But he didn’t.”

You raise your eyebrows. “Sure seemed like he fucking would for a minute. The way he looked at me was creepy.”

“Like he could see right through you?” She suggests.

“Exactly,” you say while pointing at her.

Luna starts to trim the weeds with her pliers. “In any case, I have my own question for you. If you don’t, um, mind.”

“Sure…?” You trail off.

“Do you…miss Judas?” She asks quietly.

Your eyes grow wide, and your gaze bores into her. Sure, you daydream of him frequently. And sure, you’d had a pretty good time with him before everything went to shit. You even thought of showing him around Rhizome-26 once or twice. But that was it—just daydreams. You’d rather die than admit it out loud.

“The fuck kind of question is that?” You spit out.

She stifles a giggle. “I’m going to take that as a ‘yes’. It’s written all over your face.”

You groan loudly. “Oh, come on!”

“You could continue to stay here and not do anything about it. Or…”

“Or what?”

A smile creeps up on her face. “You could go visit Judas on Earth. He did extend the invitation, after all.”

You lean back on the bench and sigh in defeat. “Yeah, that’s true, I guess. I don’t know where the fuck he went, though.”

“Well…Dr. Klim or Akane may know,” Luna says as she finishes trimming.

“What, like using some tracking device to pinpoint somebody’s location?” You ask.

She grabs an empty pot. “That is possible, yes. Um, could you help me repot these plants?”

You turn your nose up. “Fine, but only because you asked oh-so-nicely. I’m not much of a gardening guy.”

“Oh, I know. You just happen to be here, that’s all.” She points to a different pot, directing you towards it.

You walk to the shed to put on some gloves. As you grab some plants, it strikes you. Shit, the dog’s out of the bag now, isn’t it? Or was it ‘cat’? Either way, you’ve finally figured it out. No point in lying to yourself anymore. Judas has probably been up to some shit, too. You wonder what exactly he’s been doing. But what the hell would you do afterwards? Would he even speak to you in the first place? Damn, why are you worried? You literally just want to see him again.

As you and Luna repot the last of the plants, she finally speaks up. “Just so you know…you will be interrogated again soon.”

Your blood turns to ice. So the day’s finally come, huh? You don’t know when, and that unsettles you.

Chapter Text

“Say, Carlos, what do you wanna do for your birthday this year?” Junpei asks.

Carlos leans over the counter and smiles. “Well, there’s a spot I want to show everyone. Back in the day, it was called Cave Lake State Park. I took my sister there every summer.”

You tilt your head out of curiosity. “Oh yeah, I remember…she especially loved the views. Shame I never got the chance to go with you guys.”

“Let’s make a day out of it, then,” Carlos says.

Carlos’ actual birthday rolls around a couple days later. He’d wanted a picnic lunch with chocolate cake, so you, Clover, and Alice help Junpei prepare it. Quark finds a kickball and some badminton rackets; he brings it out to show you. They’re in surprisingly good condition despite their age.

“Go put those in the car trunk, okay?” Junpei tells Quark.

“Oh, I thought we were walking there,” Clover says.

Junpei shakes his head. “It’s too far from here by foot. With our car, it’s a shorter drive.”

Clover nods at him. “Yeah, that makes sense…”

Alice sighs in relief. “Phew. Especially when it’s getting warmer.”

You bring the picnic basket to the car, and you place it in the trunk alongside the kickball and rackets. Everyone joins you; Carlos calls shotgun. Junpei gets in the driver’s seat. You and Alice sit at the windows while Clover and Quark sit in the middle. As Junpei drives, you watch the scenery go by. You’re reminded of the road trips you took with your family. Your heart aches for those times. You’d do anything to hear their voices again. Your parents are long dead, you figure. You still don’t have any real leads on Finn’s whereabouts. Maybe he’s on the moon? No, that would actually be crazy, you think. After what feels like a minute, Junpei stops the car and turns off the engine.

As you all get out, Clover walks to the lake to stick her hand in it. “Eek!”

“Why would you…?” Alice trails off while holding back a chuckle.

“I wanted to see whether we could swim.” Clover pouts playfully.

You giggle and say, “I’m sure we’ll get a chance to soon. At least there’s other things to do.”

“Over here!” Quark calls to you.

You, Alice, and Clover walk to where Quark is standing. Carlos explains that this trail was once called Steptoe Creek Trail, and that he and Maria would hike here. He then starts to walk, with all of you following suit. You glance around, taking a quiet, deep breath. There’s a lot of hills with several sections of shrubs, though they appear dried out. The trail itself is narrow, and you shudder upon that realization. You’d never been a fan of tighter spaces, and the Nonary Game exacerbated that fear. Logically, you know you’re not in Building Q. You know for a fact that you’re not alone. But that feeling seizes you like a snake ensnaring its prey. That is, until you spot a group of lizards crawling across the trail.

“Hey guys, look!” You exclaim while pointing at the lizards.

“Wow, I hadn’t seen any in a long time,” Carlos remarks.

Quark grins and runs ahead to get a closer look. “They’re so weird-looking!”

Junpei cautions Quark not to touch them. His warning is futile; the lizards scurry away. Quark pouts, but keeps soldering on. You spot the moon, studying its features more closely. You won’t be fooled again like you were in January. Now that you think about it, it feels like a lifetime ago that you were playing the Ambidex Game. If even one vote had gone differently, you could’ve easily been trapped in Rhizome-9 forever. It’s a miracle that everyone escaped relatively unscathed. You’re also surprised at how resilient Clover has been. Alice’s presence and yours has probably helped her cope, you reason.

Alice calls out to you, “Hey, Judas!”

