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The gnosia have won and the remaining humans on the ship have been disposed of. Raqio sighs and sits back in their chair in the rec room, idly watching Sha-Ming screwing around with one of the "video games" on the other side of the room. He had invited Raqio to play, but they declined, citing no need to partake in frivolous activities meant to numb the mind. Raqio can't help but think Sha-Ming hardly needs any more numbing of the mind. He'll be actually brain dead before he knows it, and then who will carry out Gnos's will?
The two gnosia in the room glance up as the door opens, revealing a very pleased looking SQ.
"Aaaaaall done!" She announces cheerfully, a light skip to her step.
"You've taken care of Mi and Remnan?" Raqio asks as SQ flops down onto a couch.
"Mm, yep! Well, more or less, heehee," she giggles suspiciously, prompting Raqio to narrow their eyes.
"More or less?" They repeat. SQ giggles again in the same infuriatingly vague manner
"Well, Mi is dead, I've made sure of that much. But Remnan... he's contained." Her response isn't comforting to the nonbinary gnosia, who's eyes narrow further.
"What do you mean, contained? He should be dead."
"Yeah, well, I didn't want to do that! My Remmy is just sooooo cute, and I've only just gotten him back after he ran away from me! I don't want to lose him again just yet." SQ whines and Raqio's eyelid twitches. They know what she's talking about right away. Before the gnosia infection, when Raqio considered Remnan a friend, or at least a decent acquaintance, the white haired man confided in them about his past. He said that there was someone he was running from, someone who kept him imprisoned as a pet. Someone who did unspeakable things to him. He had said that he would rather die than go back to her. If SQ is that person, then...
"Our mission is to eliminate the humans, not keep them as pets. You can't keep him, SQ." Raqio tries explaining rationally, but SQ's demeanor quickly shifts from pleasant and playful to deadly serious.
"I will do whatever I want, and you will do nothing to stand in my way, understand?" She says, voice cold like Raqio has never heard it. "If any of you do anything to my Remmy, I'll make you wish you had never been born."
Sha-Ming, who had been simply listening up to this point, raises his hands in surrender. "Hey, I won't touch him! I don't have any problem leaving one human around. We can come back to that when the rest of humanity has been destroyed or absorbed into Gnos." SQ smiles happily at Sha-Ming for listening to her, and then turns her smile to Raqio as if to ask "and you?" Not wanting to deal with the wrath of SQ, Raqio groans in annoyance and waves their hand dismissively.
"Whatever. I don't really care. This isn't worth squabbling over like children. Keep your boytoy, just don't let it interfere with our mission." SQ squeals happily at getting her way and bounces back out of her seat.
"Okayyyy! I'm gonna go let the others know that Remmy is off limits!" She announces before bouncing out of the room.
Things continue on like normal after that. There are some arguments as to where they should dock the ship first to beging infecting more of humanity. In the end, they decide to land wherever is closest and start from there. Raqio had been hoping to return to Gliese, but this plan is suitable they suppose. Occasionally they will catch glimpses of Remnan, always with SQ. It's almost hard to recognize him, with how different his demeanor is now.
Remnan was always quiet and withdrawn, but seeing him now, it's like he hardly exists at all. His eyes are empty and devoid of emotion or life. He does whatever SQ tells him to. Raqio saw her feeding him with a spoon and Remnan was just sitting there and opening his mouth when prompted. Raqio walked past and Remnan didn't even look at them. His eyes continued to stare straight ahead as though he were catatonic.
Raqio doesn't like seeing the man like this. Remnan can be irritating with his quietness and his lack of confidence, but this is another level. It's like Remnan isn't even there anymore.
This leads Raqio to the conclusion that they have to do something about this. While SQ is out hanging out with the other gnosia, Raqio excuses themself to their room. But instead of going to their room for some solitude, they continue past it and go to SQ's room. The door is locked, but it proves no issue for Raqio to get in.
Remnan sits on the bed, curled up in the corner. His eyes go wide with fear when he sees the door open, then his entire posture relaxes when Raqio shuts the door behind them with nobody else coming in.
"Raqio, oh thank goodness..." Remnan breathes, sighing. "I thought you were... her..."
"I'm Gnosia too, you know. Aren't you afraid I'm here to kill you?" Raqio questions, approaching the bed and sitting down on the edge of it. Remnan shakes his head with a bitter smile.
