Enemy Unknown: Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

The third night is as long and creepy as the others...

It might be that they found the engine room, solved the puzzles and found themselves in the hangar bay with no way out. It might be that they were still in the station hiding from the invisible monsters. Or it might be that they had been plucked from the mission and were waiting in their holding room.

Either way morning dawns on the fourth day...

---

ENEMY: UNKNOWN

---

DAY FOUR

the trapped. THOSE WHO SOLVED THE ENGINE ROOM SPENT THE NIGHT IN A LARGE HANGAR THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY DOORS. Their SCA's are working, so they can still communicate with those in the station, perhaps talk them through the engine room puzzles or tell them to stay clear. As morning comes all the lights in the hangar come on. Brighter than any lights so far in the station, harsh white light after the eerie red of the rest of the mission.

Everyone still in the station wakes where they fell asleep - if they slept at all. It's not long after most people are up and about that they will hear a high-pitched beep from their SCA, and then a blue light will envelop them and those around them. It might be they spot their friends vanishing before they too disappear.

They arrive in the hangar, reunited with those who spent the night there. All their gear is with them at least, but that doesn't solve the problem of being in a hangar with no obvious way out. Nor are any of those who vanished during the last three days here, their SCA's still go unanswered.

---

the vanished. FOR THOSE IN THE HOLDING ROOM, THEIR NIGHT HAS PROCEEDED MUCH LIKE THE NIGHTS BEFORE. One of the screens showed the hangar, and those that had succeeded in completing the engine room task. The lights had dimmed for sleeping and turned on again bright in the morning. For those watching the screens they will see those in the station vanish in blue light and turn up in the hangar.

Around half an hour later a voice sounds in the room. "Please gather your belongings and prepare for release."

It's another ten minutes, allowing them to make sure they have all their things before their SCA's beep. They are then surrounded by a blue light, taking them from the room they had spent the last few days in.

REUNITED

reunion. AN HOUR PASSES AFTER FIRST ARRIVALS PASS IN THE HANGAR. Suddenly, there is another flash of blue light, and the missing eighteen Voidtreckers appear with the rest of their crew. They will find they had all their gear as well, including their missing weapons.

They are left to their own devices for a small while, a time for reuniting with friends, but not long enough to exchange stories before a voice rings out in the hangar:

"THANK YOU CREW OF THE VOIDTRECKER EXPRESS FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE. YOU MAY RETURN TO YOUR CRAFT."
There is a loud mass of beeping as everyone's SCA's flashes at the same time, holographic messages popping up too fast to be able to read them in their entirety.

Voidtreckers come in.

All Voidtreckers return to the Voidtrecker Express

Voidtreckers evacuate now

Voidtreckers do you read?

Layers of holographic messages pile on top of each other but a moment later everyone's SCA's glow gold and everyone vanishes from the hangar...

LUGGAGE CARRIAGE

return. EVERYONE ARRIVES INSIDE THE LUGGAGE CARRIAGE, PACKED LIKE SARDINES BETWEEN SUITCASES AND TRUNKS. There is no announcement, no warning of returning to the void; just a lurch that is likely to throw anyone on the train unaware of what has just happened off their feet, no matter the carriage they're in.

They return to the void at what feels like breakneck speed. Colours fly past the windows, and it is a good few hours before they seem to slow to their normal travel speed.

---

Comments

[subcircuits]

Devero smiles crookedly at him, relieved in turn to see Koumyou relax. He pats Koumyou's knee and sits back, going right back to his food.

[its_dad_sanzo]

After a moment, Koumyou scoots closer with his tea, and leans in to rest the side of his head on Devero's shoulder. Just casual closeness.

"I really missed you, you know."

[subcircuits]

Devero's smile widens when Koumyou budges up against him. He leans back, just a little, as he eats more.

"I was so fucking worried about you," he says, lowering the mostly-empty bowl to his lap. "It was like-- background radiation to everything else that happened."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"My sweet Devero," Koumyou sighs softly, "I'm sorry."

It wasn't his fault, but he can still sympathize. He'd been worried, too. Worried Devero would get killed out there and it would stick. Worried he'd never make it back to Koumyou at all.

He hadn't slept at all except the mandatory hours the train knocked people out for. He hadn't wanted to dream.

[subcircuits]

"Not your fault," he says immediately, leaning his cheek against Koumyou's pale hair. "Just bad luck, that I hit the ground on the station before the train realized it was a trap, and you didn't."

There's a pause, as if that's all he's going to say, but then he twists to hide his face in Koumyou's bangs and lets out a trembling breath. "I'm just so glad you're okay, love. I missed you too. A lot."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I was just sure you'd die and never come back," Koumyou confesses quietly, knowing that isn't exactly a revelation. Devero knows what half his nightmares are of.

But...

"But we're both here now," he adds, wrapping his free arm around Dev's ribs so that he can still hold onto his own tea and Dev can still do his food and tea things freely.

[subcircuits]

"And I was sure I was going to come back to your name in gold, and h-have to watch you disembark at the next platform..." Maybe not quite as bad as Koumyou's frequent nightmares of his horrible death, but.

He sighs again, hot breath stirring Koumyou's bangs, then lifts his face. His eyes are wet but he scrubs them with the back of a hand and smiles. "We are. We're fine. And...." He shifts a little, sheepishly. "Did you say you had more food made?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Yes," Koumyou agrees -- and confirms -- with all of it. He leans back a bit, balancing his tea on his knee so he can pull out another bowl of steaming fish and rice and hand it over, then reaches in again for...

A whole-ass teapot.

"More tea?" he's going to carefully top his own off while he's at it.

[subcircuits]

"Please," Devero says softly, his smile so so fond. He balances the fresh bowl of food on his lab and fetches his cup for Koumyou to top him up as well. Careful not to jostle anything, he leans in to peck Koumyou on the cheek. "Thank you, babe."

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou smiles at the kiss, and tops them both off. He tucks the hot teapot away into the ARMs band again, marveling a little at the magic of the thing as he does so. Having it has become so very normal to him, over the last six months of being here.

"You're very welcome, my heart."