You blink and turn around. “Oh…I guess my head really was in the clouds.”

“You okay?” She asks.

“Yes; I was just enjoying the views…” You trail off.

She raises an eyebrow. “I was going to tell you that we reached the end. Everybody else already turned back. But they’re not too far off.”

You nod to her and start walking back with her. You catch up to the rest of them not long after. And when you reach the picnic area, Quark eagerly grabs the kickball from the trunk. Carlos and Junpei, meanwhile, find a bench to sit down on. They lean on each other; you smile at them. Clover finds a stick and draws a rectangle in the dirt.

“You guys wanna play Four Corners?” She asks.

“Yeah, sure,” you and Alice say in unison.

Quark sets the kickball down and asks, “What’s Four Corners?”

Clover explains, “Basically, you stand in different corners of this square and try to kick the ball back and forth to each other. But if you miss, you’re out. And the last person standing wins!”

“It can get hectic real quick,” you add with a chuckle.

Quark considers Clover’s words for a moment. “Then yeah, let’s play!”

The four of you go for several rounds, with Quark laughing in delight as he wins a couple of them. You had to bow out after round two, as your joints are killing you. Junpei takes your place; you join Carlos on the bench. Alice grabs the badminton rackets after the final round.

“Hey Carlos, I’ve been thinking…” you start to say.

“About?” He raises an eyebrow.

“DCOM keeps tickling my mind, ever since you told me about it. I remembered something,” you reply.

Carlos nods and says, “Let’s hear it.”

You clear your throat. “I had a friend who worked there. They were an astronomer, and DCOM hired them specifically for the Mars simulation. Of course, they couldn’t divulge much detail about it…with one exception. They were chosen to oversee the test subjects.”

A look of realization dawns upon Carlos’ face. “Wait…do you mean…Dr. Soren Deveaux?”

You gasp and exclaim, “Yes! Oh my God, yes! Do you know what happened to them?”

“Can’t say I do. My best guess is: they were forced to go to the moon.” He frowns.

You deflate, sighing deeply. “Probably by Free the Soul, too…”

“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help,” he says.

“Oh, no need to apologize. It’s still a new lead, however small,” you respond with a strained smile.

Just then, Junpei walks up to the two of you. “Everything alright? We’re about to eat.”

Carlos nods, and he stands up first. You join him and Junpei; you set the picnic basket down on a nearby table. Quark unfurls the tablecloth while you unpack the basket. Everyone fixes their plates, and you sit down with Clover and Alice. The food’s tasty, but you still can’t help but wonder where the hell Soren is. If you could just figure out which rhizome they were in, it’d be a simple spaceship ride. You hope, at the very least, that they aren’t alone.

Clover gently nudges you on the shoulder. “Judas, what’s up? Is something wrong?”

You raise an eyebrow at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Uh, yeah. You’ve had like, a stormy look on your face ever since we finished the hike,” she says bluntly.

“Let’s move towards the lake,” Alice suggests.

You both follow her to the lake’s shore. Clover starts again: “Seriously, what’s up?”

You glance at Alice, and then at Clover. “Two things…number one: Carlos told me something interesting just before our lunch. It’s a potential new lead. Number two: I just have this gut feeling that something’s looming on the horizon. I don’t know if it’s positive or negative. It’s eating at me either way.”

“Oh…what’d Carlos say?” Clover asks you.

“He remembered that my friend Soren was overseeing all the DCOM test subjects,” you state.

Alice tilts her head. “Dr. Deveaux? I only recall getting a very brief overview of them from my superiors. Damn, if only I’d been able to talk to them myself…”

Clover sighs and says, “We could have gotten so much more information before getting frozen…anyway—Where do you think they are?”

“Most likely on the moon…” You frown, deflating again.

“Wait, what if Soren met with Light at some point? Maybe they could give us some more insight!” Clover says excitedly.

Alice makes a ‘hm’ noise. “We don’t know exactly where on the moon they’d be. And they could still be working for Free the Soul. However, since you know them personally…yeah, this seems promising. Nice work, Judas.”

“Thanks, I suppose…now, the uh, other thing…” You give her an uncertain gaze.

“To tell the truth, I’ve been feeling the same way,” she confesses.

Clover muses, “I dunno what could be looming, but I think everything will work out in the end. We’ve got each other, and we’ve got Junpei, Carlos, and Quark now too.”

You smile at her, albeit a bit uneasily. “That’s true—it’s easy to forget when I’m, I guess, anxious.”

Alice silently pulls you and Clover into a hug. You finally relax in her embrace. It’s easier to believe their words of reassurance with physical proof. You breathe in the crisp air, savoring this moment. Yeah, you would be okay for now, you think. After you break apart, Carlos waves to you from the car.

“I’ll drive,” you call to him and Junpei.

“Did you have a license back in the day?” Junpei shouts back warily.

“Yeah,” you say as you all walk up to them.

Junpei nods in approval and hands you the keys. Quark calls shotgun, and you start driving. Quark really did pick up some of Carlos’ mannerisms. You find that adorable. After an all-too-uneventful ride home, you park the car outside and get out.

As you walk inside, a burst of inspiration hits you. What if Finn was trying to reach you through the morphogenetic field himself? Maybe, just maybe, tapping into the field would give you what you needed. You sit down on the living room couch and close your eyes. Are you there, Finn? It’s me, Judas. I’m not in that facility anymore, and neither are Clover and Alice. We somehow managed to escape. Turns out we were on the moon, and it’s 2074. What a mind-fuck it’s been. Anyway, we’re in Ely, Nevada now. It’s kind of a long story. If you’re listening at all, can you give me some sort of sign? I miss you a lot. I love you.

I love you, too.