"No, she would never let that happen," he says, as though it's a disappointment. Raqio scowls, but doesn't respond. After a moment, Remnan uncurls a little and moves closer. "Why are you here? You should leave before she comes back. She'll be mad if she catches you in here... talking to me..."
"Please. I'm not afraid of her." Raqio scoffs, rolling their eyes. Remnan looks at them with something like wonder, but then shakes his head.
"You're a fool, Raqio. She's not... she'll hurt you. She won't just kill you. She'll find whatever hurts you the most and she'll use it and she'll never stop." Remnan's breathing starts to get a little shallower. "She doesn't ever stop. She just keeps going and she'll make you beg for death but she'll never let you go-" he grips hard onto Raqio's sleeve, eyes wide and desperate. "I can't do it again! I can't do this again! Please, I- I know it's selfish of me to ask, but please! Help me!"
Raqio regards Remnan for a moment, seemingly disinterested. Then, they lift their arms up and pull the terrified human into a hug. "I'll help you. I'll make sure she never hurts you again."
"B-but- Raqio, she'll hurt you! I- I don't want you to get hurt because of me-"
"Don't beg me to do something and then tell me not to do it! That is so aggravating. I told you I'm going to help you, so I'm going to help you. Don't try to talk me out of it after you asked me to do it." Raqio scolds him harshly, but it makes Remnan smile. He sniffles and tucks his face into Raqio's shoulder better, getting their clothes wet with tears. Raqio decides not to comment on it.
"Thank you..." Remnan says softly. "But I don't think you'll be able to do much. Even if you kill her, she's... she's infinite. SQ isn't even her, or at least not the same her. She has multiple bodies, multiple selves, and she'll never stop. She'll just find me again. And again, and again, and again, forever..." He cries into Raqio's shoulder, body shaking. Raqio sighs and reaches up to pet his hair soothingly.
"Don't underestimate me. I told you, I'll make sure she never hurts you again. I'm going to keep that promise." The confidence in Raqio's voice seems to convince Remnan finally, and he sniffles and hugs the other tighter.
"Th-thank you. I know, if anyone can do it, it's you, Raqio." he says, the compliment making Raqio grin.
"Well, at least you're not entirely stupid. At least you're able to recognize a superior being when you see one." For some reason, Remnan laughs at that.
"This is why you don't have very many friends, Raqio." He says, tilting his head up to smile. Tears stain his cheeks and his eyes are all red. Raqio scoffs in disgust and uses their thumb to wipe away the wetness. Remnan closes his eyes and relaxes.
"You understand what I'm going to do, don't you?" Raqio asks, finding Remnan's comfort in the situation to be quite abnormal. Remnan nods and keeps his eyes closed.
"I know. And I'm scared, but... I trust you. I know you'll make it quick so it doesn't hurt." Raqio's hand stills on Remnan's cheek. His trust in them is strange, but it feels nice in their chest. They wonder if maybe, in a different life, things could have been different for them. In a world without gnosia, without her there to terrorize Remnan. Maybe they could have been real friends. Maybe Raqio could hold him and comfort him for real, and it wouldn't have to end. Remnan, as though sensing Raqio's thoughts, opens his eyes. "It's okay. I want to be free. You'll set me free, won't you?"
Raqio feels something strange. A pressure behind their eyes, a sort of burning sensation in them. They blink and something runs down their cheek. They only understand that they are crying when Remnan reaches up and swipes away the teardrop. Raqio scowls and turns their face away.
"Of course. I promised you I'd help you, didn't I? Now- shut up and let me get this over with." They make the mistake of glancing back at Remnan's face. He looks happy, smiling but with tears in his eyes. Raqio takes their hand and puts it on the back of his head, pulling Remnan in close to their embrace again.
"Thank you," Remnan says, starting to shake. His hands grip Raqio's clothes tightly.
"Shh..." Raqio closes their eyes and places their other hand on Remnan's head. They stroke his hair comfortingly and shushes him again as they feel him sob.
"Th-thank you, Raqio, thank you-" he repeats. Raqio's grip tightens in his hair.
"Shh, it's okay. It's okay." Raqio soothes, thumb stroking the top of his head as they adjust their grip better.
"Thank you, thank-"
SNAP
Remnan's body stops shaking, and his hands fall limp from Raqio's clothes. Raqio gently lays the man down onto the bed and adjusts his collar to cover the way his crooked neck ruins the image that he could just be sleeping. A tear falls from Remnan's closed eye, and a peaceful smile remains on his face.
You're free now, Raqio thinks, wiping away the tear, she'll never hurt you again. You're free.