Chapter Text
“If you don’t go, you’ll die anyway,” Eva intones softly.
“Yeah, but I die in 30 years, with-,” I’m cut off as she finishes it.
“-with everyone else.” She just…stares at me. I can’t tell if she’s begging me to make it easy, to do the right thing, or if she’s pitying me. “You have no immediate family; you don’t even have a dog.”
“I’m an Omega,” I throw out, desperate. She sighs slowly.
“You haven’t had a heat in almost twenty years, you said so yourself.”
“so, just so we’re clear, you’re asking me, right now, to give up my life?
“I am, we all are.”
“Can I think about this?”
“You have three hours.”
I shake my head, clearing away the unwanted memory, tuning back into the present, listening to Rocky talk about his mate, Adrian, with fondness.
“Rocky can not wait to be home, Rocky miss Adrian,” Rocky sings, the sounds followed shortly with the translator.
“I’m sure you can’t, buddy. I can’t wait to be back in my biosphere! I’ve started working on a lesson plan based on---”
“Blip E detected.”
My eyebrows immediately furrow, “Just what could be out there now?” More aliens? My gaze slides to Rocky as I think this, making my way to glance out, and what I see causes my breath to escape in a wheeze.
“What the fudge,” I exclaim, staring at the impossible Submarine floating aimlessly nearby.
“Human Lifeform detected,” Mary chimes. My heart drops. HUMAN?
Rocky makes an excited series of chimes, “New human, question!”
“Whatever is in that…vessel, we should try and communicate!” I dive for the radio, quickly sending out a transmission. “Hello, this is Dr. Ryland Grace, can anyone respond?” I wait with bated breath. Nothing. As the seconds continue to tick by, my hope withers. But Rocky wiggles nervously.
“New human heartbeat slow slow slow! Hard for Rocky hear!” My stomach churns.
“What? Nonono, that’s bad! Very bad! We need to get them out,” I panic, “Rocky! If I can get the ship close enough, would you be able to make another bridge connecting this to the sub?” Rocky hums, giving an enthusiastic thumbs down.
“Rocky build, statement. Build fast fast fast!” He scurries off, presumably, to start building. I let out a slow breath, strapping into my seat. “Let’s do this,” I mumble, taking control. Sweat trickles down my brow and painstakingly slow, I move us within ten feet or less of the vessel.
By the time I’ve left the controls, Rocky has finished most of a tunnel from the airlock, waiting impatiently.
“Grace slow slow slow! Rocky already have bridge built! Grace just now in position!”
“Slow – Rocky, it’s not complete yet?” Rocky’s limbs shake impatiently.
“Yes ready!”
“Even the airlock,” I question, surprise coloring my voice.
“Yes yes yes! Grace go now!” I shake my head, stepping out of my ship, crossing over to the sub, knocking against the surface, immediately regretting the decision. With a surprised noise, I yank my hand back, studying the red substance on my hand with mild horror. Please don’t be blood.
“Hey Rock? Could you cut-,” I’m cut off by the sounds of rocky doing just that, surprisingly.
“Grace is very slow slow slow!” I chuckle disbelievingly as the side of the sub falls in, exposing the horrors it was hiding. I’m immediately hit with the overwhelming scent of distressed Alpha, gagging as the smell mixes with the stench of blood.
“Oh-oh my god,” I cover my nose with my hand, hurrying inside to save the Alpha.
If I thought the smell was bad, it was in no way comparable to the sight of the Alpha. The stranger was sat propped against the opposite wall, drenched in blood. I nearly vomit when my eyes land on the mangled remnants of his left arm. I force myself to move, ignoring the shaking in my hands as I crouch on his right side.
“It’s okay, don’t be afraid, you’re alright, I’ll help you,” I ramble, understanding that, whatever he went through, must have been terrifying. I’m in the process of hiking his remaining arm over my shoulders when his eyes suddenly open, unfocused gaze landing on me. A furrow appears in his brow for a moment, before it smooths, as if a sudden understanding had crossed his mind.
“Angel,” He mutters, head lolling towards me as he loses consciousness once more. I don’t waste time pondering that, carrying the heavy Alpha to the med-bay, leaving him in Armando’s capable hands. Before I allow myself to pause, I beeline back to the sub, gathering anything I can find, including the data from the outdated computer system, with the help of Rocky, of course.
“What this,” he asks, rolling near something. I move over, picking it up.
“It’s a pendent,” I explain, adding it to the rest of the recovered items, “A keepsake.” Rocky chitters in understanding, following me back into Mary. I take everything to the lab, depositing it inside the glovebox, to be checked later. Now I can have that breakdown, and it just so happens, Rocky is due a sleep.
Once Rocky has fallen asleep, I allow my composure to fall, my body wracked with trembles, sobbing, hand in my mouth to muffle the sounds. Just…the gore alone would haunt my dreams for years now! But not only that, he’s an ALPHA. Another human, here, with me!
I’m not sure how long I spend crying, in fear, in relief, in horror, but Rocky is still sleeping when I’ve finally calmed back down, and my body is in desperate need of food, water, and a cleanse. I dry my face, take a deep breath, and head to do all three, shoving the breakdown to the back of my mind for now, resolving to take everything one step at a time.